Wish on the Moon by Karen Rose Smith

liquid
into her palm, applied it to her finger, gave the ring a twist, and
slid it off.
    Her gaze and Mitch's caught, and his
expression shook her. There was primordial desire there that
stopped her breath because she felt it too. But she could see he
resented feeling it and that made him sharp. "I know you're an
intelligent woman, Laura. But from what I've heard, your judgment
takes second place to your impetuous nature."
    Her patience melted like a snowflake on a hot
iron. "Have you always lived your life with a step by step plan?
Hasn't anything ever thrown it off?"
    "My father's binges threw it off plenty. So
did Carey's escapades. But I always managed to get it back on
track."
    She heard pride, but she also heard grief.
She hadn't meant to remind him of days better forgotten. The
sadness on his face squeezed her heart until she felt it too. She
wanted to wrap her arms around him and make it go away.
    Softly, she said, "Being on track doesn't
have to mean being bored, or not having fun."
    "I've never been bored."
    "Have you ever had fun?"
    "Of course."
    "When?"
    His eyes were shuttered to keep her from
seeing too much. "My first ride on a roller coaster."
    "That's it?"
    "Of course not."
    "Well? What else?"
    He gave her a menacing look but answered her
question. "Horseback riding."
    "And how long's it been since you've done
that?"
    "Laura--"
    "How long?"
    He rifled his hand through his hair. "About
two years."
    She shook her head in exasperation. "Do you
have fun at Christmas?"
    "It's pleasant."
    "What do you do?"
    He appeared ready to wring her neck as he
stepped closer, "Last year Mom made dinner and your dad joined
us."
    He smelled of wind and fall and everything
basic, earthy and male. Curiosity pushed her to keep at him. "Did
you sing carols, trim a tree, play in the snow?"
    "We're adults, Laura. We ate dinner and spent
time talking. The inquisition is now over. My free time isn't the
issue, your judgment is. Make sure you use it wisely when you're in
this store."
    She saluted sharply. "Yes, sir. As soon as I
wipe off this ring and put it away, you can introduce me to your
records. If your program is as rigid as your life, it'll be simple
to learn."
    He gripped her elbow firmly. "Laura..."
    She gazed down at his fingers--long fingers
that were stern yet gentle as if he was afraid she'd snap if he
pressed too hard. Knowing she was dabbling with the dangerous but
unable to resist, she flashed him a smile as dazzling as the
sapphire ring on her hand. "Careful. Sonya's watching. We wouldn't
want to start any rumors, would we?"
    His answer was a fake smile as he glanced at
the assistant manager and released Laura's arm. "The program is
fairly easy and not open to misinterpretation. Maybe you can learn
something from it."
    As clearly as she knew her name, Laura
realized nothing would be easy with Mitch--not work, not the
subject of her father, not the time they'd spend together. They
were attracted to each other, fighting it, neither of them knowing
exactly why. This might be the most interesting six weeks of her
life.
    ***
    Saturday morning Laura frowned at the
computer monitor. She'd become familiar with the numbers, the
lists, the inventory. She'd analyzed the projected sales for
December, also looking at profits for the year at both stores. She
was surprised at what she'd found. The York store was falling
behind. It was making a profit but not like Harrisburg.
Automatically she'd asked herself what to do about it.
    Watching the clientele had helped. They were
older, steady customers who'd been coming to the store for years.
She'd also examined the Christmas ad campaign--what there was of
it. That was another problem. She'd bet that sapphire ring out
there that Mitch's ad campaign included special publicity about his
exhibition and brought in all age groups. She'd also bet his ads
were more comprehensive year round. Had he looked at the
differences in profit margins? Had he discussed sales techniques
with her dad? Neither