Calculated Risk (29 page)

He lifted her left hand. “This is my most prized possession in all the world. I want you to have it.”

He moved her pearl solitaire to her right hand and slid the Captain Planet monstrosity—which she would cherish forever—onto her left ring finger. “God won the battle to open my heart again by placing you in my life. I think I can take some credit for falling in love with you, though. Will you accept this token of my love?”

She rotated the plastic ring on her finger, her heart bolting like the lightning bars on the ring. She raised her face to his, grinning. “Yes. I will. I like it so much better than a hockey stick.”

 

****

 

Cisney gathered what she needed for her presentation to the executive staff.

Angela strolled in and sat in Cisney's side chair. “Hi.” She set her presentation packet on the end of Cisney's desk. “Are you ready?”

Angela's tan from lying on sunny beaches in Aruba had long faded, but her newlywed glow still gleamed.

“Yes. We'll dazzle the VPs like we did with our presentation before Christmas.”

Angela nodded at Cisney's hand. “Are you going to wear that in the meeting?”

Cisney wiggled her left ring finger. “Of course.” The VPs hadn't discounted her last proposal because she'd worn Nick's Captain Planet ring.

“I hope Nick appreciates how you wear that hunk of plastic everywhere. Is he coming again this weekend?”

“No. I'm driving down to Cornelius this time.”

“Those four-hour trips have got to get old. I don't know how you guys do it.”

“Well, you know Nick. He misses his Captain Planet ring.”

But Angela was right. A long-distance relationship was hard. The trip both ways cut into their weekend hours together. Except for time at Christmas, they seemed to spend more time talking over the phone than being with each other. She couldn't enjoy much of Sundays because she dreaded Nick's late afternoon departures, when it felt like part of her heart ripped from her chest and drove away with him.

They stayed at Mom and Daddy's house when Nick was in Richmond, which meant she had to share him with them—mostly with Daddy. The men had worked out a relationship.

Daddy's jabs at Nick were less frequent and more benign. Every weekend, he sat by the window and kept an eye out for Nick's arrival.

Mom adored Nick. She hummed as she made him cookies for the weekend and his trip home.

“Cisney?”

“Hmm?”

“You were off gathering wool.”

“I hate long-distance relationships.”

 

****

 

Nick paced between the Steinway and a sofa in the front room, keeping his eye on the window.

Mom came in from the kitchen. “No sign, yet?”

He stopped pacing. No need to incite Mom into worrying. “Not yet.”

“Nancy has Grandma Thelma on the phone. She and Grandpa want to see Cisney. Do you want them to come up for lunch Saturday or Sunday?”

“It'd be nice if we could have a family lunch here tomorrow.”

Mom nodded and went back to the kitchen. He heard her relay his message to Nancy.

Dad said something about a Chinese checkers tournament.

Where was Cisney? She was now twenty minutes overdue and she didn't answer—his cell rang.

Cisney.

He took a relieved breath. “Hi.”

“I'm just turning into the neighborhood. I thought I could make up time to hide my slip up, but I couldn't.”

“What slip up?”

“I stopped for my mid-trip milkshake and, in talking to the server—remember the one with the huge ponytail, at the place you accused me of trying to appear engaged with my pearl ring?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes. But I didn't accuse you of anything.”

“Anyway, I left my cellphone there and had to go back to get it.”

“How'd you manage to forget it?” He walked out onto the front porch, hunching against February's cold. Her headlights should appear at any moment.

“I put it down to show Sally my Captain Planet ring. And, you know, with all her gushing at how beautiful it is, I forgot to pick my cell up when my shake came.”

He chuckled at her little dig about the ring, his breath forming a cloud. He couldn't believe she wore his ring everywhere she went. He liked that.

Headlights appeared.

As soon as she parked, he opened the passenger door, tossed her handbag into the backseat, and climbed inside. He wrapped her in his arms and drew in her exotic scent, the one that stayed on his clothes after he left her each week and made him miss her all the way to Charlotte.

He pulled away. “I wanted to talk to you before the family pounces on you.”

“Should I leave the car running for heat?”

“Yeah.”

She looked so beautiful in the glow from the garage floodlight as she turned in her seat to more fully face him. Nerves rattled in his stomach.

He took her hand and toyed with the Captain Planet ring. “Cisney, I know we've been together—sort of—for only a few months, but even before we started dating I admired how hard you worked, how creative your ideas were, and how you never used worldly, dishonest tactics in your marketing strategies.”

“You…admired…me?”

“Yes. Then.
Now,
I love you.”

She swallowed. “Back then, I pretty much thought you were an arrogant actuary who looked for ways to judge my strategies too risky. By the way, Julie is doing a great job in supporting my area.”

He touched his finger to her full lips and grinned. “Are you going to let me talk?”

She caressed his jaw.
“
I love you, Nick.”

“In that case,” he said, “do you still have those résumés you prepared?”

Her beautiful eyes widened. She nodded.

He leaned to the side and wrangled a black velvet box from his jeans' pocket, and then looked into her eyes. “Will you marry me?” He opened the box.

She stared at the diamond twinkling up at her. Tears let loose and flowed.

He'd give it a ninety-five percent chance they were tears of joy. He held the box poised in front of her. “Well?”

She swiped away tears, but more replaced them. “Do I have to give the Captain Planet ring back?”

He lifted her chin with his free hand and kissed her. “Yes.”

 

 

 

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