Page 59 of Emma's Element

“You . . . you did that . . . for me?” she was incredulous.

“Of course,” he answered, surprised she’d even doubt it.

“I’m still trying to track her down electronically. She’s been off the grid for a while now.”

“Don’t worry about that any longer. Now that we are aware of what she’s capable of, She can’t hurt us anymore. I’m just glad I was able to get these back for you.” She stared at the platinum bands in her hand before raising her gaze to his, her eyes swimming in unshed tears. He worried for a brief moment that she was upset with him for wanting to put it all behind them, then her lips tilted up in a smile.

She threw her arms around him again. “You are too good to be true,” she breathed.

“Nah. Not really. Just trying to right a wrong.” He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear when she looked up at him.

“Then, you are too good to me,” she argued.

He lost himself for a moment in her doe eyes. “I’d do anything for you,” he whispered. Her smile grew, and she kissed him. He returned her kiss with everything he had, wishing he could tell her how he felt. He loved her. Of that, he was certain. Hopefully, someday soon, he’d be brave enough to tell her. But in the meantime, he could show her.

“Let’s put this on you,” he said, holding up the necklace. She turned, and he fitted the clasp behind her neck. “I hope you don’t mind that I put them on this chain. Now you can keep your parents close to your heart.”

She turned back to face him, lifting the rings in her hand, an expression of sweet sadness on her face. “That is very sweet.”

“Hey, I didn’t do this to make you sad,” he said, concerned.

“I’m not sad,” she admitted. “It’s just . . . it’s been a long time.”

“A long time for what?”

“Since anyone has done something so sweet for me. I know I have Jolene and the Nighthawks that care about me. But this is different. You understood how important these rings were to me. I’m so grateful, Marcus. And a little overwhelmed,” she confessed.

“Well, then maybe I shouldn’t give you the other gift I have for you.”

“There’s more?” she squeaked with an incredulous tone. She clutched the rings in her fist as her wide-eyed gaze met his. “There better not be an aquamarine gemstone in your pocket that belongs under lock and key with the rest of the Queen’s jewels.”

A laugh burst from him. “No, nothing like that, I assure you. Even though I think it would look good on you.”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. “Marcus, I don’t need gifts from you.”

A breeze stirred up her hair around her cheeks. He reached out and tucked a strand behind her ear. He’d loved her short hair, but this slightly longer length suited her. It was still short, not even touching her shoulders, but it was long enough for his fingers to itch to bury themselves in the chocolate tresses. “I know that. But this was something else I had to fix for you.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a watch. Her father’s watch. He handed it to her and loved how her eyes lit up.

“It’s fixed!” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “You did this?”

“I hope you don’t mind.”

“God, Marcus. Why would I mind?” She looked down at the watch in awe. Then held it up to her ear. “It’s ticking!”

“You mean it didn’t before?”

“It hasn’t worked in years,” she said quietly. Emma reached up and cupped his cheek. “How’d I get so lucky as to find you?” she asked, her eyes swimming with bewilderment.

“I assure you, I’m the lucky one.”

“Agree to disagree.” She attached the watch to her left wrist, a wistful smile on her face as she spun it once, as was her habit. “Okay, Titan. Did you bring your gear?” He nodded. “Then let’s get climbing. We’re losing daylight.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent scaling the rock together. And while he enjoyed the view of Emma’s ass as she climbed, the view from the top was just as spectacular. The world put on a magnificent show for them. The spring wildflowers blanketed the ground, reaching for the warmth the sun offered. Sturdy pines spread out before them, steady and unchanging. The deciduous trees, with their infant leaves clinging to the primitive branches, soaked up the remaining daylight. It was a scene he would never tire of. And sharing it with Emma was just the icing on the cake.

Back at Emma’s campsite, the temperatures started to drop as they shared a meal over the campfire. Then with the threat of snow, they crawled into Emma’s sleeping bag to share body heat by making love, an experience he wished to repeat.

After Emma fell asleep, Marcus was restless, as always. Not wanting to risk waking her, he climbed out of the tent and paced around the smoldering campfire. He wasn’t sure what was making him so restless tonight. The day had been one of the best days he’d ever had. And that was all due to Emma. He loved her more than life itself. So why couldn’t he tell her?

Because you’re scared.Hewasscared. He’d been burned too many times. His father. His brother. The so-called friends he’d made throughout the years. They’d all used him, burned him, and left. Not a single one of them had truly cared for him. The only person in his life who’d loved him had been his mother. And he’d been without her for a very long time. Could he even recognize love anymore? He thought he might have seen love in Emma’s eyes today, but how could he be sure. And could he risk his heart again if he wasn’t certain?

---