Page 28 of Before You Can Blink
Spinning around, I raised a hand to cut her off. “I’ll be back.”
She shot me a doubtful look, tears streaming freely down her face.
“I promise. Give me an hour, tops.”
Daisy’s eyes squeezed shut, and she let out a shaky exhale but nodded her agreement.
It killed me to leave her upset, but hopefully, I would be able to make up for it when I returned.
“Where the fuck is it?!”
Panic rose to the surface while I continued to tear the house apart. I was already well over the hour I’d promised Daisy. By now, she probablythought I wasn’t coming back, that I’d cut and run like a coward, when, in fact, I was ready to double down when it came to that girl.
Huffing and puffing, I stepped back, my gaze sweeping over the kitchen, which now looked like a tornado had blown through it, hoping to find some secret hiding spot I might’ve missed.
Both hands flew to my hair, where I pulled on the short strands as a scream of pure frustration clawed its way up my throat.
“Looking for this?”
At my mother’s voice, I whipped around, and the sight of the velvet jewelry box held in her hand had relief crashing over me so hard that I sagged against the kitchen counter.
The air left my lungs in a rush. “How did you know?”
Betsy Sullivan clicked her tongue. “Any fool with eyes can see you’re in love with the girl. As soon as I heard she got a job in the city, I knew you’d take action.”
The way she said it, you’d think I was the absolute last one in Rust Canyon to realize I was in love with Daisy. Suppose that made sense; denial and inexperience meant I didn’t know what signs to watch for.
“The offer still stand?” I asked cautiously, referring to the night a few years back when she’d told me if I ever foundthe one,I could give that girl the ring my pop had given her.
She leveled me with a glare before rolling her eyes. “You know what? Now that I think about it, I forgot I promised it to my other son.” A loud scoff sounded. “’Course it still stands. Now stop wastin’ time and go make sure to give that girl your last name. And while you’re at it, try not to get yourself killed before she pops out a couple of kids, or else that name will die with you.”
Laughter broke free from my chest, and I shook my head as I stepped forward to retrieve the ring. “Don’t get too excited. I’m not cut out to be a dad.”
My mother hummed. “Pretty sure most men say that.”
Maybe, but I meant it. It was bad enough that I would be dragging Daisy down by asking her to walk beside me on the rough road ahead; I couldn’t do that to an innocent kid.
I snatched the ring box from her hand, shaking it over my head as I walked out the front door. “Thanks for this, Ma!”
In response, all I heard were her grumbled words about needing to clean up the mess I’d made.
Before I knew it, I was back at Daisy’s place, pounding on the door like my life depended on it. Who was I kidding? My entire future depended on it.
My breath caught when the door finally swung open to reveal the girl of my dreams. And I instantly regretted running home to get the ring because the woman standing opposite me looked utterly broken, and it was all my fault.
Hugging her waist, she stared back at me with bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes.
Swallowing around the lump formed in my throat, I asked, “Can I come in?”
With her eyes cast downward, her voice smaller than I’d ever heard it in her reply. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I nodded, understanding her reluctance. “That’s all right. I can do this out here.”
Twin tears crested Daisy’s lashes, spilling down her cheeks. “All I wanted was to have a conversation like adults, but instead, you ran away. I knowwe said we were going to keep things casual, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, Jett. It still hurts that we have to end this.”
Inhaling deeply, I made sure she was done speaking before I dropped to one knee.
A gasp split the air when I produced the velvet box and cracked it open. “Jett, oh my God, what are you doing?”
