Jacqui wasn’t sure what to say. She was furious and hurt, but she understood. Losing someone so close to you was hard; it fundamentally changed a person.

She’d been lucky, finding two people who wanted to adopt her. The Danvers had made a family with her; she’d always felt like they were really her parents, just a second set of them.

If she hadn’t found them? Who knew what would have become of young Jacqui. She might have grown up hardened and untrusting.

And yes, Khizar had his parents, but losing a sibling had to be just as devastating. She could appreciate that he had also lost the ability to trust others. But that didn’t excuse his actions over the previous month.

“I understand that you didn’t want to get close to me. Why didn’t you just ask me about my great-uncle?”

Khizar sighed, which to Jacqui sounded like he didn’t know how to explain.

“Bill never mentioned you, but then, he never mentioned any family. I didn’t know why, and I thought it prudent to learn more before bringing him up. By the time I proposed, I thought I was in too deep to simply ask.”

“If Bill never mentioned me, how did you know so much about me?”

Khizar shifted uncomfortably.

“I have an investigator on staff and he did some research into your background.”

Jacqui’s eyes widened. “You had someone investigate me?”

“It’s standard procedure when we’re looking to acquire an asset,” Khizar said.

Jacqui slowly tilted her head. “Excuse me? An asset?”

Awareness dawned on Khizar’s face and he held out one hand in supplication.

“Not you. The mine. Bill’s mine. More specifically, the Bauer Diamond, which I thought was connected to the mine. Bill had given his entire fortune away, and when he agreed to sell the mine, I thought it was because he needed the money. I had offered to buy the Bauer mine because I had hoped Bill would tell me more about the diamond. When he died—before the sale could be completed—I had research done into who would inherit the mine, and the diamond. That information led me to you.”

“So, this whole time you’ve been looking for the Bauer Diamond?” Jacqui asked.

Khizar nodded. “I’ve wanted to buy it for several years now. It would be a great asset.”

“And again, I have to ask, why didn’t you just tell me you were looking for the diamond?”

“The diamond is a legend. Bill hid it away because too many people wanted it, and he wasn’t willing to sell. If you did know about it, I assumed you would have the same caution Bill did. I didn’t think you’d just tell me.”

“So, you decided to make me fall in love with you, and then propose? And when I said yes, you figured I’d just tell you about my great-uncle and his diamond.”

Khizar half shrugged. “Yes? And that plan kind of worked.”

Jacqui glared at him. “Not helping your case any.”

He nodded. “Sorry. Look, it was an awful plan. I should have just asked you.”

“Is that why you bought everything in the bakery to give away?” Jacqui asked, determined to hear the whole sorry tale, as much as it hurt.

“It’s why I bought everything in your bakery. I do engage in charitable giving; that’s something my parents taught me at an early age. I don’t generally do it in such an ostentatious way, but it seemed like a good way to impress you.”

“And the dates and the trip to Hawaii?”

“I enjoyed your company. And yes, Hawaii was meant to impress you, but I also wanted to do something that made you happy. I found that I enjoyed seeing you smile, and sharing my extravagant lifestyle seemed to be a fun way to do that.”

“And the proposal?”

Jacqui hated how small her voice sounded when she asked that question.

“I had built my plan around it, and had already set things in motion. I thought I had to go through with it,” he said, and then hesitated.

Jacqui sat and waited for him to continue. She wasn’t sure there was anything he could say, but she would listen.

“Getting to know you has been one of the greatest honors of my life. It’s also been more fun than I could possibly have imagined. I found that I liked spending time with you, and I found myself attracted to you. I pushed that idea down and refused to give it any credence.

“The first time we kissed, on the beach at sunset in Hawaii, I was more affected than I looked. And over the following weeks, I found myself thinking of you more and more, not as a means to an end, but of how much I liked you.

“As soon as I proposed, I regretted that it wasn’t for real. And then I realized that I wanted it to be real. I wanted to be the man you thought I was.

“I don’t know exactly when it happened, but I fell in love with you, Jacqui. My feelings for you have been growing since we met, and I’m sure that if we had taken things slower, we would have ended up in the same place.

“I want to marry you, to build a life with you. I wish I had done things differently, but I don’t regret proposing. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m a better person because I met you. If you don’t want to go through with our engagement, I understand. I don’t deserve another chance.”

“Do you want another chance?” Jacqui asked.

She wasn’t sure how she felt just yet, but part of her reveled in the fact that Khizar was finally being open and honest with her.

“Yes. We can start over, if you like. Or, we can go from here. But I’d like very much the chance to win your trust and love.”

Jacqui nodded. She stood, and when Khizar started to follow her, waved him back down. She paced in a slow arc around the edge of the pond, wanting a moment to think.

She’d known that something was off. Maybe it was her parents mentioning it, maybe it was some other instinct, but it had seemed too good to be true. Jacqui recognized that she’d ignored those whispers of concern, caught up in the whirlwind of Khizar’s courtship.

Still, she’d really had fun. It wasn’t just being treated like a princess or the luxury she wasn’t used to, it was that she laughed with Khizar; that she genuinely loved being around him.

Plus, he’d treated her with respect and kindness. Except for that one not-so-little lie that their relationship was founded on. Did it all balance out in the end?

There was no doubt in her mind that Khizar was telling the truth now, or that he sincerely regretted his actions. And she was in love with him. Even with everything he’d done, she couldn’t deny that fact. But was it enough?

Jacqui walked back to the bench and sat down next to Khizar.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Khizar nodded. “I understand. You don’t have to decide anything tonight.”

“Thank you,” Jacqui said softly.

“I do have something for you. I’d like to go ahead and give it to you, if that’s okay.”

Jacqui nodded and Khizar reached into his jacket, pulling a small box out of the inner pocket. The box was silver and metallic, with a thin red ribbon wrapped around it and tied in a curly bow.

He held the box out to her, and she took it tentatively. She turned it over and felt something shift inside.

“You’re not going to propose again, are you?” she asked, her eyes filled with mirthful tears.

“Not today,” he smiled. “I tracked this down when we were in Milwaukee, before I proposed, actually. Whatever happened, I wanted you to have it.”

Jacqui was curious now, and carefully pulled the ribbon off the box. She slowly pulled the lid of the box up and off. There was a layer of silk cloth, folded; she picked that up and laid the silk inside the top half of the box.

Inside the box, sitting on a layer of plush, folded velvet, was a pocket watch. The newly-polished gold gleamed in the soft lantern light. With shaking hands, Jacqui slowly removed the watch from the box, holding the round object like a treasure, letting the chain drape over her fingers.

She turned the watch over and found the word “Always” engraved on the back, right above her parents’ names and the date of their wedding.

Jacqui gasped through tears, one hand held to her mouth and one holding on to her father’s pocket watch for dear life.

“Where did you…Khizar, how did find you find my father’s watch?”

He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug.

“The investigator I have on staff is very good. Plus, this watch is a piece of true craftsmanship. This is my world. It took some digging, but he and I were able to track it down.”

“You found it before you proposed?”

“I found out where it was, but it required a trip out of Milwaukee to get it. I retrieved it right before I flew back to the city. I wanted to polish it and make sure it was in working condition before I gave it to you, and I didn’t have time to do that before our dinner that night. When you were napping today, I took it to my best jeweler, who is an expert at cleaning and repairing watches, and it didn’t take him long to make the watch perfect for you.”

Jacqui clutched the watch in both hands, holding them to her face as she cried. She’d lost so much of her parents, and Khizar had tracked down this precious object that was dearer to her than anything else. He hadn’t needed to do that. She’d said yes to his proposal without it, with no expectation of even asking him to find it.

But he’d listened when she’d said it was important to her. And he’d taken the time and effort to track it down. That meant something.

It was an act of love.

Jacqui brushed her tears away and studied him. He had been more open since their trip to Alabama. He’d introduced her to his parents, and shown her his city and his home. He’d apologized, sincerely.

They still needed to talk about things, but Jacqui no longer felt any of the uncertainty she’d felt before.

“Thank you, Khizar.”

She moved before he expected it, throwing her arms tightly around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her. “I love you, Jacqui.”

She pulled back just a little and smiled at him. “I love you, too, Khizar.”

Khizar narrowed his eyes. “Does this mean you forgive me?”

Jacqui laughed, and ran one hand across her eyes again.

“It means I forgive you.”

Khizar lifted his hand to her face and wiped away a tear that she’d missed. He left his hand on her cheek, and she leaned into his warmth. He shook his head once, like he couldn’t believe that she was there, and leaned his head down to kiss her.

Their lips touched and Jacqui thought it was the sweetest kiss she’d ever experienced. They knew each other now, and with no barriers between them.

And she knew they would be happy together.