“Yeah, just need to see Mom about something.” I pressed a quick kiss to her temple. “Won’t take long.”
“Take your time. I’ve managed without you for a year.” Her smile held a touch of sass. “Pretty sure I can handle the morning.”
I caught her hand and pulled her close enough to kiss the tip of her nose. “Yeah, but now you don’t have to.”
Pink tinged her cheeks as she pushed me away. “Go. Stop distracting me.”
“Okay, okay. For now.” With another wink, I headed for my truck, typing out a response to Mom.
Kellan:
On my way. And cool it with the emojis. You’re terrible at being subtle.
Her response came instantly.
Mom:
That’s what makes it fun!
I shook my head, grinning as I climbed in. Mom had been over the moon when I’d called the other day asking about Grandma’s ring. Grandma had left it to me when she passed back when I was in high school. It had bugged me that this fake engagement was continuing without there being a ring on Tate’s finger, so I’d asked Mom about it. She said she’d been waiting years to pass it down to Tate.
Now I just had to figure out the right time to give it to her, given the changed status of our relationship.
I found Mom in the kitchen, up to her elbows in bread dough. The familiar scent of yeast and warmth wrapped around me like a hug.
“There’s my boy.” She wiped her hands on her apron and crossed to the sink. “Give me just a second to clean up.”
I leaned against the counter, breathing in the smell of home. “No rush.”
She disappeared down the hall and returned moments later with a small velvet box. “I had it polished up for you. Danielle down at the jewelers checked the setting to make sure the stone wasn’t loose. It’s all ready for Tate.” Her eyes went misty as she handed it over. “Your grandmother would be so happy to see this going to her.”
Had Grandma been on the apparently endless list of people who’d known we were right from each other from the start?
I opened the box, and there it sat—the antique gold ring with its delicate filigree and perfect center diamond. Exactly like I remembered from childhood.
My voice seemed to snag in my throat, and I had to pause to clear it. “It’s perfect. Thanks, Mom.”
She dabbed at her eyes with her apron. “Oh honey, seeing you this happy...” She touched my cheek. “You haven’t stopped smiling since you got home.”
“Can’t help it.” I closed the box and slipped it into my pocket. “Never been better.”
“I’m just so glad you finally found your way to each other.” She beamed and pulled me into a floury hug. “Your dad and I want to throw you two an engagement party. Nothing too fancy, just family and close friends to celebrate properly.”
The smart move would’ve been to deflect, given our complicated situation. But this thing with Tate felt more real with each passing day, and I couldn’t help feeling more than a little cocky. “That sounds great, Mom. Thanks.”
Fourteen
Tate
Most of the time I loved my job. Being out in nature, getting my hands in the dirt. I even loved the design aspect because that felt more like art than work. But one thing I truly hated was paperwork. Unfortunately, being my own boss meant there was nobody else to foist that off on. Well, I could’ve dumped it on Kellan, but while the man had a lot of strengths, being detail-oriented and nit-picky about taxes and inventory wasn’t one of them. Now that he was back, maybe we could look into hiring on a full-time office manager who could be more than just a receptionist who answered phones. Until then, he was off meeting with a supplier while I was neck deep in catching up on the stuff I’d been putting off since he got back.
I’d just finished entering receipts into our bookkeeping program when the bell over the office door chimed. Before I could look up, Austen and Felicity flanked me like secret service agents.
“Time’s up, buttercup.” Austen plucked the pen from my fingers.
“What are you doing?”
“Staging an intervention.” Felicity grabbed my purse from the hook. “You’ve been dodging us for weeks.”
