Page 61 of Forever Fickle

“I’m sorry,” she grinned, smiling at him. “No spiders, snakes, or fire-ants in Eden.”

“Exactly,” he retorted and then hesitated. “Let me check the blanket before I let you down.”

“Please do…” she chuckled, unable to fight the smile that touched her heart as he gingerly set her down, barefoot in the grass, and shook out the blanket again nervously before laying it back down.

“Milady…” he said softly, holding out a hand towards the blanket. “Lay down and imagine that you are a fair maiden and I – I am your most devoted knight.”

“The black knight?”

“Isn’t he evil?

“Perhaps?” she smiled. “Which knight would you be, fair sir?”

“I would be…” Jace hesitated, his smile fading. “I guess I didn’t think this through enough.”

“Why?” she asked, suddenly sitting up and looking at him.

“Lancelot was after Guinevere, who was married to Arthur, so that wouldn’t work. Gawain never married or fell in love. Robert of Locksley and Marian were doomed. Romeo and Juliet ended up dying… and…”

Karen smiled, interrupting him.

“You are Sir Jace,” she said softly, smiling at him as she lay back down on the blanket, waiting and playing along. “I am just a maiden, asleep in the grass.”

“Close your eyes then, my fair maiden…”

“Closing,” she prompted, smiling, as she shut her eyes, pinching them tightly. She heard him opening the brown paper bag and heard him moving around her, yet kept her eyes closed, waiting almost eagerly for whatever he was planning.

“Perfect…” she heard him whisper softly to himself and found herself wishing she could open her eyes, yet pinching them even tighter, before putting a hand over her eyes, afraid to peek.

She heard a click – and froze.

“Are you taking a photo of me?” she asked, recognizing the sound of a cell phone.

“Maybe,” Jace replied. “I want something to take with me back to Afghanistan, Karen.”

“I thought we weren’t doing this,” she whispered, her throat tightening with emotion at his words and the sentiment behind them.

“We aren’t. I just couldn’t help myself… and you are being so good at keeping your eyes closed.”

“Can I open them yet?”

“In just a moment,” he replied, and she sighed patiently, waiting. She heard the bag crinkling again and then hesitated, as she took a deep breath.

“I smell…”

“Open your eyes…” he whispered. “Slowly.”

Karen removed her hand and felt something soft brush against her arm, then her cheek, and realized that something touched her leg, and the scent was even stronger now as she opened her eyes to see petals floating down on her.

Stunned, she couldn’t help the smile that touched her face as she realized that Jace was showering her in rose petals, standing next to her, and slowly sprinkling them.

This was incredible,she realized.

He was…amazing.

There would never be any other man who would go so far, do so much, just to make her feel special. He didn’t even live here, yet he’d managed to find a way to make such a simple afternoon incredibly romantic and make her feel like she was his whole world.

“Jace…” she whispered his name, her voice barely recognizable to herself as she stared at him, holding his gaze. He had a single, long-stemmed red rose in his hand, and she knew it was for her. “I don’t know what to say.”

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