Burying her head in her folded arms, she let the tears flow and pushed at the black walls that seemed to be collapsing around her. Steel bands wrapped around her chest and began to contract, as if they were alive.
She gasped for air. Inhale, exhale. Her life certainly wasn’t horrid—she met seriously ill people every day on her jobs who would gladly trade places with her. But she felt so … so cheated to have fallen in love with a man who would forever remember her as a wanton woman with a penchant for trouble. Most of her life she hadn’t been overly concerned about what people thought of her. But worrying and wondering what Derek thought of her kept her awake most nights, even when her body throbbed with fatigue.
She knew Marie was worried about her. After all, she’d lost weight and rarely socialized. Most of her free time to date had been consumed with returning shower gifts with cards of apology. Steve had made one spiteful phone call to her the day after she’d talked to his mother about paying for the ring. He’d told her she’d shamed the family, and he would never forgive her for her outrageous behavior. In response, she had suggested that his receptionist, Sandy, might be a more suitable companion, then proceeded to read him the note the woman had left in the gift he’d given her. Steve hadn’t called again.
Derek’s connection to Steve presented yet another complication she didn’t want to pursue, not in this lifetime. The friendship perplexed her—the two men seemed so different.
Her heart raced. She knew she needed to focus on her breathing, but she felt so weak, physically and mentally. Her throat constricted, forcing her to swallow convulsively for relief. A glance at her watch revealed she’d been at a standstill in the elevator for over twenty minutes. She needed to get out. Now. Struggling to her feet, she pounded on the steel doors with as much energy as she could muster. “Help! Can anyone hear me? I have to get out, please … help … me!”
The phone rang, the peal so loud in the small space that she shrieked. She knelt to pick up the handset, her hand trembling, her lungs quivering. “Please … get me … out of here.”
“We’re working on it, Pinky.”
Her sharp inhale turned into a hiccup. “D-Derek?” she whispered.
“I’m in the lobby, and just in time, it seems. You know, this could be a full-time job, getting you out of scrapes.”
“But how—”
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, you need to relax and breathe.”
Just knowing he was out there made her feel even more trapped. She had to get to him, had to explain how things had gotten so messed up. Her chest pumped up and down, like a bellows sucking the air out of her.
“Breathe, Janine, breathe. They’ll have you out of there in no time. Don’t think about where you are, just concentrate and breathe. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.”
She did as she was told, content for the moment just to hear his voice. Inhale, exhale. Derek was here. Inhale, exhale. Why was Derek here? Inhale, exhale. “What … are you … doing here?”
“Keep breathing. I have some good news. I found that ring you lost.”
Sheer elation shot through her. “What? Where?”
“Keep breathing. In that darned jar of honey butter. It must have fallen off when you were tending to my hand. Thank God I didn’t throw it away.”
Relief flooded her limbs and she tried to laugh, but it came out sounding more like a wheeze. “I can’t … believe it.” Her joy diminished a fraction at the realization that he’d come back on an errand—albeit a grand one—and not to see her. But at least she’d get to talk to him, to look at him. Inhale, exhale. And she’d be able to return Mrs. Larsen’s beloved ring.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked, his voice a caress.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I have more good news,” he continued. “Thanks to you, I landed the Phillips Honey account. And you were right about changing the name—sales are up already.”
Janine smiled. After all the trouble she’d caused him, she was glad she’d helped him in some small way. “That’s wonderful. So your company is back on its feet?”
“Yeah, and my brother finally found his way home, so I’m not alone anymore.”
At least she wouldn’t worry so much about him.
“Hey, they’re getting ready to start the elevator car.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the car began to descend slowly, the floors ticking by until it halted at the lobby level. She hung up the phone and pushed herself to her feet just as the door opened. A small crowd had gathered and applauded when she walked out on elastic legs. She needed to sit down, but she needed to see Derek worse.
He was hard to miss, jogging toward her, the largest man in the crowd by far. He wore a dark business suit and, if possible, was more handsome than she remembered. Her heart lodged in her throat as he slowed to a walk, then stopped in front of her.
“Hi,” he said, his brown eyes shining.
Oh, how she loved this man. “Hi, yourself,” she croaked.
“Let’s get you to a chair,” he said, steering her in the direction of a furniture grouping. She realized she must look a fright—except for the elevator incident, she hadn’t stopped all day. The white lab coat she wore over navy slacks and a pink blouse hung loose and rumpled, and her sensible walking shoes weren’t even close to being attractive. But, she acknowledged wryly, it seemed silly to fret about her clothing when Derek was intimately acquainted with what lay beneath her clothes.
“Thank you,” she murmured as she sank onto a couch. “I was going a little crazy in there.”
His smile made her stomach churn with anxiety. “Good timing,” he said.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“Your sister told me. I hope you don’t mind me coming to your job, but I thought you might want the ring as soon as possible.”
She nodded, thinking sadly that by the time she clocked out this evening, he’d be back in Kentucky. Her pulse pounded at his nearness.
“I had it cleaned,” he said, withdrawing a ring box from his pocket.
She smiled. How thoughtful. He’d even bought a box.
He handed it to her and she opened the hinged lid. She blinked, then frowned. The ring was platinum all right, but instead of a gaggle of large stones, a single round diamond sparkled back at her. Lifting her gaze to his, she shook her head. “Derek, this isn’t the ring that Steve gave me.”
His forehead darkened for the briefest of seconds, then he exhaled, looking tentative. “I know it’s not as nice as the ring Steve gave you, but I was hoping you would, um—” Derek cleared his throat noisily, then met her gaze “—accept it anyway.”
Vapors of happiness fluttered on the periphery of her heart, but she wouldn’t allow herself to jump to conclusions, no matter how pleasant. She wet her lips. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Derek said, his face flushed, “I know we live a few hundred miles apart, and we didn’t exactly have an auspicious beginning … but I love you, Janine, and I couldn’t bear the thought of returning another man’s ring without having one of my own to offer you.”
Speechless, she could only stare at him. He loved her? He loved her.
Derek winced and scrubbed his hand down his face, then stood and walked around the couch to stare out a floor-to-ceiling window. “Forget it. It was a crazy idea.” He laughed. “I let my brother convince me that things were the way I wanted them to be. I have no right to put you on the spot like this.” He turned back, his face weary. “I’m sorry.”
Carrying the ring, she rose and circled around to join him at the window. With her heart nearly bursting, she asked, “Do you have the other ring?”
He paused a few seconds, then he nodded and pulled a second box from another pocket.
She turned her back to him to hide her smile of jubilation. Janine opened the lid and inspected the dazzling Larsen family ring that now looked to her more like an albatross than a promise.
Janine snapped the lid closed, then turned back to him. “Derek, did you know I’m offering a reward for the ring?”
He blinked. A reward? The last thing he wanted was her money. “Janine—” He stopped abruptly when she slid her hands up his chest and looped her arms around his neck.
His body sprang to attention and he swallowed hard. “Um, n-no, I didn’t know you were offering a reward. What is it?” He was mesmerized by the love shining in her eyes.
“My firstborn,” she whispered, then pulled his mouth down to hers for a long, hungry kiss.
*
Epilogue
« ^
Manny Oliver noticed the small brown paper package on his desk when he returned from a particularly grueling staff meeting. When he saw Janine Murphy’s name on the return address, he smiled, grateful for a pleasant distraction. His pleasure turned to puzzlement, however, when he unwrapped a black jeweler’s box. Intrigued, he opened a small card taped to the top.
My Dearest Manny,
I had these made especially for you by a talented woman I met during my blissful honeymoon. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Fondly, Janine Murphy Stillman
Stillman? Manny smiled wide and murmured, “All’s well that ends well.” He carefully opened the hinged box, then threw his head back and laughed a deep belly laugh.
Nestled against the black velvet winked an exquisite pair of gold cuff links fashioned into two tiny sets of angel wings.
*
ABOUT LAST NIGHT Page 18