“Okay, okay. I’ll come up with something that…isn’t that.”
He pressed a kiss to her brow. “We’ll try to be back by dinner.”
Once he and Ari were in the car she asked, “Did you mean it? About the fiddle?”
“If you want. I figured we could kill two birds with one stone.”
“Sweet!” She pumped her fist in the air.
“Did you get it?”
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a ring. “She left it on the holder on the kitchen sink, when she did the breakfast dishes this morning.”
“Excellent. You’re a good little partner in crime.”
“That’s partner in romance, buddy. I’m gonna help you knock her socks off.” She spent the entire two-hour drive telling him how.
The first two shops were a bust. The rings were either out of his budget, tacky, or simply wouldn’t suit Pru. Even if she wasn’t wearing his ring for life, he wanted to pick something she’d like.
“Maybe it was too much to hope we could knock this out in a day,” he said.
“Let’s just try one more place,” Ari insisted. She consulted the search she’d brought up on her phone. “There’s another one about half a mile that way.”
Celtic flutes greeted them as they walked inside the next shop. An older woman behind the counter smiled. “Can I help you?”
“We’re looking for engagement rings,” Flynn said.
“They’re not what we typically specialize in, but I can certainly show you what we have.” She gestured them over to a display case in the back. “I’m afraid we only have these two trays.”
Flynn and Ari hunkered down, peering through the glass at the offerings. These were far more to his taste, with knotwork that spoke to his heritage. There were simple silver claddaghs, with their hands clasping a crowned heart. The sentiment he approved of, but he wanted something with a bit more style.
Then he saw it at the back. It was clearly inspired by the traditional Claddagh ring, but the hands were replaced by Celtic knotwork, and a round cut diamond was nestled in a setting that mimicked the claddagh’s heart and crown. Not huge—he couldn’t afford huge—but beautiful. Even as he pointed, Ari lifted her hand and they both said, “That one.”
Flynn listened to the sales pitch, taking in the details about the clarity and quality of the diamond. Half an hour later, they walked out with the ring in a box in his pocket.
“It’s perfect,” Ari declared.
He had to agree.
“Now you have to decide how to give it to her. You can’t just hand it over.”
Amused, he gave her a sidelong glance. “Believe it or not, I’ve romanced a woman or two in my time.”
“Yeah, but none of them were Pru.”
Well, she was right about that. As they headed back to where they’d left the car, Flynn looked down at her. “Tell me something, cailín beag. When you walked in on us yesterday, why did you say that I’d finally asked her?”
“I pegged that woman as a social worker in zero point three seconds, and I’d heard you announce yourself as Pru’s fiancé. I figured you’d just blurted it out and could use some back up. Besides, it seemed like an inevitable conclusion.”
“Did it now?” Flynn unlocked the car.
Ari tugged open her door and gave him a very adult look over the top of the ca
r. “Please. I’ve seen the way you look at her.”
“And how’s that?”
“Like little heart-eyed cartoon birdies are circling your head. You, Mr. Irishman, are hooked.” On that pronouncement, she got in and shut the door.