Dammit!
“Oh. Sure.” Gut churning, I went over to my bag and began rifling through it, trying to think straight, but couldn’t. I hadn’t gotten to the most critical part of the story yet, and it looked like I might not be able to. “I just need to change.”
“All right. She’s ready when you are. And she is just beside herself,” my mother bubbled. “You’ve made her the happiest woman alive. She told me you’re giving her the only birthday gift she wants.”
“You are?” Chloe was giving me a strange look as she pulled on her shoes. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, grabbing a shirt from my bag without even looking at it. “Mom, can you go tell her I’ll just be a minute?”
“Sure.”
“Is the party in here?” The door opened wider and Chloe’s mother appeared.
Jesus fucking Christ, I was never going to get Chloe alone.
“Oliver needs to change, so why don’t we all go down to the library now?” Chloe looked over at me. “Take your time. I’ll see you down there.”
“Okay,” I said.
What else could I do?
Chloe left the room with our mothers, and I quickly changed my shirt, exchanged my shorts for pants and my sneakers for nicer shoes. I could have used a shave, I thought, checking my reflection in the mirror, but there was no extra time for that. Maybe once I got downstairs, I could pull Chloe aside.
It was my last hope.
Shutting my bedroom door behind me, I hurried down the hall to the guest room where my grandmother always stayed. On the way, I nearly tripped over my nephews, who were playing on the floor with trucks that used to belong to Hughie and me. I ruffled each of their heads before knocking on Gran’s door, thinking, Hughie never would have gotten himself into a mess like this. Neither would Charlotte.
Gran opened the door and beamed at me. “Hello, dear. Come right in.”
I glanced over my shoulder toward the stairs. Hughie and Lisa had come out of their room and were gathering up Joel and Toddy and shooing them down for dinner. I was running out of time. “Don’t you want to head downstairs?” I asked Gran.
“In a minute,” she said, ambling over to the dresser, where she opened a jewelry box. Then she winked at me over one shoulder. “I need to give you something first, don’t I?”
I swallowed hard. “Right now?”
“Well, of course right now. How are you going to propose without the ring?”
My vision blurred, and I leaned on the door frame for support. “I don’t know.”
“I have it right here. I’ve been saving it for you.” She pulled a ring from the box and held it up. “I don’t have the box, of course, but you know, neither did your grandfather when he gave it to me seventy years ago.”
I forced myself to walk toward her and take the ring from her fingers.
“He pulled it right from the inside of his jacket pocket and put it on my finger.” She looked a little dismayed. “You don’t have a jacket for dinner?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Well, I guess you’ll do without one.” Her smile brightened. “Chloe is so lovely.”
“She is.” I hope she doesn’t hate me for this. Carefully I tucked the ring into my pants pocket.
“And I know your grandfather would be so pleased that I saved this ring for you. You were so special to him.”
“He was special to me too.” Somehow thinking of my grandfather made me feel even worse. What would he think of what I was doing, conning my way into my trust fund so I could buy that land? Or promising Gran I’d propose this weekend as a birthday present? Or pretending as if Chloe and I had secretly been together for a while now? Did it matter that the relationship actually turned out to be real? Would I get a pass on that?
“He always felt you were destined for great things,” Gran went on. “And it’s okay that it took you a little longer to ground yourself than it took your parents. Or siblings. Or cousins.”
“Thanks.” I took her arm and guided her from the room. “I’d like to do great things.”
“You are! What greater thing is there than starting your own family? And it all begins with choosing a wife.”
I cleared my throat as we started down the stairs. “Right.”
“You know, that ring had been in the Pemberton family for decades, and when he asked his mother if he could have it for me, his mother said yes. I was considered a pretty good catch, you know.”
“I know.”
“Just like your Chloe,” she whispered. “You hold on to her. And be good. She’s not going to take any guff.”
“No, she isn’t.” We were nearly at the bottom of the stairs, and I could hear voices coming from the library. “But listen, Gran. I’m not sure tonight is exactly the right night to, you know, pop the question.”
“Why is that?”
“So many people around?”
“All the better for a celebration!”
“Uh, we haven’t been together very long—just a few months. And we’ve had to keep it secret, so …”
“Nonsense,” she said, tightening her hold on my arm. “You two have always been just right for each other, and you’re not getting any younger. It’s high time you settled down, Oliver Pemberton, and if you drag your feet, she’ll find someone less wishy-washy and settle for him instead. Is that what you want?”
“No, but—”
“Then you get that ring on her finger tonight. Mark my words, she’ll be gone if you don’t.”
We reached the bottom of the stairs and turned for the library. “What if she’s not ready?”
“Jiminy cricket, she’s thirty-two, Oliver. Of course she’s ready.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want a husband,” I tried.
“Every girl wants a husband.”
I knew that wasn’t the case, but Gran was ninety. How could I argue with her?
“And once you’re engaged and the wedding date is set,” she whispered, “we’ll get the remainder of your trust all set up for you so the two of you can buy a house and settle down anywhere you’d like, although your parents and I hope you’ll stay close by. You know how I love to dote on my great-grandchildren.”
“I know.”
“So tonight, then?” she pressed.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Tonight.”
“Good boy.” She patted my arm as we entered the library. “Oh, and be a dear and do it before dinner, would you? I get tired and don’t always make it to the last course.”
“Before dinner?” I almost choked. “Like right now?”
“That’s a marvelous idea! The library is a beautiful setting.” She laughed merrily and pointed to Chloe, who was chatting with Charlotte over by the window. “There she is. Go get her.”
My stomach churned even harder as I hurried toward her. “Excuse me. Chloe, can I talk to you alone for a minute?”
“What’s with you?” Charlotte asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Someone put a rubber snake in your bed?”