"I've never come home from a long day at work and had a topless woman waiting up for me."
I openly laugh. "Is that so?"
"Yup. I wonder what that's like."
"Maybe next time, Big Guy."
"We could practice it now. To make sure it will work."
"You want to practice?” I lift the hem of the T-shirt I’d planned to sleep in, then stop. “Wait a minute. What about all the time you were in the military?”
Spencer has had a lot of years of coming home and should have had a beautiful girl waiting for him—that whole guy-in-a-uniform thing. Isn’t that why most guys join the military in the first place?
He shakes his head. "Not even then. I spent my time in a SEAL team. We were mostly overseas, and when we were here, it was training, drills, and hanging with the guys. We weren’t exactly relationship people,” Spencer answers, using air quotes around the world relationship.
“All right, but if we’re going to do this, we have to do it right.”
Spencer’s face lights up. “Whatever you say, babe. Tell me what to do.”
He starts to unbutton his shirt until I shoo him away with a hand. “You have to walk out of the room then back again.” Duh.
Not a second wasted on questioning my requirements, he jumps out of bed and saunters out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I tear the shirt over my head and then slip out of my shorts under the covers.
There’s a knock on the bedroom door, and I whip the clothes in the open closet right as Spencer opens it and peeks in.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A gust of wind whips down Main Street, and I pull on my hat, lowering the ear flaps to cover the bottom of my lobes.
"When is the parade set to start?" Spencer asks, zipping his coat up the last few inches. He’s lucky. The box from L.L. Bean arrived an hour before the festivities started. Otherwise, he’d be out here in one of his long-sleeve thermal shirts.
"Not until noon."
Spencer checks his watch. "That's two hours away. Why did we have to rush?"
I smile, holding back a laugh. Spencer hasa lotto learn about living in Pelican Bay.
My arm jerks forward as Frankie tugs on her leash, trying to get closer to the people who come and go on the street around us. My steps pick up to keep pace with her.
"The Christmas Eve parade is an important holiday tradition. There is a schedule you have to follow."
"A schedule?"
"It's tradition." Frankie pulls on her leash again, giving me an annoyed look when I tug back.
I stop in front of Bonnie’s Diner and wait while Spencer opens the door for Frankie and me. Normally, I wouldn't dare bring a dog into Trish's diner, but like I said, the Christmas Eve parade is special.
"Happy holidays!" Trish stands behind her long counter, already holding two take-away mugs of hot chocolate.
Spencer reaches for his back pocket, pulling out his wallet even as I push his hand away.
" Joslin knows the rules. There's no paying on Christmas Eve."
Her words stop Spencer mid-action. "What?"
I shrug. "The city council picks up the tab for certain treats during the Christmas Eve parade. I told you, it’s tradition.”
Even with my reassurance, Spencer hesitates putting away his wallet. His eyes flit around the room a few times , like he's waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out of the kitchen holding a camera and screaming “punked”.
