Chapter Twenty-Three #2
Savannah thought about that for a few moments. Jake protected her, too — not because he thought she was weak, but because he loved her.
She let out a breath and smiled at Jo. “I guess you’re right. And while we’re still here all we can do is finish the pies.”
“Exactly. You’re doing a great job. With a bit more practice you could be a professional pie maker.”
Savannah laughed. “I don’t think so. It’s taken me all this time to become a professional mechanic. Now that I’ve finally made it, I’m going to stick with it.”
~ ~ ~
“Talk to me. Are you all right?”
Jake turned to Josh, still struggling for control.
He wanted to go after Colt and the other deputy who was leading Rick away.
He wanted to finish what he’d started. He’d chased after Rick and taken him down.
He’d wanted to teach the asshole a lesson – wanted to make sure that he’d never go after a woman again. But he’d kept a lid on it.
He may have landed a punch before he hauled Rick to his feet. When the slimy little bastard had tried to wriggle away, that had earned him a gut punch – just to make sure he wouldn’t run.
Jake had marched him back to his truck and sat him in there while they waited for Colt to arrive.
He’d wanted to punch him again when he pulled him out of the truck to hand him over, but no matter how much he wanted revenge for Savannah – and for Tiff – he wouldn’t do it.
Rick was older, out of shape; he was a loser, not an apex predator.
He unclenched his jaw and inhaled deeply before blowing it out slowly. “I’m good.”
Josh gave him a small smile. “You’re better than good – I bet there’s a bunch of football teams who’d be fighting to sign you as their new safety if they’d seen that tackle.”
Jake shrugged, and Josh’s expression sobered.
“But that was you holding back, right? You could have beaten him to a pulp if you wanted to.”
Jake pursed his lips. “Believe me, I wanted to.”
Josh nodded. “But you’re a good man and a decent human being, so you resisted temptation.
” He grasped Jake’s shoulder and gave him a shake.
“Let it go, dude. Even now you’re emanating waves of fury.
But you did the right thing.” He smiled.
“If Colt had to lock you up for assault we wouldn’t be able to go and find this ring, would we?
Do you think your dad and Dom will still be there? ”
That question finally made him move. “I texted him while we were waiting for Colt.” He glanced toward the walkway and relaxed a little when he saw his dad and Uncle Dom hurrying toward them.
His dad came straight to him. “Are you okay, son?”
“I’m fine.”
“And Rick?” His dad had been a Marine for his whole adult life. He understood.
Jake nodded. “Colt walked him to his squad car just a minute ago.”
His dad held his gaze for a long few moments, then nodded.
Uncle Dom smiled at them. “I’m just going to lighten the moment here and explain to Josh that we’re watching two Marines have a silent conversation that goes something like this…” He held both hands up as if they were puppets talking to each other and spoke in a deep gruff voice as he acted it out.
“I know you wanted to end him, son.”
“You have no idea how much, Dad.”
“I think I do, but you didn’t inflict any major damage, did you?”
“No, but I wanted to.”
“I know, but it takes a bigger man not to. I’m proud of you, son.”
“Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you too, son.”
When he’d finished, Jake started to laugh.
It just bubbled up out of nowhere. Everything Uncle Dom said was true.
Maybe it was the ridiculousness of his naked hand puppet show, or maybe it was the tension that had never really left him since Savannah had first told him about Rick finally finding its release.
Whatever it was, he laughed hard enough that his dad, Josh and Uncle Dom all joined in, and people passing by eyed them with amusement.
Once he’d recovered, his dad slung his arm around his shoulders. “Is it time to go buy a ring, then?”
“Absolutely.”
Once they were inside Laura Hamilton’s store, Jake was pleased when Zack’s girl, Maria, came out to greet them.
She grinned when she saw him. “Oh wow! Are you here for what I think you’re here for?”
He chuckled. “I am, if you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking.”
She laughed. “Awesome! Do you know what you want or where you want to start?”
He nodded. “I do. Do you have any with two diamonds?”
“We do. Do you know what kind of band and what kind of cut you’re looking for?”
He stared at her. It had taken him a long time and a lot of sneaky scrolling on his phone before he discovered that not all engagement rings were solitaires.
He’d taken an instant dislike to that word because the whole point of the ring was for Savannah to be able to see proof right there on her finger every day that she wasn’t alone in the world anymore – he was right there with her.
There seemed to be lots of designs with three, five or even seven stones, but he wanted one with two.
He needed her to know that they were in it together no matter what life brought their way.
But bands and cuts? He shrugged. “What do you have?”
Maria went to one of the display cabinets and took out a tray with lots of rings on it. He shook his head immediately. “I want her to have gold, not silver.”
“I think that’s platinum, Jake,” said his dad.
Jake knew platinum was more expensive, but it wasn’t about the money, it was about how it felt. He wanted Savannah to look at her ring and have it feel like a real engagement ring. Maybe it wouldn’t matter to her, but it did to him.
“I want gold – real gold.”
Maria smiled. “You mean yellow gold.” She pointed to a different tray of rings.
“Yeah, like that.”
“Not rose gold?”
He shook his head when she pointed to a different tray – those ones looked like copper to him.
“Yellow gold,” he confirmed. “Two stones and…” he waited until Maria put the first tray back and brought another.
“Are there any where the stones don’t stick up too far?
I don’t want them to get caught on anything when she’s working.
” He looked at his dad. “Do you think she can wear it when she’s working? ”
His dad didn’t look as though he knew.
“She’s working in the garage with you now, isn’t she? How about something bezel-set?” Maria suggested.
“You’ll have to show us,” his dad said with a laugh. “We’re clueless here.”
She picked out a ring with two diamonds, one square, the other kind of pear-shaped. The band was plain yellow gold, and it had a little rim around both stones so they lay flush with the band.
Jake smiled and took it as she handed it over. “Yeah, something like that. But not that one.”
“That’s okay, we’re narrowing it down.” Maria took it back. “Oh no – did you cut yourself?”
Jake looked down at his knuckles. They were grazed and bloody. “It’s fine.” He smiled at the others. “I must have caught them on something stupid.”
Maria gave him a knowing look. “You sound like my Zack, and I know better than to ask—”
“That one!” Jake didn’t even feel bad talking over her.
He’d spotted it. The ring she’d shown him wasn’t right because the diamonds were different shapes.
This one had two round diamonds and they seemed extra shiny.
It might be the cut, it might be that they were shining at him because he knew that was the ring.
He kind of liked that idea even if it was far-fetched.
Maria took it out and handed it over. “This one?”
“Yeah. This is it. Thanks, Maria.”
“Do you know what size she is?”
His heart thudded to a halt. “Not a clue,” he confessed.
His dad gripped his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”
Josh chuckled. “We can put Tiffany on the case.”
“But I want it now.”
His dad cocked an eyebrow. “Are you in that much of a hurry?”
When he’d asked them all to come over here with him today, Jake had thought it was about getting the ring so he’d be ready when the moment came. Now, all of a sudden, he was in a hurry.
“You could try calling Tiffany,” Maria suggested. “She might know.”
Josh held up his phone with a smile. “I have every faith in that girl. Cross your fingers, guys.”