Chapter 32

32

NIALL

A few days after the festival, Jake and I were out shopping. Clear blue skies stretched on for miles overhead and the sun sat high in the sky, warming the back of my neck as we walked down a cobblestoned street lined with exclusive boutiques.

Jake kept up with me as I strode toward our destination, but I could practically feel the confusion coming off of him. Eyes covered with big sunglasses, he looked around like his head was on swivel before he finally turned to me without breaking stride.

“Okay, I give up. What are we doing here? I thought we might be coming to check out a property but I don’t see anything we’d usually be interested in.”

I glanced up and down the street and shrugged. “All of these have already been renovated or rebuilt. You’re right. There’s nothing here for us.”

“Great, I’m right.” He sighed, spinning so he was walking backward to face me as we rounded the next corner. “What are we doing here, Niall?”

“We’re here for that .” I inclined my chin toward the jewelry store on the other side of the street, stopping since we’d reached the pedestrian crossing. “Daniel’s Designs is the foremost place for diamonds in the greater Louisiana area.”

“Diamonds?” He frowned, pulling his sunglasses off to stare at me. “I know I’ve been doing a great job lately, but a simple thank you would be sufficient.”

“I’m going to ask Tallulah to marry me.” I kicked away from the curb after checking to make sure I wasn’t about to get run over. “Are you coming?”

“What?” Jake echoed from behind me, his footsteps smacking against the blacktop as he hurried to catch up. “You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and walk away. That’s huge, bro. You’re really going to ask her to marry you?”

I nodded, eyes on the intricate metal sign hanging above the door I was aiming for. Nerves churned in my stomach, but I rolled my fingers into fists and marched straight ahead, not about to let them deter me.

My mind was made up. I knew it was natural to be nervous about this, the buying of the ring and preparing to pop the question. Ultimately, however, I wasn’t nervous about the woman at all. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that she was the one, and while I knew I could wait, I didn’t want to.

I glanced over my shoulder at Jake, whose sunglasses were still in his hand as he raced to keep up with me, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. He kept moving his gaze between mine and the storefront, like he was trying to figure out if there was any other possible reason for us heading over there.

I laughed and slowed down, clapping him on the shoulder when he fell into step beside me. “Don’t look so suspicious. I brought you with me to choose a ring. That’s it. There’s nothing else going on.”

He did a slow double-take when we reached the other side of the street, and I stopped walking to give him a moment to process. Swallowing so hard that I saw the column of his throat moving, he blinked at me a few times before he grinned.

“You’re serious about this?”

“I am,” I said confidently, sliding my hands into my back pockets. “She’s who I’m meant to be with. I’ve never felt even a fraction of what I feel for her for anyone else. It’s right with her. I know it is.”

“What about the fact that she’s still learning to stand on her own two feet?” he asked, staring back at me with surprise shining in his eyes. “Have you even thought about that?”

“I have,” I said easily, brushing past him toward the store. “I think I’ve proven that I will never stand in the way of her personal growth. I just don’t see any reason why we can’t grow together . I love her, Jake. I want to be her partner in life and I’d never hold her back.”

Another slow grin spread on his face. “I think that’s the right answer. I hope she says yes, man. I’d just make sure to add all that into your actual proposal.”

I glanced at him. “Does that mean I have your support?”

“Of course,” he said immediately. “I’ve always supported you, haven’t I? I just wonder if it might be too soon for her. She’s been down this road before, remember? Are you sure she’s ready to do it again?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Saying it was easier than feeling quite as nonchalant as I sounded, but the fact was that Tallulah had married Carter to get away from her parents, and because he’d been the first person they’d approved of her dating.

In our case, it was different. We loved each other and we wanted to be together, and at this point, I was pinning my hopes on the fact I would be asking her to choose me. It wouldn’t be about her parents or anything other than what she wanted.

While I knew it was a gamble, it was one I was willing to take. The first step was asking. If she wasn’t ready to say yes, I’d keep asking until she was. If she said no, I’d do my best to understand her reasoning and then I’d wait and work for as long as it took to turn her no into a yes.

Either way, I was committed to this. To her. To us spending our lives together, even if we didn’t start doing that right away.

Jake smacked me on the back as we buzzed the intercom outside the store. “You always get what you want, man. I’m sure this is going to work out for you guys. Let’s go choose a ring.”

As the security gate popped open, I glanced at him, sensing that there was something going on with the guy today, but I was too focused on the task at hand to ask right now. Resolving to do it later, I looked around the glass-cabinet lined floor and drew in a deep, steadying breath.

A woman in a sharp suit smiled as she walked out of what appeared to be an office with a bank of security monitors on the wall. She smiled as she extended a hand toward me. “Mr. Morrison. I was surprised when you made the appointment. We weren’t even aware that you’re seeing someone. I keep track of these things.”

I shook her hand. “Well, I suppose that’s how you got to be the best in the business, but I’m a pretty private person.”

She withdrew her palm from mine, still smiling as she spread her arms out to her sides. “You’ve come to the right place. Usually, with high-profile couples, I have an idea of who they are, what they’re like, and which direction to point them in, but as I said, we weren’t even aware that you were in a relationship, so you’re going to have to be patient with me.”

Jake stepped up to the cabinet we were in front of, glancing down and almost immediately moving on. “Allow me to help you with that. His girlfriend won’t like anything too ostentatious. She’s not some uppity snob from Niall’s social circle.”

I scoffed, watching as the woman’s features turned contemplative. Her gaze swept across my face, questions in her eyes as she pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Very well. Let’s start over here, then.”

She strode away from the cabinets in the center of the shop, and when I looked into them, I saw why both she and Jake had dismissed them out of hand. The rings inside were huge and gaudy, with strangely shaped center stones half the length of a finger and bands so shiny, you’d have seen them from space.

I drew in a deep breath as the store clerk took her place on the other side of a different cabinet. “This is our more traditional selection.”

Without even looking at the display, I shook my head. “Tallulah isn’t traditional. I would prefer something unique and interesting, but not too big.”

Her eyes suddenly lit up. “I’ve got just the designer for you. She specializes in vintage, baroque-style rings. Recently, she took an interest in the Victorian era and she’s included that influence in her newer designs. Give me a moment. I’ll be back.”

As she hurried away, I glanced at Jake. “Did you understand any of what she just said?”

“Nope, but I’m single. I don’t need to understand. Did you not do any research at all?”

I frowned, taken aback by the news. “Of course, I did some research, but I didn’t get a degree in jewelry design. What do you mean, you’re single?”

He shrugged. “Melanie and I didn’t work out. Do you know if Sayra is still with that Andrew guy?”

I smirked at him. “No idea, but I could see you two together. Plus, Sayra has become a good friend to Tallulah. I’ll find out.”

“Thanks,” he said, chuckling as he shook his head at me. “A few months ago, you wouldn’t even have thought to offer.”

“A few months ago, I thought love and relationships were a waste of time,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d broken up with Melanie?”

“It just happened a few days ago, but it hasn’t been going well for the last few weeks. It’s no big deal. She wasn’t the one.”

“I thought she might be,” I admitted. “You’re sure you’re ready to dive back in, though? If Sayra and her boyfriend aren’t together anymore and I set you up, I’d hate to see either of you still hung up on an ex.”

“I’m not hung up,” he said firmly. “Besides, we don’t even know if she’s single, so I don’t need to be ready to dive back in yet. Melanie and I were only together for a couple months anyhow. It’s not like it was some epic romance.”

The clerk reappeared carrying a black, velvet lined tray with several rings on it, and as soon as she was close enough that I could make out the detail of the jewelry, I knew she’d hit the nail on the head. My eyebrows shot up as I grinned at her.

“Wow. You really are good at your job. That’s exactly the kind of design Tallulah would love.”

Jake leaned in closer to my side as she set the tray down on the cabinet in front of us, and he let out a low whistle as he looked over the collection. “Yep. That’s perfect.”

The woman gave us a polite smile. “Excellent. This style is distinguished by its botanically inspired motifs and the symmetry of the designs. You’ll notice many flowing, interwoven lines and a lot of detail rather than the more traditional plain bands.”

I bent over to inspect the options more closely, immediately drawn to an antique-looking gold ring with a sparkling, round faceted center diamond set into an ornate bezel. Picking it up, I pinched it between my thumb and index finger, taking in the interesting, dramatic yet fine patterns woven into the band.

“I’ll take it,” I said as I set it back down on the tray. “That’s exactly what I was looking for.”

Jake paled when the clerk told us the price, but I didn’t hesitate, simply nodding at her instead. “I have her size here.”

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over, buying the ring on the spot. A sense of rightness washed over me, like a deep warmth pervading the very center of my chest. I’d been drawn to the ring in a similar way that I’d been drawn to the woman I intended on giving it to, which told me it was the one.

Jake grinned at me as the clerk disappeared into the back of the store to box it up for us. “Now that’s done, do you have any ideas in mind for how to propose?”

“I’ve got a plan in mind,” I said, rocking back on my heels when I realized I’d just bought an engagement ring.

It was a heady feeling, and not one I’d ever expected to have, but as my heartrate sped up and I contemplated my plan for asking her, I felt so lucky that I couldn’t imagine not having wanted this before. Finding Tallulah had changed me in ways I couldn’t even begin to describe, and yet, it felt so natural that I knew I only never wanted it before because I hadn’t yet met her.

Now that I had, everything had changed—and I definitely didn’t mind it at all.