Read Online Grave Matters by Jana Oliver - Free Book Online Page B

After he’d arranged for the guy to return in an hour, they began the ascent. Riley kept her eyes on the path, and soon was rewarded with labored breathing and a dripping nose.
    Will he ask me to marry him up here?
    That would be just like him.
    Though she tried, Riley couldn’t get a handle on her feelings. She loved him. He loved her. Why was she so uneasy?
    I’m just nervous.
    Once they reached the top she knew it’d been worth all the effort. Edinburgh lay below them like a complex quilt: Old Town, New Town, the Balmoral Hotel, Sir Walter Scott’s memorial, and the castle. In the distance the estuary, the Firth of Forth, sparkled in the waning light.
    “This is amazing, Den,” she said, searching and then failing to find the Old Calton graveyard where it was hidden among the maze of buildings.
    “I love it,” he said as he settled on a broad rock that offered a commanding view of the city below. When she shivered in the brisk wind, Beck pulled her closer. “It’s even better now that yer here.”
    That made her smile. “Any Scots in your family?”
    “Some, at least on my momma’s side. My gran was a Macpherson. Beck is German, so I’m a mutt.”
    “My family was all English,” Riley replied.
    She laid her head on his shoulder, content for the moment, though in some ways this peace felt fragile, like hand-blown glass.
    In the distance, the sun gradually vanished behind a sea of clouds, creating a deep purple glow. Below, lights began to come on one by one.
    “Isn’t it beautiful?” he whispered.
    “Yes, it is.” The passage of time marked by sun and stars.
    “I wouldn’t want to share this with anyone else,” he said, turning toward her. A soft kiss brushed her cheek. She shivered and he tucked her coat collar closer around her neck.
    Beck rose and stood a few paces away, his back to her. For a time he stared out at the city, as if composing his thoughts. Then he turned back toward her. With a shy smile, he was down on one knee in heartbeat.
    Ohmigod. He’s going to do it.
    Beck took her hands, stripped off the gloves and then kissed each of her palms. She could feel the brush of his stubble and his warm breath on her fingers.
    “Den...”
     
    Denver Beck took a deep breath, preparing himself for what had to be one of the most important times of his life.
    “I am a plain Georgia boy,” he began, his voice rough. “I always will be. I have many things I love, but none as much as you.” He took another quick breath, fearing his courage would falter. “I can’t live without you, Riley. Yer in my heart, and in my soul.”
    God, this is hard. No matter how many times he’d practiced it in front of a mirror.
    “I want you to be mine, forever. My wife, the mother of my children. I swear there won’t be anyone else but you for as long as I live.” He swallowed, trying to clear his suddenly dry throat. He was so nervous now, he could hardly speak. “Will ya ... will you marry me, Riley? Will you stand by me for the rest of my days?”
    For godsakes say you will.
    His heart hammered and he felt himself sweat as those gorgeous brown eyes widened. He loved her so much, but Riley was just eighteen, and she’d be shackling herself to him for life. Because it was all or nothing for him.
    There were tears in her eyes now, but still no answer.
    “Riley?” he said, his nerves jumping all over the place.
    She pulled her hands away and wrapped her arms around herself, withdrawing. “I...” she began.
    He saw something in her eyes now, and it wasn’t joy. It was more the look of a trapped animal.
    She was going to turn him down.
    “Riley?” he repeated, his fear growing.
    “I can’t. I’m not sure why,” she said, her voice quavering. “If you’d asked me a week ago, I would have said yes. But now ... I—”
    “Are ya mad at me cuz I wasn’t there for ya?”
    “Yes ... No. God, I don’t know,” she stammered. “I think ... ” Then she shook her head as if she couldn’t find the