“Too traditional.”

“I don’t know much about diamonds, but I have seen a lot of rings like that.”

“Yeah, me too.”

I click on the third sketch. “Oh, she’d love this one!”

I show Aiden the sketch of a large, oval-cut diamond wrapped with trapezoid and round diamonds. It’s funky but traditional. I count the round stones. “And there are seven little diamonds for the seven of us!”

“Sounds like you’ve found the winner,” Aiden tells me.

“I like the design the best and the number of stones would make it really special.”

“I think so too.”

I click on the last sketch. This design literally takes my breath away. It looks nothing like Mom and everything like me. “Wow,” I whisper. Hello, beautifully gorgeous ring that needs to be on my finger. 

“You like that better?”

“What?”

“I asked if you like that ring better.”

“Oh, I didn’t hear you.”

“I take it you like it?”

“I love it, but for me, not Mom. And it’s not extravagant enough for my stepdad. Everything he does is big.” I stare at the sketch. This ring is so me. A three-carat round canary diamond set on a wide platinum band. The platinum band is completely covered with tiny baguette diamonds. “I’m going to vote for design number three.”

Miss Praline asks Aiden to hand back our quizzes, so I fire off a reply.

-You love that dog and you know it! As for the rings, I’m in love, love, LOVE with #3. 

It’s big and chunky, but still has a traditional feel. 

Did you plan it so there are seven round stones surrounding the main diamond? One for each of us? 

That will totally make Mom cry. 

(I think #1 is a little too funky and #2 is too traditional.)

Love you!! 

P.S. If any boy ever asks for my hand in marriage, show him #4. I’m in love. I’d marry a pirate for a ring like that.

When Aiden sits back down, I tell him that I’m leaving school tonight to go visit my uncle who’s in town.

Go for broke.

6:10pm

After signing out, I drive through the gates of Eastbrooke, down the long drive, and out onto the highway.

Cooper pops up from the back seat, where he was hiding under a blanket, and slides into the passenger seat next to me.

“Brooklyn totally bailed on me last night. His dad decided he can’t use his trust to help me buy Vincent’s company, and he didn’t even have the guts to tell me himself. He let the buyout guy tell me instead. That guy was a dick, too. Treated me like I didn’t have a clue—or the money—to do a buyout.”

“Do you have either?” Cooper asks.

“A clue? Not really. About the money, sorta, but not quite. I was really upset last night, but Aiden came over . . .”

“Kissed it and made it better?”

“He did make me feel better, for sure. But just when I thought prong two of our plan was history, he mentioned my grandpa. And a lightbulb went on in my head. I’m going to call him now.”

Cooper nods.

I tell my car to dial Grandpa’s cell.

His booming voice fills my speakers. “Well, howdy, hotshot.”

“Hey, Grandpa. Do you have a minute? I need some help.”

“Of course, I do,” he says loudly then whispers, “It’s good timing, actually. If I talk to you, I won’t have to help your grandma with the dishes.”

“I heard that,” Grandma yells in the background.

Grandpa chuckles. “So, shoot.”

“Do you know much about hostile takeovers?”

“I’d say so. We bought out fourteen companies over the years and none of them were particularly friendly.”

“So, if I were to maybe—”

“Keatyn, if we’re gonna talk business, you’ve gotta give it to me straight. No beating around the bush. Tell me what you need and how I can help.”

“Um, well, okay.” I take a deep breath. “I want to buy Vincent the Stalker’s production company. The company owns the rights to make the movie he wanted me to star in. It’s at the root of why he wanted to kidnap me, I think. He couldn’t get all the funding he needed, so he’s leveraged every asset he has, as well as taken on additional investors. He doesn’t own the majority anymore, and I was told the company is ripe for a takeover.”

“Sounds pretty straightforward.”

“Not exactly. I also need to hide my identity, so he doesn’t know I’m behind it. I was told that can be done through shell corporations?”

“Yes. What else?”

“B introduced me to a guy who was supposed to help. But he didn’t. He assumed I didn’t have enough money.”

“He wasn’t setting up investors for you?”

“No. I was going to spend all my trust but, based on his numbers, I don’t have enough, and B’s dad won’t let him loan me the rest.”

“You were willing to risk everything you have to make this happen? Go for broke? Why?”

“Because my family is worth the risk.”

“How will taking over his company help your family?”

“I don’t know if we actually even need to take it over. We just have to make him think we’re going to. If he loses the company, he loses the movie. I want to give him something to focus on besides threatening the people I love.” I have that unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though I’m scared of my own plan, I know I have to see it through. “I want my life back, Grandpa. I’m tired of people telling me what I should do.”

“Tell you what, why don’t I get my old cronies together and have some fun with this. Seems to me you have enough on your plate.”

“Are you serious? Ohmigosh, Grandpa, thank you. But before you agree, there’s one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I need it, like, yesterday.”

“Ain’t no roots ever grow under these feet. It’ll take some initial investigation, but I already have plenty of shell corporations we can use. This isn’t my first rodeo, hotshot.”

“I have some information. Who his investors are, their initial investments, Vincent’s personal balance sheet. The guy told me this stuff was hard to get because it’s a privately held company and not public record.”

“Bullshit. You just have to know who to ask. Send me the information and I’ll get my guys to confirm. That will give us a head start. I think we could be ready to fire the first shot across the bow by early next week.”

“Really? That’s amazing. I’ll call Sam right now and have him send you the money. I’m short what I think it will cost, but I have some real estate I can sell. I’ll put it on the market, take a loss, and get you the rest.”

“Hotshot, you let me worry about the money. You worry about keeping yourself safe. I suffered all the way through that Victoria’s Secret fashion show, wanting to see what all the fuss over this movie was about. After seeing the trailer, I suspect Vincent is as fidgety as a whore in church.”

“I want him to know what it feels like to lose control of his life.”

“I wondered how long it would take for you to fight back,” Grandpa says. “Glad to see I taught you well. Just remember, any idiot can poke a rattlesnake with a stick, but a wise man knows exactly how long that stick is.”

“Thanks, Grandpa. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I hang up, pull into the airport parking lot, pull on a wig of chestnut curls, and turn toward Cooper. “I’m really glad you decided to come with me.”

“There’s no way I’d let you go alone. And I know you would have.”

“Yeah, but I may have just figured out a plan that you’ll approve of.”

“What does it involve?”

“A flashy entrance and a stealth exit. I think I know exactly how long my stick is.”

Cooper looks amused. “I don’t know how long your stick is, but I will admit, you’ve grown a big set of balls.”