Free Forgotten Boxes by Becki Willis Page B

indulged in a long bubble bath.
    Afterward, Charity wrapped herself in the proffered lush robe,
lit the fireplace, and settled in to relive the day’s events and conversations.
The kiss took center place in her musings. She popped a maple hard candy into her
mouth and recalled the same taste upon Tarn’s lips.
    With so much on her mind, she had forgotten about the package
Carl Upjohn returned to her. She still felt guilty about taking the parcel back.
While it was doubtful his wife or children would want anything to do with a ring
meant for another woman, surely the diamond could be reset and enjoyed in a new
piece of jewelry. Had he not considered the possibility? Perhaps he knew the stone
would not be worth the effort.
    At any rate, he had given the ring to her, and now she was curious
to see what it looked like. She dug the box from the bottom of her purse and crawled
atop the thick pile of mattresses.
    “Geesh, I feel like a princess in one of those fairy tales,”
she half-grumbled, half-smiled. The bed’s height seemed best suited for a giraffe.
“Four-poster bed, a ton of pillows and mattresses. Wonder if there’s a pea hidden
under one somewhere?” She remembered the old bedtime story from her childhood.
    She sat cross-legged in the very center of the bed and tore open
the brown wrappings. Sure enough, nestled inside was a blue velvet ring box. Charity
popped it open and gasped aloud.
    Anchored in platinum, the square princess cut diamond had to
weigh at least four carats. The clarity was stunning, the brilliance unmistakable.
    Charity recalled what Carl said about Marissa’s need to impress
other people. This ring would definitely impress! Unlike the simple, unpretentious
ring he said his beloved Lucy had chosen, this ring was all about show and extravagance.
Though Charity had met neither woman, based on this ring alone, she could understand
why he chose Lucy over Marissa. But for the life of her, she could not understand
why he simply gave this magnificent gem away, and to a complete stranger, no less.
    She would have to take it back to him, of course. She could not
accept such an extravagant gift. Surely, he had forgotten the value of the ring
when he made the rash statement.
    How could anyone forget something so valuable, her mind
argued. The ring was worth thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. Unless Carl Upjohn
was filthy rich, this ring would have been difficult for anyone to afford, particularly
at the age of twenty-one.
    No, he had to have been aware of its value when he refused the
box. Which could only mean one thing – he valued his life with Lucy far more than
he valued the flashy diamond ring. Charity teared up, imagining a love such as theirs.
    She slid the ring onto her finger and found that it fit; snugly,
but it fit nonetheless. She fell back onto the bed and examined the ring from all
angles. Even when she extended her arm out as far as possible, the diamond winked
back at her provocatively.
    The giggle started in her throat. She had just taken a bubble
bath. She was lying atop a canopied four-poster bed, acting as if she didn’t have
a care in the world. She felt like a giddy teenager. The giggle worked its way down
into her chest. Today she had heard the most perfect love story, proof that romance
was still alive and well in the world. And she had been kissed by a stranger, who
somehow was really no stranger at all, not to her heart. The giggle slipped into
her belly, mingling with the other sensations there, the ones stirring with thoughts
of Tarn’s unexpected kiss.
    Before she knew it, she was laughing out loud. She laughed at
her own foolishness, at her own hopelessly romantic self. She laughed at the similarities
between that self and a silly teenage girl, admiring her first promise ring.
    And what promises this ring could make, Charity mused.
She laughed at the possibilities that popped into her head, one of them being a
free apartment for at least a year. She laughed at the