Chapter 41
Jak Kirkland backed out of the store's front entrance, keeping his gaze on the floor and any sudden movement from the shadows, while Cole stuffed his hands in his pockets and sauntered down the sidewalk.
"Where are we going?" Jak asked him when he caught up.
"There's a jeweler down the street, right?" Cole said.
Jak nodded, stumbled, and stopped. "Is this...? Are you...? Wait, she's not...?"
"Yes, yes, and no," Cole said, crossing the intersection. At the other corner, Jak grabbed his arm and turned him around.
"Are you serious about this?"
Cole looked up at Rose's brother. As calmly as he could, he repeated, "Yes."
"What if she says no?"
Cole smiled and continued walking. He'd never been more sure about anything in his life. The problem he faced — not the prospect of Rose's refusal — was, could he afford much? He had his credit card. He hated using it. But for this...he'd max out the damn thing to have his ring on Rose's finger.
She said, We.
"We" could raise a family.
"We" could have a home with a yard. Okay, well, he couldn't do much about that part, but he could manage the "we" detail today. And he had Jak to help him. Because, frankly...choosing a ring for his butterfly had him quaking in his shoes.
What would she like? Diamonds? Or a pearl? Or something simple, like Rosalie's ring? She didn't wear much jewelry as it was, so he had no inkling to her preferred style in that manner.
Jak walked along with him to the jewelry store past the next block, not speaking, until they reached the double glass doors. Then he said, "Are you sure you want me with you? This is one of those private things...I think."
Cole placed his hand on the handle and paused. "Well, since you are her brother, and I planned to ask if you'd be my best man at our wedding...I thought your insight would be helpful."
Jak stared at him as if he'd suddenly turned polka dots. His green eyes — so similar, yet so different, from Rose's — misted, and the man whipped around and put his hands on his hips. "Just...just give me a sec..."
"Take your time," Cole replied. He waved at the lady inside who motioned at him to come in. And the two men stood on the sidewalk like that for three changes of the nearest traffic light. Jak swiped at his nose, sucked in a deep breath and faced Cole.
"Okay. I'm ready."
They entered the air conditioned store and both exhaled quickly at the same time. Though maybe for different reasons. Jak still gathered his wits, and Cole instantly felt overwhelmed. There were cases and cases of fine jewelry all around them. At least half of them displayed rings. This was going to be harder than he thought.
Cole walked over to the nearest ring cabinet and blinked down at them. Diamond rings, set in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, in platinum, in a black metal and blue. There were round diamonds and square diamonds, heart-shaped diamonds and diamond-shaped diamonds. Some with clusters of tiny diamonds, some with other gemstones. Another case showed colored gems sitting prime on the bands instead of diamonds. And there were pearls in just as many colors and shapes. Feeling his palms beginning to sweat, he stuffed them back into his pockets and focused on breathing evenly.
The lady behind the counter smiled politely. "My name is Judy. Good to see you, Jak."
"Hello, Ms. Judy," Jak said. "You are looking mighty fine today."
The lady pursed her lips briefly and asked, "Is there anything I can show you gentlemen?"
Cole opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Jak rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced.
The lady tried again. "Are you looking for...an engagement ring, or a gift?"
"Engagement," Cole finally croaked out.
"I understand," Judy said kindly. "It's a big decision, so I won't rush you. These are our standard engagement rings, but if you would like something unique or handcrafted, this case over here..." She waved them over. "These are made in store by our designers."
Cole scanned that selection of rings. Just as beautiful. And just as baffling. He sighed. "I don't know. Jak? Any thoughts?"
"Hey, she's your girlfriend," he said. "You know her better than I do."
"She's your sister," Cole countered.
"Doesn't mean I know what she likes," Jak replied gruffly.
Glancing between them, the woman continued to smile. "I will leave you two to discuss. There are some stools there that you can bring over, and there is water and coffee in the corner. Just holler when you want to look at something out of the case." She walked to a small desk in the back of the room and sat down at her computer.
Cole and Jak stood there. Little jewels winking at them from behind locked glass. One of these will grace Rose's left hand for the remainder of her lifetime. And she wasn't "picky." He knew she would be happy with anything, but not him. How could he say how immensely he adored her sass and her smile? How he worshipped the silk of her hair, the flash of her eyes, the swish of her hips? The way she frowns with her brow over her music? How she hums to her kittens and kicks in her sleep; how she stirs her tea holding her spoon by the tip; or how the air around her sparkles just a little bit brighter? How to say any of that with a stone and a band of metal?
"I hate to say it, Cole," Jak muttered. "But we're going to need reinforcements."
Cole nodded. "Make the call," he declared and went to grab water bottles from the mini fridge and stools.
Half an hour later, they sat at the counter with the ever-patient Judy trying to help. They managed to summon Zack from his slumber and pull Rose's father and Max from their Saturday afternoon plans.
Mr. Kirkland stormed through the doors first. "This better be what I think this is, because I've warned you before that 911 calls are for broken bones and head wounds."
Judy raised a slender eyebrow at him. "Mr. Kirkland. Pleasure to see you again." There was a hint of threat in her voice. Behave yourself.
Mr. Kirkland stopped short, cleared his throat and put a respectful tone back in his voice. "Judy...you look lovely today."
"Thank you," she said. "I expect to see you in the receiving line tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied and evened his pace to reach the boys. "Cole, Jak...whose idea was this?"
Jak stuck his thumb at Cole, who had a ring in each hand, mulling over them. He lifted his defeated gaze to Rose's dad. "Help?"
Mr. Kirkland eyed him sternly and began laughing. "Well, hell, son...I never thought you to be the wishy-washy type. Picking out a ring isn't that difficult."
Judy cleared her throat. Loudly. Again, that slender eyebrow lifted. Rose's dad glanced at her, and his face turned pink.
"Uh...okay, so it's a challenge," he amended quickly. He dragged a stool over and sat. "What have you narrowed this down to?"
Jak flapped his hand over the tray of rings. "All of them," he said as if this was crucial to the survival of mankind.
The doors opened again. Zack entered, yawning, and Max followed, looking as if he'd been crawling through the dirt. "What's going—" Zack began, but Judy pointed a finger at them and said, "Stop!"
Nobody moved.
"Maxwell Palmer," Judy said, as though talking to a five-year-old, even though she couldn't have been more than a dozen years older than Cole. "Don't you dare take another step in here with all that filth on you."
Max glanced down at himself. "Dang it," he muttered, stepped back outside, stripped off his shirt, shook it before putting it back on, dusted off his work pants, and kicked off his boots. Then he opened the door and said, "Better?"
"Hmm," she answered, but waved him inside.
Zack repeated, "What the hell— sorry, Ms. Judy — what is going on?"
At this point, Cole replaced the two rings, propped his elbows on the counter and dropped his head into his hands. He groaned into his palms. Maybe he was too rash to do this today...
"Sensory overload," Rose's father said to the newcomers and patted Cole's back.
"Oh," he heard Zack say. Maybe this was too much for all of them. Then Zack was by his side, studying the jewelry. "Well...she's classy..."
"And smart," Max added.
"And talented," said Mr. Kirkland.
"And cheeky," Jak concluded.
Cole lifted his head. "And...far more superior than I will ever be."
Rose's dad patted him again. "Let's not go that far. She's great, but she's headstrong."
"And ornery," Zack said.
"And monotonous," Max included.
"And she has cats," Jak grunted. Everyone stared at him. "What? It's true."
Mr. Kirkland stood up. "Okay. This is what we're going to do. Cole, you go stand over there, with your back turned, and count to ten. The rest of us will pick the one ring we each think is most like Rosie. Okay?"
Figuring he hadn't anything to lose at this point, Cole obliged. He faced the street outside and counted. Each breath and number weighing down on him. Why the hell was this so hard?
"Ten." He turned back to see five rings glittering in the overhead lights. Judy held up the fifth, and he blinked at her.
"I am here to help," she said. "This is what I do. And if you had told me it was for Rose from the beginning, I could have been more helpful."
"Thank you," he told her and examined the rings.
Max's choice was too big. Mr. Kirkland's selection was too small. Zack's was too ornate, and Jak's was... "Jak, I think that's a toe ring."
The brother frowned at the tiny gold hoop. Judy sighed, took it from him, and presented hers. "How about this one? It's a Victorian opal set in rose gold and surrounded by emeralds and diamonds. Designed and crafted here in the store. You'll never find another one like it."
Cole took hold of the ring. The opal shimmered a faint rainbow of colors, and the emeralds flashed at him. It was classy and smart and crafted skillfully. It was...perfect. "I didn't see this one earlier."
"Darnell, the designer, just finished it yesterday," Judy said. "I haven't placed it in the cases because it hasn't been catalogued in the inventory yet."
Now that he had Rose's ring in his possession, he dared not let it go, but there was the question... "How much?"
Judy didn't answer right away, and Mr. Kirkland said, "Don't worry, son. I'll help you with that, too."
Cole looked at the men around him, feeling a camaraderie between all. This family might be crazy and loud and ornery, as Zack put it, but he felt pride at being accepted so readily. Still, he had to decline. "Thank you, but I can handle this part on my own."
Rose's father studied him for a moment. "Alright then. You boys wanna head down to Momma's and get some pie? I'm feeling a lemon meringue in my immediate future." He turned back to Cole. "Meet up with us when you're done. We've got some chatting to do."
"Yes, sir," Cole said and shook his hand. The younger men thumped him on the back or shoulder as they shuffled out, too, and Jak announced to the others, "Hey, guess what? I get to be the Best Man!"
Judy lightly touched his arm to get his attention. She smiled softly. "Come on back and have a seat. You must be exhausted, and we can talk about the financials."
Cole followed her back to her desk, still clutching the ring. She stopped to retrieve a small box from under the counter and hand it to him. "If you will give me a moment to add it to our inventory, then we can discuss the price."
He set the beautiful piece of art in the velvet case and stared at it. Judy tapped on her keyboard, scrolled through a list, and concluded her task. She sat back in her swivel chair and smiled again. "I heard Rose was seeing someone," she said. "I wanted to believe it, and I hoped she found happiness again. Mr. Shaw's passing was difficult on her."
"Do you know her well?" he asked.
"We're in the same bible class at church," she said. "But don't worry. I never discuss my clients' business outside of the store."
Cole cleared his throat. "How..." He sighed. "I'll be honest with you. I have good credit, but not a lot of cash on hand. I have some debts to pay, and... And if I have to sell my soul for this ring, I will."
She laughed softly. "It won't come to that, I promise. We have several payment options available, and all we ask is a twenty-five for the down payment."
"So, how much am I looking at?" he asked fearfully.
She wrote down a number on a purchase form and slid it toward him. Cole sighed. "I think I can swing twenty-five percent."
Judy tapped her finger on the desk, considering him. "Did Mr. Shaw still have a casserole dish that was white with little yellow daisies on it? And it had a lid."
He frowned. "I think I saw that at his house," he said. "Why do you ask?"
"It was my grandmother's," she said. "Mr. Shaw acquired it at a Christmas party one year, where you had to exchange gifts from items at your house. I asked him once if I could have it back, but since I beat him at bingo one time, he ignored me."
"You are welcome to it," Cole said. "I only need to call Sheila Rae to set it aside before the estate sale."
She leaned forward and whispered, "And I'll waive half the down payment."
Cole grinned, filled out the paperwork and handed over his credit card. The process took ten minutes, and Cole made sure Sheila Rae set aside the casserole dish before he left the jewelers. With the ring box secured in his pocket, he walked to Momma's diner and dropped into a chair beside Zack.
Mr. Kirkland slid a plate of pie across the table. "So, Cole... How are you?"
"I feel like I've run three marathons back to back."
Max grinned. "It's a good feeling, isn't it?"
"When are you going to ask her?" Jak asked with a mouthful of chocolate mousse.
"I don't know yet," he answered and glanced at the family's patriarch. "I hope — considering your assistance earlier — that I have your blessing?"
Mr. Kirkland eyed him for a moment. "You had my blessing that night outside the E.R. Or did I not make myself clear about that?"
"I still like to hear it," Cole said. "And...would it bother you if I can't give her a house of her own yet? We'll probably have to live above the store for a while."
"You'd have a hell of a time dragging her away from that tiny apartment, so no. I'm more concerned about how soon I'm to expect another round of grandchildren. Because you can't raise a family there. There's no yard...or trees."
Cole chuckled. "She said the same thing."
"So you've talked about this already?"
"Not in detail. It came up earlier today. And I figured that if she had thought about it, and I am thinking about it, then maybe I'm not rushing into things too early. We've only known each other for a few weeks."
Max laughed. "I knew about Charlotte the first day."
"And I knew about Hannah before I even knew her," Mr. Kirkland declared. "Took me thirteen years to realize it, but I knew."
Jak added, "I know nothing about nobody, so...yeah."
Zack rolled his eyes and nudged Cole in the elbow. "Come on. Let's see it again."
Cole dug the ring box out of his pocket and set it on the table. The round opal shimmered pretty colors against its pale bodycolor. Every angle set off a new rainbow and translucent light display, and the men stared at it as though mesmerized. "It sure is pretty," Zack breathed out. Then he sat upright and glared at Cole. "How come he gets to be the Best Man?"
Max reached across the table and popped Zack on the forehead. "You shouldn't have kissed her, dumbass."
Cole put the ring away and gave Zack a justified look. "Oh," Zack said. "Yeah. That makes sense."
"How much was it, anyway?" Jak asked, and Max smacked him on the back of his head.
"None of your business," his dad said. "Besides, it isn't about the money."
"No," Cole agreed, "but I did have to trade a casserole dish just to walk out of the store with it."
Mr. Kirkland paused, his fork of lemon meringue half way to his mouth. "White with yellow flowers?"
"Yes..."
The fork clattered to the plate. "Hot damn!" Mr. Kirkland shouted, drawing the eyes of customers. "Hey, Momma! Judy got her casserole dish back!"
"Hallelujah!" Momma cried from the back. "It's the end of an era!"
"Is there something special about this dish?" Cole asked. "She said it was her grandmother's, but other than that..."
Mr. Kirkland pushed his plate across the table and leaned over, a glint of mischief in his eyes that Rose got sometimes. "Not so much the dish, as the story. So about fifteen years ago, we're at this Christmas party, a charity event thing, and..."
Cole dug into his pie while Rose's dad told a comedic story about Mr. Shaw, a casserole dish and one infamous bingo night. The men sat at that table until the dinner rush started. They finished their dessert, drank three pots of coffee between them, and watched while Jak and Zack raced to finish a plate of loaded steak fries first. Max challenged Momma to an arm wrestling match over the check — she slaughtered him. And they parted ways with promises to not speak to Rose for the foreseeable future. Cole couldn't trust any of them to keep their mouths shut, so vows to stay away eased his mind.
Cole walked Jennie over to the store for her piano lesson and collected the kittens from Mona. "Hey," Rose said, seeing him. "You were gone for a while. Everything okay?"
"Everything is perfect," he said. "I'll make dinner." He kissed her softly and trotted up the stairs as if this was any other Saturday night.
Justin Kirkland entered his house, ready for some of that delicious lasagna Hannah made yesterday, and was immediately bombarded by his wife.
"Is Jak okay? You didn't call me. What happened? You were gone for hours!"
Justin wrapped his arms around her and shushed her with a kiss. "Everything is fine. But we're gonna have to make Johnny an offer on his house."
Hannah tipped her head back to look up at him. "You said it was too big of a project. Years of renters, and such. And besides, what are we going to do with another house? Rent it out ourselves?"
Justin headed into the kitchen to find those leftovers. "I had an epiphany today," he said, and he told her about his afternoon and the plans in his head. Hannah smiled.
"Did you record it yet?" Josie asked through an early morning phone call. Rose yawned and sat up in bed. Alone. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she pressed the phone to her ear.
"It's seven in the morning, Josie," Rose said. "And no, I haven't. I'll get to it today." She tucked the phone against her chest. "Cole?" He usually woke her when he left for his run.
He peeked around the corner with a kitten cradled in his arm. "I'm here. Just taking care of the babies. Is that Josie?"
"Yes," she sighed and dropped her head to the pillows. "Can I call you later, sis? After I wake up?"
"I thought you usually get up this early," her sister said.
"Well, I've had some late nights recently," Rose said and covered her eyes with an arm. Last night's "late night" ended well past midnight. But...oh, heavens...
"Oh," said Josie, and then, "Ooohhhh.... Spending a little extra free time with that handsome neighbor of yours, huh?"
Rose smiled. "At this point, we've practically moved in together."
"Wow...that's fast. The candle is burning that hot?"
"This candle has a perpetual flame," Rose said. Cole came into the bedroom, minus a kittie, and climbed in beside her. He bent to kiss her neck, and Rose giggled.
"Uh oh," Josie said happily. "I know that laugh. I'll...uh, call you later, okay?"
"Okay," Rose said and tossed the phone to the floor. Cole rolled her toward him and tucked her against his chest. "You are not running today?"
He nibbled under her earlobe. "I figured that I could stick around this morning and join you for church. What are we anyway? Baptist? Lutheran?"
"Methodist," she answered.
"Ah, founded by John Wesley," Cole mused. "An excellent theology."
"I believe so," she said. "What shall we do about the kittens?"
"They'll be okay for a few hours," he replied, trailing his lips to the other side of her neck. She arched to allow better access. "I know you always have a ladies' luncheon afterward, so I'll come straight back after service. I also plan to do a little house cleaning today. What would you like me to do about that box on the table in there?"
"Oh," she said, shifting so she sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest. "I haven't thought much about it. I guess...you can stick it in the top of my closet?"
Cole propped himself up on the headboard. "Are you sure you're ready to tuck Mr. Shaw away like that?"
Rose smiled. "I'm not tucking him away. I'm decluttering. That box is unnecessary to my memories of him, so it should be put away. Are you sure you want to tuck your mother's secret away?"
"It's unnecessary to my memories of her," he said, grinning. His finger touched her bare shoulder and trailed a light path down her back. He twisted a few strands of her hair and traced that path back up. "You told your sister we've moved in together."
She glanced at him. "You heard that?"
His brown eyes warmed on her. "Is this a permanent decision?"
"Do you want it to be?"
"Yes," he answered softly. His hand swept her hair off her back so it hung across her shoulder, giving his gaze and touch free access to her bare skin. Rose shivered as he traced down her spine.
"Then I guess I need to clear some room in my closet," she mused.
"Our closet," he said gently.
"Yes," she laughed and leaned back against him. "Our closet."
"And do you mind if I keep the other apartment as my office?" he asked.
"Plan on working late nights?" she inquired, tracing her own fingers up his chest.
"Hell, no," he grunted. "I plan on making love late nights."
Rose laughed again, and he leaned to kiss her deeply. "And early mornings," he said against her lips. She grinned, and he kissed her again, moving so that their bodies connected all the way down to her toes.
"We'll be late for church," she murmured as his mouth took a southward avenue.
"I'll be quick," he breathed against her belly and disappeared below the blankets. Rose groaned and reached up to grab the headboard. She arched into his playful nips, finding release very quickly, and he entered her and surrendered almost as swiftly.
"Oh, my," Rose moaned. "What just happened?"
Cole collapsed on his stomach next to her. "Foreplay," he panted.
"Have we been doing it wrong this whole time?"
"Nope. Different version." He turned over. "Do you want to eat first or shower?"
Still dazed from the last few minutes, she stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know."
He chuckled. "You lay here and collect your thoughts. I'll make some breakfast. Bacon and toast okay? Because I think you're out of eggs."
"We," she sighed blissfully. "We are out of eggs."
An amused grin curved his lips as he crawled over her. "We need to go to the grocery store, then."
"Yes, we do."
A little over an hour later, Rose and Cole walked into the atrium of the church, greeted by her parents. Her dad offered a handshake to Cole and said, "Well?"
"Not yet," Cole replied, and before Rose could speak, her mother snagged her hands.
"Rose, you're glowing!" She frowned a moment, rubbing and patting her fingers, and smiled again. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, Momma," she answered. "How are you?"
Her mother gave Cole a bland look. "I could be better."
"Something wrong?" Rose asked.
"No," she said with another smile. "Let's find our pew."
They met up with Charlotte and Max in the sanctuary. Charlotte rushed forward, the biggest grin on her face and flapping her hands in excitement. Rose smiled back, eager to hear whatever drama her friend wished to share, but Momma stepped between them and said, "Charlie, the donuts have not arrived for bible study. Would you go check on that?"
Charlotte blinked at Momma, and at Rose, and scowled at Cole. "Okay, but if they're late again next week, I'm going off on someone."
Cole smiled politely at her. "Always a pleasure to see you, Charlotte."
"Uh-huh," she muttered and walked toward the classrooms.
Jak sat in the family's pew and when he noticed them, he asked, "What's up? Got any news to share?"
And their mother said, "Absolutely nothing worth mentioning, so keep your questions to yourself, you hear me? Not another word."
Rose stared at her. At Jak. At Max. All three avoided looking at her and Cole. They gazed straight ahead, such solemn expressions. It was weird. They were never this solemn. Jak looked as if his brain would explode any second, and he was simply waiting for the inevitable. And Momma. No visiting with the other ladies? She sat there like a prison warden between Jak and Max, silently daring either of them to do more than breathe out of their noses.
Very weird.
"Am I missing something?" she asked Cole. "Do I have something in my teeth? Or...what?"
"They must be speechless to see me here today," he commented and waved for her to enter the row before him. Charlotte joined them, sitting beside Max, and her dad scooted in to separate her mother and brother.
As soon as service began, Zack slid into the pew beside Cole and said to Rose, "Congr— ow!" He rubbed his ribs.
"Sorry about that," Cole replied.
Zack grimaced. "No, no...my fault."
Rose stared at him. At Cole. They both gave her unusually innocent smiles.
Narrowing her eyes, she glanced down the other side of the pew. The rest of her family fidgeted and focused on the opening announcements. No grumbling from Jak because he couldn't stretch his legs in the middle of the row. No grumbling from her father because Jak wouldn't be quiet. No flipping through the hymnal to find today's selections or ask if anyone had an extra bulletin. Nothing. Even Charlotte remained quiet, and she usually fussed over whether Mason was happy in the nursery.
They sat there, a perfect, perfectly-behaved family.
And Rose didn't like it.
After the service, they all congregated in the atrium again before attending their bible studies and luncheons. Cole kissed her cheek, saying he was heading home to care for the kittens, and as soon as he exited the building, Rose rounded on her family.
"What is going on?"
Charlotte paled. "Max, let's check on Mason." She grabbed her husband's arm and dragged him away.
Her father clasped the boys on their shoulders and said they were needed to help set up tables and chairs in the banquet room, leaving her mother to smile stiffly at Rose.
"Momma? Why is everyone being so...not-everyone? Is it because Cole came today? He already knows what we're like. You don't have to put on a show."
Her mother's eyes widened, and she laughed. "Of course! Yes! I know, but...but it's nice if he thinks we're not always, um, crazy. Yes, not always crazy."
Rose sighed and looped her arm through her mother's. "He likes us just the way we are."
They walked down the hall toward the ladies' bible study room. "He is the most patient man I've ever met," her mother said, and the words didn't sound all that happy.
"This family can use a little patience."
"Sometimes we're too eager for things to happen, I guess."
Rose sighed. "Well, enough has happened lately that a little monotony will be nice."
Her mother shot her an apprehensive glance. "Yes, dear."