Page 78 of Searching for her Heart
“Complete my harem? Exactly how many men do you think I’m going to marry?” I open my mouth to answer but she holds out her hand quickly. “Wait—don’t answer that. Do men not wear wedding bands here?”
“Here, rings are just another form of jewelry. Sometimes royalty will wear fancy ones, but no, men don’t wear them to show they’re married. However, I would be honored to wear this, to show my love for you, and you me. Does it matter where I wear it?” Indy explains.
She gives him a smile, and she reaches out and takes it from him before slipping it on his ninth finger.
“It fits perfectly!” she says in surprise. “I just guessed the sizes.” She turns to me and motions to the ring in my hand. “May I?” I pass it to her.
“Is this part of the ceremony? Placing it on me?”
She nods, and she slips it on. “Yes, it’s done when we exchange vows.”
“You should have told us, we would have done it when we got married,” Brax grumbles. She turns to him and takes his ring in her dainty hand.
“Well, you kind of sprung that wedding on me, I didn’t really have time to think about it ahead of time.”
“Next time.” Brax nods as she places the ring on his hand.
“What do you mean? I’ve already married all three of you,” she asks in confusion.
“When you marry your next mate, we will make sure he knows about the ring custom.”
“Next mate?—”
I cut her off, knowing she was going to argue. “Didn’t you say it was the exchange of rings? What about yours?” I ask, grabbing her ring free hand.
“Oh, I don’t need one. I have you guys.”
“Are you calling us accessories, Sugar?” She shrugs, a smile playing at her lips. I glance at Brax and we exchange a knowing look. Yeah, our girl wouldn’t be ringless for long.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
PENNY
“Are you sure you can leave your tavern, Silver?” I ask for the third time as we pack up the wagon we purchased for this trip.
“Penny, I told you it’s fine. Do you not want me to come?”
“No!” I say in alarm. “Of course I do, I just don’t want you to lose business because you’re helping me. You promise it will be okay?”
He comes to stand in front of me and reaches out, holding the side of my shoulders. “Penny, I promise it will be fine. My friends will handle everything here. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve left it to head to the sea, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
I nod and he lets go, moving to lift another large container of water onto the wagon. I glance past it and into the forest across the street for the thousandth time since the incident with my masked stranger a few weeks ago. Where was he? Why didn’t he come and say hi? Was it just a coincidence that I had seen him again? But I swear I could feel eyes on me.
“Boo,” a deep voice whispers in my ear, making me jump.
Ryker’s deep laugh rings out, making me slap his arm as I glare at him. “Ryker! That wasn’t nice,” I pout.
“Sorry, Red, I couldn’t help it. Were you looking for himagain?” he asks, putting his arm around my shoulder and looking into the woods.
“Who?” I ask, pretending I don’t know who he’s talking about.
He smirks down at me. “Your masked hero, of course.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, birdman,” I tell him as I lift my chin and turn away, his laughter following me.
Brax and Indy are lifting the last of the water into the wagon now. I can’t believe how much we are bringing, but they said it will take us weeks and weeks to cross the desert and we don’t want to be caught short out there. Apparently, there will be nothing but sand until we reach the other side. I asked why we didn’t go around, but they said it would add a month to the journey and wasn’t much safer due to the territory where those lands fall.
“You ready, Sugar?” Indy asks as he jumps down in front of me, grabbing my hand and kissing my fingertips.
