He pulled the ring from his pocket and held it out to her. She leaned closer, examining the ring he held between his thumb and forefinger. “Bingo!” she exclaimed. “Can I see it?”
“Of course.”
She held out her hand for him to slip the ring on, which he did, then watched in amusement as she admired the ring on her finger. “A unique piece,” she murmured. “Much like the necklace.” She smiled and placed the ring on the table between them.
She didn’t check out the insignia the way his style editor had, which told Coop that Lexie’s interest was more personal than financial. “How long has your grandmother owned the necklace?” he asked.
Lexie shrugged. “She’s had it for as long as I can remember. My grandfather gave it to her years ago,” she said wistfully. “Did the store owner give you any information about the ring?”
Coop shook his head. “She didn’t say a word. It was just sitting in a tray along with other items she didn’t mind giving away.”
Lexie folded her hands in front of her. Delicate hands with pale pink polish on her nails, and a grouping of bracelets dangling from her right wrist. “I suppose you’re wondering why I sought you out.”
“The thought has crossed my mind.”
“I’d like to buy the ring from you as a gift for my grandmother’s eightieth birthday.”
He hadn’t known what to expect from Lexie, but her wanting to purchase the ring caught him off guard. Another person interested in what had started out as a gaudy piece of junk.
Coop cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, but I can’t begin to put a price on it. According to the style editor at the paper where I work, it’s worth more than I thought or frankly hoped when I picked it from the tray.”
Lexie cocked her head to one side. Even behind the glasses, she pierced him with her steady gaze, indicating that he’d pissed her off.
“Why didn’t you just say that when I asked you what you knew about the ring?” she asked.
“You asked me what the store owner said about the ring and I told you.” He just hadn’t admitted he’d already discovered more.
He disliked being on the other side of questioning and squirmed in his seat. “Hey, it’s not like I know you well enough to trust you with all my secrets,” he said in an attempt at humor.
She frowned. “You know me well enough to decide you’re attracted to me,” she reminded him, leaning back in her seat, clearly waiting for him to say more.
She wasn’t letting him off easily.
She also had a point. He was attracted to her. Especially the way her br**sts pushed upward in the low-cut dress, revealing more than a sexy hint of cle**age for view.
He let out a low groan and forced himself to focus on the jewelry instead. “Apparently, the ring is part of a collection of jewels dating back to the 1950s.” He’d been unable to find an exact date yet. But if he sold her the ring, as she requested, he’d lose his connection to the story.
The same way he’d lose his connection if he just returned the item to Ricky. He wasn’t ready to reveal to Lexie Ricky Burnett’s sudden interest in reacquiring the ring. Coop was still gauging her truthfulness and he didn’t know how she’d feel about having competition for the piece. Besides, he wanted her focused while she revealed information to him.
“So it’s worth more than its appearance suggests,” Lexie mused. “The same probably holds true for my grandmother’s necklace. Who would’ve thought it had value? Okay, so what if we have your ring appraised and then discuss a price?” Clearly she wouldn’t be easily dissuaded.
She was logical. And smart. He liked that combination in a woman. It just didn’t help his cause. Because if they brought the ring to a professional jeweler for an appraisal, the appraiser would probably identify it. Worse, he might realize that the ring was linked to an unsolved crime from years past and blow Coop’s exclusive to this story. Coop needed to figure out all the angles before he made any decisions.
Something the logical beauty might understand. She might even possess pertinent information about the jewels and their past. He’d already learned the hard way that she preferred honesty.
“Your grandmother didn’t know the necklace had value?” he asked.
Lexie shrugged her shoulders. “She never said and I never asked. I never had any reason to. Money’s not important to me except as a necessity to do the traveling I love. Do you like to travel?”
He shook his head. “Not much.”
Disappointment flickered in her eyes before she continued. “There are places in the world you can’t possibly imagine. I love to see the beauty and the colors of different countries, people and heritages.” Her cheeks flushed as she explained her passion.
A passion he’d like to see directed at him, not at foreign places that took her far away.
“Never mind,” she said as if catching herself. “Back to business. I wonder how my grandfather came into possession of something that once was part of an expensive collection.”
“I take it your grandmother never said?” he asked her.
“Nope.”
He was curious about the same thing. There were many unanswered questions, leaving Coop even more intrigued by the jewels and their history. Not to mention by Lexie herself. At least now he had an avenue by which to learn more. He could uncover answers by getting closer to Lexie. Not a hardship, he thought, meeting her gaze. And something he’d want to do regardless of the jewels.
Her grandmother hadn’t shared much about the history of her prized possession. Because she didn’t know? Or because she had something to hide?
“Could you ask your grandfather?” Coop asked.
“He passed away fifteen years ago,” she said softly, her eyes clouding.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. But Grandma’s a survivor. She’s been hell on wheels her whole life and she wasn’t about to stop after Grandpa died. So she grieved and then picked herself up and went on.”
Coop grinned. “She sounds feisty. Like you.”
“Why, thank you!” Lexie drew up straighter, always pleased anytime someone compared her to her grandmother.
Her grandmother’s unconditional love and understanding provided Lexie with the self-acceptance she didn’t find within her immediate family. They were all overachievers, while Lexie had always been the one with her head in the clouds. They had goals; Lexie had dreams. Her free-spirited grandmother was the only one who accepted Lexie for who and what she was.