Chapter 17

“It’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes welling with tears of joy. “It’s absolutely perfect.”

“It’s a locket.”

“Oh?” Julie found the tiny clasp and pried the silver cupcake open. Nestled inside was a photo of her and Belle, an image taken in one of those little photo booths that spat out a strip of candid shots. They’d done it for giggles at the state fair earlier in the year. Across from the picture was a simple inscription: their initials and the date they met.

“Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it.”

Julie kept the chained entwined with her fingers, reaching out with her free hand to pull Belle toward her. The kiss they shared started off sweet and innocent, the depth of their love a sizzling undercurrent. When it ended, Julie rested her forehead against Belle’s, lost in the closeness of the woman who’d stolen her heart.

“I love you,” Julie declared.

“And I love you,” Belle replied.

“Help me put this on?”