The Davenports(51)

“C’mon,” he said, turning off the engine. He walked around the automobile to open her door. “I’m not a gambling man. I have no wish to return to the hardships of my childhood. That said, through an obscene amount of cigar smoke, I spotted a prize in the pot of a poker game and couldn’t pass it up.”

Ruby eyed him. Why is he telling me this?

“Lonnie Lynch can be a stubborn mule. The buy-in was steep, but worth it.”

Ruby returned his smile as she stepped into the shop. The room was dark and heavy under the weight of the wood paneling. The real light came from the glass cases, where precious items glinted under the warm glow of the gas lamps.

A woman stooped over a glass case of assorted jewelry and watched them enter. “Mr. Barton,” she said, squinting and straightening a bit. “Perfect timing!” The woman disappeared behind a curtain.

“Do you come here often?” Ruby asked under her breath.

“It was recommended. I was told they appraise and polish precious keepsakes. And I had to be sure my prize was worthy of the wearer.” He nodded back to the old woman as she returned.

Ruby’s breath caught. On a pillow of black leather sat her necklace. The stone was brighter than she remembered. The chain more delicate and fragile. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but she would have known it anywhere, even if her initials didn’t wink at her from the surface of the charm by the clasp. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “You won?”

“I don’t like gambling. But I am quite good at it. Lonnie said he bought it from a friend.” He picked at the clasp and slowly lifted the necklace so that the stone gleamed in front of her. Her mother must have given it to the adjuster to sell, then, she thought. And somehow it had found its way back to her. “May I?” he asked.

The shopkeeper placed a mirror before them. Ruby stood silent as he returned her necklace to its rightful home. A chill passed through her, but the stone quickly warmed against the skin below the hollow of her throat. Despite her promise not to ever again cry over a piece of jewelry, she found herself swiping a tear from her cheek. The sight of it had panic bubbling from the depths of her core.

“I can’t.” Her hand closed around the ruby. She wasn’t sure if it was to rip it from her neck or to keep it close.

Mr. Barton placed his hands lightly on her shoulders and turned her again toward the mirror. A flush had spread over both of them. His joy so pure, it hurt her to see it.

His eyes met hers in their reflection. “It’s already done.” He smiled to the woman behind the case and guided Ruby out. She was floating. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. She let him help her back into the automobile as she tested the weight at her neck. The city passed by in a different kind of blur and then disappeared altogether. When her senses fully returned, the car was parked along Lake Shore Drive, where a wide boardwalk separated the road from a short strip of sandy beach.

Have I thanked him yet? she wondered, horrified at her behavior. She opened her mouth.

Mr. Barton blurted, “I’m sorry. I should not have blindsided you like that. You may not have wanted me to intervene and—”

“Thank you,” she said. Ruby grasped both his hands, strong and warm in her own.

He relaxed. “It’s just, I knew how much you missed it and you didn’t seem yourself when you spoke of its absence. Though now you have it back, I’m not sure if you’re okay.”

Ruby made a choking sound between a cough and laugh. “I promise, I am much better than okay.” She squeezed his hands harder, then released them to touch the chain and stone. Still there. When she could trust her voice again, she said, “I don’t know when I can repay you.” He’d won it in a poker game?

“I won’t hear any talk of repayment. I wanted to do this.”

Normally, she would have taken a gift in stride. They were expected, gleefully received and tucked away to flaunt later. This was different. This was personal and intimate. Harrison Barton had restored a part of her. She blinked back tears and nodded as she waited for the tightness in her throat to pass. “I don’t think I’ll ever take it off again,” she said. Her stomach quivered. Harrison Barton was sweet and thoughtful. And she was using him.

She wasn’t sure how she could keep this up.

His face broke into a wide grin. He moved closer, his arm stretching behind her. She imagined the pressure of his lips against hers and the air rushed out of her lungs. She faced him, heart racing. Then he pulled away, holding a small wicker basket in his lap. “It’s such a nice day. Hungry?”

Ruby shook her mind clear. “Yes.” She could be friends with Harrison. Friends give each other gifts. They share a picnic. She was famished before. She just needed to eat and her stomach would settle.

The waves of Lake Michigan lapped lazily at the shore. A boy ran along its banks with a toy sailboat, his mother a few feet away. A mix of carriages and automobiles rolled by. They found a quiet spot where wild grasses grew up through the sand and rocks, and shrubs blocked views of the water. There the trees provided a protective canopy, dappling them with light.

Mr. Barton’s arm brushed against her shoulder, making her shiver. “Are you all right, Miss Tremaine?”

She wanted him to kiss her even though she knew it would blur the murky line between her feelings for him and her plan. “Yes.”