A Soldier's Valentine. Jenna Mindel

thought glass an odd choice for over six feet of hardened brawn standing like a statue before her in his military uniform. Atop his broad shoulders were two silver bars, and his chest was a patchwork of official-looking pins and patches.

      Captain Zachary Zelinsky made for an impressive sight.

      And scary.

      Surely, he’d intimated an enemy or two with that deep scowl. A look that might make a lesser man run, but Ginger dug in her heels and held her position. He’d searched her out and she wasn’t going anywhere. She might even tell him what she thought of his letter.

      She heard the snaps of American flags that had been posted along Main Street as they whipped in the bitter wind. No snow fell today in northern Michigan. No sunshine, either. Gray clouds rippled in a gray sky above. The Maple Springs high school band had long since stopped playing patriotic marches, and her surroundings faded into the expanse of dark winter coats dotted by colorful hats and scarves and kids.

      She focused on the army captain in front of her. Not hard to do. Zach Zelinsky loomed larger than life.

      Ginger pulled off her fuzzy mitten and extended her hand. She exhaled a long plume of cold breath, but it didn’t eliminate the feeling of free-falling. “Nice to finally meet you, Captain Zach.”

      He took her hand with his warm, calloused fingers and squeezed. Firm and sure. His icy blue eyes were cold as Lake Michigan. Zach Zelinsky’s letter of introduction spelling out her new lease terms had been equally frosty.

      She swallowed hard. Okay, maybe she wouldn’t mention his letter. Maybe never.

      “Ms. Carleton.” The tone of his voice rang deep. The quiet kind of sound that masked deadly strength. “I understand I have you to thank for this nonsense.”

      “And a bang-up job, don’t you think?” With knees nearly knocking, Ginger gave him her best curmudgeon-taming smile. Playing nice was always better. God had taught her that through the scriptures.

      Then the truth kicked in and made her squirm.

      Okay, maybe she hadn’t really played nice. She knew Captain Zach wouldn’t be pleased by a parade, but he didn’t have to growl about it. Helen Zelinsky had warned that her oldest son didn’t want a fuss, but that was too bad. Maple Springs wanted to honor one of its own, and a parade brought folks downtown during a slow time of year. And she was one of the many shop owners who needed the foot traffic.

      A glimmer of amusement barely lifted one side of his mouth. “If you say so.”

      What would he look like if he truly smiled?

      That image made her pulse skitter, and Ginger pulled her hand back. He was her landlord now, and their handshake should have long since ended. “Did you really think you could sneak home unnoticed?”

      “I suppose not.” He stood straighter, if that was possible. His eyes remained cool, but not as cold as before.

      She noticed the deep lines etched in the corners of those eyes. No doubt from squinting rather than laughter. Captain Zelinsky was killer handsome but looked like a man who needed a good laugh. And he wasn’t exactly a young man, either.

      Annie, her best friend and soon to be Captain Zach’s sister-in-law, had said he was in his late thirties. The traces of gray in his short brown hair made him look older, though. Deep scowl aside, he still looked amazing. Amazing enough to make her breath catch.

      And she needed to stop staring. “I received your letter. When will you open your shop?”

      “As soon as the furnaces are inspected.”

      Ginger nodded. State requirements had to be met. And Sally, the previous owner, had told her that Zach had purchased her old ceramic kiln. For what, Ginger wasn’t sure. Did glass get baked like ceramics? She wished she knew, but every time Ginger had stopped next door to introduce herself, Captain Zach hadn’t been around. And maybe that had been a good thing. She got the feeling that she should let her irritation go when it came to his letter. Not much she could do about it anyway, now that the building was his.

      At least the sounds of pounding and soldering and the whir of metal saws and drills might finally stop. Glassblowing wasn’t a noisy business, but setting up for it sure was. She looked forward to the return of quiet.

      The mayor suddenly swooped between them. “Come, Captain, there’s someone you should meet.”

      “Yes, sir.” Zach didn’t move. Instead, he looked right through her. “I’ll see you soon.”

      “Yep.” Ginger flushed. She had to admit she looked forward to that despite the dollop of agitation that went with finding Captain Zach attractive.

      Military men were not her thing. Growing up with a father who’d barked orders like a drill sergeant made her steer clear of authoritative types. Especially grumpy ones. But then, she steered clear of most men, preferring to keep her heart safe.

      She watched the tall army captain walk away with his back ramrod straight and his footsteps slow but steady. He looked like a man who didn’t dole out his approval easily. The man didn’t hurry, either. And he sure didn’t look in the mood to meet people. He better get over that real quick. People in Maple Springs loved to check out new businesses, and his glass studio was bound to be a target for the curious shoppers.

      Speaking of shoppers, she had tea to sell. And she’d better sell a lot of it today, because her bank account was looking pretty wan. The price of tea was up, and her customers were down. And with that increase in rent...

      She clenched her jaw. Not a good start to her year.

      Making her way through the crowd that lingered, Ginger headed for her shop that sat on the corner of Main and Bay Streets. She spotted Lewis Brown coming toward her up ahead and quickly crossed the street. Annie called him the “book-man” because he worked at the library. But Ginger called him a nuisance. He’d asked her out twice, and both times she’d turned him down. One of these days she’d have to tell him straight up that she wasn’t interested, but not today.

      Confrontation wasn’t something she relished on a good day. And today wasn’t exactly a good day. Not yet, anyway. Not until she had some sales.

      Hurrying to get back to her shop, she glanced at the other stores along Main filling up with shoppers. Christmas decorations still teased from inside storefront windows even though it was the middle of January. Greenery-stuffed window boxes and velvet-bowed wreaths hung from doors.

      It still looked like Christmas in Maple Springs and would remain so until the weather warmed. Few decorations were taken down earlier than the end of March with the exception of the Center Park Christmas tree. That had been cleared away last week.

      The cold air made her hasten her steps. Slipping on a patch of ice, she bobbled but caught herself and stayed upright. A strong hand gripped her shoulder, steadying her. Fearing it might be Lewis, she looked up and breathed easy when it wasn’t.

      “Thanks.”

      Matthew Zelinsky chuckled and let go. “I don’t know how you walk in those things.”

      Ginger laughed, too, glancing at her high-heeled-boot indulgence. “It takes skill.” Then she looked around. “Where’s Annie?”

      “Home with the baby. She didn’t want to take John out in this cold.”

      Ginger smiled. “She’s hogging that little guy all to herself.”

      “She loves being a mom,” Matthew said.

      “Tell me something I don’t know.” At thirty-two, Ginger’s biological clock had a few ticks left, but then she wasn’t exactly looking for a husband. She hadn’t met any she considered worth the trouble. Or the risk.

      Matthew was one of the good ones. He had stepped in to help after Annie’s husband had died, and they’d ended up falling in love. As first mate on a Great Lakes freighter, Matthew was home until late March when the shipping