I took the box he offered me. It was Tiffany blue and that alone made my heart spike. But he said it wasn’t a ring so I took a deep breath and lifted the lid.
It was a small black and silver hinged box.
It was made out of glazed obsidian and had the filigree markings on it just like on their fences and his tattoo in silver. The Jacobson crest was on it as well with our names filled in on both sides to make a whole. Just like our tattoos would be if I had one. It was beautiful. I said as much.
“It’s beautiful.” When I lifted the lid there was a note and key ring in there. The key ring matched the box in color and intricacy. I started to pull the note out but he stopped me.
“That’s my vows. You keep those until the night before the wedding,” he explained and I nodded but then picked up the key ring.
“But Caleb, I don’t even have a car let alone keys to put on it.”
He pulled me to the couch and knelt in front of me.
“Traditionally, the wedding present from the husband is a house or a piece of land somewhere. So, I figured I could give you something to put our very first key on.”
I sat stunned. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“Caleb,” I breathed. “Thank you for being so you.”
He chuckled.
“Well, I’m not sure what that means.”
I pulled back to look at him.
“You always know exactly what I want.” I looked at the oval key ring in my hand. “And this is the sweetest thing I’ve ever gotten from anybody.”
He smiled in a way that made my heart skip.
“I’m glad you like it. I was a little worried that you’d think I was being presumptuous.”“I said I’d marry you didn’t I?” I grinned. “I don’t expect us to keep living in Uncle’s Max’s guest room.”
He blew a sigh of grateful relief.
“Thank you for not making a fuss over me spending money on you.”
“Well…I guess things have changed a little bit lately. I guess maybe I’m a little more open to being spoiled,” I said and rolled my eyes and smiled.
“I am so in love with you, Maggie,” he sighed, repeating my words to him from the other day.
“Love you, too.”
I was surprised when he just kissed me on the nose and left it at that. Soon we were greeted with others who had heard the news and wanted to congratulate us. After several minutes of being petted and told all about what the dedication would be like and how fun it was to be surprised with a house of our husband’s choosing we told them we needed to leave.
We went to get dressed to go to my dad’s, to tell him the good news and see him before we left for London in the morning. We passed Kyle and Lynne on the way in the kitchen as they stepped down from the stairs.
“Hey, guys,” Caleb said and smiled. “Did you sleep ok?” Lynne blushed and smiled into Kyle’s arm. Kyle laughed and that made Caleb laugh too, “I didn’t mean that,” he insisted.
“Yeah, we slept great,” Kyle told him. “In fact, it was the best sleep I think I’ve ever had in my long life. I didn’t wake up once.”
Caleb looked at me and smiled.
“I know.” He turned back to Kyle. “So…Maggie and I are getting married.”
Lynne gasped and her eyes immediately went to my ring finger and she frowned. Kyle’s eyes were huge but when he looked at me, there was only the love of family and friends. It was true. The significant replaced everything else before them. So they were telling the truth. If an Ace who was married imprinted with someone else, he wouldn’t be able to stop his feelings.
Kyle was elated and smiled. He moved forward to hug me and he kissed my cheek. I pulled back to see his face and he was smiling, then he sobered a bit.
I’m sorry about everything that happened in California. I was out of line. It’s kind of funny really, that the same day I confessed all that to you and told you I was going to let you be that we find the girl I was going to imprint with.
“I don’t think so. I think it all happened for a reason and purpose.”
He nodded and seemed to understand.
Destiny is a meddlesome wench isn’t she?
I laughed and nodded.
“I guess.”
“You can’t outrun destiny,” he chimed in a sarcastic rhythm.
“So I’ve heard,” I said dryly.
He laughed and went back to lace his fingers with Lynne. She looked at me and smiled.
“Congratulations.”
“You too. I told you, didn’t I?”
“You did,” she agreed with a grin that wouldn’t stop.
“Alright, well, we’re going to go tell Maggie’s father.” Kyle came forward to inspect Caleb’s face closely. “Dude, what are you doing?”
“Just memorizing your pretty face before it gets all mangled.”
Caleb laughed and shoved Kyle who laughed too.
“Shut up, man.”
“Hey, it’s not Jim I’m worried about. You think Bish is going to be thrilled about this?”
Caleb shrugged.
“I guess we’ll find out.”
He took me up the stairs and as we made our way we heard Kyle making a trumpet with his lips and playing Taps. Caleb shook his head and yelled down to him.
“Shut up, man!”
We heard Kyle laughing as we turned the corner to our room.
~ Twenty Seven ~
Where else could we go for breakfast but the 25 Hour Skillet? The memory of Caleb coming here the first time played again in my mind. I giggled on the back of the bike as Caleb took off my helmet.
“I hope your old boss keeps the cleaver to himself today,” he muttered.
I laughed again as I pulled him with me through the revolving door and heard it chime. It was so familiar and felt like I hadn’t been there in months. I saw Smarty come around the corner, her pencil on her ear, and she didn’t even look up.
“Two of ya, doll?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ok, follow- Maggie!” she yelled and hugged me tightly. “Oh, honey,” she touched my hair, “your hair is to die for! So chic.”
“Thanks.” I pulled back some. “You remember Caleb?”
“Of course. You don’t forget a face like that easily.”
He thought she was going to shake his hand but instead she pulled him into a hug. Her mind reeled as she felt his arms and how lumpy and rugged his was. Big John was lumpy but for other reasons and she was remembering how he used to be. She leaned back and smiled just as I heard my name brusquely behind me.
I turned to see Big John wiping greasy hands on his already disgusting apron.
“Sweat Pea, you get your butt over here and give me a hug right this second.”
He slammed into me, making breathing a request instead of a given, squeezing the life out of me.
“Big John,” I rasped. “It’s ok.”
“It’s not ok. You were kidnapped. It was on the news! And then not a word from you and you just show up in the diner? What happened?” he yelled, causing some of the customers to look our way. “Is it him?” He looked at Caleb and then back to me. “Is he got you mixed up in something?”“BJ,” I said softly. “No. I’m ok. It was all…that person that I told you about that was stalking me. He took me. But Caleb found me and brought me back. He’s been watching out for me.”
BJ looked at him but didn’t say anything. When he looked back to me, he sighed ruggedly.
“How’s your dad taking all this?”
“Better than I expected,” I said truthfully. “Bish came home. He moved back in. We’re fine, I promise. You don’t have to worry.”
“Ok. You still going to school?”
“Yep. Planning to.”
“You keep in touch,” he ordered. “And you do what you set out to do, you hear me? You be the person I know you can be and don’t let them ruin you with their crazy ideas and persuasion. You stay true to who you are and make sure you come back and see me now.”
I rolled my eyes good naturedly and smiled tolerantly at him.
“Of course. You’re worse than my dad.”
“Well, somebody has to look out for you.”
“Problem solved,” I said and pulled Caleb’s arm, as he was studiously giving Big John a wide berth, to stand beside me. “You remember Caleb?”
“Of course I remember,” he sang and crossed his arms. “Bike boy.”
“Nice to see you, sir, minus the cleaver, of course,” Caleb said with a smile and I smashed my lips together but couldn’t keep in the giggle.
Neither could Smarty as we both broke out into laughter. Caleb even chuckled but BJ remained stoic and eventually walked back to the grill with a smirk.
“Follow me, hunky,” Smarty said through a giggle. “I’ll get ya’ll a table.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, always the respectful gentleman.
He let me pull him as we followed her and sat across from each other. We told her to bring us both coffee and she ran off to get it.
“So, what are you getting?” I asked.
“Why don’t you order for me,” he suggested and leaned back in his seat relaxed. “You let me order barbeque for you.”
“Ok,” I said carefully. “What about-”
“Nuhuh,” he stopped me with a smile. The smile that turned my stomach to pudding. “Just order it. I’ll eat it, I promise. You know me well enough to order my breakfast.”
I hoped so, so when Smarty came back I ordered us both a bacon and cheese omelet- extra bacon. Caleb grinned and nodded as I ordered. Once she left I moved to his side of the table. We just got engaged for goodness sake and I didn’t want to be away from him, even across the table.