That Ring: A Second Chance Sports Romance (That Boy® Book 5)

“Where’s Jennifer?” Damon asks, rummaging through the kitchen for a breakfast so late that it might as well be lunch.

“She’s out, doing some last-minute shopping with Jadyn,” Devaney says, taking a moment to look up from her phone. She’s been sitting at the island, furiously texting someone about something that is obviously highly important to her.

“Since you’re both here, I thought we could have a family talk,” I say to them.

“Sure, Dad,” Devaney says while Damon gets four waffles out of the freezer and puts them in the toaster.

I pace a little in front of the island while I think of exactly how to broach the subject. I’m so excited to propose that I feel like I could burst, waiting for the day to come.

Finally, I just blurt out, “I’m going to ask Jennifer to marry me on Christmas Day.”

“That’s cool,” Damon says, getting syrup out of the pantry and acting like I told him it was raining out.

“Cool?” I reply.

“Yeah. We like Jennifer. I mean, you’re living in sin together now,” Devaney says. “You should probably just get married.”

“I know that, Devaney. You have heard some of this, but I guess I just feel the need to ask for your guys’ blessing. I want you to know that I loved your mom but that I think there’s a difference between love and true love. And as the two of you get older, start dating, and eventually consider marriage, I think it’s something you should know. Your mom was different because she was outside of my circle. She wasn’t impressed with the fact that I played football. There were a lot of girls who were too impressed that I did. And there were girls who only wanted to date me because they thought I’d go to the NFL and make money.”

“Which you did,” Damon says. “I’m hoping to use that myself to snag a hot babe.”

“While choosing a girl who only wanted me for money would have been bad, choosing a girl who really didn’t understand my love for the game probably wasn’t wise either. I think your mother and I both had indications from the start that things between us just weren’t quite the way they should have been, but we had been raised to work through the tough times. I guess what I’m saying is that when it comes time for you to choose a partner, be sure the person of your dreams shares your dreams.”

“That makes sense,” Damon says. “Although Uncle Phillip says that a hot tub is the key to a successful marriage. You and Mom didn’t have a hot tub. Maybe that’s what went wrong.”

“It’s not the hot tub,” I say. “It’s that when they spend time in there, they talk with no distractions. They plan and dream together about their future.”

“Is anyone going to finally admit that Mom was having an affair with Richard?” Devaney says, dramatically throwing her arms in the air. “Ever?”

“Fine. She was. Does that make a difference?”

“Yes, because it makes me feel guilty,” she says, putting her head down. “I saw them kiss one time after an appointment. I wanted to tell you but didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“Just Chase.”

“Let’s talk about that, too,” I say. “I lied to my parents. All the time. Want to know why? Because I felt like they wouldn’t understand or would get mad at me. I’d like us to start being honest with each other. Things are going to happen in your lives. Peer pressure, sex, driving, drugs, alcohol. The decisions you make regarding those things can have a profound effect on your life. You’re becoming adults, and those decisions are yours to make. I know your mother sort of laid down the law, told you what you could and couldn’t do. I feel like that kind of dictatorship breeds lying. What I’d like is for you to be able to talk to me about your decisions before you make them. I want to help guide you because I’ve been there before. And I know, Devaney, that some stuff might be awkward to talk about with your dad, but I’m here for you both. No matter what, I’ll always have your backs.”

“We have your back, too, Dad,” Damon says. “We like how happy you are around Jennifer. We know the story of how you met and all that and just really aren’t that surprised that you want to marry her.”

“I don’t want you to feel … I don’t know, like I’m abandoning you or anything. Or choosing her over you. Or any of the other crazy things kids can think.”

“We’re a little old for that. If you want our blessing, you have it,” Damon says. “Can I go now? The guys are texting that they are going to start the ping-pong tournament without me.”

“Of course you can go.”

He grabs his coat, heads toward the door, but turns back around and says, “Good talk!”

“Kids,” Devaney says, shaking her head at him. “So, how are you going to propose? You know you can’t just get down on one knee anymore. You have to have a plan. It has to be special.”

“I don’t think Jennifer is looking for anything extravagant.”

“Dad,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Every girl wants something extravagant. It doesn’t have to be expensive or a big trip or anything, but it should be planned, and there should definitely be a photographer there to capture the moment. And probably rose petals or signs or something.”

“I took your mom on a picnic for our anniversary.”

“Yeah, no.” She whips out her phone and shows me a social media site full of pictures and stories of the ways people propose. “Look at this one from the other day. Couple is moving in together. He goes to get the moving van. She is kinda pissed when he gets the wrong size until she opens the door and finds the back filled with balloons and streamers and a sign that says, Will you marry me?”

“Wow, I get what you’re saying,” I reply after reading a few posts. “I was just going to, like, wrap it in a box like a normal present, and when she opened that one, I was going to ask her. Maybe I need to rethink that.”

“Give me your phone,” she orders. She hits a few buttons and then says, “Study these. See what you can come up with. I’m sure there are lots of cute holiday proposal ideas. And you can always search the internet. Okay, I’ll see you later. I’m headed over to whip some of those boys at ping-pong.”

At least it’s not beer pong, I think to myself before calling Phillip.

“You working today? Feel like a beer?” I ask.

“Actually, I was just getting ready to call you. It’s five days before Christmas, and I haven’t bought my wife a gift yet. You know I am not a last-minute shopper, but things have been so crazy at work with Tripp buying the company that all I’ve done is pull together reports with my CFO for the last week.”

“I have some rings at the jeweler for Jennifer. I need to decide. And your wife has been hinting for a pair of real diamond hoops to replace the fake ones she wears all the time. Maybe we could help each other.”

“Rings? Like the engagement kind?”

“Yes, sir! I’m planning to propose on Christmas.”

“That’s great, Danny. Let’s do it. Beers and then the jewelry store. I’m sure the sitter will be happy to stay until Jadyn and Jennifer get home from shopping, although when I spoke to them, they were enjoying a very long lunch. I think Jadyn has had her shopping done for a few weeks, so this is more of a social outing.”

“Jadyn might be done, but Jennifer isn’t. She sent me a photo of the trunk loaded with shopping bags. I think she’s going a little crazy since it’s our first Christmas together. Like, as a family.”

“Wow. Isn’t that amazing to think—that after all this time, you could get so lucky?”

“That’s why I am putting a ring on it fast,” I tease. “Can’t let that one get away.”

When we’re finishing up lunch, Phillip says, “Have you thought about how are you going to propose?”

“Devaney asked me the same question. When I told her I was just going to let Jennifer open the box with the ring on Christmas morning, she showed me this website with all these real-life proposals. They were incredibly creative, but what I want to know is, when did asking someone to marry you turn into such an event?”

“Since the kids started doing homecoming and promposals. Don’t you remember when Nick’s nephew made a whole Easter egg treasure hunt for his girlfriend with the huge stuffed bunny at the end, holding a sign that said, Prom?”

“I assume she loved it?” I ask.

“Yeah, she did. But now, imagine if he someday proposes for real.”

“He’s got to do something even better. Okay, I see. I guess if I wanted it to be like how we met, I’d take her to the beach and ask her. Except we won’t be there because I have a game on Christmas Eve.”

“Honestly, Danny, she’s going to be thrilled with however you propose.”

“Do you think she will say yes? I mean, I know she wants to marry me. I just don’t know if it’s too soon.”

“I think the timing is perfect. Let’s go.”

We’re greeted the moment we walk into the jeweler. Since it’s the holidays and there are quite a few seasonal employees, I asked the owner if we could meet in private. I trust the core staff but don’t want to risk word getting out before I actually propose. And, since Jennifer interviewed me after the game, everyone knows we are an item.

“We’re here to see Samuel,” I say, but there’s no need. He’s already coming out of the back to get us.

Once we’re situated in his office, he sets out a velvet tray and a jeweler’s loupe. I always look through the loupe when he tells me to, but honestly, I really don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for.

“All righty,” Samuel says, opening a case full of rings and setting each of the seven that I showed Jadyn onto the velvet. “I know I sent you pictures, but they don’t do them justice. So, let’s go through them one by one. If there’s one that you don’t like, we’ll put it to the side to narrow it down.”

Phillip and I nod. I haven’t told Phillip my favorite yet. I sort of want to see what ring he thinks Jennifer would like the most.

“We’re seeing a trend in brides choosing larger precious stones wrapped in a halo of diamonds. This ruby ring is a perfect example of that.”

“I have a favorite based on the photos, but I’d like to know what you think when you see each one,” I tell Phillip.

He nods, understanding. “I think the ruby is a no. The pink diamond there, too.”

“Your wife said the same thing.” I chuckle.

“Okay,” Samuel says, continuing, “bachelorette number three is a two-and-a-half carat Asscher cut square. The horizontal facets and nearly flawless stone mean this beauty packs a punch.” He holds it up, allowing it to catch the light. “Look at it sparkle.”

“That one looks like my wife,” Phillip says, turning to me. “Did she comment on it?”

“No, but you’re right; it does,” I agree.

“Our fifteenth anniversary is this January,” Phillip tells Samuel. “Set that one aside for me.”

“Very well,” Samuel says, trying to keep from smiling at the idea of selling us each a ring today.

“Bachelorette numbers four and five. Both similar in that they feature the very popular diamond halo, but each look very different due to their fine shapes. Although not the shapes you want your woman’s body,” Samuel says with a chuckle, “the pear-shaped and the marquise diamond have been making a comeback.”

“I could see Jennifer liking the pear-shaped one,” Phillip says. “It’s unique. It’s large enough but not such that she wouldn’t feel comfortable with wearing it every day.”

“This pear is a brilliant-cut diamond, weighing in at just over two carats—at two-point-three-four. A unique platinum mounting features another one hundred twenty-two single cut diamonds, adding another one-point-six carats.”

“Your wife thought that would be an option,” I say as Phillip scrutinizes the ring.

“I agree that it’s a contender.” He picks up the marquise cut ring and rolls his eyes. “Definitely not a marquise. Been there, done that. Thank God it’s finally over,” he says, referring to the engagement ring I bought Lori. “And although all the rings so far have been beautiful, I think I picture Jennifer with something a little flashier.”

“Like this cushion cut?” Samuel suggests, holding out another ring. “Vintage diamond weighing in at four-point-zero-seven carats, VS1 clarity. I personally love the setting on this with its tapering and octagonal linear borders. And those seventy-four diamonds add an additional carat.”

“That is beautiful,” I say, rethinking my choice. “What do you think, Phillip?”

“It’s my favorite so far. But I think I misspoke before. Jennifer doesn’t need a flashy ring. She needs one with personality, if that makes sense.”

“Which brings us to bachelorette number seven,” the jeweler says, showing off the last ring with a flourish. “Besides the large ruby you set aside earlier, this is definitely the boldest of our options.” He hands me the ring. “This stunner is encrusted with diamonds, offering brilliance, no matter the angle you look at it—from the rolled band to the four hundred round, brilliant cut diamonds to the central stone that’s just over four carats.”

“That is most definitely a Jennifer ring,” Phillip gushes. “Although I probably shouldn’t say that until I know which one is your favorite. Is it the cushion cut?”

“No, it’s this one.” I slide the ring onto the tip of my pinkie, imagining placing it on Jennifer’s hand and feeling overcome with emotion.

Phillip pats me on the shoulder. “She’s gonna love it, man.”

Our chosen rings are put in pink velvet boxes. Phillip picks out pretty diamond hoops to give Jadyn for Christmas. We give them our credit cards and are out the door with less cash and a lot more love in our hearts.

“You got emotional over a ring, Danny,” Phillip says, giving me a grin once we’re in the car and headed home.

“I know. What’s up with that?” I fire back.

“Do you remember when you went with me to pick up Jadyn’s ring?”

I think back. Phillip and Jadyn had gone to help me pick out Lori’s ring. To kill time, I asked Jadyn about her idea of a perfect ring. She sketched it on a little notepad in front of us. Later, when she wasn’t looking, I ripped it off the pad, threw it at Phillip, and told him he should save it. That he’d need it someday. Which was funny because even though they had been friends since practically birth, they had never dated.

“I do remember that you got tears in your eyes when you saw it.”

“There was a lot riding on that ring. My life. My happiness. If you recall, I proposed on our first real date.”

“You were so in love with her.”

“Still am,” Phillip says. “And if you also recall, I did the proposal up pretty big myself.”

“Yeah, you did. Sent her to the spa, had flowers delivered, bought her a new dress, had her picked up in a limo, sent her down memory lane where she got special charms relating to your past for her bracelet, had her dropped off at the restaurant with the view, proposed, and then took her to a surprise engagement party with all your friends and family. Where she got up onstage and told everyone she said no.”

“One of the worst moments of my entire life,” he says, nodding.

“Which is what I don’t get. I’m proposing to someone I met over a decade ago and who has only been back in my life for two months. I don’t want to do it in public. What if she says no?”

“Jadyn didn’t end up saying no that night. She just had to talk her way through it. She thinks out loud. Always has. Jennifer might have to do the same. What matters is that, in the end, she’ll realize there is no other answer for her. Because I know she’s in love with you.”

“Thanks, Phillip. I hope you’re right.”

“You’re still going to propose on Christmas morning though, right?”

I nod. “Yeah, I am.”