Page 6 of Sugar Plum Serenade

“I can’t imagine there’s anything here in your style,” she said as she approached the counter.

Tuck looked up, down, all around. “Very funny, Ms. Carson. As I’m sure you know, I’m not shopping for myself. I need a few Christmas presents.”

Of course he did. She’d thought earlier that he was single, but a guy like this one must have a girlfriend. Maybe more than one. Did he have family to buy for? Mother, sisters, aunts. She didn’t know him well enough to be sure. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Something pretty.”

That wasn’t helpful. “Who are you buying these gifts for?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Just… women.”

Just womenwasn’t at all helpful. “You’re going to have to be more specific.” Today had gone well and she felt like she was getting into a groove, but in the end retail was definitely not her thing.

Tuck walked to the back of the store where there was a big display of scarves and hats. “Who are you shopping for?” she asked, just a little bit testy. She hoped frustration didn’t show in her voice, but that was a wasted hope.

He removed one pretty blue scarf from the rack, then a springy looking flowered one. He checked out the prices. The scarves were very nice and not cheap, but he didn’t flinch. No, he tossed the two scarves over his shoulder, then randomly grabbed six more and walked to the checkout counter.

“You want all of these?” Olive asked. She didn’t get a commission, she wasn’t getting paid at all, but this was Dawn’s business and with two kids, soon to be three, she needed her boutique to thrive. It would be foolish to question a good sale.

“I might be back for more,” he said as he dropped the scarves onto the counter. “Oh, can I have one of those fancy little Dawn’s Radiance bags for each scarf?”

“How many girlfriends do you have?” Olive blurted. Whoops. Mistake. She did not care…

“Zero, at the moment,” Tuck answered.

Hmm. She shouldn’t be so curious. It was none of her business. Still, she asked, “Sisters?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Aunts? Cousins?”

He smiled, sending a maddeningly charming grin in her direction. “You really want to know who these scarves are for, don’t you?”

“I couldn’t care less,” she said as she rang up the purchases.

He laughed, a little. It was a nice laugh, she had to admit. “You don’t play poker at all, I suspect. Your face tells everything, Olive Carson.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that accusation.

“I’m practicing the art of carrying on meaningful conversations with customers. I’m new at it, so… forget everything I said.” Judging by the expression on his face, Tuck didn’t, wouldn’t, forget anything.

“I’m a volunteer firefighter,” he said. “Every year at Christmas we collect gifts for those who might not have much or hell, anything without help. This year we’re running a little low on gifts for the older ladies on the list.”

“I don’t want to ruin a sale, but you can probably buy a hundred scarves at Walmart for what you’re paying here for eight.”

Tuck leaned on the counter, moving in a little, not quite invading her space but looking as if he might. “I could, but Christmas gifts should be special. Imagine the excitement when a woman who expects nothing gets a little Dawn’s Radiance bag with a beautiful, extravagant scarf inside.”

Oh, no. This was awful. Tuck wasn’t just hot. He was more than handsome and charming and chivalrous. He was nice.

“What about your family? Anyone there you need to shop for?”

“I don’t have any family,” Tuck said.

Foot, meet mouth. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

“No worries.”

He was quiet while she wrapped each scarf in tissue paper and placed it in its own small bag. From her experience, Tuck was never quiet. He said no worries, but he looked a little worried to her. Family must be a sore subject.

When she finished bagging the final scarf, her last customer of the day got a text alert and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He read the text, but didn’t bother to answer. “I had no idea it was so late. I’ve kept you past closing time.”

“I don’t mind sticking around for a good sale,” she said. “Don’t you need to answer your text?”

He shook his head and put the phone back in his pocket. “It can wait. I really do feel bad about keeping you here late. Let me buy you dinner to make up for it.”

Olive almost blurted out a quick no, but something stopped her. She complained about her family all the time. Her mother was always telling her what to do. Advice flowed freely, and for the past five years or so, constantly. She was constantly arguing with her mom that she wasn’t stuck, that she didn’t need to move on.

Dawn had a pretty much perfect life, but that life was so chaotic too much time together eventually made Olive crazy. Her dad… she loved her dad but he was overly protective. And forgetful. And he told the worst jokes. But they were her family and she loved them, warts and all.

Tuck had no one. How was that possible? She wanted to know. Against all reason, she wanted to know more about Nate Tucker.

“Why not?” What did she have to lose?