Moving On

Chapter 14 - Part 2

On Friday, Kate stood in the altered dress and sighed.

She hadn't brought any of her accessories over to the mansion. Even if she did, nothing would match this dress. She hadn't been to many formal events and never had the need or desire for clunky jewelry.

She couldn't believe she had been so muddleheaded.

She'd taken half a day off work to get her nails and hair done. Her nails glimmered with classy French manicure while her hair was tied up in a loose bun.

Without her hair over her shoulders, even with her mother's locket, her neck seemed bare.

It was too late for her to go out in search of something that would match her dress. This was the best she could do.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the room to find Tyler leaning against the wall by her door.

He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt under the jacket. He had left the top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, and the edge of the sleeve peeked out from his jacket at his wrists.

His suits were clearly tailor-made, but his structure, the broad shoulders, the lean, muscular chest, and the lanky legs combined to make that simple ensemble perfect.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said. Her fingers reached over and fiddled with her locket.

"It's fine ..." His words trailed off as he took in the sight of her in a long satin dress.

"Do I look all right?" she asked as she saw Tyler giving her a scan.

"More than all right."

She sighed, relieved. "Good. I don't want to embarrass you." Then she noticed the black, squarish box he was holding. "What's that?"

He followed her gaze to the box in his hand. "Oh, right. I wanted you to have this," he said as he handed her the box.

"What is it?"

"Open it."

She did as she was told and gasped when she saw the diamond necklace, earrings, and bracelet. "You didn't buy this, did you? I can't accept this. It's too expensive."

"I didn't spend a cent. It was my mother's. I remembered she had it, and Marianne said most of her stuff was in the attic, so I just dug it out."

"Your mother's? Then all the more I can't accept this," she said and remembered what was in the attic. "You went up to the attic?"

She never thought he would venture into the attic. Since they moved into the house, not once had he peeked into his parents' room or taken a step up the stairs to his old bedroom.

"I went up there for this." He pointed at the box, redirecting her attention back to it.

"It's beautiful, and I appreciate the thought, but I can't take your mother's jewelry."

Tyler took the box from her. With his hand on her arm, he guided her back into her room. Setting the box on the table, he took the necklace and leaned in, hooking it in place behind her neck before removing her locket. "Then just wear it tonight. It isn't doing any good collecting dust in the attic anyway."

She didn't hear a single word he'd said.

As he spoke, she angled her face toward him, closed her eyes, and took in his fresh, manly aftershave.

It was times like these, when it was just the two of them, when he spoke in his serious but gentle voice, that she couldn't stop her heart from racing and herself from wishing that he would kiss her.