Chapter 22: The Ring

Brandon stood frozen in the freight doorway with my mother in front of him and me behind him.

Behind me, a handheld camera operator from the show had followed me down the hall, and the red light on his lens was lit.

Maura came up beside him with her phone held out, filming too.

"Mrs. Burdick," Brandon said, and tried the grin. "What a surprise."

"Isn't it," Peggy said.

She set her thermos on a road case, very carefully.

"You told my son his father was a quitter."

"That was a misunderstanding."

"You told him on my lawn, at three in the morning." She stepped closer. "I've had six days to think about what I'd say."

"Mrs. Burdick, I'll compensate you for the hydrangeas."

"I don't want your money." Her voice was very soft. "I want what's my son's."

She looked at his left hand.

Brandon closed it into a fist and put it behind his back.

"Take it off," I said.

He turned to look at me, and he was sweating through his tux.

"Man. Come on. Think about this."

"Take it off, Brandon."

"It's a ring."

"It's my ring," I said. "I paid for it, and I chose the engraving, and you wore it to a courthouse."

Two stagehands had stopped in the corridor behind the camera.

A third came out of the loading bay with her phone up.

Brandon looked from face to face, and I watched him do the math.

"Fine," he said. "Fine. It's only metal."

He pulled at the band.

It had gone onto his knuckle without a tug, the first time.

Keep reading free with an account. Start My Bride Chose Her Publicity Stunt from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.