Page 65 of When You Were Mine

“Yep.” But he wasn’t there for the kids. He was there for the shearling slippers. Did women’s feet change in size? Because she used to wear a seven.That’s what I’ll get.

On his way back to her, he watched her touch and scrutinize every single item, taking such care with each purchase. And that was one of the things he’d loved about her. She remembered what you said, what food you liked, what colors you favored. She gave a hundred percent to the people she cared about.

But who made her feel special? The moment she moved past the bath products, he grabbed the basket she’d liked. And actually, why not get the same scent in a candle? Before she could find out what he’d done, he quickly headed to the cash register. He snatched a wool scarf off a table and included it in his purchases. He’d make sure no one recognized him tonight.

He wouldn’t let anything pop this bubble with Elzy.

When they headed back out into the icy cold night, he tried to take the heavy bag from her.

But she resisted. “You have enough of your own stuff to carry. I got it.”

“You’ll need your hands free for the other shops.” He paused outside a boutique. “Like this one.”

She took in the window display. “You’re not wrong.” Laughing, she shoved the tote at him and headed inside.

Right away, she went to town, buying T-shirts and sweaters. “Oh, my God. Look at these.” She stood before a wall of slipper socks with puffins, reindeer, Vikings, snowmen…all kinds of winter and Icelandic designs. “They’re one-size-fits-all, so I’ll buy a pair for my entire staff.”

As she went to the desk to arrange the purchase and shipping of the gifts, he found a few more things he thought she might like. At the counter, he showed her a knit hat with a white puff ball on top and a braid hanging down on either side. “This would be cute on the girls.”

“It’s adorable. They’ll love it.”

“Don’t you need a hat?” He set it on her head and gently tugged the braids until it fit her head. “Oh yeah. That’s the one.”

Her grin was pure light, piercing the darkest parts of him and warming him to the soles of his feet.

Until she yanked it off. “Oh, I don’t need one. But you should definitely get it for your granddaughters.”

He did, but he also bought one for her.

As they continued down the street, he noticed the streetlamps were decorated with old-fashioned candleholders. Most of the stores on this street were for tourists and sold similar items, so they didn’t need to go inside.

But when they passed a jewelry store, something caught her eye. “Look at that.”

He pressed closer to the window to see bold, heavy pieces. “You like them?”

“I think Chris would, don’t you? They’re made of black lava. What a cool present for a man living on a lava field.” She headed inside, flagged down a salesperson, and got into a conversation about the Nordic symbols on the sturdy silver jewelry.

As he wandered around, a case of diamond rings caught his eye. They’d married on an impulse, so they’d never exchanged real wedding rings. He didn’t know her taste anymore, and it certainly wasn’t his place to buy her jewelry.

And yet…he carried two large tote bags filled with silly stuff. Nothing real. Nothing meaningful. And she’d just spent the last hour thinking of everyone but herself.

He shouldn’t do it. He knew that, but while she was preoccupied with buying something for her client, he found another salesperson to help him.

Because he’d found the ring. The only one in the world Elzy should wear on her finger.

“Can I see that one?” he asked.

“Way to pick the nicest ring in the store.” She pulled out her keys and unlocked the case, setting the stunning diamond on a velvet pad. “It’s actually three rings.” She showed him each band separately.

He held them in the palm of his hand. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“That’s because each piece here is one-of-a-kind.”

“Like her.”

The woman smiled. “Yes, that’s the idea.”

In the center, the beveled oval diamond glittered. The three diamonds in the top ring formed a crest. Altogether, it was designed for a queen. “I’ll take it.”

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