Page 51 of Dallas
A smile spreads across my face. “You like it, baby?”
She nods. “How could I not like it, but it must cost a fortune.”
I shoot her a scowl. “Do you have any idea how much my inheritance is?”
She shakes her head. “No, but I know you don’t have full access to it for ten years.”
I pull her in front of me so her back is to my chest. My arms are around her as I hold the ring in her line of sight. I kiss her ear. “Baby, Thomas McAndrews is the executor of the will. He will never hesitate to give any of us what we need between now and the time we receive our full inheritance.”
“Need? Do you think this counts as a need?”
“I’m certain of it. I called him this morning before we left. Stop worrying. Ignore the price. Try it on.”
Her hand is shaking as I lift it and slide the ring onto her finger. I hold it out so we can both see it. “It must be fate because it fits perfectly. We won’t have to get it sized.”
“It’s stunning,” the saleswoman says.
I pick up the matching wedding band but don’t slide it onto her finger. That seems like a bad omen. I’ll add it on Saturday. “What do you think?” I whisper.
She leans against me. “I think it’s gorgeous.” She turns in my arms and looks up at me. “I think I’m the luckiest woman alive.”
“We’ll take them. Is there a matching band for me?”
“Yes, sir. Let me show it to you.”
“Now, this is a luxury,” Arianna says an hour later as we sit in a restaurant for lunch.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Eating out in a real restaurant. I haven’t done this for years. There are the few places in Wilde that I’ve been to, but it’s not the same as being here in the city.”
I reach for her hand and run my finger over the gorgeous ring. We’ve already ordered and received our drinks, so I know we won’t be interrupted quickly. “We can come into the city as often as you’d like, baby. Shop. Dine. Go to the theater. Whatever you want.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t like to go out in public. It makes me nervous. That’s why I moved to Wilde. No one knows me there. I can continue to live with anonymity.”
I wince. “It’s been ten years, Arianna. Do you think people will recognize you or care?”
She narrows her gaze at me. “You said yourself I look the same as I did when I was fifteen. Now you understand why I wear the glasses, keep my hair up, and hide behind frumpy clothes.”
She’s not hiding today. She’s wearing a pretty pale-pink dress and sandals. Her curls are loose, cascading down her back, just the front of her hair pulled up and clipped on top of her head with a sparkly pink gemstone barrette. She looks young and carefree. This is the real her, and I’m so glad she’s mine.
I realize now that for most of the morning, she held on tightly to my arm and kept her face against me as if she were shy. She’s been hiding. In addition, we’re sitting in the corner of the restaurant, and Arianna is facing the wall.
I squeeze her fingers. “I’m sorry, baby. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here. I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay. You’re right. I’m probably just being paranoid. I doubt anyone will recognize me.”
The waitress brings our food, and we eat in relative silence. I love watching my girl enjoy a meal.
“Stop staring at me,” she murmurs.
I lean closer to her. “Never.”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, maybe you should look at me as often as you want for the next few months.”
I frown. “What happens after that?”
“I’ll start getting fat, and you’ll find me much less attractive.” She lifts her fork and points it at me, stabbing it into the air. “Remember that when you’re stuck with a whale. It will be your fault for not waiting a few years to get me pregnant.”
