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She nodded. Either she was in too much of a daze to have anything more to suggest, or she simply wanted to know what was going on and was happy that I was willing to answer the questions she had once she had them.
With that, she took Stella outside and started dialing a number on her phone, most likely calling her parents. I walked over to the front desk and found Wyatt and Rick talking as if no time had passed.
“I’m just so happy for him,” Wyatt was saying.
“Thank you,” I piped up as I walked around the desk. “I’m hoping Mom and Dad will be the same way. You and Seth can keep this a secret until I announce it to the rest of the family, yes?”
“Of course,” Wyatt said.
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
Chapter twenty-five
Laurel
As I walked out into the yard, I couldn’t help but look down at the ring on my finger. Three emerald cut stones, and he had actually listened to me. Luke had made sure the one in the middle was a bright ruby, something I had mentioned had irked me about the rings that Mark had bought me with all the stones being clear or too light. This ruby was deep and sparkled beautifully.
I didn’t even care about the ring all that much. It was just a symptom of something bigger. Mark had never listened, and he’d always insisted that he knew what was best for me, even when it came to things I was wearing. This ring was a real reminder that Luke cared about my opinions and wanted me to feel like myself.
My parents would probably think I was nuts for getting engaged so soon after leaving Mark, but I had never been so certain that this was a different kind of relationship. The fact that the ring had a ruby for a centerpiece gem revealed how much Luke cared, instead of how much he wanted to show off what he could provide for me. If I had any regrets about leaving Mark, it was only that he had spent so much across both the rings he had bought for me – the original horrid peridot ring and the secondary horrible diamond ring that he’d attempted to use to win me back.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket upon arriving outside. I was sure that no one who was still in the lodge today – whether it was because they had sunburns or because they needed a day to rest their aching muscles – would come to bug me about something while I stood in the yard.
I called my mother. She was more likely to pick up than my father. At least, at this time of day. If my dad was at work, I’d call him later.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mom!” I couldn’t help the cheeriness in my voice.
After all, I had just gotten engaged. Who would have been able to hide the cheeriness in their voice if that was the case? I couldn’t recall anyone in my social circle who had been able to hide their excitement upon getting engaged.
“Wow. You’re cheery,” Mom teased. “How’s life in Idaho? It feels like we hardly hear from you anymore. Is everything going all right?”
“It’s fine. I promise. It’s just been busy. It’s almost the end of the fishing season here,” I replied. “But that’s not why I called. I’m engaged!”
“En… did I hear you right? Engaged?” Mom’s voice betrayed her surprise. “I didn’t realize you were dating anyone. What’s his name? How did you meet? Please, tell me it’s not to Mark. Again. You know how that went last time.”
“It’s not Mark,” I said with a bit of a laugh.
With that, I told my mother everything. My father joined the call at some point, and they were both happy for me. It was certainly a better match – me and Luke – than me and Mark. That much, we all could agree on.
“Well, we’ll have to come meet Luke,” my father said. “I’d love to meet the man who has given my daughter the gift of real love. You deserve much better than Mark could have ever given you after what came to light. I hope Luke is well aware of the scandal that came of what happened with Mark?”
“Oh, yes. He’s very much aware of what happened with Mark,” I replied. “But Luke listens to me. He’s kind and respectful. He even got me a ruby ring like I’d always wanted. And it’s absolutely beautiful!”
“Pictures!” Mom crowed. “You sent us pictures of the peridot disaster that Mark got you. I want to see your dream come true ring. That’s what this is, right? Am I understanding you correctly?”
“Yes, you are.” I smiled as I put them on speakerphone. “All right. Give me one moment to snap a photo. And you’re on speakerphone.”
I took a picture of the ring on my hand, and then sent it to my mother’s phone. After all, she was the one who I had called. After taking them off speakerphone, I heard the tell-tale buzz of an incoming text on the other end of the line.
“Oh, it’s gorgeous. It looks great on your hand, too,” my father said. “I think this Luke character did very well.”
“Your father’s right,” Mom echoed. “Oh, as long as you’re happy, we’re happy, Laurel. I’m glad to see that you’ve found a reason to give love another chance. I was worried that you would swear off love after what happened with Mark.”
“I thought about it, if I’m being honest,” I replied. “But Luke is different. We weren’t intending to fall in love. I think that’s what really spurred this relationship on.”
I noticed guests beginning to head in towards the lodge.
