by Susan Stoker
“Long day, huh?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Did you get a lot done?”
“Not everything I wanted to,” he answered honestly. “How about you?”
“Tons. It’s amazing how productive I am without you around, distracting me.”
He cocked an eyebrow and lightly ground his pelvis suggestively against her. “I thought you liked my distractions.”
“I love them,” she assured him. “Never stop distracting me.”
“Deal. But right now, I need a shower.”
“Mind if I join you?”
Mind? Showering with Sandy was infinitely better than showering alone. She had a knack for ensuring every inch was properly tended to. Plus, with the newly installed bench seat and removable sprayer, he could return the favor in fun and creative ways.
With one more kiss, he released her and crossed the room. He did a double take, however, as he passed Sandy’s laptop and saw the Mueller’s website—specifically, their wedding band collection—on the screen. Was it simply a coincidence, or did she suspect something?
She noticed him staring and hurried over to close her laptop.
“Mueller’s Jewelers?” he asked.
“Yeah. I was talking to Anna this morning.”
“Oh?”
She nodded. “I redid their website last year.”
“Right.” He should have remembered that, but in his defense, Sandy had done work for a lot of local businesses. And no wonder. She was awesome at what she did.
“With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, she asked me about doing a special promo and sent me a bunch of images.”
Relief washed over him. His secret was still safe.
4
Sandy
That was close, Sandy thought as Heff strutted his sexy butt toward the bathroom, shedding articles of clothing as he went. Once she was able to tear her eyes away from the mesmerizing view, she opened her laptop and hurriedly closed the open tabs.
She hadn’t exactly lied. Anna Mueller did want to do a holiday promo as well as update the custom designs section of their website. But that had been something they’d discussed after Sandy had called to inquire about a special ring for Heff. She’d explained to Anna what she had in mind, and Anna promised to come up with ideas.
It wouldn’t be a wedding band, of course, since they weren’t married, but it would be something similar. A token to convey that, even without that piece of paper legally binding them, he was the one she wanted to spend her life with.
Several days later, Sandy finally got the call she’d been waiting for. Anna had sketched out some designs and wanted Sandy to stop in, look them over, and select the materials she wanted in the ring.
There was no reason she couldn’t. Heff was over at Smoke’s again, and if the last few days were any indication, he would be for most of the day.
She picked up her phone and called Heff. He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, baby. Ready for a break?”
His low, smooth voice held the perfect timbre to get her blood warming, but she forced herself to focus.
“As wonderful as that sounds, I can’t. I’m just calling to let you know that I’ve got some errands to run in town.”
“Do want company?”
She could hear music playing in the background along with the sound of hammers hammering and the muffled voices of the other guys. “No, keep doing what you’re doing. I may be awhile. I thought I’d stop by Franco’s and say hi to Jeannie and Rico while I’m down there. Any requests for dinner?”
“It’s all good. Anything you want is fine with me.”
“Cool. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Be safe.”
Sandy went right to Mueller’s. Picking out the design for Heff’s ring didn’t take long at all; Anna was a gifted artist and had done an exceptional job of taking Sandy’s ideas and turning them into something stunning. The only thing was, Mr. Mueller—the guy who actually made the pieces—was suffering from a bad cold and probably wouldn’t be able to get it made before Valentine’s Day.
That was disappointing, but Sandy tried to look on the bright side. If it got done, great. If not, the ring and the meaning behind it would stand out more if given on its own as opposed to being one of the several gifts she had planned.
Because the matter was settled so quickly, they decided to discuss the Valentine’s promo and new custom designs page as well. Anna showed her a series of stunning one-of-a-kind women’s engagement ring designs and the wedding bands that complimented them. She told Sandy that she’d been so inspired by Sandy’s ideas that she kept going and created a few prototype set designs based on them. Sandy was flattered, and together, they picked out several that would be featured on the website.
Afterward, Sandy stopped at the grocery store and picked up plenty of strawberries, bananas, and other chocolate-dippables as well as several cans of whipped cream. The ideal would have been to pick them up fresh from Obermacher’s, but one downside of living in northeastern Pennsylvania was that fresh local produce was nonexistent in February.
Sandy’s last stop was Franco’s Italian restaurant, where she’d worked as a server for many years. She was excited to see co-owners Rico and Jeannie. Sandy considered them more like family than former employers.
They were thrilled to see her. While Rico prepared some of Sandy’s favorites, Jeannie caught her up on the local news. Sandy wasn’t much of a gossipmonger, but now that she was no longer working living and working in town, she felt completely out of the loop.
Topics ranged from reactions to Bree’s nationally published article on Sanctuary to rumors that the feds were investigating the local accountant who’d married Kate’s sister—and a whole lot in between. For a small town in the middle of nowhere, Sumneyville sure had its share of drama.
Laden down with enough takeout to last the next week, Sandy was preparing to leave when Jeannie’s niece Marietta made an appearance. No one liked Marietta, or more specifically, her catty, I’m-gonna-steal-your-man attitude. Plus, she was a lousy waitress.
That Marietta was grinning like the Cheshire cat with a secret didn’t bode well.
“Hey, Sandy.”
“Hi, Marietta.”
“Are you here alone today?”
Sandy made a show of looking around herself. “Looks that way.”
“Hm. I guess Heff got everything he needed when he was down here the other morning.”
Sandy knew better than to give Marietta the satisfaction of a reaction. She allowed her lips to curl slowly into a wicked smile instead and said, “He certainly did. Have a great night.”
Sandy’s fake smile faded as she carried the food out to her car. She trusted Heff implicitly, but Marietta’s blatant attempt to cast doubt rubbed her fur the wrong way, and now she was more curious than ever about what he was up to.
She was still stewing when she got back to Sanctuary and went directly to the resort kitchen to store her purchases in one of the large industrial refrigerators there. Their cabin fridge wasn’t big enough to hold everything she’d brought back with her. Plus, she wanted the dippables and whipped cream to be a surprise.
Sam was nowhere to be seen, but Kate was busy prepping for the evening meal. Sandy admired her ability to cook delicious meals for two dozen people every day and make it look effortless. The woman had a gift.
“Heff said you went into town today. How’d it go?” Kate asked.
“It went well.” She told Kate about having a ring made for Heff, which Kate thought was a great idea, as well as the scuttlebutt she’d heard from Jeannie. Unsurprisingly, Kate was especially interested in hearing about Kylie and Luther. It sucked that Kate’s family had turned their back on her as they had. She deserved better.
“It’s good that you got so much done today,” Kate told her when she’d finished. “They’re calling for a big storm on Valentine’s Day.”
“The last I heard, it was going to miss us.”
; “Apparently there’s one model that says we’re going to get pounded. I don’t understand how the models can generate such vastly different predictions. I mean, they’re all dealing with the same data, right?”
“I wouldn’t worry too much just yet,” Sandy replied. “It’ll change a dozen times between now and then. They can’t even get tomorrow’s forecast right. How can they expect anyone to believe they know what’s going to happen next week?”
Kate nodded in agreement. “Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, though. As my grandmother used to say, even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
“Good thing we’ve taken up with SEALs, then,” Sandy said with a grin. “They’re always prepared.”
“And if not, we are.”
Sandy laughed and grabbed the pan of Franco’s chicken parmigiana. “True enough. I’m taking this back with me. See you tomorrow.”
“See ya. Have fun.”
Heff was just getting out of the shower when Sandy returned to the cabin. He came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jeans slung low on his hips and nothing else. Just that quickly, Sandy forgot about the rings, Marietta, the impending storm…everything.
“Sorry I missed shower time.” She put down the takeout tray, then ran her chilly hands over his very warm body. He hissed when she boldly slipped one hand into his jeans and cupped him.
“Evil woman.”
“You love it.”
“I love you,” he clarified.
The warmth in her girly parts wrapped around her heart, too. “Right back atcha. Are you hungry?”
“Very.”
“I brought back parmigiana from Franco’s.”
He gently but firmly extracted her hand, then scooped her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. “Later. Right now, I’m craving something creamy and sweet…”
5
Heff
The good news was they’d finished Smoke’s Hot Tub Hideaway a day ahead of schedule.
The bad news was Heff hadn’t made any progress on his own Valentine’s Day surprise. Now, a nor’easter was bearing down on the region, and he couldn’t. The governor had declared a state of emergency and the treacherous roads were closed to all but essential travel.
Even if he took one of their sleek snowmobiles down the mountain, it would be pointless. Nothing in town would be open.
That meant he wouldn’t be picking up the gourmet chocolates he’d ordered. Nor the long-stemmed roses, steaks, lobster tails, wine, and engagement ring that were to have been part of his proposal plan.
Yeah. Anna Mueller had called to tell him that Sandy’s ring was done. She said it was one of the first orders her father did when he felt well enough to get back to work.
Heff had foolishly listened to the local weather guys and left everything to the last minute, figuring he could get everything in one quick trip into town.
His best-laid plans had gone to shit, and now, he had nothing to give the woman who was his everything.
As if to add insult to injury, the lights flickered, and the power went out.
This was going to be the worst Valentine’s Day ever.
The nor’easter was still raging the next morning. Heff forced himself to leave his warm bed and his even warmer woman to throw more logs on the fire. A brief glance out the window confirmed what he already knew. They weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“Why so glum, chum?” Sandy asked, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him.
Her soft question made him feel even worse. He might as well confess. She was going to find out soon enough, anyway. There was no sense in having her spend all day anticipating something that wasn’t going to happen.
“I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do before the storm hit.”
“That’s okay. I know you love me.”
Fuck yes, he did, which was exactly why he was so angry with himself. She deserved better than a man who left everything until the last minute and had no contingency plan. He was a goddamn SEAL. He knew better.
The press of her lips against his back felt like a blade slicing into his heart. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not the first storm we’ve weathered together, and truthfully, I think it’s pretty romantic.”
He snorted.
“Seriously. We’re snowbound in a cabin. Plenty of firewood to keep us warm. A camp stove and enough food to last us several days. We’ve got scented candles and no distractions. Nothing to do but each other.”
He turned and found her grinning wickedly. Was it any wonder he loved this woman?
“Besides, you might not have gotten everything done you wanted, but I did. Some of what I had planned involves power, so we might have to get a little creative, but I’ve no doubt we can make it work.”
Despite himself, he was intrigued. Sandy’s surprises were epic. “Show me.”
Hours later, Heff exhaled heavily, an exhausted Sandy draped languidly over his chest.
“I think we should spend every Valentine’s Day like this,” he murmured. A full day of no contact with the outside world. Silk sheets. Whipped cream. Chocolate melted over the fire. Sponge baths. Working their way through the Kama Sutra by candlelight.
The only difference was next time, she’d be wearing his ring. More than one if he had his way, and the sooner the better. First chance he got, he was going to make another visit to Anna Mueller and see about crafting a set of wedding bands to go with that engagement ring.
“Agreed,” she said softly. “But Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet, and I’ve got one more present to give you.”
It was the hint of uncertainty in her voice that had him opening one eye. She should never feel uncertain about anything around him. She owned him, every part of him, mind, body, and soul, wholly and completely.
“If it’s anything like your other gifts, I’m going to need a few minutes.”
“It’s not.” She slipped off the bed and padded to the closet, returning with a foil gift bag. He lifted himself up on one elbow, his lassitude quickly morphing into concern. The last time he’d seen that look of trepidation on her face, she’d told him she was leaving to take an internship in Manhattan.
“You know I love you, right?”
His concern deepened. “I do.”
“And you know I’m happy with the way things are.”
He nodded again, wondering where this was going.
“And that I would never, ever try to pressure you into something you’re not ready for, but…”
She took a deep breath and extracted something from the bag. His heart stopped when he realized what it was: a ring box bearing the name of Mueller’s Jewelers.
“Sandy…”
“Please, let me finish. Hugh Bradley, you are my world. There’s no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I’ll be by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”
She opened the box and revealed a ring. Similar to a wedding band, it was etched with the same intricate designs as the tattoos that adorned his chest and arms.
It was exquisite. And he was speechless.
“You don’t have to wear it,” she said quickly, and he realized she had mistaken his stunned silence for something it wasn’t.
“Of course, I’m going to wear it.” He took it from the box and slipped it onto his ring finger. It fit perfectly.
And reminded him of how he’d messed up.
“If you don’t like it…”
“I love it,” he assured her, his lips twisting in a wry grin. “It’s just that, well, you kind of stole my thunder.”
“What?
“Funny story. My plan was to give you a ring tonight, along with a proposal.”
Sandy’s eyes went wide. “Really?”
“Really. But I left things until the last minute and didn’t get a chance to pick it up from Mueller’s before the storm hit.”
Sandy launched herself at him, knocking him back against the bed. She straddled his midsection and cuppe
d his face with both hands. “You were going to ask me to marry you?”
He nodded.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Ask me!”
“It doesn’t seem right without the ring.”
“Oh. Oh!” Sandy scrambled off him and reached for the bag, extracting a second, smaller bag tied up with a pink ribbon. “Anna said to give this to you when I was in there picking up your ring. She was afraid you might not make it down before the storm.”
Heff took the bag and opened it. Sure enough, it contained the custom engagement ring he’d had made for her. He had many questions, but there was only one that mattered.
He got out of bed, walked around to the other side, and, fully naked, went down on bended knee.
“Cassandra Summers, will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry my sorry ass?”
She laughed and held out her left hand for him to slip the ring on her finger. “I most certainly will.”
He rose and pressed her back against the bed, sealing their engagement with a passionate kiss.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I’ve got one more thing to give you.”
“What else could you possibly give me?”
She bit her lip. “It’s another ring.”
“Another ring?”
Her eyes glittered. “Yes. But this one doesn’t go on your finger.”
Heff tossed back his head and laughed.
Best Valentine’s ever.
A Note From The Author
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Cut Above The Rest
Alley Ciz
