“I’ll do it for you, Orla.” He nodded, then kissed my hand again. “I won’t make you worry about me after you leave.”
“Good. And you can count on me not to drive crazy too.” I liked that he would continue doing things for me—even after I was gone.
As we pulled into a small but busy town, I saw lots of cars parked on both sides of the streets. There were lots of people walking up and down the sidewalks. “Here we are.” Warner parked the truck, and we got out to peruse the shops.
Hand in hand, we made our way from one shop to another, and I found bits of treasure in each. But I hadn’t found anything to buy and take home. “There are so many cool things here. It’s making it impossible for me to pick anything. If I had my own castle, I’d buy so many things to fill it with. But my tiny home can’t hold much more than it already has. And I’m finding that a pity right now.” There were cow skin rugs in so many colors and designs that my mind was boggled. Old fashioned bedroom furnishings, kitchen tables that looked like they were from old western mansions, and even old ironware for cooking.
The next shop we went into had a vast array of jewelry—all in big Texan style, of course. Warner picked out a necklace with a diamond-studded pendant and held it up. “This is the outline of Texas.” He held it just above my breasts. “I’m getting it for you. It’ll be a reminder that someone in Texas cares for you.”
Happy to have something to remember him by, I nearly dropped dead when the store clerk told him the price for the trinket. “That’s going to be three-thousand, sir.”
“What?” I put my hand to my chest as my heart started beating like a bass drum. “Three-thousand what?”
Warner just chuckled. “Dollars. And don’t think about the price—just think about the sentiment.”
I couldn’t wear the thing knowing it cost that much. “Don’t get that for me, Warner. Get me something less expensive. What if I lose it or something? I’d hate myself forever if that happened.”
“Don’t lose it then. Be careful with it. Keep it somewhere safe.” He took the necklace and walked behind me, placing it around my neck. “Like right here, for instance. Keep it close to your heart.” After he fastened it, it fell into place. The pendant hung right between my breasts, over my heart. “That’s where I belong—right there, next to your heart.”
Next to my heart? No, you’re inside of it, my love.