Chapter 19
OLLIE
I’ve never been in a jewelry store this fancy.
Okay, I’ve never been in a jewelry store at all.
I haven’t had anyone to buy jewelry for before.
It’s intimidating, but I want Phoebe to have the engagement ring of her dreams. She’s the only woman I’m ever buying an engagement ring for, so this experience is for me as much as it is for her.
We gravitate toward the case of diamond rings.
I’ve never paid attention to them before, but I’m finding them icy and lifeless—words I’ve never associated with Phoebe.
She’s warm and vibrant. I think of wildflowers and rainbows and cupcakes when I think of her.
Well, when I’m not thinking of how wonderful it is to cuddle with her in bed or how right her hand feels in mine or how desperate I am to kiss her.
But if a diamond is what she wants, that’s what I’ll buy her.
An older man in a suit approaches us. He’s elegantly styled, with an impressively dark mustache compared to his salt-and-pepper hair. I wonder if he dyes it?
“Hello, is there anything you’d like to see? Try on?” He glances at both of us, but he’s obviously talking to Phoebe.
“We’re just looking, thank you,” she says with a friendly smile.
He nods and says to let him know if there’s anything we want to know more about, then leaves us to look and discuss.
I lean down to murmur in Phoebe’s ear. How have I never noticed how pretty her ears are?
They’re delicately formed, almost elfish in shape.
The way she has me entranced, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out she was one of the fae folk.
Not that I’ve met any—they’re concentrated on the British Isles.
I believe Shelby mentioned their mother was from Ireland, so it could be possible.
I’ll have to ask Shelby if she knows anything.
“Do you see anything you like?”
She looks up at me with apology in her eyes and gives me the slightest shake of her head. “I’m not really into diamonds. They’re cold. I like colored stones more. I’m sorry.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulder. “Phoebe, you have nothing to be sorry about. I want you to have exactly whatever you want. Diamond, ruby, emerald, whatever. I make a ridiculous salary. As long as you want something less than six digits, I can do it. More than that will take some financial gymnastics, but I’ll do it for you. ”
We look at the case full of richly colored gemstone rings. They’re pretty, but there’s nothing I can imagine on Phoebe’s ring finger.
“Anything?” I ask.
“No…”
Giving her a squeeze, I kiss her temple. I nod at the salesclerk and thank him before we walk out of the store.
Phoebe looks up at me as we cross the threshold. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so picky—”
I cut her off. “Yes, you should. I want you to have what makes you happy. This is important to me. I’ve never shopped for an engagement ring before. I probably won’t do it again.”
She stops suddenly, and it takes me a moment to realize it.
“Why wouldn’t you do it again? You’d reuse my ring?”
There’s a sheen of tears in her velvety brown eyes. Crap. I gently tug her to the side so we’re not in full view of the jewelry store and turn us so she’s not on display to people walking by—they only see my back.
Rubbing the knuckle of my index finger along her soft cheek, I lean down so she can hear me whisper, “Phoebe, any ring I place on your finger is yours forever. I’d never give it to someone else.
But I can’t imagine there being someone else.
You know me, I don’t connect with very many people.
You’re the person I’m closest to. If I’m not marrying you, who would I marry? ”
“But I thought you wanted kids and a wife and the whole thing?”
“I do,” I say simply.
I can see the wheels turning in her head, and I’m hoping she finally realizes this isn’t pretend for me.
I’m treating this like every moment is real.
Because it is. Just when I think the gears are going to connect and she’ll understand how much I love her and want my future to be with her, it’s like a cog slips and springs start bouncing around and it’s lost. So close to seeing me as the man she wants to marry and grow old with Ollie and not best friend fake fiancé Ollie, then it faded away like early morning fog.
Nothing to do but keep trying. Phoebe hasn’t seen stubborn me yet.
We stroll along past the gift shops, clothing stores, and candy stores.
At the candy store, we stop in for a box of the saltwater taffy Atlantic City is famous for and a box of assorted flavors of fudge.
I carry the bag so I can hold her good hand and there’s no pressure on her healing wrist. I think we’re recognized as we walk along, but no one asks for autographs or pictures, so that’s nice.
We’re walking past a shop full of crystal knickknacks when Phoebe suddenly stops with a gasp.
“Are you okay?” I bend so I can see her face clearly. She’s turned away from me, looking in the store’s window. Lots of pretty sparkly things, but nothing catches my eye. “Is it your wrist? Did you hurt it?”
She tugs on my hand. “No, I’m fine. Look.”
I look at the display window more closely. Crystal figurines of all sorts, trinket boxes, some picture frames. Maybe she sees a gift we can give Finn and Shelby for the new baby? Then I see it. The ring. It’s so Phoebe. It’s unique, it’s colorful, it’s joyous.
“The ring?”
She nods enthusiastically.
“Do you want to look at it?”
The way her brown eyes are shining with eagerness answers that question.
I let go of her hand so she can enter the store first, but I can’t stand to not touch her, so I rest my hand on the small of her back once we enter the shop.
It feels so natural to put it there. I follow her to the counter of colorful jewelry and see it on display.
A woman around our age approaches us with a smile.
“Hello,” she says in a friendly tone. “Is there anything you’d like to see?”
Phoebe smiles and bounces on her toes in excitement. I can’t wipe the smile from my face. I love seeing her so happy.
“Yes, the flower ring, please,” I request when Phoebe doesn’t.
She opens the back of the display and reaches for the ring.
“I love this one, it’s so happy. The pink bloom is made up of round pink tourmaline stones, the blue flower is round-cut tanzanite.
The leaves are marquise chrome diopside with white topaz accents.
Sterling silver band.” She glances up, “Size seven okay?”
“Perfect,” Phoebe replies.
Before she can take the offered ring, I take it from the clerk with a nod and a murmured, “Allow me.” I’m not sure what way it goes.
There are two flowers offset from each other, one pink and the other blue.
Deciding to put the pink toward her body, I lift her left hand.
It’s trembling slightly, so I rub my thumb gently along her knuckles in reassurance.
Our eyes meet. Are you okay? I ask with mine.
She answers with a soft smile and shining eyes, so I slide the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand.
My hand is shaking slightly too. It fits and looks right on her hand.
I don’t know if it’s because of the specific ring or because I’m the man who put it there.
No matter the why, it’s a moment I’m going to remember forever.
Lifting my gaze from our joined hands, I whisper, “Is it okay?”
Phoebe gives a shuddering inhale. “Yeah.”
“Is this what you want?” I’m not sure how I’m defining “what.” The ring? The engagement? Me?
Suddenly her hand steadies, and her gaze is direct as she says, “Yes.” The firm resolve in her voice is what I need to drop to my knee, still holding her hand. The salesclerk gasps and gives a happy little clap.
“Phoebe, will you marry me?” I ask, imprinting this moment into my brain and heart forever. I wish I had thought to give the clerk my phone to record this moment. That’s my one regret.
She’s so beautiful with her bright eyes and even brighter smile. “Yes, I will absolutely marry you, Ollie!”
I jump to my feet and wrap her in a hug, lifting her so we’re face-to-face. This is it, now is the perfect time to kiss her. Finally.
Then all the hooting and hollering hits my ears. What. The. Fuck? How is half my team here? Do they always travel in a pack? Are they codependent? Have I joined a cult and not a hockey team? Am I ever going to get to kiss Phoebe?
I close my eyes and sigh. Phoebe rests her forehead against mine, and I can feel the giggles shaking her body. With great reluctance, I lower Phoebe’s feet to the ground, and we turn to face the small crowd invading the shop. Daphne’s leading the charge. Well, her belly is.
“You two are so cute! I got it on video. I’ll send it to both of you. With your permission, I’ll share it on the team social media too.”
Phoebe must notice I’m getting overwhelmed because she steps in front of me like she’s protecting me and accepts the hugs and shows off her ring to everyone.
I remember the poor salesclerk and pull out my wallet to complete the transaction.
I sign the charge slip, cringing slightly at how inexpensive the ring is.
Shooting a look over my shoulder to make sure Phoebe is occupied, I point to a couple pairs of stud earrings, one pink and the other blue, to match the stones in her ring, and a snowflake pendant on a silver chain.
The center of the flake matches the blue flower on her ring and has different shades of blue stones radiating out.
It reminds me of the storm we shared at the cottage, and I hope it does the same for her.
Accepting the bag, I apologize for the circus taking over the store.
She laughs. “No worries! This is so exciting! Welcome to the Devil Birds, by the way. I love to attend the games.”
Damn, I don’t know how the team handles giving out tickets.
I need to find out the protocol and come back and hook her up.
Before I have a chance to promise to get her tickets, team owner Teagan Penhall is next to me, giving me a glass of champagne and handing the clerk a card.
Where the hell did she come from? I know she’s a witch, but does that give her the power to magically appear?
“Hailey,” my stunning blonde boss says with a friendly smile.
“Call that number and let them know what game you want to attend, and there will be a pair of tickets at will call for you. Thank you so much for helping Oliver and Phoebe with this special moment. I’ll herd everyone to one of the restaurants and get them out of your hair. ”
Hailey accepts the card. “Thank you, Miss Penhall!” She smiles at me. “Congratulations, Mr. King. I wish you and your fiancée all the best.”
My fiancée. Phoebe is officially my fiancée.
I offered, she accepted. It’s a contract, of sorts.
I took business law as an elective in college.
I know the basics of a contract. I wonder if she had to take a business law class at pastry school?
Even if she didn’t, I hope she knows I meant it when I asked her to marry me, and I’m praying she meant it when she accepted.
“Thank you, Hailey.” I offer my hand to shake. “You made this day incredible for us.”
Phoebe smoothly hands me her unsipped glass of champagne and hugs Hailey across the counter. I drain her glass and half of mine, catching Teagan’s wink when she realizes what I’ve done.
“Okay, gang,” Teagan says. She doesn’t raise her voice, but everyone quiets and pays attention to her.
It’s powerful. “Let’s stop crowding Hailey’s store and move this party along to one of the lounges.
If you’re done with your champagne, you can leave your glass, and we’ll take care of it.
If you want to take it with you, that’s fine too. ”
Hailey accepts my empty glass with a smile and places it on the counter at her back.
“Thank you, Hailey!” everyone calls out almost in unison.
I’ve joined a hockey cult. But they’re friendly.
Maybe that’s not so bad. I accept the back slaps and congratulations as Phoebe and I are swept along out the door.
We’re holding hands again, and I raise our joined hands to press a kiss to the back of her hand.
I know our engagement is fake, but it feels so real and, for today, I’m going along with it.