Because of the Ring

by Stella Bagwell

  “That must have been devastating,” she murmured.

  “It was. He was only in his fifties. He was driving home one night when a drunk ignored a yield sign and smashed into the driver’s side of Dad’s truck. To make matters worse, I’d lost my mother only a year before that happened.”

  “In another accident?” she asked, stunned that any one person could be handed such a double dose of grief.

  “No. She had a blood disease that had weakened her immune system. She contracted pneumonia and wasn’t able to recover.” He looked at her over the rim of his tea glass. “What about you? Do you have parents?”

  “Yes. In Fort Worth. Not far from where I live.”

  He smiled as though her answer was what he’d expected. “So you’re still close to the nest.”

  Claudia put down her spoon and leaned back in the wooden chair. He made it sound as though she was still wet behind the ears and needed protecting. “I don’t see that you’ve exactly strayed far from the home range yourself.”

  He studied her with something like appreciation. “I guess I asked for that, didn’t I?”

  She shrugged as her expression turned rueful. “Actually, I shouldn’t have said that to you. It wasn’t exactly nice. Not with your parents being gone.”

  He chuckled lowly and she was reminded of a few minutes ago in the hotel room. He’d been so close she’d been able to see the green flecks in his blue eyes and the faint shadow of beard threatening to break through his skin. His male scent had enveloped her like a forbidden aphrodisiac and the urge to kiss him a second time had nearly overwhelmed her.

  “I don’t expect niceness out of people, Claudia. Just honesty. Besides, you didn’t say anything to me that I didn’t say to you.”

  Because he was too potent a man to look at for more than a few moments at a time, she turned her gaze to the narrow river. A few feet from their table, a small boat was passing by. A young couple were aboard, hugged close together on the simple seat near the bow. Their foreheads nearly touched as they exchanged words meant only for each other. Clearly, the outside world had been forgotten by the lovers and the sight of them filled Claudia with a strange sort of melancholy.

  Most people considered her a cool person, a woman more interested in science and learning than femininity or romance. But at one time she’d believed in love and all the ecstasy that went with it. She’d hoped and believed that somewhere in the world there was a man that was meant to find her and sweep her away, a man who would give her children and love her for the rest of their lives. It was something she longed for and she’d thought, with the help of Betty Fay’s ring, she would find him. But Tony had shattered that idea and now it looked as though she was allowing the ring to drag her into another hopeless situation.

  “I guess it’s a little late to wonder if you’re married.”

  She said the words more to herself than to him, but he answered her just the same.

  “If you’re feeling guilty about that little kiss we shared, Claudia, then don’t. I was divorced three years ago.”

  Surprised, Claudia looked at him. “You were married?”

  “For a couple of years.” The corners of his lips turned down with bitter humor. “I guess I was difficult to live with. At least, Saundra thought so.” He shrugged. “I left too many dirty socks and wet towels on the floor to suit her.”

  It was obvious to Claudia that he was making light of the experience to cover up some deeper problem that had gone on between him and his ex-wife. “She didn’t divorce you for that reason.”

  “No. But put a bunch of little things together and you get a big thing. And then there was the fact that Saundra liked men. Young and old. She couldn’t waste her life on just one.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Some men have to compete with money. I had to compete with other men. I didn’t like that.”

  Claudia wasn’t surprised by his admission. That kiss he’d given her had tasted more than a little possessive. She’d already decided that once he branded a woman as his, he would expect her to never stray from his range.

  “I know all about infidelity, Hayden. It’s a humiliating experience. One that I don’t ever plan to go through again.”

  The tart sting of her voice had him searching her face. “What do you know about cheating spouses? You haven’t been married, have you?”

  She shook her head as the memory of that fateful day she’d walked into Tony’s apartment filled her mind. She’d wanted to surprise him with lunch, instead she’d been shocked to find him in the shower with another woman. “You don’t have to be married to be cheated on,” she said flatly.

  He started to say something else, but the sudden appearance of the waitress interrupted him. By the time the young woman served them their meals, he seemed to have forgotten where their conversation had left off and Claudia wasn’t about to remind him. The less she remembered that painful episode in her life, the better she liked it.

  “You know,” he said as he forked up a bite of rib eye steak, “the more I think about this vision thing of yours the more I think there has to be a logical explanation. Are you sure you’re not just having daydreams? Sometimes when a person’s mind gets tired it wanders off to other things—things that don’t necessarily make sense.”

  The food and the laid-back atmosphere of the open café were beginning to make her feel human again. In fact, if Hayden Bedford hadn’t been the image in her visions, she would have been enjoying this time with him. He was unlike any man she’d ever been around and she sensed that, if he was so minded to, he could charm a woman right out of her shoes.

  “I’m not dreaming, Hayden. This happens when I’m totally awake and focused.”

  The fact that she seemed so resolute appeared to irk him. “All right,” he conceded, “even if you do ‘see’ this man, you can’t be certain it’s me. Could be some old acquaintance or relative in your subconscious thoughts and you just think it’s me.”

  She swallowed a piece of grilled chicken breast, then said, “I’ve already considered that avenue. I can’t think of anyone I know that resembles the man in my visions—except you. Besides, that still wouldn’t account for the boat.” She frowned as another thought struck her. “Have you ever worn khakis?”

  Hayden shook his head. “No. Why?”

  “Because I think that’s what you’re wearing when I see you. But I’m not entirely sure about that. The edges are usually blurred. It’s your face that I can see clearly. Or sometimes the boat and the water.”

  She spoke of the visions in such a cool and collected way that it made Hayden feel uncomfortable. He didn’t want to think this woman was flat-out lying to him. Yet there was no way in Hades that he believed in such supernatural nonsense.

  “You’ve been sailing before. Down on the gulf. You’ve seen the Stardust and it stuck in your mind,” he reasoned. “Even though she does belong to me, I have to admit she’s pretty and would catch most anyone’s eye.”

  “Yes, I agree. The boat has a wooden hull and waxed deck and a carved dolphin at the head of her bow.”

  “Like I said, anyone would remember her,” he countered with a grimace. “Or you could have taken a picture.”

  “That’s true.”

  She didn’t say more and with each silent minute that passed, he grew more and more irritated. “Well? Aren’t you going to argue? To deny my theories?”

  Claudia studied him calmly. “I’m tired of doing that, Hayden. Your mind is closed and I’d just be wasting my time.”

  “Look, I thought we came down here to discuss this—to try to find some solution or reason!”

  She slipped another bite of food into her mouth. “I thought we did, too. But it’s obvious to me that we’re headed nowhere.”

  He put down his fork and reared back in his chair. “Only because you want me to swallow everything you say hook, line, and sinker. Sorry, honey, I’m not that gullible.”

  Her nostrils flared as she met his dark blue eyes.
“And I don’t like to be called a liar.” She looked away from him, sucked in a sharp breath, then looked back at him. So much for being relaxed, she thought wryly.

  “You know, a few minutes with you has made me understand why people are afraid to admit they’ve seen a UFO. It’s not pleasant having someone make you out as an idiot.”

  “So now you believe in UFOs along with having visions. Lady, you need to put some lead in your shoes and get yourself back down to earth.”

  It wouldn’t do to get angry with him again, Claudia silently told herself. Losing her temper wasn’t gaining her anything except a dull headache.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven’t mastered the art of floating yet,” she said with sarcasm.

  What in hell was he doing? Hayden wondered. He was a busy man. There were never enough hours in the day to cover his busy schedule. Yet he’d canceled several pressing phone calls and another appointment just to see this woman again. If he told anyone about this, they’d drive him straight to the mental ward.

  Leaning forward, he picked up his fork. “Okay. When you said you wanted my help, just what sort of help were you talking about?”

  Her gaze fell from his to the food on her plate. “I’m not exactly sure. I was hoping when I saw you that—” She stopped and shook her head. “Maybe a simple explanation would just fall into place. Dear God, I never expected you to be him!”

  “Who did you think I’d be?”

  One of her slender shoulders lifted and fell. “Someone connected to the man in my visions. Someone who could lead me to him.”

  He forked up the last bite of his steak. “Well, you found me. Has it done you any good?”

  If anything, Claudia was more disheartened than ever. This narrow-minded man didn’t care about her problem or feel any kind of urge to help her. He didn’t even believe her!

  “Actually, I suppose it has,” she said with false cheeriness. “I do know that you’re a real person now. And I’m also convinced that you’re not supposed to be in my life in any way.”

  She spoke the last with such certainty that Hayden couldn’t help but feel insulted. “Sorry I’m such a disappointment to you.”

  Suddenly, Claudia couldn’t take any more. The past three weeks had drained her and this man’s sarcastic indifference was too painful to take. There was no reason to keep putting herself through this.

  “I’m sorry, too,” she muttered as she jerked the opal from her finger. “Sorry that I ever put this damn ring back on.”

  She slapped the ring down next to her plate and quickly rose to her feet. “Thank you for dinner, Hayden. I hope you have a happy life.”

  Hayden wasn’t expecting her to just walk away without another word. When she did, he stared after her in stunned silence, then down at the ring she’d left on the table.

  “What in hell?”

  “Looks like your fiancée doesn’t want to be engaged anymore.”

  Hayden’s head jerked around to see that the waitress was standing just behind his shoulders. “Fiancée?” he repeated blankly before it dawned on him that the woman had seen Claudia leave her ring behind. “Uh, actually, I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

  The young waitress looked at him with as much disappointment as Claudia had.

  “Then maybe you should go after her?” she suggested.

  “Bring my ticket,” he told her.

  She scurried away without bothering to ask if he wanted a refill of iced tea.

  Hayden reached for the ring and studied it with thoughtful scrutiny. The simple piece of jewelry had been worn for a long time. The edges were all smooth; the band in the back worn thin. It didn’t make sense that she would leave it, he thought. But then nothing about the woman or his connection to her made any sense.

  Dropping the ring into his shirt pocket, he rose to his feet and tossed enough bills on the table to more than cover the cost of the meal, then headed off in the same direction Claudia had taken before she slipped out of his sight.

  Slowing her steps, Claudia glanced around to see that she’d walked much farther than she’d realized. Most of the crowded shops and eating places were behind her. On this particular stretch of the river, only a handful of people were milling about. The quietness was a welcome balm to her shattered nerves.

  When she’d left Hayden back at their dining table, she hadn’t known where she was going. She’d struck out, walking blindly, not really caring where she went as long as she could be free. Of the ring and the man it had led her to.

  So why didn’t she feel free? she wondered. The ring was off her hand and gone for good. So was the man. Yet she felt no relief. Instead she was overwhelmed with a sense of loss.

  Oh, Claudia, get a grip on yourself. Go home. Forget about Hayden Bedford and the ring. Forget about Gran and her promise of true love. It’s not going to happen! Not like this!

  Spotting an empty park bench beneath a cypress tree, Claudia sank onto the seat and wiped at the sweat dampening her face and neck. She’d rest for a few minutes, she told herself, then go back to the hotel and call the airport. This time she wasn’t going to let anything stop her from getting on the earliest flight she could find. Even if she had to charter one!

  “Claudia!”

  The sound of her name caused her to jerk. The only person in this city that knew her name was Hayden Bedford. With a sinking feeling, she looked over her shoulder to see him bearing down on her.

  “Can’t you take a hint?” she asked when he got within hearing distance. “I don’t want to see you anymore.”

  “What about this?” He pulled the ring from his shirt pocket and held it out to her.

  Rather than reach to take it, she curled her fingers into a tight fist. “No! I don’t want the ring, either. Throw it in the river! It would probably do more good there.”

  He glanced at the murky water behind him, then thoughtfully dropped the ring back into his pocket.

  “You might not want to see me anymore,” he said, sinking next to her on the wooden bench, “but I think you owe me an explanation.”

  She wanted to laugh, but she stifled it. If she let loose one giggle she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop until she was crying.

  “I don’t owe you anything. And I think we’ve both decided there are no explanations for any of this. Not reasonable ones, at least.”

  His close presence vibrated through every inch of Claudia’s body and she was suddenly torn between wanting to cling to the man and wanting to jump and run as fast as she could.

  “Forget about those damn visions!” he hissed. “I’m talking about the ring. Are you engaged to someone back in Fort Worth?”

  She looked at his face and everything hit her at once. The pain and heartache of Tony’s deception. The fear of losing her sanity, and her desperate search for some sort of reason or conclusion to her visions.

  “‘Engaged’?” she repeated, then began to giggle. “You’ve got to be kidding! How could I get married? I’d probably have a vision at the ceremony and try to put the ring on your finger instead of my husband’s!” That idea seemed even more hilarious than her being engaged and though she tried to stifle her giggles behind her hand they kept exploding from her anyway.

  Hayden grabbed her by the shoulders. “Stop it!” he ordered. “This isn’t funny.”

  His mutinous face was the final trigger that sent her into shrieks of uncontrollable laughter. “No? I think—oh—oh, Hayden.”

  Suddenly there were tears on her face and a desperate glaze in her eyes. Hayden didn’t understand what was causing her so much agony, but he could see that, at least to her, it was very real. Quickly he pulled her into his arms and pressed her head against his shoulder.

  “It’s all right, Claudia,” he said gently. “Don’t cry.”

  “I can’t stand it anymore—I have to get rid of the ring,” she said between sobs.

  Her warm, slender body was trembling violently against his. He rubbed a hand against her back while sm
oothing the other over the crown of her hair.

  “Don’t think about it now,” he softly urged. “Put it out of your mind.”

  The hypnotic movement of his hands and the warm, hard strength of his body slowly worked to calm her. After a few minutes her tears dried to an occasional sniffle and she was able to gather her self-control. But even then Claudia was reluctant to pull back from him. Sheltered in the circle of his arms, she felt totally safe and protected.

  “I’m so sorry,” she finally murmured. “Histrionics is not the best way to convince you that I’m actually a levelheaded woman.”

  “Everyone is entitled to a little breakdown once in a while,” he replied. “Besides, I haven’t exactly been calm about all of this myself.”

  The hand against her back was warm and provocative. Claudia could easily imagine it gliding over the rest of her body, searching out every secret curve and nook. She would welcome his fingers upon her skin. Like parched ground beneath a rain, she would soak up his touch and remember it always.

  Unsettled by such intimate thoughts, Claudia forced herself to ease away from his embrace. As she fumbled in her handbag for a tissue, she said, “I’d like to get back to the hotel so I can get my bags and head to the airport.”

  “You don’t even have a ticket.”

  She shook her head. “I’ll find some sort of flight heading to Dallas or Fort Worth tonight.”

  He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “You’re not in any shape to be traveling tonight. I want you to come home with me.”

  Everything inside Claudia went totally still and for a moment she wondered if she was ever going to breathe again. “No—I—”

  Her protests were interrupted as Hayden rose to his feet and pulled her along after him. “Don’t worry, Claudia. I’m a gentleman. Most of the time.”

  Color stung her cheekbones. “I wasn’t worried about that. I was just wondering—why?”