steady while it printed. How her heart ached as those embers of old dreams struggled for life. She tore off the printed receipt and slid it across the counter. “I need your autograph, and then you’re free to go, soldier.”
“Free’s a relative term.” He grabbed a pen from the cup by the register. “My time’s pretty regimented.”
“I bet it is. Are you headed back to your base?”
“In a few hours. I’m free until then.” He scrawled his signature at the bottom of the slip.
Too bad she’d given up on dreams. She didn’t know if she felt relief or regret.
“I hope you enjoy your books.” She slipped his receipt into the bag and presented it to him. “I’m glad to see you’re doing so well. I wish you luck, Mitch.”
“You’re letting me go, just like that?”
“Well, what else am I supposed to do? Generally we let customers leave our store. We seldom hold them hostage.”
“I’m not talking about other customers. I’m talking about me. We could renew our friendship.”
“We were never really friends, you know.”
What did that leave him with? Renewing his secret crush on her? He took his bag, but the last thing he wanted to do was leave. She was still the nicest girl he’d ever laid eyes on. He could use a little nice in his world. It wasn’t something he saw much of.
“We could be friends now,” he suggested with his best grin.
“But you said you were headed back to California.” Sweetly, she studied him through her long lashes.
A mass of emotions struck him like shrapnel to his chest. Emotions weren’t his realm of expertise, but he felt strong with a fierce steely need he’d never felt before—to protect her, to make her smile, to make her every sadness go away.
Not really in his comfort zone, but a crush was a crush. What was a guy to do?
He tried again. “I’m not leaving for a while. We could still be friends.”
“I have enough friends.” Her eyebrow crooked up in a challenge.
So, she was giving him a hard time on purpose. “You get a dinner break, right?”
“Now and then they loosen the chains and let me out for a bit.” Kelly folded her arms in front of her, considering him.
“You get a dinner break, and I’m hungry for dinner. It’s a coincidence.”
Kelly couldn’t believe how he was just watching her with those intense, commanding hazel eyes of his, so wise and perceptive. She felt the impact as if he could see directly into her. “You’re asking me out, aren’t you?”
“No, not out. No. Of course not.” He held up his free hand, as if he were innocent. Completely guilt-free.
“That’s good, because I don’t date anymore. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, because I’m not looking for a date. I was asking you to help me out.”
“As if a big strong soldier like you needs any help at all?”
“Sure. I need a favor. I’m a lonely marine.”
“A lonely marine?” Oh, she was so not fooled.
“Sure. It’s only dinner.” Amusement quirked the left side of his mouth. “C’mon, you gotta eat.”
“True, but you probably have better things to do on a Friday evening.”
“I can’t think of one.”
It’s gotta be the uniform, she told herself as she assessed him carefully. “They must not let you out much if you think sharing my dinner break is your best option.”
“What can I say? I could use a friend. How about it?”
Kelly’s heart twisted hard. There was no mistaking the sincerity in his steady gaze. He meant those words. How could she say no? She knew a thing or two about wanting a friend. “You’ve got a deal.”
“Excellent. How do you like your hamburger?”
“With cheese and mayo, no onions and tomatoes.”
“I’ll be back in an hour. Thanks, Kelly. I’m glad I ran into you.”
“I’m glad, too.”
He was military-strong and nice. What a combo. She couldn’t help liking him. Who wouldn’t?
She watched him stride away, cutting through the long rays of sunlight and disappearing into the glare. She couldn’t help the little sigh that escaped her. The bell jingled and the door swished shut and he was gone.
The dying embers in her heart ached. Be careful, she warned herself, holding on tight to her common sense. A man like Mitch could make her want to believe. And it was the wanting that got her into trouble every time—the longing to belong, to be loved, to know that soft comfort of a loving marriage and family.
“Hey, who was that?” Back from her run to the bank, Katherine, Spence’s sister, swished behind the counter. “He looked like a very nice, very solid, very fine young man.”
“Oh, that was just a customer.”
“No, he was trying to ask you out. I happened to overhear. Accidentally, of course.” Katherine leaned against her closed office door, looking as if she’d just received the best news.
That was Katherine. Always wishing for happy endings for other people. “It’s not how it looks. We’re just friends.”
“Right, well, that’s the best way to start out. You never know what will develop from there. I’m saying prayers for you. No one deserves a happy ending more than you.”
“There are no such things as happy endings.” Kelly knew that for an absolute fact. “This isn’t a fairy tale. He’s only in town for a little while.”
“You just never know what the Lord has in store for you. It wasn’t fair what happened with Joe.”
She had to go and mention it. Kelly swallowed hard, wrestling down painful memories—the weight of them heavy on her heart, along with too many regrets. Too many failures. “Life is like that. It’s not fair.”
“No, but in the end, good things happen to good people. I believe that.” Katherine breezed into her office, sure of her view of the world.
Kelly didn’t have the heart to believe. She could not let herself dream. Not even the tiniest of wishes. She was no longer a girl who believed in fairy tales, but a grown woman who kept her feet on the ground.
She had no faith left for dreaming.
Chapter Three
“I
