Chapter Five
Amelie adjusted the elegant, midnight blue shopping bag hanging from her arm as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way through the hotel lobby.
Inside the bag were two custom midnight-blue Lumi presentation ring cases containing the wedding bands she had spent months designing.
Of all the pieces she had created throughout her career, these rings ranked among her favorites. The designs were elegant without being flashy, timeless without feeling traditional, and perfectly suited to the couple who would soon be wearing them.
Still, they weren’t her absolute favorite. Her favorite masterpiece was tucked away in the small safe at her home in Norway. The platinum ring wasn’t for sale and never would be.
The two-carat princess-cut diamond, flanked by emeralds, had been one of the first truly meaningful pieces she had ever designed.
The emeralds themselves had been chosen to mirror a shade of green she knew by heart—a color that had once belonged to the boy she loved and now looked back at her every day through the eyes of their sons.
Amelie gave her head a slight shake and pushed those thoughts aside. Not tonight, she told herself.
Instead, she focused on the Christmas decorations surrounding her.
The hotel looked even more magical than it had the day before.
Garland wrapped around polished banisters.
Twinkling lights reflected off enormous windows overlooking the village.
Somewhere nearby, a pianist was playing Christmas music, and the scent of cinnamon and pine lingered in the air.
A smile tugged at her lips as she thought about the shopping she had done earlier.
She had spent far more money than she had intended as she wandered through the Christmas market and boutique shops.
Not that Tyler and Trevor needed anything.
Between the gifts already waiting back home and the small mountain of presents hidden in her luggage, Christmas morning was well covered.
Still, she had found a few things she couldn’t resist. Nothing extravagant, just little things she knew would make them smile.
Despite being twelve years old and only nine months away from officially becoming teenagers, her boys still loved Christmas as much as they had when they were five. She knew that wouldn’t last forever, which was exactly why she intended to enjoy every minute of it while she could.
Her smile faded slightly as she thought about them. They had been unusually quiet all day. Not suspiciously quiet.
The only communication she had received since breakfast had been a text message around lunchtime after she had checked in: We’re good.
Getting food. That had been it. Normally, she would’ve received at least six additional messages, photographs, complaints, or requests for money.
Instead, she got nothing. She wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or impressed.
Knowing the track record of those two, silence was usually far more dangerous than chaos.
After she met with the client, she planned to take them to dinner at a small pub-style restaurant she had discovered while exploring the village earlier. The place served burgers and fries.
As she entered the lounge where Jessie had suggested they meet, she stopped and glanced around.
She knew quite a bit about Jessie Marchand from their conversations over the last several months.
She knew the woman was a billionaire investment executive based in New York, though she was in the process of relocating to Florida to be closer to her fiancé.
The woman was smart, funny, and refreshingly down-to-earth for someone with her level of success.
What she didn’t know was what Jessie looked like, as all their conversations had been over the phone and email.
A moment later, the mystery solved itself as a beautiful brunette stood from one of the tables near the windows and waved.
“Amelie?”
Amelie smiled and crossed the room. “Jessie?”
The other woman laughed. “Thank God. I was about ninety percent sure it was you, but I was also worried I was about to wave down a complete stranger enthusiastically.”
Amelie laughed and offered her hand. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you in person after months of emails and phone calls.”
Jessie ignored the handshake and pulled her into a quick hug instead.
“Are you kidding? I feel like I already know you.”
Within minutes, they were seated comfortably with drinks in hand, discussing everything from the village to wedding planning.
The conversation flowed effortlessly, and Amelie found herself genuinely liking Jessie.
There was no arrogance. No pretense. Just an intelligent woman deeply in love and excited about her future.
Then came the big reveal, the moment Amelie loved most and dreaded just a little. Reaching beside her chair, she retrieved the bag, removed the two cases, and set them carefully on the table between them.
Even after all these years, there was still something special about handing over a finished piece to the person it had been created for. Jewelry wasn’t just metal and gemstones. It was a story. A memory. A promise captured in a form that could be worn for a lifetime.
And no matter how successful she became, a small part of her was always nervous in these moments. She had poured months of thought, sketches, revisions, and emotion into these rings. Until the client saw the finished piece, there was always that brief trace of uncertainty.
Jessie’s eyes widened the moment the cases opened. For a second, she stared, her gaze moving between the two bands as if she couldn’t quite believe they were real. Then a soft gasp escaped her, and she carefully lifted her ring from the velvet lining.
Amelie watched in silence as Jessie turned it beneath the light, studying every detail. The room seemed to fade away as the other woman became completely absorbed in the piece, and several long moments passed before Jessie finally looked up.
Her eyes were shining.
“They’re perfect,” she whispered.
Relief washed through Amelie.
As Jessie admired the ring, Amelie smiled.
“Actually, there’s one more thing.”
Jessie glanced up. “There is?”
Amelie nodded. “Mac contacted me a few weeks ago with a special request. He wanted something added to the inside of your band.”
Jessie’s eyes widened. “He did?”
The surprise in her voice made Amelie laugh.
“He was very secretive about it.”
Almost immediately, Jessie flipped the ring over and looked inside the band.
Then her hand flew to her mouth.
“Oh my God,” Jessie’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “That idiot,” she whispered, laughing through the tears.
The words “My Sunshine” had been engraved in an elegant script along the inside of the band.
Amelie smiled.
Considering the way Jessie kept staring at the inscription as if it were the most precious thing she had ever seen, she had a feeling Mac’s surprise had been a success.
“I’m assuming by the happy tears that you like it.”
“Like it?” Jessie laughed. “Amelie, I’m obsessed with it, with both of the rings. You outdid yourself.”
The compliment warmed her more than she had expected.
Eventually, the conversation drifted from jewelry to more personal topics. Jessie asked about Norway. Amelie asked about Florida. Somewhere along the way, the discussion shifted to relationships.
“So,” Jessie said casually, swirling the ice in her drink. “Are you married?”
Amelie smiled softly and shook her head. “No.”
Jessie’s eyebrows rose. “No? What about a boyfriend?”
Amelie gave her head another shake. “Nope. It’s just my boys and me.”
The disbelief on Jessie’s face was almost comical.
“Okay. I’m calling bullshit.”
Amelie laughed. “Why do you say that?”
“Because someone who looks like you and is worth more money than some countries should not be single.”
Amelie nearly spit out her drink. “That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not.”
The amusement faded slightly as Amelie glanced down at her glass. The answer was actually pretty simple.
“The truth is my heart belonged to someone a long time ago, and I never quite got it back.”
The confession slipped out before she could stop it.
Jessie’s expression softened immediately. Before she could respond, movement near the entrance caught Amelie’s attention.
Her smile returned when she saw her boys.
“Hi, boys,” Amelie called out.
The boys walked over to the table. As they approached, Amelie gave them both a quick once-over. No visible injuries. No torn clothing. No wildlife following them. That alone felt like a victory. But they were sporting those mischievous grins that put her on alert.
“Hi, Mom,” both boys said, before leaning down to hug her and sliding into the empty chairs beside her.
“Jessie, these are my sons, Tyler and Trevor.”
“It’s so nice to meet you two finally,” Jessie said.
“You too,” Tyler replied, and he and Trevor shook her hand.
“Did you two have fun?” Amelie asked.
“Yep,” Tyler answered.
“Lots of fun,” Trevor added.
Hmmm. Amelie thought to herself. Normally, when these two do something fun, they won’t shut up about it. All she got was “Yep” and “Lots of fun.”
She would bet one of her custom diamond necklaces that they were hiding something. The question was what.
“Did you guys just go snowboarding?” she asked casually.
“We had lunch too,” Tyler answered.
Jessie laughed. “That sounds exactly like what Mac and his friends did today, too.”
The twins exchanged a glance so quickly that most people would have missed it. But Amelie didn’t. She had an eagle eye when it came to those two.
“Really?” Tyler asked.
“Small world,” Trevor added.
Amelie’s eyes narrowed. Yep, they were definitely hiding something.
Before she could begin to interrogate them, a man’s voice interrupted them.
“Sunshine.”
Jessie immediately lit up as Mac walked into the restaurant. And before he could say another word, Jessie was on her feet, throwing her arms around him.
“You are a sneaky man,” she accused affectionately.
Mac grinned. “I take it that you liked my surprise.”
“I loved it,” she told him and kissed him softly.