eyebrow. “You have no reason to keep the truth from your dad now, either.”
Amber looked down before meeting his gaze. “It’s not that simple, Brian.”
“I think you’d be surprised.” Brian looked at Katie again. “You’re his child and he loves you.”
***
Amber sat on the bed as Brian packed for a trip to New York. Mrs. Quinn was in Colorado and Amber would be staying with Katie again.
“Have you given any more thought to moving in here?” Brian asked.
Amber wet her lips. “Brian, thank you. But I….”
“Want a commitment first?”
Amber stared up at him.
His lips twitched up into a smile. He walked over to her and took her hands into his. “You’d be surprised what’s just around the corner.”
Amber rose. She searched his eyes.
Brian was outright grinning now. “What do you say? Move in here with us?”
He stroked her cheek. “I love you, Amber.”
Emotion clogged Amber’s throat.
Slowly she nodded her reply.
CHAPTER 17
It was nine at night. Brian was in New York. Amber sat in his home office. She had left work early so she could pick Katie up and take her to gymnastics.
Katie had just gone to bed, and now Amber needed to finish some work.
She frowned as she picked up a paper. Last night she’d also worked in here – done some planning for the job fair. The papers on the desk had been rearranged since then.
Amber looked to the doorway. Katie must have been in. It was the only explanation.
She set the paper down and turned on her laptop.
***
Brian stood in the Manhattan store. It was the third store he’d gone into in the diamond district.
He’d explained what he was looking for to the woman at the counter.
The woman reentered the showroom from the back a few minutes later. Set the ring she was carrying down onto a square of black velvet.
“We just got this in. It’s an estate piece. It still needs a little cleaning, but it’s definitely unique, like you said you wanted. The center diamond’s a full carat. The surrounding diamonds add up to almost another carat.”
The ring sparkled as Brian picked it up. The large, clear diamond in the center was surrounded by smaller ones set in a halo design. It had a vintage look, and he was sure Amber would love it.
“Any good jewelry store in California could size it for you,” the salesperson continued. “What do you think?”
Brian smiled at her and nodded. “It’s perfect. I’ll take it.”
The TSA agent at the security gate handed the ring back to Brian later that day and grinned. “Nice. Good luck.”
Brian smiled. “Thanks.”
Half an hour later, Brian had settled into his first class seat.
He turned on his laptop and thought about Amber. He’d be proposing to her on the yacht Saturday night. He’d made reservations at a restaurant in the city and reserved a hotel room for afterward.
Brian’s plane landed six hours later.
A message from Matt was waiting as he turned on his phone.
Brian debated then hit the callback button.
“I’ve found something important. It’s about your girlfriend.”
Brian frowned. “What is it?”
Matt hesitated. “I’d rather tell you in person.”
“I’m at the airport. Just getting home. Why don’t we meet tomorrow?”
“Are you going to see your girlfriend tonight?”
Brian’s heart beat hard. What in the world was this about?
“What couldn’t wait?” he asked Matt as he sat down next to him at a bar an hour later.
“$50,000 was transferred from your bank account into your girlfriend’s.”
“What?” Brian whispered. Brian took a deep breath as he waited for an explanation. Surely Matt had it wrong.
CHAPTER 18
Amber stood in the bedroom watching Brian unpack. Katie had just gone to bed.
Brian had seemed distant all through dinner. Now he stood staring down at his open suitcase.
“Brian? Is everything okay?”
Brian’s head jerked up.
Amber frowned as he stared at her.
Finally he cleared his throat. “Matt – the security guy I
Amber looked down before meeting his gaze. “It’s not that simple, Brian.”
“I think you’d be surprised.” Brian looked at Katie again. “You’re his child and he loves you.”
***
Amber sat on the bed as Brian packed for a trip to New York. Mrs. Quinn was in Colorado and Amber would be staying with Katie again.
“Have you given any more thought to moving in here?” Brian asked.
Amber wet her lips. “Brian, thank you. But I….”
“Want a commitment first?”
Amber stared up at him.
His lips twitched up into a smile. He walked over to her and took her hands into his. “You’d be surprised what’s just around the corner.”
Amber rose. She searched his eyes.
Brian was outright grinning now. “What do you say? Move in here with us?”
He stroked her cheek. “I love you, Amber.”
Emotion clogged Amber’s throat.
Slowly she nodded her reply.
CHAPTER 17
It was nine at night. Brian was in New York. Amber sat in his home office. She had left work early so she could pick Katie up and take her to gymnastics.
Katie had just gone to bed, and now Amber needed to finish some work.
She frowned as she picked up a paper. Last night she’d also worked in here – done some planning for the job fair. The papers on the desk had been rearranged since then.
Amber looked to the doorway. Katie must have been in. It was the only explanation.
She set the paper down and turned on her laptop.
***
Brian stood in the Manhattan store. It was the third store he’d gone into in the diamond district.
He’d explained what he was looking for to the woman at the counter.
The woman reentered the showroom from the back a few minutes later. Set the ring she was carrying down onto a square of black velvet.
“We just got this in. It’s an estate piece. It still needs a little cleaning, but it’s definitely unique, like you said you wanted. The center diamond’s a full carat. The surrounding diamonds add up to almost another carat.”
The ring sparkled as Brian picked it up. The large, clear diamond in the center was surrounded by smaller ones set in a halo design. It had a vintage look, and he was sure Amber would love it.
“Any good jewelry store in California could size it for you,” the salesperson continued. “What do you think?”
Brian smiled at her and nodded. “It’s perfect. I’ll take it.”
The TSA agent at the security gate handed the ring back to Brian later that day and grinned. “Nice. Good luck.”
Brian smiled. “Thanks.”
Half an hour later, Brian had settled into his first class seat.
He turned on his laptop and thought about Amber. He’d be proposing to her on the yacht Saturday night. He’d made reservations at a restaurant in the city and reserved a hotel room for afterward.
Brian’s plane landed six hours later.
A message from Matt was waiting as he turned on his phone.
Brian debated then hit the callback button.
“I’ve found something important. It’s about your girlfriend.”
Brian frowned. “What is it?”
Matt hesitated. “I’d rather tell you in person.”
“I’m at the airport. Just getting home. Why don’t we meet tomorrow?”
“Are you going to see your girlfriend tonight?”
Brian’s heart beat hard. What in the world was this about?
“What couldn’t wait?” he asked Matt as he sat down next to him at a bar an hour later.
“$50,000 was transferred from your bank account into your girlfriend’s.”
“What?” Brian whispered. Brian took a deep breath as he waited for an explanation. Surely Matt had it wrong.
CHAPTER 18
Amber stood in the bedroom watching Brian unpack. Katie had just gone to bed.
Brian had seemed distant all through dinner. Now he stood staring down at his open suitcase.
“Brian? Is everything okay?”
Brian’s head jerked up.
Amber frowned as he stared at her.
Finally he cleared his throat. “Matt – the security guy I
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