Dashing Through the Snow (8 page)

Dash took the next exit off the freeway, but instead of heading toward the row of hotels closest to the off-ramp, he continued down the road.

“Where are you going?” Ashley asked.

“I'm looking for a Walmart or a Target so we can get Little Blade a collar and leash. I don't want a repeat of what happened earlier today.”

“Good idea.” Mentally, Ashley calculated the amount of cash she had with her. She reached for her purse and counted out her cash.

“I'll pay and you can reimburse me later.”

“I'll use my debit card.” A warm sensation came over her and she smiled because “later” meant that he fully intended on seeing her after this trip. While he might not have meant anything by it, his words pleased Ashley.

“Do you want to explain why you're wearing that Cheshire cat smile?” he asked, glancing her way.

“Not really.” She was embarrassed that he'd noticed.

“Do it anyway,” he insisted.

“Oh all right, if you must know…”

“I'm mildly curious.”

Liar.
He would hound her until he got the truth out of her. And if she was honest with herself, she certainly wouldn't mind seeing him after this trip. “Mildly curious or not, I got the feeling, just now, that we might connect, you know, after Christmas.” She sounded nervous and unsure of herself and wished she'd kept her mouth shut.

A smile came and went from his eyes. “Well, duh. We have to get back to San Francisco, don't we?”

Ashley had forgotten about that. “Actually I…I'd hoped to fly.”

“Good luck with that. In case you've forgotten, this is the holiday season and all the flights are probably booked solid—even after the holidays.”

“Right.” The thought of returning with Dash wasn't unpleasant. She'd look forward to it. “In that case, I won't mind driving back with you.”

“Big of you,” he teased.

“If you remember, it didn't start out so great this morning, but I've had a change of heart, seeing that you're so clearly not a serial killer.”

Dash snorted. “I might have pulled the wool over your eyes, you never know,” he teased, and then added, “Besides, it's clear you think I'm amazing.”

“Excuse me?” She exaggerated each word, laughing. “You're delusional, but enjoy it while you can.”

“I intend to.” Teasing light brightened his eyes. The electricity between them seemed to grow stronger, she noticed, and she hid a smile, thinking how much she was enjoying being with Dash. This morning she would never have guessed it could be possible for them to travel together and for her to like him this much.

As they continued down the road, businesses lined both sides of the street. Ashley kept a watch for a Target or a Walmart, but as she did her mind mulled over the next few days.

“Dash, if I travel back with you, then that means you'll spend Christmas in Seattle, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So how would you feel about spending Christmas Day with my mom and me? We'd love to have you, and you aren't going to get a better Christmas dinner. My mother makes the most incredible stuffing.” She was talking fast, unsure of why she should feel hesitant and awkward. “Say, do you know the difference between stuffing and dressing? I just learned this.” Ashley knew she was chattering, which was something Dash said he disliked, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Dash unnerved her. Worse, she realized it was because she was afraid he would refuse her invitation, and she really wanted him to share Christmas with her and her mother.

“Okay, what's the difference between stuffing and dressing?”

She noticed he didn't say anything about the Christmas invite. “Stuffing is cooked inside of the bird and dressing is cooked outside of the bird. Makes sense, doesn't it?”

“Guess I never thought about it.”

“I know. Me, neither.” She waited for a moment and then asked again: “About Christmas?”

He hesitated. “I'd be happy to join you, but I'd be more comfortable if you talked to your mother about it first.”

“I know my mom, she won't mind.”

“Talk to her first,” he insisted.

“Okay, I will, but she'll be happy to include you, seeing how crazy you are about me.”

He chuckled, and soon she found herself smiling, too, as the unease slowly evaporated.

Ashley spotted a Walmart sign and pointed it out. “Up ahead on the right.”

“I see it.” Dash stopped at the light and then made a right-hand turn into the parking lot. A fresh Christmas tree lot took up one side of the asphalt, with multicolored lights strung around the perimeter. The freshly fallen snow weighed down the branches, giving the trees a magical appearance. Ashley loved the scent of fresh trees, but her mother insisted on an artificial one because of the fire hazard.

“You need anything else besides the leash and collar?”

“No…do you think it will take long? I hate the thought of leaving Little Blade alone in the car.” But he'd be warm enough with the sweater wrapped around him.

“He'll be fine for a few minutes. Once we find a hotel I'll take him out and walk him. Hopefully the snow and the cold will be enough to cause him to hurry and do his business.”

“I'll take him out,” she said, although she appreciated his offer. It was cold and miserable, and she was the one who'd adopted the puppy, which he was generous enough not to remind her.

The lot was nearly full and it took a few minutes to find a parking space. Unfortunately, it wasn't anywhere close to the store, which meant a long trek through the slushy lot. Thankfully, Ashley had worn her boots. Dash offered his elbow and she gratefully wrapped her arm through his. The lot was icy and slippery, and she would have fallen if not for Dash's hold on her.

“You really are a gentleman,” she teased.

“Just keep telling yourself that,” he joked back.

Ashley smiled. This was turning out to be a grand adventure, and not only because she was beginning to really like Dash, but because she enjoyed the drive as well. Soon they'd be in Seattle, and she felt a little giddy thinking that wouldn't be the last she'd see of him.

Once inside, Dash grabbed an empty cart.

They passed the sale aisle and right away one of the items caught Ashley's attention. “Dash, look. Peanut butter is on sale.” She grabbed a jar and placed it inside the cart.

He regarded her skeptically. “You're buying peanut butter?”

“This stuff is like gold to a grad student. That and Velveeta cheese. I live on peanut butter.”

“That explains a great deal,” he said, shaking his head, mocking her.

Ashley playfully punched his arm and noticed he was smiling. It was hard to pull her gaze away from him. Harder than it should have been.

Dash expertly wove them down one aisle and to the next until they reached the pet section. “Look at this,” she said, pointing out a cute little reindeer band with tiny green and red bells made especially for small dogs.

“No way,” Dash said. shaking his head. “You are not going to embarrass Little Blade with that headpiece.”

“But…”

“Would Big Blade wear that?”

Ashley was well aware that Blade would likely do bodily harm to anyone who so much as approached him with anything so ridiculous. “That's an unfair question.”

“Then you know the answer.”

“What about a Santa hat? Little Blade is a Christmas gift for my mother, you realize.”

Dash refused to answer, and didn't say anything when she added it to the cart. It didn't take her long to decide on the collar and leash, a carrier, and a bag of doggie treats, plus a chew toy.

“You ready to check out?” Dash asked when she'd finished clearing out the pet section.

“Okay.”

“You sure you don't want to check to see if Velveeta cheese is on sale?”

“I'm sure.” She took out the jar of peanut butter and replaced it on the shelf. It was a bit ridiculous to cart that to Seattle and then back to San Francisco.

“No peanut butter and no Velveeta? You're sure you can make it to Seattle without 'em?” he teased.

Ashley elbowed him in the ribs. Oh yes, she was enjoying Dash's company far and above anything she could have anticipated.

“Are they inside the store yet?” Travis McCurry asked, looking to his best friend, Justin Troup.

“Yeah.”

“You brought the screwdriver, right?”

“Got it.” Justin took it out of his hip pocket and glanced nervously around them. “You sure we won't get caught?”

“I'm sure.”

“You've done this before?”

“No,” Travis murmured, and despite his best effort, his voice lacked confidence. “My dad would shoot me if he knew what I was doing.” Travis's hand trembled as he approached the rear of the vehicle. He'd waited nearly an hour in the cold, sitting in his car and growing impatient, before the right vehicle turned up. It probably wasn't necessary to have the same color and same model car, but he wasn't taking any chances. No one would notice the switch in the license plates as easily, he reasoned, although he had no idea if that was true. It was his fault that he'd gotten into this mess.

“I don't have a choice.” In Travis's mind, trading the license plate from this car with his own was his only option.

His grandmother had bought him the car for his seventeenth birthday with the understanding that he would maintain honor-roll grades, which wasn't a problem—he worked hard and he had earned top grades. The one stipulation his parents made was that Travis pay for his own car insurance, gas, and license fees.

Travis had readily agreed. He had a job as a busboy at a local restaurant and the manager liked him. He hoped that by summer he'd get promoted to a server and the tips would be great.

The problem came when he asked Bailey Thompson to the holiday dance. His mom had paid the rental fee for his tuxedo, but then there was the cost to attend the dance and the corsage and pictures and a bunch of other stuff he hadn't counted on, and he'd gone through his savings in less than a week.

The choice was skip either taking Bailey to dinner before the dance or paying the renewal for his car registration. He chose to take Bailey to dinner, which left him driving around town with expired tabs. So far he'd been lucky, but eventually he'd get caught.

By chance Travis saw a news report about people stealing license plates off cars, which gave him the idea. This wasn't exactly stealing, though. All he intended to do was switch plates. The license on the white car he'd spotted had a full nine months left on the tabs. When renewal time came next November…well, he hadn't figured that part out yet.

Travis and Justin squatted down behind the car. Travis's hand shook, but it was from nerves more than the cold.

A car horn blared in the distance.

“They're coming,” Justin said, and leaping up, he raced around the corner of the store, slip-sliding in the snow in his rush to escape. They hadn't been inside more than ten minutes. Twelve, tops.

Terrified he was about to get caught, Travis fell flat on his backside, cold, wet snow seeping through his jeans. He heard something, too. An inhuman noise. He had one screw left and he wasn't about to run scared now. But he was on a mission, and no matter what, he was determined to finish the task.

Travis peeked around the side of the car and saw a vehicle in the row in front of them backing out of the space. Sighing with relief, Travis realized it wasn't the car owner.

Travis stood and gave Justin the all-clear sign.

In an attempt to look cool, Travis left the security of his hiding spot. He looked both ways before he left the shelter of the building. As he approached the vehicle, the noise returned.

“I hear bells,” Justin said in a loud whisper.

“So do I.” Travis noticed a volunteer ringing the bell in front of the store, collecting money for charity.