He paused before asking, “Interested in learning, if I get a boat?”
Hell yeah, she was interested. It would be fantastic to be able to dive, see more of what might be deeper in the ocean. “We’ll see,” she murmured, trying to remember that her and Julian’s marriage was a farce. It wasn’t like he’d be around to teach her to scuba dive or surf.
Once the boat turned around and headed back to shore, Julian handed her another dose of pills and a water to swallow them.
“Thanks.” She was starting to get used to him remembering everything, and being considerate. However, it wasn’t something she was totally accustomed to yet.
Once they arrived back to their hotel, Julian stepped away to pick up a package that had arrived for him. When he took her hand to lead her back to their suite so they could change to go find some dinner, he didn’t have anything in his hands.
Maybe it was just a letter or papers.
She blew it off until they arrived back in the suite and he pulled a tiny box out of his pocket. “I promised your mom you’d come back with your ring,” he explained.
No! No. No. No.
There was not a ring in the box he was holding.
“But I planned on putting her off,” Kristin explained hastily. “Please don’t tell me that you really bought a ring.”
“Okay,” he agreed amiably. “I won’t tell you.”
She watched as he took a small velvet box from the cardboard and then popped it open. “I’ll just put it on your finger.”
She gasped as he turned the container around, the ring nearly blinding her because of the center and surrounding diamonds. “Oh. My. God.” She recognized the maker on the box: Mia Hamilton. She was a custom-jewelry maker, and every piece she made was superb but incredibly expensive.
“Mia did a great job.” Julian took the ring from the box and tossed it aside.
“I can’t wear that,” Kristin squeaked.
“Why? It’s pretty,” Julian answered, looking confused.
“I recognize the maker. Those pieces are outrageous.”
He ignored her, taking her hand and sliding the flashing band on her left ring finger. “I’m rich, Kristin. Filthy rich,” he added. “One ring is not going to break me.”
He was right. He could well afford a Mia Hamilton ring. But it shouldn’t be on her finger. It was a special piece of jewelry. Every wedding ring was incredibly unique.
She looked down at her hand, marveling at the craftsmanship of the ring. The diamonds were obviously high quality and very clear, creating a flash every time she moved her hand. The center stone was enormous, a heart-shaped diamond surrounded by a delicate circle of small baguettes. “It won’t break you financially,” she admitted. “But it’s way too dear for me to be wearing. This marriage isn’t real.”
Julian looked at her finger and smirked. “Looks pretty real to me. Your mother will love it.”
Kristin was sure she would. Hell, she already loved the ring herself. But she couldn’t keep it. “Will they take it back?”
“Nope. Custom pieces can’t be returned unless there’s some kind of problem that involves the maker or the gems.”
“It’s perfect,” she said unhappily.
“Just wear it,” Julian cajoled. “What is it going to hurt? I have so much money I don’t know what to do with it anymore. And if we separate, you can keep it. The ring was made for you. It would never be worn by anyone else.”
“You can’t just give away a gift like this,” she balked.
“I just did,” he answered as he winked at her.
“What if it gets lost?” she said in a panic.
He shrugged. “Then I’ll get you a replacement.”
Rolling her eyes, she walked through the living room and out onto the balcony for a breath of air, realizing she was so uptight she could barely suck air in and out of her lungs.
The ring caught the light as she gripped the balcony rail, as though it was mocking her.
Strong hands landed on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?” Julian asked calmly.
“This is too much, Julian. I’ll walk around terrified that someone will mug me.”
“Doubtful in Amesport,” he answered, sounding amused. “It’s not a big deal, sweetheart. It really isn’t.”
“Maybe not to you, but it is to me,” she answered, a tear starting to track down her cheek. “Did you decide on the design?”
“Yeah. If you look really close, underneath you’ll see some very tiny chips of black obsidian. I took them off the rock Beatrice gave me. It’s been lucky for me so far.”
She pulled off the engagement ring carefully and peered at the inside, now able to see the small black chips in between each prong. “How did she do that?”
“I had a jeweler knock off a few pieces to send to her.”
It was sentimental and thoughtful. So much so that Kristin wanted to cry in earnest. “Thank you,” she said softly, so touched by his kindness that it was hard to be angry. “I’ll do my best not to lose it.” Arguing was futile if she couldn’t return it, so she placed it back on her finger carefully.