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“Oh, don’t do that.” Her breath came out in a whoosh as he set the tray of sapphires on the glass top. Earrings, bracelets, and a host of pendants all fired off black velvet. Spotless, lintless, perfect velvet.
She couldn’t stop herself from drawing the edge of her nail across the tennis bracelet. Each sapphire was bisected by a diamond. Beyond beautiful.
“They are, aren’t they?”
She hadn’t realized she’d said it out loud. “Yeah. I know most people go for the flash, but I’ve just always loved the deep blue.”
“As a personal preference, or because you know the deeper the blue, the more they’re worth?”
“Really?” She’d never done her homework about gemstones. They were always so far out of reach that she barely had a hint of want. “Just reminds of the ocean at night. When the light hits it right, it just glows.”
“And that should always be the reason to love a gemstone. That’s true love right there.”
She shrugged. “Impossible love for me. I’m more likely to get a g
umball from my son.”
“Son?”
She smiled. “Light of my life.” She took out her phone and flashed him the screensaver. Messy red hair and the biggest brown eyes she’d ever seen to go with the most mischievous smile ever captured on film. She saw it nearly every day, but it was rare to catch it in a photo.
“Now that tells a story.”
“Yeah, you have no idea.” She surreptitiously checked for a message from her father before she dropped her phone into the deep pocket of her shorts. “So, yeah. I’m definitely all about sticky peanut butter and jelly more than a pretty ring.”
“What about this one?” He slid away the tray of bigger stones to reveal a slim channel of sapphires and diamond rings tucked into more black velvet.
“Oh.” She immediately went for a ring at the edge of the display. A fragile line of diamonds and sapphires made up an infinity symbol on either side of the ring with a larger sapphire in the center.
“Try it on.”
She immediately pulled her hands away. “No, that’s okay.”
“I insist.”
She shook her head. “No. Best not to tempt myself.” It was how she lived her life. It was how she kept some of the disappointments at bay.
He pulled out the ring. “Chloe. Out of all the rings in this case you chose the most understated one. The least you can do is try it on.”
Ivy curled her arm around Chloe’s waist. “Seriously. I can hear you say no from over there. My ears are ringing from all the pretty things. Put the frigging ring on, woman.”
Chloe laughed over her shoulder. “How much of Nick’s money did you spend?”
“A paltry figure.”
“For who?” She arched a brow. “A millionaire?”
Ivy laughed. “No, that’s Jinx. She definitely hit the four figures.”
“Oh God.” Chloe’s chest tightened.
“Try on the ring. I know you won’t buy it, but you have to see the sparkler on your finger.” Ivy tucked her chin on Chloe’s shoulder. “Sure you don’t want to try on a bigger one?”
Nathan turned the ring under lights that were designed to make gemstones sparkle. “It’s a lovely piece.”
Ivy pointed to the huge sapphire in the middle of the ring case. “That’s a lovely piece.”
Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Too big. It would get caught on everything.”
