By ten a.m., he’d landed a job on Sawyer’s reconstruction crew and was scheduled to start work on January second. By eleven, he’d scored a part time gig assembling storage sheds for Bear’s hardware store that would keep him fed and sheltered until his full-time work started. And by noon, he was the proud owner of a quarter-carat diamond engagement ring.
It was small, with a few flaws visible in the stone when you looked through a magnifying glass, but it was set in a graceful white gold band that would look perfect on Lula’s slim finger. It wasn’t flashy, but it was a symbol of the love he felt and the commitment he wanted to make.
When he and Lula were young, Carter had thought he needed a bulging bank account to be worthy of her, but after years of loneliness he knew the greatest gift anyone could give was to love another person with all of their heart.
Around one o’clock, he and Lula shared lunch, toasting his new jobs over spiked eggnog, and he spent the rest of the afternoon helping her get ready for the annual sidewalk sale. He set up tables, toted boxes full of Lula’s holiday dolls, and helped decorate, every task a pleasure because he was spending time with his favorite person.
Come nightfall, when the Christmas lights on Main Street sparkled to life and the holiday carnival in the square filled the air with music and laughter, Carter was certain the only thing that could make this day more perfect was a “yes” from Lula tonight. He was nervous, but determined, and focused on memorizing every detail of the evening—from the emerald green dress that made Lula’s eyes shine to the way she smiled as she helped little girls pick out the perfect doll.
When the phone call came from Shane, his former partner, at seven thirty, Carter almost didn’t pick up. But there was a lull in customer traffic, and Lula had stepped inside to grab a scarf and another batch of holiday cookies. So Carter answered, figuring he owed his old friend a Merry Christmas.
“You’d better believe it’s a Merry Christmas,” Shane replied, excitement in his voice. “Are you sitting down, brother?”
“I am,” Carter said, wondering what this was all about. “But I’m working a holiday booth, so I might have to let you go in a few. What’s up?”
“You know that shipment from Morocco we thought was lost or stolen years ago?” Shane asked, continuing before Carter could reply. “Well, a receiving center in Chatsworth burned down yesterday. In the basement, they found some stuff the fire hadn’t touched. Our crate was there, buried beneath a bunch of undeliverable mail.”
“What?” Carter shook his head as his pulse picked up. “You’re kidding me. And the rocks are still there?”
“All the meteorites are still there. Every single one,” Shane said. “I got the call an hour ago and booked a flight to London to pick up the crate in person. No way we’re trusting the royal mail again.”
Carter cursed, too stunned to do anything else.
“That’s what I said.” Shane laughed. “And get this—prices are up from six years ago! Specimens like ours are selling for ten times the going rate of gold per gram. I booked an appointment with Sotheby’s on Tuesday. They said they’d be interested in curating an auction so we don’t even have to tote these babies out of England. So get your butt on a plane, man, and get ready to fly home a millionaire!”
Carter’s mind reeled. A millionaire. After all the bad luck and failed excursions, he’d finally hit pay dirt. He’d be able to give Lula all the things he’d dreamt of when they were younger and replace her starter ring with something heftier in just a few weeks.
“I’m on the next plane out,” Carter said, a grin splitting his face. He got the information on where Shane was staying so he could book a room at the same hotel. Then he hung up, grabbed the cash box from the table, and hurried into the tea shop to share the good news with Lula.
Inside, the lights were on and a mug of tea sat steaming on the counter, but there was no sign of Lula, and the shop was strangely quiet.
“Lula? Where are you?” Carter shouted, still grinning. “I’ve got amazing news, babe!” He waited in silence before calling for Lula again. “L.J., where are you, woman?”
He hurried up the stairs, thinking Lula might have decided to change into something warmer, but the apartment was empty. Back downstairs, he checked the kitchen and the main room before heading back out front. But there was no sign of her. His smile faded and his heart beat faster as anxiety leaked into his bloodstream.
Carter hurried back inside, moving through the curtained partition into the stockroom. There he saw the back door open and Lula’s truck missing from its parking place behind the shop.