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“That sounds like a good plan. I’ll head home. I’ll text you when I’m on my way to our meeting with Father Paul tomorrow morning.”

He patted his pockets to make sure he had his phone. He did. He had no memory of putting it into his pocket, so he wondered if Eve had done so. In the process of feeling around, he discovered something else he’d forgotten.

“Oh. I should give you this.”

Eve had turned back toward the stairs, but she faced him again at his words. Her hair was a cascade of tousled waves, and her neckline was slightly askew.

He wondered when she’d gotten so incredibly pretty.

“What did you need to give me?” she prompted.

“Oh yeah.” He stuffed a hand in his pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch. He managed to focus enough to open it and pull out a ring.

He showed it to her on his palm.

She gasped, staring down at the ring. “Wh-what?”

“It’s an engagement ring.” He thought that should have been self-evident, but he said it anyway.

“I thought you were only getting the wedding bands.”

“I got those, but I got this too. I thought you might like it.”

It wasn’t a traditional engagement ring. He’d stayed away from diamonds, hoping she might sometimes wear the ring on her other hand after he died. Besides, as soon as he saw this one, he knew it was for her.

The band was intricate and delicate, engraved like a vine with a scattering of small diamonds set in unpredictable spots like fairy lights. The main setting was a pale blue sapphire the same color as her eyes.

He’d never seen a ring like it before. It looked just like Eve.

She was still staring at it as if she were mesmerized.

He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “If you don’t like it, I can get you a diamond.”

“No.” Her voice was choked. “I don’t want a diamond.”

She still didn’t move. He could almost see her shaking.

He scowled. “So do you want the damn ring or not?”

“Yes! I want it. It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life.”

He exhaled in relief, pleased with her rushed admission. He would have gotten her whatever she wanted, but he’d been sure this ring was meant for her.

Still ridiculously self-conscious, he grabbed her left hand and slid the ring on the correct finger in an abrupt move.

They both stared at it on her slim hand.

“Thank you,” she whispered. It still looked like she might be trembling. “I love it.”

He cleared his throat again. “Good. It’s fine. You should have a ring.”

Shit. He felt like an idiot, and he had absolutely no idea why.

Eve finally lowered her hand and glanced up at his face. Maybe she saw something there, because her manner shifted back into that matter-of-fact tranquility that was typical for her. “All right. Thank you for the beautiful ring. I’ll head home, and you should go to bed so you’ll be in good shape for tomorrow.”

“Yeah. That makes sense.”

They stared at each other for a moment. Maybe he was still out of it, because for a few seconds he was convinced he should lean down to kiss her.