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He rubbed his jaw and stared up at the ceiling. Had he been that much of a player his best friend thought he was joking? Although come to think of it, they’d both shared the dubious Player of Laguna title for the last decade. And Brandt was still rocking the title.
“Okay, okay. I don’t know what planet you landed here from or what you did with my friend, but I’ll call my Uncle John and tell him we’ll be up this afternoon. He should be in his shop. Does Alyssa know?”
He groaned. “Shit, no, I haven’t told her yet. Don’t tell her. I will.”
“Don’t worry, we don’t speak these days.” Brandt’s tone was abrupt.
“Why not?”
Brandt huffed out a breath. “Never mind. Fine, I’ll go with you.”
He smiled with satisfaction––his best friend never let him down. “I’ll swing by in about twenty minutes.”
“Well, at least drive the Beemer. That’ll make the trip worthwhile. How about you let me drive her?”
Nick’s buddy drove like a speed demon on a good day. “Hell no.”
Brandt’s tone turned sly. “It might help me remember to keep a secret if I got to take the wheel…”
“You’re an asshole. Fine, you can drive. See you in a few.” Nick never let anyone touch the wheel of his BMW, but now it seemed trivial to worry about it.
By some miracle, Brandt didn’t kill them on the way to LA, despite his best efforts to break the sound barrier. Nick kept his focus on the prize: Sophie.
When they arrived at the jewelry store, Brandt’s Uncle John was prepared with a velvet display showcasing several different rings. Swallowing down the punch of nerves in his gut, Nick examined the sparkling jewels.
Then he found it. The perfect symbol to complement Sophie’s beauty. He waved Brandt over to see it.
“This is it, man. This is the one.” Sophie would love it.
Brandt rolled his eyes. “Looks like an expensive piece of glass to me, but if you’re set on it, it’s your money.”
Brandt’s uncle wagged a finger at his nephew before turning his attention back to Nick. “Excellent choice. It’s a three-carat Asscher cut in a platinum antique setting––one of a kind.”
Nick ignored Brandt’s snort. “Sophie’s one of a kind. Yes, this is it.”
“Give me a few minutes to clean it and box it up for you. I’ll size it for you if it doesn’t fit. Your young lady will be very happy.” The lanky, white-haired man bustled away through a closed door.
Brandt smirked. “And you just made my uncle very happy with that little sale.”
“Shut up. I can’t wait until you meet the right woman. I’ll be laughing all the way.” Nick’s lips twitched at the unlikely visual of his cynical buddy falling in love.
Brandt held up both hands and backed away. “No way will some chick put a noose around me.”
Ignoring his idiotic friend, Nick whipped out his credit card and sealed the deal. Sophie would be able to gaze down at her hand and trust he wasn’t going anywhere.
Ever.
When he’d learned about her ex’s betrayal, the hurt she carried from having the rug yanked out from underneath her, had impacted him. Proposing sooner than later would demonstrate to her how serious he was. If he had anything to do with it, she’d never spend a sleepless hour again worrying about anything at all.
* * *
“Willyou slow the hell down? We need to stop and see Alyssa.” Nick gripped the dashboard and glanced over at the speedometer and just how far above legal his friend was driving.
Brandt punched down the accelerator. “W-What? A-Alyssa?”
Why was his friend acting so out of character? “Damn it, slow down not speed up. Yeah, I need to show her the ring. She’d kill me for proposing without sharing it with her first. Hell, you’ve seen the ring, and you haven’t even met Sophie yet.”
“Can’t you see her later? I have some stuff to do…” Brandt glanced over and caught his expression. “Fine.”
