Weirdly drawn to feeling some way closer to the man who’d also been reading the same heartfelt words.
Then, suddenly conscious of how stalkerish it was, she deftly began zipping back up all the pockets, as if to hide evidence of her snooping.
But on one of the outside pockets (the one where she usually kept her phone charger) the zipper seemed strained.
Ally reached into the pocket to see if she could push the bulky object blocking it out of the way. Rummaging further inside, her fingers brushed up against something hard, yet velvety to the touch and curious afresh, she pulled it out.
To discover that it was a small navy blue box - a jewelry box.
Eyes widening, she tentatively opened the lid and sure enough, inside was a stunningly beautiful diamond ring.
An engagement ring…
For reasons that she couldn’t quite explain, Ally’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach.
The guy was obviously planning to propose to someone this Christmas.
And the realisation struck Ally then, that she really needed to get this bag back to its owner - for more reasons than one.
Chapter 17
As he sat with his family over dinner after the tree lighting ceremony, Jake had a fresh spring in his step.
Finally, he had a lead - a proper lead!
Despite multiple calls to the airline subsequently, he’d heard nothing at all, and after missing Ally Walker’s friend at the ice maze, was seriously beginning to give up all hope of getting his bag back.
Until on the way back from the maze, he’d popped in the general store, before joining Meghan for a hot chocolate at the cafe next door.
He knew he’d go out of his mind between now and Christmas trying to figure out a way to locate his bag - and the ring - and needed to distract himself.
What better way to do that than bury himself in his writing? To say nothing of the fact that he needed to finish plotting out the new book.
So, deciding to pick up a replacement notebook from the collection he knew they carried at the general store, he chatted briefly to the friendly owner.
“Must be something in the air today, Jake,” Harry the owner commented, when he placed his purchase on the countertop to pay. “That’s the second one I sold today, and you’re usually my best customer for these.”
“You mean, only customer.” He nodded distractedly, not exactly in the mood for small talk until Harry said something else. “And there was a woman in earlier too, asking if anyone had bought one.”
At this Jake’s ears picked up, his author brain whirring instinctively. “Seems like an odd query.”
“I thought the same. You know these out of towners though, strange as they come.”
Jake smiled and was about to put his wallet away when Harry’s next words stopped him in his tracks.
“Wanted a charger for some futuristic phone she had - never seen anything like it.”
The phone charger… the unusual one from Ally Walter’s bag that even Meghan didn’t recognise.
“Did she say anything about losing a charger along with her luggage?” he asked, and Harry looked up at him, surprised.
“Yes, as it happens. Some problem with the airline. Said all she had left was a dress for the Snow Ball tomorrow night.”
The shoes…. suddenly all the pieces were clicking into place.
“What else did she say?” Jake pressed, thanking the heavens for small-town gossip, as Harry told him everything he could glean about the woman he was trying to find.
But most important of all, Ally Walters was heading to tomorrow night’s gala.
