--- 29 ---
Paul took Reba and her family out for breakfast the next day. They returned around 11, and just as he had suspected, the bracelet was back, but the ring was still missing.
"I knew it was her. She didn't want the bracelet, she just took it to make it look like a burglary. She knew that I knew, that's why she returned the bracelet. But she couldn't part with the ring, so she just returned what she didn't want." Paul was going to report it to the police, but Reba told him to try and confront his aunt first.
"I don't know what you two are talking about! How dare you accuse me!" Leslie hissed through her teeth. Her fair skin turned red.
"Aunt Leslie, Reba said she locked the door before she went to bathroom. And the door was still locked when I went in. No thief will be kind enough to lock the door when they left. And I recall grandma's quarters has a secret passage that you and Billy hold a key to. Also, I was talking to Billy, whom I believe you set up to distract me."
"You think I planned this? How would I know she was going to shower?"
"You've had someone keep an eye on us every since we arrived. I knew about it. I just didn't want to say anything. The butler, the driver who seemed to pay attention to everything we said. Some stranger who seemed to be going everywhere we visited. I'm used to the paparazzi following me around. And your people, by all means, didn't do very good job. But this is stealing, it's not acceptable. And I didn't say anything about shower, did I?"
"If you think I'd steal it, then call the police! Go ahead, put your 87 years old aunt in jail." Leslie threatened. Her heart sank and turned pale when Paul actually began to dial the police number. Reba pressed the telephone cradle to hang up the phone, and stop him from completing the call. Paul glanced at her with a puzzled look on his face.
"Please, don't." Reba plead. "If the ring means that much to her. Give it to her."
"Why? You know what its value is? And it's your engagement ring, I proposed to you with that ring."
"No, you proposed to me with a piece of thread you pulled out from your shirt button. Your dad didn't use that ring to propose to your mom. And they lived a happy life together. And I didn't accept your proposal because of the ring. It's doesn't mean to me more than the thread you tied on my finger. I know it's your family ring, but if it stays with your aunt, it's still staying in the family."
"Are you sure?"
"I am." Reba touched his arm. "I know that ring cost a lot, but I'm sure it doesn't cost as much as the house you built for us. I know its value, but to me, the bracelet that you spent four hours travelling from one country to another to get it for me has more value than the ring that your ancestor bought for his wife. Ask your mom which one she would rather keep, the MacIntosh ring, or the one your dad proposed to her with. You'll see what I mean." She gave him a beautiful smile. "It's the sentimental value that counts."
"Alright, if you want it that way." He turned to his aunt. "If it means that much to you, keep it." He took Reba's hand and started to walk out. Leslie gazed at them and heard their conversation as they were leaving. "I'll buy you a ring, specially made just for you, and when we have a kid, we can give it to our kid and create a new family tradition."
"Sounds good," agreed Reba.
"Hey, how about I call my mom, and see if she would give up the ring that dad gave her to start a new tradition?"
"Are you trying to make her dislike me?" They laughed.
Leslie watching them leave as their voices faded away. Reba seemed happy even without the ring. Leslie pulled an object out of her pocket. The sparkling of diamonds shone into her eyes. This ring belonged to her now after 60 odd years of desire. Billy saw her looking at the ring. He opened his hand in front of her.
"This ring belongs to my wife now." Leslie looked at her son in disbelief. She put the ring back in her pocket, ignoring her son's demand.
Paul took Reba to Amsterdam before they went back to Houston to pick up a ring, specially handcrafted, just for her. Reba was overwhelmed when she found out that he had ordered it since he came to buy the bracelet, when he had told her he never bought a ring for a woman. Now, this was the ring that had special sentimental value to her. However, he had to use the MacIntosh ring to propose. Reba apologized to him for not being able to keep the ring. Paul wasn't the type to be attached to an object. He told her it was okay and she was right, the ring was still staying in the family.
They went back to Houston and started to seriously arrange the wedding. Paul designed her wedding dress, but he wasn't allowed to see it. He also designed the bridesmaid's dresses and the flower girl's dress. Reba saw him working on the details of the flower girl's dress. She grinned. And then she sighed. They had been trying for a baby for more than half a year now with no success. And the wedding was only less than two months away, looked like she didn't have to be afraid of being at the wedding with child anymore. She came back from a pharmacy, Paul was still working on Elizabeth's dress. Paul looked up at her with a grin.
"Honey, where have you been?"
"I went to pharmacy to get ovulation test," answered Reba trying to be cheerful. Paul put his work a side and walked to her.
"Reba, are you okay? You don't look happy."
"I am. I'm just a little disappointed that I'm not pregnant." Something in her voice told him that she wasn't content. He brought her into a hug. He took the bag from her hand and tossed it in to a trash can. Reba's eyes widened. "What are you doing? That test would tell us when it's the best time to try for a baby, it will increase our chances."
"I don't care about having a baby anymore, okay? Forget about it. Cheyenne has two kids, we could borrow one of them when we are bored. And someday when Kyra and Jake have their own kids, we'll borrow from them too. Plus, when the time comes, we'll sell the castle, and divide the money amongst the grandkids. We'll pick our favourite and give them the ring. See, we don't need to have our own children. I told you I wanted a baby because our first night together, we didn't use any kind of protection. I told you I want baby so you wouldn't freak out just in case you were pregnant."
"You really don't want to try anymore?" Paul shook his head.
"If I desperately want a baby, I would have suggested an unnatural way by now, you know, going to a lab, planting the egg in your body. If it happens, it happens." Paul assured her.
"Good, I hate trying for a baby."
"Why's that?"
"It took the fun away." Paul arched his eyebrow. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the pleasure. But it always raised a question, that you did it because you want to make love to me or you just want a baby." Reba admitted, her voice was just above whisper.
"Oh honey." Paul hugged her tight. "I had no idea you felt that way. Of course, I want to make love to you. Baby is just a benefit and a good excuse to get you in bed," stated Paul with a good chuckle.
"You really mean it?"
"Do you need proof?" Paul questioned back with a mischievous grin. He kissed her passionately and he showed her that it wasn't the baby that meant the world to him. After they made love, they were cuddling in each other's arms, enjoying the company of one another when Paul's phone rang. It was his mom who called.
"Paul, I got grandma's ring back. Your Aunt Leslie said to give it back to you when I come to the wedding," announced Sylvie at the other end of the line. Paul sat up straight and had a conversation with his mom. Reba heard it was about the ring.
"Mom said Aunt Leslie went to see her in Paris, and gave her back the ring. She said it's yours, not hers to keep." Paul told her after he hung up.
"Why did she change her mind?"
"Mom said Billy kept bugging her for it so he could give it to his wife, and she thought to herself back 60 years ago when she kept bugging Uncle Bill for it, she walked a mile in grandma's shoes and she decided she would return it to the rightful owner." Paul smiled. "You know, Leslie hates mom, and it must have taken a lot of courage for her to go to France to see mom and gives her the ring. Mom said when she saw her, she got a chill. Somewhere beneath the surface of the earth it must be freezing." Laughing, he continued to tell her the rest of the story. "Mom invited her in for a cup of tea. And they had a friendly talk for the first time in 53 years that they've known each other. Apparently, your generosity had done something better than any of us could expect." Paul kissed her adoringly. "Mom invited her to our wedding, and she said she would love to, but she's too old to travel overseas. She would send us a gift." Reba smiled and snuggled closer to her fiancé. She took that as a sign, that when something rightfully belonged to her, she didn't have to try. It would return to her. If she was meant to be pregnant, she would be if she was meant to have a child with Paul.
The wedding was less than two weeks away. Everything became hectic. Although to avoid the stress, they had hired a professional wedding planner. However, something this big still caused stress. Especially when the media was trying to have access to information. Paul designed all the dresses for the bridesmaids and flower girl. He also designed the wedding dress, but he couldn't work on it. It bugged him like heck. He wanted it to be perfect. His previous dresses he made for her, had his hand on in every stitch, every hem, and every single detail. But for her wedding dress, he just designed it. He asked her for her opinion, but Reba said it was him that she would be impressed, so she would wear whatever he wanted her to wear. So he told the seamstress exactly how he wanted to see it. He wasn't allowed to see the progress once the seamstress took the design and the drawing from him. He had to steer his mind somewhere else and focus on the dress that he wanted her to wear at the reception instead.
Reba was stressed too, her father wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding; he recently had triple bypass surgery. Reba and Paul went to visit him, and he gave them his blessings. Now she had to look for someone else to give her away. Paul didn't like to see his fiancée being stressed. He took her away for a weekend, just to get away from the chaos. They didn't go far. Paul purchased a Beechcraft Baron G58 to keep on his private landing strip at his new resort. He took Reba to Cancun, Mexico. They were sitting on the cabana at the end of the pier, watching the refection of sunset across the ocean.
"Can you believe it, in two weeks we're going to be husband and wife?" Paul raised his champagne glass. Reba clinked it with hers.
"You're not going to freak out on me are you?"
"Me? Never" Paul put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
"Let's see, we have our 'unofficial' date in Milan, first date in Paris, a little romantic getaway in Niagara, pre-honeymoon in Cancun. Man, I can't wait for our honeymoon." Reba smirked "Where are we going for honeymoon?"
"We'll stay home and never leave our bedroom." Paul winked and chuckled. "It's a surprise. You'll like it I'm sure."
"Can you give me a hint?"
"No, you'll have to wait and see. Mom and dad always go there on vacation. I've always thought, someday I'll take my wife there too." Paul mumbling the word 'my wife' a few times until Reba giggled. "I was married once, but to call someone my wife is still new to me, I gotta keep practicing."
"I wouldn't call that a marriage, I'll call it the worst hangover." Reba smirked and took a sip of her champagne. "You know, I'm afraid too that one of these days I'll wake up in a hospital and find out that I passed out and was in coma and had a nicest dream that I was married to Paul MacIntosh."
"Do you want me to spank you to see if this is a dream?" Paul wiggled his eyebrow suggestively. Reba responded to that suggestion with a deep long kiss. They left their world behind them. They would have a carefree worry-free weekend, before they had to go back and face the chaos of the wedding again.
Reba didn't know that Paul had planned a surprise for her.
