front door, and he hurried after her.
“So, your mom was on a tear. Welcome to my world,” she said.
“Oh, yeah. She’s probably taking away my allowance.” Emily opened the front door, and they trooped inside. “I’d love to chat about this, but I’m going to be late. We can talk later if you’d like.”
The look on Emily’s face was comical. “Our parents think I’m pregnant. This should be interesting.”
Suddenly, everything was a little awkward. He wasn’t sure what to say, and he certainly wasn’t sure what was appropriate. She wore his ring, but she wasn’t his. She put her purse down on the hall table and shuffled around a little. She bit her lip and a flush moved over her cheekbones. He watched the previously smiling and relaxed Emily retreat behind a wall of uneasiness. She folded her arms in front of her.
“Thank you for taking me out to lunch, and for the beautiful ring. I could have worn my ring, you know.”
No, she couldn’t have. Everyone would expect her to have an engagement ring someone pulling down over twenty million dollars a year could afford to buy for her. He pulled the small silver circlet of hearts out of his jeans pocket, and put it back on the middle finger of her left hand. “You’ll still wear it.” He held her hand in both of his. She didn’t pull away.
She took a deep breath, and tipped her face up. Her golden eyes searched his. “Do you really think this is going to work? I—I’m just not sure.”
“We’ll be fine.” He leaned down, planted a kiss on her forehead, and told her, “I’ll see you later.” He felt her smaller hand gripping his.
“I’m okay. I—I’ll understand if you have something else going, if you’re meeting up with someone or have an appointment. I know this was sudden. You have a life you might want to get back to.”
“We can cross some more stuff off your list. We’ll have dinner or something.”
He didn’t want to leave. He turned, though, and hurried out the front door.
Chapter Seven
----
D ESPITE A SEVERAL-PAGES-LONG to-do list, it was apparent to Emily the best thing she could do was rest. She made it up the stairs to her room and flopped onto her bed. The unpacking would have to wait. Again. She was running out of clean underwear, but that was the least of her problems right now.
A short time later she heard the scrape of a key inserted into the lock on her front door, and Amy’s voice echoed from downstairs.
“Hey, weirdo. Where are you?”
Emily tried to call out, “I’m up here,” but anything above a normal tone of voice brought additional waves of pain. She heard Amy’s light footsteps on the staircase. Hopefully, she’d figure it out for herself.
“There you are,” Amy said. She flipped on the overhead light, which could be seen from space. Emily threw her left forearm over her eyes. She was a few seconds too late. She let out a groan.
“Don’t. I have a splitting headache.”
Her sister rushed across the room. “What in the hell is on your hand? Oh, my God ,” she cried out.
“Please be quiet,” Emily pleaded. “My head . . .”
Amy grabbed Emily’s left hand and bent over it.
“Have you been watching the shopping channels again? That is the biggest ring I’ve ever seen in my life. It can’t be real. Let me see it.” It occurred to Emily to make the point that her sister was already looking at it, but she couldn’t muster the strength for snark right now.
“Go ahead.” Emily pulled the ring off and held it out to her sister.
“Don’t you have something you might want to tell me?”
“What?” Emily stalled. She watched her sister examine the inside of the band through half-opened eyes. She wondered if she should offer Amy twenty bucks to shut off that damn overhead light.
“This is from Tiffany’s. Did you find it on the street?”
“Brandon gave it to me.”
Amy’s sharp intake of breath drained half the oxygen in the room. “Get out,” she sputtered.
“So, your mom was on a tear. Welcome to my world,” she said.
“Oh, yeah. She’s probably taking away my allowance.” Emily opened the front door, and they trooped inside. “I’d love to chat about this, but I’m going to be late. We can talk later if you’d like.”
The look on Emily’s face was comical. “Our parents think I’m pregnant. This should be interesting.”
Suddenly, everything was a little awkward. He wasn’t sure what to say, and he certainly wasn’t sure what was appropriate. She wore his ring, but she wasn’t his. She put her purse down on the hall table and shuffled around a little. She bit her lip and a flush moved over her cheekbones. He watched the previously smiling and relaxed Emily retreat behind a wall of uneasiness. She folded her arms in front of her.
“Thank you for taking me out to lunch, and for the beautiful ring. I could have worn my ring, you know.”
No, she couldn’t have. Everyone would expect her to have an engagement ring someone pulling down over twenty million dollars a year could afford to buy for her. He pulled the small silver circlet of hearts out of his jeans pocket, and put it back on the middle finger of her left hand. “You’ll still wear it.” He held her hand in both of his. She didn’t pull away.
She took a deep breath, and tipped her face up. Her golden eyes searched his. “Do you really think this is going to work? I—I’m just not sure.”
“We’ll be fine.” He leaned down, planted a kiss on her forehead, and told her, “I’ll see you later.” He felt her smaller hand gripping his.
“I’m okay. I—I’ll understand if you have something else going, if you’re meeting up with someone or have an appointment. I know this was sudden. You have a life you might want to get back to.”
“We can cross some more stuff off your list. We’ll have dinner or something.”
He didn’t want to leave. He turned, though, and hurried out the front door.
Chapter Seven
----
D ESPITE A SEVERAL-PAGES-LONG to-do list, it was apparent to Emily the best thing she could do was rest. She made it up the stairs to her room and flopped onto her bed. The unpacking would have to wait. Again. She was running out of clean underwear, but that was the least of her problems right now.
A short time later she heard the scrape of a key inserted into the lock on her front door, and Amy’s voice echoed from downstairs.
“Hey, weirdo. Where are you?”
Emily tried to call out, “I’m up here,” but anything above a normal tone of voice brought additional waves of pain. She heard Amy’s light footsteps on the staircase. Hopefully, she’d figure it out for herself.
“There you are,” Amy said. She flipped on the overhead light, which could be seen from space. Emily threw her left forearm over her eyes. She was a few seconds too late. She let out a groan.
“Don’t. I have a splitting headache.”
Her sister rushed across the room. “What in the hell is on your hand? Oh, my God ,” she cried out.
“Please be quiet,” Emily pleaded. “My head . . .”
Amy grabbed Emily’s left hand and bent over it.
“Have you been watching the shopping channels again? That is the biggest ring I’ve ever seen in my life. It can’t be real. Let me see it.” It occurred to Emily to make the point that her sister was already looking at it, but she couldn’t muster the strength for snark right now.
“Go ahead.” Emily pulled the ring off and held it out to her sister.
“Don’t you have something you might want to tell me?”
“What?” Emily stalled. She watched her sister examine the inside of the band through half-opened eyes. She wondered if she should offer Amy twenty bucks to shut off that damn overhead light.
“This is from Tiffany’s. Did you find it on the street?”
“Brandon gave it to me.”
Amy’s sharp intake of breath drained half the oxygen in the room. “Get out,” she sputtered.
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