A Soldier's Valentine Read online

  Watching him back away from the two women, she got the impression that Captain Zach wasn’t real comfortable with feminine attention. He’d never be taken for a flirt, that was for sure.

  And that made Ginger smile.

  Chapter Three

  Saturday morning, Zach looked over his receipts. His first full week after opening his doors and he’d done pretty well. Even had a couple of custom orders to work on. He spotted his sister Monica taking pictures outside and gritted his teeth. She’d been after him to set up a website.

  She popped her head in the door. “Hi.”

  He waved her in.

  “Wow, nice.” She took a couple more pictures and snapped one of him.

  “Must you?”

  “Yes. Now show me around.”

  Zach glanced at Ginger waiting on an elderly customer in her own shop. He could hear her chipper voice chatting about the weather and so-and-so’s son in college while scooping funny-looking tea leaves into plastic baggies. She hadn’t a care in the world. Ginger was that way. She put her customers at ease and made retail look effortless.

  She put him at ease and got under his skin at the same time.

  “You two getting along okay?” his sister asked.

  “Yeah, why?” Zach opened the wrought iron gate that separated his workspace from the retail portion of his studio.

  Monica followed him. “You were scowling at her.”

  “That’s just how I look.” Like it or not, Ginger was a fireball of sunny energy who’d pushed her way into his thoughts more often than not. He found her too attractive for his own good but couldn’t quite figure her out. “So, what’s her story?”

  “Story?” His sister didn’t understand.

  “You know her. And her shop. I haven’t seen many customers in there this week. Does she have a good product?”

  Monica shrugged. “Yeah. Good enough, I suppose, but the new coffee shop in town started selling loose tea as well as coffee beans. I think she’s taken a hit from the competition.”

  “Huh.” Zach thought about how Ginger never left her store. Even at lunchtime, she’d heat up something in the microwave instead of go out.

  They kept the glass slider between their shops open during store hours. And Ginger graciously watched over his place whenever he stepped out, but he’d never had the opportunity to return the favor. Maybe she didn’t trust him to take care of her customers. He couldn’t say he blamed her. He’d never been good at all that inane chatter.

  “You’ve done a nice job here, Zach. I’ll do a mock-up for you to review and then we can talk about content.” Monica placed her camera in her purse.

  “Thanks.” He meant it, too. He appreciated her doing all this for free.

  She looked thoughtful. “You’re my big brother, and I’m glad you came home in one piece. I owe you.”

  Zach shifted. He didn’t deserve to be home in one piece. If that RPG had hit only a few inches to the right, he’d have been in a body bag. “You don’t.”

  His sister grabbed his arm and squeezed. “We all do.”

  He looked up as Ginger entered through the open slider. Her burnished hair had been swooped up into a bouncy tail that swayed when she walked.

  “Hi, Monica.” Ginger’s makeup was always applied with a light hand, but this morning her lips were the color of ripe berries.

  “Morning.” His sister checked her watch. “Sorry, no time to chat. I have to meet Brady and set up the online voting for the window display contest. You two have fun.”

  After his sister left, Zach turned his attention to Ginger. Not hard to do. She caught his eye often enough. “Hey.”

  She leaned against his checkout counter. “So, have you thought about the window display?”

  He raised the now half-empty mug of coffee that she’d made him before they’d opened. “Is that why you brought me this?”

  She grinned, clearly guilty as charged and not a bit sorry. “You don’t like tea, so coffee works better than vinegar.”

  “What?”

  “You know the old saying about catching more bees with honey than vinegar? That coffee is my honey.”

  “I see.” He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to stop dwelling on those plump berry-tinted lips of hers. Honey might pale in sweetness. He’d know with one taste.

  And that’d cause all kinds of trouble.

  He scanned his front window. Following her example, he’d hung up a few glass ornaments and even placed a bowl of multicolored globes on a stand so people could get a quick look through the window, but that was pretty much it.

  Ginger’s window was a riot of hanging teapots over a small café table set with another teapot and cups and even a couple of stuffed teddy bears. He didn’t know what bears had to do with anything, but whatever. She’d also made a small shelving unit out of wooden milk crates that was littered with spice bottles and decorative tins. There was more going on in her window than her shop.

  “That sign isn’t going to cut it.” She pointed to the lower corner.

  “It’s fine for now,” he growled. Give the woman an inch and she’d take a mile.

  He’d made his own sign on the computer and then slipped it into a clear plastic sign holder that he’d picked up at an office supply store. He needed to focus on making new items and custom work, not mess with a window display. Juggling customer interruptions with glassblowing wasn’t easy. Most days, he waited until after hours to make anything new.

  At this rate, he’d never accommodate the big orders, or remake his own overhead lighting with blown glass globes as he wanted. But he wasn’t prepared to hire help just yet and he didn’t have time to bring on an apprentice. A real catch-22.

  “What about glass hearts?” Ginger said. “I’ve ordered a few heart-shaped teapots that I may hang in my window.”

  Did it really matter? Either people would check out his store or not. “Actually, I’ve made a few.”

  Her eyes gleamed as if she were a kid in a candy store. “Can I see?”

  He chuckled. “Most are still in the annealer, but I have some ready—”

  The door jingled and his brother, followed by the woman who he assumed was his fiancée, stepped inside with a swirl of cold air and snowflakes.

  “Nice digs.” Matthew glanced around the space with admiration. “Zach, this is Annie. We thought we’d stop in and see the place.”

  He extended his hand. “Good to meet you. And this is—”

  “Oh, we know each other.” Ginger waved him off. “Where’s the baby?”

  “With Marie,” Annie said.

  “That’s Grandma,” Ginger clarified. “Your brother used to work with Annie’s late husband.”

  Zach nodded. He’d heard as much from his mom after he’d come home. Annie was two years older than Zach, but didn’t look it. Not at all.

  “You have a beautiful shop, Zach. Are you glad to be home?” Annie asked.

  His gaze strayed to Ginger while he thought about the question. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Well, thank you for your service. You do Maple Springs proud.” Annie meant it, too. No lip service there.

  “Honored.” He gave her a nod because it’s what he did. Accept thanks and move on.

  Many had thanked him at the parade and a few customers had stopped in to do the same. He gave them the standard awkward response he’d given his future sister-in-law. He didn’t feel so honored anymore. More like discarded. Chewed up and spit out because his usefulness was over.

  Logically, he knew it couldn’t be because he’d lost good men in that ambush. That happened three years ago, but had it played a role? Or maybe because he’d come up from the enlisted ranks. Did it really matter why the army chose to cut him loose?

  It would to his father. Zach
had been part of the latest round of defense budget cuts, and regardless of the reason, bottom line, he hadn’t been worth keeping.

  Annie nodded toward the opened slider. “Ginger, can I get some tea?”

  “Sure thing.” Ginger followed without a backward glance.

  Zach watched the women make their exit, momentarily mesmerized by one red ponytail.

  “She’s coming to Mom and Dad’s.”

  “What’s that?”

  Matthew studied the glass sculptures. “Tonight. Ginger is Annie’s best friend, so I invited her.”

  “How old is she?” Zach regretted blurting that out when he saw the stormy look on his brother’s face. “I meant Ginger.”

  “Thirty-two, I think. My age.”

  Zach was floored. “You sure about that?”

  His brother laughed. “Don’t worry, she’s old enough.”

  “Yeah?” Zach shook his head to clear it. “Not that it matters.”

  “Uh-huh.” Matthew clearly wasn’t convinced.

  Zach peered through the glass slider at Ginger, and then quickly looked away. He slapped his younger brother on the back. “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of the shop.”

  During the quick tour, Zach’s mind kept wandering back to Ginger. She was young, but not that young. Not off-limits young as he’d first thought. And that made her even more alluring. But romance with Ginger would be navigating an entirely different kind of minefield. He might not lose a limb, but losing one’s heart could be equally painful.

  He wasn’t in the mood to become that kind of casualty. Right now, he had enough to deal with.

  * * *

  “So, what do you think?” Annie asked.

  Ginger inhaled the earthy scents of citrus and cinnamon while shoveling loose tea leaves into a plastic bag. “About what?”

  Annie wiggled her eyebrows. “Your new landlord.”

  Ginger concentrated on closing up the bag. She knew exactly what Annie wanted but tried playing dumb. “Ugh, that’s right. February’s rent is due soon.”

  “Nice dodge.”

  Ginger secured the metallic twisty-tie with fascinated interest.

  “You like him, don’t you?” Annie zeroed in better than a hawk circling a squirrel.

  Ginger sighed. “No, I do not. He’s touchy, downright grumpy and cantankerous besides. But look at him.”

  Annie did just that. Maybe a little longer than Ginger thought necessary. “The Zelinsky men are handsome, I’ll give you that.” Running her finger along the counter, Annie stalled. “Matthew says Zach can be pretty intense. Sooooo...”

  “So what?” Ginger hissed.

  Annie’s pretty blue eyes widened with amusement. “Maybe he needs someone positive. Someone like you.”

  Ginger shrugged. She’d caught a look or two from Zach that was intriguing. And that morning he’d kept her from falling flat on her backside had been interesting, too. And nerve rattling.

  He was not only her landlord, but a neighboring store owner. Acting on her attraction would be tricky at best and not very smart. If they got involved and the relationship went south, Ginger wouldn’t stick around. She’d bolt. Even with Zach’s increased rent, this was the cheapest place in town. She didn’t want to lose her business because of a bad romantic entanglement.

  And something about the surly Captain Zach screamed bad romantic entanglement.

  Annie dug for a twenty from her purse to pay for the tea. “Are you still going tonight?”

  Ginger counted back the change. “Tonight?”

  “Dinner party at the Zelinskys’, remember? Matthew said you’d agreed to go.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot for a minute, but I’ll be there.”

  If Annie needed her, Ginger wasn’t about to let her down, even though she’d promised before she’d thought it through. Before she’d felt this twitchiness toward Zach.

  At home would he smile more? Laugh, even? She didn’t want to miss that. But then again, maybe she should.

  “Maybe you and Zach can ride together.”

  “Right.” But Ginger’s stomach flipped. That’d be awkward.

  Matthew joined them, looking antsy to leave. “Ready?”

  “We’re going to lunch where we’re having the wedding. Final details and all that,” Annie explained.

  “Have fun.” Ginger glanced 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.