Ezra Standish hesitated outside the store looking in the display window. A wide variety of wares were displayed, but he was only interested in one particular item. A small smile played around his lips as he debated for several moments longer, then, giving a short nod to himself, he moved to push open the door.
He knew he should not have returned to this neighborhood. Odds were Larabee would kick his ass back to Atlanta if he ever found out, but while undercover on their last case, he had spied the object and realized it was perfect. This wasn't the kind of store where the man he was portraying would shop, having neither the taste or the money and Ezra hadn't dared take a chance on being spotted shopping in the expensive antique store. He had, however, managed to keep tabs on it the six weeks he worked the case, praying no one else would purchase the item before he could return and do so himself.
Now, with the case wrapped up, and the perpetrators incarcerated, he had returned as himself, not Eric Stiles, to finally make his purchase.
The store owner, a quaint plump woman with naturally gray hair and twinkling blue eyes moved to assist him as he closed the door and turned to face the store’s interior.
"May I help you?" she asked with a voice tinged with a British brogue.
"Yes, ma’am. I saw that," he pointed to the object in the window, "and would like to examine it a little closer please."
"But of course!" she hastily bustled around several shelves of antique glassware and slid open the glass back of the display case. Lifting out the item, she smiled brightly, "You have a wonderful eye, young man. This piece is at least a hundred years old," she pointed out proudly.
He carefully lifted the item from her hand and turned it to the light, examing it closely. There were no flaws, nothing to mar its perfection. "Might you know its history?" he asked, turning it over in his hands, and liking the way it felt.
"I purchased it from the estate of an elderly woman who passed away earlier this year. It had belonged her to great grandmother. She took great care with it and seldom used it as you can see. There is no wear at all."
He nodded. "I can see it was well cared for. And the price?" He nodded to the amount on the hanging white tag. "Is it negotiable?"
She hesitated. It was rather expensive, and the young man, with his cashmere coat and imported leather loafers reeked of money. "May I ask why you want it?"
Ezra ducked his head. "It is a gift... for a young lady."
"But not your young lady?" she guessed.
His face flushed with embarrassment. "No. A friend only. She has another piece which matches this perfectly."
"A friend you value highly, to spend this kind of money," she nudged the price tag.
"Money has nothing to do with the the value of a friend," he retorted a bit sharply, then his eyes widened in surprise. What would Maude say to such a remark? "My sincere apologies, ma'am. I truly didn't mean to sound snappish."
"No need to apology, young man." She smiled. "It's nice to know some people don't believe that everything has its price."
"I have recently discovered that friendship is priceless."
"I see." She lifted the object from his hand and settled it in a small black box. "I may regret this, but ...for your friend. Shall we say three hundred dollars?"
Ezra’s eyes widened slightly. "It is worth at least three times that much...."
The woman smiled. "But the joy your friend will receive from it will be priceless. Three hundred dollars once.... Twice..."
"Sold!" He reached for his wallet, carefully peeling out three new one hundred dollar bills and a twenty for tax.
"Shall I gift wrap it?" she asked, closing the box.
"That isn’t necessary," he started to protest.
"No charge. Perhaps a small gift bag. With a bow.." She proceeded to find a small purple toned gift bag and tucking the small box inside, surrounded by tissue paper, she topped it all with a silver metallic bow. Finishing, she held it out to him with a smile. "I hope the young lady enjoys it for many years to come."
"Thank you. I am sure she will." With a polite nod, he exited the store, leaving the woman staring after him with an enigmatic smile.
*******
Ezra headed out the highway, the gift bagged item on the seat beside him. He really did not know what had possessed him to make the purchase. Now that he had, he was feeling a bit silly and contemplated turning back and returning it. Stubbornly fighting that urge he turned his thoughts to the reports he'd just finished, afraid if he gave any thought to what he was about to do, he'd turn around and head for his penthouse.
Finally pulling to a stop in the vaguely familiar driveway, his heart skipped a beat as he frantically looked around, relief washing over him when he didn't see an even more familiar green truck. Damn! Why hadn't he even given consideration to the fact she might not be alone?
He had only been here twice before, under very different circumstances. His green eyes searched the surrounding area, finally coming to a stop on the person walking up from the barn.
Realizing he couldn’t back out now after being seen, he hesitated. Knowing if he didn't do it now he never would, he grabbed the bag and stepped out of the vehicle, closing the door and leaning against the fender as the young woman approached.
"Hey, Ezra. Everything all right?" Lucy questioned, a puzzled expression on her pretty face at seeing this man in her yard.
"Yes, ma'am, fine. How are you?" He groaned inwardly. What a stupid thing to say!
"I’m fine. Vin’s okay?" she questioned, motioning him toward the house.
He followed. "Mister Tanner is fine, as are the rest of the team."
She stopped and swung around to face him. "Then why are you here?" she blurted out.
Ezra hesitated. This woman held his best friend’s heart and he really didn’t want to offend Vin or her, but.... He awkwardly held out the bowed bag. He was violating all the proper rules of his upbringing and probably in general. "I know this probably isn’t the proper thing to be doing, but I saw this and thought you might enjoy it..."
Lucy's gray eyes momentarily lit up, but she held back, not accepting the proffered object. "Ezra, I can’t...."
"I assure you, there are no strings attached. If you don't like it, you don't even have to accept it, but I wish you would." He admitted softly.
Although he hid it well, the vet heard the slight undertone of hurt in his voice.
"I saw it and just felt it was something you should have. If you look at it, you’ll understand what I mean."
Slowly, carefully, as if it might bite, Lucy took the bag and rustling through the tissue paper, found the black box. Unused to receiving gifts from gentlemen callers, even ones she considered friends, her eyebrows shot up, and she couldn't prevent the look of suspicion that crossed her face. "I-I don’t think..."
"Just open it, Lucy...Please?"
With a soft sigh, she flipped open the top and her breath caught. Nestled in the black velvet of the jewelry box was an antique gold chain. She raised her eyes up to meet Ezra’s.
"I realized when I first saw it that it perfectly matched the broken chain of your locket. I know you wish to wear it, and overheard you mention to Mary you hadn’t the proper chain to do so. Since we found it together, I thought it only fitting the damaged links be replaced with this one. After all, nothing else would do such a piece justice."
"Oh, Ezra..."
He shrugged. "It was the least I could do. Just please do not inform Mister Tanner of my actions. I would not want to cause him any concern. I am certain if he knew the history of the locket, he would have acted in just such a manner. As he does not, I felt it fell on me. I hope it does not offend you.... or him."
Lucy moved to wrap her arms about his neck, the chain dangling from her fingers to tickle the back of his neck as she placed a grateful kiss on his cheek. "Oh, Ezra, that is so kind of you!" She drew back, looking at the chain. "This must have cost a fortune! Will you let me...?"
"Absolutely not! It is a gift. From one friend to another."
"But surely.."
"The only thing I wish is to see how it will look on you," he offered softly.
With a girlish giggle of delight, Lucy raced inside and returned in a few minutes, carefully wending the golden locket with the silver filigree rose on the chain. As she moved to place it around her neck, he stepped closer, taking the clasp from her fingers and carefully locking it in place.
As she turned around, reaching to center it at her throat, he smiled. "Perfect! It looks as though they were made for each other." A sly grin came to his face, "Like you and Vin," he added.
Her fingers clutched the locket, her soft gaze on his face, she was unable to prevent the blush that tinged her cheeks pink. He was the only person, save herself, who knew what was inscribed within the old locket they had found at the homestead. He was the only one who knew the truth of her feelings and haunted beliefs.... The only one who truly knew what the old locket meant to her.
"Thank you, Ezra. It is perfect," she whispered, her words sincere.
He ducked his head. "It was my pleasure, Miz Garth." He straightened. "Now, I must really be getting back to town before I am missed. You have a nice evening."
"You too, Ezra."
He slipped back into the SUV and and as he backed from the drive, he turned to wave and saw the sunlight reflect from the golden locket. He smiled. It really had been his pleasure... He hadn’t confessed to Lucy he had been searching since the day she had found the locket to replace the broken chain. Now, somehow, deep within him, it felt as if something had come full circle.
His smile widened. Perhaps in some small way, with the hauntingly familiar emotions he felt each time he saw the young woman, that inscribed 'forever' included him as well. At least, he hated to admit, it gave him a warm comfortable feeling deep inside to think so.
THE END