Page 180 of The Romance Adventure

...and that’s how I end up dressed as a pirate on a Friday afternoon after I make a pit stop and ask Royal if he’ll donate a couple of bottles of rum to a good cause.

Magnus

CHAPTER 18

“Bro, there’s no doubt you really like her. Where to start? You’d texted me to let me know you were bringing someone to dinner. That was a first. Literally a first,” Royal says.

We’re at Chip’s old place, sitting around the wooden box that I retrieved from the mysterious safe deposit box. I told them everything, including that I was the only one on the account aside from our grandfather.

We speculate that it could’ve been because I’m the oldest, but it was strange that it wasn’t in the will.

“Don’t forget that same night, he played the piano, sang, and danced with her,” CJ says.

“You’ve seen me play the piano and sing plenty of times.”

“But not dance,” Royal says matter-of-factly.

We should be trying to figure out how to open the box. Instead, it’s open season on my love life.

“Why are we talking about this instead of finding out what’s inside this box, if anything?”

“Because we know you, Mag. You’re afraid of commitment,” Ryan says.

“And what would you call twenty years in the US military?”

“Since it appears that the obvious must be spoken, that’s different,” Royal says.

“It’s just that we can tell you like her. It should be acknowledged, celebrated,” Royal says, holding the trophy for being the first of us brothers who was officially in a relationship.

“I bet she calls you something sweet like cuddle muffin,” Ryan says.

I slug him in the arm. “No, she does not.”

“Sweetie cakes?”

I punch him in the other arm.

Ryan opens his mouth and I narrow my eyes, suggesting he’ll get one right in the kisser if he doesn’t keep it closed.

But Ryan’s gaze drifts over my shoulder. The room turns exceptionally still, quiet. Rare for us McGregors.

“I present our grandmother’s engagement ring,” CJ says, appearing from upstairs.

My jaw lowers slightly at the delicate yet ornately beautiful engagement ring with a large greenish oval diamond in the center, surrounded by smaller regular diamonds around the band.

“Whoa. You’ve been sitting on this rock all this time?” Royal asks.

CJ casts him a glare. “It goes with the wedding band Magnus and Lally found. Supposedly, it has a sister.”

“Another ring?”

CJ shakes his head. “No, another diamond. Even though it looks whole, it was the other half, a heart, cut perfectly in two. This one was shaped into an oval. The other, into a teardrop.”

“Like from the lost crown of tears?” Ryan asks.

“You’re sure this belonged to Avó?” I ask.

“I have photographic evidence.” CJ pulls out a few dusty photo albums, arrays them on the table, and flips them open.