Page 58 of Protect My Heart
Sawyer throws his hands up. ‘I wasn’t cheating on you!’
‘Then how do you explain what I heard at the brewery?’
‘You heard me making an appointment, not a date.’
‘Since when do you have appointments in your apartment?’
He sighs. ‘Gina, please, I’m begging you. Just end this. It’s not what you think.’
‘We should go,’ I say to Mia.
‘No, wait!’ Gina says, looking at us. ‘Mia, what would youthink if you heard Jason asking some girl to come to his apartment on a night he knew you had to work?’
‘Oh, I don’t think I should be getting involved in this,’ Mia says, sounding flustered. ‘And I’m not dating Jason so it’s really not the same.’
‘But if youweredating him, and you found him making plans with some girl, would you just assume it was nothing?’
Mia looks at me. ‘I’d talk to him after she left and ask him to explain. I’d want to believe he wouldn’t do something like that to me.’
‘I want to believe that about Sawyer, but why would he invite a girl up to his apartment if it was just something innocent? He could just talk to her in the bar or in his office.’
‘Gina, for the last time,’ Sawyer says. ‘There is nothing going on with her. I love you. Why would I mess around with some other girl?’
‘Because you can,’ she huffs. ‘Like I don’t notice all the girls hitting on you at the brewery?’
‘Yeah.’ He takes Gina’s hand. ‘And when they do, I tell them I’m taken. I tell them I have a girlfriend I’m going to marry someday.’
Gina rolls her eyes. ‘You don’t tell them that.’
‘Maybe not the marrying part, but I tell them I have a girlfriend. And I do plan to marry her.’
Gina yanks her hand from Sawyer’s. ‘I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work. You can say all the sweet things you want, but it’s not going to change what I heard.’ She folds her arms over her chest. ‘Just tell me the truth. How long have you been seeing her?’
‘About three weeks.’
Gina’s jaw drops. She looks like she wants to kill Sawyer.
‘But it’s not what you’re thinking.’ He steps closer to her. ‘You really want to know the truth?’
‘Just hurry up and tell me,’ she says, blinking really fast like she’s trying to hold back tears.
‘That girl, the one you saw me with, makes jewelry. She does custom pieces. I heard about her from the jewelry store in town. She lives about an hour away. The first time I met with her I drove to her shop. We talked about what I wanted and she said she’d work up some ideas. I went back a week later and saw her drawings. They were good, but I wanted this piece to be perfect. So I invited her to come to my apartment this week to show her some of the clothes you have there, along with some of your jewelry, so she could see your style. That’s why she was at the brewery today. She’s in town working with some other clients and will be here for a few days. The only time I could meet with her is Monday night, before she heads home.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Gina says. ‘Are you saying you hired this woman to make me jewelry?’
‘Not just any jewelry.’ He pauses. ‘She’s making your engagement ring.’
‘Shit,’ Gina mutters.
‘Yeah.’ Sawyer laughs a little. ‘You just ruined the surprise.’
‘But I thought we were going to wait.’
‘I didn’t say I was proposing. I said I’m getting your ring. It’s handmade. It’s going to take awhile to make. I knew you didn’t want a traditional ring so when I heard about this girl and saw her designs, I hired her. I guess now that you know, we could work with her together if you want.’
‘No.’ Gina cracks as smile. ‘I want you to do it. I want the ring you designed.’ She hugs him. ‘I’m sorry. I got jealous and ruined your surprise.’
‘So we’re good?’ Sawyer says. ‘Because I need to go change.’
