Page 98 of Love in the Lab
Reaching my arm down, I pull out a booklet of sticky notes. I flip through it to find messages scrawled on each page. Some are sweet. Some are encouraging. Some compliment the more—ahem—intimateaspects of our married relationship.
I blush. “I’ll read these later.”
Jonathan smiles at me smugly. “Not right now? You can take your time. I’m not in a rush.”
I glare at him. “Later is fine.”
He chuckles. “Suit yourself.” He nods toward the stocking. “There’s one more thing in there.”
I stretch my fingers all the way to the toe of the stocking and wrap them around a box. Slowly, I guide it around the bend at the heel of the stocking and lift it all the way out. Not just any box—a jewelry box. A … ring box?
I pop it open and gasp. A gorgeous diamond engagement ring sparkles back at me. It’s gold with a single ideal-cut diamond at the center. The sides of the band are twisted in an intricate, interwoven pattern that reminds me of a knot.
I look at Jonathan. He’s watching me with an unsure, self-conscious expression. He pulls the ring from the box. “I figured since you didn’t get an engagement ring or even a proper proposal…” he trails off as he slides it onto my left ring finger, fitting it gently against my wedding band. “If it sits too high or is too tight, or bothers you in any way, we can return it.”
“Don’t you dare,” I breathe out. “It’s perfect.”
Jonathan perks up. “You like it?”
“I love it. It’s gorgeous.” I hold out my hand, admiring the ring on my finger. “Rings don’t tend to bother me unless they come up too high and bang on things. I don’t think this one will do that.”
Jonathan smiles slowly. “Good. That’s one of the things I looked for. What do you think of the sides?”
“The knots? They’re beautiful. It makes me think of…” I twist up my lips, trying to place the errant thought.
“Ropes?” Jonathan suggests. “Like on a boat?”
I snap my fingers. “Yes! That’s it exactly.”
He grins. “Good. You know, as much as our love story took place in the lab, it really started on a boat.”
“It did,” I agree. “That first trip we took together on thePulse, I knew I was falling for you.” I snort. “I hated that it washappening, but I couldn’t deny it. At least not while being honest with myself.”
Jonathan holds my gaze, and just like when we were out on the water that day, I’m spellbound by his hazel eyes. “That first day on the boat? Carrots, I was already gone.”
My lips part in surprise, and my husband takes the opportunity to cover them with his own.
Today, we’ll call my family to wish them a merry Christmas. Then, we’ll celebrate with the whole Stanch clan. In two days, Jonathan will stand by his dad’s side as best man when Pete marries Sharon, the love of his life he worried he’d never find. We’ll fly to New Orleans, finish packing the last of our belongings, and make the long drive to our new home in Charleston together.
Come January, we’ll both start our new jobs. We’ll navigate finances and communication and intimacy and our families together as we learn to balance our individual needs with our time for each other. We’ll argue and make up. We’ll wake up each day and choose to love each other.
But for now, for these next few minutes on our first Christmas together, I don’t think about the future or plan my next move. I just enjoy the moment, basking in the overwhelming, intoxicating love I never thought would be mine. For now, I’m focused on how much I love Jonathan Stanch’s stupidly handsome face.
Epilogue
Four Months Later
When Jonathan suggested taking a belated honeymoon that could double as a celebration of my thirtieth birthday, I thought it was a great idea.
My new lab is at a stage where it can afford to do without me for a week or two. We’re waiting for confirmation of funding after I spent most of January and February creating the budget requests. Until that confirmation, I can’t hire staff or start any research, so I’m in a bit of a holding pattern.
Jonathan has quickly become a fieldwork star in his new job, so much so that they want to send him to Alaska for three weeks for an ecological assessment of Kachemak Bay. He agreed with the caveat that he could take this time off with me first.
So, we packed our bags and drove to Florida—a week and a half relaxing in St. Petersburg before we need to be in St. Anastasia for Nicole and Adam’s wedding at the end of April.
The problem is, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually tried relaxing before, and I find that I’m not particularly good at it. We’ve spent the last three days driving all over the city visiting amazing museums and restaurants, and Jonathan showed off the beautiful campus where he went for undergrad.
Today, the plan is to take advantage of our beachside hotel and park ourselves in the sand and water for the day.
