It was going to be difficult keeping his intentions from Susannah, but on this sunny autumn afternoon, Ray told her he was going to visit a former church member who was ill, which was true to some extent. After his pastoral visit, he drove out to the Galleria in Richmond Heights in search of an item he never expected to purchase again. Moving with purpose past upscale stores, he reflected on how much one’s life could change in less than a year. He thought that perhaps that was naiveté on his part. In his line of work, he saw more often than most how their lives could change overnight. Usually, it was the tragic circumstances of an accident or untimely death, but if he thought over the last several months, his feelings shouldn’t come as a surprise at all. And it was time he made an honest woman of Susannah Baker.
At the curve in the mall corridor, he spied Helzberg Diamonds, and his step quickened. He went directly to the case of diamond engagement rings, his air of purpose catching the attention of a young, blonde sales clerk.
From behind the glass counter, she smiled. “May I help you, sir?”
To Ray’s surprise, he was genuinely nervous, his first words more of a stammer than a statement. “Yes, I want to see some . . . I’d like to see what you have in engagement rings.”
“We have a wide selection in all price ranges. How much were you thinking of spending?”
He smiled at the clerk. “You know, it’s been a long while since I’ve done this, so I’ll take all the help I can get. What would be the average price a gentleman would spend?”
The blonde clerk grinned. There seemed to be a flash of recognition as she directed Ray’s attention to a line of exquisite rings. “That depends on the carat weight of the diamond, its shape, color, and clarity. I can show you rings covering a price range from a thousand dollars on up. The average amount a man spends ranges from two to five thousand dollars. The rule of thumb is a month’s salary.” Unlocking the case, the sales clerk removed a tray of sparkling diamond rings set against black velvet. Placing the tray on the glass, she posed another question. “How would you describe your fiancée’s tastes?”
“Fiancée,” he nearly whispered the word to himself. Ray’s face glowed. “That sounds lovely.”
“Second marriage, I take it?”
Ray nodded. “Yes. My first wife died of cancer in 1992.”
She brought her hand instinctively up to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. But in the last few months, I’ve met someone special, the reason for my visit here today.”
“That’s wonderful,” the blonde enthused. Recall unexpectedly brightened her face. “You’re Reverend Ray from TV—The Road to Calvary!”
Caught off guard by the woman’s enthusiastic response, Ray fumbled for a reply. “Why yes, that’s our show, The Road to Calvary.”
“My aunt watches your show, and one day a couple of months ago, I was visiting, and we watched it together. And, Reverend—may I call you that?”
“Sure—”
“Reverend, we watched you call a man, Jim, you knew him by name, out from the pit of alcoholism that was destroying his life. It was the most moving thing I’d ever seen. And I never thought I’d say this, but I started watching regularly with my aunt. The work you do is truly amazing.”
“Well, thank you, Miss—”
The bubbly clerk extended her small hand across the glass countertop. “Sally. Sally Sullivan. It is a pleasure to meet you, Reverend. My aunt Julia won’t believe it! You said you’re getting engaged; that’s wonderful!” Stopping only long enough to catch a breath, Sally made a sweeping motion over the cases. “What kind of jewelry is your fiancée fond of?”
“Hmmm. Something simple, but elegant. Susannah—”
“Susannah Baker, the woman who helps on your show?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“This is good news. Pick out whatever ring you wish, Reverend, and I’ll make sure you get the best price.”
The sufficient money Ray had made as a consultant would pay for a lovely engagement ring. “Show me that one,” he said, smiling and pointing to a pillow-cut diamond for nearly $6,000.
“You have wonderful taste!”
Ever the preacher looking to spread the good news, Ray examined the ring. He pointed to another. “Let me see the solitaire diamond in yellow gold.” Ray stopped looking at the rings for a brief moment and glanced at Sally. “You know, we have a website and are looking at some new broadcast opportunities. Here’s my business card—one for you and one for Aunt Julia. We’re not broadcasting live right now, but here are the days and times we do prerecorded broadcasts. We’d love to have you in our studio audience!”
“She will be thrilled to have a personal invitation. My aunt has lots of friends, too; she’ll get the word out to all of them about the new programming time.”
“That would be much appreciated.” Ray took the solitaire diamond from Sally, slowly turning the gleaming jewel in his large hands. “Let me ask you something. Am I being old-fashioned in wanting this ring to be a surprise? Do most couples pick them out together nowadays? I want to do this right.”
“It’s about a fifty-fifty split in terms of what couples do. Trust me, Reverend, there is no wrong way to give a woman an engagement ring.”