Chapter 29
Ben sat at a pub in Spencer while he waited for Stevie to get back to him with the ring size and thought about Jaz. He had figured out how he was going to propose. It was perfect and it would give Jaz the proposal she deserved.
He had thought about all of the important moments they shared. When they first met. When they first saw each other after Jaz returned to Gungellan after the Olympics. When they stayed up all night and watched the sunrise. When Jaz told him she was pregnant. When they brought Kelly home. Almost all of those moments had taken place in only four places. In town, at Killarney, at Wilgul, or at Drovers.
Ben was going to create a special eventing course for Jaz to ride. Like a scavenger hunt, cross country course that she could ride with Annie. It would end at the meadow where they watched the sunrise and got back together. He would have Kelly and a picnic waiting there and that's where he would propose with the sapphire ring. It was going to take some serious work, and he would need to arrange for Jaz to have enough time off to make this work, too. Then he thought about all of the people who were so important to Jaz and him. She would want them there too. He wanted them to be there for Jaz. He realized he was going to need quite a few accomplices to pull off this plan. He was brought out of his thoughts when his phone rang.
"Ben!" Stevie shouted into the phone. She sounded upset.
"Do you have the ring measurement?" asked Ben.
"It's gone! The ring is gone!" Stevie was shouting into the phone.
"What do you mean?"
"The only ring I could find of Jaz's was her 2012 National Championship and Olympic team ring. I imagine it's a really important possession to her because, you know, the OLYMPICS!" Stevie was freaking out as she explained.
"I had to break into the house, and I got caught before I could measure it, so I had to race up stairs and climb down the ladder with the ring still on my finger. When I got to the barn to measure it, It was gone. It fell off my finger somewhere in all of that. I'm trying to look for it now, but, because of your stupid lies, Jaz thinks I'm on my way to Gungellan to meet you and you were missing your wallet. She would be very surprised to find me crawling around her back garden trying to find her National Championship Ring that I stole from her!" Stevie was exasperated and couldn't believe what she was saying or doing. "Damn it, Ben! How did you get me into this? Oh, and I still have to drive to Gungellan today because Jaz asked me to drop off a building permit request at town hall that is due today since she thought I was headed into town anyway!"
Ben's heart dropped to his stomach. Jaz was incredibly proud of that ring. She almost never wore it for fear of losing it, and now it was gone because of him.
"Okay. We need to find that ring. I'm going to come back now to help you look, but can you do me a favor first? Can you measure the circumference of your little finger, the one the ring fell off of? I can at least tell the jeweler to go a little bigger than that and we can hope it fits. I'm going to come help you and have the jeweler leave the engagement ring at the pub across the street. I'll drive back to get it tonight after I find the championship ring, but the jeweler will be closed by the time I make it back to Spencer tonight."
It won't matter if I propose with the sapphire ring if that championship ring is gone. Jaz will be absolutely gutted, Ben realized.
"No, Ben. That doesn't make any sense. It'll take you nearly four hours to get back here. Just stay in Spencer and wait for your ring. I'll keep looking, but I'll go measure my pinky first. Just call Jaz and tell her you found your wallet and that you're going to stay in town and won't be home 'till late. I'm going to call Drovers and get some help." said Stevie
She wrapped the tape measure around her finger, read the measurement to Ben and hung up the phone.