scattered around.
Jenel, a pretty blonde with an easy smile, approached. “Hello. How can I help you?”
“We’re buying something for my mom,” Chloe told her.
“How nice,” Jenel said. She turned to Kenny. “What kind of jewelry does your wife like?”
Kenny froze. “She’s, ah, not my wife. We’re friends. I was thinking of maybe a...” His gaze fell on one of the cases. “A necklace.”
“Of course.” Jenel moved behind the counter. “We have a large selection. Why don’t you look them over and tell me what appeals to you.”
Chloe joined him. Together they studied the circles and hearts. There was a silver snowflake, but Kenny didn’t think Bailey would wear that.
“I like that one,” Chloe said, pointing to a stylized heart that was hanging a little on its side.
Jenel pulled it out and put it on a velvet tray. “This is sterling silver. An eighteen-inch chain. It comes in different sizes, and different materials.”
He studied it. “I like it better than the hearts that are straight,” he said.
“Me, too,” Chloe told him. “It’s happier that way.”
“What else have you got like this?” he asked Jenel.
“Let me show you.”
She brought out similar hearts in yellow gold. One had a few little diamonds on one side. The last one she showed them was the same heart covered in pavé diamonds, on a platinum chain.
“Look!” Chloe said, pointing to the heart. “It’s sparkling in the light. That’s so pretty.”
“I agree.” He looked at Jenel. “We’ll take that one.”
“Of course. Would you like me to gift-wrap it?”
“Please.”
Chloe clapped her hands together. “My mom is going to love that. I can’t wait to see her open it.”
“You won’t say anything, though, right?”
She pressed her lips together and made an
X
on her chest. “I promise.”
“Good. Are there any presents under the tree?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll go look.”
As soon as Chloe was out of earshot, he turned to Jenel. “I’d like that small silver heart, too,” he said quietly.
Jenel nodded. “For the little girl?”
He nodded.
“I have the perfect chain. When she outgrows it, we can exchange it for a longer one.”
“Good. I’ll pay for these now and pick them up later.” He didn’t want Chloe to see the second box.
After he’d signed the credit card slip, he walked over to Chloe. On the way, he saw the display of diamond engagement rings. For a second, he wanted to stop and look. He wanted to dream about possibilities. Because Chloe wasn’t the only Voss female tugging at his heartstrings.
Only he wouldn’t give in. Wouldn’t think about what could be. He was successful in life because he learned from his mistakes. And lesson one was not to repeat them.
* * *
B AILEY STOOD ON the walkway in front of her apartment, prepared to give thanks to whomever had arranged for perfect weather on her moving day. The sun was out, the temperatures had climbed to nearly fifty and there wasn’t any wind. She couldn’t have asked for more.
At some point she was going to have to pause and be grateful. Which she would...just as soon as she managed to recover from the shock of her moving crew.
As promised, Kenny had come through with a rental truck and a few friends to help. But somewhere along the way, the few friends had turned into something so much more.
Sam and Jack were there, along with all the guys from the bodyguard school. In addition, there were Dellina’s brothers-in-law, two of the three Stryker brothers, Tucker Janack, Josh Golden and Raoul Moreno. She thought it was very possible there were more men milling around her place than she had boxes.
Kenny climbed halfway up the staircase, then turned back to the crowd. “All right, here’s how we’re going to do it. We’ll empty from front to back here and load from back to front at the new place. If you pick up a lamp or a table, remember where it came from. You’ll be responsible for
Jenel, a pretty blonde with an easy smile, approached. “Hello. How can I help you?”
“We’re buying something for my mom,” Chloe told her.
“How nice,” Jenel said. She turned to Kenny. “What kind of jewelry does your wife like?”
Kenny froze. “She’s, ah, not my wife. We’re friends. I was thinking of maybe a...” His gaze fell on one of the cases. “A necklace.”
“Of course.” Jenel moved behind the counter. “We have a large selection. Why don’t you look them over and tell me what appeals to you.”
Chloe joined him. Together they studied the circles and hearts. There was a silver snowflake, but Kenny didn’t think Bailey would wear that.
“I like that one,” Chloe said, pointing to a stylized heart that was hanging a little on its side.
Jenel pulled it out and put it on a velvet tray. “This is sterling silver. An eighteen-inch chain. It comes in different sizes, and different materials.”
He studied it. “I like it better than the hearts that are straight,” he said.
“Me, too,” Chloe told him. “It’s happier that way.”
“What else have you got like this?” he asked Jenel.
“Let me show you.”
She brought out similar hearts in yellow gold. One had a few little diamonds on one side. The last one she showed them was the same heart covered in pavé diamonds, on a platinum chain.
“Look!” Chloe said, pointing to the heart. “It’s sparkling in the light. That’s so pretty.”
“I agree.” He looked at Jenel. “We’ll take that one.”
“Of course. Would you like me to gift-wrap it?”
“Please.”
Chloe clapped her hands together. “My mom is going to love that. I can’t wait to see her open it.”
“You won’t say anything, though, right?”
She pressed her lips together and made an
X
on her chest. “I promise.”
“Good. Are there any presents under the tree?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll go look.”
As soon as Chloe was out of earshot, he turned to Jenel. “I’d like that small silver heart, too,” he said quietly.
Jenel nodded. “For the little girl?”
He nodded.
“I have the perfect chain. When she outgrows it, we can exchange it for a longer one.”
“Good. I’ll pay for these now and pick them up later.” He didn’t want Chloe to see the second box.
After he’d signed the credit card slip, he walked over to Chloe. On the way, he saw the display of diamond engagement rings. For a second, he wanted to stop and look. He wanted to dream about possibilities. Because Chloe wasn’t the only Voss female tugging at his heartstrings.
Only he wouldn’t give in. Wouldn’t think about what could be. He was successful in life because he learned from his mistakes. And lesson one was not to repeat them.
* * *
B AILEY STOOD ON the walkway in front of her apartment, prepared to give thanks to whomever had arranged for perfect weather on her moving day. The sun was out, the temperatures had climbed to nearly fifty and there wasn’t any wind. She couldn’t have asked for more.
At some point she was going to have to pause and be grateful. Which she would...just as soon as she managed to recover from the shock of her moving crew.
As promised, Kenny had come through with a rental truck and a few friends to help. But somewhere along the way, the few friends had turned into something so much more.
Sam and Jack were there, along with all the guys from the bodyguard school. In addition, there were Dellina’s brothers-in-law, two of the three Stryker brothers, Tucker Janack, Josh Golden and Raoul Moreno. She thought it was very possible there were more men milling around her place than she had boxes.
Kenny climbed halfway up the staircase, then turned back to the crowd. “All right, here’s how we’re going to do it. We’ll empty from front to back here and load from back to front at the new place. If you pick up a lamp or a table, remember where it came from. You’ll be responsible for
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