Page 68 of About Last Night

"Just fiancées," Jack said, picking up some of the honey samples sitting on Derek's desk.

"So glad to have you back," Derek said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. "And don't eat that," he said, swiping the pint of honey butter from beneath Jack's sampling finger. "It hasn't been refrigerated and it might be bad."

"So throw it away," Jack said, moving on to a container of pure honey.

Derek nodded, staring into the container. Jack was right. Why on earth was he keeping it around? Because it reminded him of Janine, he admitted to himself. He swirled his finger on the surface of the honey butter, then flinched when the pad of his finger encountered something sharp, something unexpected.Dipping his finger, he hooked the object and lifted it free of the sticky-slick substance. With his heart in his throat, he held Janine's engagement ring in the palm of his hand. The memories of her treating his burned hand vividly slammed home. The ring must've come off without her realizing it.

Jack came over to take a look. "Wow, has Phillips started putting prizes in their packages?"

Derek didn't have Janine's phone number, and he wasn't about to call Steve.

Then he remembered that while they were confined, Janine had once called her sister Marie from his phone. He scrolled back through his phone log to the two unforgettable days he'd spent with her. His chest tightened painfully at the memories. When he found a Lexington number he didn't recognize, he called it.

Jack was holding the ring up to the light. "Put it down!" Derek barked. "That ring belonged to Steve's grandmother and is worth alotof money."

Jack smirked. "Care to explain how Janine's engagement ring got into your jar of honey butter?"

Derek glared, then focused on the voice of the person who had answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello, may I speak with Janine Murphy's sister?"

"Speaking," the woman said, sounding wary. "This is Marie Murphy."

"Ms. Murphy, you don't know me. My name is Derek Stillman, and I—"

"Iknow who you are, Mr. Stillman."

He couldn't tell from her voice whether that was a good or a bad thing. "Okay. Ms. Murphy—"

"Call me Marie."

"Marie. I'd like to get a message to Janine, but it's important that you not tell her when Steve is around."

"Steve? Steve Larsen?"

"Yes."

"Why would he be around?"

He squinted. "Maybe I have the wrong number. I'm trying to get a message to the Janine Murphy who married Steve Larsen."

"Mr. Stillman, my sister was engaged to the jackass at one time, but she didn't marry him."

Derek felt as if every muscle in his body had suddenly atrophied. Impossible. Of course she'd married him. She'd said they would try to work things out. Plus Steve wasn't the kind of guy who would simply let her walk away.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Derek waved for him to be quiet. His heart was thumping so hard, he could see his own chest moving. "Uh, would you repeat that, please?"

A deep chuckle sounded across the line. "I said my sister was engaged to Steve at one time, but she didnotmarry him. She canceled the wedding at the last minute."

His heart vaulted. "I see. How... how can I get in touch with her?"

"Well, Mr. Stillman—"

"Call me Derek."

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