Instead he led her on a leisurely tour of the few shops in the town. “I don’t see a jewelry shop,” he said. “I’ll buy you a ring as soon as we get some place that has one.” “Please don’t do that. I don’t want a ring.” “You wanted one enough to offer up Petty’s yesterday.” They were in the town’s general store and so were a lot of other people. At least the nosy ones could only overhear Bret’s half of their conversation. “The ring was Mama’s. I shouldn’t have done that. You were right. Please don’t buy a ring.” “I’m surprised Grimes let you have the ring. He sounds more like the sort to keep it and sell it or give it to the next wife.” She had to write and erase and write again to explain, but she wanted him to know. “Mama never let him see the ring. It was hers from Papa. The locket was from her other life. She gave them to me to keep when she was sick, and I never let anyone see them until Mrs. Reston took them.” Bret toyed with a bottle of patent medicine, not looking at her.
