Cupid to the Rescue: A Tail-Wagging Valentine's Day Anthology

by Lisa Mondello

  “Really? We both earn a decent living.”

  True enough, but… “Let’s put it another way,” she said. “I don’t want to pay out that much money in rent with no investment behind it. It’s like throwing money into the wind.”

  “Maybe we can figure something out with Lila. Don’t worry about it. C’mon, I’m hungry.”

  “Fill his stomach and he’s good to go,” she teased. “If only every problem was so easily solved.”

  #

  “A final word to the wise, Kathy. The company wants everyone full-time in the very near future. No one will be thirty hours anymore. I advise you to consider that while you think about what I asked you. It’s a great opportunity. Let me know by tomorrow.”

  “I will, Elizabeth. Thank you.”

  What else could she say? Kathy looked at the phone, placed it on the table, and just sat still, reeling from her conversation with her boss. She was flattered, of course. Elizabeth had just offered Kathy not only a promotion to supervising the projects of newer employees, but a raise in salary, which was not insignificant.

  Jumping from her chair, she started her usual pacing and calculating the plusses and minuses. A load of plusses. Challenging work, more money, nice people who spoke the same language as she. Accepting it should have been a no-brainer. It would have been under normal circumstances.

  But when would she have time to write? She’d worked so hard on this second career. Even defied her family by moving away to make this dream of hers come true. She’d been on her own since college, making her way, paying her bills. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. She believed that mantra—right until now. Now she wasn’t sure about anything except that it was her decision, not Brandon’s. She had to be rational. After investing time and energy to establish an independent life, how could she choose writing and allow herself to be dependent on Bran? Not fair to him. She wanted a loving relationship of equals.

  She walked to the kitchen window and stared at the ocean next door. On this sunny day, the waves sparkled with diamond peaks. Over and over, they rose on the horizon and finally crashed to the shore. The longer she continued watching, the calmer she felt. Finally, she nodded. “Nothing stays the same,” she voiced out loud, “except you.”

  Too bad they’d wasted Lila’s time on Saturday. Pilgrim Cove was out of the picture. Worse, so was Dana Moretti in her bright red sweater. Kathy squeezed her eyes closed as a corner of her heart ripped with pain. Bran would be so disappointed. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and allowed herself to grieve.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  When he returned home from Boston on Tuesday afternoon, Brandon glanced at his calendar, picked up the phone, and made a reservation at the Wayside Inn for Friday night. Valentine’s Day. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Looking back, of course, New Year’s Eve had turned out just fine, but this time they’d be celebrating in style. Flowers, dinner, dancing…a great time with the one he loved. And perhaps some friends.

  Whistling for Rocky, he texted Kat to walk the dogs. He had good news, which he hoped would cheer her up. She hadn’t seemed herself yesterday but wouldn’t say why. Maybe just an off day. He was definitely not an expert on women.

  Her smile was back. Lipstick, too.

  He sighed with relief and greeted her with wave and a smile of his own. “Are you up to a jog? These pups look ready to run.”

  “Are you kidding? Let’s go.”

  The beach was barren at that time of day, in that season. Not as appealing to most people, but with a beauty of its own. One day, he’d scratch his itch to capture it on paper or use a camera. He’d never get tired of the seashore. When they eventually slowed down to a walk, he asked, “Aren’t you curious?”

  “Of course I am, but I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.” She glanced at her watch. “As long as it didn’t take more than another ten minutes!”

  There was no one like her. Supergirl. Avenger girl. “Kathy, my love…you are one in a million. Yes, we can celebrate. I now have a new client who wants me to work on several projects that will—and I quote—captivate consumers. Computer and print. Advertisements, brochures, logos. A retail operation. Good for our bottom line.”

  “Wonderful, Bran. You must have wowed them. I’m happy for you.”

  “And by the way, taking the ferry was a hoot.”

  “I can just imagine. No traffic all the way to Boston.” A quick smile that faded just as quickly.

  His instincts kicked in again. Something was off. And not just a bad day.

  “Okay, Katarina. Are you going to tell me what’s going on? You’re not yourself.”

  He watched as she stopped walking and stared at the Atlantic before reaching for his hand.

  “I’ve got some news, too.”

  Her sadness, her voice. “Oh, God, Kat. Are you sick? Is someone ill? Your mom? Nonna?”

  She jumped as though pulled by marionette strings. “No, no. Nothing like that. I’m sorry. Boy, I really must sound awful to scare you that way.”

  “Now that I can breathe again, talk to me.”

  “Well, things are changing at Mass Life. I accepted a promotion today—full-time, part of management.” She pivoted to face him. “I’m so sorry, Bran. This…this Pilgrim Cove thing isn’t going to work out. I have to be in Boston every day.”

  “So?”

  “So?” she repeated and couldn’t have looked more astonished.

  He touched his forehead to hers. “We’re a team, Katarina. Did you think I’d choose the beach over you?”

  “I-I didn’t think of that, only of how disappointed you’d be. I was surprised that Lila was somewhat encouraging on Saturday and…you looked so happy.” She stepped back. “I just can’t figure out how to fix this! How to fix anything this time.” She inhaled so deeply he heard her. “Especially the Dana stories.”

  Dana. The books she loved writing. There lay the crux of all this. “Tell me more.” Which was exactly a prompt he used with clients in order to understand them better.

  She didn’t answer right away, just kept looking at the water, the sky with the incoming clouds, the stretch of beach. “There’s only twenty-four hours in a day,” she said quietly. “How can I do everything? I had it all going so well.”

  “But you can’t control the world, my love. Listen up. We can fix Dana. I’ve got ideas about the timeline, and you’re not killing her off. Aside from that, and more important—” He took a breath, gazed at the sky, then back at Kathy.

  “You know what I think?” he asked, gesturing toward the house, the sand, the ocean, and its distant horizon. “I think we both fell for it. Despite being so smart and savvy.”

  They’d reached the big house and let themselves and the dogs in. She hadn’t said a word since he’d spoken. Until finally, she raised her head. In her eyes, he saw curiosity.

  “You mean, we both fell for all the Bart Quinn magical stuff?”

  “Exactly,” he said with a curt nod. “Oh, we worked hard to convince your folks otherwise. We worked hard to convince ourselves, too. But…I sure wasn’t looking for a relationship when I moved here.”

  “And I just wanted a quiet place to write and work.” She slowly removed her jacket but kept her eyes on him. “Maybe, just maybe, deep inside both of us,” she whispered, “we wanted to believe him. Our very sophisticated selves still wanted the magic, needed a little magic, so we lived in this fantasy.”

  “Yeah…”

  “Until now, when we got shot down.”

  His heart almost stopped. Did she mean they were broken, too? He couldn’t let that happen. “It depends on the real dream, Katarina. Not the fantasy.”

  Her eyes met his immediately. “When you say my true name…it always sounds special.”

  “I love your name in all its guises. I love holding you in my arms, and I love kissing your beautiful mouth. I just love you, period!” His pulse raced; his breath was shallow. He felt as though he’d just run a mile up the beach an
d back again. “Is that enough basis for a dream come true, Katarina? A forever dream of the heart?”

  Her mouth opened and closed. A quizzical but hopeful expression. She coughed. “Are you…”

  He hadn’t planned it. He hadn’t bought a ring. He hadn’t introduced her to his folks. He didn’t care about any of it.

  “I am. I certainly am.”

  She few into his arms. “The answer is yes.”

  “You’re my dream, sweetheart. We’ll just take the magic with us wherever we go and build our lives with it.”

  “Maybe that’s what the old leprechaun with his gift of gab was trying to tell us,” Kathy added. “The magic only begins here, and then…whoosh, we’re on our own.”

  Brandon let his gaze drift around the room until it rested on Rocky. He motioned him over and bent down to rub behind his ears. The dog crooned.

  “Here’s where our magic began,” Brandon said. “A little roadside rescue, which turned into a little family. Can’t ask for more than that.”

  “Amen,” added the woman with the killer smile.

  He rose and took her in his arms, exactly where she belonged.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  They might not have had time to buy the ring yet, but Brandon wasn’t letting Valentine’s Day go to waste. Flowers at home, dinner and dancing at the Wayside Inn. He’d put a call out to the new friends they’d made in town to join them if possible. He’d called a few other folks as well.

  And it seemed the locals all wanted a night out.

  He and Kathy stood in the bar area with Adam and Becca, their first outing in two months.

  “We have a babysitter,” said the new mom. “Sara is insulted, actually. But I couldn’t possibly make her totally responsible.”

  Lila and Jason Parker approached. “We’re getting demerits for deserting the good ship Lobster Pot,” Lila said, “but this was special. We wanted to be here.”

  Brandon shook hands with the man. “Glad to finally meet you. Katie is quite the firecracker.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “Don’t I know it. But there’s hope yet for the younger one!”

  Another couple approached, waving to Lila. “Thanks for including us,” said the slender brunette. “We needed a break, and couldn’t wait to meet the current tenants.”

  Brandon laughed and introduced himself and Kathy.

  “I’m Rachel Levine.” She extended her hand to each of them. “My husband, Jack, and I started out in Sea View House, too. Bart doesn’t miss an opportunity to…let’s see how to say this…to arrange things to his liking.” She nodded. “Yes, indeed, Quinn does meddle. You can read about us in that journal he insisted we write in.”

  “The entries are short, sweet, and…a little sappy,” Jack whispered. “But it makes Bart happy.”

  “Ah, Bart Quinn. He’s here even when in Florida,” said Brandon.

  “He certainly is,” said Lila, turning toward Brandon. “In fact, he reminded me about a possible property for you both. A small bungalow at the end of the bay.”

  Instantly, Kathy’s smile quivered, and Brandon hugged her close. However, his Supergirl forged on. “I’m so sorry, Lila, and very disappointed, but our plans have changed. I’ll be working in Boston full-time starting next month, so…”

  “So, what’s that got to do with the price of bread?” asked the Realtor before turning to the others. “Hey, Jack, Jason,” she called, “tell these people how most of the Cove commutes to Beantown every single day and are never late for work.”

  “She’s right.” A manly chorus.

  “The ferry has an over ninety-nine percent on-time rate. Go compare that to sitting behind the wheel in traffic!” Lila’s blue eyes sparkled like champagne bubbles. A real estate maven who knew her town.

  “I told Kat that the ferry was a fun ride,” said Brandon, “but I never inquired about the year-round service.”

  “Thirty minutes each way,” said Jack. “Every hour and half hour. And you can catch the T a couple of blocks from the wharf if you need it.”

  “Right. I’ve done that already,” said Brandon, as Kathy turned in his arms. With her eyes opened wide, she said, “What do you think?”

  “You tell me,” he said. “You’re the one commuting, so you…”

  “Then I say, let’s look at the house. Let’s try.”

  As he leaned down to kiss her, two more familiar couples caught his eye. “Brace yourself, Kat. My folks just showed up, with my aunt and uncle.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”

  “You had enough on your mind, and I wasn’t sure they’d get here in time tonight anyway.”

  “I heard that,” said the tall man who had to be Brandon’s dad. So similar, it was like seeing a future version of Bran. “Nothing would keep us away from meeting Kathy.” He clapped Brandon on the shoulder, then opened his arms to greet her. “Ralph and Linda have kept us posted, and we’ve been jealous!”

  “Hello, Kathy,” said Brandon’s mom, reaching for a hug. “You’ve made my son a very happy man. So welcome to the family.”

  “That was so easy,” whispered Kathy as she turned to Brandon.

  Ralph laughed a hearty deep sound. “We ROMEOs know how to do it right.”

  Brandon checked the entranceway again. He’d hoped one other couple would show up on this significant evening. And, ah-h…just coming in the door…two familiar faces and…more?

  “Another surprise, Kat,” he whispered. “Take a look who’s walking over.”

  “Oh, my God,” she breathed before running to greet her parents. “What a surprise.” She turned toward her brothers and sister-in-law. “You’re all here.”

  “Of course we’re all here,” said Joey. “We’ve got to check the dude out.”

  Her two other brothers stood on either side of Joe. Jennifer shrugged in a what can I do? sort of way.

  “Did you think you could just decide to marry someone without us knowing him?” added Nicky.

  Kathy seemed overwhelmed. Brandon gently urged her toward him and turned to her brothers. “You will have a lifetime to check me out, bros. Our door will always be open to you and the entire family. I’m not going anywhere without her.”

  “This is all too funny,” said Kathy. “I came to Pilgrim Cove to get away from family for a while. And now the family’s doubled in size! And I’m happy about it.” She searched each one. “If Nonna were here, this party would be perfect.”

  Marie handed her a cell phone. “FaceTime, sweetheart. Say hello.”

  Kathy grabbed the phone from her mom. “Nonna! It’s good to see you, even on a small screen. You’re going to love Brandon. I fell head over heels in no time.”

  “When it’s the right person, my Katarina, that’s what happens. Like your grandfather and me. Now let me see this man of yours.”

  Brandon took the phone and looked into the face of a grandmother every child should know. A face of love.

  “Hi, Nonna. I’m so happy to finally meet you. Katarina talks about you all the time, and I want you to know how blessed I feel to have found her.”

  “Now that makes me feel better. My granddaughter lives in my heart, Brandon. Her happiness is everything to me. So love each other. Be kind to each other. Support each other. Make sure she’s picked the right man.”

  The woman packed a verbal punch, but she got to the heart of the matter.

  “You won’t be disappointed, Nonna. I promise you that.” He looked at the crowd and spoke into the phone. “Can you stay on the line another minute. We’re going to make a toast.”

  “I have my wine right here, young man. And so do Bart and Honey.”

  Brandon chuckled as he lifted his arm. “Attention everyone, please. Glasses up as I propose a toast to my most loving, beautiful, intelligent, brave, dog-loving bride-to-be, and to all of you, the friends we made here and to our families, who appreciated a night out with the ones they love.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!”

  �
�� ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  SEA VIEW HOUSE JOURNAL

  Pilgrim Cove Series

  From Laura McCloud – I arrived at Sea View House in March, looking for a place to catch my breath and get on with life. I’d just lost my mom and completed my own breast cancer treatment, one event right after the other. The first person I met in Pilgrim Cove, besides Bart Quinn, was Matt Parker. And the first part of him I saw was his jeans and work boots, sticking out from beneath my kitchen sink. “Hand me the wrench,” he said, thinking I was his son. How could I have known then that living in this House on the Beach would forever change my life? Bart says it’s a magical place. I’m not arguing.…

  From Shelley Anderson Stone – The children and I arrived at Sea View House on Memorial Day weekend. Divorce hurts everybody, and we all needed time to recover. Bart Quinn had given us the large apartment downstairs called The Captain’s Quarters. I had no idea that Daniel Stone would be living upstairs in the Crow’s Nest, dealing with his own grief. I also had no idea he would rock my world—in the very best of ways—and that we’d provide each other with a second chance at love. Looking back, I can say that season was No Ordinary Summer for any of us….

  From Daniel Stone – Read Shelley’s account. Here’s my P.S. – if there’s any magic at all, it was provided by Jesse, my golden retriever. Two little kids and a golden? Pure magic.

  From Rachel Goodman Levine – Like a prodigal daughter, I returned to my hometown of Pilgrim Cove in the fall, trying to prove myself as an assistant principal of the high school. Instead of living with my folks, I landed at Sea View House. I wasn’t alone there. Thank you, Bart Quinn! Marine biologist Jack Levine had settled into the Crow’s Nest. My initial delight turned to dismay when Jack joined my teaching staff, breaking all the rules with his unorthodox methods. And getting me into trouble. It was then the magic happened. The discovery. The love. Somehow, we Reluctant Housemates are now housemates forever right here in Pilgrim Cove….