“Yes.” He gave her a gentle push toward the plant. “I bet the smell is even nicer than the ones I got you before. Take a sniff.”
Jenna looked at Chet with curiosity. He was up to something. The smile on his lips and sparkle in his eyes gave it away. “What’s going on? You’re behaving kind of odd.”
He burst out laughing. “Odd? Not what I expected to hear from you.” He nodded to the plant again and shifted on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest.
Jenna turned to it and furrowed her brows. It was a pretty plant, but why was it so special to make him act so antsy? She stepped forward and cupped a bloom in her palm, holding it steady. The tease to inhale its exquisite fragrance and let the velvety petals brush her cheeks drew her. Jenna closed her eyes and enjoyed the sweet scent.
“Mmm. I do love roses,” she murmured.
“I know you do.” His voice was soft.
He stepped close behind her, pulled her ass up tight to him, circling his arms around her waist. His fingers splayed on her belly. How she loved the touch of this man.
“Oh, Chet, you are asking for trouble.” She moved to turn around and face him for a kiss, but he stopped her.
“Take a look at that big flower there. It’s one of the largest I think I’ve ever seen.”
“Which, that one?” A wide one seemed hidden behind the rest and she moved aside some leaves so she could see it, carefulnot to get pricked by a thorn. A flash came from inside the flower and Jenna jumped.What the hell?
“Yes, that one,” he told her.
Curious now, Jenna turned the plant until she could see the bloom better and gasped.
“Oh my God. Chet! Is that?—”
“Yes, darlin’. It is.”
Gently, Jenna held the bloom and stared at the sparkle in it. A diamond ring nestled in the silky bloom.
“It’s beautiful.” Prisms of light sparked from within the red petals. Tears welled up and emotion rushed through her, strangling her breath. The hand holding the rose trembled, causing more flashes of light to reflect off the diamond.
“Take it, darlin’. That is, of course, if you want it.”
His words prodded her to life. “Of course, I want it. Oh, Chet, I’m stunned. This is so not expected.”
She cupped the rose and carefully moved aside the petals until she saw the full glory of the ring. It was a solitaire, close to two carats with triangle cut diamonds flanking the stone. It must be worth a fortune.
“It’s a Canadian diamond. I thought it would be appropriate, under the circumstances.”
Jenna’s tears mixed with laughter. “Very appropriate. Seeing I’m from Canada and all, eh.”
He turned her to face him and took the ring from her fingers. Jenna gazed into his chocolatey-brown eyes, knowing her own reflected her love for him.
He held her trembling left hand in his.
“Jenna.” He paused and licked his lips. Suddenly he seemed anxious. It was the first time since she had known him that he ever appeared nervous. Other than the time on the mountain when she had her accident, but that was totally different.
She nodded and rested the palm of her right hand on his cheek.
“You have made this cowboy happy. In so many ways.” He swallowed and continued. “It kills me to think of you leaving again. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but I don’t want you to go. Ever.”
Jenna nodded. Tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks. Chet reached up, the ring flashed in his fingers, and with his thumb, he swept away the trail of her happy tears. Ever so receptive to his touch, she instantly responded to him. But this was serious and she had to keep her head about her.
“Don’t cry, darlin’. This is nothing to be sad about.”
Jenna gulped a sob and tried to stem the tears for him. Looking into his eyes, which were full of love for her, and at the tender smile on his face, was more than she could bear. She flung her arms around his neck, crying into the curve of his shoulder until her tears blended in with his already wet shirt. “Oh, Chet. I never, never expected this.”
“Darlin’, I knew the minute I laid eyes on you in the airport last winter. You were just so darned hard-headed.”
