© 2005-2006 Ann Marie Bradley

From
"The Christmas Store"
in Christmas Wishes

"That's more like it." She giggled at herself for thinking the Santa ensconced in a bright red outrigger canoe being pulled by eight dolphins more normal to her Florida upbringing than the Santa and snow she'd just left in Indiana.

Aine walked past the display and stopped dead in her tracks. The tall, dark, and handsome fairy tale knight she'd just been reading about on the plane headed straight toward her holding up a sign: Aine Ross. But he'd traded in his medieval suit of shining armor for khaki shorts, an Hawaiian shirt, and flip-flops. And instead of heavy metal headgear, a red velvet Santa hat perched at a rakish angle on his thick dark hair.

"Ms. Ross?"

Aine nodded, and the Hawaiian knight handed her a bottle of expensive champagne and tucked the sign under one arm. "Mele Kalikimaka." The beginnings of a smile tempted the corners of his mouth and her stomach lurched. "That's how we say Merry Christmas in Hawaii."

He pulled a dozen leis made from the petals of white orchids off one muscular arm and placed the flowers around her neck, then hugged her and lightly kissed one cheek. "Aloha."

"Thank you, Mr..."

"Jerald Garrison." A long moment passed between them. A light twinkled in the depths of his obsidian eyes--eyes that nearly stopped her heartbeat. "Just call me Jerald. I'm your official guide from Hawaii Blue Tours." He broke into an open, friendly smile.

She brought a hand to her cheek. The moment his lips had brushed it, heat surged through her body and it had nothing to do with the ambient temperature.