“Never.” She pushed a container of sweet pickles his way. “Maybe being monks for so long, we’re catching up?” She laughed, a little shy.
Her innocence always totaled Reese. Just the uncertainty in her eyes now, melted his heart, made him burn with need for her all over again. “I think that’s part of it,” he said between bites. “But the other is you’re just one helluva beautiful, curvy woman who is sensual by nature.” He saw her give him a confused look.
“Did your mom teach you about being a woman?” he wondered.
“My mom,” Shay said, “was always under stress. My father was verbally abusing her every day. She couldn’t do anything right. She didn’t want me underfoot or in the same room with him, if possible. I think because she was worried my father would start picking on me, we didn’t get the time most mothers and daughters spend together. It was her way of trying to protect me. At least, looking back on it, that’s what I think now.”
“Did she teach you about makeup? Fixing your hair?”
“No . . .” Shay gave a sad shrug. “It wasn’t a priority. Surviving was, and she always wanted to keep me out of my father’s way. She was just too scared.”
“You don’t need makeup anyway, Shay. You’re naturally beautiful,” Reese assured her in a low voice, watching her expression melt.
“Being a ranch owner, I don’t often think of myself wearing a dress.”
He nodded, watching her as memories seemed to hover at the edge of her large blue eyes. Reese could not erase her past, nor could he make Shay forget what she’d lived through. “You know what I’m looking forward to?”
She perked up, finishing off her sandwich. She took a damp cloth from a quart jar she’d packed and cleaned off her fingers. “What?”
“Seeing what kind of wedding dress you choose for when we get married.”
“I’m going to need help,” she confessed, opening her hands. “I’ve never been into fashion.”
“I’ll bet Diana and Maud will be more than happy to help you.”
She grinned. “Yeah, what a pair to be on my wedding-dress team! I’m sure they’ll get me dressed right.”
Sitting up, he rubbed his hands on his jeans and dug down deep into the cooler. “Come here.” Reese held out his hand to her.
Shay scooted over next to him. “What?”
Placing his arm around her shoulders, nestling her close to him, Reese brought out a small red velvet box and placed it in her hand. “Let’s make this official,” he murmured, kissing her hair. “Open it. See if you like them.” Reese worried that she wouldn’t. Maud had helped him pick out the wedding ring set at the local jewelry store. He’d saved his money since starting to work as Charlie Becker’s accountant, and was able to afford what he hoped was a set of wedding rings that Shay would love. He relied on Maud to know what Shay might like. He unconsciously held his breath as she eased open the top of the velvet box.
Shay gasped. “Oh!” she cried out, touching the set delicately with her finger. “Reese . . . these are beautiful! And so practical!” She picked up the engagement ring that had three channel-cut pink diamonds flush to the ring setting, ensuring that the stones would never be damaged or knocked loose as Shay worked on the ranch.
“You really like them?” A lump formed in his throat when he saw tears in her eyes as she turned, smiling radiantly into his gaze. His heart clenched in his chest. There was nothing on this earth he wouldn’t do for this woman he loved. She was part wild child, part warrior, part innocent young woman. And his. Automatically, his arm tightened around her shoulders.
“I love them! Here, will you put this on me, Reese?” Shay held out the engagement ring.
His fingers were large and long in comparison to the small, delicate ring. Shay turned a bit, holding out her left hand. Reese was struck by the slender length of her fingers. Those fingers made him run hot, held him, loved him. They healed him.
He gently cradled her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. To his everlasting relief, it slid on without much difficulty. It fit. “There,” he managed in a croak, his voice emotional. “Looks nice. What do you think?”
She moved her hand, the diamonds glinting in the sunlight dancing through the leaves above them. “I love it, Reese. It’s so beautiful. So different. And the wedding band”—she looked closely at it—“is gorgeous. I love the leaves that are etched into it. That’s so different. And it’s wonderful because I love nature so much.”
“I have a confession,” he murmured, watching her eyes widen. “I asked Maud to go with me and help me pick them out. I didn’t feel very qualified, Shay. You don’t mind, do you?”