I nod. “I know. I told you I wouldn’t lie and I’ll own that. But, truth, if I sold the brooch, I was going to quit so it felt like you didn’t need to know. And I thought I could deal with it all on my own. And, Mister, you like about going to a business meeting.”
“It was a business meeting but you’re right, I should have told you too. That’s fair but you never have to deal with things on your own anymore, baby.” He frowns as he glances across at me, indicating for the next exit, heading towards his house. “From now on, if you have problems, I have problems. We share them. You tell me what’s going on and we deal with them together, you got it?”
“Even if my sister makes more bad decisions? I have this guilt thing with her, I should tell her no, but I can’t seem to do it. She’s bound to get into some other financial bind, I don’t know how to fix it.”
That makes Roan laugh as he takes the exit. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pretty good at dealing with financial difficulties. Although, there’s something else on my mind right now…”
Roan slows the car, pulling down a road into a secluded area at a large rural park with a lake and a dark parking lot.
“Uhhh, what are we doing here?” I ask, my lips pulling in a little smile.
“Practicing for my new purpose in life,” he says, bringing the car into the side and killing the engine. Then he turns my way, turning in his seat and leaning over me. “Making you cum at least a hundred times a day. I need to practice. But, before I do…I think you and I have some business to finish.”
“What business?”
“I bid on a brooch…an antique Scottish wedding brooch from around the 1300’s.”
Roan
Her eyes twinkle in the dim light from the moon as she grins. “Yes, you did. You were sort of a difficult buyer.”
I shrug. “You’ve seen my other style of negotiating, so you should count yourself lucky. Now, where’s my item?”
She reaches into the backseat, grabbing her backpack and I want to spank her ass for carrying around such a treasure like it’s a ring from a bubble gum machine.
“Here.” She pulls out a small cardboard box and opens the lid, exposing white fabric as she lifts it out and I open my hand as she places it in my palm.
“How did you come to have it?”
I open the fabric, exposing the ornate carved silver and gold metal circle with the long pin slipped through the center sleeve, a Scottish bloodstone decorating the end.
“My grandmother. She met a man while she was in Europe during the war as a nurse. They fell in love and he gave it to her, it was from his family. But, she got hurt. A bomb exploded and she lost her hearing, I think I told you that part.”
“You did.”
“So, she came home, and while she was healing, she found out she was pregnant. Before she had the chance to write to him to let him know, she found out he’d been killed. She never married, raised my mother on her own. She said when he gave this to her, they already committed themselves to each other. It’s a wedding brooch that the man pins his family tartan to his bride on their wedding day, signifying she is part of his clan now. His family.”
“Very good. And now, you’ve given it to me.”
She twists a little smile on a shrug. “Well, you did say you would pay me for it…”
“Well, then, let’s do this.” I take it out of the cloth, take my handkerchief from my jacket pocket and pin it onto her coat just at her shoulder. “Your grandmother may not have had the chance to spend her life with her love, but I’m not going to let that happen to us. You’re mine, Alice. This is just the beginning, because, I brought this back for you from New York…”
I reach into the center console and pull out the silver box and flip it open as she gasps, wide eyed, then furrows her brow.
“The charm bracelet you brought Linnie was in a box like that, just different shape…”
“Yes, same store but this is different. Open it.” I place it in her hand, her fingertips trembling as she pops it open.
“Roan.” She stares down, shaking her head. “You brought this back for me? I’d only known you like ten minutes when you left for New York.”
“I only needed ten seconds to know. When I pinned that on you, our union was sealed, but the more American custom is to put a ring on your finger. You’re mine already, but I want the world to know. I’ll give you the wedding of your dreams.”