home.”
“ No texting on
the road,” Kianna warned.
“ Of course
not. You two behave yourselves now.”
She danced down the
porch steps to her little car. As she backed up, Kianna sighed and
settled her head against his shoulder. Something settled in his
chest…something that should scare the hell out of him. Being a
Santini, he knew better than to fight it.
It was going to be
hard enough fighting for the woman he loved. Fighting himself just
seemed stupid and a waste of energy.
Chapter Eight
As a born and
bred Santini, I believe in fate and listening to signs. –Gee
A couple weeks
later, Gee came to an abrupt stop in front of an antique store. There
in the front display was a ring. Not just any ring. This one was
gold, and from the looks of it, about a hundred years old. A simple
solitaire sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight.
“ Damn,
Santini,” Andrews said as he ran into him.
“ Sorry. Hey, I
need to go in here and look for something.”
Andrews gave him a
look that told him he knew what was going on. The entire flight had
been giving him shit over Kianna since he got back. He’d missed
every poker night and there had been a lot of moaning when he skipped
a trip to Pensacola for a weekend. He didn’t really want to
waste time with the guys when time was so precious in the military.
“ Antiques?”
“ That ring,”
he said taking a step closer.
He looked at the
ring and rolled his eyes. “Aw, damn, you’re gonna get
married.”
“ When you find
the woman…that’s it.”
Andrews sighed. “I
have to get to City Hall.”
“ Just a peek,”
he said and hurried into the small store before Andrews could say
anything else. When he heard the little tinkle of the bell, he knew
his friend had followed him in.
A little man
shuffled out from the back. “Can I help you young gentlemen?”
“ Yes, sir. I
would like to look at the ring in the window. The diamond solitaire.”
He nodded as he
shuffled over to pull it out of the display. “A beautiful ring.
Circa 1920 with a flawless diamond.”
The old man’s
hand shook as he handed it to Gee. The moment he touched the ring he
felt a little jolt.
“ How much?”
The man named a
price that had Andrews whistling. “Better make sure you love
her, Santini.”
He slipped the ring
back between the red velvet but didn’t respond. He had figured
out he loved Kianna several weeks ago, but he hadn’t had the
nerve to say it. It made him a bit of a coward, but part of it had to
do with Kianna. She was still wary of him, and when he talked of more
permanent things, she would change the subject. If he had told her he
loved her, she probably wouldn’t believe him.
“ I can afford
it.” Just barely. He would have to dip into his savings, but he
had it. He had finally gotten his hazardous duty pay all worked out
and finance had gotten it to him just a few days ago. So…it
was possible.
“ I also offer
a ten percent discount to military. So take that off the top.”
Gee glanced up at
the man. “Yeah?”
He nodded, a proud
smile curving his lips. “I was Army once upon a time. I have
two sons who are retired Air Force, and a granddaughter who is in the
Reserves.”
“ I’ll
take it.”
“ God, I hope
you know what you’re doing,” Andrews said. “I’m
going to walk down to City Hall.”
“ Okay. Catch
up with you.”
Once Andrews left,
Gee watched the old man package up the ring. “Do you know what
you’re doing, young man?”
Gee grinned. “Nope.
But that’s not always important. I know I need to be with her.
That’s all.”
He nodded. “You’re
one young man with your head on straight.”
Now he just hoped
Kianna thought the same thing.
* * * *
Kianna hated the
politics of her job. She loved teaching, loved the fact that she
actually helped people become better English students, but she hated
smoozing around. She had always thought of it as a necessity of the
job. She wanted to make tenure. Or had wanted it at one
“ No texting on
the road,” Kianna warned.
“ Of course
not. You two behave yourselves now.”
She danced down the
porch steps to her little car. As she backed up, Kianna sighed and
settled her head against his shoulder. Something settled in his
chest…something that should scare the hell out of him. Being a
Santini, he knew better than to fight it.
It was going to be
hard enough fighting for the woman he loved. Fighting himself just
seemed stupid and a waste of energy.
Chapter Eight
As a born and
bred Santini, I believe in fate and listening to signs. –Gee
A couple weeks
later, Gee came to an abrupt stop in front of an antique store. There
in the front display was a ring. Not just any ring. This one was
gold, and from the looks of it, about a hundred years old. A simple
solitaire sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight.
“ Damn,
Santini,” Andrews said as he ran into him.
“ Sorry. Hey, I
need to go in here and look for something.”
Andrews gave him a
look that told him he knew what was going on. The entire flight had
been giving him shit over Kianna since he got back. He’d missed
every poker night and there had been a lot of moaning when he skipped
a trip to Pensacola for a weekend. He didn’t really want to
waste time with the guys when time was so precious in the military.
“ Antiques?”
“ That ring,”
he said taking a step closer.
He looked at the
ring and rolled his eyes. “Aw, damn, you’re gonna get
married.”
“ When you find
the woman…that’s it.”
Andrews sighed. “I
have to get to City Hall.”
“ Just a peek,”
he said and hurried into the small store before Andrews could say
anything else. When he heard the little tinkle of the bell, he knew
his friend had followed him in.
A little man
shuffled out from the back. “Can I help you young gentlemen?”
“ Yes, sir. I
would like to look at the ring in the window. The diamond solitaire.”
He nodded as he
shuffled over to pull it out of the display. “A beautiful ring.
Circa 1920 with a flawless diamond.”
The old man’s
hand shook as he handed it to Gee. The moment he touched the ring he
felt a little jolt.
“ How much?”
The man named a
price that had Andrews whistling. “Better make sure you love
her, Santini.”
He slipped the ring
back between the red velvet but didn’t respond. He had figured
out he loved Kianna several weeks ago, but he hadn’t had the
nerve to say it. It made him a bit of a coward, but part of it had to
do with Kianna. She was still wary of him, and when he talked of more
permanent things, she would change the subject. If he had told her he
loved her, she probably wouldn’t believe him.
“ I can afford
it.” Just barely. He would have to dip into his savings, but he
had it. He had finally gotten his hazardous duty pay all worked out
and finance had gotten it to him just a few days ago. So…it
was possible.
“ I also offer
a ten percent discount to military. So take that off the top.”
Gee glanced up at
the man. “Yeah?”
He nodded, a proud
smile curving his lips. “I was Army once upon a time. I have
two sons who are retired Air Force, and a granddaughter who is in the
Reserves.”
“ I’ll
take it.”
“ God, I hope
you know what you’re doing,” Andrews said. “I’m
going to walk down to City Hall.”
“ Okay. Catch
up with you.”
Once Andrews left,
Gee watched the old man package up the ring. “Do you know what
you’re doing, young man?”
Gee grinned. “Nope.
But that’s not always important. I know I need to be with her.
That’s all.”
He nodded. “You’re
one young man with your head on straight.”
Now he just hoped
Kianna thought the same thing.
* * * *
Kianna hated the
politics of her job. She loved teaching, loved the fact that she
actually helped people become better English students, but she hated
smoozing around. She had always thought of it as a necessity of the
job. She wanted to make tenure. Or had wanted it at one
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