The Heir Who Quit Luxury novel · Chapter 27 of 32

Chapter 27: The Roof

"It's a box," I said.

"It's a ring box."

"It could be cufflinks."

"You don't own a shirt with cuffs." Pop thumped his cane on the floor. "Open it."

I opened it.

Pop leaned in and squinted at the ring for a long time.

He didn't say anything.

I started to sweat.

"It's small," I said. "I know it's small. She works with her hands. It sits low so it won't catch on anything under a hood. I can get a bigger one."

"Don't you dare," Pop said.

He sat down heavily on the end of the bed.

He reached out and touched the ring with one thick finger, very gently.

"Her mother's caught on everything," he said. "Took it off every morning to cook. Lost it down the sink twice. I had to take the trap apart in my church pants."

He laughed, and then he coughed, and then he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"You're asking me?"

"I'm asking you."

"Danny's boy." He shook his head. "Danny's boy, up these stairs, asking me for Frances."

"I haven't asked her yet."

"I know. I'm enjoying it."

He held out his hand.

I shook it.

His grip was harder than it had been at Thanksgiving.

"Two things," Pop said. "She'll say no first. Just to see your face. Ask twice."

"Okay."

"And if you ever make her cry the bad way, I'll run you over with the tow truck. I can still drive it. Mostly."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." He pushed himself up on his cane. "Now help me down those stairs before I tell her myself."

Frankie got back from the new store at nine.

She came up the ladder to the roof because the light was on.

I had the two lawn chairs out and the cooler and a string of the old Doyle's lights, the ones with one bulb out, looped over the parapet.

She stopped at the top of the ladder.

"What's all this?"

"It's a nice night."

"It's a Tuesday."

"Tuesdays can be nice."

She looked at me with her eyes narrowed and climbed up the rest of the way.

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