Page 70 of About Last Night

She did as she was told, content for the moment just to hear his voice. Inhale, exhale. Derek was here. Inhale, exhale.Whywas Derek here? Inhale, exhale. "What... are you... doing here?"

"Keep breathing. I have some good news. I found that ring you lost."

Sheer elation shot through her. "What? Where?"

"Keep breathing. In the jar of honey butter. It must've fallen off when you were tending to my hand. Thank God I didn't throw it away."

Relief flooded her limbs, and she tried to laugh, but it came out sounding more like a wheeze. "I can't... believe it." Her joy diminished a fraction at the realization that he'd come back on an errand—albeit a grand one—and not to see her.

But at least she'd get to talk to him, to look at him. Inhale, exhale. And she'd be able to return Mrs. Larsen's beloved ring.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his voice a caress.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I have more good news," he continued. "Thanks to you, I landed the Phillips Honey account. And you were right about changing the name—sales are up already."

Janine smiled. After all the trouble she'd caused him, she was glad she'd helped him in some small way. "That's wonderful. So your company is back on its feet?"

"Yeah, and my brother finally found his way home."

At least she wouldn't worry so much about him.

"Hey, they're getting ready to start the elevator car."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the car began to descend slowly, the floors ticking by until it halted at the lobby level. She hung up the phone and pushed to her feet just as the door opened. A small crowd had gathered and applauded whenshe walked out on elastic legs. She needed to sit down, but she needed to see Derek worse.

He was hard to miss, jogging toward her, the largest man in the crowd by far. He wore a dark business suit and, if possible, was more handsome than she remembered. Her heart lodged in her throat as he slowed to a walk, then stopped in front of her.

"Hi," he said, his brown eyes shining.

Oh, how she loved this man. "Hi, yourself," she croaked.

"Let's get you to a chair," he said, steering her in the direction of a furniture grouping. She realized she must look a fright—except for the elevator incident, she hadn't stopped all day. The white lab coat she wore over navy slacks and a pink blouse hung loose and rumpled, and her sensible walking shoes weren't even close to being attractive. But, she acknowledged wryly, it seemed silly to fret about her clothing when Derek was intimately acquainted with what lay beneath her clothes.

"Thank you," she murmured as she sank onto a couch. "I was going a little crazy in there."

His smile made her stomach churn with anxiety. "Good timing," he said.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Your sister told me. I hope you don't mind me coming here, but I thought you might want the ring as soon as possible."

She nodded, thinking sadly that by the time she clocked out this evening, he'd be back in Kentucky. Her pulse pounded at his nearness.

"I had it cleaned," he said, withdrawing a ring box from his pocket.

She smiled. How thoughtful. He'd even bought a box.

He handed it to her, and she opened the hinged lid. She blinked, then frowned. The ring was platinum all right, but instead of a gaggle of large stones, the setting was a beautiful swirl of metal forming a love knot.

Lifting her gaze to his, she shook her head. "Derek, this isn't the ring that Steve gave me."

His expression darkened for the briefest of seconds, then he wet his lips. "I know. I brought the other ring. This one isn't nearly as nice as the ring Steve gave you, but I was hoping you would, um—" Derek cleared his throat noisily, then met her gaze "—accept it anyway. It's supposed to symbolize a knot that hasn't yet been tied."

Vapors of happiness fluttered on the periphery of her heart, but she wouldn't allow herself to jump to conclusions, no matter how pleasant. "What do you mean?"

His face was flushed. "I know we live a few hundred miles apart, and we didn't exactly have an auspicious beginning... but I can't stop thinking about you, Janine. I love you. And I couldn't bear the thought of returning another man's ring without having one of my own to offer you."

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