With This Ring

by Lee McKenzie

  “I’m asking you to marry me.”

  She stared at him.

  Oh, man. This had been a bad idea.

  “Leslie?”

  She blinked. “I’m just…I wasn’t expecting this.”

  “But you had to know that I’m in love with you?”

  She nodded. “It’s just that it’s only been a few weeks and…I don’t know what to say.”

  Clearly, she wasn’t going to say yes. “Can you think about it?” he asked.

  She smiled then. Just a small one, but it gave him a shred of hope. “You know I can’t say yes, Brent. Not yet. It’s too soon. But I’m not saying no, either,” she added quickly. She held out her right hand.

  She wasn’t saying no, and she was going to let him put the ring onto her finger. On her right hand. Which was better than no hand at all. He slid the ring into place. “If it’s not the right size, I can take it back and—”

  But she was shaking her head. “It’s fine. I love it, I really do, and I want to keep it. I’ll take it in next week to be sized.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” She leaned close and kissed him lightly.

  It wasn’t the biggest or most expensive ring he could have given her, and he found himself wanting to explain why he’d chosen it. And he wanted to ask how long it might be before “not saying no” might turn into yes. But he couldn’t ask.

  She held out her hand and gazed at the ring. “I really do love this.” Even without looking at him, it was as though she could read his mind. “It feels like you chose it especially for me.”

  Those words kick-started his heart. He had hardly dared to hope that she would understand why he’d chosen this ring, but she did. “I love you,” he said.

  At first she didn’t say anything. When she did, the response came too slowly for it to be what he wanted to hear.

  “Don’t.” Gently, he touched a finger to her lips. “I can wait.”

  “Thank you. Can we keep this to ourselves for a while?”

  “So I should cancel the full-page ad in the NewYork Times?”

  She laughed, and it helped them both relax. She had accepted the ring, and she hadn’t said no. He didn’t want to wait. Hell, he’d wanted the world to hear about it tonight, but he would wait. Forever, if that’s what it took.

  He stood and held out a hand to her.

  She took it. “We should get back to work. After I check with the caterers, I have to go home and get ready.”

  “You’re not doing that here?”

  “No, it’s easier to go home than to bring everything I need over here. Besides, Hannah is coming with me.”

  They hadn’t talked about whether they would arrive separately or together. He asked before his courage failed him. “Do the two of you need an escort for this evening?”

  She gave him a long look, probably working up to telling him that she wasn’t ready for the two of them to be seen together in public.

  “I’ll drive over with her in my car.”

  It wasn’t the response he’d hoped for, but he wouldn’t force the issue. “That’s fine,” he said. “I’ll meet you back here.”

  LESLIE TOWELED herself dry and rubbed lotion onto her arms and legs. She went into her bedroom and put on the bra and panties she’d laid out on the bed. They were pink silk and, hands down, Brent’s favorites. She had never imagined that shopping for lingerie with a certain man in mind could be so much fun. She opened her jewelry box and while she debated what to wear with her dress, the sparkle of Brent’s ring caught her eye. She picked it up and slid it onto her right hand. Then she took the ring off and tried it on her left hand. He’d been disappointed that she hadn’t accepted his proposal, but she would. When the time was right.

  She went back into the bathroom and squirted some moisturizer into the palm of her hand.

  The strange thing, she thought as she smoothed it onto her face, was how easy it was for her to imagine herself living in Brent’s house, taking his dog for a walk, cooking dinner for him, making love. That sounded a lot like marriage.

  Which she’d been telling herself she wasn’t ready for. It was too soon after Gerald. She couldn’t begin to imagine what people would say if she announced…

  “Stop it,” she said to her reflection. “That sounds like something your mother would say.”

  But she couldn’t help it. She did care what people thought about her. Old habits were difficult to overcome. It didn’t hurt to daydream about it. Maybe Brent would move in here. No, Max needed a yard. She would move to Brent’s place and they’d leave Hannah here.

  Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. The hard part would be convincing Hannah to go along with it.

  She rinsed her hands and reached for a towel. The ring slipped off her finger and skittered across the marble vanity.

  “No!” She slapped her hand over it as it rolled toward the sink.

  She stood there, frozen. She would never have been able to explain to Brent how his ring had ended up down the drain.

  And he had been right, of course. The ring needed to be sized and until it had been, she didn’t dare wear it and risk losing it. She took it back into her bedroom and set it safely inside the jeweler’s box.

  When she finished dressing, she went downstairs and found Hannah waiting in the kitchen.

  “You look lovely. You’ll be the belle of the ball,” Leslie said.

  “It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever worn,” Hannah said. “But I’d be happier not knowing how much you paid for it.”

  “Tonight is my gift to you, remember? No worries about money, and no more protesting.” Leslie thought the robin’s-egg-blue dress and matching coat suited Hannah perfectly. If this were a wedding, she could pass for mother of the bride.

  “Is Brent coming to pick us up?” she asked.

  “No. I thought it would be easier for us to take my car. This way we don’t have to wait for him.”

  Apparently Hannah saw right through that, and she didn’t mind saying so. “He’s always been punctual,” she said. “There’s a lot to be said for punctuality.”

  As far as Hannah was concerned there was a lot to be said for all of Brent’s qualities.

  “You’re right, he is. But we should go, or we’ll be late.”

  “Humph,” was all Hannah said as she followed her out to the car.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Although Brent had arrived early, the Durrance estate was already buzzing with activity when a kid in a reflective safety vest directed him into a parking spot. Leslie’s car was already there, which meant she hadn’t wasted any time getting ready and getting back here. He picked up a florist’s box off the passenger seat and tossed his keys under the floor mat. He didn’t want to carry them in his pocket. And given the luxury cars that were already starting to arrive, his truck was the last thing anyone would want to steal.

  He headed for the grounds and immediately spotted Leslie. He stopped walking and watched her settle Hannah at a small table on the edge of the seating area. She took his breath away.

  Several days ago he’d asked Hannah to find out the color of the dress Leslie was wearing, and she’d said it was pink. But pink didn’t quite describe it. Shimmery mother of pearl was more like it. The dress fitted her slender body like a glove and the thin straps and thigh-high side slit showed lots of skin. He was now intimately familiar with every inch of that skin and he’d be just as happy if no one else saw it.

  He quickly reminded himself that he had no justification for feeling that way. He probably wouldn’t, except that he knew Gerald Bedford III was going to be there.

  Is that why Leslie had chosen the dress?

  As a kind of eat-your-heart-out reminder of what the stupid jerk had given up?

  Brent hated himself for even thinking it. That wasn’t Leslie’s style. Besides, she’d accepted the ring. She hadn’t accepted his proposal, not yet, but taking his ring meant something.

  He just wished he knew what.r />
  He did his best to appear casual as he strolled across the lawn toward them. Hannah saw him first, her smile adding a few more crinkles around her eyes. Leslie turned to see what had caught the woman’s attention, and she smiled, too. A slow, sexy smile that was full of promise and had him wishing the evening was already over.

  “Hi,” she said as he approached them. “You look amazing.”

  He casually slid an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

  Hannah beamed her approval, but Leslie edged away. The movement was so quick and decisive that a chance observer might not have noticed. To him, it hit like a left hook to the solar plexus.

  There was no mistaking the pleading look in those brown eyes. Can we keep this to ourselves for a while?

  He’d thought she’d meant the ring, not…everything.

  He set the box on the table and lifted the lid. Nestled there in the waxy tissue paper were two orchid corsages.

  “I thought Hannah would prefer something on the traditional side,” he said, handing the delicate flower to Leslie. “I’ll let you have the honor of pinning it on,” he added. “No sense in her having to make a trip to the emergency room before we go to the party.”

  Hannah laughed at that, even though her eyes had become a little watery. “You foolish boy,” she said. “You should not be spending your hard-earned money on flowers for an old woman.”

  “Old?” he asked, feigning surprise. “I was hoping you’d be my dancing partner tonight, especially since Leslie’s going to be so busy.”

  Leslie glanced around, as though checking to see if anyone had heard him.

  So, that’s how it was going to be.

  Hannah waved a hand at him. “Stuff and nonsense. Everything’s under control. The two of you should have left me at home and come here together.”

  Once the corsage was pinned to her dress, Hannah smiled. “It’s too much,” she said, glancing at Leslie. “Can you believe she took me shopping and bought this dress for me?”

  “Tonight is my gift to you,” Leslie said to her. “And you look beautiful.”

  “You’re both beautiful,” Brent said.

  Leslie glanced around again.

  Fine, he thought. He’d stop talking about her. About them. But he let his eyes roam freely over her slender curves. He could keep quiet for one evening, but she couldn’t stop him from looking.

  “This is for you,” he said, lifting a wrist corsage from the box. “I didn’t want to take a chance on ruining your dress.” He held it for her and she slipped her hand through the loop. The front of her dress was cut low enough to make him regret not having the chance to pin something on it.

  “Thank you,” she said. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “So are you.” Especially given the delicate pink flush that colored her skin. He was still holding on to her hand, and that’s when he noticed that the ring wasn’t there. He stroked her ring finger with his thumb, and she snatched her hand away.

  She shot him a warning look. “You promised me this afternoon that you would behave.”

  “I’m not sure it was a promise.”

  “Brent, please.”

  “Fine,” he said. “Best behavior.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” She handed him a red-and-white Santa hat.

  “What’s this for?”

  “You agreed, remember?”

  “Not really.”

  “Yes, you do. Nick and Allison’s husband are the other official Santas for the evening.”

  “Are they?” Brent hadn’t seen John Fontaine since the day he’d run into him at the pharmacy while he was buying a toothbrush for Leslie. “How did you manage to talk Nick into this?”

  “I can be very persuasive.”

  That she could. “So what exactly does an official Christmas in July Santa do at one of these functions?”

  She tucked a packet of cards into his pocket. “Hand out these notices about the new shelter. Direct people to the silent auction table. Ask them if they’ve made a donation to the Helping Hands Foundation.”

  “Isn’t the price of the ticket supposed to be a donation?”

  “Most of these people can afford more. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

  Why be afraid when he could be completely terrified?

  People were streaming across the lawns, laughing and talking. He caught sight of his mother waving and walking toward him. He’d never seen her look so elegant, and he couldn’t help wondering if Leslie had had a hand in helping his mother find a dress. Colleen Borden would never spend hard-earned money on anything this frivolous.

  “Having fun?” his mother asked.

  “Just got here.”

  “I saw you giving flowers to Leslie.”

  “Mom, don’t start.”

  “I’m not starting anything. I can admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about her.”

  He hadn’t dared to hope that his mother would have a change of heart but the timing couldn’t have been better. Should he tell her about the ring?

  No, better not. Especially since Leslie wasn’t wearing it. Besides, he’d promised Leslie they would keep this to themselves for now.

  “I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said.

  “This morning she told me that she might have lined up a new location for the shelter.”

  That was news to him, but he wasn’t surprised. “But you like her because she’s a nice person, right? Not just because she’s helping you out with the shelter?”

  “There are lots of reasons for liking her, especially given that you’ve completely fallen for her again and…” She paused. “And it’s pretty obvious that the feeling is mutual.”

  Brent was dumbfounded. “What did the two of you talk about when you were having those meetings?”

  “It wasn’t so much what she said as the way she said it.”

  His mother enjoyed this kind of thing way too much. “Are you going to tell me how she said what she said?”

  “No. This is up to the two of you. I don’t know how you’ll reconcile your life with this,” she said, waving a hand toward the Durrance mansion. “But you’ll make it work.”

  Leslie approached them and as she smiled up at him, he searched her eyes for a hint of the mutual feelings his mother claimed were there. While he watched the two of them chatting like old friends, he caught sight of Leslie’s mother strolling purposefully toward them.

  He cleared his throat, and Leslie glanced up.

  “Hello, Mother. I’d like you to meet Colleen Borden. She’s one of the directors of the Helping Hands Foundation, and she runs the homeless shelter.”

  “And we are extremely grateful for your generosity,” his mother said. “And Leslie’s, of course.”

  “My pleasure,” Mrs. Durrance said.

  Brent wasn’t sure he believed her.

  She settled her steely gaze on him next. Not many people intimidated him, but she had always been one of them.

  “Do you remember Brent?” Leslie asked her mother. “Nick’s friend?”

  “I never forget people,” Lydia said.

  Which made Brent wonder how many things he’d done that he wished she had forgotten.

  Leslie seemed anxious to end the conversation. “I’d like to introduce your mother to a few people,” she said to him. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  He sure hoped so. For now, he supposed it was time for Santa to get to work.

  LESLIE WALKED past a group of carolers in Victorian costumes, skirted the tent where the silent auction had been set up and joined Hannah and Brent’s mother at the table where they had been sitting most of the evening.

  “Enjoying the party?” she asked Hannah.

  “I am, dear, but I think I’m on the verge of turning into a pumpkin. I think I should see about calling a taxi.”

  “No, I don’t want you to have to do that.” Leslie couldn’t leave because she and Colleen would soon have to go onstage to make some closing remarks and announce how much money had been
raised. Leslie had one other announcement to make, and it would be the biggest surprise of the evening.

  It would be great if Hannah could stay but the poor thing was exhausted, and Leslie didn’t want her to have to go into the house alone. Brent was the obvious person to drive her home but if he couldn’t slip away for a few minutes, she knew Nick and Maggie would be happy to do it.

  “You wait here,” she said. “I’ll find someone to take you home.”

  All evening she had hardly managed to catch a glimpse of Brent. At first she assumed it was because he was busy and she was busy and their paths simply hadn’t crossed, but now it was almost midnight and she finally had to acknowledge that he was avoiding her.

  At this point she wasn’t sure where to look for him. He had done a terrific job of overseeing the lighting, and the artificial snowfall had been breathtakingly beautiful. She knew he’d had reservations about being one of the evening’s Santas, but apparently he’d charmed quite a few people into making significant donations. She would definitely have to thank him for that.

  If she could find him.

  Several of her colleagues from the law firm stopped her to congratulate her on the evening’s success. She chatted briefly and as soon as she could politely extract herself from the group, she continued searching for Brent.

  His disappointment at her not wearing his ring had been obvious, but they hadn’t had a private moment for her to explain. She also knew it bothered him that she wouldn’t say anything about it in front of their family and friends, but she wasn’t ready.

  What would be an acceptable length of time between calling off a wedding to one man and announcing her engagement to another? Certainly more than a couple of weeks. And she could imagine what people would say.

  Gerald and Candice had come together this evening, although so far she’d managed to avoid them. She was happy to see their money put to good use for a change, but she hated that they were here. This was her night, her chance to show everyone she was not only over Gerald, but that she was a better person for it.