* *
TWO HOURS AND six carts of toys later, he had everything he was supposed to buy. He and one of the store clerks were piling the bags in the back of his SUV when Ainsley walked out carrying a couple of large bags of her own.
“Hey,” he called to her and waved. “I really would like to thank you. Let me take you to dinner.”
“It isn’t necessary. Besides, I have plans.” And just like that she shot him down. Figured. Someone as beautiful as she was wouldn’t be alone. But at least he’d tried.
“Okay, but I feel guilty about not paying you for your time.”
“No worries. It was fun.”
If she said so. Even though the toys were for a good cause, shopping gave him a headache.
She turned and walked away, and he wanted to say something. Pull her back into his orbit. Even though he understood she was way out of his league—from her designer shoes to those sunglasses perched on top of her head—he was sad their time together was up.
Pathetic. Yeah, but it had been a long time since he’d met a woman like her. Maybe never. He hadn’t seen a ring, but she might have a boyfriend or be engaged, and he didn’t poach.
He’d seen too many of his fellow Marines cheated on by lonely spouses left back home. So he was wary of that sort of thing. And it was one of many reasons he wasn’t big on long-term anything. He was married to his job and planned to stay that way for the foreseeable future.
He turned to finish helping the clerk with the last of the bags.
“Hey,” she said.
He glanced back.
“So, do you have to wrap all those gifts by yourself?”
Shoot. He hadn’t even thought of that. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Man, that didn’t even occur to me.” It was the truth. He’d have to buy paper, and he was the world’s worst gift-wrapper, not that he’d done it that often. A few times, he’d sent things home while he was overseas, but he never wrapped them.
“Give me your phone.”
Was she giving him her phone number? Things were looking up.
She typed into his phone and then handed it back to him. It was an address.
Even better.
“Tomorrow, meet me there at twelve forty-five. The drill team is holding their annual craft fair.”
“Drill team?” What was she talking about?
“They have a gift-wrapping service. For a dollar donation per gift they’ll wrap it and do a beautiful job.”
“Thank you. I’ll definitely do that. Wait? Did you say meet you there?”
She nodded. “Yes. Give me your list for the nursing home.”
He pulled the paper out of his back pocket. She perused it again.
“What’s your budget?”
“We have eleven hundred dollars, but I was going to add a little more if we needed it.”
“I think that should be plenty. I’ll pick these gifts up for you and meet you at the high school tomorrow. See ya.”
“Hold on. Don’t you need money for the gifts?”
“Not yet. You can give it to me tomorrow. How gullible are you giving your money to a stranger?”
“You just helped me buy a couple thousand dollars’ worth of toys for children. I’m pretty sure I can trust you.” She didn’t bother to turn around.
What kind of person went and bought all those gifts without taking the cash?
Look on the bright side, he told himself, at least you’ll see her the next day. That idea for the gift wrapping was awesome. The whirlwind that was Ainsley had saved him. Again.
“Thanks,” he said belatedly. But it was to air. He hadn’t even seen where she’d gone.
Hmm. She was so beautiful and kind. Hard combination to find sometimes.
But so out of his league.
Yes, she was. And he had a feeling she was going to fuel a whole lot of fantasies for a while.
Yep. Enjoy your dreams. Since that was about the only way a guy like him was going to get a woman like her.
* * *
AS HARD AS she tried not to, Ainsley stole a look in her rearview mirror at Ben. That man was too gorgeous for words with his muscles, chiseled jaw and close-cut Marine haircut. Her mouth had gone dry when she’d seen the big muscled man in a uniform searching for dolls, of all things. He’d been so serious, trying to find the right gifts for kids, as if he was on the mission of a lifetime. He’d been so enthusiastic about making sure those children had a great Christmas that it had been contagious. It had been the most fun she’d had in a really long time.
He had a heart.
It was something she was pretty sure had been missing from the last three guys she’d dated, two of whom her parents had picked out for her. She’d never trust them again. The men they pointed out to her were all narcissistic jerks, every one of them. And she couldn’t imagine any of them, losing a bet or not, shopping for gifts for a bunch of kids and the elderly.
That tugged at her in a way she couldn’t ignore.
No. No more men. The next two years I’ll be focused on growing my business.
Ben lifted his arms to close the back of his SUV and his shirt pulled loose from his jeans. Those abs. Chiseled was the only word that came to mind. Like they’d been carved in stone.
She sucked in a breath.
Oh, my. She fanned herself and waited for him to pull out of the parking lot before backing out her hybrid. That was a M-A-N.
Though it had been work she’d had a good time today. She and Ben had laughed as they questioned some of the toys’ characteristics. Like a doll that pooped, and one that had the creepiest voice as it called for its mama. It made them both shiver, and then chuckle out loud.
After they’d picked up the gifts for the girls on the list, they’d been to the aisle with all the Matchbox cars.
“I bet you had a ton of these when you were a kid,” she’d said.
He’d held one of the sports cars with reverence. “No...” His voice had been a whisper and then he’d frowned. And that’s when she’d noticed he didn’t have a lot of experience with toys...at all. Everything seemed new to him.
What kind of childhood had he had?
It made her feel selfish because she’d never wanted for anything. Ever. She’d wanted to ask him about his past, but it didn’t seem right. And she had the sense that it might
