Page 77 of Surrender

Jack cuts his gaze to mine. “You should visit Charlotte more.”

“She’s younger than Bennett. I don’t think Lucy finds her all that entertaining.”

He waves the spatula before turning back to the pan. “Other playdates then. With girls.”

“Thank you, Jack. I will not take your advice into consideration.” I move beside him and steal a piece of bacon from the paper towel. “But I appreciate the concern.” I wink at him.

“That’s where she gets it! You girls don’t know how cute you are.”

My heart swells in my chest. “If you say so.”

“I’d say I’m an expert at this point.”

“Mm-hmm. Lucy, did you finish your breakfast?”

She nods, eyes glued to the table. I move around her chair to see what’s captured her attention, and my breath catches.

“Where did you get that?” My voice is barely above a whisper. The center diamond of my wedding ring glints in the light above her head.

“Found it.” She spins the ring in front of her.

“Where did you find it?”

“The floor.”

The floor. That doesn’t make any sense. “Here? At this house?”

Her wispy hair flies around her face with her enthusiastic bob.

That can’t be true. I’m almost positive I packed the ring away in a box with the rest of my jewelry before we left Arizona. It would have arrived with the boxes this weekend, but I haven’t unpacked anything. Our stuff is stacked in Jack’s garage.

“What’s wrong?” He steps up beside me, so close I can feel the heat of him radiate across my shoulders and his breath fan against my neck.

“She has my wedding ring. I haven’t been wearing it. Not for months now.” I turn to look up at him. “I need to see the boxes in the garage.”

“Hold on.” Without waiting for a response, Jack prowls around the corner and down the hall. I bounce Bennett while I wait, trying to rack my brain for a memory of taking the ring out.

Jack returns, immediately holds his hands out for Bennett, and secures him tight against his chest. “Go on. I’ll check on you in a minute.”

A lump in my throat swells tight at his concern. “It shouldn’t take long. I know what box it was in.”

I slip on my coat and boots before rushing into the garage.

The box is near the bottom of a stack. I shift off three other boxes before I can access it. The heavy cardboard scrapes loudly across the floor as I drag it to a more accessible location. I tear through the tape and sort through the contents.

I double-wrapped the few jewelry boxes to conceal them in case someone else came rifling through. The second layer of taped boxes looks exactly as it did the day I packed them. Leaving the rest open and disorganized, I carry the small package back into the house where it’s warm.

Jack’s gaze finds me the second I emerge from the hall. He’s gently running a damp comb through Lucy’s hair while she plays with the ring. Bennett rocks on his knees on a blanket in the middle of the room.

“Find anything?”

I hold up my hand. “I have to look in here.”

I don’t bother with scissors. Instead, I tear through the tape with my fingernail. Velvet box after box emerges, each one contains its proper item nestled securely inside. I line the trinkets of my past on the kitchen table. All except the box where my wedding ring should sit.

Didsit.

Didn’t it?

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