Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“I can still see her,” Lucy says with a watery smile, looking over Hilda’s shoulder. “And I’m glad because I’d be really mad if she left during this part. Thank you for saving it for me. I’ll keep it safe for, well…later.”
I want babies, Jonas Morley. Lots of babies.
I smile, my heart skipping at the thought. I’d come to the realization long ago that I would never be a husband or a father. It was something I had to grieve and move past. And I had.
But now, it’s within my grasp.
I will marry Lucy tonight and promise to love her for as long as I exist.
I just hope that existence is long enough to give her the children she craves.
Let’s start with this. We’ll add babies later.
She snorts. We move into position under the bright, star-filled sky lit by the glow of the almost full moon and pledge ourselves to each other.
“Let’s begin.”
“Xander.”
My head comes up at the man’s name, and I see that he’s just walked through the door of Lucy’s apothecary. Lucy walks to him and offers him a hug, but he skims the room, his eyes narrowed and calculating.
When he sees me, he walks over and shakes my hand.
“What are you looking for?” I ask him quietly so as not to disturb the customers browsing in the shop.
“Just checking the energy,” he replies. “It seems calm.”
“There’s been nothing since we returned last night,” I confirm, still amazed that it was only yesterday that we came back to clean, and less than twelve hours since Lucy and I were handfasted. I’m a married man.
“Good. Congratulations.” He shakes my hand with a smile. “I have so many questions, but those can wait for a later time.”
“I suspect we have some of the same ones,” I reply. “But I love her. She’s meant for me.”
“She is. For better or worse. And I have something for you.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a simple black velvet box.
“I know this isn’t the original box it came in, but what’s inside is pretty damn old. Open it.”
I flip the top and feel emotion roll through me. “This was my mother’s ring.”
It’s a gold band with a single simply set ruby. I haven’t seen it in centuries. And when I take it out of the box, I can feel my mother’s essence in it.
“It’s been passed down and was given to me, but it should be yours, Jonas.”
“If it was given to you, you should keep it.”
“No,” he insists. “She was your mother. You knew and loved her. She’s merely a story to me. There’s a big difference. Besides, when my time comes, the woman I love is an aquamarine girl.”
I smile and look back down at the ring sitting on my index finger. “I’m grateful, Xander.”
“And you’re welcome. We need to get together soon. All of us. I received a call from Miss Sophia the other night when she couldn’t reach Lucy. It’s nothing urgent, but it’s information we didn’t have before.”
“We will see you soon, then.”
“Have a good day.”
He stops to talk with Lucy for a moment on his way out, and then he’s gone.
I can’t stop staring at the gift he gave me. I had thought this lost long ago, and it astounds me that it wasn’t.
“What did Xander want?” Lucy asks after escorting a customer out. “You two had your heads together.”
I look into her eyes and grin as I tuck the ring away. I may not have proposed with great finesse last night, but I plan to do better when I present her with the ring.
“He’d like for us to get together soon so he can share some information, and he wanted to congratulate us.”
“Yeah, he said so when he stopped by me, as well. That’s nice of him. I feel kind of bad that I didn’t invite him to join us last night since he’s been a part of my life for a really long time. But I didn’t want to make Lorelei uncomfortable.”
“I think he understands that it was just family and spur-of-the-moment.”
“You’re right.” She grins and presses her lips to mine. “My husband is so smart.”
“Is that so?”
She’s still chuckling when someone clears their throat behind her.
“How can I help you?” she asks as she turns.
“I need something to help me sleep,” the young woman says. “I’m in college, and my classes have me so stressed out that I have insomnia.”
“I have just the thing for you,” Lucy assures her as they take off to discuss the woman’s options.
I haven’t let Lucy out of my sight all day. While I don’t feel anything sinister here, and I do think she’s safe, I won’t take any chances.
After she collects the money for the bedtime tea she just sold, Lucy turns to Delia. “I have to run into the kitchen to check on some things. Can you handle this for fifteen minutes?”