The Devine Doughnut Shop(28)

“I’m sure he will.” Darla Jo waved over her shoulder.

Macy took a moment to float on air before she told Grace and Sarah how wrong they had been. Then her phone rang. She slipped it out of her hip pocket, accepted the FaceTime call, and Neal’s face popped up on the screen. He looked terrible, as if he hadn’t slept in days.

“Hello, darlin’,” she said. “How are things in San Diego?”

“Not so good,” he said. “I have a problem, and I’m ashamed to ask you for help, but I don’t know where else to go. After Monday, we’ll be sharing everything we have, but . . .” He paused, and a single tear made its way down his cheek.

“But what? Are you okay?” she asked. She’d never seen Neal cry before—not even when he’d told her about the horrible automobile accident that had killed both his parents and his two brothers years earlier. She had wept until there were no more tears while he consoled her and explained that he was glad they were taken quickly and hadn’t suffered.

“Just my pride is hurting.” The tremble in his voice matched the horrible look on his face. “I had saved a hundred thousand dollars to use for a down payment on one of the houses we’re looking to buy as a surprise wedding gift for you, but some of the guys here at the conference invited me to a high-stakes poker game.”

“That’s illegal, isn’t it?” Macy asked.

“It is, but I thought if I could turn my cash into enough to buy the house outright, then I could surprise you with it on our wedding day,” he said after a long sigh. “I got in over my head, and now the people want their money today—right now. I could lose my job over this. There’s no way we can get married if I’m unemployed. I would never feel right if you were the only one bringing in the bacon.”

“How much do you need?” she asked.

“Just a quarter million. All you have to do is give me your bank numbers, and I’ll take care of it from here. We’re going to join our accounts on Monday, anyway, so this is just a couple of days early.” Neal finally looked up and almost smiled. “I’m so, so sorry about all this, darlin’. I promise to never play poker again.”

Macy’s engagement ring caught the sunlight and sent a ray of light across her phone screen. She held it up and wondered for the first time if the diamond was even real. Neal couldn’t be poor if he could buy her such a lovely ring.

“What are you looking at so seriously?” Neal asked.

“My gorgeous ring,” Macy said, with a smile that she hoped he couldn’t tell was fake.

“You will help me, won’t you?” Neal’s chin quivered.

“Of course, darlin’, but I can never remember the numbers for the savings account where I have that kind of money,” Macy told him with a twinge of guilt. “I’ll have to go up to the house and find them in the file cabinet, then call the bank to transfer that much into your account. I will probably even have to drive into town to verify everything. I don’t think they’ll take care of it with just a phone call.”

“But . . .” Neal looked genuinely puzzled. “I love you so much, Macy—but you told me you had full access to your money, didn’t you?”

“I do, and there’s about that much in my savings account, but the rest of what I have is invested with a company, and it would take a week or more to get all the paperwork done to liquidate all that. I’ll text you the numbers as soon as I get all this straightened out,” she said.

“That will have to do until Monday, when we really get to start sharing our lives,” he said. “And, darlin’, thank you so much for getting me out of this trouble.” He finally smiled fully. “I promise this will be the last time I ever ask you for anything.”

Red flags went up. Everything that she had been told played on a constant reel in her mind. “I should be going, if you need the money today.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with another sigh. “I will make all this up to you, I promise.”

She heard voices behind him that sounded like children playing. “Who’s there with you?”

“I’m in the lobby with one of the guys I owe money to. He brought his wife and kids to the conference. I’ll be looking for that text—and, darlin’, I can’t wait to see you. Thank you so much for doing this for us.”

“I’d do anything for you, Neal,” she told him. The first lie she’d told in years. Guilt lay on her shoulders like hot coals.

“Hugs and kisses.” He blew her a kiss.

“See you soon. Hugs and kisses.” She blew a kiss back, and then she really started to mourn for what could have been.

Macy removed her engagement ring and held it up to the light. “Please be real,” she whispered as she pressed it against the glass display case and tried to make a long scratch.

“What are you doing?” Sarah asked, coming out of the kitchen. “That case would cost hundreds to replace.”

Macy’s hands shook as she threw her ring across the dining area and then slumped down on the floor. “It’s not real. It’s fake. I’d bet dollars to cow patties that Darla Jo’s is real.”

Sarah crossed the room and picked up the ring. “What made you test it? What did Darla Jo say to you when she was here?”