Page 80 of The Jellybean Dilemma

I chuckled as we headed down my winding driveway. “Do you have a shop in mind?”

“Yep.” A wide grin split his face. “I know just the place.”

The ten-minute drive was filled with him telling me about the New Year’s Eve party he and Avery had attended with Josh and Gina at Maria’s. Bin had closed the restaurant for a private celebration. Although I wouldn’t have missed Mandy’s wedding for the world, a prick of jealousy stabbed me as he raved about the food, the dancing, and, of course, the company.

Maybe next year.

We pulled into a simple but cute looking shop at the edge of town, and I said, “I had no idea this was here.”

Derek lifted a shoulder. “Bin told me about it. One of his friends owns it, so I thought I’d check the place out.”

Most jewelry shops I’d been in felt cold and sterile, but this one was warm and friendly with rich, bright paintings placed strategically on the walls. A man about our age greeted us, and Derek strode up to him. The man had blond hair and dark brown eyes. He wore an infectious smile that I couldn’t help returning.

My brother said, “Hi, I’m Derek Elgin, a friend of Bin’s. He told me about this place.”

The man’s smile grew impossibly wider. “Nice to meet you, Derek. I’m Paul. How is Bin? I haven’t seen him for a while.”

As Derek caught Paul up, I began perusing the jewelry cases, looking for anything that screamed Avery. I wasn’t sure of her preferences, but I knew Derek had given her a rose-gold tennis bracelet for her birthday. She wore it all the time.

Maybe something to match?

“What brings you in today?” Paul asked, glancing from Derek to me.

“I’m looking for an engagement ring. My sister, Rhonda, is here to help.”

“Congratulations!” Paul headed my way. “Anything you want to see up close?”

I checked with Derek first. “Did you have any setting or metal in mind?”

“I thought rose-gold since Avery seems to like the bracelet I got her.”

I nodded, happy that my thoughts were on the same page. I pointed to a tray of rings. “Can we see that one, please?”

Derek ambled over as Paul set the tray on top of the counter. We studied the beautiful jewelry in silence, but one with a square cut diamond in the center kept calling to me. The band was delicate, with two pieces of metal weaving through each other in an elegant design. I reached for it at the same time Derek did.

We both laughed, and I let him pick it up. “Great minds.”

“Yep.” He turned it over several times then handed it to me. “I really like the band on this one.”

“Me, too. It’s so delicate.” The diamond wasn’t too big either, and it would look nice on Avery’s hand. “I think she’d love it.”

Derek nodded and turned to Paul. “Okay, tell me about this one.”

I tuned them out, going back to perusing the cases. I wondered if Derek had practiced his proposal, and my mind shifted to Greg. Marriage to Greg…it was a fantasy that had seemed unattainable for so long. We were definitely too new for a leap like that, but someday. I couldn’t picture myself with anyone else.

Once Derek had the ring, we decided to go to a nearby cafe for lunch. He patted his pocket when he got out of the car and again when we sat down.

“The ring still there?” I teased.

His cheeks tinged with pink. “Yeah, I’m just nervous, I guess.”

“Derek.” I paused, reaching out to grab his wrist. “Never in the history of mankind has someone had a more solid chance of their girlfriend saying yes. Avery is all in.”

He grinned softly. “Thanks, Rhonda.”

When the server came by to take our orders, I got a water and a chicken salad. Derek chose a French dip with homemade chips. The server left, and I fiddled with my napkin, unsure what else to say.

“How are you doing?”

---