Stolen Heart

Chapter 22

Things Lana learned about herself while sightseeing in Tangier with Jack:

1. She loved chicken tagine. The savory dish with touches of sweetness like apricots or dates was delicious, and Lana was so glad she tried it.

2. Tangier, Morocco was now one of her favorite places in the world. The views of the water and the faint view of Gibraltar were unreal.

3. She was falling. Hard. For Jack. The way he took care of her, making sure she was comfortable. Making sure that she was fed. Making sure to schedule naps mid-day to beat the jet lag. Booking her an appointment at the spa so she could wind down and relax after a full day of walking. The list went on.

How could she be falling for Jack? She'd only known him for a few weeks now, and the way their relationship started wasn't exactly what she would want to tell grandkids someday. Grandkids. She thought of Jack as a dad and what a fun dad he would be.

She quickly shook the thought from her mind and forced herself to think about the plan for the next day when they would visit the museum as it opened. Despite her efforts, she thought about Jack and what they would do when this was all over. Would they remain friends? They'd both made it very clear that it wouldn't be anything more, but part of her couldn't manage to stifle the desire that seemed to keep springing back up. She decided she would just continue to make the most of the trip and figure out the after, after.

"Ready to go to the Souk?" Jack asked as soon as they finished breakfast. The Souk was a large marketplace right near them, which was filled with a wide array of goodies like rugs, ceramics, and spices.

"Um, yes. I've been waiting for this! I am so ready to shop! It's been too long." Lana beamed while taking the last sip of her tea.

"Too long? Didn't you buy some things yesterday when we walked along the pier?"

"Exactly. That was already yesterday! Okay, let's get going!" Lana almost skipped as she led them out of the riad onto the cobblestone roads.

They passed by a few trinket shops and perused all the items. Everything was so colorful and intricately designed. Lana ended up buying a ceramic dish to put on display in her kitchen.

They passed by a jewelry store, and Lana's eyes grew wide. Beautiful gold and silver jewelry sparkled in the front window.

"Which one do you like the best?" Jack asked.

"Oh my goodness, they are all so beautiful. But they look too expensive, so better just to keep moving," Lana said while biting her bottom lip, but her eyes were still glued to the display.

"Well, we can at least ask and see." Jack went into the store, and Lana followed quickly. "Excuse me. Shhal?" Jack pointed to the jewelry case, using the Arabic word for 'How much?' the staff had taught them at the riad.

"Which?" a short man with a full mustache replied.

Jack glanced at Lana, who hesitated before looking back at the jewelry case. A gold ring that had a small gold four-leaf clover at the center caught her eye first. "That one." She pointed to the ring.

"This, one hundred fifty dollar, American," the man replied, opening the case and grabbing the ring for her to try on.

"One hundred and fifty dollars?" Lana repeated back with eyes wide and mouth open.

"This, real gold," the man added eagerly.

"Try it on," Jack said, nodding toward the ring.

Lana slipped it on her index finger, and it fit perfectly. She admired the beautiful gold against her skin as she held up her hand in front of her. "This is gorgeous, but I can't afford it." She shook her head and grabbed the ring to take it off.