Broken (Broken 1)

Her smile faded just a bit before she grinned from ear to ear again. “I missed the country life along with my parents and my younger sister as well. It’s her senior year in high school, and I wanted to be here for her. Plus…the oil tycoon turned out to be a cheating bastard. ”

“Damn, I’m sorry to hear that. How long have you been back in town?” I asked.

“About three weeks. Today is my third day back on the job here. Almost feels like high school again,” she said with a wink.

“Does Reed know you’re back?” I asked with a chuckle.

She tilted her head and gave me a shit-eating grin. “Reed Moore? Is he living in Llano still?”

I nodded. “Yeah, he works for the Texas Parks and Wildlife, and he helps me out on the ranch a lot as well. Trying to talk him into going in as business partners. ”

She nodded and seemed to be making a mental note. “Well, when you see him, tell him to stop by. I’d, um…I’d love to catch up with him. ”

I agreed and made a mental note myself to call Reed the moment I stepped outside this store. He had been drinking himself drunk almost every night for the last few months—ever since Courtney had started dating Mitch.

Maybe Anna is the distraction Reed needs to move on from Courtney.

“So, what brings you in, Layton?”

I felt my whole body start shaking again. “I, um…well…um…I’m actually looking for…well, I’m looking for a ring. ”

She let out a small giggle. “What kind of ring?”

I looked around and then back out toward the windows. When I looked back at Anna, her smile caused me to chuckle.

“A, um…well…an engagement ring. ”

“Oh, Layton! Are you and Olivia getting married?” she asked as she jumped up and down.

Wait—what?

“No! God, no! Damn, you have been gone a while. ”

She stopped smiling and came to a complete standstill. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Um…I didn’t know if I should bring this up or not, but I’m really sorry to hear about your brother. He was a really great guy. ”

I gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, Anna. Yeah, he was. Back to the ring. It’s for my girlfriend, Whitley. ”

“Oh my God! Whitley Reynolds? The girl from New York?”

“Yeah. How do you know her?” I asked.

“She came in here the other day, looking for a little silver locket. She said she was buying it for a special little girl. We got to talking, and she told me how she moved here from New York. She mentioned that she’d fallen head over heels for a cowboy here, but I never dreamed that cowboy was you, Layton! Congratulations. My God, that girl is beautiful. ”

I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, just hearing someone talk about Whit. “Yeah, she is beautiful, inside and out. Kate’s birthday is this weekend, so I’m guessing she was buying her a gift. ”

“I bet that’s what it was. She didn’t mention whom it was for, just a special little girl. So, back to this ring! You’re going to pop the big question, huh? Did you have a certain shape in mind? Were you wanting a loose diamond, and maybe design your own setting? Platinum, white, or yellow gold? What were you thinking?”

I just stood there, staring at her. “I’m thinking I was nervous as hell before I walked in here, and now, I’m just plain scared to death. ”

She threw her head back and laughed. “I’m so sorry. I guess, sometimes, I get a bit carried away. Let’s start with the basics, shall we? First off, is this the first time you’ve looked for a ring?”

I nodded.

“Okay. Next question. Do you know what size you want? What shape of diamond?”

“I don’t want anything huge…but nothing small. She’s mentioned liking a princess cut and an oval shape before. ”

“Perfect! Now, metal?”