Read Online Sterling's Reasons by Joey Light - Free Book Online
Authors: Joey Light
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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hung from the ceiling. Plastic sea gulls flew from fishwire between them. Racks on the wall held T-shirts and shorts, sweatshirts and bandanas. Counters ran through the middle of the store filled with gaudy shell art and jewelry. Ashtrays with questionable sayings and toilet paper that played music stood alongside glasses advertising Delaware. He felt out of place and foolish. He wondered for the third time what he was doing here and why he was with this woman. To find out what her reason for being in North Ocean City was, he reminded himself as he picked up an ashtray with a sea gull perched on a pier stuck on it. He set it back down with a decided klunk.
Sterling chattered to everyone. It didn’t seem to matter if they worked there or not, she managed to find something to say to all of them. She ran back to him and tugged on his jacket sleeve.
“You have got to see these earrings.”
He reluctantly followed her to the jewelry case and looked from her to the earrings and back again. “They’re awful.”
“I know,” she said delightedly and turned to the sales clerk. “I’ll take them, and don’t put them in a bag, I’m going to wear them.”
Sterling attached the sea shells with trailing silver chains to her ears as they left the shop. They swung as she walked and tangled in her hair.
“Oh, I forgot my hat. The big straw one. I bought that, too.” She turned and dashed back in the store and came out adorned in a really badly worked straw sombrero.
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Sterling’s Reasons
“It’s tacky and they’re terrible. You look silly…” he stated, all the while fighting back a smile. He wanted to laugh, but he figured that was what she wanted, and he wouldn’t do it. Either she was an extremely clever woman or she was simply recovering from a frontal lobotomy.
“I know, isn’t it wonderful?” she rattled on. “Now here’s serious stuff. Let’s go look at the ten-carat diamonds and rubies. I love gold. Just the feel of it. Let’s go. I always thought it would be so neat to be in a big fancy restaurant and sit under those lights that make all your jewelry sparkle and catch people in the eye.
Rings on every finger.” She held her hand in front of her and elegantly wiggled her fingers.
She was bouncing rather than walking as they went into the jewelry store. A little bell over the door jangled and two heads turned their way to smile a greeting.
They were the only people in the shop. The obvious proprietors were in their sixties, at least. Both had gray hair, old, tired bodies, and gleaming eyes. They exchanged a knowing, sweet look as they watched the young couple walk around looking in the cases.
Sterling didn’t miss that glance and it plucked at something hidden deep away inside her. A quick assessment of the couple told Sterling that they had been together a long time. They had seen a lot of things in their lifetime, tragedies and comedies, and they had held fast to each other and they had made it…happily.
She sighed as she admired the pretty gems. She and Jerry could have eventually been like the proprietors. She briefly wondered what things would be like now if she had gone out onto the tarmac and simply stopped him from going—
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55
Joey Light
Joe’s voice broke into her thoughts. “From the looks of you, these people have to know you’re not going to buy anything. Why take up their time?”
“You are such a grouch, Joe. Relax. People browse all the time.” She stopped long enough to look up at him. “Are you just naturally surly?”
“And if I am, it’s my business. Get on with it,” he grunted and turned to another display case and pretended to examine the gold and silver all lined up in neat, expensive rows.
Sterling caught the owners watching them and smiling. Young lovers. Is that what they looked like to the world? Would it be such a ridiculous thing?
“Good afternoon.” She directed her thoughts and herself to
Sterling chattered to everyone. It didn’t seem to matter if they worked there or not, she managed to find something to say to all of them. She ran back to him and tugged on his jacket sleeve.
“You have got to see these earrings.”
He reluctantly followed her to the jewelry case and looked from her to the earrings and back again. “They’re awful.”
“I know,” she said delightedly and turned to the sales clerk. “I’ll take them, and don’t put them in a bag, I’m going to wear them.”
Sterling attached the sea shells with trailing silver chains to her ears as they left the shop. They swung as she walked and tangled in her hair.
“Oh, I forgot my hat. The big straw one. I bought that, too.” She turned and dashed back in the store and came out adorned in a really badly worked straw sombrero.
54
www.samhainpublishing.com
Sterling’s Reasons
“It’s tacky and they’re terrible. You look silly…” he stated, all the while fighting back a smile. He wanted to laugh, but he figured that was what she wanted, and he wouldn’t do it. Either she was an extremely clever woman or she was simply recovering from a frontal lobotomy.
“I know, isn’t it wonderful?” she rattled on. “Now here’s serious stuff. Let’s go look at the ten-carat diamonds and rubies. I love gold. Just the feel of it. Let’s go. I always thought it would be so neat to be in a big fancy restaurant and sit under those lights that make all your jewelry sparkle and catch people in the eye.
Rings on every finger.” She held her hand in front of her and elegantly wiggled her fingers.
She was bouncing rather than walking as they went into the jewelry store. A little bell over the door jangled and two heads turned their way to smile a greeting.
They were the only people in the shop. The obvious proprietors were in their sixties, at least. Both had gray hair, old, tired bodies, and gleaming eyes. They exchanged a knowing, sweet look as they watched the young couple walk around looking in the cases.
Sterling didn’t miss that glance and it plucked at something hidden deep away inside her. A quick assessment of the couple told Sterling that they had been together a long time. They had seen a lot of things in their lifetime, tragedies and comedies, and they had held fast to each other and they had made it…happily.
She sighed as she admired the pretty gems. She and Jerry could have eventually been like the proprietors. She briefly wondered what things would be like now if she had gone out onto the tarmac and simply stopped him from going—
www.samhainpublishing.com
55
Joey Light
Joe’s voice broke into her thoughts. “From the looks of you, these people have to know you’re not going to buy anything. Why take up their time?”
“You are such a grouch, Joe. Relax. People browse all the time.” She stopped long enough to look up at him. “Are you just naturally surly?”
“And if I am, it’s my business. Get on with it,” he grunted and turned to another display case and pretended to examine the gold and silver all lined up in neat, expensive rows.
Sterling caught the owners watching them and smiling. Young lovers. Is that what they looked like to the world? Would it be such a ridiculous thing?
“Good afternoon.” She directed her thoughts and herself to
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