by Jean Oram
Mandy paused in the doorway. “I love you, Frankie.”
“Yeah?” He didn’t seem thoroughly convinced.
“Yeah.” She gave him a long kiss, not wanting to leave. “Always.”
“Then you can prove it to me tomorrow when I ask you if you’re still serious about us.”
* * *
Mandy flew around her restaurant’s kitchen, nearly dropping the platter of special Valentine’s Day brownies she was carrying. Her hands had started shaking when Frankie had booted her out of his house last night with his pre-breakup speech and they hadn’t stopped since. She’d barely slept a wink and felt as though she was on the verge of tears. She had to choose between her two dreams. Her livelihood or her boyfriend. It shouldn’t be this way. They should go hand-in-hand if they were both meant to be, but she knew she couldn’t give him all he needed and expand.
The restaurant had been decorated for Valentine’s Day—nothing major, just streamers and paper hearts—and this afternoon Nicola Samuels, the Love Extravaganza event planner, would be hosting the speed dating competition here. If it went well, Mandy could earn a little extra toward paying off her debts. If it didn’t go well …
Sucking in a deep breath, she double-checked her coffee maker to ensure it was still working. Her espresso machine. The expiry date on the cream.
The bell above the door jangled as she wiped the last table from the breakfast rush. Frankie.
He stood in the doorway, watching her in his quiet, patient way and she nervously waited for him to speak.
“Hey,” she said finally, walking over to him when he remained silent. Her red dress clung to her body as she moved and she watched Frankie’s reaction to her outfit. He was still interested in her and her hands finally stopped shaking. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and never, ever let go, knowing he loved her—loved her so much he was willing to let her go if need be.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said.
His coat was cold, giving her a chill as he pulled her tight for a hug and a kiss.
He offered her a bouquet that had been bundled in plastic to protect it against the cold. “Will you be mine, Mandy?”
She smiled and kissed his cold lips again. “Always.”
“Yeah?” he asked, raising an eyebrow hopefully.
She stiffened. She couldn’t afford a wedding—not even a small one. And with their large families and the town feeling as though it was one big extended family, she knew they wouldn’t be able to get by with a small service. How would she find the time to plan something like that? Her career needed to get off the ground first. Things needed to be easier.
“I made you something.” She turned and reached under the pick-up counter for a special batch of brownies.
He chuckled. “Brownies?”
“There might be a surprise or two involved. See if you can figure them out.”
He frowned at the plate and set it down, peeling back the shrink wrap.
Mandy’s eldest brother Devon ambled in, shaking the cold out of his coat. “Hey guys.” He reached for a brownie and Frankie slapped his hand away as he began rearranging the gumdrop-less squares, lining up the icing stripes until they formed a completed puzzle: be mine.
“Yeah,” Frankie said, looking up at Mandy, resolve in his gaze. “Always.”
“I’m going to get a coffee from Ethan,” Devon said, easing away. “This is getting kind of mushy and private.”
“Not yet, man. Not yet,” Frankie replied with a grin as he swept Mandy into his arms for a deep, luscious kiss that made her head spin.
“Well, do me a favor and get her knocked up,” Devon said when Frankie released her. “I need her and that truck of hers off the meadow’s race track so I can win for once.”
“Dream on,” Mandy said, reaching over to give her brother a shove. “Maybe you should get off the track if you can’t keep up with your kid sister.”
“I swear Frankie’s been giving you tips.”
“She pays me well,” Frankie said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Ugh.” Mandy gave him a shove as well. “I have work to do. Make yourself at home, but don’t eat anything unless you’ve paid for it.” She pointed a finger at her eldest brother.
“What happened to the family discount?” Devon asked, arms out in protest as Frankie disappeared into the kitchen.
“Wah, wah, wah,” Mandy said, keeping an eye on Devon. He could go through twenty dollars’ worth of brownie profits if left alone for five minutes.
“Ethan?” Frankie called as he returned to the dining area, carrying Mandy’s coat. “You got the place?”
Mandy’s youngest brother nodded.
“Come on,” Frankie said, trying to corral her with her open coat. “We have a challenge to get to.”
“I have to work.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Devon said, snatching a brownie from Frankie’s plate. “I have to go propose to Nicola so I can win five hundred hot ones.” He popped the brownie in his mouth and, a moment later, pulled a wax paper wrapped note from his gooey mouth. “What’s this?”
Mandy snatched it from him in disgust. Frankie plucked the note from her fingers and carefully unwrapped it. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Mandy, hugging her close. “Are there more of these?”
“What a way to ruin a perfectly good brownie,” Devon said as he exited, heading toward the community center.
“Every piece has a note or a coupon,” Mandy said. Last night, she’d decided to give her boyfriend what he wanted—more time. Each brownie promised him a date, a trip to the city, a movie, or something they would do together—away from work.
Frankie kissed her nose and set the plate behind the counter. “Come with me.” He held out his hand, her coat in the other.
She acquiesced, letting him lead her out of the restaurant.
“What’s the challenge?” Mandy asked, buttoning her coat while wracking her brain for what Nicola had planned for her extravaganza and what Frankie might be dragging her off to. She had a ton to do today and hoped it wouldn’t take too long. At the same time, she wasn’t about to push him away when he’d made it clear he’d been taking a long, hard look at their relationship lately.
“The Greatest Couple in Blueberry Springs.” He pulled her into the community center, paying their admission and pinning a corsage on her dress with care. Red, to show she was taken. “You’re mine, Mandy. And we’re going to show the town just how good we are together.”
“We’ll never beat Cynthia and Dan,” she said, taking in their competition. “You can’t beat them at the newlywed game when they’re actually married. Plus, it’s their anniversary today.”
She couldn’t help but wish that she and Frankie were married. It felt like a loss every time she shied away from his hints about moving in together or tying the knot. And lately, the doubt and hurt in his eyes was becoming too much to take. She just needed more time so she could join him as an equal and not as a dependent.
* * *
Mandy kissed Frankie as they headed back to her restaurant. They hadn’t won the title of The Greatest Couple in Blueberry Springs, but she’d had an amusing moment watching Devon get shut down as he proposed to Nicola. It was obvious he wasn’t going to win the five hundred dollar prize for getting engaged at the extravaganza today.
On stage, she and Frankie had answered questions with ease, and she’d been reminded of all that was good between her and Frankie. They were a good team who had a lot of history, trust, and love. Which meant she really needed to find a way to enjoy what they had. She wanted to move in with him, get married, and live happily ever after.
But how?
Hurrying through her to-do list, she began prepping for the soon-to-arrive lunch crowd and then the speed dating session. The community center had been packed and it was likely to be the same here when people came looking for a meal.
Ethan stopped her as she hurried into the dining area. “Your office phone is ringing.”<
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She hadn’t even heard it and she checked the time, realizing it was the conference call she’d been waiting for. It was time for the final decision on expansion and she half hoped they’d say yes, and half hoped they’d say no.
“If I’m not back out in an hour,” she told Ethan, “can you make sure this speed dating check in list gets put on the counter and that participants sign it?” She handed him the sheet and went to answer her phone.
“Mandy!” Blair crowed into the phone. “How are ya?”
“Good. Just getting ready for an event. What’s the word?” She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress, her heart beating like she was racing around the dirt track against Devon and Frankie.
Silence.
“Hello?”
Blair let out a reluctant sigh and Mandy’s heart sunk.
“It’s too risky, Mandy. The expansion. The financial risk is just too great. It will overextend you in every way and it takes so much energy. As those who love you, we say it’s not time. It doesn’t feel right.”
“It doesn’t feel right?” What kind of business-minded individual used that as an excuse?
“I’m sorry, Mandy. I know you’re eager. Maybe in a year.”
Diane and Lexi started talking over each other, trying to console her.
“You’re not upset, are you?” Blair asked.
Mandy let out a choked laugh. “No, no. Not at all. Just wondering what I’m going to do with all this free time.”
The women laughed with her. They knew how hard Mandy worked because, as business owners, they did too.
“What is Frankie doing for you for Valentine’s Day?” asked Lexi.
“Frankie?” Her heart dropped and she wondered how she was ever going to be equal enough to stand beside him as a true partner if she didn’t expand.
“You two are still together, aren’t you?”
“Oh,” Blair said, “Don’t tell me you’re putting that place ahead of that fantastic thing the two of you have going on.”
Someone clucked in disappointment.
“No, no. I just forgot for a moment that it was Valentine’s Day.” She sat quietly, barely daring to breathe as she envisioned her debt-laden future. She should have kept working as a waitress. She should never have tried making this work.
Mandy gave a heavy sigh, and Blair said, “Girls, you can hang up. Mandy and I have things to discuss.”
Lexi laughed. “Please don’t tell me you’re giving her relationship advice?”
“I’ve learned a lot with all those men and it’s time to pass it on. Remember, meeting in Dakota in two weeks, ladies.”
The other women hung up and Mandy was tempted to do the same. “It’s a busy day here, Blair. Can we do this some other time?”
“Why do you want an expansion so badly?” she asked. “Are you having financial troubles? Because expanding generally doesn’t help. Or is it something else?”
Mandy found herself tearing up. “I want to marry Frankie. But …” She had to fight back the emotion, feeling as though somewhere along the line she’d failed herself. Failed Frankie.
“Then why don’t you do it?”
“Because I want to pay my share.”
“Of what? A wedding?”
“Yes.” It seemed silly using that as an excuse to push Frankie away, but she needed the space to try and sprint ahead so she could be an equal sooner. She’d already taken so much from him over the past year, how could she possibly take more?
“You want a big wedding?”
“Frankie probably does.”
“You don’t even know?”
“Well …”
“You silly woman, at least ask him if he wants a big celebration before you go killing yourself trying to earn enough to pay for one. And an expansion isn’t your answer. They take a lot of money before you ever see any of it back—assuming you ever do. You’d be waiting years for your big wedding. Congratulations, by the way.”
“For what?”
“Your engagement.”
“We’re not engaged.”
Blair roared with laughter and Mandy could picture the woman’s heavy jewelry jingling with the action. “Are you kidding me? You’re not even engaged yet and you’re worrying about what’s down the road?”
“He asked me to move in with him and I know that after that comes a ring and then a wedding.”
“And then kids. A bigger vehicle which is more practical than that souped up truck of yours. Then a bigger house.” Blair sighed. “Don’t let the future keep you from having what you want today. Not when it comes between you and your man. Don’t lose him in the what ifs. If you wait to have enough money, you’ll never get married and start a family. He’s a good man, the type who will always be right by your side.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“When it comes to love, it is simple. It’s the one thing in life that always is as long as you don’t let your mind get in the way.”
* * *
Mandy took one last look at the day’s receipts and tallied the income, adding it to an ongoing spreadsheet. She popped the month’s numbers into a graph and sat back to admire how the green profit line stayed on a steady upward curve. Almost every single day she turned a profit. She was finally coming out ahead. Little by little.
That was good. And today had been especially good.
She opened the folder containing the proposed expansion plans. The ladies had been right. It would have been too much, costing her what she was already short on. Time, money, and energy. Things would have been so tight that one little hiccup would have threatened to send her into receivership.
She sighed and closed the folder. Spying the offer from Hungry Man, she tugged it closer. A chance for more profit with less risk. Delivery could be as simple or as complicated as she wanted it to be. Packaging—a fun new challenge. Baking—it was what she did best. And why not branch out from what she was already doing well?
Frankie had been right. As usual. She could do this.
And honestly, did she and Frankie really, and truly need a big wedding so long as they were together? The town could get over not being to their small, private ceremony. Or they could elope for all she cared. She wanted Frankie. He wanted her. The rest was details. Details that could be worked out when they came to them.
Grabbing her coat to go meet Frankie, she found him already letting himself in.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
With a bounce in her step, she nodded.
“You’re so gorgeous in that dress I may have to take you home instead of to the dance.”
Laughing, Mandy allowed him to help her into her coat and locked the restaurant. Snowflakes fell gently as they made their way to the community center.
“I’ll go anywhere as long as you’re there, Frankie,” she said, leaning against him.
“Well, I’m not in Timbuktu or wherever you want to expand to.”
“I’m not expanding. I’m staying here. With you. But I might take that brownie deal. What do you think of that?”
“It sounds smart.”
“Thank you. I’m hoping it will mean more time with you, but also more profits to pay things off. But I’ll probably never be rich, Frankie.”
“Me neither.”
Inside the warm hall, Frankie checked their coats before leading her onto the dance floor. It seemed half the town had turned out to move to the music and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Frankie held her tight and she clung to him, wanting to tell him that all she really needed at the end of every day was him. She’d been a fool thinking she needed her life to be perfect and problem-free before she could truly be with him. He’d come to her when she’d needed him the most and he would always accept and love her so long as she didn’t push him away.
She held him close, relieved she’d come to her senses before she lost him. As they danced, the rest of the dancers blurred into the background and she leaned into him, borrowing his strength.
“Will you love me even if I don’t have a lot to offer?” she asked.
He pulled away to look at her. “You have so much to offer, Mandy. Always have.”
“Financially.”
He laughed. “You’re a goof. You know that? I’d love you even if you gambled all of my money away.”
“I would never do that to you.” Her arms around his neck, she absorbed his heat, staring into his eyes, hoping he’d see all the love she had for him.
“Mandy, we need to talk.”
She swallowed, knowing that this moment was an incredibly important one and that she could mess it up if she didn’t pause to think about her responses. This was about them. About Frankie. Not her insecurities or business.
“I love you,” she blurted and Frankie gave her a small smile, distraction and worry drawing his brows together.
He reached into his pocket, revealing a sparkling ring as he dropped onto one knee. Dancers around them turned to watch and Mandy laughed, feeling free and more delighted than she could ever imagine.
They had immense amounts of love. What more did they need?
She fell into his arms, face snuggled into his neck. “Yes, Frankie. Yes.”
He held her away from him slightly so he could deliver his lines while looking her steadily in the eye.
“Mandy, you have been my best friend since the day you walked into gym class, threw your gorgeous hair over your shoulder and told me you’d race me to the top of the rope.”
“I remember that. You had the cutest butt in the world. Still do.”
“Mandy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Does it have to be a big wedding?”
His brows pinched again. “Uh. I’m a guy,” he said hesitantly.
“No?”
“No.”
“Then, my dear Frankie …” She paused, looking down as though in regret. “I am going to have to give you a resounding yes.” She met his joyful gaze and launched herself back into his arms, almost knocking him over. He pulled her body tight to his as they stood, locked together as though they’d never let go.
