Page 8 of Once Upon a Holidate
Wynn eyed the chair selection before pointing to a set of lacquered red chairs with black-plaid seats. They were contemporary, unexpected and, when she sat on one, surprisingly comfortable.
“I know they’re not traditional,” she said.
“Let’s try them.”
He carried two over to the table and slid them into place.
The proportions were perfect, she thought. The red was a pop of color, while the black base grounded the look.
“I’m sure we could find white plates with a bit of red and black in the border,” she said, walking around the table. “A pattern would be too heavy with the plaid cushions.”
She looked at him and smiled. “There’s a whole Christmas plaid thing. Tablecloths and napkins, with green instead of black in the pattern. That would be beautiful for the holidays.” She paused. “If you like the chairs.”
“I do. I have no idea why, but I like them a lot.”
He used his phone to take a picture of the sales tag for the table and one of the chairs, then he suggested they look at outdoor furniture.
“I don’t have much by the pool,” he said. “I thought Joylyn might enjoy being outside in the afternoons. Right now the weather is perfect.”
“Good idea. You have a lot of patio area. You could get two or three loungers and still have room for a table and chairs.”
They made their selections quickly. Garrick went looking for a salesperson to write it all up. Delivery was arranged for the following Tuesday. As they walked back to the car, Garrick glanced at his watch.
“Less than thirty minutes,” he said, his tone approving. “I like how you shop.”
“Wait until you see me stocking your kitchen. I’ll be a blur of activity.”
They went into the home goods store. Wynn collected a shopping cart for herself and had Garrick take one, as well. As she’d promised, they moved quickly.
“Linens,” she said, pointing to the far side of the store. “Bedding, towels and accessories.” She smiled. “This time I think we really are going to be looking for anything purple.”
“It’s her favorite color.”
Wynn found a pretty bedding set with a soft comforter and good quality sheets in various shades of purple and lavender. For the towels, she went for a soft shade, then found a set of bathroom accessories in lavender with a pop of silver. She added a half dozen throw pillows to the cart.
On their way to the kitchen department, they swung by a display of prints. Wynn held up a set of adorable fairy prints.
“Too young? They’ll look great with the furniture, but I don’t want her to think you forgot how old she is.”
He shook his head. “Not too young. They’re perfect.”
Wynn added them to her cart, then steered into the middle of the displays of dishes.
Garrick looked at all the options, then took a step back. “There are too many. Nope. Not going to do this.”
She grinned. “Chest getting a little tight?”
“I’m fighting the urge to bolt. I’m man enough to admit it.”
“Just remember we want white dishes with just a touch of red and black. It can be a border or a subtle pattern. If we can’t find that, we can go for white with red or white with black.”
He relaxed a little. “You’re right. That helps.”
They left their carts and wandered up and down the aisle. Garrick walked over with a dish in his hand.
The round plate was white with a swirl of black in the middle and a single spot of red by the rim.
“What about this?” he asked.
