Chapter 6 #2
Ben glanced at her. “Now I’m impressed.” Their eyes held. “Since the day I met you.”
Her eyes were more locked in, their connection stronger. She smiled, demure. “Thank you.”
Their first stop was the candy store. Mrs. Benson was one of the supporters of Columbus Cares, and she had offered to donate a hundred chocolate Christmas trees for the family baskets.
They walked inside the shop and Ben stopped. He’d never seen anything like the place. Candy covered every inch. All around
him were shelves of it, rows and displays and boxes of it. “You know.” He leaned close and whispered to Vanessa, “I was really
hoping I could find some candy in this place.”
Vanessa giggled. “Stop.”
Mrs. Benson finished up with a customer. When the patron left, she turned to Ben and Vanessa. “Well, hello there.” The shopkeeper
eyed Ben. “And who may I ask is this?”
“This is my friend. Ben Miller.” Vanessa tried to keep a straight face. Her cheeks were already pink, likely from the woman’s
reaction. “Ben, this is Margaret Benson. Everyone’s favorite grandmother.”
“And candy lady!” Mrs. Benson gave Ben a thumbs-up. The woman was in her late seventies, Vanessa had told him. But she had
the spunk of someone half her age. Ben had to agree.
Mrs. Benson walked out from behind the counter and pointed to a large bag on the floor in front of the register. “There they
are—a hundred chocolate Christmas trees.”
Vanessa took Mrs. Benson’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re amazing. Thank you.” Vanessa started for the bag, but
Ben got there first.
“I’ll carry them.” He grinned at her.
“Vanessa Mayfield.” Mrs. Benson put her hands on her hips. “Don’t you tell me that handsome man is just a friend. You two better figure it out.”
Nice, Ben thought to himself. He wanted to thank the older woman for saying so, but instead he only smiled at her. “Nice meeting
you.”
“Yes, thank you again, Mrs. Benson.” Vanessa gave her a smile and a slight shake of her head.
Mrs. Benson seemed to get the hint. She gave a light shrug. “Just saying, Vanessa.”
When Ben and Vanessa stepped outside, Ben chuckled. “I think I like her.”
“Sorry.” Vanessa covered her face with one hand. She was laughing again. “Mrs. Benson doesn’t hold back.”
They walked past a few antique shops. “They’re on my list for tomorrow. After church.” Vanessa pulled a piece of paper from
her purse. “Here. It’s all the antique shops in Columbus worth visiting.”
Ben glanced at the list and his heart melted a little more. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I figured that way you wouldn’t waste your time here.”
Their arms brushed together again, and Ben wanted only to make the afternoon stop, to take her in his arms and look long into
her eyes. Instead, he studied the list again and slipped it into his coat pocket.
Vanessa needed to get back, so he drove her to her car. Before she stepped out he turned to her. “When does Sadie get in?”
“Seven o’clock. I’m making her favorite lasagna for dinner.”
“She should come with us tomorrow.” Ben was under no delusions about the situation with Sadie. There would be no future with Vanessa unless Sadie approved.
“Ben.” Vanessa stopped and faced him. “She doesn’t know about you yet. About us. Being friends.”
A shiver of concern passed through Ben, but he didn’t let it show. “I thought you told her.”
“I wanted to. I . . . I think I’m supposed to tell her in person.”
“Okay.” He smiled, his expression easy. “But you’ll tell her? Tonight?”
“That’s my plan.”
“Good.” Ben didn’t want to make an issue out of it. “We’re still on for church tomorrow?”
“Nine o’clock service.” Her smile looked as sincere as before. Nothing had changed, despite the bumpy bit about Sadie. She
raised her brow. “Oh, and park out back.”
They both climbed out of his truck and walked to her car. Ben helped get her bags in the back seat, then he hugged her. The
way he’d been longing to do since the embrace that started today’s adventures. Again, he kept it quick. He brushed her hair
from her eyes. “I had fun today.”
“A lot better than FaceTime.” She put her hand alongside his face, and for a moment it seemed neither of them wanted to break
away.
But it was too soon for more, so Ben was the first to take a step back. “Okay, then. See you tomorrow.”
“See you, Ben.” Vanessa smiled once more, then climbed into her car.
He leaned against his truck and watched her drive away.
The entire day was like a dream. And as he got back behind the wheel, he smiled to himself.
God was up to something, he could tell. Because for the first time since losing Laura, Ben felt ready to move on.
Whatever God was doing in his heart, as he drove to his hotel, Ben had one word to describe the way he felt about Vanessa Mayfield.
Smitten.
The old, dusty antique shop was quiet, the customers long gone for the day. Not that the man had been able to focus on making
sales. Hardly. All he could think about was the beautiful ring, the one that had come in a box of mixed heirlooms and aging
pieces.
Now the box was down on the floor, and the ring sat perched in a small cardboard box in front of him. The man couldn’t tell
for sure, but he had a hunch about this one. After so many years working with antiques, replicas, and genuine treasures, he
had a feeling this one was real. He had paid fifty dollars for the box of goods with no guarantees about what it held.
This was the way he and most of his peers did business. Because with antiques, the value was in the eye of the customer. And
no one knew the customers better than the antique dealers at each store. Some shops specialized in old books or machinery,
pens or dishes. Others did not. Pretty straightforward.
Unless, of course, a man like him might stumble onto something real. He studied the ring again. The dark gold band and ruby-red stone surrounded by that pretty ring of shimmery diamonds. Yes, he definitely had a suspicion about this one.
He would get it appraised. That would tell him the actual story. But if he had to guess, he would bet everything in his store
that this one, this beautiful ring, was not a replica.
It was real. As real as Christmas itself.