“I’ve never thought of it. But I know I don’t want something that sticks up too high.” Facing the assistant, she explained, “I cut hair. Do a lot of work with my hands and I don’t want it scraping someone’s scalp or getting tangled in their hair. Do you have something that will help with that?”
“Bien sûr, of course.” The woman turned, headed to a different case and with a set of keys in her hand, unlocked another glass-enclosed cabinet.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked, but it wasn’t the ring I meant. Gabby knocked me off my feet all night long. She played poker better than I did, she laughed more than any person I’d ever been around, and most of all, the entire night I’d been around her once I told her about Lenora at the fountains, I hadn’t once thought about my ex-wife. Being around Gabby swept it all away. And if she had that effect on me in a night, what could she do with me if we had more time together?
“Of course, I’m sure,” she said, and she gazed up at me so softly, so confidently, I hoped like hell she wasn’t talking about the ring either.
“This is a three and a half-carat emerald cut,” the woman said, returning and set down the most gorgeous mass of bling I’d ever seen. Diamonds wrapped around the band and that emerald diamond barely rose from the band, just like Gabby had said.
“Oh my,” she breathed next to me. Her shoulder hit mine and I draped my hand to her waist. She smelled good. Like lilacs and springtime and the hope of a new, luscious and beautiful beginning. “It’s gorgeous.”
“It’s yours,” I said. For whatever reason, I wanted this woman. Now. Tonight. Tomorrow, and hell, I’d keep her forever if the promise of her was half as beautiful as the night with her had been.
“What? Joey, it’s…”
“Yours.” I kissed her temple and inhaled another whiff of that sweet scent she wore. But I didn’t even think it was the perfume, it was just Gabby. “We’ll make sure we get it fitted properly tomorrow if it doesn’t fit,” and then turning back to the assistant I said, “Is there a wedding band that matches?” At her yes, I said, “We’ll take that too. And now, what about my ring? Do I get one?”
Gabby tilted her head back, her pert nose crinkling as she laughed. “Of course, but you have to leave so it’s a surprise.”
“What? You just got to see yours!”
“Yeah, because you said you wanted help. I don’t need help with yours. I already know what’s perfect for you.”
I glanced down at my left hand. The black band, wide and thick, was simple. Matte finish. It was cool to the touch as I brushed my thumb over it. A little loose. We’ll get them fitted. Jesus. We’d really done this, and somehow pulled it off in a night. But she’d been right. The ring was perfect for me and at some point last night, I’d been sure she was too. That meant something, right?
“Joey?” I jerked at the sound of my name, at Gabby shuffling on her feet, brows tugged in. “You okay?”
“Last night.” I cleared my throat. That had to have been a memory but it was so vivid, it felt like it’d just happened. “When we looked at rings, you said you wanted one that wouldn’t get tangled in your client’s hair while you worked.”
“Oh.” She blinked rapidly, beautiful dark lashes fluttering and she reached for the couch like she needed an anchor, something to brace herself. “I told you at the fountains that if you got married again, the woman you chose would be the luckiest woman in the world.”
A heat so fast, so furious, speared my chest it almost knocked me right off my feet. If only I could remember the way we looked at each other when those words were said.
She was remembering, too. She didn’t look upset about it, either. Maybe we’d remember everything, maybe we wouldn’t, but what I would never forget was the way she looked at me right then, saying those words she spoke, almost like she believed it was fully true.
I wanted her. And wasn’t that hilarious? I wanted my wife, a woman I couldn’t remember ever kissing more than the briefest brush at her temple or her cheek. But hell if I wasn’t turned on while she brushed her hand over that dress as if it was her most treasured possession.
I rocked on my heels, shoved my hands to my hips and shrugged, smiling. “Then I guess it’s your lucky day.”
She laughed, slow and sensual and it was so beautiful I wanted to record her doing that same exact laugh so I could listen to it every time I needed a smile.
“I guess so,” she agreed, still smiling. Still laughing, color finally returning to her cheeks and the rest of her before she bit her bottom lip. “So, I decided—”
A rapid, fierce pounding sound came from the front door and both of us whipped our heads in the direction. The doorbell went off, drowned out by the continual pounding on my glass door so harshly my chandeliers shook and the thousands of mini crystals hanging from it rattled.
“Joey and Gabby! Get your asses down here. NOW!”
“Oh shit,” Gabby whispered, golden wide eyes meeting mine.
I nodded. “I think that means Garrett’s heard our good news.”
At least, I hoped it was good news because she hadn’t told me what it was.
Her eyes widened, jaw went slack until at the very last second, she smiled. “Should we tell them, husband?”
That smile of hers wobbled but fuck that. If that was her way of saying she was ready to go along with this ridiculous plan, I was all in for it.
I held out my hand, held my breath until she placed hers gently in mine. Hers was cold, sweaty, and I swore from that moment on, my wife would never have to be nervous around me again.
“Let’s do this.”
Garrett and Rachel barreled into my house, pushing Gabby and I back before I could welcome them.
“Shit,” Gabby gasped, gripping my arm with her free hand as she stumbled back.
Lizzie, for her part, hands settled on her stomach, gave us a chagrined look before stepping in and giving us a quiet, hey.
“Explain.” Garrett stood in my entryway, arms crossed over his chest. He breathed like a bull ready to charge and I was pretty certain steam could plume from his ears at any moment.
“Back down. Now.” I gritted my teeth together. Next to me, Gabby was clinging to my arm like a woman afraid to take a step away from me out of fear of what her family would do. Or say. And fuck if that didn’t feel good.
She was leaning on me. Not running to them.
“Are you fucking—”
“You don’t get to come into my home and demand answers, G. So take a deep breath. Calm the fuck down. Get yourself a cup of coffee if you need it, but neither of us will discuss or explain anything until you chill the fuck out.”
Gabby exhaled, a heavy, shuddering breath, and I glanced down at her.
They didn’t need to know anything. We could spin this any way we wanted, all the ways we’d already discussed, but I didn’t want to lie.
At least until her mom stepped forward, placing one hand on Garrett’s bulging bicep. “How could you embarrass your brother like this?” she asked.
“Mom—”
Hell, even Garrett flinched at the question. “Not cool, Mom,” he muttered. And glanced at Gabby. Eyes flickered to me.