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He knew that once Eileen got used to his girl and saw how happy she made him that she’d lighten up, but it had been years since he’d seen the old girl this playful with someone. In the last few years of his marriage, Valerie had become someone else, and all the ribbing and playfulness had disappeared from the farm little by little. But now it seemed like things were finally getting back to an even keel.
“By the way, Eileen, Celia, and I are getting married.”
“That’s lovely, where’s her ring? Didn’t I raise you better than that?” Riley rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. The ring is something he’s been struggling with since the day before when he officially made up his mind that he was going to ask her to marry him, to spend the rest of her life being his.
He felt inside his pocket, not sure that he wanted to give her the family heirloom that had been in his possession since he turned eighteen and received that part of his inheritance. He’d grabbed it in the spur of the moment on his way downstairs but now wasn’t so sure.
Valerie had refused the ring, claiming that it was someone else’s, and she wanted her own. To him, the ring was part of his heritage. It had been worn by the women in his family going back many generations, and he was proud of it.
The ring was a marquis shaped three-carat stone surrounded by another four carats of brilliant diamonds with even more diamonds running along the sides of the band. What if she didn’t like it? What if she rejected it out of turn? He didn’t remember being this flustered when Valerie refused the ring; he’d just gone out and gotten her what she wanted, but now he felt more adamant that this was the ring he wanted his wife to wear.
In answer to Eileen’s question, Riley looked at Celia. “As a matter of fact…” He drew the ring from his pocket before shooing the housekeeper away for some privacy. Eileen didn’t mind as she hid her smile and left the room. Some days she was torn because of the speed with which Riley had bounced back, and some she was grateful for it.
The boy, for all his tough exterior, has always been too kind for his own good. She’d seen the changes in his marriage these last few years before everything went to heck, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. As close as they are, she still knew that there were certain lines she must never cross. But it’s because of those changes that she’d given the detective such a hard time in the beginning.
Now she sees that light she was so fond of in his youth creeping back in and couldn’t help but give the other woman her due. Some may think that it’s too soon for them to be living together, let alone getting married or engaged, but knowing what she knows, she thinks it’s just fine. That’s why she gives anyone who says different a piece of her mind until they shut the hell up and mind their own.
Riley couldn’t believe how nervous he was. Sure, after the shit Valerie pulled, he was sure he was done with women, but this one hadn’t let the dust settle before sneaking in under his guard. He guessed that it was a testament to the type of woman she is. Besides, he’s not an idiot. He knows very well and can see the monumental differences between the two women.
But he also knows that women can be funny when it comes to their engagement rings, so he found himself second-guessing himself. “Are you going to give me that thing or just stare at it?” He came out of his fog to see Celia with her hand out and a grin on her face. He’d been sitting there deep in thought, playing with the ring between his fingers.
“Fuck it!” He slipped the ring onto her finger.
“What a proposal, it should go down in history as…” Celia started to tease before she got a good look at her new ring. “Holy…Riley…” Her vision clouded with tears as she looked up at him and back down at her ring.
“What? You don’t like it?”
“Riley, this is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen in my life. Where did you…?” She started to ask where he’d bought it but found herself being dragged from her seat and onto his lap. Riley knew he was being a sap but couldn’t find it in him to care. She loved his ring. Somehow that solidified things even more for him.
He didn’t want to think about his ex at a time like this, but he couldn’t help making comparisons in his head. It didn’t last long, though, because his woman was peppering his face with kisses. “Don’t start something you can’t finish baby, didn’t you say you had to get going?” He had a stupid smile on his face, unbelievably pleased with her and happy in a way he didn’t think he’d ever be again.
