chest.
Rick held her for a long moment. She could hear his heart beating and felt the warmth of his steady breaths on the top of
her head. Her eyes were open, unblinking, as if she were trying to focus clearly enough to see into the future.
Katie stared into the darkness of the night around them and wondered if this was “it.”
Am I going to marry this man? Am I really home? Why does it seem as if something is missing? What could be missing? This is
all I ever wanted. Rick just said it. We’re almost there. All our long-sought-after goals will be accomplished. I love him.
I know I love him.
“Rick?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you hear music?”
“Music?” Rick paused before answering. “No.”
Katie slowly closed her eyes, trying to catch the sound of violins in her imagination.
“Why? Do you?”
“No.”
He rose from the bench, employed all the deeply imbedded gentlemanly manners that had always been part of what made Rick Doyle
Rick Doyle, and gently pulled her to her feet. “Then why did you ask?”
Katie kept her hand ensconced in his. “No reason. I was just wondering.”
Rick laughed. “I think you’ve watched too many romantic comedies.”
“Possibly.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “This is our romance, Katie. We’re writing the script. You and me, not some formula writer in
Hollywood.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to ‘stay tuned for coming attractions.’ ”
“Yes, you will. Be patient.”
“I am.”
“I know. So am I.”
6
W hen Katie showed the brooch to Nicole early the next morning in the laundry room, she pretty much had concluded she wanted
to have the stones set into a bracelet.
“What do you think?” Katie leaned against the washer where an extra-large load of her clothes was finally being washed. The
two of them had gotten up for a staff breakfast at seven o’clock that Saturday morning. Katie was so energized after the meeting
she had talked Nicole into helping her work on cleaning up her room. Within forty minutes the two of them had made admirable
headway.
Nicole pulled one of Katie’s freshly cleaned sheets from the dryer. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, fresh sheets are the best, aren’t they?” Katie drew in the slight lavender and gardenia scent that lingered from the
fabric softener sheets Nicole had tossed in.
“I meant the brooch is beautiful.”
“Oh. Right. Yeah, it is beautiful. I’m sure it’s valuable. It’s just that I would never wear it. Rick made it clear that he
wants me to wear whatever I have the brooch made into. I’m not much of a jewelry person, as you know. I think a bracelet is
a safe way to go. Or maybe a necklace. I don’t know. I keep bouncing back and forth.”
“I’m sure whatever you decide will turn out great.” Nicole held out one of the corners of the top sheet, and Katie picked
up the other end. The two of them folded the sheet nice and tidy, which seemed pointless to Katie since she was just going
to put it back on her bed.
“Nicole, you’re supposed to have an opinion on this. Rick said I should ask what you would do with it.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. So, if he had given the brooch to you, what would you do with it?”
Nicole pressed her lips together and focused on the door of the open dryer and not on Katie. “I would leave the brooch just
as it is and find a unique way to wear it.”
“How? In your hair?”
“Maybe.” Nicole glanced at her phone and texted a message to someone who had just buzzed her.
“Can I ask you something?” Katie boosted herself up to sit on the top of the warm dryer. “Do you think Rick and I are a good
match?”
Nicole’s eyes flashed over at Katie while the rest of her didn’t move. She seemed to be studying Katie’s expression. “Why
do you ask that?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if Rick and I are really meant to be together. Then other times it’s like all my dreams
are coming true before my eyes.”
“Is that
Rick held her for a long moment. She could hear his heart beating and felt the warmth of his steady breaths on the top of
her head. Her eyes were open, unblinking, as if she were trying to focus clearly enough to see into the future.
Katie stared into the darkness of the night around them and wondered if this was “it.”
Am I going to marry this man? Am I really home? Why does it seem as if something is missing? What could be missing? This is
all I ever wanted. Rick just said it. We’re almost there. All our long-sought-after goals will be accomplished. I love him.
I know I love him.
“Rick?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you hear music?”
“Music?” Rick paused before answering. “No.”
Katie slowly closed her eyes, trying to catch the sound of violins in her imagination.
“Why? Do you?”
“No.”
He rose from the bench, employed all the deeply imbedded gentlemanly manners that had always been part of what made Rick Doyle
Rick Doyle, and gently pulled her to her feet. “Then why did you ask?”
Katie kept her hand ensconced in his. “No reason. I was just wondering.”
Rick laughed. “I think you’ve watched too many romantic comedies.”
“Possibly.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “This is our romance, Katie. We’re writing the script. You and me, not some formula writer in
Hollywood.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to ‘stay tuned for coming attractions.’ ”
“Yes, you will. Be patient.”
“I am.”
“I know. So am I.”
6
W hen Katie showed the brooch to Nicole early the next morning in the laundry room, she pretty much had concluded she wanted
to have the stones set into a bracelet.
“What do you think?” Katie leaned against the washer where an extra-large load of her clothes was finally being washed. The
two of them had gotten up for a staff breakfast at seven o’clock that Saturday morning. Katie was so energized after the meeting
she had talked Nicole into helping her work on cleaning up her room. Within forty minutes the two of them had made admirable
headway.
Nicole pulled one of Katie’s freshly cleaned sheets from the dryer. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, fresh sheets are the best, aren’t they?” Katie drew in the slight lavender and gardenia scent that lingered from the
fabric softener sheets Nicole had tossed in.
“I meant the brooch is beautiful.”
“Oh. Right. Yeah, it is beautiful. I’m sure it’s valuable. It’s just that I would never wear it. Rick made it clear that he
wants me to wear whatever I have the brooch made into. I’m not much of a jewelry person, as you know. I think a bracelet is
a safe way to go. Or maybe a necklace. I don’t know. I keep bouncing back and forth.”
“I’m sure whatever you decide will turn out great.” Nicole held out one of the corners of the top sheet, and Katie picked
up the other end. The two of them folded the sheet nice and tidy, which seemed pointless to Katie since she was just going
to put it back on her bed.
“Nicole, you’re supposed to have an opinion on this. Rick said I should ask what you would do with it.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. So, if he had given the brooch to you, what would you do with it?”
Nicole pressed her lips together and focused on the door of the open dryer and not on Katie. “I would leave the brooch just
as it is and find a unique way to wear it.”
“How? In your hair?”
“Maybe.” Nicole glanced at her phone and texted a message to someone who had just buzzed her.
“Can I ask you something?” Katie boosted herself up to sit on the top of the warm dryer. “Do you think Rick and I are a good
match?”
Nicole’s eyes flashed over at Katie while the rest of her didn’t move. She seemed to be studying Katie’s expression. “Why
do you ask that?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if Rick and I are really meant to be together. Then other times it’s like all my dreams
are coming true before my eyes.”
“Is that
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