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“I don’t have much to say,” I said to the room of gathered employees. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Dad, and he lifted a glass toward me. My chest warmed. When had he arrived? I couldn’t wait to talk to him, but his presence didn’t give me a lot of hope for his marriage. Most of the people were old faces, but there were a few new ones. “You’re all the lifeblood of this company, and together we’re going to make it work. I’ll support you in any way possible. My door is always open.”
There was a round of applause, and Jon wandered off with a hopeful glance toward a huddled group of people who were responsible for advertising. I thought maybe he was interested in one of them, but I wasn’t really sure who. I gave him a thumbs-up, and he nodded before taking a deep breath and smoothing down his suit jacket. I laughed as he broke into their circle, and they welcomed him warmly.
“Looks like a success,” Tav said, taking my hand.
“It does. Thanks to you.” I kissed his lips sweetly.
He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t do much.”
“Except support me every step of the way.”
He grumbled as Hilton came up to me with an envelope and a shy smile. “I owe you a lot. You’ve been letting me stay with you and stuff.” He rubbed the back of his neck and flushed. When he showed me his wrist, I gasped. There was an elaborate burst of intricate flowers where my name used to be.
“That’s beautiful. Thank you.” I gave him a light hug.
He shoved the envelope at me, and I opened it. I was confused. It was a card for the tattoo parlor where Hilton had gotten his work done, stating that it was good for two tattoos. I glanced up at him.
He shrugged. “You can get whatever you want, and when you decide what that will be, I’ll pay. Literally anything. I thought maybe you two might want to get each other’s names.” He glanced away and rubbed his pink cheek with one hand.
“Oh, you’re something else,” Tav said, and he had that emotional tone in his voice again that we just couldn’t shake lately. We’d both had lives that were bleak in their own ways, and now they felt so full. He gave Hilton a bone creaking hug and set him back on his feet.
“What do you think? Should I get property of Judah Dailey tattooed across my chest?” Tav asked with a chuckle.
My gut tightened and I stared at him, feeling like I might pass out from all my blood rushing south.
Hilton giggled.
“Oh, shite,” Tav said.
Finally, the tension broke, and I chuckled. “If you let me do that, I’ll get property of Tavish Greer wherever you want.”
“You don’t want to put the tattoo where I want it,” he murmured.
This time Hilton doubled over with his laughter, nearly collapsing to the floor. We were drawing attention, but I didn’t care.
“Deal,” I said brightly.
Tav groaned and covered his eyes with one hand, and I snuck in to give him a kiss. Then another. And one more for good luck. I never wanted to be apart from this man again.
EPILOGUE - PART II
TAV
I took a deep breath and let it out, staring at the shop we were standing in front of. I swallowed and peeked at Judah, aware of his gaze on me. “Is this...? What is this? Why are we here?” I tugged my coat tighter around myself and turned to stare at the jeweler’s shop again. The name glared at me from where it sat above the doors.
The Diamond Emporium glittered in a soft metallic silver with a large painted gem sitting at the end of the sign. The windows were filled with displays of jewelry that sparkled, a shiny beacon drawing customers in with promises of making their loved ones happy.
Judah reached out and grabbed my hand, slipping his fingers between mine. His warmth surrounded me, and he didn’t need to touch me for me to feel it, but I reveled in it anyway. We were here because we’d fought hard, and not only was his new company thriving, but we were as well.
“I’m not going to propose to you,” he teased quietly. “Not yet anyway.”
I glanced at him. “Aye, okay.”
He laughed gently and bumped his hip against mine before he raised my hand and pressed a kiss to the shell bracelet on my wrist. “But I thought we could upgrade this.”
“Why?” I blurted out before I could stop. “I love my bracelet. It’s mine.”
He nodded. “But remember what I told you when I first gave you this? I said I’d replace it with a real one made of silver or gold, your choice. It’d be a step before the proposal.”
