My smile faltered. "So…why'd you get her a coffee maker?"
"I dunno. I figured maybe she'd wanna try something new." He sighed. "But she didn't, so this year, I've gotta hit a home run." He leaned forward to steady himself on the counter. "Do you know, I just spent two hours at the Tankard, trying to come up with ideas?"
The Tankard was a pub located just across the street.Huh.Now that I thought about it, this wasn't the first guy who looked like he'd had one tankard too many.
In front of me, the customer gave another groan. "But I got nothin'."
He looked so despondent that my heart went out to him. "How about…" I shifted from foot to foot, wishing that I'd worn sneakers instead of heels. "An electronic foot massager?"
He perked up. "You know, sheisrecovering from a twisted ankle."
I perked up, too. "Really?"
"Andshe's always griping about her feet. She's a nurse, so she's on 'em a lot."
I smiled. "See?"
He glanced wildly around. "So, you got any?"
"Foot massagers? Sure." I pointed to my left. "There's a sale in electronics."
He grinned. "Oh, yeah?"
I nodded. "Yeah, and you can test them out for yourself. I heard the one with the remote is really nice."
"A remote. Yeah." He was nodding now. "Yeah," he said again, this time with more gusto. "I'm gonna go do that."
He turned away, but then turned back with a sheepish smile. "Hey, sorry for razzing you about the costume. I mean, it's not theworstone I saw tonight." He grimaced. "You see the guy in hardware? He's got this reindeer thing going on, just about scared the piss out of me."
I knew which costume he meant. But in Bill's defense, no one had specifically banned the use of real antlers for tonight's event.
As the customer hustled off toward the massagers, I stared after him, feeling just a little bit wistful. The guy obviously loved his wife.
Something sad squeezed at my heart.I loved someone, too.
Or at least, IthoughtI had – until I realized how hopeless it all was. The thing withmyguy had ended well before the coffee-maker stage.
I blinked away sudden tears, only to blink again when I saw a guy who looked uncannily like him heading in my direction.
My pulse gave a crazy little jump.
He didn't justlooklike him. Hewashim.
As our gazes locked, I felt myself swallow. He was tall with wavy blond hair and an impressive build. But it wasn't his handsome face – or even his spectacular body – that had caused me to fall too hard and too fast.
It was the person he wasinside– or at least, the person Ithoughthe was until yesterday morning, when everything had gotten all twisted up.
I hadn't seen him since – or talked to him either – and for a darn good reason. Or at least that's what I'd been telling myself.
But now, as our gazed held across the distance, I wasn't so sure.
What was he doing here, anyway?
Chapter 2
Gwen
One Month Earlier
