Page 65 of Big Daddy Christmas
She could, with a startling clarity. “Fuck. I did. I totally did. Um. I think… I think I remember having the thought that the nightstand was a stupid place for jewelry so… oh my god.”
Eyes flying open, she stared at a grinning Silver, and Ruby’s heart dropped into her stomach. “I know where the rings are.”
Silver’s smile faded. “Then why do you look like you’re ready to throw up?”
Vision going black at the edges, Ruby gripped her friend’s hand, desperate for something to anchor her to reality. “Because I’m pretty sure Beckett’s planning to propose.”
Beckett
* * *
Still no fucking rings.
Perched on the edge of his disheveled bed, in the middle of his disaster of a bedroom, he stared down at the black screen in his hand. Time was running out, and he needed to call Braden so they could figure out how to break the news to Lottie.
Fuck.
And the worst part was, he felt like an absolute asshole for how he’d been with Ruby all morning. It was clear she’d been hurting when she’d left. He should have held her, told her it was all going to be okay even if that was the farthest thing from the truth. He should have done something so she wouldn’t leave the house crying. No matter how angry he’d been, he should have taken care of her.
But he hadn't, because he was a fucking asshole.
The phone in his hand buzzed, and a moment later it came to life, Ruby’s mischievous smile lighting up the screen. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he answered the call. “Hey, baby. I was just thinking about you.”
“Well if you were thinking about how you’re going to kill me when you finally get your hands on me, I’m afraid I’m going to have to put a wrinkle in your plans.”
“I was actually thinking about what an asshole I was this morning.”
“Oh.” There was a beat of silence before she spoke again, surprising him with the hint of amusement in her tone. “Would it make things better or worse if I tell you I know what I did with the rings?”
Relief and excitement flooded him, both so strong they made his head spin as he jumped to his feet. “Where are they?”
“In my jewelry box. Silver did this exercise with me and I remembered that I found them last night and apparently I decided that they didn’t belong in your nightstand because that’s not where jewelry goes.”
Wasn’t that just like his brat? He could see her in his mind’s eye, clear as day, snickering over how clever she was as she hid the rings in the most obvious place ever.
Hurrying to her closet, he opened the top drawer of the tall, antique jewelry box she’d fallen in love with during one of their day trips into the city. And sure enough, right there in the middle of the blue velvet rows, were three gleaming rings.
Disappointment warred with relief in his stomach. This wasn’t at all how he’d planned for her to see her engagement ring for the first time. But he swallowed down that bitter pill and focused on what really mattered. “They’re here. Any idea where the boxes are?”
“Bottom drawer of the jewelry box. But, um, Beckett?” Her voice quivered, and he paused his search for the boxes to focus on his babygirl.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Are you… Is the other ring for me?” she whispered.
Well, there went any lingering hope he’d had that she didn’t remember the other ring. “It is. I was going to give it to you on Christmas Day.”
“God, I really am the worst fucking person.” Her voice was thick with unshed tears, and he wished with everything he had he could hold her. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin everything.”
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this fucking nervous. His heart felt like it might actually beat out of his chest as he swallowed hard. “The only way you could ruin anything is by saying no. Please don’t say no, Ruby Red.”
“I won’t. I promise when you give me that big shiny ring, I won’t say no.” She let out a watery laugh. “I’ll even pretend like I’ve never seen it before if you want.”
Closing his eyes, he held the ring he’d bought for her against his chest. “I don’t care. All I care about is spending the rest of my life with my brat.”
“I, ah, don’t suppose you’re happy enough about me saying yes to let me off the hook for losing the rings.”
She sounded so sweet and hopeful, he was almost tempted to do just that.
