Vern. “Did that man and woman who were just in here buy anything?”
Vern shook his head. “Nah. She just wanted to pawn a ring.” He sighed. “She had a hard time parting with it.” He handed the change to Chris. “If people would learn to pay with cash instead of credit, they wouldn’t have to give up the treasures they love.” The man clicked his tongue. “Course, then I wouldn’t be in business.”
Chris placed the change in his billfold and put it in his back pocket. “Could I see the ring she brought in?”
“Sure.” Vern grabbed a tray from underneath the counter.
Chris picked up the ring. It was actually kind of small, not something he would have expected Victoria to wear.
Why would she want to pawn this small ring?
“That little ring there is actually worth a nice piece of money. It’s a perfect diamond, and they don’t make settings like that anymore. Sure, someone could try, but there’s detailing to it that proves the ring’s age.”
Chris put the ring on the tip of his pinky finger.
“Said it was her grandma’s,” Vern added.
So it was important to her. Chris didn’t understand his need to help the woman who had banged into his life and turned it upside down, but he couldn’t deny the desire was there. Each time he peered into her honest eyes, he wanted to confess a million feelings, though he still couldn’t quite put his finger on what they were. “How much do you want for it?”
The man shook his head. “I promised her I’d keep it a month, and you know I’m a man of my word.”
Chris picked up his guitar. “Yep, you are, and I’m glad of it.”
“Tell you what I can do.” Vern slid a piece of paper and a pencil in front of Chris. “Give me your number, and I’ll give you a call if she doesn’t get here in a month.”
Chris grinned. “I’d appreciate that.”
Victoria walked through the door and scooped her excited nephew off the floor. “I miss you, Vic.”
“I missed you, too, Peewee.”
She hugged him close, inhaling the sweet baby shampoo scent that lingered in his soft brown curls. “Where’s your mama?”
Matt struggled for her to put him down. She did, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. “Come. I sew you.”
“So how’d it go?” Sondra sat Emily in her highchair and belted her in. She popped open a jar of bananas and grabbed a baby spoon from the drawer. “Oh, I forgot her bib. Will you get one for me?”
Victoria took one from the drawer and fastened it around Emily’s neck. Leaning over she gave her a kiss on her cheek before the child’s face became a World War II battle zone covered in mushy bananas.
“I think I got enough to get my Suburban back, pay for three months of insurance, and even cover the court expense. Hopefully it will be small.”
“That’s wonderful.” Sondra opened her mouth to coax Emily to do so, as well. When she did, Sondra shoved a spoonful inside. Emily laughed as she blew it back out. “The little stink. She thinks this is a game.”
Victoria laughed. “It is.” She sobered and sat in a chair beside her sister-in-law.
Sondra wiped Emily’s mouth. “What’s wrong, Vic?”
“I can’t pay Chris.”
“Dylan and I will be happy to loan you the money.”
“You know I can’t take it.” She folded her arm over the back of the chair and gazed out the kitchen window above the sink. “I thought God wouldn’t give us more than we can handle, and Sondra, I just don’t think I can handle anymore.”
“Nope.” Sondra popped a glob of bananas in Emily’s mouth and smacked her lips together in an effort to get her little one to do the same. Instead Emily giggled and allowed the mush to run down her chin. Sondra groaned. “That’s not what the Bible says.”
“What?” Victoria turned and gawked at her sister-in-law.
“Yes, it does. I remember reading it.” She watched as Sondra made the spoon into a mock airplane and zoomed it around Emily’s face until it landed
Vern shook his head. “Nah. She just wanted to pawn a ring.” He sighed. “She had a hard time parting with it.” He handed the change to Chris. “If people would learn to pay with cash instead of credit, they wouldn’t have to give up the treasures they love.” The man clicked his tongue. “Course, then I wouldn’t be in business.”
Chris placed the change in his billfold and put it in his back pocket. “Could I see the ring she brought in?”
“Sure.” Vern grabbed a tray from underneath the counter.
Chris picked up the ring. It was actually kind of small, not something he would have expected Victoria to wear.
Why would she want to pawn this small ring?
“That little ring there is actually worth a nice piece of money. It’s a perfect diamond, and they don’t make settings like that anymore. Sure, someone could try, but there’s detailing to it that proves the ring’s age.”
Chris put the ring on the tip of his pinky finger.
“Said it was her grandma’s,” Vern added.
So it was important to her. Chris didn’t understand his need to help the woman who had banged into his life and turned it upside down, but he couldn’t deny the desire was there. Each time he peered into her honest eyes, he wanted to confess a million feelings, though he still couldn’t quite put his finger on what they were. “How much do you want for it?”
The man shook his head. “I promised her I’d keep it a month, and you know I’m a man of my word.”
Chris picked up his guitar. “Yep, you are, and I’m glad of it.”
“Tell you what I can do.” Vern slid a piece of paper and a pencil in front of Chris. “Give me your number, and I’ll give you a call if she doesn’t get here in a month.”
Chris grinned. “I’d appreciate that.”
Victoria walked through the door and scooped her excited nephew off the floor. “I miss you, Vic.”
“I missed you, too, Peewee.”
She hugged him close, inhaling the sweet baby shampoo scent that lingered in his soft brown curls. “Where’s your mama?”
Matt struggled for her to put him down. She did, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the kitchen. “Come. I sew you.”
“So how’d it go?” Sondra sat Emily in her highchair and belted her in. She popped open a jar of bananas and grabbed a baby spoon from the drawer. “Oh, I forgot her bib. Will you get one for me?”
Victoria took one from the drawer and fastened it around Emily’s neck. Leaning over she gave her a kiss on her cheek before the child’s face became a World War II battle zone covered in mushy bananas.
“I think I got enough to get my Suburban back, pay for three months of insurance, and even cover the court expense. Hopefully it will be small.”
“That’s wonderful.” Sondra opened her mouth to coax Emily to do so, as well. When she did, Sondra shoved a spoonful inside. Emily laughed as she blew it back out. “The little stink. She thinks this is a game.”
Victoria laughed. “It is.” She sobered and sat in a chair beside her sister-in-law.
Sondra wiped Emily’s mouth. “What’s wrong, Vic?”
“I can’t pay Chris.”
“Dylan and I will be happy to loan you the money.”
“You know I can’t take it.” She folded her arm over the back of the chair and gazed out the kitchen window above the sink. “I thought God wouldn’t give us more than we can handle, and Sondra, I just don’t think I can handle anymore.”
“Nope.” Sondra popped a glob of bananas in Emily’s mouth and smacked her lips together in an effort to get her little one to do the same. Instead Emily giggled and allowed the mush to run down her chin. Sondra groaned. “That’s not what the Bible says.”
“What?” Victoria turned and gawked at her sister-in-law.
“Yes, it does. I remember reading it.” She watched as Sondra made the spoon into a mock airplane and zoomed it around Emily’s face until it landed
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