Page 101 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“I thought you might.”
We got out and, hunkering against the wind, hurried into the toy store. Although my first thought was to stop him from buying Annabel too many presents, it didn’t take long for me to throw out my responsible-older-sister-and-sometimes-second-mom role and take on the role of coolest aunt ever.
Dress-up clothes, fairy wands, fancy markers, coloring books, puzzles, dolls, and a giant teddy bear that would probably not fit in her bedroom all got stuffed into Jensen’s car.
Nina was a little harder to shop for. But considering her fledgling relationship with Dylan, I knew she’d love some date-night attire. And since we wore the same size, it was easy to find things that would fit. We got her a gorgeous little black dress, a blouse and skirt, and two pairs of very splurgy high heels.
Jensen also insisted on buying her a long wool coat so she wouldn’t freeze on her date nights.
We stopped for a quick bite to eat, then resumed our shopping. I had a feeling Jensen was sneaking presents for me between purchases for Annabel and Nina. I pretended not to notice and did my best not to look. I didn’t want to ruin his surprises.
I still hadn’t found anything for him, but I knew just the place to look.
The snow was starting to pile up as we made our way to a boutique up the street that carried pretty lingerie. It was a short walk, but my cheeks and nose tingled with cold, and I was glad to get in out of the wind.
The clerk—a young woman with long blond hair and thick eyelashes—sat on a stool behind the counter. She looked up from her phone. “Welcome in.”
“Thanks.” I brushed the snow from the front of my hair.
The store was busy, with a group of women who appeared to be shopping together walking around and talking as theybrowsed. The clerk stayed on her stool and went back to her phone.
“How about you go get some coffee or something while I shop?”
Jensen’s brow furrowed. “No. It’s too soon to leave you alone.”
“Even here?” I gestured toward the other customers. “It’s just a bunch of ladies.”
“How about I turn around? I won’t peek.”
“All right. I won’t be long.” I handed him my coat and purse. “Do you mind holding these?”
“Not at all.” He took them and draped my coat over his arm.
Loud laughter erupted from several of the women. They were certainly having fun. The clerk remained on her stool behind the counter, glued to her phone.
The front of the store featured clothing—dresses, blouses, pants, skirts. One wall had a small display of earrings, belts, and other accessories, with a shelf of shoes below. I found what I was interested in at the back of the store.
They didn’t have an extensive lingerie selection—it wasn’t a large store—but at a glance, I had a feeling I’d find something. I wanted to look like a present for Jensen to unwrap, and they had a whole rack of sexy Christmas pieces.
I glanced toward the front of the store. Jensen stood with his back facing me, his posture casual and relaxed. I knew he wasn’t in any hurry, but I didn’t want to make him stand there for too long, so I picked a red bra with sheer cups and a lacy white negligee with red ribbons.
The women had congregated around the single dressing room. One of them came through the curtain wearing a sparkly green dress, and her friends clapped and squealed with excitement.
I went to the counter, and it took a second for the clerk to look up from her phone.
“Are you ready to check out?” she asked.
“Actually, I’d like to try these on. Is there just the one dressing room?”
She nodded. “Yeah, sorry.”
I glanced at Jensen again. “Do you have a restroom? Could I maybe try them on in there?”
“Sure,” she said with a shrug. “It’s down the hall, last door on the right.”
“Thank you.”
I took the lingerie down the hall and found the bathroom, but the door was locked.
