Davis twirled the ring on his finger. “Estate jewelry is hot right now. Our millennial brides love the idea that they’re getting something with a history. They even have a word for this style—grand millennial. I could probably get seventy-five thousand for this ring, with the right customer.”
Hattie gasped. “That much? I had no idea. I haven’t worn it since Hank died. My work has me crawling around under houses all the time and I’m terrified I’ll lose one of the stones.”
“Tell you what,” Davis said, leaning across the glass-topped counter. “I’ll loan you forty thousand cash, using the ring for collateral. Will that help?”
Hattie swallowed hard. She looked down at the engagement ring, now glittering in its satin-lined nest, and thought about the night Hank had given it to her.
* * *
They’d been working all day on the house in Thunderbolt, tiling the new shower stall. She was hot and hungry and exhausted, and wanted to order a pizza and collapse into the bed, but Hank insisted they drive out to the beach and watch the sunset. They parked the truck and used the Eighteenth Street walkover to cross the dunes with a painter’s drop cloth for a picnic blanket.
Hattie had managed to step on a piece of glass and cut her foot and she was in a foul mood. As the sun slid toward the horizon, she was still griping about idiots who ignored the signs forbidding glass on the beach when Hank leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips.
“Could you please shut up? I’m trying to do something here.” Then he reached in the pocket of his jeans and handed her the velvet box.
She’d gasped when she saw the ring. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably when he took the ring from the box and slid it onto her left hand. “Well?”
“Is it real?” Hattie had never seen anything more beautiful. The sapphires were bluer than Hank Kavanaugh’s eyes, which were very, very blue. And the diamond was the biggest she’d ever seen.
“Hell yes, it’s real. Do you think I’d give you a fake ring?” He’d pretended to be hurt.
Hattie had thrown her arms around his neck and blubbered out a string of insane sentences. “Oh my God! Hank, it’s amazing. Where did you get this? Can we afford it? So, what? We’re getting married?”
They’d stayed on the beach, laughing, drinking wine, and kissing and talking and doing other things that, although not specifically forbidden by city ordinance, probably would have been frowned upon by the local authorities.
* * *
She was thinking about that night now, standing at the counter at Heritage Jewelers, while Davis Hoffman patiently waited for the answer to his question.
“Yeah,” she said finally. “That would be a huge help.” She touched the ring box. “And … you won’t sell it? Because I’m going to pay you back, Davis. I swear, I’ll pay you back.”
“I won’t sell it,” he promised. “Stay right here while I get the paperwork squared away.”
He left the ring box on the countertop and walked to the back of the store. She touched the ring, then closed the lid of the box.
Five minutes later, Davis was back. He handed her a printed-out form and a pen. “That’s a detailed description of your ring, and my appraisal of its worth. I’m a certified gemologist in case you’re wondering. And there are the terms of our arrangement.”
Hattie looked up. “I trust you, Davis.” She scribbled her name on the line at the bottom of the document and handed it across the counter to him. He took the bottom copy of the document, folded it, and placed it in an envelope. “Your check is in here,” he said.
“So that’s it? We’re good?”
“We’re good. I’ll put the ring in our safe. What else are you up to these days?” he asked casually. “Have you dated any, since … Hank?”
“Not much. I, um, was sorry to hear about you and Elise.”
He shrugged. “Not as sorry as my mother. I think Elise got custody of her in the divorce.”
Hattie laughed. “I hope they’ll be very happy together.”
“Doubtful. Unfortunately, I don’t think Elise is capable of happiness. Come to think of it, neither is my mom.”
“You’ve got a daughter, right?”
His long, serious face brightened. “Ally. She’s four, going on forty.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolled through the camera roll, and held the phone out for Hattie to see.
The little girl was seated in an office chair, holding a kitten in her lap. She had dark blond hair and huge dark eyes.