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She gasps. “You did?”

“No, I didn’t,” I acknowledge with a smile. “But I think my brother set fire to his cello because James and I used to be competitive when we were kids. We’re close in age, so you can imagine how much we’d get on each other’s nerves. He wanted a better cello than mine, so he set fire to his so that our parents would buy him a new one.”

Patty giggles and nods. “I’m not surprised you guys are competitive. You are brothers after all.”

I nod.

“Yeah, but it got out of control all the time. We used to play ice hockey together too, and some of our fights on the ice could get brutal. In fact, we’d fight so often and so violently that there were multiple trips to the hospital. It wasn’t pretty.”

She gasps.

“That must have made your parents worry, not to mention the hospital bills.”

I laugh. “No doubt! But now that we’re older, James and I have settled into a harmony of sorts. We’re both executives at Montgomery, but we have different spheres of influence. Plus, I think James might be dating someone too because he seems to have mellowed. At least I hope he’s found someone to take off his hard edges.”

She nods. “Yeah, he definitely has a cynical side, but it explains why he’s so protective of you.”

“Protective?” I raise a brow. “My little brother wants to protect me?”

She smiles.

“Well, yes. Don’t you remember when I first met him at that lunch? He was asking me a ton of questions, like he wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking advantage of you for your money or anything.”

“I hadn’t thought about it like that.” I rub my chin, suddenly thoughtful. “To be honest, I thought he was just being an ass, the way he always is. My brother is an odd one, that’s for sure. Do you mind if I confide something in you?”

Patty nods, casually tossing the remains of her coffee in the trash as we pass. “Of course, you can tell me anything.” Then she smiles sweetly. “Especially because, you know, we’re in this scheme together.”

I hide my laugh with a cough. “Right. Of course.” Then, I squeeze her hand as my mouth pulls down in a frown. “I’m a little worried about my brother, actually. Ever since our father died, he hasn’t been acting like himself.” She cocks her head.

“Oh really? I’m sorry to hear about your dad. When did he pass?”

“Just a few months ago, and no, it wasn’t a surprise. My dad had been sick for a while and the writing was on the wall, but James… well, my brother thought there might be a way for our father to bounce back.” I shake my head. “He took our father’s death even harder than our mom, so I’m worried, to be honest. I think he’s fine, but sometimes, I think he’s not. I definitely wouldn’t take anything he says too personally because these are just strange times.”

“I see.” She rubs her thumb back and forth over my palm, sending comfort through me. “And here I was, thinking he was just an overprotective prick when really, he’s suffering in silence.”

I freeze for about half a second, and then burst into laughter.

“No, James is a prick, but yeah, he’s just going through some things.” Then, I spy a jewelry store and pull Patty in behind me.

“Goodness, the jewelry is beautiful,” she says in a hushed voice. “Look at these gems.”

I lead her to the counter with the largest display case and give her palm a squeeze. I saw this item in a magazine a few weeks ago, and wondered whether it’d still be here. Luckily for me, it is.

But Patty’s eyes go wide when she sees what’s behind the glass. She starts to shake her head, but I motion an attendant over before she can protest. The salesperson unlocks the case and then leads us to the back room, away from the eyes of the public.

Patty gasps again because on the table is a crown inlaid with diamonds and white pearls, as well a matching necklace. I steer her toward the mirror and take the necklace from the attendant.

“Luke no,” she says as I lay the shimmering jewels on her neck. “I can’t… you can’t....”

I shush her and then place the crown on her head as a final touch. In the magazine, I thought the gems were too much. But now, as I gaze at this beautiful woman’s reflection in the mirror, all I can think is how much she looks like a queen. My queen. It’s as if the crown and necklace were made just for the gorgeous brunette.

“Do you like it?” I ask in a low voice.

She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out, and instead, tears well in her eyes. Patty merely covers her mouth with her hands as she gazes at our reflection in the mirror, and then I pull her into my arms and hold those curves close to me. It’s perfect. This woman is my queen, and I want to show her how much I care. Over her head, I nod to the attendant.

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