Free Two is Twice as Nice by Emily Cale Page A

the ground. They were heavier than she remembered, confirming her thoughts—she had gone overboard with the shopping.
    “Well, if I’m going to take the higher blame, you are going to have to let me make it up to you.”
    Stunned, she bit her lip. “What did you have in mind?”
    “Coffee? It’s the least I can do after scattering your stuff.” His eyes lit with mischief. “Even if it was mostly your fault.” Dimples formed again.
    Normally, she didn’t take strangers up on offers, not that this sort of thing happened often. Instinctively, she ran her a finger over the raised scar on her cheek. It was just coffee. If things didn’t work out, she could leave and never think about it again. “Sure. When and where?”
    “No time like the present. How about the little coffee shop outside the main doors?” Pausing for a moment, she thought about the last present she needed to find. It was still two weeks till Christmas, and the mall was practically unbearable. She shuddered to think what it would be like next weekend. Still, a hot guy with coffee always trumped shopping, and she owed it to herself to go. If she didn’t return, she could always find her mother’s gift online. Nodding, she motioned for him to lead the way.
     
    ***
     
    Even before he returned to the table, she could smell the swirls of peppermint and chocolate wafting from the cups he carried. He’d insisted on buying her something, but hadn’t asked for her order, convincing her that he could guess what she’d like. She was usually picky about her drinks, but she let him go ahead with his plan. As soon as he set the peppermint mochas down on the table, she knew she’d made the right choice.
    Sliding into a seat across the table from her, he lifted his drink to his mouth, sipping the liquid slowly. “Did you get everything you came for?” His eyes shifted to the pile of shopping bags at her feet.
    “Almost. I just need to find one more gift. I can’t figure out what to get my mom.” His playful disposition and deep brown eyes made it easy for her to talk to him. She’d better not say too much. Giving away information about herself led to trouble. Besides, she didn’t know this man. It was just coffee.
    “That’s a tough one. Maybe I can help you think of something.”
    She smiled. It was cute he thought he could help. “You really think you are going to be able to come up with an idea for my mom? You’ve known me all of the last five minutes and you’ve never met my mom. I’ve known her my whole life and can’t come up with a single idea.”
    “Try me. What sort of things does she like?” Eyeing him, she couldn’t help but think that he was wasting her time. She should be hunting for the last item on her list and heading home to relax. If he wasn’t so damn cute, she would have regretted the decision to join him altogether.
    “Well, she likes Christmas. Most of our storage space is dedicated to the millions of Christmas decorations she insists on buying.”
    “That’s all? Christmas?” He sank back in his chair and stared at her.
    “And bears. She has a lot of stuffed bears too.” Damn it. Once again her mouth was moving faster than her mind, and she was powerless to stop it. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat under his intense scrutiny.
    “You certainly aren’t making this easy. Have you considered finding a Christmas bear?”
    She glared at him. Help was greatly appreciated, mockery not so much.
    “Okay, okay.” He laughed and set his drink down on the table. “Oh, I know.” His face lit up, as though a light bulb had actually turned on inside his head. Moving forward, he propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his palm. “There’s this little shop downtown that sells antiques and collectibles. They have these little bear figurines for each year. They go back about thirty years. I don’t really get it, but apparently, they are wildly popular. You could get her one from the year you were