Can't Buy Me Love by Beth K. Vogt

Author:Beth K. Vogt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books

NINE

Bellamy had never doubted her brooch bouquet would have been unique. But now no one would ever see her walk down the aisle carrying the one-of-a-kind bridal masterpiece inspired by NaNa’s brooch.

Elisabeth reached across the table and rested her hand on top of Bellamy’s. “Why are you doing this to yourself, Belle?”

“Doing what?”

“Torturing yourself—spending a Saturday dismantling your bouquet.”

“I’m not torturing myself.” Bellamy removed another pin from the assortment of jewelry she’d arranged just-so in the bouquet form.

“Oh, right. Well, if you cry any more not-so-silent tears, you’re going to rust all those thingamabobs in that bouquet of yours.”

Bellamy resisted breaking into a chorus of “It’s My Party.” “I just think it’s . . . silly to keep this . . . if I’m not getting married. The challenge is going to be returning the brooches I received as gifts—”

“But doing this makes you sit around and think about Reid—”

Like she wasn’t doing that anyway.

Instead of answering her friend, Bellamy removed another pin. The bouquet had been more than half completed and now she was destroying it.

Elisabeth reached across the table and grabbed Bellamy’s right hand. “What happened to your fancy nails?”

“Oh, those.” Bellamy shook off her friend’s hold. “I soaked them off—turns out an adequate amount of acetone in a bowl works wonders.”

“You decided not to keep the long bloodred look?”

“I’d thought about switching to a classic French manicure for the wedding, but . . .” Her voice trailed off. Nothing more to say.

Bellamy traced the bow-shaped outline of a glittery art-deco-style pin. She’d discovered it at a garage sale in Manitou and almost danced down the woman’s driveway at finding such a beautiful piece of costume jewelry. A swirl of rhinestone-embellished leaves had fit nicely next to it.

Wait a minute . . .

“Are you okay, Belle?”

“There’s something about this pin, Lis.”

Bellamy removed the bow-shaped pin and ran her fingers across the jeweled surface, the looping double curves of the bow held in the center by a tiny round crystal . . . could it be a real diamond? Baguette and round stones were set throughout the rest of the pin.

“I need my laptop.”

Elisabeth peered over her shoulder while Bellamy set up her computer. “What are you thinking?”

Bellamy set the pin beside her computer, tapping her fingers on the table while she waited for her Mac to fire up.

“You know how I researched making the bouquets, right? Well, I also did a little research on brooches.” She Googled “vintage art deco pins” while she talked. “Some of these can be worth a lot of money.”

“You’re kidding me.” Elisabeth moved to her side and settled in the chair next to her, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around her legs.

“No, I’m not. I mean, it’s probably just wishful thinking . . . I got this brooch at a yard sale—found it in a pile of costume jewelry in an old tin. The woman said her kids had played with the stuff for years. What are the chances . .

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