Page 35 of No Rings Attached
I decided to tell her more of the history. “When Kingsley Jewelry first started, my ancestors created a whole ruby line based on that legend.”
“Oh, I remember seeing that on the company website,” she said. “I thought the story behind it was so cool.”
“It really is. My family was especially proud of the wedding rings in that line. To propose to my mom, my dad asked his father to recreate one of the original designs.”
I’d always been fascinated with those older pieces. There was just something about them that called to me. Maybe part of it was noticing how often my mother glanced at her ring with a soft smile or the time she spent teaching me about how to create jewelry. Or maybe both.
“That’s just as sweet as the legend. I bet your parents are so cute together.”
“Mostly.” I smiled. They really were a great example of a loving, healthy relationship.
“I’ve always loved antique jewelry. I bet her ring is stunning.” Ellie’s tone was wistful, and made me wonder how she might feel to have a piece like my mom’s.
And I was trying not to get ahead of myself.Fail.
I’d have to show her the books that catalogued our old designs. When I was younger and visited my dad at work, I’d pull them out and try to recreate the various pieces as I drew them on the copy paper I found in his office. When I finally had my own office at Kingsley Jewelry, I had those same books moved to my office.
Ellie turned in a circle, arms out, taking it all in. “How cool is it that you get to live in a town that has a fun lore like this? And it sounds like it’s something the residents really get behind.”
“You have no idea.” I chuckled. “Every November, we have Ruby Night.”
She gasped. “Did I miss it already?”
Her enthusiasm reminded me of how fun Ruby Night had been for me as a kid. My siblings and I had looked forward to it almost as much as Christmas.
“No. It’s this weekend. We have a parade to celebrate the founding of the town, a small fair on the town common with vendors and food trucks, then we float flowers into the river to remember and appreciate the people in our lives, both past and present. And even though they could do this year round, couples make wishes and leave coins on the river bank in buckets the committee decorates each year. The best part is they get to make a wish, and the town uses the money for our local schools.”
“So it’s a small-town celebration. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those!” She grabbed at my bicep and squeezed it hard in excitement. “Do they have any contests?”
I loved how into this she was. It was full-on adorable. “There is. On Ruby Night there’s a pie making competition and our spring fair hosts a chili cookoff.”
“Oh my gosh! This is so cool. Is there a repeat winner every year? In all the small-town movies and books I’ve read, there’s always one person who wins almost every year and they have a frenemy who swears to beat them the following year. And sometimes their rivalry runs so deep it’s like a feud between their families and—” She stopped abruptly and pulled away. “I’m so sorry.”
“About what?” I’d been enjoying listening to her enthusiasm.
She bit her lip and turned away to stare at the waterfall. “Sometimes I let my imagination get away from me. I know it can be annoying.”
For the love of all that is good and holy!
I wanted to punch some sense into the people who told her that. She was like a wounded baby bird that had fallen out of the nest only to be ignored. Not that I’deversay that to her. I wasn’t that stupid. But how could her natural enthusiasm annoy anyone?
“Not annoying at all,” I assured her. “I was just standing here remembering how much I used to love this time of year. Your excitement is a gift.”
“Used to?”
She was perceptive. I shrugged. I didn’t want to get into all the reasons I didn’t often attend the event anymore. My watch alarm went off at the same time as her phone alarm. We had a late meeting starting in thirty minutes.
“We should head back.” Ellie took one last look at the water, shimmering with the lowering sun. “Thanks for sharing your town with me.”
“Yeah, of course.” I hated how her voice had grown soft and the wistful way she stared at the bench with longing, like she wished she could be part of the magic of the town.
It made me want to give that to her.
And maybe, just maybe, I could figure out how to do that over the next two weeks.
Chapter Nine
ELLIE
