CHAPTER 41
Victoria
I stare at the wrapped gift. My brain is humming and my heart is galloping as fast as Trixie, the horse from hell. I’m terrified by the little box he’s holding out to me, though I don’t want Cal to see the fear I feel. And the confusion,
Why would he hand me this after the conversation we just had?
“It won’t bite. Take it,” he says.
“Let me dry off first.”
I step over him. I grab a towel from the nearby stack, dry off, and then wrap it under my arms. Cal steps out too, and I take the gift from him.
“I’ll open it inside,” I say, walking quickly into the house.
I feel the weight in my palm. It’s the exact size of an engagement ring box. I wasn’t imagining it. I plop down on the sectional, and Cal joins me. He grabs a blanket from the armrest and wraps me up in it.
“This is so sweet,” I tell him, handling the box. “You don’t need to give me presents.”
Cal cups my cheek and turns me. His gaze is soft. It connects with mine and holds me there. “I don’t need to do anything. But I want to give you this.”
“This thing between us—” I start, but Cal interrupts me.
“I know.”
“It’s…”
“I know.”
“You know a lot.”
He shrugs. “I do, but there are some things I just can’t wrap my head around, no matter how hard I try.”
“Like what exactly is happening with us and what we’re supposed to do with it.”
“Exactly.”
“But then—”
He kisses me softly, cutting off my question. He pulls back and says, “Just open it.”
I unwrap the gift with trembling fingers and let the paper float to the floor. A purple velvet jewelry box is revealed. I take a deep breath, steady my hand, and open it.
It’s not an engagement ring. It’s not even a ring.
I lift the chain in my fingers and hold it up to the lamp light. It takes my mind a moment to process what I’m seeing. I let out a surprised laugh.
“Oh, Cal…”
It’s a dainty gold chain with an elegant pendant. A perfectly arranged selection of gemstones creates a redheaded woman at the piano, a crescent moon hanging overhead.
“What…?”
“A custom jewelry designer buddy of mine in Tahoe made this about a year ago. I saw it in his shop and never forgot it. I guess I’ve always had a thing for red-headed pianists”
My lips have parted. All I can do is stare.
“When I laid eyes on you, I thought, ‘That’s her. That’s the woman from the necklace.’ I called him from San Francisco. He still had it.”
I blink back tears. This is impossibly perfect. I’ve never received a gift this thoughtful, this intimate in my life.
Since I seem to be frozen in place, Cal takes the chain from my hand and asks me to lift my hair. He clasps it at the nape of my neck and then softly caresses my bare shoulder. I look down at it, cradled between the tops of my breasts. Made for me.
I cover it with my palm. Cal places his hand over mine.
“It’s twenty-four-karat gold with rubies, diamonds, and blue and black star sapphires. I guess it’s proof that you coming to Yosemite Ranch is kismet or déjà vu or whatever you want to call it.”
“Meant to be?”
“Exactly.”
“I… thank you so much, Cal. I love…” I look up at him, my heart in my throat. “I love it more than any gift I’ve ever received, and I will treasure it always.”
I lean toward him and touch my lips to his for a soft kiss. I pull back just a bit, and somehow we both decide to rest our foreheads together. We stay that way for a long while, our breath in sync.
This isn’t an engagement ring. Cal hasn’t asked me to marry him. He hasn’t told me he loves me.
But with this gift, we’ve taken things up a notch. Our connection has deepened. Around my neck is something he’s asked me to wear, his gift, evidence of his feelings for me, proof that this is meant-to-be.
Whatever this is. None of the complexities have been erased with this gift. It doesn’t make anything easier to resolve. But something about it is hopeful.
He lifts me in his arms and carries me to his bed.