“Happy birthday!"
Ryan‟s eyes widened in surprise. Bess, still in costume, opened a bottle of champagne while Link did his best to catch the spurt of wine in a glass. Speechless, Ryan stared at them.
“Happy birthday, Ryan.” Pierce kissed her lightly.
“But how …” She broke off to look up at him. “How did you know?”
“Here you go.” Bess stuck a glass of champagne in Ryan‟s hand, then gave her a quick squeeze. “Drink up, sweetie. You only get one birthday a year. Thank God. The champagne‟s from me—a bottle for now and one for later.” She winked at Pierce.
“Thank you.” Ryan looked helplessly into her glass. “I don‟t know what to say.”
“Link‟s got something for you, too,” Bess told her.
The big man shifted uncomfortably as all eyes turned to him. “I got you a cake,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat. “You have to have a birthday cake.”
Ryan walked over to see a sheet cake decorated in delicate pinks and yellows. “Oh, Link! It‟s lovely.”
“You have to cut the first piece,” he instructed.
“Yes, I will in a minute.” Reaching up, Ryan drew his head down until she could reach it on tiptoe. She pressed a kiss on his mouth. “Thank you, Link.”
He turned pink, grinned, then sent Bess an agonized look. “Welcome.”
“I have something for you.” Still smiling, Ryan turned to Pierce. “Will you kiss me, too?” he demanded.
“After I get my present.”
“Greedy,” he decided and handed her a small wooden box.
It was old and carved. Ryan ran her finger over it to feel the places that had worn smooth with age and handling. “It‟s beautiful,” she murmured. She opened it and saw a tiny silver symbol on a chain. “Oh!”
“An ankh,” Pierce told her, slipping it out to fasten it around her neck. “An Egyptian symbol of life. Not a superstition,” he said gravely. “It‟s for luck.”
Ryan‟s eyes widened in surprise. Bess, still in costume, opened a bottle of champagne while Link did his best to catch the spurt of wine in a glass. Speechless, Ryan stared at them.
“Happy birthday, Ryan.” Pierce kissed her lightly.
“But how …” She broke off to look up at him. “How did you know?”
“Here you go.” Bess stuck a glass of champagne in Ryan‟s hand, then gave her a quick squeeze. “Drink up, sweetie. You only get one birthday a year. Thank God. The champagne‟s from me—a bottle for now and one for later.” She winked at Pierce.
“Thank you.” Ryan looked helplessly into her glass. “I don‟t know what to say.”
“Link‟s got something for you, too,” Bess told her.
The big man shifted uncomfortably as all eyes turned to him. “I got you a cake,” he mumbled, then cleared his throat. “You have to have a birthday cake.”
Ryan walked over to see a sheet cake decorated in delicate pinks and yellows. “Oh, Link! It‟s lovely.”
“You have to cut the first piece,” he instructed.
“Yes, I will in a minute.” Reaching up, Ryan drew his head down until she could reach it on tiptoe. She pressed a kiss on his mouth. “Thank you, Link.”
He turned pink, grinned, then sent Bess an agonized look. “Welcome.”
“I have something for you.” Still smiling, Ryan turned to Pierce. “Will you kiss me, too?” he demanded.
“After I get my present.”
“Greedy,” he decided and handed her a small wooden box.
It was old and carved. Ryan ran her finger over it to feel the places that had worn smooth with age and handling. “It‟s beautiful,” she murmured. She opened it and saw a tiny silver symbol on a chain. “Oh!”
“An ankh,” Pierce told her, slipping it out to fasten it around her neck. “An Egyptian symbol of life. Not a superstition,” he said gravely. “It‟s for luck.”
This Magic Moment
_______________
Happy Birthday, Nora!!
