Page 27 of Dancing With Doubt

13

Roxie

They left the plane behind and were soon in a limo. The car pulled up to a mall and Roxie couldn’t help but wonder. “You brought me here to go to the mall?”

“Kind of.” Lincoln grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her. “There’s a specific store here. I could have taken you back to New York, but I want to get back to the house before lunch.”

It was only 9:30 am and the flight was less than an hour, so they weren’t going to be here long. He walked her through the mall and then she saw the store that his eyes were focused on. “Lincoln? Tiffany’s?”

“Yes, Roxie. Stop dragging your feet. Come on. Let me spoil you.” He tugged at her hand, and she followed him quickly.

Oh boy. She and June thought he was incapable of love, but he might just be about to prove them wrong. What was he about to do?

“Hello, Mr. Young, I’m Ana. I’m so glad you’re here.” An older blonde woman dressed in a black business suit with a white blouse came up to greet them. “Would you like coffee or another drink?”

“I don’t, thank you. Roxie?” He looked at her, but she was speechless and just shook her head.

He was not about to give her an engagement ring, was he? Men had never taken her to a jewelry store. If they bought her things, they brought the pieces to her. And Tiffany’s? Wasn’t that where all the women dreamed of getting an engagement ring from?

“Very good, follow me please.” The woman smiled at them both and turned to take them to a room in the back. “This is your order, Mr. Young. I hope it meets your approval.”

There on a table sat a wide box and a much smaller ring box. Both were open and Roxie’s heart started to beat again when she saw the ring wasn’t an engagement ring at all. It was a firefly ring with a huge tanzanite centerpiece, surrounded with round diamonds set in platinum. It was the most precious thing she’d ever seen. Then she saw the bangle in the wider Tiffany blue box. It was just like one her parents bought her when she was sixteen. There were five silver bands in the one her parents bought her but this one had an extra band encrusted with small diamonds.

“Lincoln?” She asked as he pulled out a seat for her.

“I know, it’s not exactly the same as the one your parents got you all those years ago on your Sweet Sixteen, but I hope this brings you some happiness.”

“It’s beautiful.” She picked up the bangle and slid it over her wrist, ignoring the price tag still attached for all she was worth.

“I can’t give you that bangle back, but I hope we can start over with a new Tiffany bracelet. And the ring. The way the diamonds sparkle reminded me of your eyes too much to say no to it.” Lincoln spoke to Roxie, but he nodded to the saleswoman.

The woman cut the price tag off the bangle and the ring before she slid the ring onto the third finger of Roxie’s right hand.

“It’s beautiful Lincoln, wow. I’m so….” There were tears in her eyes and she had to blink them away before she leaned over to hug him. “Thank you, I love them both.”

“Good.” He said, his own voice a little thick. He handed the woman a credit card and she quickly came back with a receipt.

Roxie tried to look away, but she caught something that looked like it said he’d paid over $4000 for her gifts. She tried not to think about that and looked at the ring and bangle now resting on her right hand and wrist. She smiled as the light in the dark room caught the shine of the diamonds. “I’m going to need a bodyguard to make sure I don’t get mugged.” She said jokingly.

“You’ve got me to protect you and we’ll be back home soon enough. Thank you, Ana, wonderful doing business with you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Young. Enjoy your birthday, ma’am.” The woman gave a curt nod before they walked out of the shop with two boxes in a small blue bag.

The drive back to the plane was silent as Lincoln answered text messages and emails. He was reading a report as they took off back to Myrtle Beach. She kept looking at the gifts he’d given her, enjoying the way they caught the light. But she spent more time watching him than she did anything. He was always a fascinating man, but now?

She had to add sweet and considerate to the list of hidden qualities Lincoln had. Trust him to remember a gift she’d been given twelve years ago by her parents. Had he been at that party? She vaguely remembered seeing him around the edges of the ballroom her parents rented to throw the massive party in. Now that she thought about it, she even remembered a sweet, chaste kiss on her cheek as he handed her a small gift wrapped in a box.

There’d been a pair of tickets to see one of her favorite bands inside the box. She’d gone with June, of course. Had she even thanked him for that gift? She had when he handed her the box, but that had been it. Had Lincoln always been this sweet and she’d just been too stupid to see it?

For a moment she wondered if she was part of the reason he didn’t believe in love. If he had been in love with her back then, and she’d run off after the night he’d whisked her away from danger, maybe she was. But surely, he hadn’t loved the silly girl she was back then?

“We’re about to land. Are you alright?” He brought her out of her thoughts, and she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“I’m fine, Lincoln. I’m not fine china, you know?” He’d treated her like porcelain since Nathan assaulted her at the studio. It was a little smothering, but she knew he couldn’t help it.

He did care about her, she knew that. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be so kind and generous to her. But love? She watched his face as he settled back into the seat, wondering all over again.

She put her thoughts away as they left the airport behind and he drove them back to the house. She had to answer text messages from so many people she wondered why she’d become suddenly popular. Emily asked her if she wanted a Versace dress she didn’t want anymore. Kitty wanted to know where Roxie got an outfit she’d worn at a gig a few months back. Wendy wanted to know which hair straightener Roxie used. Mandy wanted to know if she could sign up for Roxie’s class.