“Just that I love you. I have always loved you.”
He rested his cheek on the top of her head. That would have to do, he thought.
~*~
Christian had watched his brother’s courting of Darcy from day one. He’d paid attention and he knew that when you wanted to wow a woman you took Aunt Simone, Aunt Regan and your mother to the jewelry store to pick out a ring. Not to leave anyone out, he also invited his sister and his Aunt Arianna, though he was nervous about seeing her. She was the only one who assumed she knew what was going on with Tori.
Perhaps he’d invite her to meet him first. That might make a difference.
The jewelry store was just off Hillsboro Pike. There was a pizzeria around the corner. He’d just see if she wanted to catch a bite and maybe a beer, or two, before they went shopping.
“This isn’t a very big table. You can’t tell me I’m the only one here to help you pick out a ring, because honey, we’re in trouble.” She made her accent thick when she spoke.
“No,” he laughed and ordered a beer when the waitress came for their order. Arianna followed suite. “Listen, remember what you came to my office to tell me?”
“About Tori?”
“Yeah. She hasn’t said anything to me yet.”
“That was weeks ago. She hasn’t said a word?”
“No.” He let out a breath. “I don’t know if Uncle John just misread it or…”
“He said it was one of those tests that spelled it out. I don’t think he misread it.”
“I just can’t figure out why she won’t tell me, unless she thinks Scott should know first. She asked me to wait till next week, to discuss any future plans. Do you think that if she is pregnant that’s what she’s doing?”
His aunt bit down on her lip. “Who ever thought someone like Tori would be caught up in something like this?”
“Caught up in what?”
“She moved on from you, got into a relationship, had one night with you, then went back to him, and now she’s pregnant.”
“It doesn’t paint a pretty picture. That’s not how she does things.”
“I know.” She rested her hand on his. “I didn’t mean it like that. There has to be a reason, right?”
“Yes. She knows I’m going to ask her to marry me. And if she doesn’t, she’s really clocked out,” he laughed. “Why do I have to wait till next week? None of this makes sense.”
“So why do you really have me here early?”
“You can’t say anything. You can’t even hint at it. I want them to respect Tori.”
“There isn’t anyone in our family who doesn’t.” Her voice carried the hint of irritation.
“I know. I know. Promise me that this is only between you and me.”
“I promise.” She nudged him. “But regardless of this, you’re going to ask her to marry you again? This is really what this is all about?”
“We have something—wonderful.” The waitress set his beer on the table. He picked it up as she walked away and took a sip. “I don’t just mean me and Tori. I mean all of us. It’s only been a few weeks, but we really have a family.”
“Chris, I’m excited for you.” She sat back in her chair and considered him for a moment. “And when she does tell you about the baby how will you handle that…I mean if it is Scott’s?”
“If? What does that mean?”
Arianna took a sip from her beer and held it in her mouth before swallowing it down hard. “You know for sure it’s Scott’s?”
“Of course. They were in a relationship…”
“In which you interrupted.”
The wind rushed out of his lungs. He hadn’t even considered that their one night could have anything to do with her being pregnant. He had totally decided, on his own, that she had just gone back to Scott and that was that. Never once did he consider that this might have been the reason Scott had left in the first place.
He wiped the back of his hand over his forehead. But if the baby was his, she surely would have told him. At this point what was there to lose?
Unless she didn’t trust him. Unless she was waiting until he committed to her.
He was suddenly feeling sick. When the waitress brought their food he asked for a glass of water.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said sipping the water. “Just faced with the reality of adulthood.”
“Yeah, it usually comes in your thirties and totally messes things up.”
He chuckled. He wasn’t sure he could wait a week to pop the question now.
The next hour and a half was a whirlwind of chaos, as Christian liked to think of it. Every woman in his life had an opinion on what they thought Tori would like. He realized he should have only invited Sonia, but as they hadn’t done much speaking since he’d broken up with Tori, and it hadn’t gone well then, it would have been even more tense than the conversations going on around him.
Clara had spotted a nice band. Nothing fancy, but with a nice engraved design. “She’s simple beauty.”
His Aunt Simone was shaking her head. “No. Even simple beauty wants something that says Look at me!”
His mother was quietly seated just beyond all the women huddled around the case.
“You don’t want to help me?” He touched her shoulder.
“Oh, I’m here for you. I can’t think of anyone I’d want to join our family more than Tori.”
“Then why are you over here and not in the midst of that?” He pointed to the women in his family arguing over if Tori was a two-karat or a one-karat or a band-of-gold girl.
Madeline Keller pointed her manicured finger to a ring in the glass and then looked up at her son and smiled. “This one reminded me of Tori.”
It was simple and screamed elegant. It wasn’t among the engagement rings, it was an anniversary band. It had three diamonds, which were also not extravagant in size.
“One for Sam. One for Ali. One for you.”
He could feel his lip twitch and it meant she’d caused him to want to cry. It was the most perfect ring for her. And in his mind the third diamond would be for the baby. And at that moment it didn’t matter the paternity of the baby. What mattered is he wanted all three of those children and Tori.