Molly followed her. “Does he do that a lot?”
“Just for me and our mother, and now you.”
“No, not that.” Good lord, she would need a fan for her face at this point.
“Yes, he does.”
“Why is that, do you think?”
“Well, because he can, for one. He’s very observant, and he can stop a thief right in the act.” She paused, looking at a silver bracelet. “Or a murderer.”
Oh. Now that was making her feel even warmer.
“He has other reasons as well.”
“What reasons?”
Becca didn’t seem inclined to tell her anymore. They moved on to the next display.
“Can I help you with anything, ladies?” the shop keeper asked. “Would you like to try something on?”
Molly shook her head, even as Becca nodded.
“Yes. My brother’s fiancé would like to try on a ring.”
“Becca?”
“Shh…”
The tiny man straightened his shoulders, glancing at the door. Molly realized he was making the association. Now he thought she was Liam’s betrothed.
“Of course,” he said. “Just show me which one.”
Molly gave Becca a look she was sure would change absolutely nothing. She felt powerless to stop what was happening, at least not without drawing unwanted attention to herself.
“Right here.” Becca pointed at the topaz ring while Molly glanced self-consciously out the window. So help her, if Liam walked in on this, she would never talk to Becca again.
Oh, who was she kidding, she wouldn’t do that, because she didn’t want to take any chances on being cut off from Liam—or Becca for that matter. She was having the time of her life with them.
The clerk pulled out the ring and Becca took it from his hand unceremoniously, handing it to Molly. “Go on. I want to see it on you. Make sure you put it on the correct finger.” She nodded.
Molly watched the warm golden topaz twinkling in the light from the window, imagining what the ring would look like suspended from Liam’s long fingers as he held it out to her. She slid it onto her third finger.
It fit.
“See,” Becca said. “It was meant to be.”
Molly held up her hand. What if Becca was right? What if she was destined to wear that very ring for the rest of her life?
“Becca,” she said, “my mother told me she would never consider your brother as a match for me.”
“We’ll figure out something. I won’t let you go.”
Darcy Branwyn 
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