Becoming (13 page)

“We’re eighteen,” he continued. “Many would
say we’re too young to commit our lives to each other. But I
believe that we’ve done that already in more ways than one over the
past six years.” He glanced down at the ring he still held, then
once again caught her gaze. “I love you more than I can ever
imagine loving another person.”

Suddenly, The Dream flashed through her
mind.

“
I love you more than it should be
possible to love another.
”

Blinking, Amber cleared the thought from her
mind. Gabriel was what mattered right now, not some weird dream.
But she couldn’t deny the similar wording was a little freaky.

He continued, “The other gift I want to give
you now is the promise that goes with this ring. Are you willing to
accept it and give me your own promise in return?”

Perhaps she should have been shocked and
overwhelmed by this turn of events. She supposed it would have made
sense to hold a long, internal debate over the wisdom of making
this bond that she knew Gabriel took very seriously and had every
intention of keeping. He was right that everyone else would think
them crazy and ill-fated in light of society’s struggles when it
came to relationships and long-term commitments. But she knew very
clearly what was in his heart as well as her own.

Her heart and her mind were as one on the
matter.

Once again pushing The Dream to the side, she
answered, “Yes.”

Smiling, he reached for her left hand. “There
should be some amount of ceremony with this, I think. So I’ll say
as I give you this ring, Amber Hopkins, that I love you now and
always will. You’re my best friend and I have complete faith in
you. I’m giving you this ring as a symbol of my love and
unbreakable commitment to you.”

She felt the soothing warmth of the metal as
he slid it along her left ring finger and into place. Although she
had only rarely ever worn jewelry, the ring felt unexpectedly
comfortable on her finger. Knowing it was her turn, she took his
left hand in hers. She normally would have scoffed over this type
of romantic nonsense. Now, though, she found the words he had
spoken not just a haze at the edge of her thoughts, but clear and
eager to be voiced in return.

“And I will say to you, Gabriel Reid, as I
give you this ring, that I love you now and always will. You’re my
best friend and I have complete faith in you. I’m giving you this
ring as a symbol of my love and unbreakable commitment to you.”

Lifting his left hand, she placed the ring on
his finger. He then laced his left hand with her left hand, their
rings touching, and leaned in to kiss her. Neither of them noticed
the brilliant glow of their joined hands since their eyes were
closed.

The vows were sealed.

Excerpts from the Great Foretelling:

“
The pieces will come together, a perfect fit…and
she will come to understand that she was meant for more than she
ever understood of her world.”

“
He will face decisions far more complex than
those that brought him to this point. For what did he ever have to
risk losing before?”

Rather than spend money on a taxi, Gabriel
and Amber walked the couple of miles to the Alutiiq Museum. The
weather was gorgeous and warm for the area, right at 70 degrees
Fahrenheit, and they opted to walk along Mission Road so they could
enjoy the views of the nearby water. There weren’t many people out
yet, so they were afforded a decent amount of privacy. Since it
wasn’t even ten in the morning, they had plenty of time to enjoy
the museum and eat a leisurely lunch.

Gabriel held Amber’s hand in his as they
walked. He thought about how much he liked the feel of the ring on
her finger. There was just something substantial about it…something
tangible to represent their feelings for each other.

He wasn’t sure what had prompted him to
purchase the rings. It certainly hadn’t been his plan when he
walked into the small Anchorage jewelry store. He had thought to
try and find something nice to get for Mrs. B as a thank you for
signing off on their trip and helping them book all of their
accommodations. But just as he walked in, the display of rings
under the crystal-clear glass caught his attention.

Amber had lingered at the sporting goods
store next door and thus wasn’t with him at that moment. One of the
two saleswomen behind the counter had walked up and given him a
friendly greeting.

“Anything in particular I can help you
with?”

His gaze had settled on the two rings that he
and Amber now wore. “Well…”

The saleswoman followed his gaze.
“These?”

He nodded.

“A beautiful and unique set, made by a local
designer,” she said, taking the rings out of the display and
handing them to him for closer inspection. “The center stones are
honey amber and the bands are a radiant white gold. This etching
along each band is symbolic of love and fidelity, making them
wonderful promise rings.”

He glanced up. “Promise rings?”

“Yes. You could think of them as
pre-engagement rings,” she explained helpfully.

And it had all settled into alignment for him
then. Just as they finished discussing ring sizes and payment,
Amber had walked in. As it turned out, the display rings had been
their sizes, making things infinitely easier for him.

Glancing over at her now, he couldn’t help
but feel the compelling pull of Fate. Much as he had sensed the
first time they met, he somehow knew she was meant for him. She
walked along now with her hand comfortably in his, her new
sunglasses in place and the sea breeze lifting her hair, apparently
oblivious to the intense thoughts pressing on him.

“I can feel you thinking about me,” she
said.

He raised both eyebrows.

“It’s not psychic ability,” she said dryly.
“You’re staring at me and you keep running your thumb over my
ring.”

“Oh.” He couldn’t help but grin abashedly at
that. “Caught me.”

“I’m sure there are much more interesting
things to focus your attention on.”

“On the contrary, I can’t keep my thoughts
from you. In true male fashion, as a matter of fact, one of my main
preoccupations centers on what you’re wearing under that sweater
and jeans right now.”

Much as he knew it would, the comment set a
pretty blush in her cheeks. He expected her to come back at him
with a barbed comment about being a typical guy. Instead, she
reached up with her right hand and lowered the neckline of her
sweater enough that he could glimpse a teasing amount of the
garment she wore underneath it.

“Ah...okay,” he managed to say when he found
his voice again. “Um. Wow. Was that red?”

Smiling, she answered, “Rose. Or so I was
told.”

“Uh-huh.” He paused as they walked a bit
further. “Was that lace?”

“Yep.”

Another pause. “And matching…”

“Oh, yeah.”

Sweet baby Jesus.

She laughed heartily as if she knew his
thoughts. He tugged playfully on her hand. “That was just mean,” he
said without any heat behind it.

“Yep.”

“Hmm. I’m thinking I foresee moose ears and
raucous singing in your birthday future.”

She laughed again and released his hand so
that she could put her left arm around his waist in a half-hug.
“It’s a good thing I know you’re a guy who would never renege on a
deal. Merely one of the things I love about you.”

“You’re just trying to turn my attention with
sweet praise.”

“Is it working?”

“Of course it is.” He leaned down and kissed
the top of her head. A hint of the fragrance she wore floated up to
him, immediately reminding him of their kiss that morning and the
intense wave of feelings it had produced. “What’s that scent you’re
wearing?”

Pushing away from his side, she said
defensively, “Oh, no. You’ll just make fun of me.”

“Will not,” he insisted, grabbing her hand
again. Grinning, he guessed, “Is it some really girly-sounding
name? Like Pink Passion or Exotic Ecstasy?”

“Not far off,” she admitted in an embarrassed
mumble. Then she focused on the names he had made up and snorted a
laugh. “And what have you got on the brain, I might ask?”

“Ha. Now tell me before I turn us around and
walk back to the house to find out for myself.”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “Sensual
Amber.”

“What? Really?” His grin spread. “Well,
that’s just perfect.”

The museum came into sight then and he lifted
her hand to kiss the back of it. As they approached, they studied
the unassuming beige building with its clean lines and many angles
and looked for the front entrance. A few other people were also
headed to either the museum or the Holy Resurrection Russian
Orthodox Church across the street, so Amber and Gabriel blended
into the small crowd to wait in line to pay their museum
admission.

“The Alutiiq dancers start at noon,” the
woman in front of them told her companion. “We’ll need to time it
so we can see their performance.”

Interested, Gabriel leaned forward and said,
“Excuse me, ma’am. Where are the dancers performing?”

The woman glanced back in surprise, but her
face warmed when she caught his friendly and interested gaze. “Over
in the park just down the street.”

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. When she
turned back to her friend, he glanced at Amber. “Why don’t we go
see them? It shouldn’t take more than a couple hours in here.”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

So they toured through the museum, enjoying
the various exhibits. Gabriel found it fascinating to learn about
other cultures from the histories they left behind. The museum
contained an impressive collection of artifacts, from photographs
and contemporary artwork to full-size, handmade kayaks and ancient
tools, every piece of history telling the larger story of the
Alutiiq people.

When they were done with their tour, they
stopped in the gift shop and Amber found a hand-carved jewelry box
that she wanted to buy for Mrs. B on their way back to the rental,
figuring it could hold the earrings that Gabriel had bought their
guardian in Anchorage. They then made their way to the park that
the woman had indicated earlier.

Amber removed her sunglasses, pulled out her
small camera from the tiny purse she wore across her body and began
taking a few photos of the park as they arrived. A sizeable crowd
had gathered in anticipation of the performance. So that they had a
good view of the dancers, Gabriel led Amber to the front edge of
the circle that the crowd had made. It appeared they had made it
just in time, and within a couple minutes, the crowd’s murmuring
grew in purpose and the dancers came into view.

There were about twenty dancers ranging in
age, size and gender, all dressed in traditional garb of leather
and fur. Some wore colorful beaded headdresses and others
decorative masks. Every one of them had dark hair, but there was a
surprising range in skin tones.

As the dancers set themselves in the middle
of the circle, Amber shuddered.

“Are you cold?” Gabriel asked from where he
stood behind her. “You can wear my hoodie.”

She shook her head. “No. Just a chill.”

Since she had snapped a few pictures and
replaced the camera in her purse so she could enjoy the
performance, he pulled her so that her back was pressed against his
chest and wrapped his arms lightly around her. She settled against
him and brought her hands up to hold his arms where they crossed
over her chest.

Right then, a drum beat echoed through the
park and the performance began. Gabriel was highly impressed by the
skill of the dancers. Since Amber bounced a couple of times in
rhythm with the drums, he figured she felt the same way. After a
few minutes, his attention focused on one of the younger female
dancers. She was one of the few wearing an elaborate headdress and
her every movement was a study in grace and emotion. Although the
flow of the dancers only brought her to the edges of the audience a
couple of times, he couldn’t help but sense something familiar
about her.

Just as she started to get close enough that
he could try to get a better look and figure out what it was about
her that had caught his attention, something more powerful tugged
at his senses. His gaze flickered to the opposite side of the
audience circle.

And saw the gilt-haired businessman from seat
10D.

Although he was dressed normally in khaki
pants and a long-sleeved, white collared shirt, there was something
ominous in the serious set of his expression. There also didn’t
appear to be anyone around him who knew him or even acknowledged
his presence. His dark eyes bored right into Gabriel’s.

Trying to convince himself he was imaging
things, Gabriel instinctively tightened his hold on Amber and tried
to focus again on the performance. Out of the corner of his eye,
though, he could sense the other man’s steady and unblinking stare.
What were the odds that they had all ended up in this same location
at the same time? Probably somewhere near astronomical.

By the time the performance ended, he was
inexplicably eager to depart. He applauded the performers along
with everyone else, then prepared to usher Amber away from the
crowd when the circle broke up.

“That was pretty cool,” she said, moving
easily in line with Gabriel’s guiding arm as he turned.

“Mm-hmm.”

Her gaze moved to his as they started
walking. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure.”

But she knew him too well, and she turned to
briefly glance over her shoulder before once again turning forward.
“Middle-aged blond guy with the khaki pants, looks like he’s about
to sit down at a business meeting?”

“Yeah.”