Page 68 of One Golden Ring
I laugh at her joyous announcement and suddenly I’m feeling more like myself.
“What?” she asks, her brow furrowing.
“I’m laughing because I’m happy,” I tell her. “Also because you’re awesome. He’s so lucky.”
“So are you,” she says, arching a brow.
I realize she means that I’m lucky because I’m going to be her stepmom, and suddenly I want nothing more in the world than to tell her everything and beg for her forgiveness.
But I know I can’t do that. Derek is her dad. He’ll decide when to talk to her about it.
And when that day comes, my friendship with her will be over.
“Come on,” she tells me. “We have to buy this stuffbefore he figures out where we are.”
We grab some gift bags from another aisle and then head to the checkout.
I’m feeling even betterafter another walk through the frosty air. Flurries are drifting down all around us and the people here are so friendly. They wave to us and say hello, even though they have no idea who we are.
But when we rejoin Derek and I sense him studying me, I get that same awful feeling in my stomach as before and I still can’t bring myself to look at him.
I guess I’m giving away that I have hurt feelings, but it’s better for him to figure it out than for me to catch his eyes when he’s giving me a sympathetic look and start ugly-crying in front of his daughter.
“Now you two have to go get something for me,” J.B. says excitedly.
“Oh, we’ve got plenty for you already,” her father tells her.
“Actually, I want to go get you something on my own,” I tell them. “You two go find something for Michael.”
“I’ll come with you—” Derek begins to say.
“Yes,” J.B. says immediately, grabbing his arm. “I know exactly what we have to get him, Dad.”
I breathe a sigh of relief when he lets her lead him off.
Then I look around, wondering what to buy for the girl who probably won’t ever see me again after she finds out I’ve been lying to her.
Normally I’d get her more books and graphic novels,but I’m feeling sentimental and I want something more… permanent.
Then I remember that sweet looking jewelry shop that’s back a block or two.
I walk a bit, trying to remember where I saw it and suddenly there it is. It’s a small storefront with a sign that saysBells and Baubles.The floor to ceiling windows reveal a shop filled with glass cases, but up front is a Christmas display with a life-sized mother deer figure and her two babies kneeling in cotton batting snow, surrounded by potted poinsettias. Paper snowflakes hang from almost invisible wire all around them.
I push open the door and I’m relieved to find that the shop only has two other customers browsing around.
“Hello, there,” a lady says in a melodious voice from behind the counter. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“I’m looking for a gift for my stepdaughter-to-be,” I tell her, wishing it were true.
“My name is Marion and I’m happy to help you,” she tells me, her eyes lighting up. “What kind of thing do you think your stepdaughter would like?”
I frown, thinking about J.B. and what kind of clothing she likes to wear.
“She’s casual,” I tell her. “Like me. And I think she’d like something a little unusual, maybe something kind of old-fashioned?”
“I see,” Marion says. I can literallyseeher mind working.
“Also, I’m on a bit of a budget,” I tell her belatedly. “So I guess that limits me.”
