A Valentine's Quest (The Valentine's Trilogy)

by Sam E. Kraemer

  Derek was skeptical about her change of direction, but I told him I believed it was her way of trying to make up for her lack of judgment when it came to his aunt and uncle and the charade she was going to try to force us to pull off in order for her to save face. I told him she must have seen the error of her ways and he should be grateful. I hoped to fuck I was close to right.

  "This is a sweet potato casserole, Cody. Ever had it?" I asked as I continued to peel the baked sweet potatoes. I'd already made a few appetizers, not exactly sure how many people Addy was bringing along with her ham, though she’d said her brother, Blue, and his wife, Sara, had made other plans.

  Derek was at the store with QJ and Marie. Little Michael, however, was basically guarding the Christmas tree. I had no idea why, but he looked awfully cute sitting on the floor with some blocks as he watched all of us walk by the tree, giving each of us a glare if we lingered too long.

  "Nope. Is it sweet or savory?" Cody asked. He was a funny kid and I wanted to get to know him better.

  "I'd say it's sweet. How do you know about sweet and savory?" I asked.

  Cody giggled. "I watched TV with Momma while she was in bed all the time. She likes to watch cooking shows. We like the guy from the diners and drive-ins."

  I knew the show, and I tended to agree. "Yeah, I like him, too. This has sweet potatoes, brown sugar, a little molasses, Worcestershire sauce, some salt, butter, and eventually, some marshmallows. I'll put it in the oven to cook for a while right now, and just before we sit down to eat, I’ll add the marshmallows so they can brown a little.

  "Is there something you’d like to have? Maybe you could help me make it," I offered Cody, who gave me a sweet smile in return.

  As the Tucker kids went, QJ was a cocky pre-teen, and he seemed to try to maintain an independence from his family. I remembered trying to be that kid. I wasn't very successful at it, but he seemed to be doing okay.

  Marie was a confident, young woman, and I had no doubt she'd be her own girl as she grew up. She did, however, love her family and wanted to be involved in everything going on with her brother’s. She had her mother’s protective, nurturing genes, as witnessed by how she took care of her little brothers.

  Michael was a beautiful boy with some challenges, but he was growing and making progress every day. Miri and Tom were paying for his continued therapy, and he was coming along by leaps and bounds.

  Cody, however, was sort of a mystery to me. He was a quiet, yet amicable kid regarding his siblings, but he wasn't one to try to outshine them. He wasn’t one to really step into the spotlight in the family, and I had a sense he kinda got lost in the mix. He and Marie were the middles, but she was the only girl before the twins. I had a feeling Cody was the one who nobody worried about because he got by on his own. That was what got my attention.

  He closed his eyes and put his index finger on his forehead as if he was trying to push it into his brain. I watched him, trying to keep from laughing. Finally, he opened his eyes and smiled. "Do you like Brussel sprouts? I saw that guy cook 'em with pancetta and onion. Do we have pancetta?"

  I laughed. "No, but you can send a text to Derek and tell him what to bring from the store."

  Cody nodded, so I handed him my phone after I brought up a text window for Derek. "If you need help with spelling, let me know," I suggested. He tapped out a message and handed me the phone.

  Uncle D-we need Brussel sprouts, Spanish onions, and pancetta to make a dish for dinner. Thx.

  I took the phone and smiled at him. "Good job. You wanna go check on Michael? Why's he sitting in front of the tree like that?"

  Cody giggled a little. "We watched the Grinch movie last night, and he says nobody's takin' the tree we put up with Daddy and Momma. He said he's gonna watch it until tomorrow morning. He wants the girls to see the tree because it's their first Christmas," Cody explained.

  I damn near cried at his words. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard in my life. I knew in my heart those little girls would be loved by every member of the family, and I was happy to witness it and be a part of it as a godfather.

  My phone chimed, catching my attention and giving me the opportunity to get my emotions in check so I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of Cody. I opened the text from Derek and smiled.

  Uncle D? I'd prefer Daddy, but we got your ingredients. Anything else? We're about to leave and the store's gonna close. Love you. Daddy D : )

  I laughed and responded.

  That message was from Cody, but if you wanna be my Daddy, I've got some ideas. Thanks for getting the Brussel sprouts. Cody's gonna show me how to make them. Luv U 2. G

  I slipped the phone into my pocket and went back to what I was doing. Well, not exactly because the potatoes were ready for the oven, but it wasn't time yet. I washed my hands and turned to Cody.

  "So, tell me a little bit about yourself," I requested as I dried my hands on the dishtowel over my shoulder.

  "Whatcha mean?" he asked as he swung his legs, sitting on a stool at the counter.

  "Well, what are you studying in school?" I asked, lamely. Hell, I was embarrassing myself in front of a seven-year-old.

  Cody smiled. "I'm studying the same stuff like every other kid in third grade. I'll be eight in March."

  I nodded. "We should make a dessert. Any ideas?" I asked.

  He went to the refrigerator and pulled out a roll of chocolate chip cookies. "Momma and me was gonna make these today so the house smelled like Christmas. Daddy loves cookies but Momma didn't think she could be outta bed long enough to make the usual kind," he explained.

  I went scrounging through the fridge and cabinets, knowing Marisol likely made cookies from scratch. It was sweet she had the dough on hand so Quinn could have his Christmas memories, but I could make them from scratch as well. I'd been baking them for years because they were Gerry's favorite when he was a kid. I sent up a silent prayer of thanks to him because I was sure he was guiding me on the path to make the holidays good for the Tucker kids.

  I turned to Cody and grinned. "Go put on an old t-shirt. You look spiffy, but we need to make cookies for your mom and dad, and we're gonna make the old-fashioned kind. I need you to see if you can get Michael to come help us. Uncle Derek should be home soon, so we need to get underway," I explained.

  That smile…man, the kid was amazing. He hurried into the living room. "Michael, let's go change into old shirts so we can help Uncle Gray make Daddy's cookies. We can have them ready when they come home with the babies," Cody explained.

  I heard scrambling from the living room, so I got busy retrieving the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, ever thankful Marisol kept a well-stocked kitchen. When the boys came back, Cody helped Michael up to sit on the counter while he took the stool. I looked at the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag and turned to my helpers.

  "Okay, men, do you know if your mom put anything special in the cookies? Nuts or raisins maybe?"

  Cody hopped down from the stool and scooted it over to the cabinets. He opened one and looked through the spices on the shelves. I didn't walk over to help because I was holding onto Michael so he didn’t jump down. "Tell me what you're looking for," I suggested.

  "It starts with a 'c', but I don't remember what it's called," he responded.

  I picked up Michael and walked over to the cabinet, sorting until I found what I was looking for, offering him the cinnamon. "Is that it?"

  He twisted off the cap and sniffed before he turned to me and shook his head. "Nope. That's not it."

  That piqued my curiosity. I went through the spice racks and pulled out every spice or herb that started with a 'c'. We worked through them with various facial contortions by Cody, and I laughed a little sometimes because coriander and celery salt seemed to offend his sense of smell.

  I picked up the jar of cayenne pepper and sniffed it, feeling a little burn in my nose. I handed it to him. "Is this it?"

  He sniffed a little and scraped his index finger over the
top of the cap, popping his finger in his mouth. "That's it, Uncle Gray! That's what she adds!" he exclaimed, happiness on his cute face.

  Just then, the front door opened, and I heard arguing so I placed Michael on the counter. "Hold onto your brother," I told Cody as I walked into the hallway, seeing QJ and Marie in a heated battle over something.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  Derek sighed. "They told me we should buy a cake because Mari hadn't made cookies. I told them we'd be fine without sweets." I could see my man was a bit distraught because he didn’t like to disappoint, and likely, they’d come up with the idea as they were in the checkout line.

  Thankfully, the problem was solved. "I think we've broken down Mari's recipe for cookies, so it’s covered. Let's all put the groceries away. Cody, Mikey and I are about to make Quinn's favorite cookies so he can have his holiday smells when he brings the rest of the family home." Everyone cheered as Derek hugged me, letting out a distraught sigh.

  The older kids went to change into old shirts so they didn't mess up their Christmas clothes. They'd put on their best for when the family came home, but we had a few hours, and we had a lot of things to do in the meantime. I was looking forward to every second.

  ##

  Two hours later, the stereo was blaring Christmas music and we'd finished baking cookies. We'd actually danced with the kids in the living room between batches, and when Derek's phone chimed, he sent the kids to get changed back into their nice clothes.

  I cleaned up the mess from the cookies and went back to making the sides. Cody came back and instructed me how to make the Brussel sprouts, and as the pancetta sautéed, I worried maybe I'd done too much. The bell rang and the door opened without waiting.

  Addy Valentine marched into the kitchen with Rick behind her carrying a ham. Cara followed with a bowl of what looked to be a fruit salad…ambrosia if memory served me. It was whipped cream, fruit, and whatever else, and I could see poor Cara was carrying it far from her nose so as not to barf.

  "Miss Addy, thank you for bringing the ham. I've got a few sides I need to finish. Have you heard from Miri? Do you know when Quinn and Mari will be home?" I asked as I stirred the pancetta.

  "Put the onions in now," Cody whispered from his stool next to me. He'd told me how to chop them, so I did as he insisted.

  "What's that?" Addy asked as she moved her nose up and down before scowling at me.

  "Brussel sprouts with onions and pancetta," I explained as Cody carefully chopped the Brussel sprouts in half with a ceramic knife Mari had in the drawer. It made me smile because he appeared quite adept at it, and when I felt the blade and determined it wouldn’t cut the skin if his little finger got in the way, my heart warmed. He told me it was the knife he used when he helped his momma cook. Marisol clearly tried to cater to each child, individually, and I was in awe.

  "Really? Who likes Brussel sprouts," Addy asked.

  Cody turned and smiled at her. "Momma and me do, and Uncle Gray made them for us. When will they be home?" he reminded.

  The front door opened, and Quinn came in with Marisol in his arms, both smiling. There were squeals before it got quiet. "Where are the babies?" Marie asked when she saw no one else was coming in behind with the newest members of the Tucker family.

  Quinn carried Mari to a seat on the couch and instructed the kids to be careful with her. I was shocked she was out of the hospital. Hell, she'd had two babies not many hours prior, so in my mind, she should still be in bed. Of course, I didn’t have the mother’s instincts as someone like Marisol.

  She stared at her other four children and smiled. "Your sisters are still at the hospital, and Daddy has to take me back in a little while,” she answered before Quinn broke in.

  “Mommy wanted to be here with you for Christmas because she missed you. Come give her hugs, but be gentle," he instructed, waving over QJ and Marie just as Miriam and Tom came inside, carrying desserts.

  I went back to the kitchen to finish up the sides for dinner and allow the family their private time. Miri and Addy came in to help me get dinner on the table, and everyone praised the food. After we finished eating and the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids wanted to open gifts. I was surprised they’d lasted that long.

  Marisol slowly stood from her place on the couch and motioned for Quinn, Rick, and Derek to follow her. They went down the hall and came back with four gifts. "These are the gifts from Daddy and me. Santa agreed to wait until your sisters are home to deliver the rest of your gifts. Okay?" she asked as she looked at her children.

  QJ picked up Michael and motioned for Marie and Cody to follow him. They were gone for a few minutes, and then when they returned, they handed a box to their parents. "Open it, please?" Marie requested.

  Mari and Quinn opened the box and pulled out a large, collage picture frame. There were pictures of each of the kids with and without their parents. There were two blank spaces in it, and QJ pointed them out. "Those are for Tina and Nita. We wanted to make sure there was a place for all of us. We don't want them to be left out. I mean, I'm a lot older than them, but I want the story of our family told in this frame," he explained eloquently.

  I felt Derek's arms wrap around me as we stood off to the side watching the family interact. He leaned forward and kissed my neck. "I love you, Gray Carson. You're amazing." I wasn't sure what I'd done, but I was happy to hear his kind words.

  Cara walked over to me and took my hand, holding it over her small tummy. "So, you'll be okay with a baby in late summer?" she asked.

  I hugged her tightly. "I'll be fine with a baby in late summer, Sissy." If it was God's will, I was grateful. Life was full of surprises, and I welcomed every one of them.

  Seventeen

  Gray

  I was becoming fucking paranoid, I was certain. I constantly felt like someone was watching me when I was at work or at the stores in the neighborhood, and a few times, I’d caught a shadow out of the corner of my eye as it hurried away.

  I could have sworn it was David O’Shane because that red hair was hard to miss, but I could never get a good enough glimpse to justify my feelings, so I wrote it off to paranoid stupidity and went about my days.

  As I sat in the library that morning, I felt the feeling sweep over me again, and I was tired of it. I glanced around the room and saw no one looking at me, which pissed me off. I went back to my book and got lost in it again when I felt a presence next to me.

  "You're Gray Carson, right?" I glanced up to see a really good-looking guy with bleached-blonde hair standing at the library table where I'd spread my books to study for mid-terms. It was the last week of February, and I had four midterms the next week so I was studying my ass off, trying to disregard the distractions, though it wasn’t easy.

  "Yeah. May I help you?" I asked as I glanced around again.

  Without waiting for an invitation, the guy pulled out a chair and sat down. "I'm Ethan Glass. I believe you had Psych 101 with my twin sister, Emily, last semester. She told me you were one of the smartest guys she'd ever met, and I was wondering if you happened to keep any of your notes. Hamilton is a prick of a professor, and as I’ve come to learn, he doesn’t care much for me.

  “I looked over Em's notes, but she's as bad as me with regard to being coherent, forget her fucking penmanship. When I bitched at her, she suggested maybe you'd let me copy yours as a study guide. I'd offer to pay for them, but I think that goes against student ethics or some shit. So instead, I'd like to take you to dinner in exchange for the favor," he offered.

  Emily Glass was a very pretty girl. She was a brunette of about five-three, and as my straight friends would say, the girl was stacked. She had big tits, a small waist, and a nice, bubble butt even a gay boy could appreciate. She was very friendly without coming across as a whore, and she had an easy smile and quick wit. I'd been assigned a group project with her, and we got along well, such that we'd even studied together for finals. She’d never mentioned she had a twin brother.

  Ethan Gla
ss, as cute as he was, looked nothing like her. He was taller…about five-six or seven. He had more of a surfer vibe about him, and he still had a great tan in February. He had bright green eyes, and a boyish face, as I glanced at him.

  He was wearing what appeared to be an Irish Aran-style sweater. It had a half-zip neck, and it was beige, which complimented his features very well. "Well, uh, I know Emily, but she never mentioned a brother. I, uh, I usually don't share my notes, and I don't have them with me anyway," I explained, not sure if I liked him.

  He smiled. "Em probably didn't mention me because she carries a fucking grudge to the end of life. You see, last fall I got the opportunity to defer my freshman year until now. See, we have an uncle who works at a law firm in Dublin, and he offered me an internship for the fall semester.

  “I want to be a lawyer, specializing in international contract law, and my parents thought it would be a great opportunity for me to gain some insight into it so I could make up my mind regarding whether it was what I really wanted to do. I just started my undergrad at the first of the year, so I'm a little behind, but the experience overseas was worth it," he explained with a face-splitting grin.

  I chuckled. "I’d bet. Explains the sweater."

  He looked down at it and then looked at me with a smirk. "Christmas gift from my ex. We went to the French Riviera for the holidays before I left to come back to the States. We parted on good terms, though. Chris was studying to be a barrister and worked part-time at the firm, planning to transfer to the firm's branch office in Australia eventually. So, about the notes?"

  I observed him closely, wondering if he was gay or straight. He hadn't really hit on me so I had no reason to believe him to be gay, and he seemed to be pleasant enough so I decided to help him out. "Meet me here at five-thirty. We can go to my place and I'll give you the notes. Just get them back to me later in the week. You don't have to buy me dinner," I told him.