THAT RING

by Dodd, Jillian

  I take a deep breath before I analyze everything she just told me, but before I can exhale, my phone rings again.

  “Do you have plans for tonight?” Jadyn asks when I answer.

  “Nope.”

  “Good. I was hoping you might like to come see something I did at the hotel. Remember that morning when I was baking? Something Cade mentioned about his clients’ needs stuck in my head, and I mulled it over. This is the outcome. ”

  “I’d love to. What time?”

  “Would around six work? We have some key people coming by, and I’d love to have you see it first. You’re welcome to stay for the party as well. I’m probably just a little nervous. And a little nauseous. And starving.”

  When I arrive at the hotel, she says, “Look at you! You look gorgeous! I love the warm highlights.”

  “Thank you. I feel refreshed. Did you get any food?”

  “Not really. So, I have a plan. Tour and then dinner.”

  “Sounds good to me. The hotel bar looked like it was open. I thought the whole place was closed down?”

  “The hotel is. The bar, as per your request, isn’t going to change much. We are upgrading and expanding their kitchen as well as doing a few cosmetic upgrades, so they will be closed for three weeks in January, but other than that, they are business as usual.”

  She hands me a hard hat and then leads me through a construction zone to the same dingy elevator I was brought up when I left Troy. “Sort of amazing to think how much my life has changed since I was last in this elevator.”

  “When you were still in your slippers?”

  “Yeah. And the next day, I saw Danny again. I’m so glad you texted me.”

  “I am, too.”

  “When did you start this renovation? Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago?”

  “It’s been almost a month. But when you’re working three huge shifts twenty-four hours a day, it gets done a lot faster. The first three days were just the movers taking out all the furniture and equipment. That had to be done carefully, as some special things, like the hotel’s monogrammed china, we’ll be keeping for later use. Removing fixtures took the next three days. We then started on the walls. Every standard room in the hotel will get larger by almost half, cutting our number of rooms way down. And what I got approval to do on the upper floors will take the room count even lower. It will definitely have more of a boutique feel.”

  “That’s one thing I noticed from the staff when I stayed here. They treated every guest like they were someone important.”

  “I remember. And your specific situation, where you needed to get away from the press that first day and then again later when you were between homes, along with Cade mentioning a client who would be in town filming for just a couple of weeks but needed to stay somewhere with full services since she’d be so busy got me thinking.” The elevator dings as we arrive at the fourteenth floor. “What I decided to do was turn the upper six floors of the hotel into residential suites of varying sizes and price points. The largest two will feature five bedrooms and an expansive outdoor terrace. All the walls and floors are being soundproofed, and new windows will be installed.”

  “Will you be able to buy them, like a condo, and live here?”

  “No, they will be more like an upscale rental. You’ll have to go through a special concierge to get access for a reservation. You can’t just make them online. You won’t even be able to see photos of them on our website. And that hallway we took from the drive and the elevator we came up will be become a very posh, secret entrance that only those staying in the suites and their guests will be allowed access to.”

  “It was the perfect way for me to hide from the press.”

  “Which is part of the plan for when celebrities demand privacy. What you will see is a model of our two-bedroom suite. I haven’t decided what to call them yet. Suite, cottage, and bungalow don’t really fit. Penthouse sounds like a party space, and that’s the opposite of what we want this to be. It’s a refuge. Quiet. Private. And full service. Anything you want, they will arrange for you. Each suite, no matter the size or the cost, will come with a personal assistant. Butler service will also be available.”

  “Wait,” I say, putting up my hand. “Something you just said. Refuge. What if you call it that? The refuge?”

  “It’s one that the team has definitely thought of. So far, they like dwelling. To me, that sounds too urban. Other options have been sanctuary, haven, retreat, villa, residence. I want guests who enter to feel like they’ve been wrapped in a blanket and enveloped in cashmere.”

  “Like your guest room. Luxurious but still cozy. When Tripp asked me about what he should do, I told him to tell you to make the hotel feel like your home. Make it personal. Warm, inviting, and luxurious. The kind of place where you can curl your feet up on a chair, look out the window to enjoy a few moments of peace from your chaotic life, and sleep like a baby in the most comfortable bed you’ve ever felt.”

  “You told him about the cookies, too,” she says as we approach a dark teal wood door. “Did you know that he ordered that my cookies be sent warm to each room every evening?”

  “I didn’t know that. Very luxe,” I tease.

  “Luxe,” she says. “That’s it—the luxe. I see the logo handwritten in thin black ink—all lowercase letters.” She stops and gives me a hug. “Thank you! I’ve been trying to figure it out for days.” She gestures toward the door. “I’ll let you do the honors.”

  I rotate the gold lever and open the door. “Jadyn!” I exclaim. “You did it!”

  The room is gorgeous. Floor-to-ceiling windows highlighted by soft sheers, herringbone wood floor, furniture in linens and velvets rest on silk rugs. The colors are mostly neutral, but the kitchen cabinets are the same dark teal as the door and Danny’s kitchen island. Around the corner is a set of pocket doors that open to a den with bookcases and a cozy seating arrangement. A basket holds cashmere blankets, waiting to be curled up in.

  “This room is really pretty. One question though: is there no television in here? I mean, it is Hollywood.”

  “I’m glad you asked,” Jadyn says, picking up a remote on a side table. “This little remote controls everything in the suite. Including this.” She presses a button, and a large screen slides out of the ceiling and into place.

  “The bookcases will house the latest in tech capabilities as well as old-fashioned board games, but the really cool thing about this layout is, we can set up the dining room swivel chairs into rows behind the couch to make a screening room that will seat twelve.” She presses another button, causing blackout shades to cover the panoramic view.

  “Very cool. Will all the suites offer something like this?”

  “Yes, in fact, the two largest suites can be reconfigured to host a screening for forty.” She presses another button, letting the light back in. “Let’s go check out the bedroom.”

  The first thing I do is plop on the bed to make sure it’s comfortable. “Perfection.” I hop up, refluff the comforter, and make my way into the luxurious bathroom.

  “Double vanities, the kind of lighting makeup artists prefer, and a closet large enough to double as a dressing room. If you need to get ready for an event, there’s plenty of space for a team of stylists.”

  “And this is just the two-bedroom. Are they all like this?”

  “Yes. The core of each suite is the same, whether one-, two-, or three-bedroom. The four- and five-bedroom versions will offer expanded living spaces, a built-in bar, butler’s pantry, and outdoor space. The colors of the painted cabinets will vary. We’ll be using charcoal, eggplant, crimson, navy, and gold along with the teal.”

  “You’re really going to do it, aren’t you? You’re going to bring this place back from the depths, just like you did me.”

  “I didn’t bring you back from the depths,” she scoffs. “You did that yourself.”

  Tears fill my eyes. “That day, in your office, when you showed me those pictures and told me the stories
of all the amazing people who have worked and stayed here, I felt it in my gut. Like my life didn’t need a complete teardown, that I was worth saving. Worth a new life with the kind of shine that befits me.”

  “I hope that this project turns out with your kind of shine,” she tells me. “I’m starving. What do you say we go downstairs and get something to eat?”

  “I’m all for that. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

  We’re in the bar, being catered to, when Tripp strolls in.

  “I heard you were down here,” he says. “Mind some company?”

  I don’t answer, just set my fork down, slide my plate closer to Jadyn, and scoot over in the booth to make room.

  “Have you been upstairs to see the model yet?” Jadyn asks him as he takes a seat.

  “No. Just arrived. It’s my understanding you have a good turnout though. Is it true that your guest list is only talent agents and celebrity managers?”

  “For now, yes. Next week, we’re bringing in an international security expert. He consulted on the project, and we want him to see this firsthand while we can still make tweaks.”

  “Sounds like your team has it all under control.”

  “So far, yes. No major snags. No asbestos and only a little lead paint so far. We already planned to upgrade all the major systems, so that’s most of what will be done once all the new wall studs are in place.”

  “I’ll leave you two to enjoy your dinner and see if I can sneak in and hear what people are saying.”

  “I can tell you what they are saying,” I say, setting my fork down.

  “And what’s that?”

  “That they wish it were open now.”

  Danny

  “Well, look at you,” I say the moment I see Jennifer’s face on our nightly video chat. “You look happy. Did you have a good day?”

  “Actually, I had a great day. I wandered all over the new neighborhood. Bought some new dishes that are so cute. You’ll also be happy to know I found a great Mexican restaurant.”

  “And you got your hair cut.”

  “You can tell?” she asks, surprised.

  “Yeah, it’s layered around your jaw. It also looks like the color is a little different, but I’m not sure if it’s just the lighting.”

  She’s positively radiant.

  Am I one lucky son of a gun or what?

  “Wow,” she says. “You’re good. It was getting a little drab. Needed some highlights.”

  “I can’t wait to see them in person.”

  I’m not really looking at her hair anymore. She just sat up straighter against her pillow, causing a silky camisole that’s riding dangerously low on her breasts to come into view.

  She must notice because she tilts the camera straight at them.

  “I bought some new sleepwear, too,” she says, making the camera shimmy. “What do you think?”

  “I am counting down the days for you to get back here and dreaming of what it’s going to be like, having you in my bed. Every. Single. Night.”

  “For the rest of your life?” she says boldly, a perfect brown eyebrow raised at me in challenge.

  “You bet your sweet ass,” I agree, grinning like a maniac.

  “Did you know that it’s only been thirty-nine days since you came back into my life? It sounds like such a short time, but it doesn’t feel that way.”

  “That’s because, for us,” I say, “it hasn’t been just a month—more like fourteen years.”

  She contentedly leans back into her fluffy pillow and sighs. “It has been a long time coming. You know how you said that redoing your house has been part of your healing process? Of creating your own life?”

  “Yes.”

  “Not long after I arrived in Kansas City, there was one morning when I was staggering out of the bedroom, searching for coffee.”

  “I can picture that,” I say with a chuckle. “You aren’t much of a morning person, are you?”

  “Not at all,” she replies, shaking her head with an adorable grin on her face.

  “I like that about you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, you’re snuggly in the morning. It’s cute.”

  She sighs happily. “I love you. I also need to finish my story. It’s sort of important.”

  “I’m all ears,” I say, but I might reposition the camera myself, showing off my shirtless physique.

  She puts her chin up in the air and looks toward the bottom of the screen. “Just a little lower,” she says with a smirk.

  “But you are telling me an important story,” I tease.

  “I think I just forgot,” she says, tilting her head, admiring me.

  I laugh. Move the phone lower for just a second before bringing it back to my face. “Continue.”

  “Danny Diamond, you are one sexy-ass man. Your body is just like … damn.” She lets out a whoosh of air and then shakes her head. “Back to my story, but I’d like to revisit some of those naked parts before we end our call.”

  “Deal,” I say.

  She’s so much fun, and I just can’t stop smiling when I’m around her. When Lori told me she wanted a divorce in May, it felt like my world was ending. It’s nice to realize that my universe was expanding instead.

  “So, I came out looking for coffee, and Jadyn was at her drafting table and had all sorts of photos pinned to her bulletin board of the hotel’s past. People who worked and stayed there and the original photos of the building. And you and I had just met, and my life was a mess, and it’s like the hotel became about me. I didn’t want my life razed. I wanted my beauty restored. Does that even make sense? I feel like I’m rambling, but seeing just the one model suite made me feel like I’ve come a long way. If I’m ever lucky enough to get married someday, I want it to be there. At that hotel.”

  I nod at her, feeling a little overwhelmed. She’s thinking about getting married. Hopefully, thinking about marrying me. The crazy thing is, marrying Jennifer has been on my mind lately. I’ve been thinking about proposing. About a proposal specifically. About when and where and how I would do so.

  Because I know this: I’m going to marry that girl.

  December 3rd

  Danny

  Jennifer got back to Kansas City on Friday, and we’ve had a really great weekend. Devaney had a sleepover at our house on Friday night. It was good, seeing her hang out with her old friends. Jennifer ordered in a bunch of food for them, and we hid in my study, making out and watching film.

  On Saturday night, both kids had sleepovers with friends, which meant we had a wonderful, uninterrupted evening alone. Most of it spent in my bed. And in my study. And the shower.

  I let out a happy sigh. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt so content with my life. My shoulder is feeling better, the team had a great week of practice, and I’m excited for tomorrow night’s game against Philly. I just wish I didn’t have to leave home. My mom is feeling under the weather, fighting off bronchitis, so Jadyn offered to come over and stay with the kids tonight. She, Jennifer, Haley, and Devaney plan to watch girlie movies and paint each other’s toes or something. The team plane is taking off a little earlier than usual due to the fact that we have a storm moving in that could make our first snow of the winter a significant amount. I’ve heard predictions ranging from two to twelve inches, which means the kids are praying for a snow day and everyone else was at the grocery store, stocking up—including me and Phillip.

  Jennifer is standing at the door with me, a dish towel in her hand, kissing me good-bye.

  “So, you gonna win tomorrow night or what?” she says in between kisses. “I hear Philly is pretty good this year, and Vegas is betting against you.”

  “I believe they will lose along with Philly.”

  “I love your confidence,” she says, her lips moving to my neck.

  “And I love you,” I say in bliss as the doorbell rings.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” she asks.

  “Nope,” I say, reluctantly lettin
g her go so I can answer the door.

  When I open it, I find Lori standing on my stoop.

  “I rang the bell,” she says.

  Once I get over the shock of it all, I notice that her mascara is smeared, her hair is out of place, and her silk blouse is buttoned wrong. I’m about to ask her what’s wrong when she bursts into tears and throws herself into my arms.

  “Oh, Danny! Richard and I broke up. I’m so sorry about everything, but I need a place to stay. Just for a few nights.” She hangs on to me in a way she hasn’t for years.

  “Uh,” I say as she lets go of me and goes inside.

  “You again,” she says to Jennifer. She turns to me. “I want this whore out of my house.”

  “It’s not your house anymore,” I remind her.

  “We aren’t divorced, Danny.”

  Devaney comes running down the stairs. “Mom? I thought I heard your voice. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m going to be staying here for a few days,” she says.

  “No, you’re not. I’ll put you up at a hotel.”

  “Mom, what’s wrong?” Devaney says, throwing her arms around Lori.

  Lori starts crying again. “I called off the wedding with Richard. I couldn’t stay there and didn’t have anywhere to go.”

  “You can stay in my room,” Devaney says. “For as long as you need to.” She looks at me. “Right, Dad? Mom’s upset. She shouldn’t have to be alone. ”

  “Uh, sure,” I say, not wanting a fight in front of our daughter.

  “Devaney, honey, will you and your brother go out to my car, retrieve my bags, and take them upstairs?” Lori says sweetly. “I need to talk to your father for a moment.”

  “Damon,” Devaney yells out. “Come downstairs. Mom’s here!”

  Damon rushes to the top of the stairs, and Devaney waves him down. His mother gives him the kind of hug that I’ve never seen her give and then lets him go.

  Lori takes a deep breath, seeming to compose herself after the kids go outside. “I hoped to not have an audience for this,” she says, glaring at Jennifer, “but so be it. I screwed up, Danny. I know that you still love me. I know how hard you took my asking for a divorce. My breaking up with Richard means we’ve been given a second chance. I’ll sleep in Devaney’s room while you’re in Philly, but when you get back, I’ll be moving into your room, where I belong.”