The Rose Ring

by Lucie Ulrich

  Micah stepped into her tiny apartment, eyes wide and a huge grin on his face. “That’s some dress.” He did a slow scan from head to toe. “You look fantastic.”

  Heat crept up her cheeks. She turned away and reached for her coat draped across the back of the couch. “I wasn’t sure what to wear.” Ignoring the blush that was bound to be visible, Sky forced herself to look at him. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

  He shook his head. “No ma’am.”

  She slapped his arm playfully. “Well, stop looking at me that way. I’m already nervous enough as it is.” In truth, she liked the way he was looking at her. But it wasn’t her he was seeing, it was a new dress and an expensive haircut.

  With Micah’s help, Sky slipped on her coat. After buttoning it, she reached out and straightened his silver-and-blue striped tie. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  “Thanks. I don’t get decked out often, but looking at you, I’m glad I did.” He glanced at his watch. “You ready to do this?”

  Nerves rattled her insides. This certainly wasn’t the wedding she would have planned, but it was her wedding and she was determined to make the best of every moment. “You bet.”

  The drive to the courthouse felt slower this time. Snow fell intermittently, and their conversation was sporadic. Despite the crazy circumstances, the serenity of the pristine snow-covered fields and farms they drove past gave Sky a sense of peace. Country music filled the truck, and Micah sang along to his favorite songs.

  She liked hearing his strong tenor voice, and kept time by tapping her foot. “You should go on one of those singing shows. You’d probably go far.”

  “I don’t think so. Singing is a pastime, ranching is my life.” He turned on the wipers. “How come you never sing along?”

  “Singing’s not one of my strong points.” She gave him a sideways glance, her heart pinching in the process. “Besides, it would sort of feel weird to sing along to songs about love gone wrong right now.”

  “Guess you’re right.” He switched the radio to an easy-listening station.

  When they hit the city limits, Micah navigated his way through town to West Broadway and parked across the street from the three-story, white sandstone courthouse. He shut off the motor, but left his hand resting on the key. “This is it.” He glanced at her. “Last chance to back out.”

  Her inner voice screamed for her to take the offer. But she’d given her word, and Sky didn’t believe in breaking promises. “Do you want me to back out?”

  He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

  “Then don’t mention it again.” She opened the door and stepped out of the truck.

  Micah took her hand and they hurried across the street, stopping in front of the double wooden doors. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny gold ring. “Here, it’s a bit big for me, but it’ll do for today.”

  She held out her hand, and he dropped it into her palm. They’d gone shopping a few days ago and he’d bought her a thin gold band, but not one for himself. The fact that he only planned on wearing the ring for the ceremony solidified her in-name-only status. “Your dad’s?”

  “Yes.”

  Sky fingered the ring. “Other than this nick, it looks brand new.”

  “That nick nearly cost Dad his finger. He got it hooked on a piece of farm equipment shortly after he and Mom married. He made Noah and me swear never to wear any jewelry while working.”

  “Did he ever wear it again?”

  “Nope.”

  “And your mom didn’t mind?”

  “Not that I was aware of. Then again, I was just a kid.”

  At least she’d have a good excuse for why her husband didn’t wear a wedding band. She, on the other hand, would wear hers proudly. He might be a lug, but for the next two years he’d be her lug. “We’d better go. Don’t want to keep the judge waiting.”

  The judge’s secretary ushered them into the office. His Honor stood when they entered and greeted them with a firm hand and warm smile. “Robe or no robe?” he asked.

  “What do you think, Micah?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Your call.”

  “In that case, I vote for the robe.”

  While the judge put on his robe, Sky took in her surroundings. The walls were painted standard office-beige, but the large mahogany desk and photographs of Montana’s mountain ranges and plains that lined the walls added some warmth to the room. What she especially appreciated were the live Ficus trees that flanked the tall window behind the desk. It was no church, but at least it wasn’t the cold, barren room she had envisioned.

  The ceremony was short, with only the court clerk and judge’s secretary in attendance. But that didn’t bother Sky. Nothing else mattered at the moment. This was her wedding day, perhaps the only one she would ever have. For that reason alone she chose to absorb every detail and print them on her heart.

  Micah stood ramrod still until the judge had him place the ring on her finger. His hand shook a little, but his tender smile was one Sky would forever remember.

  Her next memory would be their first kiss. She knew it was purely out of obligation. After all, what would the three people staring at them think if a newly married couple didn’t seal the deal with a kiss?

  When Micah leaned in, one side of his mouth lifted slightly, causing her stomach to flip. Assuming the kiss would be short, she was taken by surprise when his warm lips lingered longer than she’d expected. The scent of his spicy cologne tickled her nose. The feel of his hand on her cheek sent her heart rate soaring. She couldn’t even imagine what her reaction would be if he ever kissed her for real.

  ****

  Back at her apartment, Sky changed into faded blue jeans and a well-worn sweatshirt. She hung her dress carefully on the padded hanger it came with and slipped it into a zippered plastic bag, wondering if she’d ever have reason to wear it again.

  She hollered through her bedroom door into the living room. “You decent?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Pulling the door open, she stopped short. “Okay, this is a little freaky.” It was no surprise that Micah had changed into jeans, but they were wearing identical University of Montana sweatshirts.

  Micah took the dress bag from her. “You know what they say about married couples dressing alike.”

  She laughed. “True, but that doesn’t usually start on day one.”

  “Want me to turn mine inside out?”

  “I can deal if you can.”

  “In that case, I’m going to hang this behind the seat then come back for the rest.”

  “Are you sure it’ll be okay to put my things in the attic? Annie won’t mind?”

  “I already asked, and it’s no problem.”

  It took only minutes to load the seven boxes and single suitcase containing her worldly possessions. The furniture, pots and pans, dishes, and flatware had been picked up by the Salvation Army the previous day. None of it was worth keeping in storage for two years. It would be easier when it came time to move, anyway.

  Sky took one final look around before shutting the door and dropping the keys at her landlord’s place.

  “Do you want to stop off and see Carl before we go?” Micah asked when she climbed back into the truck.

  “Thanks, but we said our goodbyes yesterday.”

  “Okay then, let’s go home.”

  She stared out the passenger window. Home. The word had such an odd ring to it. Not one to keep a job for long, her mom had packed them up and moved over a half dozen times before Sky graduated from high school. Even the place she’d spent the past four years never had a permanent feel to it. Not that moving in with Micah gave her any sense of permanence, but it was an actual house, not a shelter or an apartment. How much leeway would Annie give her? Would she be allowed to display pictures or mementos anywhere other than her bedroom? Would home mean anything?

  “Earth to Sky.”

  She blinked twice before looking at him. “What?”

/>   “You zoned out there for a while. Everything okay?”

  “Sorry, just thinking about all the changes.”

  “Yeah, well, change seems to be the buzzword for the Cooper clan these days. And since you’re now a Cooper, you get to be a part of it.” He slowed for a turn and glanced at her, a bit of a smile on his face. “Do you hate me yet?”

  He was making light, but deep down, Sky wondered if hate might be something the Cooper clan would have to deal with for a while. She shook her head and smiled back. “Not yet, so don’t go putting any ideas in my head.”

  Micah sang until he turned onto his ranch and drove under the metal arch that formed the words Eagle’s Nest. “If I know Annie, she’ll have lunch ready for us. I hope you’re hungry.”

  For the first time in a couple of days, Sky could actually admit she was.

  True to Micah’s prediction, Annie was bustling around in the kitchen when they walked in minutes later. She hugged Micah, then Sky. With a firm grip on Sky’s upper arms, Annie welcomed her to the family. And just that quickly she was back to fussing with lunch preparations. “Hope you two are hungry.”

  “Told you.” Micah winked at Sky. “We’re starved, Annie. Bring on the grub.”

  The unexpected greeting warmed Sky’s heart and put her mind a bit more at ease. She sat on the kitchen chair Micah pulled out for her.

  Annie dished out large bowls of homemade vegetable soup and fresh-from-the-oven cornbread. Sky inhaled deeply, and her stomach danced in anticipation of the first food it would get in nearly twenty-four hours. She knew better than to dig in, however. Her last visit had taught her that nobody eats until Annie prays. A nice thing, she thought.

  Noah didn’t show up until after they’d finished. The tension between brothers seemed to have eased. If nothing else their tones were civil.

  “I’m going to show Sky to her room,” Annie said. “You two unload the truck and bring her things up.”

  “I can help.” Sky headed toward the back door.

  Annie took hold of her arm. “Let the men do it. That’s why God gave them bigger muscles.”

  Sky nearly laughed out loud. She had no doubt Annie could lift or haul nearly as much as Micah and probably more than Noah. “In that case, the boxes with the large X on them can be put in the attic. A few things I didn’t want to get rid of but won’t need right away.” She thought of her tea set. “One is marked fragile. Please be careful.”

  After the guys left, she followed Annie up the stairs to one of the two bedrooms at the front of the house. “This is lovely.” Sky eyed the creamy yellow walls and sheer white curtains. The yellow and sage bedding looked brand new, as did the chair and ottoman placed next to the corner stone fireplace. She ran her hand over the downy spread. “I didn’t expect anything this fancy.”

  “Micah painted it after moving out last week. Chose the color himself. He asked me to pick out the bedspread and such. I’m glad you like it.”

  “This was Micah’s room?”

  Annie opened the closet door. “Used to belong to his parents. He moved in after Noah left. Poor little guy was barely twelve at the time. Guess he was staking his claim.”

  The thought of Micah feeling the need to grow up at such a young age broke her heart. He’d lost so much. “So why is he giving it to me?”

  “Because he appreciates what you’re doing for him and this is one small way of showing his gratitude.” She pointed to her left. “The morning sun streams in from that side window, and the front one gives you the best view around.”

  Sky stepped over to the front window. A large oak tree, stripped of its leaves at the moment, dominated the landscape. The Rocky Mountains could be seen off in the distance. “It is beautiful.”

  “He figured you’d rather look at the mountains than the working end of the ranch.”

  “I never get tired of looking at the mountains.”

  “Knock, knock?” The sound of Micah’s voice drew her attention away from the view. “Where do you want these?” He stood with two large boxes in his muscular arms, his eyes barely visible over the top.

  “Anywhere is fine.”

  “I’ll put them next to the closet so they’ll be out of your way.”

  Noah arrived next. He carried only one box. “What’ve you got in here, gold bars?” He set the box down with a resounding thud.

  Sky hurried over. “Oh, be careful. Those are my books.” She inspected the box to make sure the corners hadn’t been dented. “There are two more just like it in the truck.”

  He groaned. “Let’s go, brother. One for you and one for me.”

  Annie shook her head. “At least they’re not arguing for a change. Let’s hope it stays that way for a while.”

  Sky had no idea what to say. It seemed a little early to add her two cents, yet she needed to say something. “One can always hope.”

  “Do you need any help unpacking?”

  “That’s nice of you, Annie, but as you can see, I don’t have all that much.”

  “Okay. Dinner is at five.” Annie left as the guys returned. Noah stayed long enough to set his box down, leaving her alone with Micah.

  “I didn’t realize you had this many books.” Micah glanced at the boxes. “There’s an old bookcase in the attic. I’ll bring it down for you.”

  Sky took a shirt from her suitcase and hung it in the closet. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t know why I had you guys bring them all in here, anyway. Some I haven’t read in years, but I like the thought that if I want to, I can. Guess they’re sort of like old friends — there when you need ‘em.” She bent down and opened one of the boxes. “After I pick out the ones I want, you can just store them in the attic with the rest of my stuff.”

  “I don’t think so.” Micah took the books from her hands and set them on the bed. “It’ll be a whole lot easier for me to bring the bookcase down here than to haul The Library of Congress up there.”

  She laughed. “Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”

  Micah brought the bookcase to her twenty minutes later. “I have to get a little work done. Do you need anything else?”

  “I’m good.”

  “I’ll check in on you when I get back, then.” He headed for the door.

  “Micah?”

  He pivoted in her direction. “Yeah?”

  “You didn’t have to give up your room.”

  “You don’t like it?”

  “It’s perfect. I love it.”

  “Okay, then.” He left her to finish unpacking.

  A half hour later, Annie brought her a pitcher of lemonade and a glass and set them on her nightstand. “In case you get thirsty.” She left without saying another word.

  Grateful for the gesture, Sky downed half a glass right away. The afternoon passed by quickly, and by the time she was just about finished, the sun had set. She left her bedroom and headed for the bathroom, nearly colliding with Noah when they both rounded the corner from opposite directions.

  Noah threw his arms out and caught her by the shoulders, stopping her forward momentum. “Whoa! What’s your hurry?”

  “Too much liquid, too few bathroom breaks.” She skirted past him and dashed into the bathroom, grateful he had the decency not to be waiting for her when she came out.

  He was waiting for her, though. She found him in her bedroom, sitting on her chair with his feet stretched out on the ottoman. He held up a book in his hand. “I didn’t picture you as a mystery reader. You seem more the romance type to me.”

  “And I didn’t picture you being the stupid type.” She hurried across the floor and shoved his feet off the ottoman. “Are you trying to make your brother angry?”

  He shrugged and held up his hands. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know as well as I do if Micah found you lounging around in my bedroom, he wouldn’t be happy.” She grabbed the book from his hand.” In fact, I’m not happy. What are you doing rummaging through my stuff, anyway?”

  “I only look
ed at one book.” He pushed himself from the chair. “I wasn’t rummaging. You’ve been up here so long I came to make sure you were still alive.”

  He grinned, and it took all she had not to smile back. He was a scoundrel, but a nice enough one. Still, she had to set some boundaries. She couldn’t simply allow him to waltz into her room just because the door was open. She set the book back in its place. “As you can see, I’m alive and well. In fact, I was alive and well when we nearly crashed in the hallway.” She stepped behind him and pushed him toward the door. “So out.”

  Noah held up his hands. “Okay, okay, I get the message.” He spun around the moment he stepped into the hall. “Life around here is going to be so much more fun with you around.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t go making trouble.”

  “Seems it’s what I do best.” A momentary sadness washed over his face that not even his crooked smile could mask. When it passed, his brown eyes brightened. “I actually came up here to tell you dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. And trust me, you don’t want to keep Annie waiting.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be down before long.”

  “Okay.” He backed away from her door. “Love what you did with your hair, by the way.” With a grin and a wave, he turned and disappeared around the corner.

  Wow, two compliments in one day. Suddenly sixty-five dollars seemed like a pretty good investment.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Delicious dinner, Annie.” Sky stood and began to stack the dishes. “Why don’t you relax while I clean up?”

  Annie frowned and placed a hand on Sky’s arm. “I appreciate the offer. Maybe after you’ve been her for a while and know where everything goes.” Without another word, she picked up where Sky left off.

  Though Annie’s rejection stung, Sky tried not to take it personally. It was only day one after all. She should have been smarter and accepted Annie’s help when it was offered earlier. If she had, Annie might be more inclined to allow Sky to help now. Who was she kidding? Sky could never imagine Annie relinquishing her rights to the kitchen.

  Noah and Micah pushed away from the table at the same time, each headed in opposite directions: Noah for the office and Micah toward the mud room.