her skin. Her eyes fluttered open.
“Are we here?” she asked.
“We are.” Tim turned off the car. The late December sun shone overhead.
They walked in sync up to the building. Sparkling light came from the Tiffany display window. An emerald-cut, three-stone diamond in a platinum engagement ring sat alone on blue velvet.
“That’s the kind of ring a man gives a woman when the only possible answer is yes,” Indy said over her shoulder.
“I didn’t expect you to say such a thing given your opinion of marriage.”
“Even I’d wear that.” She winked. “That’s not a regular skating rink. That’s an Olympic-size hockey rink.” That was the Indy he’d come to be so enamored by.
“Huh.” If any other woman had said it he would have dismissed the statement. Indy wasn’t all about designer labels and status symbols.
The ring represented something. A leap. Hope. That one day she’d let him slip it on her finger. It was tangible. And it was sappy. Indy was prone to being outrageous and saying stuff she didn’t mean but most of what she’d shared with him was deeply personal, and he was sure the ring was a revelation. It sure as hell was a revelation to him because even if she couldn’t see a future with him, at this moment he could see one with her. Joy welled in his chest at the thought of bending his knee and presenting her with this token of his commitment to her. Shit. Where had that come from? He shook his head to dismiss the thought. But the damage was done. Seared into his mind. She would have that ring.
“Are you coming?”
Not yet but possibly soon. He shook his head. There was a line inside the BreadBar. “In a few, I want stretch my legs.”
“I’ll go get in the lineup so we aren’t late.” She pointed inside.
He paced. What was the worst thing that could happen if he bought the ring? She and Liam realized they were in love and he handed it over to his brother? Because if that was the ring Indy would wear, the man she loved should give it to her. It made him so old-fashioned but what else could he do? If nothing else, he could return it.
When she went into the BreadBar she turned away from him, and he slipped into the jewelers.
“Can I help you, sir?” the stuffy looking man asked.
“Yes. I’d like to buy the ring in the front display case outside.” Tim pointed over to the area.
“A man who knows his lady.” The flattery sales pitch. Not working for him.
No, a man with a lady who knew her own mind. “Something like that.”
“It’s a wonderful piece . Would you like to see other similar—”
“This is the ring she wants , so this is the ring she’s going to have.” Tim would have wanted to see each piece compared and analyzed but that wasn’t how Indy did things.
“Understood, sir.”
“I’ve got to be at the airport shortly so speed would be much appreciated.” He didn’t want Indy to find him in there. From the door he saw her peering out of the BreadBar window.
Tim handed the man his credit card. The man fussed behind the counter for a moment before requesting ID then disappearing. It happened less and less but when he’d first got the trust fund it had happened all the time.
The line in the BreadBar appeared held up by the woman at cash register. On the counter were mountains of boxes.
Indy looked around outside again.
The man came returned from the back with a big smile. “Mr. Boyd, let me finish up the purchase for you.”
The sale went through. A clerk immerged from the rear area of the store with the ring in a fancy box, a card and bag in hand.
“I won’t be needing the bag.” Tim slid the ring in to his coat pocket and the authenticity card into his wallet.
When Indy reached the counter and had her back to the store window he slipped out and into the BreadBar to join her.
Greeted with a smile from her, he wanted to kiss her but stood next to her. The woman behind the counter wrapped up her items. Tim handed her his credit card and
“Are we here?” she asked.
“We are.” Tim turned off the car. The late December sun shone overhead.
They walked in sync up to the building. Sparkling light came from the Tiffany display window. An emerald-cut, three-stone diamond in a platinum engagement ring sat alone on blue velvet.
“That’s the kind of ring a man gives a woman when the only possible answer is yes,” Indy said over her shoulder.
“I didn’t expect you to say such a thing given your opinion of marriage.”
“Even I’d wear that.” She winked. “That’s not a regular skating rink. That’s an Olympic-size hockey rink.” That was the Indy he’d come to be so enamored by.
“Huh.” If any other woman had said it he would have dismissed the statement. Indy wasn’t all about designer labels and status symbols.
The ring represented something. A leap. Hope. That one day she’d let him slip it on her finger. It was tangible. And it was sappy. Indy was prone to being outrageous and saying stuff she didn’t mean but most of what she’d shared with him was deeply personal, and he was sure the ring was a revelation. It sure as hell was a revelation to him because even if she couldn’t see a future with him, at this moment he could see one with her. Joy welled in his chest at the thought of bending his knee and presenting her with this token of his commitment to her. Shit. Where had that come from? He shook his head to dismiss the thought. But the damage was done. Seared into his mind. She would have that ring.
“Are you coming?”
Not yet but possibly soon. He shook his head. There was a line inside the BreadBar. “In a few, I want stretch my legs.”
“I’ll go get in the lineup so we aren’t late.” She pointed inside.
He paced. What was the worst thing that could happen if he bought the ring? She and Liam realized they were in love and he handed it over to his brother? Because if that was the ring Indy would wear, the man she loved should give it to her. It made him so old-fashioned but what else could he do? If nothing else, he could return it.
When she went into the BreadBar she turned away from him, and he slipped into the jewelers.
“Can I help you, sir?” the stuffy looking man asked.
“Yes. I’d like to buy the ring in the front display case outside.” Tim pointed over to the area.
“A man who knows his lady.” The flattery sales pitch. Not working for him.
No, a man with a lady who knew her own mind. “Something like that.”
“It’s a wonderful piece . Would you like to see other similar—”
“This is the ring she wants , so this is the ring she’s going to have.” Tim would have wanted to see each piece compared and analyzed but that wasn’t how Indy did things.
“Understood, sir.”
“I’ve got to be at the airport shortly so speed would be much appreciated.” He didn’t want Indy to find him in there. From the door he saw her peering out of the BreadBar window.
Tim handed the man his credit card. The man fussed behind the counter for a moment before requesting ID then disappearing. It happened less and less but when he’d first got the trust fund it had happened all the time.
The line in the BreadBar appeared held up by the woman at cash register. On the counter were mountains of boxes.
Indy looked around outside again.
The man came returned from the back with a big smile. “Mr. Boyd, let me finish up the purchase for you.”
The sale went through. A clerk immerged from the rear area of the store with the ring in a fancy box, a card and bag in hand.
“I won’t be needing the bag.” Tim slid the ring in to his coat pocket and the authenticity card into his wallet.
When Indy reached the counter and had her back to the store window he slipped out and into the BreadBar to join her.
Greeted with a smile from her, he wanted to kiss her but stood next to her. The woman behind the counter wrapped up her items. Tim handed her his credit card and
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