72. Then
SEVENTY-TWO
then
I wondered if finding Ella’s place in bed empty would always bother me.
After our mid-night journey to the shore, we agreed to sleep late, but the clock on my phone said 8:24 a.m .
Hardly a luxurious lie-in.
I also had a text from my mother, telling me to message her when I woke up because we needed to try to get to the jewelry store the moment they opened. She hoped if we arrived before any other customers, the jeweler might agree to size the ring on the spot instead of making me come back for it later, which would involve coming up with another excuse to sneak away from Ellie.
Either way, I knew it would cost me.
After exchanging a handful of texts, we agreed to meet downstairs in ten minutes. She also informed me that Daniel had already arrived. I rushed through dressing, throwing on the first sweater and pair of jeans I could find, nearly tripping over Ella’s clogs on my way out.
My parents were in the kitchen, chatting with a scruffy, world-worn version of my cousin that I barely recognized.
“Grayson, my brother!” he hooted, greeting me with a hard slap to the back. “How the fuck are ya?”
He’d never been known for his polish. Briefly, I wondered if that unorthodox edge would work in our favor once he ran our real estate holdings.
“I’m well,” I told him, meaning it. “Very well.”
He nodded, smiling. “I met your new girl. She was in here when I woke up.” He slapped me again. “And damn, she’s fine . Good work, cuz.”
I glanced around, looking for a trace of my girlfriend. The neatly ordered ingredients on the island seemed to suggest she’d only stepped away for a moment.
“Did you see where she ran off to?” I asked, reaching for the French press she left out for me. “She snuck away from me this morning, and I didn’t get a chance to tell her that we’re going into town for some last-minute shopping.”
Daniel leaned into the counter, sipping from his mug. “She said she was going to go for a walk on the beach,” he told me, shrugging. “Then she mentioned something about making waffles?”
Dad chuckled fondly. “That sounds like Ella, all right.”
Mom laughed. “It’s just as well. Gives us the perfect opportunity to slip out before she sees what we’re up to.”
I found a to-go cup for my coffee and started pouring. “I’ll text her from the car and let her know when we’ll be back. ”
Daniel unwound, loping over. “Speaking of, do you mind if I borrow your cell for a second? Mine died in the car on the way in from the tarmac, and I only have a European charger. I just need to check the market real quick.”
Impressed that he had investments to track, I handed the iPhone to him. “Yeah, no worries. The code is 0924. I’m just going to go grab something…”
With a meaningful look to my parents, I slipped into the great room and plucked Ella’s ring out from under the tree. When I returned, they both had their coats on.
Danny handed me back my phone. With a nod and a salute, he waved us out. “Godspeed, bro. ”