"It’s sapphire. Mined from our mountains." He spoke softly. "Like your necklace."
Heidi's vision blurred, joy and gratitude swelling within. “It’s beautiful.” And it added to the greatest gift he could have given her—him.
She hadn’t brought herself to wear the necklace yet. She needed more time to ponder all that Papa meant with that gift. But this one…
"Here." Two Stones took her hand gently, then slid the ring onto her finger. A perfect fit.
Heidi stared at it, emotions swelling in her chest. "Thank you," she whispered.
Two Stones’s thumb brushed over her knuckles, the tender touch sending a tremor through her.
He must have thought the shiver came from cold, for he pushed his chair back. "I'll take you to bed. You still need rest."
She allowed him to lift her again, and the others called “Merry Christmas” as Two Stones carried her back to the bed chamber. She would walk the next time she got up, but for now, being cradled in her husband’s arms felt too good.
After he eased her down on the edge of the bed, she patted the mattress beside her. “Sit with me?”
He did so, but now she couldn’t quite meet his gaze. How to say this?
She inhaled a breath for courage and began. "I can't thank you enough. For coming after me, for saving my life. You've shown me such care and kindness when I least deserved it."
Two Stones brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "You deserve all of it and more."
Heidi bit her lip. "I know we married because my father begged it of you, but I want our marriage to be real. In every way." She flushed. "When the time is right."
She couldn’t stand not seeing his reaction, so she managed a glance up at him.
Joy sparkled in his dark eyes, along with something richer. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips, as he had at the end of their wedding ceremony.
But this time he kissed her palm, a feeling far more intimate than when he’d kissed the backs of her fingers.
"I will wait as long as needed." His gaze was so earnest. "You are a gift beyond measure."
A gift?
Her?
After all the rejection and abuse she’d endured at the hands of her previous husband, could anyone consider her that?
And yet Two Stones did. Rather than deny the truth of his words, she let herself sink into his eyes, losing herself in the love there. And when he angled toward her, she raised up to meet him partway.
His mouth caressed hers, a touch so gentle, so reverent, her heart overflowed.
God had blessed her to overflowing.
When he pulled away, he scooped her into his arms, settling her on his lap. She curled into his chest with a contented sigh. "Merry Christmas, husband."
"Merry Christmas, wife." His voice rumbled in her ear, soothing all the way through her. His strength surrounded her, his warmth seeping into her bones.
And in the circle of his arms, she’d finally found home.
