Love's in the Cards

by Becky Lower

  Penny secretly figured they’d be eating leftovers for weeks, but Abbey’s eyes sparkled as she bounced from one foot to the other. Penny grinned at her sister’s enthusiasm. “Get the back door unlocked, and let’s start hauling this stuff inside before we get mugged by a horde of hungry teenagers.”

  Abbey laughed. “Relax, Sis. This will be a fun day, even if nobody comes. We get to meet the man behind the art.”

  Penny loaded her arms with trays and frowned over the mound at Abbey. “Or the woman. You’re the one who keeps reminding me Dale could be female.”

  Abbey shook her head. “No rotten attitudes today, Penny. We’ve sold enough Dale McLintock cards alone in the past few weeks to pay the mortgage on our shop for the next four months. And I have a good feeling about today. Maybe, by day’s end, we won’t have to worry about paying the note for the next year.”

  Once they unloaded the van, they had a pep rally with their staff and positioned the food stations from the back room to the front of the store, turning on lights as they progressed forward. Penny busied herself opening trays of cookies.

  “Penny, come quick up front!” Abbey’s voice broke through the rustling.

  She jogged up to the window and stood alongside her sister. A crowd extended from their door down the Main Street sidewalk, snaking around the corner past Hazeltine’s department store and beyond. Penny couldn’t see where the line ended. The women at the front of the store waved when they caught sight of Abbey and Penny, big smiles on their faces as they pointed to the blow-ups of Dale McLintock’s cards, which were now in every window.

  Penny found it hard to breathe as the line of human bodies shifted and moved when more joined the line. “Holy tamales, Abbey. Who is this guy? How can he attract such a crowd? Where did they all come from? You don’t think they drove all the way up from Portland, do you? We don’t even open for another thirty minutes. We’re not selling smart-phones, only Christmas cards. How will we ever get Hans and Solo out front?”

  Abbey laughed as she bounced from one foot to the other. “I don’t have a clue, but what a delightful problem to have. We’d better order more food trays. And call Betsy to come and provide extra help on the floor.”

  “I’ll take care of things.” Penny turned to stride back to the office in the storeroom then paused. “When does our mystery guest arrive anyway?”

  “Corporate is due here in fifteen.” Abbey clapped her hands. “Let’s get moving.”

  The next several minutes flew by in a flash. They lit pine-scented candles and sprayed the air with a holiday scent to enhance the fresh pine branches strategically placed around the shop. Hans and Solo were muscled outside, to stand guard at the door.

  “Just a few more minutes, ladies,” Abbey spoke to the crowd as she positioned the nutcrackers on either side of the door and then hurried back inside. Christmas music cascaded into the room from the built-in sound system they had installed when they first took over the store. The knocking on the back door happened way too soon.

  The regional manager from Baxter Greetings ushered in a tall, blond man, and Abbey and Penny joined them, forming a tight little group at the rear of the shop as introductions were made, and they shook hands.

  “Nice crowd out front, you two,” the manager, Larry, said as he nodded his head toward the front of the store and the long line. “You’ve done a great job of promoting this event. Shall we get started?”

  Penny moistened her lips and glanced again at the artist of the day. Dale McLintock. Definitely male. Definitely handsome. She had a niggling feeling she’d seen him before. Could she sort out the puzzle by day’s end? Why did he keep staring right at her? She might love reading mysteries, but she hated being part of one.

  Chapter Three

  The only way to describe the experience was he had landed in the twilight zone. Third grade memories came rushing back. Del Madison’s mouth suddenly dried when he stood next to Penny, the girl he’d had a crush on since kindergarten, long before he became Dale McLintock. For years, he’d harbored a raging case of puppy love, but she never had any idea of his affection.

  His family had relocated to another school district the summer between third and fourth grade, and he ran into her only infrequently after that. But he’d never forgotten her. And here, in the flesh, fully grown, she put his childhood memories to shame. He shook his head to clear the image of himself as a bashful little boy with a severe crew cut. This could be fun. He wanted to bowl her over. “You still haven’t figured this out, have you?” Del asked in a deep voice.

  Penny quickly glanced his way. “Figured what out?”

  He gestured down the front of his body. “Who I am. Why I decided, out of all the stores in the country, to appear at this one.”

  Her forehead wrinkled. Penny’s gaze snapped from Dale McLintock to Abbey, who stood by Larry, with a blank look on her face and a shrug of her shoulders.

  Larry’s lips were sealed, but they formed a huge grin.

  Del smiled at both sisters.

  Penny narrowed her eyes as she stared at the artist. “The way I read the letter from corporate, a random draw took place, and our little store won. We had no idea you had asked for us specifically, and we couldn’t get any more details when we called. Do we know each other?”

  Del’s smile widened into a grin, which he flashed first at Abbey and then to Penny. “Will me referring to you two as the Beatle Sisters help at all? Penny Lane and Abbey Road Beedle.”

  Penny gasped. “We haven’t been tortured by that horrid nickname since we graduated high school.” She raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  His grin faded as he took her hand. The lightness in his chest didn’t betray the effect she had on him. No sweaty palms, no shaking limbs. All good so far. And until he could figure out her story, he’d keep the knowledge of his attraction to himself. “Yep, I’m a blast from your past. Let me paint a scene in your head. Close your eyes for a second, okay?”

  ****

  Penny cast a wary glance in his direction. He certainly wouldn’t do anything strange in front of witnesses, would he? Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and focused on his warm hand in hers.

  “Okay, you’re in kindergarten. After lunch comes naptime, and you’ve spread your towel on the floor and stretched out. A little blond boy with a crew cut positions himself at your feet, and he spends the entire time drawing with a purple crayon on the soles of your shoes. When naptime ends, you check out your shoe bottoms and get very angry.”

  The scenario he relayed flooded her with memories, and her pulse kicked up a notch. Penny’s eyes popped open. “Delbert?”

  Del’s eyes danced merrily. “Hello, Penny Lane. And no one’s called me Delbert since I learned how to throw a punch. I’m Del now.”

  Butterflies danced a merry minuet in Penny’s stomach, and she became lightheaded. She put a hand to her brow. Delbert, my schoolgirl crush, here in the flesh. Criminy!

  Abbey clapped her hands together. “Okay, old home week is complete. Let’s get this party started. Penny, why don’t you take our guest to his table and get him settled? I’ll take care of opening the door and greeting people, if the raging mob doesn’t mow me down.”

  Del put his hand on Penny’s arm, and whispered, “I’m not sure about you, but I won’t be settled at all today. I’m so happy to see you again.”

  As she led Del from the back room, Penny struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She should say something, instead of staring with her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She couldn’t come up with anything witty. He smelled too good, a fresh scent with a hint of musk. Could she say that? Del had definitely grown up. He had become a tall, lean, striking man with a head full of blond hair. To top it off, he had piercing blue eyes that glimmered when he glanced in her direction. Which he did a lot. His gaze made her feel all tingly inside. In third grade, he’d stolen a kiss. Recalling his hard and clumsy attempt, she wondered if he’d gotten any better.

  Where did she even
get such an idea? He probably had married a long time ago—as had most people their age—had a wife and three kids to take care of in some far-off city, with a big mortgage on a house with a white picket fence.

  Del took a seat at the table next to the display of his cards and tugged a permanent marker from his pocket for autographing. Huge mounds of boxed cards were stacked behind him.

  Inhaling a shallow breath, Penny left his side for a moment to put some of the cards on display, but not before she checked the third finger of his left hand. Bare as a farmer’s market in December. Bare as her own finger, which gave her the jitters and made her stomach take a nose dive. She hadn’t mastered witty banter any more now than when they were kids, so she said nothing. She’d entered another dimension—the third grade all over again, with her tongue-tied self staring at a little boy who’d just kissed her. Except now she had a clue where an innocent kiss could lead.

  Her gaze dipped from his bluer-than-blue eyes to his lips. They didn’t appear innocent at all. Not anymore, anyway. She brushed her hand down her blouse and sighed softly. Today would be a long day. Or not long enough. Right now, she couldn’t decide.

  Chapter Four

  At the end of the day, Penny plopped heavily into a seat at her desk in the back room, and she emitted a heartfelt sigh. “Gosh, I’m tired,” she mumbled to Abbey. Del and Larry, the district manager, had left hours before, but despite Del’s departure, the store had remained extremely busy all day. “I’ve been on my feet without a break since nine o’clock.”

  Abbey grinned. “Yeah, but your feet about slid out from under you once you figured out the true identity of our guest.”

  Cheeks heating at Abbey’s comment, Penny stared across the table. “You swear you had no idea of the man behind Dale McLintock either?”

  Abbey shook her head. “When our store got selected, I asked what the magic bullet had been. They said the artist had handpicked us, for some reason. So, I figured one of two things—either corporate had chosen us because we were so close to their headquarters, or the artist must be friends with one of us. But I had no idea we were about to entertain dear Delbert, your grade-school crush.”

  Penny jumped to her tired feet again and began pacing. “So we were both floored.”

  “And see what your connection to him has done for our bottom line!” Abbey waved a handful of dollars in the air. “The best day in the history of our store! Every boxed set and almost all his line of individual cards sold out today, plus all the extras Larry had stashed in his car. And someone even paid for one of the over-sized cards in the window, as long as Del autographed his work. Huzzah!”

  Penny’s pacing ramped up a notch. “Okay, so I admit, having him here worked to our advantage. We sold a boatload of merchandise today, and not only Del’s cards. I’ll worry about replenishing everything in the morning. All I’m interested in now is going home to wind down, put on my bunny slippers, and sit with Dixie in my recliner.”

  Abbey grinned with her tongue firmly planted in one cheek. “You’ll have to wait a bit longer to spend quality time with your little doggie, my dear, since we offered to take our guest to dinner. He has graciously accepted.”

  “We did what?” Penny’s butterflies returned. But this time they weren’t gentle, tiny ones doing a lovely dance. They were prehistoric monsters.

  “Oh, come on.” Abbey finished the bank deposit and placed the day’s earnings and the deposit slip in the pouch, which she zipped close. “Don’t tell me you’re not curious about what Del’s been up to since third grade. You never had any dealings with each other after then. Do I have the details right?”

  Penny stopped pacing and fell into her chair again. “I don’t dispute any of what you are saying. Except for the ‘not seeing him’ part. We did run into each other at the Senior Prom and at a couple of football games. But he was with someone else and I had my own date, so we didn’t do more than say hello. Do you have any more info?”

  Abbey threw her an appraising glance. “So, you admit you’re curious?”

  “Yes, of course.” Penny rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “Did you see him? He’s one hot specimen. Spill.” More than hot. The little boy with his military-style crew cut had turned into a man who made her insides spark like she had a live electric wire inside her every time he glanced her way.

  Remaining silent, Abbey carefully placed the bank bag and the cash drawer in the safe and spun the lock.

  Penny drummed her fingers on the table. “Quit dragging this out, Abbey. I didn’t see a ring on his finger, but guys are more cavalier about wearing one than women. Did you find out if he’s married?”

  “My, my, cutting right to the chase, aren’t we?” Abbey’s lips curled into a smile. “So you checked his hand for a ring? And you didn’t ask for more info when you perused a naked finger? You were the one who helicoptered over him the entire time.”

  “Heli…helicoptered?” Penny stumbled over the word. “You assigned me the task of getting him settled.”

  Abbey’s eyes lowered, and she dipped her chin as she clasped her hands together. “I’d say you did a fine job, too. He dragged his feet leaving, which is why I invited him to dinner. And then, after he left, I did a quick Internet search. Does the name Sandra Shockey ring a bell?”

  As if she’d been slapped across the face, Penny recoiled. “You mean, doubleD by age fifteen Sandra Shockey? The head cheerleader and homecoming queen without a brain in her head?”

  “The very same.” Abbey’s head bobbed up and down.

  Penny glanced uneasily at her sister. Her fingers curled around the edge of the metal desk. “Please don’t tell me he’s married to her. Don’t destroy what little faith I have left in the male population.”

  Abbey bounced the eraser of a pencil against her cheek as she reviewed her web search findings. “Evidently, the eighteen-year-old version of Del Madison became quite impressed with her double-Ds. They married right out of high school and divorced six months later.”

  Penny let out the breath she’d been holding since Sandra’s name came up. “So that’s when he started art school?”

  Abbey nodded. “Yep. And being married to Sandra for even six months must have scared him away from trying again. He’s been single ever since. After school, he relocated to New York, worked for an advertising agency for a while, then started showing his work in small galleries under his alter ego, Dale McLintock, and developed a huge cult following. Here, feast your eyes on some of these brochures I printed.” She slid several glossy invitations across the table.

  Each contained a piece of Del’s art on the front, with details inside about the show and the artist’s sketchy bio. Penny felt immediately drawn to one of the paintings. Dark swirls of color with highlights running through the swath of brown framed the outside of the painting. The picture reminded her of a woman’s hair after a costly professional treatment. Two large circles of clear blue appeared in the middle, with sparklers of silver emanating from the blue. Never a fan of abstract art, she begrudgingly admitted this particular painting captivated her. She fingered the glossy piece as she sat quietly, reminiscing about the man who created such beauty.

  Abbey picked up all the printed information on Del. She pried the invitation out of Penny’s hands and stood, replacing the file folder in the cabinet. “So, you’re both single and unencumbered. Run home and let your little dog out for a potty break. Then suck it up, Buttercup, and change into something pretty. We’re meeting Del in twenty minutes at Maggie’s Diner. I’m sure dinner will be a blast.”

  ****

  Del had to be pried out of the Beedle sisters’ card shop today. He would have preferred to spend the entire day there, helping to charm the ladies and the occasional men who were in the store out of their shopping dollars. And to charm Penny Beedle, his real reason for being there in the first place.

  The sisters put together an interesting assortment of merchandise. From his seat in the back of the store, he saw metal and wood figuri
nes, small stuffed animals, beautiful journals and recipe card notebooks, designer handbags, some nautical merchandise expected in a coastal tourist town, and a whole lot more. The greeting cards were the main reason for the store’s existence, but the other merchandise showed the creativity and personality of the two sisters. Even those gaudy, six-foot-tall plastic nutcrackers flanking the entrance were fun.

  However, Baxter Greetings wanted him back at their massive headquarters in Portland for a photo shoot. Even though the timing was too late to change things for the Valentine’s Day merchandise, now that his persona had been publicly unveiled, the company needed to use his headshot when they put together the signage for the Mother’s and Father’s Day series of cards also under contract. So, he suffered through hair and makeup first, and then had to face the bright lights of the camera.

  At least he didn’t have to talk or engage with others while all this activity buzzed around him. Even though he had enjoyed the banter with Larry during the drive from Portland to Lobster Cove and back again, he wanted to be alone and think about his day. He now savored his time spent with Penny that morning, mentally reliving each little detail, how she’d hovered over him, making certain he had everything he needed, seeing to his comfort. She’d filled out since their gawky high-school days and now had a nice, shapely body. He caught a glimpse of her cute bottom when she bent over to get more boxes of cards to autograph. His heartbeat sped, a reaction he’d not had for any woman in quite some time.

  When she leaned over the desk where he sat to put more merchandise close, he had caught a whiff of her scent—a mix of floral with a hint of musk. The smell reminded him of a sea rose, the kind his mother had tended during his formative years, and he inhaled deeply. The scent conjured memories of comfort, stability, fresh bread cooling on the windowsill—all the things he hoped to recapture by buying his parents’ old home and putting his own stamp on the aging Victorian. He hoped the hardy roses were still in the yard. And he hoped Penny could be part of his future.