Chapter 7

7

J essa looked at the various outfits she brought with her to Wintervale and sighed loudly.

“I can’t decide what to wear.”

Megan was lying on the bed on her stomach with her chin propped in her hands. “Just wear some skinny jeans with boots and a sweater.”

Jessa pulled a sweater out of the closet and sighed. “None of these outfits seem right.”

Megan raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said this date wasn’t a big deal.”

Jessa could feel the heat rising up her neck and to her cheeks, so she turned toward the closet once again to hide it from Megan. Truth be told. It was a big deal. She never planned on dating when they traveled because it couldn’t possibly go anywhere. Yet, here she was getting butterflies in her stomach over a man she met and embarrassed herself in front of.

“It’s not. But I still want to look nice.”

“And you will be in your jeans and sweater.”

Jessa sighed, and her shoulders sagged. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

Megan pushed herself up and swung her legs off the bed. “Okay, come on.”

“What?”

“Let’s go into town and see if we can find you a new outfit for tonight?”

Jessa’s eyebrows merged. “We’re in a small town. Do you think we’d even be able to find anything?”

“The locals have to buy clothes somewhere. Stop stalling. Let’s go.”

Jessa conceded and pulled on her coat before following Megan out of the room. They rode the elevator down to the lobby and went to the front desk.

“Hi,” Megan said. “Where could we go around here to find new clothes?”

The lady smiled. “What kind of clothes are you looking for? Clothes for adventures, sports, or work attire would be at the Country Store with some additional options at the boutique. But cute outfits and dresses would be at the boutique.”

“The boutique would be great. Could you let us know how to get there?”

“Of course. It’s called Dress Me Up.” The lady pulled out a town map and circled the shop and showed them the quickest way to get there. “Or you can book Larry. He’s the main rideshare driver around here. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Megan took the map and smiled. “No. That was all. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. Have a great day.”

Jessa and Megan walked outside and followed the path drawn out for them. Soon they arrived on the main street in town, where shops lined the road. They stepped foot inside Dress Me Up and looked around.

“Welcome in,” the lady at the counter said.

“Thank you,” Megan said.

Immediately, Jessa maneuvered to the far wall where dresses were on display. She pulled a black dress off the rack and held it up to herself, gazing at the floor-length mirror on the wall.

“Jessa, this is adorable,” Megan said.

Jessa turned toward her and looked at the maroon sweater she held up. Jessa put the dress back on the rack and walked over to Megan, taking the sweater from her and holding it up to herself. It was the perfect color and would look great with leggings.

“Try it on,” Megan said.

Jessa took it over to a fitting room and stepped inside, pulling the sweater on before opening the door to show Megan.

“It’s perfect,” they both said in unison.

She changed back into her clothes and brought the sweater to the lady at the counter.

“This is a good choice. Date night?” the lady, whose name tag read January, asked.

Jessa blushed. “How could you tell?”

“You two looked like you were on a mission.” She put the sweater in a bag and handed it across the counter with the receipt once Jessa paid, before resting her elbows on it and smiling. “Now, tell me, is it one of the local guys?”

Jessa blushed further. “Yes, it’s Noah. Um… I actually don’t know his last name, but he works with the ski patrol.”

“A Blake, huh? Those boys are handsome, aren’t they?”

“How many are there?” Megan asked. “Maybe I should score a Blake.”

“Four brothers. Good luck. Those boys don’t date often, but it’s a little hard when you live in a small town.”

They thanked January and left the store, stepping outside into the cold air.

“What do you think she meant by saying they don’t date often? The bartender had said something similar the other night,” Jessa said, partially wondering if she was going to be a fling for him. Although, she realized, she couldn’t exactly have a relationship with the guy when they didn’t live in the same town… or even the same state.

“Exactly what she said. They live in a small town and it’s hard to date when the only new people in town are tourists.” Megan shrugged. “You can’t really expect much else.”

“True,” Jessa whispered.

Megan nodded her head at the coffee shop down the street. “In the mood for another coffee?”

“Always.”

They stepped inside Brewbirds Coffeehouse, which was still decorated for the holidays. The smell of cinnamon hit Jessa’s nose, and she sighed in appreciation. Desserts were a weakness for her, and this place had plenty of them.

“We need to make visiting a coffee shop a daily habit,” Jessa said.

“I agree,” Megan said.

“Welcome in!” A woman wearing a cute apron smiled warmly at them as they approached the counter. Several guests were hanging out at the tables inside, enjoying their drinks and desserts.

“Thank you,” Jessa said. “It smells delicious in here.”

“It’s my favorite part of working here,” she said. “I’m Melissa.”

“I’m Jessa. This is Megan. Which one of these delicious desserts do you recommend first?”

“I’d start with a snickerdoodle cookie and a white peppermint mocha.”

“That sounds perfect,” Jessa said.

“I think I’ll do the same,” Megan said.

Melissa told them to take a seat, and she’d bring their orders to them. They found an open table at the window, and sat down, looking around at the small shop and the other stores that lined the street. The town had its charm and was kept clean and cared for by the residents. That much was apparent.

“This doesn’t feel real,” Jessa whispered.

“What do you mean?”

Melissa approached with their drinks, setting them down on the table before returning with their cookies. “Enjoy.”

Once she walked back to the counter to help the next customer, Jessa spoke again.

“This town. It seems too perfect.”

Megan looked out the window as she took a sip of her coffee. “It does.”

“Do you ever think about settling down?”

“Like with a family?”

Jessa shrugged. “Yes? No? I mean, just picking a town and buying a house. Not traveling all the time.”

“Sometimes. But I enjoy traveling. What’s bringing all this up?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been to a lot of states. Seen a lot of the U.S. There have been very few areas where I could see myself settling down.”

“But this is one of them?” Megan asked.

Jessa stared across the street at a group of women who entered the boutique together. She could picture herself doing that. Going down to the local store with some girlfriends to pick out outfits before a date or event. Having a sense of community in a life where she had little.

“I think it could be.”

Megan leaned forward and popped a piece of cookie into her mouth before moaning. “Aside from this fabulous coffeehouse, be honest. Does any of this have to do with Noah?”

Jessa tilted her head. Did it? “I barely know him.”

“But is it the idea of him?”

Jessa sighed. She expected this question, but wasn’t sure how it would make her feel. But now that it was out there, she realized it had nothing to do with him. It had to do with her.

“No. The thought is nice and all, but I think I want something like that.” She tilted her head across the street where the group of women inside the boutique were laughing together in front of the window. “The sense of community. People to hang out with in a familiar town where I can unpack my bags for the foreseeable future.”

“And you think you’ll find it in this town?”

Jessa picked her cup up and took a sip of the hot drink, licking the whipped cream off her lips before replying. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I have a good feeling.”