Easily Amused (23 page)

My dead aunt sent me a gift? I unfolded the paper to find an antique ring in a silver setting. The square diamond in the center was set high and surrounded by delicate filigree. “Oh, how pretty.”

“It was her engagement ring. In her last diary she mentioned wanting to give it to you the next time she saw you. She was going to explain about leaving you the house too, but she didn’t get a chance, obviously.”

I slid the ring on my third finger, left hand. It was a perfect fit. “So why
did
she leave the house to me?”

He hesitated; from the look on his face I knew there was something.

“What?”

“You don’t want to hear it from me. It would be better for you to read her explanation when we get home.”

“No, tell me now.”

“Well, her reasoning isn’t all that flattering, but I really do think her heart was in the right place.”

“She thought I was a despicable loser who’d never own a house otherwise?”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” he said. “She just watched you at family gatherings ever since you were a little girl and noticed how you set yourself apart from other people. She thought the neighbors on King Street would be good for you. They’d take you into their fold, she thought.”

“She was right about that.” I held my hand out to look at the ring on my finger. Beautiful, in an understated way. “King Street is like a Venus flytrap. But in a good way, I guess.”

One of the young guys who’d been stacking chairs had been watching us. When he walked toward us, I thought for sure he was going to make us get up.

“Can I ask…” he said and hesitated, giving me a second to read his nametag. Ralph had the lanky build of a teenager. He wore a white button-down shirt and black pants that would never have stayed up without his belt. “Did you guys just get engaged?”

I exchanged an amused look with Hubert and said, “Well, he gave me the ring, but he hasn’t actually asked me yet.”

Ralph’s eyes got big. “Do you want us to leave the room? Give you some privacy?”

“No, it’s OK,” Hubert said. “I
am
going to ask her, but I want to wait until the time is right.”

“OK,” Ralph said dubiously. He started to walk away and then turned back. “Congratulations, I guess.”

After he was out of earshot, I turned to Hubert and asked, “Did you mean that? About asking me later?”

“It’s a distinct possibility,” he said, “but I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. How about we get to know each other a little better and then decide?” He raised his eyebrows playfully, making me laugh.

I looked at the ring on my finger and then at Hubert, who’d been at every one of my birthdays since I was thirteen. I wanted him to be there for every one from now on, and not just as a friend. I said, “Sounds like a plan.”

“Good.” He grinned. “Now I have something to look forward to.”

“Me too,” I said. “Let’s go home.”