Trying Your Luck - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 34: Country Roads

"I think you want me to spend more money," he teases.

She shrugs.

"Well, you'd be helping out a small business."

He lets out a faux exasperated sigh.

"You've twisted my arm, uh..."

Bucky gestures vaguely, trying to pull her name out of her.

"Oh! Candice!" She says, sticking out her hand. He grasps it firmly and they grin at each other. Partners in crime. Sort of.

"Bucky."

"Pleasure to meet you, Bucky."

"You too."

She claps her hands together and sighs softly.

"Let's start with the necklace. What are you looking to get her?"

He bites his lip.

"She doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, but I was thinking something delicate, small."

Candice nods and pulls out a rack of beautiful necklaces of varying lengths, sizes, and colors. Bucky lets out a small puff of air as his eyes rake over the options.

"You said her birthday is next week? September baby?"

"Yeah."

"What about this one?"

She points to a small silver necklace with a sapphire stone dangling off of a silver chain. It's nice, but it's not Shannon.

"I don't know... she's got red hair and hazel eyes, does that help at all?"

"Do you have a picture of her?" Candice asks.

"Uh, yeah. I do, actually."

He pulls out his phone and pulls up a picture of Shannon. Candice smiles.

"Shannon Meyers," she says softly.

"You know her?" Bucky asks.

"We went to high school together. We had geometry together. Both of us bombed it because we were smoking pot all the time." Candice gets a big smile and a twinkle in her eye. "I actually have something that basically screams Shannon. She was here a couple of months ago and almost bought it. Hang on."

She rushes into the back while Bucky checks the time. He has about half an hour before he said he would meet Shannon at the pharmacy. Candice seems to be taking her sweet time and Bucky wanders around the shop. As his eyes rake over rings, there's one that stands out. It's a gold band with a small, diamond-shaped onyx stone set in the middle surrounded by another layer of gold on the outside of the stone. To the left of the stone are three small diamonds that glitter underneath the shop lights. It's beautiful, and very much Shannon - and him, in a way. A piece of both of them in one tiny object.

"Bucky?" Candice's voice rings through the shop.

"Hey, Candice? How much is this ring over here?"

Her brows furrow and she trots over to the other side of the shop. He points to the one he's been staring at for five minutes.

"That one? Five-forty."

"I'll take it."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah."

"What size ring is she? I'll see if we have any in stock."

Bucky digs into his pocket and pulls out her old wedding band. Candice eyes him suspiciously, but sizes it regardless.