As the woman hurried off, he turned to Freya, nodding to the items in her hand. “Find something?”
She showed him her loot as they made their way to the register. “I figured Daisy could use some rainbow-sloth-unicorn-narwhal pajamas for her birthday.”
“Nice. Those are just her style.”
She bit back a laugh at Xander’s serious expression. “And since I’m here, I picked up these jammies for my nieces.”
He glanced between the two nightdresses and nodded in approval. “Donuts and bacon. Popcorn and pizza. Looks like your nieces are my kinda people. They’re Daisy’s age, right?”
She nodded. “Only about six months older.”
“Well, I hope to meet them one of these days.” The warm smile he gave her had her belly fluttering.
“I’m sure they’ll adore you.” There was no doubt about it.
She could easily picture him hanging out with her nieces, fitting in with all her loud brothers. And if she allowed herself to get dreamy, she could see the two of them together months down the road in a relationship that was both comfortable and passionate, maybe even?—
“I can help the next person,” a voice called out.
Exhaling, Freya tore her gaze from the man beside her—and from her fanciful thoughts—and turned to the lady behind the counter. “Hi there,” she said, setting her items onto the counter. Clearing her throat, she glanced at Xander. “Are the playhouse and furniture the only things you got Daisy for her birthday?”
He shrugged, but the way the edges of his mouth quirked suggested she was onto something.
She chuckled as she paid for her items and then waited for Xander to pay for his gifts—which they’d kindly wrapped for him in a trio of giant bags with tons of pink and lavender tissue paper.
As they made their way out of the shop, she asked, “So what else did you get Daisy?”
Glancing at her, Xander’s innocent who-me expression didn’t fool her. “What makes you think I got her an additional gift?”
“Your face,” she replied, deadpan.
That handsome face broke out into a wide grin. “Touché.”
God, was he seriously this cute? “Well?”
“It’s just a little something—an adventure, if you will—that’ll ensure I stay Daisy’s favorite. But I’m not revealing anything yet since I’m still waiting for a couple details to be finalized. Don’t want to jinx it, you know.” He took her hand, wagging his eyebrows, and she couldn’t help but laugh.
Yeah, he was seriously that cute.
As they made their way up the busy sidewalk, Freya spotted a break in the crowd. Tugging on his hand, she pulled them to the edge of the curb. A group of school-aged Irish dancers were high-stepping by, followed by a float carrying a Little League team decked out in their uniforms. She and Xander clapped and cheered when the team’s catcher hoisted a shiny gold trophy that was nearly as big as him.
As the float passed, a buzz of excitement zinged through the crowd. A group of nine dirt bikes were coming down the street. The kids along the parade route shouted their approval of the tricks and wheelies the riders were performing. While impressive, it wasloud. But from the expressions of those around her—Xander included—she seemed to be the only one who thought so.
Her eyes widened as two of the dirt bikes popped up onto their back wheels and spun in a tight circle while the other bikes whizzed up and down the street in some sort of synchronized chaos. Okay, fine. It was impressive. Had she been on any of those bikes, she would have crashed within?—
She gasped as she was shoved forward.
Hitting the ground hard, her breath seized painfully in her chest. Dazed, she glanced to her right, and her insides froze. Time slowed. A pair of dirt bikes was bearing down on her. She didn’t have time to curl into a ball, didn’t have time to throw her hands over her head. She could only slam her eyes shut and brace for impact.
Tires squealed, and a heavy weight landed on her. The smell of burning rubber filled her nose. She heard shouts and screams, but the sounds were muffled, like a hazy noise behind the loud drumming of her heart.
Then Xander’s cedar-and-soapy scent was there, competing with the burning rubber. She peeked her eyes open, and there he was. Lying over her on the ground.
“I’ve got you, baby,” he murmured. He moved to his knees but remained hovering over her.
She started to move, but he placed a hand on her back, stilling her. From the ground, she saw people rushing toward them. Numerous people asked if she was okay.
Unsure of what had happened, she closed her eyes and focused on Xander’s deep voice responding to the questions coming at them, on his familiar scent that soothed her nerves, on his warm hand on her back that kept her grounded.
