“Yeah?” I said with a grin, tipping my head back to look up at him. But at barely five feet tall, I had to look up at everyone.

“Yeah,” he teased, tapping me on the nose. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Taking my hand, he pulled me away from the group I’d been chatting with and over to the huge table where the presents had been placed.

He picked up one of the smaller boxes and handed it to me, but as I took it, everyone in the room seemed to move in around us, more than happy to have me start opening their gifts as well.

I shook the brightly wrapped box, my eyes narrowing when I didn’t hear anything. “Hmm,” I muttered, smirking up at him. From the box shape alone, I knew it was some kind of jewelry.

He picked me up and placed me in a chair that Max pushed over to us with his foot. “Open it already,” Elias commanded.

His blue eyes looked so earnest I couldn’t make him wait another second, and I quickly started ripping the paper off. Uncovering the narrow black jewelry box inside, I carefully opened it. Only to gasp at the sight of the necklace inside.

Elias lifted the small platinum compass pendant hanging from the matching chain out of the box. “I know we won’t have you for much longer, little beauty, but I wanted you to have something that will always help you find your way home.”

Tears stung my eyes, breaking through the defenses I’d tried so hard to keep in place all afternoon.

“I agree, treasure,” Max grumbled from beside me. “Elias always tries to make the rest of us look bad when it comes to presents.”

Elias winked down at me before smirking at the couple. “You’re just jealous that I’m better at shopping for pretty girls than you.”

“Says the guy who didn’t know what to get me for my birthday when I turned eighteen,” River commented, bouncing her son in her arms with a laugh.

“I could have bought you any number of things back then, sweetheart. But they all would have gotten me nice and dead because Maverick would have killed me for giving them to his girl.” He lifted his chin at her husband, who gave a nod in agreement, Maverick’s arm going around her possessively.

I moved my hair out of the way so Elias could fasten the necklace around my neck, but the entire time, I could feel Ryan’s eyes like lasers on the top of my head. There was this pull, urging me to look up, to meet his gaze, but I fought against it, knowing if I gave in, there would be no way of hiding my feelings any longer.

Touching the little pendant, I gave Elias a wobbly smile. “Thank you,” I was able to choke out. “You don’t know how much I needed this right now.”

His blue eyes darkened. “I’m always here if you need me, little beauty.”