Page 16 of Amelia and Her Prince Charming
I filled my plate and sat beside her.
“Your ring is gorgeous,” Amelia said to Rosie, who held out her hand for closer inspection. “I’ve always loved emerald-cut diamonds.”
“Sometimes I just stare at it and can’t believe it’s mine,” Rosie said. “We had to have it specially fitted so my mom’s wedding band could fit next to it.”
“You have your mom’s band?” Amelia put a hand over her heart. “My dad buried my mom with hers on, but I wish I had it.”
“I get that so much. Having it makes me feel like she’s here with me,” Rosie said, her eyes misty. Rosie’s mom had died when she was a child, and her three older brothers had raised her. “You have the band, right, Haydn?”
Haydn, Rosie’s oldest brother, shook his head. “I gave it to Jules. I didn’t want to accidentally forget it in Nashville.” Haydn lived with his wife, country singer Lia Halifax, in Nashville. Lia hadn’t arrived yet due to her touring schedule, but would soon, along with the press that always followed her. Some of the press were already here, but luckily, they were steering clear of the Sheriff’s house.
“I gave it to Bennett,” Jules, her second brother, said through a mouthful of food. “Same reason, except Seattle.”
Everyone looked at Bennett, the last brother, who had a deer-in-the-headlights expression.
“You have it, right?” Rosie asked, sounding panicked.
“I have it, in a sense,” he said cagily.
“In a sense?” she stood up, her voice shrill. “What does that mean, Bennett Forrester?”
“I have it in a very safe place,” he reassured her. “At the cabin.”
“The island cabin?” Southeast Alaska was studded with nearly three thousand islands, and their family owned a tiny one about two hours off the coast from Winterhaven.
“It’s the only one I know of,” Jules said unhelpfully.
Rosie huffed, and I was glad to not be on the wrong end of her anger.
“It’s no big deal, Rosie,” Jules said. “We’ll go grab it after we eat.”
Through her teeth, she said, “You have your tux fittings this afternoon. And tomorrow is pictures and the movie marathon. Then it’s the rehearsal, and the wedding. Oh my gosh.” She collapsed into the chair, all the air deflating from her. “I’m not going to have my mom’s ring for my wedding.”
The table was silent until Bret spoke up. “Someone else could go get it. A wedding assignment.”
Rosie lifted her eyes to meet his, a grin slowly spreading across her face. “Yes, exactly.” She met my gaze pleadingly. “Hudson?”
“Sure, I’ll get it,” I said, standing quickly. This was perfect. I needed an escape. A few-hour round trip to get my head on straight around Amelia. I’d been to the cabin dozens of times.
“It’s in the nightstand drawer in my bedroom,” Bennett said. “Where I knew it wouldn’t get lost.”
“Just forgotten,” Rosie growled.
“It was remembered in time,” Haydn said, soothingly. “Hudson will go get the ring and have it back here by tonight.”
“I’ll leave right now.” I stood to go and ran into a wall of muscle. More specifically, Gage and Bret, arms folded like bodyguards.
“Amelia, have you seen the cabin?” Bret said. “It’s worth checking out.”
“I haven’t,” she sat straighter, looking intrigued.
The two men ignored my glares.
“You should go,” Gage said. “When are you going to have a chance like this again?”
She hesitated, and I held my breath.Say no. Say no.“I hate to leave Quinn.”
My mom popped up from behind the hockey players. She rounded them and approached Amelia, as if she’d been waiting for this moment. “Elm and I will watch her.”
