out toward the driveway. Christine sat nearby. I tossed the
book, which landed with a sodden plop near one of her front passenger wheels.
Perfect! After re-securing the window, I washed the pen in soapy water,
checking to make sure I hadn’t ruined it, too, and returned it to the cabinet.
That’s when I noticed the folded up piece of paper lying on
the floor between the toilet and the sink.
I picked it up, unable to squelch my curiosity. Had it been
there all along or had it been in the crossword puzzle book I tossed out the
window? The paper felt dry, so it could have survived the Acapulco cliff dive
by parasailing to the side. Unfolding the paper to its full 8 1/2 by 11 size
revealed a work order from Kruger’s Jewelry. The description just said “Custom
order #4536—sizing included. Balance due: $8,900.” In bold handwriting
someone had written, “By November 27th.” A day away! Who did the order belong
to, what was it for, and why was it in the bathroom? Someone was spending a
sizeable chunk of change, especially if that was the balance due.
My foolish, narcissistic heart raced as an outrageous idea
took shape. Jon and I had only been dating a short while, had only known each
other a few months. Yet he did swear to me the first night we made love that
he’d marry me ... someday. But surely he’d just been spouting blustery romantic
stuff in the heat of the moment. Could my brush with a handgun to my forehead
have spurred him into hastier action? Could the order be for a ring, as in
engagement ring? Whoa .
What would I say if he did ask me? I chewed on my lower lip
as I contemplated how I’d respond. Truth was, it was too soon. Way too soon.
Wasn’t it?
I gave myself a shake. No time to worry about the
possibility. I had a crossword puzzle crisis to remedy and a hostile on the
other side of the door.
I let myself out to return to Jon and his family and
friends. Sophia must have given up and gone to another bathroom. The immediate
threat avoided, I backtracked and took an alternate path of reason. I assumed
the paper’s owner was a visitor to the Cripps family home. Being a guest powder
room near the living room and kitchen meant it saw the most diversity in
traffic, which only broadened the field of candidates.
If the order was for an engagement ring, Scott was the most
obvious choice. He had probably dropped or stashed the paper, which meant he
and Jenny were finally setting a date? But they had been engaged for years, so
wouldn’t she already have an engagement ring? I wracked my visual memories for
one of a ring on Jenny’s hand but couldn’t dredge up anything. The paperwork
wasn’t necessarily for a ring, though. A watch or bracelet could be sized too,
which meant it could belong to either of Jon’s parents and probably did. With a
sigh, I refolded the paper, stuffed it back in the medicine cabinet, and
returned to the dining room.
Any red-blooded woman, especially a Texan, would love
jewelry for Christmas. Whoever she was, she was very, very lucky.
Everyone had left the table and gathered in the living room
by the time I rejoined them. Jon waved me over to the loveseat next to him.
Jenny sat opposite him, too far away to get a clear view of her hands. Phooey !
“Tell us how school is, Jason,” Sophia asked before bringing
her coffee cup to freshly repainted lips.
Jason’s mouth quirked up at the corners. He cut his eyes
over to his mother first before answering. “Fine. I’m ready to get out of the
dorm, though.”
“Nothing wrong with the dormitories at UT,” his father said.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, hands clasped around his knee.
“Oh? You go to UT?” I asked Jason at the mention of my own
alma mater.
Jason smiled. “Yes. Did you?”
“I sure did. I lived in the dorms, too. Couldn’t afford it
any other way, but I didn’t mind so much. I had some fun times there.”
“True, but there’s next to no privacy, is there?” Jason
wrinkled his nose. He was