than a step toward Brett, Daisy’s voice
rose from the back of the room.
“It’s all right, Steven. I’ve got it.”
Nodding to the clerk, Brett walked deeper
into the store to meet Daisy, walking past beautifully restored
furniture and displays of precious china. He couldn’t help but
tease her as she approached slowly, hands on her hips. “You’re
waddling. It’s kinda cute.”
Her smile
turned into a scowl and she reached over to bat at his arm. “You’ve
always been such a charmer,” she said deadpan. “Here I am, coming
in to work just for you, and this is how you treat me? Ha. See if I
give you a discount now.”
Laughing softly, Brett bent forward to hug
her without squishing her belly. “All right, let me try again.
You’re absolutely glowing. Any better?”
She returned the hug and was smiling again
when she pulled away. “Much better. And thank you.”
Taking his arm, she led him to the back of
the store, where the jewelry pieces were displayed inside a glass
case. “And how have you been since last month?” she asked. “I was
beginning to wonder if you had changed your mind.”
“No, I didn’t,” Brett said, smiling to
himself. “I’ve just been too busy to take a day off and drive back
up here. What about you? I thought you’d be a mom again by
now.”
Daisy sighed. At the other end of the store,
Steven laughed quietly.
“Go ahead, keep laughing,” she called out to
him. “We’ll see how much you laugh when I extend my maternity leave
and let you deal with the Christmas sales by yourself.”
Steven made some sputtering excuses, claiming
he had been thinking of something else, but was thankfully saved
from further trouble when another customer walked in. Daisy slipped
behind the jewelry case and pulled a set of keys from the pocket of
her cardigan.
“I’m due next week,” she said as she unlocked
the cabinet and pulled out two rings. They were both tagged with a
small yellow sticker that bore the word, ‘Sold.’ “I’m glad I could
be here to give these to you, though.”
As she set the two ring boxes on top of the
case, she looked up at Brett, and her eyes were a little misty.
“Don’t you dare start crying now,” he said. A
lump was already forming in his throat.
Daisy fanned her face and laughed. “Sorry.
Hormones. Yesterday I burst into tears when I saw a picture of a
kitten. Of course I’m going to cry when my friend’s getting
married.”
“Not married,” he reminded her as he picked
one of the boxes. The ring in this one was plain, the platinum
gleaming softly. “Vampires can’t—”
“Marry humans,” she finished for him, and
made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Who cares what the law
says. If you guys say it’s a marriage, then that’s what it is. You
never do things half way, do you? And I still say you should have a
party or something so we can all shower you with gifts. ”
Brett snickered. “So you can drink on the
house, you mean. Not that you could, in your state.”
“ In my state ?”
Daisy huffed. “Never mind the discount. I just remembered the price
of platinum went up last week. You don’t mind paying extra, do
you?”
Shaking his head, Brett picked up the second
ring to examine it as well. Smaller and thinner than the first one,
it was made of the same material, with five diamonds set inside the
band. Understated and elegant, it seemed to have been made for
Lisa.
“She’s going to love it,” Daisy said, echoing
his thoughts, and when Brett looked at her, he realized she was
tearing up again. “So, you’re really doing this, then?”
Brett considered the two rings in front of
him, thought back on everything that had happened in the past few
years and everything he hoped was yet to happen. He smiled.
“Yeah. I’m really doing this.”
The ride back to Haventown was uneventful, if
long. Brett could have bought the rings in town, but he had first
noticed the vintage matching wedding bands in Daisy’s store
rose from the back of the room.
“It’s all right, Steven. I’ve got it.”
Nodding to the clerk, Brett walked deeper
into the store to meet Daisy, walking past beautifully restored
furniture and displays of precious china. He couldn’t help but
tease her as she approached slowly, hands on her hips. “You’re
waddling. It’s kinda cute.”
Her smile
turned into a scowl and she reached over to bat at his arm. “You’ve
always been such a charmer,” she said deadpan. “Here I am, coming
in to work just for you, and this is how you treat me? Ha. See if I
give you a discount now.”
Laughing softly, Brett bent forward to hug
her without squishing her belly. “All right, let me try again.
You’re absolutely glowing. Any better?”
She returned the hug and was smiling again
when she pulled away. “Much better. And thank you.”
Taking his arm, she led him to the back of
the store, where the jewelry pieces were displayed inside a glass
case. “And how have you been since last month?” she asked. “I was
beginning to wonder if you had changed your mind.”
“No, I didn’t,” Brett said, smiling to
himself. “I’ve just been too busy to take a day off and drive back
up here. What about you? I thought you’d be a mom again by
now.”
Daisy sighed. At the other end of the store,
Steven laughed quietly.
“Go ahead, keep laughing,” she called out to
him. “We’ll see how much you laugh when I extend my maternity leave
and let you deal with the Christmas sales by yourself.”
Steven made some sputtering excuses, claiming
he had been thinking of something else, but was thankfully saved
from further trouble when another customer walked in. Daisy slipped
behind the jewelry case and pulled a set of keys from the pocket of
her cardigan.
“I’m due next week,” she said as she unlocked
the cabinet and pulled out two rings. They were both tagged with a
small yellow sticker that bore the word, ‘Sold.’ “I’m glad I could
be here to give these to you, though.”
As she set the two ring boxes on top of the
case, she looked up at Brett, and her eyes were a little misty.
“Don’t you dare start crying now,” he said. A
lump was already forming in his throat.
Daisy fanned her face and laughed. “Sorry.
Hormones. Yesterday I burst into tears when I saw a picture of a
kitten. Of course I’m going to cry when my friend’s getting
married.”
“Not married,” he reminded her as he picked
one of the boxes. The ring in this one was plain, the platinum
gleaming softly. “Vampires can’t—”
“Marry humans,” she finished for him, and
made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Who cares what the law
says. If you guys say it’s a marriage, then that’s what it is. You
never do things half way, do you? And I still say you should have a
party or something so we can all shower you with gifts. ”
Brett snickered. “So you can drink on the
house, you mean. Not that you could, in your state.”
“ In my state ?”
Daisy huffed. “Never mind the discount. I just remembered the price
of platinum went up last week. You don’t mind paying extra, do
you?”
Shaking his head, Brett picked up the second
ring to examine it as well. Smaller and thinner than the first one,
it was made of the same material, with five diamonds set inside the
band. Understated and elegant, it seemed to have been made for
Lisa.
“She’s going to love it,” Daisy said, echoing
his thoughts, and when Brett looked at her, he realized she was
tearing up again. “So, you’re really doing this, then?”
Brett considered the two rings in front of
him, thought back on everything that had happened in the past few
years and everything he hoped was yet to happen. He smiled.
“Yeah. I’m really doing this.”
The ride back to Haventown was uneventful, if
long. Brett could have bought the rings in town, but he had first
noticed the vintage matching wedding bands in Daisy’s store
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