Chapter 64 The Tarnished Ring
Chapter 64 The Tarnished Ring
Jeffrey could barely contain his excitement and anxiety as he waited impatiently for his lunch break. Time seemed to be moving at a snail’s pace since Brian had given him the combination and location of the safe in the bedroom earlier. He was surprised to learn its location and wondered how he had missed it before. Now that he knew what he was looking for Jeffrey planned to slip home quickly and covertly, to pick up Shayne’s mother’s ring.
He knew he could have just as easily purchased a new one, especially now that he had gotten a raise. He found a few pretty rings in a catalog that Shayne had in a basket next to the sofa. His favorite has been a simple pink birthstone. He had seriously considered it, but he had a feeling that the sentimental value of the simple band would mean more to her.
He left work in a hurry and rushed to the house. It took all he had to stay under the speed limit as he raced across town. He barely got the car turned off, before he raced upstairs to retrieve Shayne’s mother’s ring. The minute he opened the safe, he could feel the power coming from the carved wooden box.
It startled him and in many ways the box itself felt like a living entity. Jeffrey was confused to find the box in the safe because he was positive that he had seen it in Shayne’s room, the night before. It also matched the description of the box that Kevin said he saw Shayne receive during graduation. The more he looked at the box, the crazier he felt.
Just to soothe himself, Jeffrey carried the unopened box into Shayne’s room. He almost convinced himself that the box in his hand had a twin, but the space where he expected to find the box was empty. He could see a faint outline on the shelf that was an exactly match. He felt perplexed, but decided this was another of the old witch’s games.
Instead of letting himself become distracted by the how’s and why’s, Jeffrey sat down on the end of the bed. He opened the box carefully and gasped when he looked inside.
On top of the purple velvet laid four pieces of jewelry that could only be described as priceless. As he studied them, without touching them. He noticed that three of them emitted a faint purple light that reminded him of Shayne’s eyes when she was upset. Jeffrey wanted to run his fingers over the exquisite stones but thought better of it.
He had already heard Shayne’s stories of the power within the heirlooms that she had already received and decided he didn’t need any more drama or magic in his life. Instead he picked up the plain wedding band that looked to be the perfect size for Shayne’s finger.
He closed the carved box and put it back into the safe with several ledger’s, files and stacks of banded cash. He locked the safe and hurried back to his truck. Jeffrey slipped the ring back out of his pocket and held it up the light.
He decided it looked dirty so he stopped at the local jeweler on his way back to the construction site. The lady behind the counter greeted him enthusiastically. Jeffrey showed her the ring and she offered to have it cleaned and placed into a proper velvet box while he browsed around the store.
Jeffrey was making his third round around the room when he spotted a beautiful birthstone heart pendant. The pretty round pink stones sat close together and formed the outline of heart that hung from a simple silver bail. Jeffrey loved it instantly. He knew it was perfect for Shayne. The sales lady also placed it in a box as she checked him out at the register.
Once he was back at work there was nothing to do but wait. He tried to keep himself busy as he handled all of his tasks and the people under him efficiently. But his mind stayed continually on Shayne. Even at the end of the day, when Old Man Harris gathered the crew together to announce Jeffrey’s promotion, he found himself focused on wishing she had been there to celebrate with him.
By quitting time, Jeffrey was a nervous wreck. He had spent the entire afternoon trying to come up with the exact right words to say to her. He had so many emotions and not enough vocabulary to express himself. He had made so many mistakes in their relationship, he wanted to finally get something right. Jeffrey wanted her to understand that she was truly special.
He fingered the two black velvet boxes as he sat in the living room with the other guys waiting for Shayne to get home from work. He had already gotten Kevin and Brian to approve his plan to date nap her after the furniture store. Jamie was in a foul mood and was scowling at the ceiling. He huffed and puffed but refused to explain what was on his mind.
Shayne came home and quietly slinked into the house. Her eyes were red rimmed, and she looked like she had been crying. Jeffrey, Kevin and Brian all ran to her but Jeffrey got there first.
He had his arms around her and was crushing her to his chest. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “I’m alright, and the baby is alright.” She put her hand on his cheek and released him. Shayne turned and patted Kevin and Brian on the shoulders. Almost as if she could tell the guys weren’t buying what she was saying she spoke again. “I really am okay, I just had a hard afternoon. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Jeffrey wasn’t totally assured by her words and put his arms around her again. “Do we need to skip the sofa shopping trip?”
“Definitely not! I don’t want any of you to spend another miserable movie night sitting on that rock!” She said with the smallest semblance of a real smile.
“Besides, everyone knows the best cure for a terrible day is a good evening. Apparently, it’s all about balance now.” She said as she choked back a sob.