The Rose Ring

by Lucie Ulrich

  “I suppose fun has its place, but I don’t get what a couple of twenty-something-year-olds throwing snowballs at each other accomplishes.”

  Sky marveled as Micah blocked a snowball with his arm. “Not sure it’s meant to accomplish anything.” She suppressed the urge to ask Annie about her personal life. She was a good-looking woman and must have been a real knockout when she was younger. Surely she’d found love at some point, had some fun.

  Barnaby, one of the other dogs, came out of nowhere and leapt between the two men, trying to catch a snowball. Sky laughed and pointed. “That’s why I want the dog. Mom would never let me have one, and when I lived on my own, I couldn’t afford the extra fee the landlord wanted to charge me, never mind the cost of caring for a pet.”

  Annie pulled a drawer open and retrieved a pair of beaters. “Is that the only reason?” She walked to the other side of the kitchen and attached the beaters to her electric mixer.

  Of course it wasn’t the only reason. It wasn’t even the main reason, but Charlie needed love, and so did she. A furry playmate wasn’t her first choice, but choice number one hadn’t figured out what he wanted yet. “It’s reason enough.”

  Annie looked past her. “Maybe it is.”

  A snowball hit the window, and Sky jumped back. Through the snowy mess sliding down the glass, she saw Micah waving for her to come and join them. She held up a finger. “Do you need me for anything else, Annie?”

  Annie lit a flame under the potatoes. “Go on. Just tell those boys they’d better not break any windows.”

  “Got it.” Sky dashed to the mud room and pulled on her coat and boots. She wrapped a scarf around her neck and put on a pair of insulated gloves. Remembering the wind, she grabbed her knitted cap.

  Instead of taking the quickest route, Sky headed the opposite direction and hurried to the front of the house. After making the largest snowball possible, she rounded the corner and crept up behind Micah. With one quick throw, she nailed the back of his neck.

  He spun around, revenge written all over his face. Scooping a handful of snow, Micah packed it and sailed one in her direction. She’d anticipated his move and shifted in time to avoid a hit. Then she made the mistake of laughing. He took off after her. She ran, but not fast enough. He lunged and caught her by the ankle. She landed on her knees with a squeal and was unable to escape Micah’s grasp. Within seconds he had one arm around her shoulders and a hand on the back of her head.

  “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t plant your face in the snow?”

  She might have worried, had she not heard the laughter in his voice. “Because you’re a gentleman and you would never think of doing that to a woman.”

  He pushed her forward, her nose inches from the ground. “Try again.”

  Nothing came to mind right off, but it didn’t matter because Barnaby had his own agenda. He gave a loud bark, and the next thing Sky knew, she was headed for the snow. Not only did she end up with snow up her nose, she also had Micah and, from what she could tell, Barnaby on top of her.

  “Get off, you crazy dog.” Micah rolled off and helped her to her knees, his look of revenge having turned to concern. “Are you okay?”

  She blew the snow out of her nose and wiped more from her eyes. “I’m fine.”

  He kneeled in front of her, yanked off a glove, and smoothed the hair from her face. His intense gaze and tender touch were enough to melt any remaining snow. “Are you sure?”

  A nod was the best she could manage.

  The dog ran circles around them, barking like a maniac. “Stop it, Barnaby.”

  Micah’s yell squelched the moment. But the more he gave orders, the crazier the dog got. “I think he’s trying to herd us back to the house.”

  “Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Sky dusted off the front of her jacket. Micah stood and reached out a hand to her. In one quick pull, she was on her feet.

  Doug approached and, with a sharp snap, had the dog at his heels. “I apologize, ma’am. Guess we sort of got him worked up.”

  “That’s okay, Doug. No harm done. That’s what happens when you play with the big boys.”

  Doug grinned. “I gotta admit, though. It was pretty funny.”

  Micah agreed. “Why don’t you feed Barnaby and the others then head on home?”

  Doug gave a quick nod. “Will do, boss.” He turned and Barnaby followed, the tip of his tail briskly brushing the snow as he trotted away.

  “Doug seems like a nice guy,” Sky said as they plodded toward the house.

  “He sure likes you. The guy gets downright tongue-tied when it comes to women. But with you, he speaks right up.”

  “I’m sure he thinks of me as safe territory, being married and all. Of course if he knew the truth, he’d probably never show his face again.”

  Reaching for the knob on the back door, Micah yanked it open. “I don’t know about that. Married or not, pretty women get him all frazzled.”

  Sky stepped into the house feeling a little frazzled herself. That was the first time Micah had ever said she was pretty. At least she assumed that was his meaning. She unwound her scarf and removed her hat. “Well, for whatever reason, I’m glad. Maybe if he practices talking to me, he won’t be so shy around others.”

  Micah pulled off his boots. “Maybe I don’t want him practicing on you.” He winked and walked into the kitchen.

  She leaned against the wall and let out a slow breath. Would she ever figure the man out?

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  For the next week, Micah worked to keep things friendly between him and Sky and avoided any run-ins with his brother. Things were looking up.

  When he came down to breakfast the following Friday morning, he placed a large box on the kitchen counter. The comforting aroma of coffee and biscuits filled the room and had his stomach growling.

  Annie tossed some eggshells into the trash. “Whatcha got in there?”

  “A surprise for Sky.” He sliced the tape with his pocketknife and opened the box. With great care he pulled out the largest item covered in bubble wrap. Using his knife again, he slit another piece of tape and released the item from its cocoon.

  Annie stepped closer. She took the rose pattern teapot from his hands and held it in front of her. “Beautiful. Sure beats the plain old ceramic thing I use.”

  “Carl gave it to her after his wife died, and it’s special to Sky. I thought it might make her feel a little more at home.” He reached in for a smaller item. “I won’t take out all the cups and saucers, but a couple would be nice, and maybe the creamer and sugar bowl. What do you think?”

  Annie set the pot down with great care. “I think you’re going to have that girl so confused she won’t know what to think from one day to the next.”

  He glanced at her with a frown.

  “Just the other day, you went from making her feel like an outsider to telling her she was pretty. Not to mention the whole thing with Doug.”

  Micah took out another cup. “You heard that? What are you, part bat?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, all mom.” He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. “No, not your mom, but seeing as I’ve pretty much raised you from the time you were no more than a pup, I’m taking some liberties.”

  Micah swallowed the lump in his throat. Annie had never pretended to be his mother, but this was the closest she’d come to acting like one. He unwrapped a teacup and placed it next to the pot. “I’m trying, Annie, but I don’t know how to make it right by everybody.”

  “You can’t. The key is to be honorable. You and Sky entered into an agreement, and you need to see it through. Two years will give you plenty of time to discover whether or not you want to stay together. Don’t try to force things you don’t feel, but at the same time keep an open mind. As crazy as the whole thing is, God just might have had a hand in it from the start. And if it wasn’t his plan, that doesn’t mean he won’t turn it around to benefit both of you. Maybe even all of us.”

  She line
d a hot griddle with rows of sausage patties and went back to cracking and scrambling the eggs.

  Micah had to give her credit. The woman knew how to make him think. Even the mention of God didn’t bother him the way it might have a short time ago. Annie’s faith was unquestionable. He envied her that. He continued to unwrap until he found the pieces he wanted. “Where can I put these?”

  “Over here.” Annie wiped her hands on a dish towel and opened the cabinet that held all the cups and glasses. “I’ll store away the old one and some of these mugs. We have too many of them, anyway.” She pulled out four large mugs and the teapot and set them on the counter. “This way, Sky will find them when she goes to make tea later this morning.”

  “Nice idea.”

  He arranged things over and over until he was satisfied they looked just right. “I’d kind of like to see her face when she opens the cabinet, but it might be better if I’m not here. She’ll just gush and cry, and I hate it when she cries.”

  “Even when they’re happy tears?”

  He shut the cabinet and headed for the coffee pot. Happy tears were a different matter, but they were often followed by a show of affection. “If I stay, the guys will too, and I’m not about to let myself be put in the same position they put me in last time.”

  Annie set some butter and honey on the table. “Don’t know why not. Seems to me you both enjoyed it.” She snickered.

  Micah filled a mug with the dark brew and leaned against the counter. “Looks like I’m going to have to extend the wall of the mud room and put in a door.”

  She flipped the patties. “Ha! Like that’ll stop me.”

  He laughed, knowing full well nothing would stop Annie. “By the way, did Sky talk to you about Charlie?”

  “Charlie? Oh, the puppy. She mentioned him.”

  “And?”

  Annie reached for a large bowl and scooped the eggs into it. “And, we were sidetracked by your snowball fight.”

  “And?” He took the bowl from her and carried it to the table.

  “And I’ll think about it.” She placed several paper towels on a plate and covered it with the sausage patties before looking over her shoulder. “I probably won’t think too hard though.”

  “Meaning?”

  “For goodness’ sake, Micah, enough with the one word questions.” She handed him the plate. “It took guts for the girl to face me. I like her for that.”

  “So do I.”

  Liking Sky had never been a problem. Loving her was another issue. He came back to the crush she’d had on him and wondered why he’d never seen it. The signs had to have been there. But Sky wasn’t the type to fall all over people. She took them at face value and expected the same in return. Had he given that to her? It never bothered him that she’d been heavy in high school, but had he ever truly looked beyond the weight? Could that be why he’d never even considered asking her out?

  The implications of his actions sat like a lead weight in Micah’s stomach. As good as the biscuits and sausage smelled he doubted he’d be able to enjoy them.

  ****

  On her way to the bathroom, Sky heard voices coming from outside. She peered out the window at the end of the hall in time to see the guys heading for the barn. The bright light shining over the back door illuminated a large area between the house and barn. Micah turned and looked toward the house. She raised her hand to wave, but he didn’t look up, and before she knew it, he was off doing whatever it was ranchers did at this hour of the morning.

  After a quick shower, she dressed in jeans and her favorite green sweater and sprinted down the steps. It was on chilly mornings such as this she wished she drank coffee — especially when it was already made and smelled so good. She pushed the swinging kitchen door open. “Morning, Annie.”

  Annie lowered the newspaper she’d been reading. “Morning. Got leftover biscuits if you’re interested. Sausage is all gone, but I can fix more.”

  “No thanks. Think I’ll stick with oatmeal this morning.” She walked over to the pantry to retrieve a packet of instant, the only kind she knew how to fix. “Can I freshen your coffee?”

  Annie held out her mug. “You sound like a waitress.”

  With a shrug and a smile, Sky filled the mug. “You know what they say about old habits.” She stepped across the kitchen, filled the kettle, and set a flame under it. “Speaking of old habits, I need to ask a favor.”

  Annie set the mug down. “If it’s about the dog—”

  “It isn’t. But just so you know, I’m not giving up on that.” She smiled, and Annie smiled back, which was a good sign. “This is about Carl. I’d like to invite him for Thanksgiving dinner.” She pulled out a chair and sat across from Annie. “We’ve spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas together since I started working for him, and I can’t bear the thought of him being alone.”

  “Of course you can invite him.” She set her hand on top of Sky’s. “He’s family.”

  Family. If she’d tried, Annie couldn’t have said anything nicer.

  The kettle whistled and Sky jumped to attention. She stirred hot water into a bowl of oatmeal and added a little brown sugar and milk. While it cooled she reached into the cabinet. She gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “My teapot.” With both hands, she retrieved it and set it down with great care. She spun around. “Did you…?”

  “Not me.” Annie spread apple butter on her biscuit. Her eyes sparkled and a sly smile crept across her face. “But if you think real hard, you’ll figure out who did.”

  There was no need to think real hard. Other than Carl, only Micah knew what the tea service meant to her. His actions only helped to increase her confusion. She took it as a good sign, but not a definitive one.

  The back door opened and shut in a hurry. Noah dashed into the kitchen wearing his parka. “I can’t believe cold weather like this was once the norm for me. I’m about half-frozen.”

  “You know where the coffee pot is,” Annie said.

  “Thanks.” He opened the cabinet that held the mugs. “Hey, what’s with the tiny rose-covered cups? I’m going to need more than a thimbleful to warm me.” He looked at Sky. “Yours?”

  “Yes.”

  “Pretty.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re up early,” Annie said to Noah.

  He filled a mug and took it to the table. “Yeah, well, I didn’t get as much done as I would have liked yesterday, so I need to make up for it today.” He sipped his coffee. “Don’t want Micah to think I’m slacking.”

  “Wise move.” Annie stood and took her dishes to the sink. She looked at Sky. “I have a women’s meeting at the church in an hour. You interested?”

  Sky cringed. Going to church was one thing, surrounding herself with hard-core “church ladies” quite another. “Maybe next time. I want to go through some of my stuff in the attic. I’ve also got a history paper to finish.”

  “In that case, would you mind packing away the old teapot and mugs on the counter? There are boxes and bubble wrap in the upstairs hall closet. Just stick them on one of the shelves in the attic.”

  “No problem.”

  After breakfast, Noah helped Sky pack the items. He followed her up to the attic. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can find the shelves Annie talked about on my own.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I haven’t been up here in years. I’d kind of like to poke around a little.” He bowed slightly at the waist. “If it’s okay with you, that is?”

  “Fine by me.”

  Noah flipped on the light, and she stood in amazement. “Wow, there’s enough stuff up here to furnish a small house.” She took a few steps forward and ran her fingers over the dusty front of a large, hand-carved cherry armoire. “This looks old.”

  “That, and the rest of the bedroom set, came from my mom’s side of the family. It was passed down from her great-grandfather. After the accident, Sam had all their furniture moved up here. Have a look around.” Noah took th
e box from her. “I’ll take care of this.”

  She didn’t argue and moved on from the armoire to the dresser then to a matching vanity. The low-back chair’s needlepoint cushion was dark green, bordered by tiny pink and red roses with one large pink rose in the middle. She tested the chair’s sturdiness and sat. The triple mirror was in pristine condition, save a few dark spots around the edges. What she wouldn’t give to have it moved back to her room, not that she’d ever ask.

  The drawer on the right slid open to reveal a tarnished handheld mirror, an antique more likely than not. Wondering what other treasure she might find, Sky reached for the drawer on the other side, only to be stopped when Noah came to her side.

  “So, what was it you wanted up here, anyway?”

  Sky glanced up at him. “Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot.” She pushed the chair back and stood. “I want to pull out my Christmas tree collection. I always set it out right after Thanksgiving. I’m hoping Annie won’t mind if I scatter them around in the living room. If she does, I’ll decorate my bedroom.” She looked around. “Where did you and Micah put my boxes?”

  “Over there.” He pointed to the corner. “But I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

  “Why not?” She stepped past him.

  “Because unless things have changed, Christmas isn’t celebrated in this house.”

  She cocked her head. “Be serious.”

  “I am.” A shadow clouded Noah’s eyes. “Christmas came to an end the year our parents died. Micah flat out refused to have anything to do with it that year or any since.”

  “No way. Micah and I have exchanged gifts every year since the tenth grade. I would have known. He would have said something.” She bit her bottom lip. “Then again…”

  Noah moved closer. “What is it?”

  “It never occurred to me until just now. Micah never once wished me a Merry Christmas. He’d meet me at Carl’s after closing, exactly one week before Christmas Day. Our gifts were always small, and mine usually homemade.”