Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

"Y ou bought me a ring?"

Del glanced up from his pastrami on rye to see Cassie staring in wonder at the ring box he handed her moments ago. After she finally agreed to his proposal, they grabbed some sandwiches from the corner market and headed to a picnic table on the banks of Clear Creek to discuss their plan.

"Yeah. I thought that was one of the requirements for your perfect proposal? I mean, isn't a ring part of the deal? We want to make this look real."

Sandwich abandoned on the table, she cupped the ring box in her hand, reaching out to tentatively touch the jewelry with a single finger. Her hesitancy unsettled him. Unsure—an emotion he hated and rarely experienced—he prodded. "Do you not like it?"

Her gaze rose to meet his. A sheen of tears glossed those perfect emerald eyes, and he wanted to kick himself. Dammit. He'd chosen wrong. She hated it. He ruined this…whatever it was they were doing. Sure, the whole thing was fake, but he wanted to make it special for her. Cassie deserved that.

She deserved a whole hell of a lot more than she got in life, to be honest, but that wasn't his concern. She wasn't his concern. Not beyond their fake marriage, anyway.

"Not like it?" Her lips trembled, the corners turning up in a heartfelt smile. "It's beautiful. I love it."

He let out a sigh of relief. For a moment there he feared those had been tears of disappointment.

She tilted her head, brown curls bouncing as they hit her shoulder. "It's silver."

"You hate gold. I remember you told Charlie one time that it clashes with your colors." Whatever the hell that meant.

"And you got a ruby."

"You'd never wear a diamond."

Everyone knew that. Cassie made it clear on multiple occasions what she thought of the diamond industry. Her parents' work had taken her to some locations where she'd seen horrible things. He respected the hell out of what her parents had done with their lives, but sometimes he questioned their decision to bring their young child along to such dangerous situations.

"I had a local artist commission it. Sorry I had to go to your competition." He knew she wouldn't mind as all the folks in Kismet tried to help each other out. With a town this small, you had to share business or everyone would go under. "When I told her no diamond, she suggested your birthstone instead."

At her stunned expression, he laughed.

"Are you really so surprised I know you this well? It's been over fifteen years we've known each other. I'd be a real jackass if I didn't know your jewelry preferences and birthstone."

She shrugged a delicate shoulder. "Most guys don't pay attention to that stuff."

He wasn't most guys . Never mind the fact that he'd actually bought jewelry for Cassie before. No one knew because he'd never given it to her. As a stupid fifteen-year-old kid, he'd developed a major crush on his sister's best friend. One year he'd saved up all his money from his part-time dog-walking job and bought a truly hideous silver heart pendant necklace with the initials C she couldn't afford to lose Charlie and the Jackson clan, too.

"I know you're desperate Cassie," Charlie said, "but Del? Seriously?"

"That's enough! Everyone just shut the hell up and listen." At Del's raised voice, everyone quieted.

Penny tried to sneak away, but BJ wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gently pushing her back onto her stool. She looked about as apprehensive as Cassie felt.

"Cassie and I have been seeing each other for a while now." Charlie snorted, and Del glared at his sister. "We have," he said. "We didn't tell anyone because we didn't want to cause any issues if we…didn't last."

Charlie glanced at Cassie, eyes boring into her like she could see the lie if she just looked hard enough.

"Things happened," Del continued, "and I'm not going to go into them, because it's our personal business, but we hit a rocky patch for a bit. But we've worked it all out now."

He lifted their joined hands, making sure everyone in the room got a good look at the ruby rock she sported. "I asked Cassie to marry me, and she said yes."

The room fell dead silent.

Del sighed, dropping their hands back to their sides. "I'm glad to have finally stunned you all into silence, but congratulations are usually in order."

No one spoke for a moment, until Penny squeaked out a soft, "Congratulations, Delta, Cassandra."

"Th-thank you, Penny," Cassie managed. There, she could speak like a normal person even with her throat clogged by fear.

"Yeah, I guess congrats, you two." BJ rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head.

He didn't believe them. At least he was making an effort. Ace simply stood there all stoic and broody. Typical Ace.

Charlie threw her hands up into the air, mouth agape. "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

She winced at her best friend's screech.

"Seriously, Cassie? Last week I was helping you set up online dating profiles because you needed a husband, and now suddenly you have a secret relationship with my brother I've never heard about?"

Del let out a growl. "Yeah, hence the secret part."

He dropped her hand, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her closer. She went willingly. Sad to say, she needed the support.

"So the secret boyfriend you told Mandy about was the truth?" Charlie said. "Honestly, you're not just marrying him to get your grandmother's house?"

Unable to lie to her best friend without her heart breaking, she said nothing.

Del stared down his sister. "Back off, Charlie."

"No. She's my best friend. Or I thought she was."

At those words, Cassie's heart cracked, pain sucking the very air from her lungs.

"Seriously," Del's words were a low growl. "Stop."

Charlie ignored Del and focused on her. "We tell each other everything, Cassie. If this is true, why would you keep it from me?"

Dammit! Those were tears in her best friend's eyes. She hadn't made Charlie cry since the time they went skiing in high school and she accidentally ran into her, knocking her down, spraining both their ankles. Sure, they fought occasionally, but silly stuff, nothing deep and painful. This was painful, the hurt and betrayal coming from her best friend's eyes cut worse than any sprained ankle.

"Charlie, I…" But she didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say, nothing she could reveal without jeopardizing everything,

"Forget it." Charlie shook her head, a few tears escaping to trail down a tightly clenched jaw. "Congratulations. I hope you both are very freaking happy together."

With that, her best friend stormed off.

"You two better be serious about this." Ace stared at them, the simple warning all he gave before he turned and followed Charlie through the distillery door.

"Give her time, guys." BJ shrugged, dismissing them to turn to Penny who had buried herself in her ever-present laptop.

"Hey," Del said softly, gently grasping her chin. She gazed up to see Del, staring at her with concern. His hand reached out, thumb brushing something wet and cold off her cheek. Tears? When had she started crying? The moment she lost her best friend, that's when. "It's going to be okay," he whispered. "I promise."

"How?" Everything she feared about telling his family had come true.

"You didn't lose Charlie," Del said, reading her mind. "Like BJ said, just give her some time. You know what a hothead she is."

Cassie nodded, rolling in her lips to keep the sobs inside.

"Come on." Del turned her toward the side door. "Let's get out of here."

"Don't you have to work?"

"Not today. It's Monday."

Right. The tasting room was only open Wednesday through Sunday, and since Del was head bartender, he had Monday and Tuesday off. Too bad, because after that disastrous announcement, she could use a drink. A whole bar full of them.