Chapter 17
Howard sat alone in his cluttered office, a place he rarely spent much time anymore. His gaze snagged on the small Christmas
tree in the corner and he smiled. When Clara was still alive, this was the space where they would have deep conversations.
About the store and Ben and their plans for the future.
About the trip to Italy Clara always dreamed they would take.
Anymore, it was a place to hold boxes of goods until Gary could ship them out. Items that hadn’t sold as well as they’d hoped.
A way to make room for the antiques that would move faster.
But today, this was the right place.
Howard leaned back in his old leather chair. Clara had bought it for him on their twentieth anniversary. The leather was cracked
and worn and it didn’t quite spin like before. But today it felt like a throne, and he felt like a king. He smiled at the
framed photo of his wife that still sat on the desk.
“You’d be proud of me, Clara.” He allowed an emotional chuckle. “Merry Christmas, darling.”
This was about to be one of the best days of Howard Miller’s life.
There was a knock at the door. It was about to go down.
“Come in.” Howard stood, but he didn’t move from behind the desk.
A moment later, Sheila Parker entered the office. She was maybe in her fifties, the distinguished investor, here for the Christmas
ring. “Howard Miller?”
“Yes. You must be Sheila.” He pointed to the seat opposite him on the other side of the desk. “Please. Have a seat.”
“Thank you.” She sat and Howard did the same. Sheila smiled, but her expression was all business. “I have the cashier’s check
right here. I don’t have long. If you don’t mind.”
Howard released a long sigh. “Sheila, I’m sorry you had to come all this way.”
“It’s fine.” The woman looked mildly concerned. “Traffic was light.”
“I tried to call you.” Howard gave her a slow nod. “Many times.”
Sheila straightened in her chair. “I saw that. I had my ringer off.”
The words he was about to say he had practically rehearsed. “Before I explain the situation, Sheila, I want you to know something.”
Howard stood and picked up the framed photo of Clara. He stared at it for a moment, then showed it to Sheila. “This is my
wife, Clara.”
Sheila was quiet.
“Clara was the love of my life.” Howard found his wife’s eyes in the photo. “She’s no longer with me.” He set the frame back
on the desk and looked at Sheila. “Clara and I had just one son. Ben. He works here.”
Sheila’s impatience was clearly getting the better of her. “I really just want to buy the ring.”
“You see, Sheila, Ben lost his wife, too. After that, my wife and I wanted just one thing. That Ben would find love again.
True love.”
Howard returned to his chair behind the desk, but he didn’t sit.
He turned a framed piece of wood art so Sheila could see it. “See this? It’s a quote from the Bible. ‘Where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.’” Howard stared at it for a moment longer. “The truth is, Sheila, there are gifts more
important than money. Diamonds more precious than jewels.”
Overcome, Howard threw out his arms and grinned at the woman. “Merry Christmas, Sheila. I’m sorry you drove all this way.”
“I . . . I said I don’t live that far. I’d just like the—”
“Sheila. The ring is not for sale.” Howard chuckled. “Not today. Not ever. You see, it doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to
someone else.”
Disappointment came over Sheila, but it didn’t last long. She sighed. “I figured there was a problem. I was just hoping . . .”
Her eyes lit up a little again. “What about that writing desk in the front window? Is that for sale?”
“In fact, it is.” Howard ushered Sheila to the door and out of his office. “You can talk to my clerk, Gary, about that. He’ll be happy to help you.”
“I guess that’s why I’m here today.”
“I guess so.”
“Howard.” Sheila turned around and met his eyes. “Whoever you’re giving that ring to, you must love them an awful lot.”
Howard’s heart was full. “More than you know.”
When she was gone, he took the ring from the top drawer of his desk. It was time to get it to its rightful owner.
Finally, the bookcase was finished.
Ben wasn’t sure what to do next. He had planned to be in Columbus by now, and he needed a shower before he could do anything.
It was two thirty, and still he hadn’t heard from his father. No apology, no explanation. Nothing.
But then, how was he any better? He should’ve gone into the store and talked it over with his father. Asked him to take a
second, closer look at the ring. Especially after raising his voice at his dad this morning.
Instead, he’d been back here all this time, only making things worse.
Whatever. He still had no idea what he was going to tell Vanessa. Ben was about to leave through the back door when his father
came hurrying in from the storefront. “Ben! Ben, don’t leave.”
“Dad.” Ben slumped a little. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.” Ben’s shirt was damp with sweat and sawdust. He must’ve looked like a mess.
“Wait. I have something—”
“No, really. The truth is, Dad, the ring belongs to you. You bought it. Or . . . I guess by now it belongs to the buyer.”
His father came a few steps closer. “Son, you don’t owe me an apology.”
“Yes, but—”
“The whole thing was my fault.” His dad was closing the gap between them, moving closer still. “The ring was engraved, just
like you said. And it hit me. Something your mother used to say. A quote from Scripture. ‘Where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.’ That’s the truth.”
“You saw the engraving?” Ben couldn’t understand. Why hadn’t his father run out here to tell him that hours ago? “Why . . . ?”
“I needed to speak with the buyer before I could come tell you. But that’s done now.” His dad smiled, his eyes watery. “Love,
son. Love is the greatest diamond in the rough. Especially at Christmastime.”
His father pulled the green velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Ben. “Italy will have to wait.”
Ben wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. He took the box with shaking hands. “Are you serious?”
“It’s not mine to sell.” His dad shrugged. “Not mine to give away.” A grin tugged at his lips. “Go give it back to Vanessa.”
His words triggered another kind of reality. The dance was in three hours. He hugged his dad hard and took him by the shoulders. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Then he hurried for the door. “I just might have time to get there. I gotta run.”
They shared one more smile and then Ben flew out the door, the ring in his pants pocket. All he could do now was pray Vanessa
would understand, that she’d forgive him for the way he’d acted. His smile remained as he drove home and got ready. He had
a feeling she just might. But first things first.
He had to get to the dance.
Vanessa walked Sadie and Hudson to the front door half an hour before the dance was set to begin. Hudson wore his dress blues
and Sadie looked stunning in a floor-length pale blue dress, one she’d bought last summer for this special night. At the time
she had hoped Hudson would be home for Christmas, but she had known better than to count on the idea.
Now, though, in what was the greatest gift for Vanessa’s daughter, Sadie and Hudson were setting out to the dance together.
Hudson hurried to his car and brought something back. A cream-colored wrist corsage.
Through teary eyes, Vanessa smiled, watching them. Ben’s words ran through her mind again. “Because every girl deserves a corsage.” Seeing Sadie and Hudson was like watching a flashback of Vanessa and Alan at the beginning. Young and in love, all of life
ahead of them.
“You sure you don’t want us to wait?” Sadie hugged Vanessa before they set off.
“No. You go.” Vanessa’s hair and makeup were ready, but she still needed to get dressed. “I’ll be right behind you.”
When they were gone, Vanessa did the one thing she’d been longing to do. She sat by the Christmas tree and prayed for Ben.
He still hadn’t called, and with every passing hour she had no idea what to make of the situation.
No matter what had happened, she knew Ben, knew his character and kindness. One day what had happened last night would make
sense. Even if this wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. He wasn’t the Grinch who stole Christmas. He was a man who had
made everything about the past six months more beautiful than Vanessa could have dreamed.
Vanessa pulled up his text messages and scrolled back to one he’d sent not long ago. A video message. She was smiling even
before she hit play, and there he was. The man she had fallen for. She could admit that fully, now that it looked unlikely
they would ever find their way back together.
The video message came to life.
Ben’s image smiled at her. “Hi there! Okay, so the dance is two weeks away and . . . well, I can’t wait to see you. I have
a feeling this is going to be the best Christmas of my life. Maybe it’ll be the best Christmas of your life, too. Oh, and
did I mention I’m a good dancer? Because I am. I really am.” He laughed. “Anyway, let’s talk later.”
At the end of the video, Ben’s image froze. Vanessa stared at him. “Wherever you are tonight, Ben, I hope you know how much
I cared.”
She sighed and got ready for the dance. As she left the house she looked down at her hands. She had no Christmas ring, no wedding ring, and no corsage. But she was going to have a good night anyway. A hundred families were about to get the help they needed this Christmas.
And at the end of the day, that was what tonight was about.