“Yes, you are. Go, have fun,” I tell him.
“I want to go check out the north ridge today,” Faith adds.
“Me too,” Robert agrees.
“I’m going to hang out here. I have shopping to do,” Caroline adds.
“Can I come?” Everly asks.
“Of course, sweetheart.” Caroline turns to me. “Derrick, are you up for shopping?”
“Um, yes.”
“It’s a miracle. He can walk,” Charlie teases. I roll my eyes at him. “If Derrick is going shopping, I’ll come with you guys, if that is okay?”
“Of course,” Robert answers. “Glad that’s settled. I’m starved. Your mother needs to stop taking us to restaurants that serve miniature food.”
“I’ll agree the servings haven’t been great. Tonight, I’ll take you to get a great big schnitzel, how does that sound?” Caroline smirks.
“Like heaven.” He smiles.
My entire body screams in pain, but something about strolling around St. Moritz, and drinking champagne while shopping in designer stores feels right. Our first stop is Via Serlas again. Except this time, Caroline is fully unleashed. We walk into a luxury boutique, and within seconds, three attendants appear like summoned spirits.
“Just browsing,” she says.
Except she doesn’t browse. She scans. She selects. She buys.
“Oh, this cashmere scarf would look lovely on Derrick,” she says, tossing it over my shoulders before I can protest.
“It’s very soft,” I admit, burying my face in it.
“We’ll take it,” she tells the saleswoman before I even inhale.
“Caroline, no, I don’t …”
“Nonsense.” She waves off my protest.
Everly finds a pair of boots that make her look like a Bond villain. Caroline buys them. Then Everly finds a jacket that matches the boots. Caroline buys that too.
Everly spins. “I love being spoiled.”
Caroline points at me. “Pick something.”
“I … I don’t need …”
“Derrick,” she interrupts firmly. “Let me do this.”
I swallow. “Okay. But something small.”
She ignores that completely and hands me a black wool coat so soft it feels illegal. “Try it.”
I slip it on. It fits like a dream.
Everly whistles. “Damn. Charlie’s not going to be able to keep his hands off you.” My cheeks heat.
“This one,” she tells the associate before I can protest.
“It’s too much. Plus, LA doesn’t get that cold.”
