A Soldier's Valentine. Jenna Mindel

at Matthew and laughed. He didn’t look as if he cared about details. He looked like a man who wanted to get married. She walked them to the door and waved as they left.

      A throng of customers had come in while Annie and Matthew were in her store. Not locals, but tourists—skiers maybe, obviously up for the weekend. They looked over Zach’s work. Some picked up an ornament or two and were ready to buy them. Where was he?

      Ginger made a move toward the shoppers when Zach appeared with a basket of small multicolored glass hearts. He gave her a nod and placed the basket on his checkout counter.

      The three women in the store hurried over.

      “These are so cute,” one said.

      “Adorable.”

      “How much?”

      Zach hesitated. “Uh, ten.”

      “I’ll take four.”

      Ginger hoped they wouldn’t clean him out before she got a look at them. But then more customers came in and some wanted tea. Then Brady from the chamber stopped by to check on her progress with the local merchants, and by the time Ginger had a chance to scoot back over to Zach’s shop, it was closing time. Her favorite time of the day.

      She locked her front door, watched the snow fall beneath the illumination of the streetlamps outside and sighed. Today had been a pretty good day for sales. And pathetic when she considered four measly purchases a good day.

      “Tired?” Zach leaned against the slider, basket in hand. His eyes looked red, as if maybe he’d missed a night’s sleep. He looked tired, yet asked about her.

      “Not too bad. What about you?”

      “I’m tired of waiting on customers.”

      Ginger laughed. “Better get used to it.”

      “Yeah.” He held out the basket. “Here.”

      She inched closer and peeked inside. Only four glass hearts remained. “For me?”

      “You’ve really helped me out.” His deep voice caressed her ears. “Thanks.”

      Ginger pulled out one small red heart with a clear loop at the top. “Well, thank you. You’re not charging enough for these, by the way.”

      Zach shrugged. “Take them all. I’ll make more. They’re not hard to do.”

      “This one is fine. I haven’t seen you blow glass. When are you making things?”

      “Evenings and sometimes late at night.”

      “No wonder you’re tired,” Ginger teased.

      A shadow crossed over his features but was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I’ll figure it out.”

      Did she imagine that haunted look?

      Ginger clutched the pretty glass heart in her hand. “Thanks for this. I think you should use these in your window.”

      “Again with the window. You’re like a dog on a bone.”

      She made a face. Maybe Zach was all bark. He’d given her a heart and that felt pretty good.

      He shifted his stance and then cleared his throat. “I understand you’ve been invited to my folks’ party.”

      Ginger’s heart raced. “Yes.”

      “Are you going?” His blue eyes pierced hers.

      Didn’t he want her to? Surely, Annie would understand if she bailed at the last minute. “Uh...”

      “If you are, ride with me.” That sounded more like an order than a request.

      “I can drive.” Did Captain Zach think she couldn’t manage on her own? It was only ten miles away.

      Ginger glanced at the snow piling up on the sidewalks out front. The forecast called for heavy bands of lake effect through the night. “I mean, I don’t want to put you out. I have to be up early in the morning, so I can only stay for a bit.”

      “I won’t be long.” His voice sounded so stern and irritated. “No sense both of us driving in this weather.”

      She looked into his tired blue eyes and found herself nodding. “Okay, but I have to change. What time do you want to leave?”

      “An hour.”

      “Deal.” Ginger reached out to pull the slider closed.

      Zach stopped her. “This isn’t a date or anything.”

      She tipped her head. Good grief, did he want her to go or not? “I don’t have to go?”

      “That’s not what I meant.”

      Ginger placed her hands on her hips. “Then what did you mean?”

      His eyes narrowed, but he raised his hands in surrender. “Nothing. Forget it.”

      Yeah, right. “Fine.”

      “Good. I’ll see you in an hour.”

      Ginger closed the slider with a hard snap.

      What a jerk! Not a date. Seriously? He’s the one who had asked her; she hadn’t asked to ride along.

      She closed up her shop and stomped upstairs to change. Well, at least it wouldn’t be a long night ahead, but the drive there and back promised to be a real treat.

      * * *

      An hour later, Zach knocked on the door to Ginger’s apartment above her shop. This felt an awful lot like a date. And he’d made it worse by trying to point out the obvious. He didn’t want to date his tenant. Didn’t want to send the wrong message, either.

      Ginger opened the door wide. Her hair looked the same, but she’d changed into jeans and a bulky knit sweater. It didn’t matter what she wore, or how she fixed her hair. What made her most attractive was the light that shone from within her. That fire. Ginger had a glow all her own.

      “Hey.” Even her cheerful voice warmed him.

      “Can I come in?”

      “Sure.” Wariness crept into her eyes, but she backed up and let him enter.

      “I didn’t get a good look at your place before I bought the building.” He looked around. “Your apartment is nicer than mine.”

      Her gaze narrowed as if trying to read between the lines of what he said.

      Great. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kick you out. Just saying you made it nice.”

      “I’m the queen of thrift stores and yard sales.”

      She wasn’t afraid to use color. The walls were painted a sunny yellow and the tall windows had vibrant floral-patterned curtains instead of the plain wood blinds he used. Even the cupboards in her galley kitchen had been painted brick red.

      He spotted the glass heart he’d given her hanging in the window by yellow ribbon to secure it. “You hung it up.”

      She cocked her head to one side. “Did you think I’d smash it or something?”

      “I apologize for earlier. I just wanted to be clear.” He smiled then, hoping she understood.

      She shook her head without any sign of a grudge. “I see why you’re not a Valentine’s kind of guy.”

      He laughed at her comeback. “You have no idea.”

      It hit him then that he didn’t want to go to his parents’ party. He’d rather stay right here and curl up with Ginger on that plush couch against the far wall to watch a movie. His comment about tonight not being a date wasn’t really for her benefit but his own.

      A reminder that Ginger Carleton was off-limits. Or should be.

      “Ready?”