Meant-To-Be Marriage

“How about a solitaire?” The jeweler picked up another diamond ring with a white-gold setting.

“Let’s see how it looks on your finger.”

Before the jeweler could do the honors, Jarod reached for her hand and slid it onto her ring finger. It was the perfect size.

“Do you like it?”

Sydney felt Jarod’s eyes on her. Their green brilliance rivaled the dazzling one-carat stone. She could tell he wanted her to pick this one. It happened to be her favorite, too.

“I love it!”

“Then that’s it.” He looked at the jeweler. “Now we’d like to see some wedding rings. My fiancée has beautiful hands. I think a wide gold band.”

His compliments at odd moments, so unexpected and genuine, thrilled her as nothing else could. All the time he’d been a priest, he’d noticed little things about her, but she hadn’t been aware of his private thoughts. To be with him like this and share everything in the open like a normal couple was a revelation.

Once they’d decided on her ring, she asked him to bring out some men’s wedding rings. “I’d like one with a stone the same color as Jarod’s eyes.”

The jeweler nodded. “I noticed them right away. Just a moment. Something came in from Hong Kong I want you to see.”

While he went over to one of his drawers, Jarod slid his hands to her shoulders from behind. “I’d be happy with a simple band.”

“You wore one like that when you were a priest. I want this to be different. Every time you look at it, I want it to remind you that when I fell in love with you, I fell in love with everything about you, especially your eyes.”

He didn’t say anything, only buried his face in the gold silk of her hair.

Seconds later, the jeweler returned. “What do you think?”

It was a deep-set, square stone in a wide, dark gold band. “I adore it!” Sydney cried. She turned to Jarod. “Put it on.”

Slowly he did her bidding.

“It’s perfect, and it fits!” she announced to the jeweler. “We’ll take it.”

A smile hovered around Jarod’s lips as he pulled out his credit card. But when the jeweler started to add up the bill, Sydney took a card from her wallet, too.

Jarod frowned, but she cupped the side of his arresting face with her hand. “Your ring is my gift. I’ve waited years to buy one for the man I love. You wouldn’t deny me that pleasure, would you?”

In a few minutes they left the shop with their purchases. The excitement of walking to the car wearing her new engagement ring made her positively euphoric. When they got inside, she threw her arms around his neck. Despite people walking by, she covered his face with kisses.

“I love you so much, it hurts.”

He devoured her mouth until she was witless. When he finally tore his lips from hers, she groaned in protest.

“As soon as we’re married, I’m going to take all our pain away. That’s one promise I can make and know I’ll keep it. But right now we have a plane to catch, and I need to get the rental car back first.”

“I—I didn’t know it was getting so late.” Sydney moved far enough away from him so he could maneuver the car.

Once they reached the airport and returned the car, Jarod ushered her to the counter to check in their bags. When the female employee lifted her head, Sydney saw recognition flicker in the other woman’s eyes. She darted a brief glance to Sydney before her attention re-fastened on Jarod.

“Father Kendall? I thought it was you!”

“Good morning, Sally.”

Sydney hurriedly stood behind him. A line had formed behind her. She noticed the way the thirtyish-looking employee was so busy staring at Jarod, she almost forgot to check him in.

After handing him his boarding pass she said, “Someone at the diocese said you’ve been on retreat. You look…wonderful.”

“I feel wonderful.”