Page 34 of For Butter or for Worse
“We have to make sure Vanderman thinks we’re in this for good,” I tell Coop. “Rings will make it all seem more authentic.” I blamed this excursion on Coop, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about getting Georgie a ring since Beck mentioned it last night at the pool hall.
Coop slips a turtle ring onto his little finger and holds it up to admire it. “Why didn’t you just give her the ring you bought ten years ago? I know you still have it.”
A jolt of terror spurs me forward, and I clap a hand over his mouth as if that might stop him from saying what he just said. Georgie and Cecily look over in curiosity, but I ignore them as Coop tries to struggle out of my hold. “How do you know that?” I hiss.
We scuffle until he gets himself free and scowls at me. “I don’t need to breathe. It’s fine.”
“Answer the question, Heyes.”
“Because I helped you move into your house, you moron.” He straightens his t-shirt and pushes his hair out of his face. “And I might have rifled through your underwear drawer a time or two.”
I groan. “Why do I put up with you?”
“Because you and I are the same, man. We’d be alone without each other.”
Rolling my eyes, I start searching through a nicer array of rings, hoping to find something that Georgie might like. It’s not like I know her well enough for that. She doesn’tseemall that different from the girl I knew, but I know I’ve changed a lot over the last ten years. I’m sure she has too. “Still not interested in dating?”
“Why would I willingly subject myself to torture? I’ve got plenty to keep me occupied.”
I know Coop’s dad has been sick, leaving more of the business to Coop, but I doubt there aren’t moments when he wishes for more than just work. Then again, perpetual singleness seems to be the theme of the guys of Willow Cove. “Do you ever get tired of flying tourists around?” I ask, running my finger along the many ring options.
Coop tugs on the ring he put on his pinky and shrugs. “Nah. Plus, I get to fly an irritating turtle nut around for a couple of weeks, which is going to be…” He shudders. “So much fun.” He tugs on the ring again, his eyebrows dropping lower.
Leave it to Coop to get a cheap ring stuck on his finger.
Sighing, I pick up a ring that has a bit of sea glass in the setting in place of a precious stone and look at it more closely. “How’s your dad?”
“Nope.”
I’m not surprised when he wanders off after that blunt response, which is partly why I asked. He hates talking about anything personal, and there’s nothing more personal than his dad. Plus, he seems determined to free himself from the too-small ring, so that will keep him occupied for a while and give me a chance to do what I came here to do.
With the sea glass ring in hand, I move to the other side of the store and approach Georgie slowly. It’s as much because I don’t want to interrupt her conversation as it is because I don’t like the way Cecily looks at me. I know nothing about her, but I get the feeling she sees more than the average person.
Sure enough, Cecily is the first to notice me, and the look in her eyes is sharp and calculating. “Find something?” she asks.
Georgie turns around, and her eyes drop to the ring pinched between my fingers. “Oh, that’s beautiful!” When her fingers brush against mine as she grabs the ring, I feel her touch deep in my chest.
“What is that, jade?” Cecily asks.
“Sea glass,” Georgie and I say at the same time.
I meet her gaze, hating how much her smile warms me. Maybe avoiding her was my best option after all because now that I’m standing next to her, I don’t want to leave.
Why is this so difficult?
Her tongue darts across her lips, the movement holding my attention completely, and then she turns to give her friend a closer look at the translucent green ring. “I used to love walking on the beach collecting bits of sea glass,” she says. There’s a fondness in her voice that sparks memories of doing that very thing with her.
I don’t especially have an interest in the smooth glass pebbles, but I always liked the way Georgie found them fascinating. I kept trying to find one that matched the color of her eyes, but I never did. I still find myself searching the sand sometimes without meaning to.
“Interesting,” Cecily says, glancing from the ring to Georgie to me.
Georgie scowls. “Don’t go analyzing us, Cece. I don’t need your marriage counselor ways making this whole thing more complicated than it already is.”
Ah, that’s why she’s so observant. Suddenly I feel like I need to keep on my guard when I’m around Cecily. “How long are you in town, Cecily?” I know the question is out of left field, but it’s an important bit of information I need for my sanity.
She gives me a sweet smile. “That depends.”
“On what?”
