Page 30 of Fire and Ice
“We might be able to help you.” She smiled and stepped past him as he held open the door. “We know a little about women here.”
Chelsea felt a strong sense of pride as she looked around her dress shop. She had done well, attracting clientele from as far as Phoenix. It was a beautiful shop, if she did say so herself.
She’d bought her home and the building with money from the settlement with the mining company, which had been at fault in the accident. However, after using a bit of start-up funds, she had built her business from the ground up, on her own, never touching the settlement monies again.
“Very nice.” Grady looked around in appreciation. He gave Chelsea a sheepish smile. “Not that I know much about women and dresses.”
“We can teach you.” Chantilly’s light and airy voice drew their attention.
Chelsea smiled at the young woman. A delicate-looking pixie with a will of iron. “Grady, meet my assistant manager and friend, Chantilly.”
“I’m sure I’ve seen you around town, Grady.” She cocked her head, her white-blonde hair swinging over her shoulder. “You’re the new firefighter, right?”
He gave a nod. “Feels like I’ve been here longer, but yeah, that’s me. You look familiar to me, too.”
Chantilly put her hands on her slim hips. “I live in Gold Canyon.”
Grady slid his hands into his back pockets. “You probably know Maddee Rawlings.”
“That’s right.” The blonde’s smile broadened. “You dated Maddee.”
He gave a little smile. “A few times. She’s a nice woman.”
Jealousy streaked through Chelsea, coming out of nowhere. The thought alarmed her, and her scalp prickled. The strength of her reaction surprised her and made it hard to shrug off—she’d never been the jealous type, so it was a foreign emotion to her.
“Grady is interested in finding something for his sisters.” Chelsea drew Chantilly’s attention. “He has six of them.”
Chantilly’s eyes widened as she looked at Grady. “Holy cow.” She nodded in the direction of a display of designer purses and wallets. “We can take a look over there, and at the front counter, we have a nice selection of fine jewelry as well as some fun costume pieces.”
He looked overwhelmed. “I think I’m going to need some help.”
“Let’s see what we can do.” Chantilly guided him toward the purse display. “I’m thinking wallets might be what you’re looking for. Cute, stylish, fun. And since they will more than likely be tucked in a purse, you don’t have to worry about it not going with their outfits.”
Chelsea shook her head and smiled. Her assistant was the best. She went to the front counter while she waited. She wasn’t sure if she should feel weird about her date buying anything from her store, but if they could help Grady and he was happy with what he got, then that would be a positive thing for him.
It didn’t take long—Grady was decisive and didn’t question Chantilly’s advice. They brought seven wallets to the front and set them on the counter. They were all beautiful.
“You have great taste.” Chelsea stepped aside and let Chantilly handle the transaction. Considering the prices of the designer wallets, it was going to be an expensive purchase.
He shrugged. “Wasn’t hard. You have some nice things here.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at Chantilly as she scanned each wallet, then returned her gaze to Grady. “I take it you got one for your mom?”
“Yeah, I think she’d like one.” He looked amused. “They’re gonna know I had help.”
Chantilly’s cheeks dimpled, like an adorable nymph. “Just pretend you did it all by yourself.”
“They’ll never believe it.” He looked pleased as he smiled at Chelsea, then Chantilly. He handed over his credit card. “Thank you. This is terrific.”
Chantilly completed the transaction and put everything into a bright pink bag with white rope handles, labeled Chelsea’s Closet with the store logo in gold.
Grady thanked her, took the bag, and walked to the front door with Chelsea.
“I had no idea you were going to buy out the store.” She shook her head as he held the door open. “I just wanted you to see my store and meet my assistant manager.”
They stepped onto the sidewalk, the door closing behind them. He took her hand and squeezed it. “You don’t know how much you helped me out. I’ll be the Christmas hero this year with the girls.”
She loved the feel of his big hand around hers, and it made her feel warm inside. “I’m glad.”
