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Slater nodded. “I called you a dumbass because you two weren’t even together yet.”
I snorted at that memory because he had. And I’d promptly knocked him on his ass for being a dick. That shit had cut deep because back then, Raleighhadn’twanted me on that level, but I’d wanted her. And I was prepared to wait my entire fucking life for her, even if it meant I one day died knowing she didn’t love me in the way that I loved her.
“I found the ring,” I told him with a grin. I pulled it out of my bag and flipped the box open, showing it to him. His eyes widened.
“Holyfuck,” he breathed.
I nodded, glancing down at it myself. It had a rose gold band, but on the outside, all around the band, you saw nothing but glittering diamonds. And the big diamond on top was cut into the shape of a seashell. It was part of the summer collection, but Iknewit fit Raleigh and everything she and I loved. We’d met on this beach, and we spent so much time here together.
It wasperfect.
“Do I even want to know how much that cost you?” Slater asked as I flipped the box back closed and slipped it back into my bag.
I laughed and shook my head. “Probably not.” The ring had been stupid expensive, but it was well worth it. And the only reason I hadn’t taken it to my place to put it in the safety box was because I didn’t have time once I finally made it out of the downtown Savannah traffic.
The number of accidents I almost got in trying to get out of that hell hole wasinsane.
Smiling to myself, I settled my ass on the golf cart and prepared to watch the beach goers with one beautiful brunette woman on my mind.
And I imagined that ring being on her small, dainty finger, too.
* * *
Raleigh
Ihateddoing payroll.I knew I could leave this up to Meghan to do, but I was peculiar about my books. She knew it; Colwyn knew it. So, when this day rolled around, no matter how I was feeling, I dragged my ass into work to get it done.
But as I stared at the security feed on my computer, I suddenly wished that I’d let Meghan handle it this one damn day. Or at least taken it home instead of staying here at the store.
Because my mother was here—again. And IknewColwyn had made her leave yesterday. Since I knew Colwyn as well as I did, I also knew he had threatened her before she left.
I noticed Meghan dial 9-1-1 off the store phone. Gritting my teeth and drawing in a deep breath, I gathered what tiny bit of courage I had and went out to face my mother before she gave Meghan or my other two employees a hard time.
That’sallRhonda Dennison knew how to do.
I stepped out of my office and turned around the corner so I was now behind the counter, right across from her. A sneer twisted her lips as she regarded me.
“Thought you wouldn’t be here,” she snipped.
“And you need to leave,” I retorted. “You’re not welcome here.”
She gripped the counter with her wrinkled hands. Normally, the skin on someone her age wouldn’t look like that, but years of drug and alcohol abuse had left her as practically nothing but sagging skin and old bones. She never gave herself proper nourishment.
“This is a public place,” she snipped back at me. “And I want—”
“I don’tcarewhat you want,” I barked at her. “This ismybuilding,myshop, andIget to say who comes and who goes. And I want you togo,” I ordered. “The police have already been notified that you’re violating your restraining order.”
She grabbed the lady’s drink next to her and slung it at my face, getting smoothie all over my face, hair, and on the front of my shirt. Then, she marched out of the store.
One thing she couldn’t ever stand was the police.
I bit back tears, and with everyone’s stare on me, I drew in a deep breath and looked at Meghan. “I’m going home. Can you finish handling the payroll?”
“Of course,” she whispered.
I pushed out of the back door and walked up the alley until I was on the street. And then, with people constantly staring at me, I quickly made my way home. I promptly got a shower to wash all that smoothie off of me, and then I put on my footie pajamas before pulling the hood over my head and burrowing under my blanket to hide from the world.
I wanted Colwyn, but he was at work. And I wasn’t ready to talk about what happened yet either.
