saw. For most people jealousy could be a terrible thing, but for Rafa, it just told him that he cared.
“Hey, I’m Pete. Can I help you guys find anything?” He hardly even looked Rafa’s direction.
“We’re looking for a set of rental skis,” Emily said, “but we need something that can support his foot.”
The salesman turned to Rafa, his fake smile turning to a real scowl as he looked at the blade where Rafa’s right foot should have been. “Car wreck?”
“Taliban,” Rafa replied.
The guy’s scowl only deepened. “Well, I don’t know if we have anything that would work for you. Sorry.”
Rafa watched him, impassive on the outside, but seething on the inside. He’d seen kids like him in the Army. The ones that knew everything already. Hotshots. Best case scenario was they finished the tour and didn’t get anyone else killed. Usually they ended up dead and so did other people.
Emily must have sensed something. She slid between them. “We’ll just look on our own, okay?”
“Sure.” The guy gave Rafa one last look, then went back to whatever hole he’d come from.
“What just happened?” Emily asked. “I’ve never seen that look.”
“Nothing.”
“You just turned into a stone or something. It was a little scary.”
“I’m surprised you noticed anything. Call it a professional instinct. Kids like him, they get people like me killed. On accident.”
“Ah. Well, how about we just focus on getting some skis?” She guided him toward a rack.
It took the better part of an hour to try different skis and different bindings, but they ended up with a combination that Emily pronounced decent.
“I thought we were renting these,” Rafa said as they carted them to the front of the store.
“We were. Now we’re not. Tell you what, consider them my treat.” She lowered her voice. “And if you hate them, we’ll return them Sunday.”
“I’ll pay.” His mother had taught him better than that. Emily was a lovely woman, but he had more honor than to let her buy him gifts while he was actually there.
“Nonsense. It was my idea. I’ll take care of it.” She tried to pull the skis away from him.
He tightened his grip. “They are for me. I cannot let you purchase them.”
Emily pouted, but let go of the skis. “If you don’t like them, really, we can bring them back. As long they don’t get scratched up or anything.”
He slid the cashier his card, then caught Emily with another kiss, stopping any further protest in the best way possible.
The cashier gave him a receipt, but Emily frowned. “We didn’t get a helmet.”
They had to go back for it, and he let Emily pay, though it pained him. She seemed terribly pleased with herself, though, so he did his best to let it go. The kiss she gave him in front of the building helped soothe his pride.
As they walked up to her car, Emily said, “Oh, crap.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a ski rack.”
Rafa looked at the little Lexus, then at the skis. “I can hold them if you don’t mind leaving the window down.” It was going to be cold, but nothing his coat and glove couldn’t handle.
Emily popped the trunk. It wasn’t much larger than his duffel bag.
“I don’t think they’ll fit,” Rafa said.
“Watch.” She leaned in, giving him a wonderful view of her backside.
A shiver went through him. She looked so good. Like a woman should. A rump a man could wrap his hands around and really enjoy. All those kisses were getting his motor running, and the sight of her was making him painfully hard.
Emily folded down the back seat. “Slide the skis in here.”
He stepped up beside her, so close he could feel the heat radiating from her tight yoga pants. The skis slid through the opening and over the backseat, the tips poking between the two front seats. Even so, they still poked three feet out the back of the trunk.
“They’re going to slide around,” he said. “And the trunk won’t stay closed.
“I know. Let’s go
“Hey, I’m Pete. Can I help you guys find anything?” He hardly even looked Rafa’s direction.
“We’re looking for a set of rental skis,” Emily said, “but we need something that can support his foot.”
The salesman turned to Rafa, his fake smile turning to a real scowl as he looked at the blade where Rafa’s right foot should have been. “Car wreck?”
“Taliban,” Rafa replied.
The guy’s scowl only deepened. “Well, I don’t know if we have anything that would work for you. Sorry.”
Rafa watched him, impassive on the outside, but seething on the inside. He’d seen kids like him in the Army. The ones that knew everything already. Hotshots. Best case scenario was they finished the tour and didn’t get anyone else killed. Usually they ended up dead and so did other people.
Emily must have sensed something. She slid between them. “We’ll just look on our own, okay?”
“Sure.” The guy gave Rafa one last look, then went back to whatever hole he’d come from.
“What just happened?” Emily asked. “I’ve never seen that look.”
“Nothing.”
“You just turned into a stone or something. It was a little scary.”
“I’m surprised you noticed anything. Call it a professional instinct. Kids like him, they get people like me killed. On accident.”
“Ah. Well, how about we just focus on getting some skis?” She guided him toward a rack.
It took the better part of an hour to try different skis and different bindings, but they ended up with a combination that Emily pronounced decent.
“I thought we were renting these,” Rafa said as they carted them to the front of the store.
“We were. Now we’re not. Tell you what, consider them my treat.” She lowered her voice. “And if you hate them, we’ll return them Sunday.”
“I’ll pay.” His mother had taught him better than that. Emily was a lovely woman, but he had more honor than to let her buy him gifts while he was actually there.
“Nonsense. It was my idea. I’ll take care of it.” She tried to pull the skis away from him.
He tightened his grip. “They are for me. I cannot let you purchase them.”
Emily pouted, but let go of the skis. “If you don’t like them, really, we can bring them back. As long they don’t get scratched up or anything.”
He slid the cashier his card, then caught Emily with another kiss, stopping any further protest in the best way possible.
The cashier gave him a receipt, but Emily frowned. “We didn’t get a helmet.”
They had to go back for it, and he let Emily pay, though it pained him. She seemed terribly pleased with herself, though, so he did his best to let it go. The kiss she gave him in front of the building helped soothe his pride.
As they walked up to her car, Emily said, “Oh, crap.”
“What?”
“I don’t have a ski rack.”
Rafa looked at the little Lexus, then at the skis. “I can hold them if you don’t mind leaving the window down.” It was going to be cold, but nothing his coat and glove couldn’t handle.
Emily popped the trunk. It wasn’t much larger than his duffel bag.
“I don’t think they’ll fit,” Rafa said.
“Watch.” She leaned in, giving him a wonderful view of her backside.
A shiver went through him. She looked so good. Like a woman should. A rump a man could wrap his hands around and really enjoy. All those kisses were getting his motor running, and the sight of her was making him painfully hard.
Emily folded down the back seat. “Slide the skis in here.”
He stepped up beside her, so close he could feel the heat radiating from her tight yoga pants. The skis slid through the opening and over the backseat, the tips poking between the two front seats. Even so, they still poked three feet out the back of the trunk.
“They’re going to slide around,” he said. “And the trunk won’t stay closed.
“I know. Let’s go
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