Page 113 of Give Me Forever

"Make that fifty," Kimberly exclaimed.

I scoffed. "Excuse me. It's the first time I've been here, and I love it."

Sam and Kimberly exchanged a glance and laughed. I couldn't even feel embarrassed. I was too excited. The three of us came to Paris together. I’d insisted Kimberly come with us—she was practically a local, and she knew the best spots and secret gems.

We flew via London because Beatrice wanted to visit her son. I was so happy she'd made amends with Kimberly's dad. I remembered the sadness in her eyes back when I was a teenager whenever she spoke about him, and I was more than happy that their relationship had improved.

Sam, Kimberly, and I even met her gentleman friend. I, for one, really liked him, and so did Kimberly. Sam was still reserving judgment.

"This is even more beautiful than in pictures," I said with wonder. I was happy to be here, strolling the large boulevards and eating the most delicious sweets. I must have eaten six éclairs in the time we'd been here, and I was buying chocolate almost every day, as well as a ton of other goodies. We were here for a week, and it seemed far too short.

"Why did you leave the city?" I asked Kimberly.

She shrugged. "It was just time to come home."

Ah yes, the Maxwells and their home base. I totally knew what she meant. Her whole family was there. Well, except for her dad. Still, knowing the family, I was surprised any of them had moved away at all.

"Sam, what are we doing next?" I asked.

"I actually have to go meet a friend. I think you two will be able to find your way around." Kimberly winked at Sam.

He nodded. "Yes, we will. Thanks for all the tips, cousin."

"Anytime. You can call me if you get lost or something."

"Sure."

"Are you meeting us for dinner?" I asked.

She gave me an enigmatic smile. "We'll see."

Hmm.Okay, maybe she had other plans. I didn't want to interfere. She really did have amazing tips. I wanted to do all sorts of tourist stuff, but she'd also given us plenty of suggestions for things locals liked.

"What are we doing next?" I asked Sam.

"What do you have on that huge list of yours?"

"The entire city, so let's prioritize and see what's around here."

"Great idea."

The Garden of the Eiffel Tower was amazing. Everywhere I looked there were trees. They were leafless now, but I imagined that in warmer months, it was a sea of green. There were a lot of tourists, but it was still spacious enough that it didn't feel crowded at all. We'd already checked some of the stuff off that was on my list. We'd been to the Louvre, spent one day at Versailles, and went up the million steps or so to Sacré Coeur, where the view of the city was absolutely stunning. We'd also seen the Arc de Triomphe, of course.

My favorites so far were the Champs-Élysées and the Eiffel Tower. They were stunning up close, but I preferred a long-distance view to take in all of their majesty. It was also better for photos, which I posted on social media so my mom and sister could follow our trip.

"By the way, you know we're passing the stand Kimberly mentioned makes the bestchoux à la crèmein the city?" Sam asked.

"Oooooh. That's been at the very top of my list."

"I know. You circled it in pink and then in blue."

I smiled sheepishly. "I didn't want to miss it. When you look at the list, it doesn't automatically jump out at you. It’s easy to get distracted by things like theMona Lisa."

"Interesting thatchoux à la crèmeis as important as theMona Lisa."

"Don't make fun of me. I want to taste everything Paris has to offer so I don't forget it."

"I know you won't, babe. Besides, we can come back any time you want."

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