He holds his hand out. “It’s nice to seeyou again. You look very beautiful this evening.”
I can’t help my blush. It’s a natural reactionto any man paying me a compliment. “Thank you.”
“I haven’t forgotten that I still owe youfive hundred dollars.”
“Yes, you do. Then I can give you theauthentication papers.”
“We need to meet and do that.” Rafe lookspast me, and I glance in his direction to see Cole and Luke standing at theedge of the dance floor watching us.
“Mr.…oh Rafe, I just realized I don’tknow your last name. I’d love to introduce you to my husband.”
“I’m a first name basis gentleman. I’dlove to meet your husband, but perhaps another time. I have business to attendto. I’ll contact you about the ring.” He gives me a small salute and I noticethe ruby ring on his pinky finger. “Good evening Mrs. Holt.”
“Good evening,” I mutter to hisretreating back. Odd, I didn’t realize he knew my last name. Cole meets mehalfway. He looks me over with concern. Then turns me back around towards thebathroom. “What’s wrong?” But he doesn’t answer. He walks us around the hall,then stops, pressing me up against the wall. He cups his hands around my face.
“What did he say?”
I scrunch my eyebrows. His behavior isfrightening me. “What did who say?”
“The man you were just talking to. Did hetell you his name?”
“Oh Rafe, I met him the other day at theantique shop.”
Cole goes calm, all except the vein inhis neck that’s pulsing frantically. “You’ve met him before?”
“Yes, yesterday at the antique shop.”
“What were you doing there?”
“Buying you a gift. Cole, what’s goingon?”
“What did he say to you tonight?”
“Oh—I,” shoot, I don’t want to tell Cole aboutselling my ring. He won’t understand what buying his wedding band with my ownmoney means to me. That I sacrificed for him, for us.
“Kathrine.” His words are low and sharp.My eyes get wide. He never uses my full name.
“You’ll be mad at me.” I whisper,lowering my gaze.
“Baby, you need to tell me now.”
“I had my mother send me a ruby ring Ibought about three years ago when I was still in school. I found it at anestate sale. I only paid a hundred dollars for it, but when Craig Foster, theman I interned for, appraised it, he told me it was early Victorian and wortharound four thousand dollars. I took it into the shop to sell it so I could buyyou a wedding gift.” I tell Cole the rest of the story about how he didn’t haveall the cash and would get in contact with me. “We exchanged numbers. He saidhe’d be in touch. That’s it.”
“You didn’t need to sell your ring.” Itcomes out between his teeth.
“I knew you wouldn’t understand. I wantedyour wedding band to be somethingItruly bought you, something from myheart.” My lip quivers and my eyes fill with tears. Why does he always have tobe so demanding, and nosy, and bossy? I wanted to give him something from myheart that had meaning, like the watch from his grandpa, like my wedding ring,something to cherish. I cross my arms over my chest. My breathing is raggedfrom trying to keep my tears at bay.
Cole places his hands on either side ofmy face, leaning his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry. Thank you for tellingme.” I tangle my hands into the front of his tux.
“What did he say?” Luke nearly plows intous, coming around the corner. “Sorry.” He steps back.
Cole straightens up. “She doesn’t knowwho he is.”
“Who is he?” I breathe.
Cole cups my face again. “Rafael Mezzo.”
My legs go weak and the blood rushes frommy head, making me dizzy. The man tricked me. He used me; he tainted Cole’swedding gift. I just wanted one thing to work out the way it is supposed to. Mylife truly feels very unfair at this moment. Cole wraps an arm around my waist.“Kate, shit Kate.” He cups my face. “We need to go now.”
