“Here,” Gage offered, as the hanger kept catching on things and the T-shirt kept sliding off every time she bent over to sift through for her size, “let me hold those for you while you shop.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a grateful smile as she handed the sweatshirt and T-shirt over to him. “It looks like these sweatpants only come in men’s sizes. I’m looking for a small.”
“I think you’d be more of an extra small. Probably not a size they carry many of,” Gage noted.
Obviously not, she thought with a frown. “I’ll have to make do with what I can get. Beggars can’t be choosers and all that.”
Gage looked at her apologetically. “Sorry.”
Didn’t it just figure? “It’s not your fault.” Reaching out, Aurora snagged a pair of size small, navy-colored sweatpants from the shelf. Then she turned to Gage. “I think I’m ready.”
With a nod, he led her back toward the front of the store.
“Gage, wait,” Aurora called out, pausing briefly at a clearance rack with several fun pairs of red boxer shorts with tiny moose all over them. Upon closer inspection, she was delighted to discover they came with a pair of matching moose socks. She quickly, and thankfully, found her size and then turned to find Gage, grinning down at her selections.
One dark brow lifted. “Moose boxers?”
“I’m buying them for the socks,” she said. Although she’d probably use the boxers as sleep shorts in warmer weather. “I thought I might need them for sleeping in the cabin tonight. Then I’ll wear them tomorrow when you take me back to Juneau.”
“The cabins are heated, but it’s probably not the same kind of warmth you’re used to, so socks for sleeping in are a good idea. Anything else you need?”
“I’m all set. Ready to check out.”
He led her over to one of the registers where another customer was in the process of checking out. Once there was room on the counter, Gage set Aurora’s purchases down on it.
Aurora followed suit, placing the boxers with socks set next to them. While they waited, Aurora perused the display stand just before the checkout counter. Spying a wicker basket filled with souvenir lip balms, she plucked one up to add to her other purchases.
“Did you find everything you needed?” the young woman behind the checkout counter asked as she reached for Aurora’s purchases to begin ringing them through.
“Actually,” Aurora said, spying a selection of specialty caramels next to the register, “I’ll have one of these as well.” The display tag said they were locally made, so she hoped they were the same ones Gage had mentioned having a thing for. Handing them over to the cashier, she flashed a smile back at Gage. “For your mother. A small token of gratitude for her son having come to my rescue.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Gage told her. “I’m happy to help out.”
“Hello, Gage,” the young woman behind the counter greeted with an eye-fluttering smile.
“Sheila,” he replied with a friendly nod.
“Long time no see,” she practically cooed.
“The retreat keeps me pretty busy.”
The cashier’s gaze shifted to Aurora, which prompted Gage to make introductions. “Sheila, this is Aurora Daniels. She was out with Billy and missed her flight.”
She gave Aurora a once-over. “I thought I recognized that duck poncho.”
“My rain poncho had a few issues during my tour today,” Aurora explained. “Billy was kind enough to give me one of his.”
“I’d say it’s the least Billy could do after getting you back late and causing you to miss your flight.” She shook her head. “I swear, put that man in the woods and he loses all track of time.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” Aurora said in the older man’s defense as she’d done earlier. She certainly didn’t want people to think poorly of his abilities as a tour operator for something that was out of his control.
The cashier’s eyes lowered to the decorative men’s moose boxers and then up to Gage.
“They’re not for me,” he was quick to clarify, drawing both Aurora and the cashier’s gaze his way. “Not that I’m averse to boxers. I’m just not a cutesy boxer kind of guy.” The more he said, the higher the color climbed up his cheeks.
Aurora laughed. “They’re for me. I’m buying them for the socks.”
“The socks are great,” Sheila said, turning back to Aurora. “I bought two different sets of these for myself. One like yours, and the other has little black bear cubs all over them. The socks will definitely keep your feet warm.”
