I Promise (3 page)

Christy reached for Todd's hand and drew it to her lips. She kissed it three times. One kiss for each of the scars that remained after the near-fatal car accident he was in that fall.

“I hope you're right,” she said.

“I am.” Todd chuckled. He held her left hand and ran his rough fingers across the top of her long fingers. “Did you wish I had a ring for you when I proposed last night?”

“No.”

“Are you sure? Because I asked my dad if I should buy a ring for you before I proposed. He said you probably would want to choose your own. Doug told me last night about a jeweler he likes here in Carlsbad. That's where he bought Tracy's ring. It's not far from here. I thought we could stop by this morning to see what they have.”

Christy drew back and examined Todd's expression. “Is that why we came all the way to Carlsbad for breakfast burritos? You wanted to go ring shopping today?”

“Yeah.” Todd grinned.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“What?”

“Todd, you know you can tell me these things ahead of time, don't you? I mean, it would have helped me to know that was why you wanted to drive down here.”

“Okay, next time I'll tell you. See? We're learning to adjust already.”

Todd helped her stand up, and they headed for the parking lot hand in hand. Christy felt herself warming up from the inside out as they drove into an older part of Carlsbad. She had fond memories of a jewelry store she and Todd had visited last summer when they were in Venice, Italy. It was owned by their friend's uncle and had to be the most elegant shop she had ever been in, complete with a uniformed guard at the door and gold chandeliers.

This Carlsbad jewelry store was located next to a bakery and a bookstore and didn't look nearly as opulent as the jewelry store in Venice. But what it lacked in golden chandeliers and uniformed guards it made up for in cozy ambience. Todd held open the door for Christy, and the fragrance of fresh-baked bread from the bakery next door swirled through the air.

Romantic visions of exchanging whisper-filled glances with Todd as she tried on engagement rings danced in Christy's head.

“Morning!” Todd greeted the gentleman at the back of the shop. “Is it okay if we look around?”

“Yes, of course. If I can answer any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm Mr. Frank.”

Christy felt like a princess as Todd motioned for her to take a seat at the padded bench in front of the first jewelry case. He stood behind her and, leaning over, pointed at the most noticeable ring in the center of the
case. It had a large diamond in the center and three rubies on either side.

“Look at that one,” Todd said.

“It's beautiful. But kind of big, don't you think? I like the smaller, simpler rings. Like that one.” Christy pointed to a gold ring with a single diamond in a plain setting. “Only not that plain. I want my ring to be unique, you know?”

“Is there anything I can show you?” Mr. Frank came their way with a key in his hand.

“I'm not sure,” Christy said quickly.

“Go ahead. Try it on,” Todd said. “That way you'll know if you like the style or not.”

Mr. Frank reached into the case for the padded velvet display box and took out the diamond solitaire. Christy slid the ring onto her left hand; it fit perfectly. The diamond was cut boldly and raised high on four prongs. She felt her hands begin to sweat. She had read the price on the attached tag when she slipped the ring on her finger and knew it must be an exceptional diamond. And she knew she could never feel comfortable wearing a ring that cost so much.

“What do you think?” Todd asked.

The phone rang, and Mr. Frank excused himself with a polite nod, leaving Christy and Todd alone for a few minutes. Todd leaned over and planted a kiss on Christy's unsuspecting lips.

With a chin-up gesture he asked again, “So, what do you think?”

Christy teasingly returned the chin-up gesture that
had been Todd's trademark for years and whispered, “I think you kiss pretty good.”

Todd suppressed his laughter. With a finger to his lips he whispered, “I'm serious. What do you think?”

Christy blinked her eyes innocently and said, “I was serious, too. I think you kiss pretty good.”

Todd reached over and tickled her. A burst of laughter almost escaped her lips, but she kept them pressed together until they hurt.

Mr. Frank finished his phone call. As he headed back toward them, Christy turned to Todd and whispered, “This ring is way too expensive.”

Todd took her hand and turned it so he could read the price. “That's okay. If you like it, we can make payments. Don't let the price hold you back.”

“It's not just the price, it's the ring. The style. I've never worn a lot of rings, but I know I'd like something smaller. Flatter. Something different.”

“Different?” Todd questioned.

Mr. Frank stood before them and began to quote more facts about the diamond's clarity and size. “All of these rings are original designs made right here by my son and me.”

Christy took the ring off her finger and tried to keep from giggling as she felt Todd's hand on her shoulder. If his fingers slipped behind her hair and started tickling her neck, she knew she would burst out laughing.

“Do you have anything different?” Todd asked in a controlled voice. “Anything flatter? And what did you say, Christy? Smaller?”

“Ah!” Mr. Frank seemed to enjoy the challenge set before him. “Something other than the traditional diamond. Perhaps a sapphire or a blue topaz, to match your lovely blue eyes. We have some particularly nice tanzanite.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Todd refrained from tickling her as Christy tried on half a dozen nondiamond rings, with Mr. Frank giving a comprehensive lesson on each of the stones. With each ring she began to see potential options. Her imagination exploded with ideas when she tried on a particularly colorful Australian blue opal ring. The deep aqua blue stone with its flashes of green and purple reminded her of an ocean wave. And that reminded her of Todd and how they first had met at Newport Beach. However, the ring was too large, and the complicated setting didn't suit her.

“Do you have anything with this same sort of stone only in a smaller setting?” Christy asked. “Or even a flat setting like those bands with the diamond chips?”

“I don't believe we do. But as I mentioned earlier, we can make anything.”

Christy was ready to design her ring right then and there. However, she glanced up at Todd before asking for paper and pencil. His expression was glazed over; he appeared to have reached his limit on looking for rings and learning the history of gemology.

“You've given us a lot to think about.” Christy smiled at Mr. Frank. “I appreciate all your time.”

“Allow me to present you with my card. If I may be
of any further assistance, please don't hesitate to call.”

“Thank you,” Christy said.

“Are you sure you don't want to try on any more rings?” Todd asked a little too politely.

Christy couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. She released a light giggle that floated on the air like a band of glistening soap bubbles. “I would love to, Todd, but I think I've already tried on every ring in the store.”

They left with Todd's arm around her middle while he threatened to tickle her again.

“That poor man!” Christy exclaimed. “He kept looking at us like we weren't old enough to know what we were doing.”

“I thought he was looking that way because he knew we didn't have enough money to buy anything but the peppermints in the dish by the register.”

“Those were free,” Christy said.

“They were? Hey, let's go back and get some.” Todd turned around, but Christy grabbed his arm with both hands and pulled him toward the car. His comment about not having enough money sobered her.

“How are we going to pay for the rings and everything else?” she asked as soon as they were in the car.

“I have some money set aside,” Todd said. He didn't start the engine but looked at her carefully. “It's not a lot, but my goal was to have enough for the ring, the tux, and the first three months of rent before I proposed. And I have that. Otherwise, I would have asked you to marry me a long time ago.”

“You would have?”

Todd nodded. “I wanted us to get married before you went to Switzerland, but I knew that was an important year for you, and I didn't want to take it from you.”

Christy thought a moment. “I don't think I would have been ready then. I don't even know if I'm ready now.”

“Is that why you want a longer engagement?” Todd asked. “Do you need more time to be sure?”

“Oh, I'm sure I want to marry you.” Christy reached for his hand and held it with both of hers. “I didn't mean that to sound the way it did. I'm sure with all my heart that I want to marry you. Only you. What I meant was I'm not sure I'm ready for all the adjustments and planning and decisions, like with the ring. I mean, you would think I would have an idea of what I want already, but I've never given it much thought. I just want it to be uniquely ours so that every time I look at it I'll think of us. Does that make sense?”

“Sure,” Todd said. “You heard what he said. They can custom make anything you want. I'm sure you could have him put a stone like that blue one you liked into a different setting.”

“It might take a while to do that,” Christy said.

Todd flashed her a mischievous grin. “That's okay. It's not like we have to have the ring by January or anything.”

Christy playfully thumped him on the arm. “Todd,
seriously, do you think we could pull off a wedding in less than a month?”

Todd shrugged. “Hey, all we need is a ring and a minister, right? And before you comment on that, how do you feel about stopping by to see Doug and Tracy?”

“Okay.”

“Now, I like that answer.” He started the car. “Quick, clean, decisive.”

Christy settled back in her seat and thought about how much sense it made to wait until August for their wedding and about designing her own ring and about how much money they needed for rent. She thought about how many decisions they would need to make and how Todd appreciated “quick, clean, decisive” answers.

As Todd drove into a residential area where cottage-style beach bungalows lined the street, Christy came to a conclusion. “You know what, Todd? That's going to be my goal over the next few months. I'm going to work at making quick, clean decisions.”

“You have good instincts, Christy. You should trust yourself and go with your gut feelings more often.”

She studied his profile as he pulled up in front of Doug and Tracy's house. This man of her dreams who sat beside her had grown into a strong God-lover who was also deeply in love with her. Christy felt her heart pounding until she thought it would go
zing!
and fly right out of her.

“What?” Todd glanced at her as he backed their
Volvo into a space along the curb.

Christy pressed her lips together, intending to keep her zingy feelings inside. But then Todd stopped the car, looped his arm over the steering wheel, and turned to her with his silver-blue eyes peering deep into the secret place of her heart. Suddenly August seemed very far away.

“Okay,” she said, following her gut instincts yet speaking in barely a whisper. “You win. January it is.”

Todd leaned closer. “What did you say? I couldn't hear you.”

Christy's heart raced. Her cheeks flushed. Never had she felt so overcome with the intensity of her love for Todd. Did she dare repeat the whispered words that had escaped her heart?

“What I said was . . .”

A flicker of an image came to Christy. The two of them were pulling away with a squeal from the very curb they had just parked in front of and driving one hundred miles an hour to the first drive-through wedding chapel they came to in Las Vegas.

She blinked.
No, this isn't one of those moments when I should trust my gut for a quick, clean decision. If I did, I'd end up dashing ahead of you and God and everyone else.

“I said I love you,” she whispered. “That's all.”

“Oh, is that all?” Todd teased, pressing the back of his hand against her warm cheek. “Then why are you blushing?”

“Sunburn?” she ventured, raising her eyebrows and trying to look as innocent as possible.

“In December? I don't think so.” Todd smiled at her. He seemed to be studying every detail of her face. His hand rose to the crown of her head. Gently, he stroked her long hair.

“Oh, Kilikina, if you only knew.” He smoothed his thumb across her lips. “You have no idea what you and your love have brought to my life. You are the other half of my heart. Without you, my life would be only a shadow.” He paused. “I love you, Kilikina. I love you more than you will ever know. More than you will ever ask. Nothing will ever change my love for you.”

“Oh, Todd.” Christy tilted her head toward him and offered him her lips.

Todd accepted her gift and kissed her slowly.

Just then a loud horn sounded in front of them, shattering their forever moment.