Page 91 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
Chapter Forty-Three
‘Simple and beautiful. Like you.’ Tom’s deep chocolatey eyes bored into her and Fee fought back tears.
Despite her shrewd guess about why he wanted to go to Amsterdam he’d still managed to surprise her. When they were in England he’d gone online and tracked down an old college friend who’d married a Dutch girl. He’d described Fee’s taste in jewelleryand been steered towards this ultra modern shop in the centre of the city. The platinum ring with squared off edges and single rectangular diamond set flush in the band was so perfect she could have designed it herself.
‘We have matching wedding bands if you would care to see them?’ The manager offered and Tom nodded his approval.
Fee slipped the unadorned platinum ring onto hisfinger and held it there, not daring to look up at him. He wrapped his other hand over hers and they stood that way for the longest time.
‘Do they work for you both?’
‘Perfect.’ Tom’s rough voice betrayed his emotions.
Before she knew it they were back out in the street and officially engaged.
‘Sightseeing is going to be a let-down after this,’ Tom joked, graspingher hands and kissing her fingers one by one. ‘Should I take a picture and email it to the folks or would you prefer to surprise them?’
He was like a little boy wanting to show off his new Christmas bicycle and Fee couldn’t help responding to his obvious joy. ‘Show them now. They’ll get a kick out of it.’ She reached for her camera but he stopped her.
‘You can do your fancy stufflater. I’m taking this one with my phone,’ Tom declared and she backed off. Putting it politely photography wasn’t one of his talents and this picture would no doubt be crooked and out of focus. She dutifully held out her hand and waited while he took a couple of photos, checked them out, cursed and tried again. ‘Not bad.’ He showed her for all of two seconds then whisked the phone away and sentthe picture. Then he pulled her into his arms. ‘I sure as heck don’t deserve you but somehow I got lucky.’
So did I.
In the middle of settling into their seats on the plane in London, Tom turned to her with a big grin on his face.
‘Did I pass the test?’
‘You’ll do. You only fretted a couple of times when we missed a train or couldn’t get a room for the night andyou did only insist on going to McDonald’s once. But you redeemed yourself with this gorgeous thing.’ Fee flashed her engagement ring under his nose.
‘Don’t overdo it.’
‘We’ll go somewhere more challenging next time.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m ready to stay home for a while although I’m prepared to do Cornwall anytime you like.’
Fee ran her fingers down his arm.‘Doesn’t a warm Caribbean beach sound tempting in the middle of a harsh Tennessee winter? Think skimpy bikinis. Cocktails. White sand.’
‘You’re wicked,’ he whispered.
She contented herself with a smile.
‘I’m goin’ to sleep.’
‘Of course you are. See you in Charlotte,’ Fee joked and threw a pillow at him.
The handmade signs were unmistakeable and the loudyells sealed it – their welcoming committee was here. Fee’s plan to slip back to Black Cherry unnoticed faded away at the sight of Tom’s family.
‘Sorry,’ he murmured. ‘You’d think we’d been gone for a year instead of a few weeks. They didn’t make this much fuss when I came back from Iraq.’
Probably because you wouldn’t have appreciated it then.
‘Yeah. Yeah. I know.’ Readingher mind again he laughed and kissed her, eliciting more whoops of joy.
The second they got through the security gate Fee gave herself up to being hugged by what seemed to be a hundred pairs of arms. Lulu’s sticky hands grasped her face and the little girl plonked a wet kiss on her nose.
‘I love you, ice cream lady.’
‘Love you too, sweetheart.’ Fee plucked her from hermother’s arms. ‘I’ve got something to show you.’ She lifted her left hand and Lulu made a grab for her ring.
