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Carlo held the ring up. Diamonds ran around the entire ring. It sparkled like crazy.
“Marry me, Giselle. I have to make you mine.”
He was acting out the proposal I’d made up. The one I’d told the older couple at the ball.
Carlo had thought about this. He’d wanted to make this special. Just for me.
I’d gone this far.
What was one more lie?
I couldn’t marry Carlo. I knew that. I’d never be his bride.
But out here, on a perfect, beautiful day, with my strong, handsome lumberjack—I wanted to pretend I could.
Pretend that I’d wear a gorgeous white dress and walk down the aisle to Carlo. I’d say my vows—then he’d say his.
And then—
And then we’d both be killed.
Probably dying horrible, painful deaths.
Yeah.
Not good.
But having another of Carlo’s rings on my finger for a few more days—well, that wouldn’t make a difference.
But this memory we made right now, today—this memory I’d hold dear to my heart.
Forever.
“Yes, Carlo. I’ll marry you, honey. But you already gave me a ring.”
He slipped the new ring on the same finger with my large solitaire.
The engagement ring that I hadn’t taken off.
Yet.
I loved it so much. And every time I looked at it—I imagined what the rest of our lives would look like if I married Carlo.
I let my brain go there.
And pretend.
Because real life was about to come shooting back in, and then all I’d have left were these memories.
Carlo stood and pulled me into his body. “I didn’t give you the first ring properly. I liked your engagement story better.” His lips tipped up. “This is the one we’ll tell our children when they ask.”
He grasped my other hand and brought them both to his lips. “I want a quick wedding, Giselle. Are you okay with that?”
Carlo had spent time thinking about our engagement story. And what we’d tell our children about the day he asked me to marry him.
And not only did he want to marry me—he wanted to do it quickly.
“Yes. Whatever you want,” I told him. Because it didn’t really matter. He could have the wedding the day after we got back to Chicago, and it would still be too late.
