He opened the small velvet box, and what he saw caught his heart. The ring had a ruby center and a ring of diamonds. He had never seen an actual picture of Vanessa’s missing ring, but this had to look a lot like it.
There was one difference, of course. Vanessa’s was a costume piece. This one was real. Ben took the ring from the box and studied the stone, the diamonds. He’d seen one like it on eBay not long ago. He had been looking for Vanessa’s ring. One ruby diamond ring was listed at over a million dollars. Another for nearly a hundred thousand.
He had a feeling the buyer was getting a steal purchasing this one for a fourth of that. But that’s what the appraiser had said it was worth, and people who valued jewelry were almost never wrong.
At least in Ben’s experience with antiques.
There were markings on the inside of the band. Ben looked closely and saw a word nearly worn off. It was in cursive and appeared to be French.Maison. He whispered the word. He studied it again. “Interesting.” He slipped the ring back into the box and set the box down on the bench beside him.
Then he began singing. It was his favorite way to pass the time when he was logging in antiques for the store. He thought about the time he and Vanessa sang at the Harvest coffeehouse when he’d first landed in Columbus. The memory made him laugh. He was about to sing the same song from that day. But at the last minute he changed his mind and sang the only words that fit the way he was about to spend the rest of the week.
“I’ll be home for Christmas... You can count on me...” He sang the song and worked through the antiques and dreamed of just one thing.
His trip back to Columbus.
Vanessa and Sadie were back at the Veterans’ Hall working on the baskets again. They had nearly finished the first ten and were about to put the teddy bears in.
Sadie picked up one of them. “Hey, it’s like my bear at home.”
“Yes.” Vanessa smiled at her. “Karl from Karl’s Toys donated a hundred of them.” She looked at the bear. “Every one of them reminds me of you.”
“Mmm. Mom.” Sadie picked up a bear and situated it in one of the baskets. “That’s so sweet.”
“Like you.” Vanessa checked her list. “Sixty families are sponsored so far. The radio’s pushing for more people to step up. That’s going on all day. We’ll get there. I believe that.”
“I didn’t tell you. I want to sponsor a family.” Sadie placed another bear in a different basket. “Hudson wants to take one, too. He told me to tell you.”
“Honey.” Vanessa shook her head. “You need to save your money for books and clothes. You’re in school.”
“Mom, I want to do this.” Sadie seemed certain. “It’s my Christmas present to myself. And I have savings.”
“Okay.” Vanessa let it go. She smiled at her daughter. “You have your father’s heart.”
“And your hands.” Sadie relaxed. “I really want to do this.”
“Well, then. We only need thirty-eight more sponsors.”
Vanessa’s phone rang. She stepped away and pulled it from her purse. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Mayfield? This is Isaac Baker.”
“Yes.” Vanessa returned to Sadie’s side. She whispered to her daughter, “It’s the guy looking for my ring.” She put the call on speakerphone. “Is there an update, Isaac?”
“I’ve narrowed it down to three stores. All in northern Georgia. I’m sure one of them has your jewelry. I had it in my store and I sent it in a box to one of them. I should know more in the next forty-eight hours. I have calls in to all three shops.”
Vanessa felt tears well in her eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Are you serious about the reward?” Isaac laughed. “I mean, I’m doing this for a reason, Mrs. Mayfield.”
“I’m serious.” Vanessa looked at Sadie. “That ring belongs to me, but it also belongs to my daughter. Please... let me know what you find.”
The call ended and Vanessa pulled Sadie into a hug. “What if he really finds it?”
“What you just said.” Sadie eased back and searched Vanessa’s eyes. “You mean that? The ring is mine?”
“On your college graduation day. Yes.” Vanessa kissed Sadie’s cheek. “That’s when my mom gave it to me.”
“The whole thing seems too good to be true. Like every other time.” Sadie sighed. “But I’m going to pray. Because if this is real, then you might have your ring back in time for Christmas.”
