Gus dropped his arm about her shoulder. “Thomas is a lucky bloke. I won’t deny it.”
Silence fell. The kind that comes during contemplation. The kind that pulls truth from the soul. They both returned to their respective rocks. Then she said it. No preamble.
“They were arguing over my ring. Yesterday. When you came upon us.” Daffy cradled her left hand on her lap. “Blinky let it slip that Thomas bought it two years ago for Sorcha, his former girlfriend.”
“Does she have it out for you? How does ‘He bought the ring for another lass’ just slip out? She wanted to say it.”
“You have to know Blink. She speaks first and thinks later. We’re all used to her. She’s a loyal friend, sweet and kind. Never means harm.”
“How did she know Thomas bought it for someone else?”
“She was with him when he made the purchase.”
“She was—” Gus put his hand to his ear and pretended to make a call. “Hello, Thomas, this is Prince Augustus. Buy your lass a new ring, mate, immediately. By royal command.”
“Stop. It’s fine.” Daffy swatted his hand. “Thomas Dune is a practical man. If Sorcha never knew the ring existed, why return it? Or sell it for a loss?”
“Dune? Your married name will be Daffodil Dune? Sounds like a pseudonym for a romance author. One whose heroes are bare-chested on the covers.”
She laughed. “You sound like my father.”
“Doesn’t he like your chap?”
“Well enough. But he wants grandchildren, so any man will do.”
“Seriously?”
“Not the any man part. But most certainly on the grandchildren. He also wants his daughters in happy relationships.” Daffy adjusted how she sat on the rock, but the cold and wet started to seep through her clothes. “He wants to stop worrying about us.”
“He’s a good father. Now, back to this ring. Why the row among your friends?”
“They thought he should’ve given me a new ring.” Daffy touched the platinum shank with her thumb. “Thomas argued Sorcha never saw it. Didn’t even know about it. So why not use it? It was expensive.”
“The only person who matters is you. What do you think?” Gus said.
“I think—” If she were to script the perfect proposal—her perfect proposal—it would not include a ring purchased for another woman. “I think he meant well.”
“You’re letting him off. Come on, Daff. If I’d given Robbi the ring I’d chosen for Coral, what would you say?”
“I’d probably smack you upside the head. Your fiancée deserves a ring that represents how you feel about her. Perhaps a precious heirloom. A family jewel that represented love.”
“What’s different here then? With Thomas?”
She shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess because—”
“You don’t think you deserve a ring he bought just for you.”
“What? It’s not a matter of deserve. It’s practical.” She held up her hand. “You can’t deny the ring is beautiful. And in twenty years, am I going to care Thomas first bought this ring for his ex-girlfriend? It’ll be part of our family lore. A recurring joke. ‘Hey, remember the time Dad gave you another woman’s ring, Mum?’”
“I don’t care about twenty years from now.” Gus held her face in his hands. “What about now?”
Her eyes filled, blurring Gus’s image, and she pulled away from him. “It’s not the ring. I’m…scared. I don’t know if…if I want to marry him.Pledge my troth.But decent chaps don’t come along every month or even every year. I’ve had two boyfriends in my life.Two.Rex and Thomas. Five years in between.”
“So you say yes to adecentbloke—even when you’re afraid and unsure? Does that sound like a recipe for happiness?”
“But Iamhappy. If not, I should be. We can make it work. Lots of couples have doubts in the beginning.”
“You need to talk to him. Tell him how you feel. Don’t repeat my mistake.” Gus scooted on to her rock and drew her close with a one-armed hug. Then he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. For too brief a moment, a warmth, a sense of right-place, right-time enveloped her. “You deserve every dream in your heart, Daffy.”
