“Lydia is a beautiful name.”
“I think so, too, Summer. And she’s just gorgeous. And sweet. And kind.”
Summer denied the urge to pat and hug him when she got a clear glimpse of just how smitten he was. It was obvious he was in love. His eyes even got faraway and kind of dreamy, too.
“Well, let’s figure this out. A few weeks ago you got her the entire body care line in lavender.”
“And she loved it, too. It seemed to really make her day.”
“Good! And then last time, you bought the lavender aromatherapy line and a pretty, little silver bracelet. What were you thinking about getting her this time?”
Chance looked uncertain, and Summer decided that before he bought any more lavender-scented products for this sweet girl she’d better intervene. “I’m not really sure, Summer. That’s why I come to you girls. You have a better idea of what she’d like than I do.”
Summer came around the lingerie cabinet to lean against it and quietly asked, “Chance, before I make recommendation you’ve got to give me an idea of where you want this thing to go. Do you want it to stay sweet and platonic, or would you like to take this friendship to the next level? Gifts communicate a whole lot about your intentions. We can play it safe with more scented products, but I honestly think she has enough to last a while.”
Chance chewed his lip for a second. “You’re probably right, Summer.”
Pushing just a bit, Summer asked, “If you had your way, where would she be, right this second?”
Chance smiled and easily replied, “Standing right here with me, talking to you. Picking out whatever she wanted in the entire store. I’d buy her anything she wanted.”
Summer nodded. “That tells me exactly what I needed to know.” If he’d replied “wherever she wanted to be” then Summer would’ve recommended another “safe” gift. It was time to move to the next level.
“You have an idea of what I should get her?”
“I know exactly what you should get her. What color are her eyes?”
Chance paused, and she smiled at the dreamy look in his eyes. He was so sweet she wanted to hug him and hoped this woman treated him right. “Her eyes are pale green with a hint of blue.”
“Perfect. Follow me.” She grabbed the keys from under the register and led him to the jewelry counter. She removed a display and laid it on top of the glass counter for him to more closely inspect.
“You don’t think she will feel pressured by jewelry?”
“Not turquoise. It makes the perfect statement. She can wear it with just about anything. It will tell her you care about her without putting too much pressure on her the way precious stones in a more formal setting would. It will also look beautiful with her eyes.” She pointed to a pendant and cuff bracelet set and added, “I’d suggest the pieces that have a slightly greener cast to them, but any of them would be perfect.”
Chance lifted the pendant she’d suggested from the display card and looked closely at it. She flipped the heavy pendant over and indicated the maker’s mark on the back. “This piece was crafted by a Navajo Artisan in New Mexico. That is his name. Take a look at the rest, since you know her coloring better than I do, and see if there is one that you think would look pretty on her.”
While Chance perused the rest of the pieces, Summer went over to the bookcases, hoping the volume she wanted was still there. He needed something romantic and erotic that Lydia might find…inspiring. She smiled when she found the perfect book. She patted the cover, which featured a brunette beauty and two handsome cowboys, feeling like she was doing her part to further ménage romance.
She placed it on the jewelry counter when she returned to Chance. He’d picked out the turquoise beaded necklace with the heavy greenish-blue pendant she’d suggested, along with the dangle earrings that matched it and a costly inlaid-turquoise-and-silver cuff bracelet that would go nicely with the set. He had better instincts than he thought.
He looked over at the book on the counter and said, “What’s that?”
Summer smiled as he perused the cover and replied, “It’s a Western erotic romance.”
“There are two cowboys on the cover.”
Summer indicated the imprint on the spine. “It’s a ménage romance about a shy heroine and the two handsome, romantic cowboys who fall in love with her.” She’d have to mention to Grace later that she’d sold Chance Carlisle a book that he and his brother Clayton had helped inspire that Grace had written the year before. Few people in the area knew that both Grace and Rachel were very successful erotic romance authors.