Once Upon an Heirloom (Meet Cute Romance 3)
The mariachi band burst into song beside them. They both jolted, looking over into the musicians’ grinning faces as they played what Sylvie imagined was some kind of Spanish love song. God, talk about awkward. Everett looked distressed by their presence, which was actually kind of cute. She’d already learned he was too polite to ask them to leave, so they’d both endure this uncomfortable interlude until the song was finished.
Sylvie dropped her gaze to the box on the table and her mind went utterly blank as she stared at it.
A ring box.
He’d brought her a ring.
On Valentine’s Day.
Oh God.
Panic and mortification burst to life inside her. Of course, he wasn’t as amazing as he seemed. He was crazy. He was proposing on their first date? They didn’t even know each other’s last names!
Sylvie pushed back from the table, fumbling to grab for her coat and purse. Everett was trying to say something, but she couldn’t hear anything over the music and the roari
ng in her ears. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Everybody was staring. She had to get the hell out of here. Skirting around another table, she managed to get past the band and made a beeline for the exit, not quite running. Everett got caught by the musicians. She could hear him uttering apologies as he tried to get past them. Dear God, were they following him? She was already to the hostess station when he called her name.
“Sylvie, wait!”
She didn’t, instead shoving her arms into the coat and heading for the door, weaving through the patrons waiting for tables.
“It’s not what you think!”
Sylvie hit the door, burst out into the cold night. What was she going to do? Brenna had driven her. It would take a good fifteen minutes for her to get here.
I should’ve hidden in the restroom, she thought. It was too late now. The door behind her was already opening.
“Sylvie, please just listen.”
She glanced over her shoulder. Amazing how he didn’t look or sound like a crazy person. But maybe that was the thing. Maybe crazy didn’t show on the outside. “Everett, I’m sorry, but I really can’t do this. I apologize if I’ve given you the impression—” Of what? That I was also a lunatic? “—that I’m looking for something serious, but I—”
“Sylvie, it’s your grandmother’s ring.”
Whatever response she’d expected from him, it wasn’t that. “What?”
“Just listen, please.”
She turned toward him fully, then, holding her purse by the strap in case she needed to hit him with it. “I’m listening.”
“This is not a proposal. I’m not a lunatic, I swear.”
“That’s what a lunatic would say, I expect.”
He tipped his head and laughed a little. “Fair point. Look, I was there, at Vandevelde’s the day you sold your grandmother’s ring.”
“You what?” She wracked her brain, but she could remember only the jeweler himself. Then again, she’d been so distraught, a T-Rex could’ve walked by outside, and she’d probably have missed it.
“I came into the store with a friend of mine who was there to buy an engagement ring. I overheard part of what you told Mr. Vandevelde about why you were selling. I told you, I’ve done some crazy stuff in the name of helping people. This might be one of the craziest. Right after you walked out, I bought the ring because I wanted to give it back to you. But by the time I made it out of the store, I’d lost you. So I’ve been carrying it around for the last two months, hoping to run into you again. When I ran across you on Perfect Chemistry, I thought, finally, I’d get the chance to return this to its rightful owner.” He held out the now open box.
She could see her grandmother’s familiar sapphire ring nestled in the velvet.
“Please, take it,” said Everett.
She wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. But what would he expect in return? “What do you get out of this?” she asked instead.
“The satisfaction of knowing an heirloom went back to the family it came from.”