To the Stars (Thatch #2)(9)

Collin’s free hand clenched into a fist over and over as he watched me, and after a moment he started eating again. “As I was saying, we have a fund-raiser we’re expected to be at in two weeks.”

I swallowed thickly at the mention of it, and was only able to push around my food for the rest of dinner as I fought to keep down what I’d already eaten.

Fund-raisers and dinner parties meant we needed to impress people Collin or his dad worked with. They meant Collin expected me to be perfect, even though he had no problem showing me how imperfect I was while we were there, and again once we got home.

We’d been at a dinner party the first time I’d caught a glimpse of my monster—and it also should have been the last night I ever saw Collin. But I was in love, we’d just gotten engaged, and I kept making excuses for him in my head.

Spring 2012—Richland

“I DON’T KNOW if I should wear my ring tonight,” I said, and bit down on my bottom lip as I tried to figure out what to do. I held my left hand in front of me, and my heart raced as my lips spread into a wide grin.

This is right. This is what I want, I thought to myself, and forced my smile to remain on my face as I wondered why I’d pictured Knox Alexander when I’d accepted Collin’s marriage proposal three hours before.

Collin turned from where he was fixing his tie in the mirror and raised a dirty-blond brow. “You don’t want to wear your ring?” he asked quietly; calmly.

My eyes widened, and I stumbled over my words as I tried to explain. “No, of course I do! I just didn’t know if I should when we’re going to your parents’ dinner party. I mean, it’s for the governor, and I didn’t know when or how you wanted to announce to them that we were engaged. And now I’m worried that we’ll steal the focus if someone sees the ring, because it’s really hard to miss . . . so I just don’t know what to do.”

Collin smiled before pressing his lips to mine. “My parents already know. I promise it will be fine.”

I blinked quickly in surprise. “They know?” It wasn’t like I expected the screams of excitement that had poured through the phone from my family, but I would’ve thought the Dohertys would have said something when we’d shown up at their house earlier to get ready for the party.

“Of course they do; they’re excited.” Collin’s eyes studied my face, then fell quickly over my ears, throat, and finally my left hand. Every place on my body that had jewelry from him. His eyes stayed on my hand when he asked, “Do you like it?”

“My ring?” I sputtered. Is he serious? I thought to myself. I glanced down to the five-carat, emerald-cut, Classic Winston, and giggled. “Collin, I love my ring. As always, it is way too much, but I love it.”

“Then that’s all I need to know—and no, you’re not taking it off for the party.” Glancing at his phone, he said, “We do need to go, though, or my parents will wonder why we aren’t down there.”

“Okay.” I blew out a hard breath, and looked at myself in the mirror one last time before following Collin out of his bedroom at his parents’ house, and down the stairs.

I was introduced to dozens of couples—some of them I would never remember; others left me forcing myself not to gawk, as celebrities were introduced like it was an everyday occurrence to see them.

“Do you know who that was?” I hissed in Collin’s ear when we stepped away from the actor and his supermodel wife.

Collin’s brow furrowed, like he didn’t understand why I was about to hyperventilate. “Yes? Ah! There are my parents.”

Nothing. No reaction. This is his life—my life now . . . and it is so amazing! How does he not find this amazing? I wondered, but put those thoughts to rest when I looked around his parents’ house. I knew his family had money, but it was obvious some of their money came from something long before his father’s job, because there was no way a prosecutor could have a house like this. Just like there was no way his son could buy me the things he did.

“Collin, Harlow, so glad you could join us.” Mrs. Doherty said, and kissed my cheek. “These are some of Flynn’s colleagues,” she whispered, then straightened with a perfect smile on her face. “Gentlemen, you remember our son. This is his fiancée, Harlow.”

A few nods and nice-to-meet-yous were thrown out, but other than that, it was if we hadn’t just come into the conversation. As if Mrs. Doherty hadn’t just announced so casually that we were engaged.

Just like that, I was brought into the family. I’d been worried it would be harder—like I would have to prove myself. Instead, it was anticlimactic—almost a letdown. The conversation that had been taking place continued, and Collin kept his arm around me as he threw himself into it. I tried to do the same.

Five minutes later I was still attempting to understand what was happening—or happened. All I understood so far was that the men were all talking about an old case.

“Still can’t believe the bastard got away with first-degree murder,” one of the men said, and the others all shook their heads and voiced their displeasure.

“Should’ve been capital murder,” Flynn Doherty added.

“What’s the difference?” I asked quietly, and regretted it when a few men laughed, and every pair of eyes in the small group focused on me.