Starfire (Peaches Monroe #3)(80)
Author: Mimi Strong

“There’s my girl,” he said.

I jumped to my feet and introduced Dalton’s father to my friends, who invited him to join us.

Jake sunk into the sofa, cozily nestled between Shayla and Mitchell. I took a seat on the chair across from them and braced myself for extreme inappropriateness.

Mr. Blake smelled of booze and cologne, but he looked sober enough, and downright presentable, with most of his shirt buttons fastened.

He withdrew a small box from his pocket and held it out to me. “Sorry to crash your party, but I had to bring you something.”

Speechless, I took the simple brown gift box and lifted off the lid. Inside was a flower made of blue and gold sparkling cabochons.

“It’s just costume jewelry,” he said.

I took the broach out gently. “This belonged to Dalton’s mother?”

“Yes. From his great-grandmother. I don’t know if he’ll recognize the piece, but his mother and grandmother wore it on their wedding days.” He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “If it doesn’t go with your dress, I understand.”

I blinked back my tears and assured him that of course the beautiful blue and gold flower would go with my dress.

The four of us looked back and forth at each other, savoring this special moment.

Then Jake turned to Shayla and said, “So, what’s your deal, pretty lady?”

~

I left the three of them to entertain each other and excused myself up to my room.

There was another piece of jewelry I hadn’t dealt with yet.

Still in its box, in the pocket of the rolled-up red and black flannel jacket Dalton had loaned me, was the ring he used for his proposal.

I hadn’t dared open the box, and every day I waited, the psychological barrier became greater. Everyone had been pestering me to see the ring, especially Kyle, since he was going to be the ring bearer, after all.

Loud laughter floated up from downstairs. This wedding was such a joyous occasion for everyone else, and I guess that’s why the ring scared me. What if, when I slipped it on my finger, I felt nothing? What if that moment gave me absolute clarity? What if it didn’t?

With shaking hands, I unrolled the jacket that had traveled with me to San Francisco and the winery resort. I pulled the square box from the pocket, and, bracing myself for the worst, opened the lid.

I yanked open the box for my engagement ring from Dalton.

Inside, nestled in navy-blue velvet, was a bright green ring. Made of plastic.

“Fuck me with a box of f**ks.”

I yanked the ring from the indentation.

My eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. It really was made of green plastic.

Attached to the back by a cheap-looking string was a note the size of a fortune from a fortune cookie.

The note read: IOU one gold ring with a BFD.

I stared at the green, plastic ring and tried to figure out who knew about the box I’d kept hidden in the jacket. Had Shayla organized a pre-wedding prank to pay me back for all those times I put the milk carton back in the fridge empty?

No, this was too strange, even for her.

This was all Dalton. He’d been so sure that I hadn’t opened the box, and this was why.

I pulled out my phone and called his number, ready to leave him the Voicemail of Doom.

“Peaches?” he answered.

“Dalton? I thought you didn’t have phone reception.”

“I don’t. My phone just suddenly rang. I guess it’s the height. I’m up on the crane for a special shot we’re doing. I’m falling through the sky, into the forest.”

“But it’s daytime.”

“Connor gave me a potion.”

“Oh. Of course.” As I imagined him strapped into a harness, filming, I felt silly about ripping into him over a joke ring.

He said, “Are you still there? The reception’s not very good. I’m gonna lose you.” He laughed. “Peaches, hang in there! I’m not gonna lose you!”

“Stop joking around. This is serious. Why did you give me a plastic ring and what the hell does BFD mean?”

“BFD? Big Fucking Diamond.”

“Oh.”

“I’m so disappointed,” he said, sounding down. “I thought you’d understand everything as soon as you saw the ring.”

I pulled out the ring and slipped it on my finger. In a flash, the memory came back to me.

Dalton had just rescued me and Mitchell, while we were running from a crazy security guard. Dalton drove us to a park, where we stopped the car for Mitchell to be sick.

Mitchell got out of the car and barfed up booze and pool water, plus the green plastic ring, which had come from the vending machine, the night before. Mitchell had used the ring to propose to me, before swallowing it.

I stared at the ring on my finger.

“This ring was in Mitchell’s stomach,” I said.

Dalton laughed. “I gave it a good cleaning.”

“You are SO weird! Why? Why would you propose to me with this ring?”

“Because you’d already said yes once. I thought it was good luck. Mitchell thought it was a great idea. If you’re not happy, take it up with him.”

Dalton said something else I couldn’t make out, probably to someone there with him on the crane.

Damn it! Why couldn’t he have just finished work on time and been where he was supposed to be?

“Dalton, I need to tell you some things.” I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder as I fidgeted with the green ring on my finger. It actually did fit perfectly.

He said, “Hurry up, because we’ve got to take this shot soon. Everyone’s waiting.”

“Dalton, let them wait. I need to tell you that I love you.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Are you still there? Don’t f**king tell me I lost reception.”

“I’m here,” he said.

My heart crushed with each second he wasn’t saying it back to me, but I wasn’t giving up yet.

“Dalton, I felt bad leaving you at the resort last weekend, but there’s something you don’t know about me. That cute little boy you met, Kyle, he’s not my brother. He’s my son, and you don’t have to be his dad or anything, because he has the world’s greatest dad already. But you need to know that if he’s ever sick or needs me, I have to run to his side. I want to love you as much as I love him, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll ever take the number one spot. I do love you, though.”

“Peaches…”

“So this is me, running into your arms. You’ve caught me. I’m wearing your green, plastic ring on my finger, and I know you can’t see me, but I really am. I’m crying and smiling at the same time, because my heart is breaking, but I think it’s breaking right open to let you in.”