Page 24 of The Christmas Ring
Their look held. Ben glanced up and sure enough, mistletoe hung overhead. They both laughed this time and moved into the next section of the store. The kindling of their chemistry had been there from the beginning.
But now it seemed to ignite.
They moved to a Christmassy bookcase. Antiques had a way of stirring Ben’s heart, taking him to the places of poetry in his soul. He took a fountain pen from one of the shelves. “Who owned it?” He turned his eyes to Vanessa again. “What letters did that person write? What thoughts poured from his heart?”
“Okay.” Vanessa clearly loved this. “I can play.” Shetook the pen and turned it over in her hand. “She was a playwright, longing for her big break. Then one night she wrote a story that would change her life. And that one story caught the eye of a producer, who fell in love with her words. And in turn, he fell in love with her.”
She understood the game. Ben loved that about her. “Perfection.” Ben took the pen again. “Antiques let you hold a piece of history in your hand.”
“And wonder about the person who held it first.” Vanessa seemed to glance at her wedding ring. “The one no longer here this Christmas.”
Ben wanted to take her hand, wanted to pull her close. But he waited. Giving her space was the best way he knew to honor Vanessa and her feelings. Especially after she’d just looked at her wedding ring.
He smiled straight into her eyes. “The trick is knowing when to hold on to the past.” He put the pen back on the bookshelf. “And when to let it go.”
After they’d scoured the store, Ben bought several items including the fountain pen. It wasn’t a Christmas item, but their customers were always looking for pens and paper and typewriters. Evidence that the deeper ways of communicating had always been around.
They stepped outside and Ben’s phone rang. It was his dad.
“Let me get this.” He motioned to Vanessa.
“I’ll pick up the bag of teddy bears from two doors down.” Vanessa motioned to the toy shop. “Let’s meet back here.”
Ben leaned against the old brick wall and watched hergo. She exuded life, and the spring in her step made her seem like a girl in her twenties. Just another thing Ben loved about her. He took the call. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“It happened!” His dad was always a happy man, but his tone was at an entirely different level. He was practically giddy and his words ran together. “I found it, Ben! The diamond in the rough!”
“Dad.” Ben chuckled. He pressed the phone closer to his ear. “Slow down. I can’t understand you.”
“The diamond in the rough! I found it.” His dad exhaled and found a more reasonable pace. “It was this pretty bauble stuck in a box of a hundred other antiques. I looked past it three times before it jumped out at me.”
“It jumped out at you?” Ben tried to imagine exactly what type of bauble it must be.
“Not literally, son. But almost. Something about it made me want to get it appraised. Just in case. So I did, right after we talked earlier.”
Ben smiled. “An appraisal is a good way to know.” This was why he loved working with his dad. His enthusiasm knew no limits. “And?”
“Ben!” His father paused. “It appraised for twenty-five thousand dollars!”
Shock, like the December wind in southern Georgia that week, washed over Ben. “Dad... is this a Christmas joke?”
“No joke, son. This is real. As real as that appraisal.”
Ben walked the length of the store and back again. “What are you going to do with it?”
“Sell it!” He laughed. “Ben, I have a buyer all lined up.She’ll be here the twenty-third.” His dad let out a shout. “Merry Christmas to us both, my boy!”
The reality was settling in. “Looks like we’ll be taking that trip to Italy after all.”
“Better believe it!” His dad hooted once more. “Gary hasn’t stood up since I told him. We’re all in shock.”
Ben saw Vanessa approach with two large bags. With every step she struggled to keep them off the ground for more than a few seconds.
“Hey, Dad. I have to go. Amazing news. I still can’t believe it.”
The call ended and Ben hurried to take the bags from Vanessa. She must have noticed something different about him. “You look happy.”
“My dad found a valuable antique. He had it appraised.” The wonder of it all came over Ben again.
