“Excellent choice,” she said, leading us to a locked glass counter. “Vintage inspired might remind you of the kind of ring your grandmother wore, but it’s obviously designed to reflect the modern woman, like you.”
My eyes scanned the black velvet trays. My throat went dry as I imagined how much they might cost. I knew Joel had made millions in the stock market before he returned to our hometown but I felt so guilty for spending his money on something so frivolous.
“Maybe we should just go with simple bands,” I suggested hopefully, looking up at Joel.
“Not a chance.” He peered over my shoulder and pointed to the exact ring I would have chosen for myself. “Can we see that one, please?”
“Of course,” she retrieved the ring before handing it to me. “My name is Andrea, by the way.”
“Gia,” I said, trying to steady my trembling hands. “And Joel.” I slipped the ring on my finger, and of course it was a perfect fit. Ugh! Fate was conspiring to make this too easy.
“What do you think?” Joel asked, reaching for my hand so he could inspect it closer.
“Um, it’s beautiful. But it’s a little big, don’t you think? Kind of impractical for every day.”
He looked at Andrea. “I don’t think so. What do you think?”
“Not at all,” she said, pointing to the ring. “The lower setting makes it very practical. And that antique scroll design coupled with the smaller side stones makes it unique without being over the top the way a large solitaire might be on your petite hand.”
I hadn’t even had time to polish my nails before this little outing, but I had to start thinking more like Joel, and quit sweating every little thing.
“Let’s try a few more,” Joel said, when I didn’t respond. “Just for the sake of comparison.”
I went through half a dozen options, and Andrea was right about the large solitaire. It reminded me of the princess costume I’d worn for Halloween when I was six years old. I felt beautiful and special wearing it, but I couldn’t wait to put my pyjamas on after trick or treating.
“The Halo one is pretty,” I said, comparing that with the vintage-inspired ring side by side. “But there’s something about this one…” Maybe Andrea was right and it was because it reminded me of something my beloved nana might have worn. She passed a few years ago and I still missed her every day.
“Then that one it is,” Joel said, slipping his arm around my waist. “And it doesn’t even have to be sized, does it?”
“Looks like a perfect fit to me,” Andrea said, smiling. “How does it feel?”
So perfect I may never want to take it off. “Great.”
“Sir, would you like to step aside and I can tell you the price?” Andrea asked. “We might be able to do a little better if—”
“No problem,” Joel said, waving her off. “It is what it is.”
“My my,” Andrea said, winking at me. “You’re a lucky lady, indeed.”
Don’t I know it.
ChapterThree
Joel
We agreed to grab a burger at our favorite diner before heading to the animal shelter and I was admiring how good that ring looked on Gia’s finger when she caught me staring.
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” she asked, extending her hand as the sunlight pouring in through the window next to our booth blinded us with the sparkle. “It’s not like we had it sized. We could probably take it back.”
I rolled my eyes before sinking back in the booth and extending my arm across the back. We were waiting on our order and I was famished, even though I’d just devoured her breakfast a few hours ago. I couldn’t wait to get the green light so we could start working off some calories together.
“We’re not taking it back, G. It’s perfect.”
She sighed. “I just feel bad. I never meant for this arrangement to cost you so much, financially and—”
“Enough.” I threw a hand up to silence her. “I’m all in, you got me? And I don’t want to hear another word about it.” The way she’d stepped up after my dad died, even though we hadn’t been a part of each other’s daily lives in years, told me if our situations were reversed she wouldn’t hesitate to help me.
She smiled at the waitress who delivered our drinks before she sighed. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
