MAKE HER PAY Page 27

  “Until now.”

  He reached into the pocket of his sports coat, then held out a large, misshapen diamond, part of one side chopped away.

  “It’s not perfect,” he said, moving it closer to her. “But then, one of any set is sometimes flawed.”

  She blinked at it, afraid to believe what was right in front of her. “Is it … is it … the other Bombay Blue?”

  “It is.”

  “I know you had some leads through some Corvo locals, but I thought they all came up empty. I gave up hope.”

  “Big mistake, with me.”

  She laughed softly, reality settling on her. “I guess so.” She finally touched the stone, warm from his body and hand, and definitely smaller than it had been. “Broken in the fall?” she asked.

  “Blue diamonds are slightly softer, and lava rock is unforgiving.” He showed her the jagged edge where a piece had chipped off, ruining the perfect sphere. “We only lost a carat or two.” He opened the display case and slid it into the four prongs on one of the scepters. “It washed up on shore like this, and a local fisherman found it.”

  “How long have you had it?” she asked as he picked up the other diamond and worked it into its place.

  “Long enough to make sure Paxton didn’t change his mind.” He smiled. “A year.”

  “A year? Did you really have to keep it a secret that long?”

  “I had to do something else first,” he said, closing the case and stepping back to admire his work. “And I had to be sure you’d understand … and agree.”

  “To what?”

  He turned to her, this time reaching into his other pocket. “Since it was already chipped, I thought we might get something good out of a flawed stone. So I borrowed a little bit of that one … to make this one.”

  “Ohhh.” The sound was no more than a sigh, one that couldn’t begin to let out her happiness at the sight of a classic black ring box.

  Opening it, he revealed a blue diamond solitaire ring. “I’m flawed, Lizzie, just like that diamond.” His voice cracked just enough to break her heart. “But you took a piece of me, and made me exactly what I’m supposed to be. So that’s what I did with that chipped diamond. I hope you don’t mind.”

  She looked up at him, not even fighting her tears. “I don’t mind, and you’re not flawed. You’re perfect, Con. And so is this ring.”

  “I’m not even close to perfect. But life could be, if you’ll say yes.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” She laughed as he slid the ring onto her shaking finger. “And yes again.”

  He drew her fingers to his mouth and kissed the ring, then pulled her into him, but she saw the glistening in his eyes before he buried his face in her hair. “You’re the steal of a lifetime, Lizzie,” he said, his voice husky with emotion.

  She put her head on his shoulder and sighed. “And you are the greatest treasure I’ve ever found.”