TOML SW 2015-04-09 (8 page)

How many times had she cursed herself for doing that? It wasn’t like she’d consciously decided to do it. She just had.

Stupid moron.

Hopefully he wasn’t too put-off by her rebuke. Oh, man, she sure hoped not.

Tori gave one more tap with her hammer, the ruby now roughly snuggled in its setting, and reached for the diamond. How many times had she stared at this ring on her mother’s finger, wondering if Bonnie would ever get past mourning her husband?

Now here it was, the setting and stone already separated, and the thought made Tori sad again. Her heart ached as she thought of her father, a grief she was far more accustomed to than she would like. She began to set the stone as images of her parents together flitted through her head like an old photo album.

He would want Bonnie to be happy again. Tori knew he was smiling down from heaven that his bride had found someone else to love. Happier still that she was including the diamond in her new ring, honoring her first husband and showing the world that her love for that man lived on.

Tori swiped at a tear as she worked. Man, she’d been crying a lot lately, so many emotions so close to the surface. No doubt she’d be a basket case at the wedding ceremony.

No matter who I’m there with.

Reaching for Jed’s mother’s ring, she worked to separate the sapphire from the gold. Edward had already given her permission to reuse the setting, though she had no idea what she was going to do with it. She only knew it seemed wrong to return the ring without its precious stone, as if filling that space could somehow fill the space between father and son.

She placed the sapphire in Bonnie’s ring, seeing the three as a complete set for the first time. It was a stunning piece, the gems beautifully offset by the white and yellow gold of the band, and she knew she’d done well.

Could Jed be right? Was she better at this than she gave herself credit for?

The doorbell rang, and Tori’s eyes went to the clock. Who was here at this hour? She walked to the window and opened it. “Who’s there?” she called.

“It’s me, Jed.”

Her stomach dipped and swirled. Hadn’t she known he would come? Wanted it, more than she had any business wanting this man? “I’ll be right down.”

She padded down the stairs in her bare feet, through the darkened shop with its shadows and shapes. She disarmed the alarm and unbolted the door as if she was opening a piece of herself to this man.

His eyes were weary. “Can I come in?”

She stepped back for him to enter. He walked past her and turned to face her, his features in shadow.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Thank you.”

“I said some nasty things. I hope you can forgive me.”

She nodded. “I do, though I’m worried about why you said them.”

He looked away. “I’m going back to New York. I don’t belong here.”

Her heart sank. She had feared as much after his argument with Edward today. “I wish you would stay.”

“Why?”

Because I don’t want you to go.

She shook her head slightly. She couldn’t say that to him. “For the wedding. To make up with your father. He’s sorry for everything that’s happened between the two of you, Jed. If you left now, you’d regret it.”

He took a step closer, the scent of rain on his shirt wafting toward her, carrying the smell of him. He reached up and touched her hair, making her scalp tingle and her pulse pick up speed.

“Is that the only reason?” he asked. “Because it’s been driving me crazy, wondering what happened when you picked Gabe up at the airport. I can’t stand the thought of him touching you. Looking at you the way I look at you. Tell me, Tori.”

His fingers reached into her hair once more, pulling her head back. “Do you want me to stay?”

Her breath came quickly, excitement settling over her like an icy frost. Time came to a standstill.
 
I do want him to stay.

“Tell me,” he growled, and the words vibrated in her belly.

What was the matter with her? Gabe was finally back in her life, so why was she attracted to this Neanderthal of a man who infuriated her more than anything? He was waiting for an answer, his eyes just inches from her own, but she didn’t trust herself to speak. She shook her head, no.

“You’re a liar.” Before she realized what he was about, his mouth came crushing down on hers. She felt herself begin to soar, her body responding to him. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep herself in check as he coaxed her lips to open for him.

“Kiss me, Tori,” he said urgently.

No, no, I can’t…

“Kiss me, or I just might believe you don’t want me.”

 
Her mouth opened on a gasp of arousal, and she tentatively kissed him back. She was caught up in him as surely as a leaf in a wind storm, all reason ripped free, leaving only emotion in its place. She was a mass of feeling, passion and pleasure, all her attention focused on this moment.

A guttural sound ripped from Jed’s chest and his arms tightened around her, holding her against his body.

The feel of his excitement brought her abruptly back to the ground. This was Jed she was kissing, the brother of the man she thought she was interested in. She stepped back, her eyes taking in the searing heat of his stare, the rapid rise and fall of his breathing.

He looked like an animal.

A virile, wild animal about to pounce.

She shook her head quickly. “I’m sorry,” she said, then turned and ran away, ignoring his voice calling after her.

~~~

Tori raised tired eyes as Melanie walked through the door of Tori’s Treasures the next morning.

“What the heck happened to you?” Melanie asked.

“Shut up. I didn’t get a lot of sleep.”

“Did you get any? Because you look awful.”

“Thanks.”

“You got it.” Melanie put a brown bag of groceries on the glass counter and began taking things out. When she pulled out a carton of chocolate covered donuts, Tori sighed gratefully.

Melanie snorted. “A little birdie told me you might be needing a fix this morning.”

“How’d you know?”

“I went out for a milkshake around two in the morning and your lights were still on. So spill it. What had you up until all hours last night? Was it Gabe?”

“No.” She sighed heavily. “It was Jed.”

“The brother?”

Tori nodded.

Melanie raised her eyebrows. “Wait, he was there? At two o’clock in the morning?”

“He left around eleven.”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“No.”

“Hanky panky?”

“I just kissed him.”

Mel grabbed a diet soda and sat down, eyes wide. “Details. I want details.”

“I made a fool of myself, making out with the brother of the guy I supposedly like, and you want details.”

“So what happened?”

“I’m an idiot. What more do you want to know?” Tori picked up a doughnut. “Now I don’t know if he’s going to stay for the wedding or not. He told me he wasn’t, before we started kissing.”

“Do you want him to stay?”

Tori shrugged. “I want him to make peace with his family.”

“And that’s the only reason?”

“That’s mostly the only reason.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow. “You’re falling for him.”

“Oh, no way. He’s a pompous, arrogant ass. I barely even like him.”

Mel chuckled and took a swig of her soda. “You’ve got it bad, sweetheart. I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner.”

“I do not!”

“L, O, V, E, love.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Sittin’ in a tree.”

“Stop it.”

“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage!”

Tori stood up and straightened her arms at her sides. “I am not in love with Jed Trainor!”

The sound of someone clearing their throat had Tori spinning around. A young woman stood at the register, ready to cash out. Tori made her apologies and rushed to ring the woman up. When the woman left the shop, Tori leaned forward and rested her head on the glass counter. “I am not in love with Jed Trainor.”

Melanie came and put a hand on Tori’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about love…”

“Not love!”

“…it’s that it doesn’t come around very often in life. You’ve got to grab the brass ring when you have the chance, or you’ll regret it for the rest of your days, sitting home alone watching Animal Planet and eating cheese balls.”

“You still miss Greg, don’t you?”

“Every single day.”

Tori frowned, sympathy for her friend welling up inside her. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, just get off your behind and go after your life.”

“I’m not in love with him, Melanie. I’m just kind of, sort of interested.”

“Call it whatever you like.”

“But I’m interested in Gabe, too.”

“Who had you up until two in the morning last night?”

“Jed.” Tori’s heart beat faster. She blew out air in a huff. “What if he left already?”

Melanie turned her around and pushed her toward the door. “You should go see.”

“You got the shop? It got real busy yesterday…”

“I’m good. Now you go get your girly affairs in order.”

~~~

Emeralds are green like shamrocks and grass

A pint full of promise, with elegant glass

Tell me your troubles, I’ll show you the way

To food, fun and frolic on any good day

Friendships are treasured, both new ones and old

As the song goes, one silver, one gold

So value each other more than pieces or things

And you will be wealthy without fancy rings

~~~

A light rain was falling when Tori parked across the street from Jed’s rental cabin. His car was in the driveway with the trunk open, the straps of a duffle bag clearly visible.

So he was leaving.

But he wasn’t gone yet.

She got out of the car and smoothed her skirt down over her thighs. What, exactly, was she going to do now? Beg him to stay because she just might, maybe, not definitely have feelings for him, and would he pretty please stay and be her date for the wedding after all?

Oh, and by the way, she might have feelings for Gabe, as well? Better not to think about Gabe. It was enough to deal with her jumbled thoughts about Jed without muddying the waters.

She took a shaky breath and crossed the street, then nearly collided with Jed as he rounded the corner of the cabin, carrying a box.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey. You’re going?”

He frowned, “Yeah.” He put the box in the car.

“Can I come in?” she asked, working to keep from biting her lip, and he nodded.

She followed him into the cabin, her gaze drawn to the wide windows and the panoramic view of the lake. It was a view she’d seen thousands of times, yet she knew she’d always remember this time, the blue of the water and the first touches of orange in the maple tree outside the window.

She turned to him and pushed her hair back from her face, fighting her natural embarrassment. “About last night…”

“I’m sorry about that, Tori.”

Her mouth went dry. “Sorry?”

“Yeah. I know you care about Gabe. I don’t even know why I did that. It’s not like…”

“Like what?”

He shrugged. “Well, it’s not like we have feelings for each other.”

Tori’s ears started to buzz. “No, of course not.”

“You’re looking for something else. Someone who wants a relationship. Not a guy like me.”

“Right.”

He turned and started packing up a few things on the table.

She knew her cheeks were flaming. What a fool she’d been to assume Jed was interested in her, just because of one kiss. And she did care about Gabe. Didn’t she? Emotions and self-doubt swirled through her belly. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore. It seemed every time she made up her mind, the walls pitched in the opposite direction, changing her view of the world all over again.

She watched Jed grab a jacket and tuck it in a suitcase. He really was leaving. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. This was happening too quickly, before she had a chance to sort through her feelings. All she knew was she didn’t want him to go, Melanie’s talk of the brass ring slipping through her fingers replayed in her head. “Why do you need to leave right now?” she asked. “Why can’t you stay for the wedding?”

He reached for his computer, packing that away as well. “No reason to.”

“What about your father?”

“He’ll be fine without me.” His eyes leveled on her, steely and gray. “Gabe can take my place.”