The Snow Globe (5 page)

The man looked up in surprise, then watched with a curious smile as the women dashed up to him.

“You can't be closing already,” Allison protested. “It's only ten-thirty.”

He pointed to a little cardboard sign with a clock hanging on the door.
BE BACK BY
…, promised the sign, and the clock was set to eleven a.m. “I was just going to Starbucks to grab a coffee. But I'm happy to open back up right now,” he added, smiling at Kiley.

What a great smile. Up close Kiley could see that he had brown eyes, and dark hair fringed over his ears. And he was much taller than Jeremy. She came up only to his shoulder. She put her hand to her wild hair and tried to smooth it down.

“Or we could have coffee with you and then come back and shop,” Allison boldly suggested, and Kiley felt herself blushing.
Subtle. Very subtle
.

“You probably don't want company,” Kiley quickly added,
overcorrecting for her friend's pushiness. “We can do some more shopping and come back.”

He motioned for them to join him. “It's not every day two beautiful women come running up and ask to have coffee with me. I'm not letting this opportunity slip away.”

Beautiful? Well, Allsion, thought Kiley. Still, his flattery was balm to her wounded ego and she found herself smiling.

They fell in step with him, introducing themselves as they went. In only a matter of minutes they had learned that his name was Craig Peters, that he was a Seattle boy born and raised, that he had worked in the corporate world long enough to decide it wasn't for him and that he considered himself a thirty-three-year-old kid. Hence the name of his shop: Forever Kids. “Just because you grow old doesn't mean you have to grow up,” he said.

Did Mr. Perfect have Peter Pan syndrome? Kiley sure hoped not.

“So, isn't this a big shopping day at the mall? What brings you two here?” he asked. “Superior taste?”

No way was Kiley telling him she'd seen his shop in the snow globe. Even an oversized Peter Pan would have trouble swallowing something so preposterous. Instead, she said, “The Market's got character, and you can find some unusual gifts here.”

“That you can,” he agreed. “Were you coming to my shop to get something for your kids?”

Kiley saw him checking out her left hand, looking for a ring, and her heart shifted from its lackluster plodding of the past month to an excited skip. “I have nephews.”

Allison's cell phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and
checked the screen. “It's Suz. I tell you what. You guys go ahead and get that coffee. I'll meet you back at the store.” And then she slipped away, talking as she went, leaving Kiley alone with Craig.

He grinned. “Is your friend always that subtle?”

She could feel a fresh blush warming her cheeks. “Oh, yeah. It's her specialty.”

At the coffee shop Craig held the door open for her, something Jeremy had never thought to do, something she had never thought to expect. The whoosh of the espresso machine as the barista steamed milk for lattes greeted her and the smell of brewing coffee embraced her. There was something so cozy about slipping into a coffee shop on a cold, misty day. She could almost forget the fact that she was unemployed. Looking at the handsome man next to her she could certainly forget the fact that she was no longer engaged.

“What'll you have?” he asked as they approached the counter.

The last thing she wanted was to come across as a coffee mooch. “Oh, you don't have to—”

“I know,” he said with a smile. “I want to.”

He seemed to really mean it so she requested a small eggnog latte and went to claim the last vacant table remaining in the shop, a high, small one meant for intimate conversation. She slipped onto one tall chair and occupied herself by gazing out the window. It was starting to rain in earnest and passersby were picking up their paces and putting up umbrellas. She was glad she was indoors and warm.

A couple of minutes later Craig joined her, sliding her cup in front of her.

“Thank you. I wish you hadn't.”

“I had to,” he said solemnly. “Now you'll feel so guilty you'll be sure to buy something at my shop.”

She smiled and shook her head, then took a sip of her latte.

He removed his hat and dropped it on the table and she noticed that his hair was thinning on top. He'd probably be bald by the time he was forty but it wouldn't matter. He'd still have those warm brown eyes and that great smile.

“So, Kiley Gray, have you got a boyfriend?”

She pushed away her cup. “Not anymore. We broke up at Halloween.”

Craig nodded and took a thoughtful sip of his coffee. “Scary timing. Was it serious?”

She nodded, surprised that she suddenly couldn't speak. She thought the fever had broken and she was over Jeremy. She
was
over Jeremy, but what she hadn't quite gotten over was the loss of that rosy future she had dreamed of.

“That sucks,” Craig said.

“I guess it just wasn't meant to be,” she said. That particular future was gone. But what was to stop her from creating a new, better future?

Craig didn't ask for details. Instead he saluted her with his cup. “Good attitude. There's plenty more fish in the sea.”

And this particular one intrigued her. “Speaking of fish, why hasn't anyone caught you?” she asked, keeping her voice light.

“I'm slippery,” he cracked. “Seriously, nothing's worked out. I've thought of trying one of those online dating services but I dunno. They seem so…planned. Where's the adventure?”

This man owned a toyshop. Of course, he'd want his search for Miss Right to be an adventure. Kiley couldn't help smiling.

He swallowed the last of his drink. “Why don't we go back to my shop? You can look around, and when you're done you can give me your phone number.”

There was still no sign of Allison when they returned to the shop, but once inside Kiley forgot all about her friend as Craig gave her a tour of his kingdom. “Of course, we've got the video games. Gotta have that,” he said, pointing to a corner packed with technology. “But when parents come in I usually steer them somewhere else.”

Educational toys abounded, and puzzles, magic sets, marionettes, and old-fashioned tops. “I haven't seen one of these in years,” Kiley said, running her finger along a fat, multicolored one.

“Those can keep a kid happy for hours,” said Craig. “Heck, they keep me happy for hours,” he added with a grin.

“My nephews are too old for that now.”

“How old are they?”

“Five. They're twins.”

“Ant farms are cool,” he said.

“My sister-in-law would kill me.”

“Sea monkeys? Every kid should have a chance to grow sea monkeys.”

“Oh, I don't think so,” she said diplomatically. Then she spotted the shelf with the kaleidoscopes. “I remember getting a kaleidoscope for Christmas when I was ten.” She picked one up. It was made of wood and beautifully crafted. She put it to her eye and peered at a miniature stained-glass window. She turned the
kaleidoscope, making the pattern shatter and reshape itself. “This is perfect.”

“Well, okay,” he said. “I was thinking kites, myself.”

“Not for them. For me.” She gave the end another twist and marveled at the new mosaic of color. One more turn, one more look. “Another time,” she added, and reluctantly set it aside. “I'll take two kites. Not too expensive,” she added.

“Got ya,” he said, and led her to the window with the Christmas display and they spent several minutes discussing the merits of the kites hanging on the tree. Of course, he had more in another corner, set up over a tiny seaside scene, complete with sand and a beach umbrella. She finally decided on two octopus-shaped kites in two different colors.

“Good choice,” he approved. “Those are just right for little kids. Anything else?”

Not until she got a job. “That will do it,” said Kiley. But just because she was done didn't mean she couldn't look. And there was much to take in. Every corner of the shop had been arranged to look like a child's fantasy. Stuffed animals stalked each other in a jungle of plastic plants, bats and sports balls of every variety hung in a net over a mannequin dressed up in athletic shorts and a basketball jersey. Dolls had tea at a small table. How had he managed to fit so much merchandise in the small space and make it not feel crowded? “I could easily spend a fortune in here,” she said, following him to the counter.

“Tell me about it. I have. So, do you work around here?”

“Farther uptown,” said Kiley. “Or at least I used to.”

“Used to?”

“I'm exploring new opportunities,” Kiley said, trying to put a good spin on her present unemployed condition.

He gave a grunt and a sympathetic nod. “Been there, done that.” He studied her a moment. “I don't suppose you design Web sites.”

“I have.” She remembered that she hadn't found one for his place. He was listed only under the market's Web site. “You don't have a site?”

“Haven't gotten around to it yet,” he confessed. “I only bought the business last month.” He shook his head. “The previous owner had pretty much run it into the ground. I got it for a song.” He rang up her purchases and she handed over her trusty charge card. “I think I can make a go of it,” he continued. “I'm already talking with some people about sponsoring a couple of kids' fairs in the spring. And I've got a Christmas ad campaign planned. But I need to get a Web site up ASAP.” He handed back her charge card and she signed the receipt. “So, how about that phone number? I'm thinking we should have dinner and talk.”

By the time Allison returned Kiley and Craig had a dinner date for that night and were already discussing ways he could promote the shop.

“Are you ready for lunch?” Allison asked.

Lunch? Kiley looked at her watch. It was almost twelve-thirty. Where had the time gone? “I guess so.”

“Enjoy the rest of the your shopping,” Craig said as they left.

“So, tell,” Allison commanded as soon as the shop door shut behind them. “Is he as wonderful as he looks?”

“He could be,” Kiley said. “Although I keep thinking this all seems too good to be true.”

Allison frowned and shook her head. “That's what Suz says. But she's a cynic.”

Kiley felt a sinking in her stomach. “You didn't tell her about what I saw in the snow globe, did you?”

Allison's guilty expression gave Kiley her answer.

“Great,” said Kiley. “Just what I need, Suzanne telling me I'm hallucinating.” Although maybe she was. Or maybe this was all a dream and she'd wake up any minute.

But that night, as she and Craig sat at a window table eating pasta in a cozy Italian restaurant on lower Queen Anne, she couldn't help hoping that if she
was
dreaming she wouldn't wake up.

It wasn't hard, listening to him talk, to see what a good heart he had. His mother had raised him and his brother single-handedly. He admired her greatly and helped her when he could, doing small repairs and keeping her lawn mowed. Most of his time was taken up with the toyshop. He'd left his corporate job to take a gamble on it and was hoping his savings would last until he turned the shop around. “I know I'm competing with the big chains and the Internet,” he admitted, “but I think I can make a go of this. Plus, once I get the site up and running, I'll sell stuff on the Internet, too.”

It was risky, but she couldn't help admiring his determination. “At least you only have yourself to worry about,” she said.

“Pretty much.”

“Pretty much? What does that mean?”

It meant that even though he had a business to launch he was still helping his little brother through college. Saint Peters.

“That's really sweet of you,” said Kiley.

He shrugged. “Nah. I don't have to kick in that much. He's got some scholarship money and he's working part time.”

“For you?” asked Kiley.

“Nope. He works weekends as a waiter. He can make more in tips than I can afford to pay him. Anyway, even though he thinks the shop is cool, it's not his dream. Well, will you look at that?” Craig said, pointing out the window. “I guess for once the weatherman was right. It hasn't snowed in Seattle on Thanksgiving weekend since I was a kid,” he added in awe.

Kiley had noticed earlier that the temperature had dropped drastically. Still, in spite of the weatherman's predictions, she was surprised to see soft flakes drifting to the ground, dancing in and out of the beam of the streetlights. People hurried down the street, hunched inside their coats, their collars held tightly together. Here inside the restaurant it was warm and pleasant, a haven fragrant with the scent of Italian spices and simmering sauces.

They finished off their dinner with tiramisu and coffee, and then walked out into the frosty night. The snow was sticking now and a white carpet of flakes crunched beneath their feet as they walked. A winter wonderland, she thought.

Craig drove her home, letting his car radio serenade them. Then, at the door of her condo, he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her good night. As her whole body warmed in his embrace she thought, If I could freeze one moment in a snow globe, I'd pick this one.