Page 40 of In Love With the Leshy

I clutch my chest as tears stream from my eyes. I sob so hard, I can’t see clearly and can barely breathe.

“It’s okay, My Flower.” Dragging his thumb beneath my eyes, he brushes the tears away, heating my blood and making me tingle. “I don’t need a ring. You are all I need.”

I shake my head. “No. The ring is . . .” I struggle to compose myself and get the words out. My chest is so heavy and full of emotion. This is a sign from my parents that they are with me and that they approve of the life I’ve chosen with Em. “It’s perfect. And this is the most amazing gift I can think of. Thank you!”

“If I made it by myself, the beads would fall out. Em helped sure them up.”

I blink my eyes until my vision returns to normal, clear my throat, and begin again. “Emerald Hickory.” I hold his hand and slip the ring on his finger. “I never believed in love at first sight, or in happily ever after.”

“You never believed in Leshies either.”

“No,” I smile. “I didn’t. When we met, I was at my lowest point ever, and I’d lost faith in everything. Maybe I needed to be there in order to open my heart to you so quickly. You own my heart. I’m in love with you. I know there are things about you that I don’t know or understand. I look forward to learning about them all the days of my life. You’ve showered me with love and kindness. You’ve shown me what it means to be cherished, and I hope I make you feel the same way. My place is in your arms and in our bed. I want to be your partner in everything, for the rest of my days.”

Emerald slips his free arm around my waist and pulls my body against his. A low guttural growl forms in his throat before his lips press against mine for our first kiss in the new phase of our lives.

Chapter 19

Nestled safe and snug in Em’s arms, I extend my hand and move it from side to side, catching the moonlight on the shiny gem.

“You keep looking at the ring,” Em speaks softly. “Are you disappointed?”

“Are you kidding? It’s . . . ” I kiss his cheek, then his neck, eliciting a sound of pleasure. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is. I love it!”

“Were you surprised?”

“Very.” Em smiles. The shimmering gold of his eyes looks alive and vibrant. “And your ring! I felt so bad,” I ramble. “I wished I had a ring to give you. And there it was. The beads mean so much to me. I can’t believe you found them. How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t have a chance. After I was done with Nikolai, I returned to that area.”

With my hand on his cheek, I turn his face toward mine. “You shouldn’t have. You were so weak. Why didn’t you come straight back?”

His eyes fall from mine. “I wanted to see if I could get your car in working order so you could leave.”

I don’t ask why he’d think I’d leave. Only time will convince him that I’m here to stay. I nuzzle my head into the crook of his neck. “Even if you fixed it, I wasn’t leaving you.”

“Turns out I didn’t make it to the car. I could barely walk, and the moonlight caught on the string of beads. I knew they belonged to you. I was so excited. I thought if I brought them to you . . . “

“You thought finding them for me would bring you back into my good graces?”

“Pretty much.”

I squirm in his arms, lifting myself to seek his mouth.

“I love you so much!”

*

Animals crowd around the entrance to the cave. Dim light spills out from inside. Once we approach, a family of birds takes to the air, lifting an arch of flowers for us to walk under.

“Did you tell them to do that?” I ask, amazed that even though they bob up and down, they are able to hold it for so long.

“No,” Em says, chirping a thank you to the birds.

A blue jay lands on Em’s shoulder and tweets in his ear. I hold my breath as I move my head a centimeter at a time to get a better look at the bird, who appears to be just as curious as I am.

“This is their gift to us,” Em explains.

“Thank you!”

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