Page 42 of Just One Chance

"You will if you stick around. You'll forget what it's like to be on the beach."

"I don't know that I could ever forget that. It's in my blood. But I could see living here too. It would be ideal to go back and forth, wouldn't it? Winters in Florida, and summers here."

"But then you'd miss the snow." I'd hate to miss winters in Colorado.

"True."

We stepped into Clara's shop. There were lines of trees, each decorated in a unique theme: classic Christmas, kids, beach, and even vintage cars.

"I have to get an ornament for Jodi as a thank-you for housesitting." She took a picture of the store and sent it to Jodi. Then she chose an ornament with mountains and Colorado written on it.

After her purchase was wrapped, we headed outside.

We window shopped, and I told her a little about the history of the town. How it had been stagnant for years until the sisters, Eve and Natasha Palmer, bought the town and revitalized it. The shop owners who'd been here for a long time were reluctant to make any changes but slowly came around when they saw the increase in visitors.

The town was busy more often than not. It was a bustling tourist destination, but it had also become a stop for locals who frequented the coffee shop, bakery, and other stores. It wasn't quite as busy as Telluride, but it was getting busier all the time.

"I've never heard of anything like this. You know, a place that is Christmas year-round. What's it like in the summer?"

"It's a regular town that's always decorated for the holidays. We do the traditional Christmas in July events, and Santa comes to town. The only difference is that it's warmer and the ground isn't covered in snow. They still get tourists visiting but not as many." Clara had discussed this part of her business with the family many times over the years.

"It's not like you can have an ice rink in the summer. It must be tough to bring in customers," Kennedy said.

"There are a lot of stores that aren't just Christmas: the puzzle store, the bookshop, and the restaurants. I think Clara mentioned that everyone is required to have a Christmas display of items year-round though."

Kennedy paused at Tempting Dreams. "Even the lingerie store?"

"I haven't been inside that one myself, but I think so," I said, wondering if she was going to want to browse. I wasn't sure I'd survive it if so.

"Should we go in and see?"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," I said, but Kennedy had already grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

She didn't let go of my hand as we stepped into the store. There were racks and tables of lacy satin panties and bras. It was a dizzying array of options.

Kennedy touched a pale pink satin negligee that was hanging on the rack. "Would you like to see me in one of these?"

I was warm all over and feeling a little dizzy. "Naked's good."

She gave me an amused look. "You don't care about this kind of stuff?"

"I'm not really paying much attention to it." I was more interested in getting her naked than reveling in the state of her lingerie. "But I can see the appeal."

"Hmm," was all she said as she continued to browse.

I stuck close, worried someone was going to think I was here by myself. I'd never been in a store like this before. No woman had ever dragged me into one, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I was uncomfortable but also a little aroused at the thought of her in all this lace and satin.

Maybe I did like this kind of thing.

It seemed like she had to touch everything to get a feel for it, and it was starting to drive me crazy.

Finally, she stacked a few items on her arm. "I'm going to try these on."

I threw a thumb over my shoulder. "I can wait outside." Where it was colder and I could cool down.

A slow smile spread over her face. "Oh, no. I need your opinion."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't think that's a good idea."