Page 80 of Five Stolen Rings

He cocks one brow at me. “Is that what I’m doing?”

I nod decisively. “I think so. You said yourself you don’t have any good reason not to date me.”

“Mmm,” he hums, and something lighter crosses his features now. “It’s true. I don’t.”

“So there’s no point holding onto a mindset that no longer makes sense.”

“You and Dr. Barb would get along swimmingly,” he says, and he gives my hand a little tug.

“Who’s Dr. Barb?” I say as we begin walking again.

“My therapist,” he says drily. “And an advocate of this relationship since day one.”

“Good old Barb,” I say with a smile. Then, with a glance at my parents’ front door, I add, “I will be introducing you as my boyfriend. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Jack gasps as we start up the driveway, an exaggerated, scandalized sound. “Your boyfriend? We haven’t even gone on a date yet.”

It’s true; we haven’t. But I can tell he’s going to be my boyfriend anyway.

“Come on, boyfriend,” I say, pulling a little harder on his hand as my smile blooms. “I think it’s time for you to meet my parents.”

We’re just stepping onto the front porch when Jack’s phone rings; it’s the Darth Vader theme, which causes me to raise my eyebrows.

“Is that what plays every time I call you?” I say.

“No,” he says, his brows drawing together as he frowns. “That’s Maude’s ringtone. Don’t look at me like that,” he adds, “all judgmental. She wasn’t a good stepmother.”

I grin but mime zipping my lips.

Jack stares at his phone for a moment, clearly disconcerted; then he takes a deep breath and answers.

“Stepmother dearest,” he says in a flat voice. “What can I do for you on this fineChristmas Eve?”

I can vaguely hear the tones of Maude’s reply, but I can’t understand the words; when Jack’s face goes slack, however, I start to get worried.

And when his expression distorts into sheer horror, I officially begin to panic.

“Hang on,” he says, his free hand squeezing mine so tightly my bones might crack. “Therereally aresecurity cameras?”

“You said there weren’t any security cameras,” I say ten minutes later, once we’ve told my parents we’re going to see Maude. We climbed into Jack’s car and pulled out of the driveway at record speed, which was no doubt suspicious—especially since Maude is not a particularly likable person. She’s definitely not someone I’d be desperate to visit on Christmas Eve.

My mother clearly had questions, but she thankfully didn’t ask any of them.

“I didn’t think there were,” Jack says, his voice tense, his hands tight on the steering wheel.

“You said you checked it out?—”

“I looked!” he says. “I went over there and looked around.”

“Youlooked?”I say, my mouth gaping.“You just looked? That’s it?”

“What else would I have done?” he retorts as we start climbing into the foothills. “I know what security cameras look like, Princess. I didn’t see any.”

“Oh my goodness,” I say faintly, scrubbing my hand over my face. “I’m going to be arrested.” I turn to face him inmy seat. “Couldn’t you have gotten house plans or something?”

It’s a ridiculous thing to say, of course; I realize it the second the words leave my mouth.

“Of course I couldn’t,” Jack says with a snort. “And if anyone gets arrested, it will be me.”

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