Chapter 23

Nick opened a bottle of champagne and Jackie poured it into glasses. Nick started a fire in the fireplace in the living room. They kicked their boots off and sat down on the white furry rug and talked about their day as they sipped champagne.

The cold air from the sleigh ride had sobered Jackie up, so she figured another glass or two wouldn’t hurt. It was 11:30 p.m. Jackie was about to say something when the clasp broke on her tennis bracelet.

“Oh, no,” Jackie said. She picked the bracelet up off the rug.

“Normally, I would try to fix it, but it looks expensive,” Nick said.

“It’s okay. I saw a jewelry shop in town. Maybe I can take it there tomorrow. I wanted to do a little shopping tomorrow anyway. Pick up some souvenirs for everyone back home,” Jackie said and stood. She placed the bracelet on the end table.

“Oh?” Nick said.

Jackie smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to drag you with me. I know men don’t like to shop.”

Nick grinned. “It usually depends on the circumstances. In your