Chapter 59

CHAPTER 59

LOGAN

T wenty-four hours after I'd gotten back to New York, I was being discharged from the hospital. I grinned at the nurse as I signed the discharge papers, happy to be getting out of here. They'd monitored me for almost a full day and now, thankfully, I'd been cleared to leave.

I had no medical complications from my injuries, but I'd been warned against driving, working too hard, and not getting enough rest. The nurse leveled me with a stern look as I finished scribbling my signature with a flourish and pushed the paper back to her.

"Remember, Mr. Jones, no strenuous activity, plenty of sleep and fluids, and no alcohol with your painkillers."

I gave her a playful salute, but the stern lines etched into her features didn't fade, so I nodded. "I heard you the first ten times, Nurse Ratched. I heard the doctor too. I'll be a good boy, I promise."

She finally cracked a smile as she shook her head at me. "It's not nice to call nurses that, you know. We take extreme offense to it."

"In that case, I apologize," I said sincerely, not knowing whether she was joking but for some reason really caring about not offending anyone for once in my life. "You were just looking so strict and that was the first thing that popped into my head. "

"I figured. Goodbye, Mr. Jones. We'll be seeing you back soon if you don't follow those orders, so I'll know if you just made the promises to get out of here."

"I won't be back." At least, I hoped I wouldn't be and I was going to do everything in my power to stay out of this place from now on if I could help it. "Thanks for everything. You guys were great, but I hate being stuck in a bed."

It would've been different if Mira had been in said bed with me—just not in a hospital. Now that I was getting out though, maybe I could convince her to get all that rest I had to get with me. On top of me because, apparently, I wasn't allowed any strenuous activity, so she was going to have to do most of the heavy lifting.

I waved goodbye to the nurse, and in great spirits, I walked out of the hospital and found Jude and McKinley already waiting for me outside. They'd volunteered to pick me up, and Jude even got out of the car to open the door for me.

"What the hell, man? You got hurt out on the rig? Aren't you supposed to have a nice, cushy office job away from the danger? What were you doing there?"

I chuckled at Mickey's rapid-fire questions as I buckled up my seatbelt. Jude dropped in behind the wheel, then twisted to look me over with an expression of amused concern on his face. "She's right, you know. You don't have to be on the rig to own it. I found it much safer to just stay in my lane, which is here. On solid ground. Where it's safe."

I smirked at him. "Maybe I like the danger."

He scoffed back a laugh, his head shaking as he turned to face the road and eased down on the gas. "Well, it doesn't look like the danger likes you, bro. What happened? That rig has been incident free for ages. At least, it was when I sold it to you."

"It was an accident," I said, quickly explaining what had happened as Jude navigated us out of the parking lot and merged with the traffic.

Once I was done explaining, Mickey was peering at me from behind the passenger seat, gaping as she shook her head. "What the hell? You could've died!"

"Yeah, but I didn't." I exhaled through my nostrils as memories of the last couple days played through my head. "I'm fine. I promise. I didn't even have to strong arm the docs to let me out of there. They did it all by themselves."

Mickey's features were still frozen in shock. "Don't get me wrong, I'm damn glad you're okay, but maybe you should consider taking a step back from actually being on the rig. Like Jude said, you don't have to be there, but you've been making a lot of trips recently."

Jude laughed. "That's because of Mira, though. It has nothing to do with the rig."

At the mention of her name, my heart did a weird, leaping-skip type thing. "It wasn't only about her every time, but you're right. I have been finding excuses. But that's all going to end if things go my way."

"You're breaking up with her?" Mickey's mouth twisted as anger started taking control away from the shock. "You?—"

"No, it's not that," I said quickly before she could get too worked up. "It's the exact opposite, actually. Having that close call made it pretty damn clear to me what I need to do. Life is short. We need to seize every moment we're given."

"Sure," she said, a crease appearing between her eyebrows as she tried to piece it together. "What are you saying, though? What are you going to do?"

"For starters, I'm going to ask you to stop at a jewelry store before you take me home. I'm not allowed to drive for a couple days and I'm under orders to go straight to bed when I get home, but they didn't say anything about stopping on the way."

"You're actually going to follow orders?" Jude asked, clearly surprised as he glanced up at me in the rearview mirror. "We can stop, but what do you need to buy at a jewelry store?"

"You'll see," I replied easily.

Jude pulled over in front of the first jewelry store he could find. It wasn't a chain or department store, but a designer boutique looking thing with a little awning out front and what appeared to be a handcrafted sign with the designer's name printed on it.

It was perfect, exactly the type of place where I'd find something unique and meaningful rather than mass produced. Mickey frowned as she climbed out of the car with me, followed by Jude. We strode up the sidewalk to the door.

"Seriously, Logan. What are we doing here? What are we looking for? Maybe we can help you find it so we can get you home sooner. You did say that you had to go straight to bed. This doesn't count as that, irrespective of whether they specified that you're not allowed to stop along the way."

I shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'm walking slowly. I'm not overexerting myself and this won't take long. I'll know what I'm looking for as soon as I see it, but until then, my lips are sealed. Besides, the doctors' orders are only a precaution. They didn't find anything wrong with me, remember? My brain is as good as ever."

"Which means not very good at all," Jude muttered jokingly. He caught sight of some of the price tags of the items displayed in large windows leading up to the door, and he whistled. "Holy fuck. Who would pay that much for a brooch? Does anyone even still wear those?"

"Grandmothers, I think," Mickey supplied helpfully, once again turning to frown at me. "Is that what we're here for? A brooch? I didn't even know you still had a grandmother."

"I don't and we're not. Jude chose the place, remember? I didn't even know they sold those here until right now."

She shrugged and gave her husband an exasperated look. "Fine, no brooches. Sheesh."

We reached the door and I pressed the button for the buzzer. My hand rested on the heavy metal gate to push it open once we were let inside. Anticipation grew within me, making my veins feel like they were pumping electricity from the core of my being to everywhere else. I was practically buzzing with it when the gate clicked open and we walked into the store.

Wide glass display cases lined the walls and sat on legs along the center of the room. Bright lights shone inside each one, showcasing a dazzling display of everything shiny and sparkly.

A neatly dressed man strode up to us, straightening his tie as his gaze zeroed in on Mickey. "What can I help you with today, ma'am? Whatever it is, you've come to the right place."

Mickey smiled politely and tipped her head toward me. "Thanks, but you're going to have to ask him. They're not my bodyguards. He's the customer and the other one is my husband."

The man seemed a touch thrown off his game, but then he recovered and turned to me. "Of course, I apologize."

"No problem." I knew I looked disheveled after my time in the hospital, but the guy even took a step away from me. Part of me wanted to laugh and explain the situation, but the larger part of me was eager to get this show on the road. "I'm looking for a ring. Something really special."

He paused for a moment before he nodded. "Of course, sir. What kind of ring are you in the market for? We've got some gorgeous settings with gemstones from all over. I've got a nice discount running on pinkie rings and?—"

"An engagement ring," I said, cutting him off. "I don't need the discount tray, but thanks."

The man's eyes lit up. "If price isn't an object, I've got a few things that'll sweep your bride-to-be off her feet."

I nodded. "Show me those."

Mickey suddenly stepped around me, her eyes huge. She put both hands on my chest just before I started moving forward. "Whoa. An engagement ring? What on earth is happening right now? Are you serious?"

"As an accident on an oil rig," I said easily, more sure about this than I'd ever been about anything in my entire life. "I'm serious. I need a ring."

"Right away, sir," the salesman said.

"Pump the brakes, Logan." Jude appeared beside his wife, his features contorted like he wasn't sure if he should be laughing or worried. "You know, maybe we should take you back to the hospital. They must've missed something in your brain scans."

"They didn't. I'm clean as a whistle. Fit as a fiddle. Whatever saying applies, the point is that my brain is fine. I'm thinking more clearly now than I ever have. Almost dying will do that to do."

"Yeah, sure, I've heard about that," he said, his eyes dark and worried on mine now. "It's just, do you really think a proposal is a good idea right now?"

"It's so fast," Mickey added, her hands still on my chest. "What's the rush? At least give it a few more months, then take her away to some tropical island and give her a ring made out of seaweed or something. Mira doesn't need diamonds. You don't have to break the bank for her and you don't have to skip right to the engagement."

Jude chuckled as he glanced at her. "He could buy the island and it wouldn't even put a dent in his bank account, baby. You know that. The type of ring he gets isn't really the issue right now, is it?"

She rolled her eyes at him, a small smile playing on her lips until she looked back at me. "He's right. Of course, he's right. That's not the issue. The issue is you wanting to buy a ring at all. You were discharged from the hospital literally ten minutes ago after nearly dying. Let's just go to your place, settle in, and talk about this at least."

"I'm done talking," I said, and I meant it. I looked at Jude. "When you know, you know, right? How many times have I heard you say those words about Mickey? Do you remember the first time you told me about her? Do you remember how it felt like you couldn't just let her go?"

His nostrils flared, but he dipped his chin in a nod. "Still, man. That was when I took you to go see the rig. This is after you nearly died on the damn thing."

The salesman had clearly been listening, and he all but drooled at the prospect of a fat commission. He gave me a wide grin and swept an arm out toward a display case nearest the big vault door built into the wall behind the counter.

"If you'll follow me, sir," he said elegantly. "My name is Carmine, and I'm sure we'll find something that will suit your needs perfectly. "

"Thank you." I stepped out from around Mickey and Jude, striding toward the display case and waiting impatiently as the guy disappeared and then reappeared a few moments later with a velvet-lined tray shimmering with exactly what I was looking for.

He set it down in front of me. A delicate flowery band with a massive diamond in it caught my eye, but when I reached for it, Jude scoffed. "Mira isn't the flowery type, bro."

"Feel free to pick it up and examine the fine detail work. It's a gorgeous design, in my opinion." Carmine glared at Jude.

Mickey scrunched up her nose as she looked down at the tray. "I'm actually not sure any of these are going to work for her."

"Perhaps your friends would like to wait outside?" Carmine asked through a clenched jaw.

I ignored his comment and looked at Mickey and Jude. "I know what you guys are doing. Thanks for trying, but you're not going to stop me from buying a ring today."

"Hell yeah!" The salesman lifted his palm for a high five.

Caught up in the excitement, I slapped it. "Thank you, Carmine. At least someone here is happy for me."

My gaze swept across the sparkly options on offer and I kept looking until I found a ring that made my heart beat faster.

Yep. That's the one.

With a wide band that had subtle, intricate nature designs engraved on it and a brilliant cut stone inlaid in the center, it was perfect. One really had to squint to make out the leaves, waves, and sun-inspired designs, so it wasn't tacky, and I knew Mira would love having those things she loved so much on the symbol of my love for her.

Mickey and Jude kept gently trying to change my mind, but I left the store with that very expensive ring in my pocket and a spring in my step. As we climbed back into the car, Mickey finally stopped trying to convince me that I'd made a mistake.

"There's no rush, right? You have the ring now, so take your time and hold on to it for a while. This is a huge step, Logan. You need to make sure that she's ready for it too, and that you really are. "

I didn't respond, but as I settled back in my seat, I felt like the whole world was brighter and more colorful. I'd never felt this good. I was in love, and now that I'd accepted it, I was going to dive in head first.

That was the way I'd always done things, and so far, it had worked out pretty damn well for me. Now, I only had to hope that my luck would hold, and if it did, Mira and I would have a wedding to plan. The thought put a grin on my face that wouldn't quit.

If this was what it felt like to be ready to commit to one woman for the rest of my life, then I couldn't wait to feel what it would be like to know that she felt the same way.