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“It was a very nice cheese roll…”
His lips curve up. “You’re a strange girl.”
I scratch my nose. “So you didn’t mind?”
“No, I didn’t mind. But I did take the opportunity to get a couple of things, and I’m glad I did now.” He bends and takes two items out of his jacket pocket. The first he slides across to me. It’s a white box containing a brand-new iPhone.
When I don’t move, he picks up the box, opens it, and takes the phone out. It’s the newest model, with the biggest screen I’ve ever seen. He holds it out to me.
I stare at it, eyes widening. “What’s this?”
“It’s an iPhone.”
I give him a wry look. “I can see that. What’s it for?”
“I’ve seen your phone—the screen is cracked and it’s a billion years old.”
He’s right, but I’m still shocked. The phone is like the Range Rover, a thing of beauty, with a gleaming screen.
“And I got these,” he says softly. “For next week.” He holds a blue velvet jewelry box out. He cracks the lid, revealing two matching gold wedding bands, one slightly smaller than the other. They’re engraved and set with a row of tiny diamonds in the center. They’re beautiful.
My jaw drops.
He laughs. “They’re just rings.”
They might be to him, but to me they symbolize eternal love, commitment, and fidelity. I feel a sweep of shame that I’m going to be wearing one of these for money.
Clearly, James has no such problem as he walks past me to open the fridge. “How long is dinner going to be? I’m starving.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
James
Over the next few days, I gradually get ready for the funeral on Friday.
As Aroha didn’t know Maddie, and I don’t want Leia there, I decide it’s probably best if Aroha stays behind with her. She agrees and says she can also help out getting the food ready.
“You don’t need to do that,” I tell her. “The caterers will organize everything, and anyway we need to start suggesting to everyone that our relationship might go deeper than boss and employee.”
“Well, anytime you want to stick your tongue down my throat, just give me some warning,” she says sarcastically.
“I might, I might not,” I reply just as tartly. She sticks her tongue out at me, and I smirk.
We’ve been like this since I showed her the rings the other night—borderline flirting, pushing each other’s buttons. She definitely warmed toward me after I wrote her the letter, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t know how to act around me. She’d cast herself in the role of nanny and seemed happy there. Now, she’s nervous about our wedding next week, and what kind of image to project to everyone.
I should be kinder and more forgiving toward her, but I can’t help myself. When I tease her, her cheeks flush, her eyes flash, and electricity jumps between us, setting me alight. It’s the last thing I need right now, but it’s impossible to stop it. And anyway, I figure that a little spark in front of people will only add to the idea that we’re growing closer, ready for our surprise announcement next week.
I’m gradually getting used to the idea of keeping Leia. Aroha still looks after her, but she hands her over to me more and more, encouraging me to play with her and feed her, and also showing me how to change her, saying I should get ‘the crunchy with the smooth,’ a very Aroha sort of thing to say.
One evening, I even help her bathe Leia, which ends up with all three of us covered in water when Leia decides it’s such fun that she kicks her legs in the water, the surprised expression on her face enough to send both Aroha and me into fits of laughter.
Friday finally arrives. I don’t go into work as I want to make sure everything’s organized for the wake afterward, plus old friends and family are arriving from all over the country and further afield, and there are always last-minute problems that need to be sorted.
The day dawns overcast and gloomy, and around one p.m. it starts raining, bringing down the temperature and the mood. The funeral is at two. Most of those attending are meeting at the funeral home, but the catering team is in the house, and some distant family, as well as Alex and the rest of my close friends from Kia Kaha who want to lend their support. It’s nice of them, but I’ve spent hours talking to people, putting them at ease, and now I take a welcome few minutes to stand on the deck on my own and look out at the rain.
I’ve tried not to think too much about Maddie over the past few days, filling my time instead with work and organization, but finally I let her slide into my memory. Her dry wit, her infectious laugh, her flashing turquoise eyes, even her wistfulness and dark fury. I miss it all.
I’d hoped to keep my emotion well battened down today, but my heart is racing, my throat is tightening, and I’m fighting to keep my eyes from pricking with tears. At times like this, I wish I smoked to give myself something to do, and it might have calmed me. I don’t want to get upset in front of everyone. It’s embarrassing, and it makes me look weak.
