Page 47 of Saltwater Memories
Oh dear. It did notsoundfine. Maybe the girls weren’t getting along?
Margie shot Hank a look, but he was focused on buttering a slice of bread.
She cleared her throat. “It sounds like you’ve been working in Seattle a lot more frequently. That must be stressful.”
Amanda shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“It’s only because she wants to spend more time with Rupert,” Morgan cooed.
Now Hank’s interest was piqued. “Rupert? What does he have to do with Seattle?”
Morgan’s face fell. “Oops. I’m sorry, I thought everyone knew.”
“It’s fine,” Amanda said. “It’s not a secret. Rupert’s working in Seattle now. He took a transfer. We get lunch together sometimes.”
Hank jabbed his fork into a stuffed pepper, nearly collapsing its sides. “Lunch, eh?”
“Come on Dad, we’re allowed to be friends.”
“The last time that the two of you were friends, you ended up – ”
“It’sfine,” Amanda said, setting down her fork. “It really is. It’s not like we – ”
Morgan gasped. “Jade. What is thatthingon your finger?”
Jade’s hands darted under the table. “Oh, Matthew was supposed to have gotten here by now…”
Margie leaned forward. “Yes Jade, what’s on your finger?”
Jade let out a sigh before pulling her hands up from under the table and resting them both in front of her. On her left hand was an unmistakably glittery and shiny new ring.
Now Margie gasped. “Jade! Who gave you that?”
She laughed. “Well, we wanted to tell you all tonight – he just proposed yesterday – I think he should be here any second – ”
Margie jumped up from her seat, as did Morgan and Amanda.
“Proposed! Honey! Did you say yes?”
“Of course I did!” Jade laughed. “I said yes right away. I suspected he was up to something, he was acting so strangely.”
“Whowouldn’tsay yes to that ring,” Morgan said, pulling Jade’s hand closer to her face. “Who helped him pick this out? He definitely didn’t come to me. Amanda?”
She shook her head. “Not me either.”
Margie turned toward Hank, who was sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Hank? Did you know about this?”
He didn’t answer at first, looking innocent.
“Hank.”
“You ladies think we can’t do anything right,” he said, smiling broadly. “But between me and Matthew, I think that we picked a pretty decent ring.”
“And you didn’t tell me!” Margie said. “How could you keep it a secret?”
“Because,” he set down his napkin, “I didn’t think it was fair for you to find out before Jade did.”
