Her Valentine Hero

by Gail Gaymer Martin

  After ringing the bell, he waited only a second before the door flew open and Neely stood in the lamplight, a smile warming her face. She pushed the door back. “Come in. I’m making Daddy tea. Would you like some?”

  He preferred coffee but he could tolerate tea. “Sure.”

  She nodded as he slipped off his coat and draped it on the doorknob, knowing they were leaving soon.

  When he stepped into the living room, Fred grinned at him from his recliner. “Good to see you, Jon.”

  He looked as if he had something on his mind, but was it only his imagination? “Good to see you, too, Fred.”

  Since Neely had vanished, he settled into an easy chair, assuming she’d be arriving with a piece of cake and mug of tea for him and her dad.

  Something seemed strange, and he realized the TV wasn’t blurting commercials and game shows. Instead soft jazz music swept across the room, subtle yet there. An antsy sensation slid through him.

  “Nice music.” He uttered the words into the air, not knowing if Fred knew jazz from blues from pop rock.

  “I remember when Brubeck and Ahmad Jamal were popular. Did you ever hear Jamal play blues?” His eyes seemed lost in memory. “It was great.”

  “I’ve heard some. I enjoy blues.” Pleasure spread over Jon, learning something new about Fred. The love of music filled his body, and he eased into the recliner like a man warmed by his wife’s kiss on a cold winter’s day.

  “It warms the soul.”

  Neely stepped through the doorway. “What does?”

  “Blues.” He really saw her for the first time that evening. She’d worn jeans. He grinned. Jeans with a pullover the color of rust. She’d pulled her hair back with a copper-colored clip but a few wispy ends brushed her cheek, and he longed to smooth them away and feel the softness of her skin against his fingers.

  “I like blues and jazz.” She motioned toward the CD player. “Can you help me, Jon?” She beckoned him to follow her into the kitchen.

  “Sure.” Relieved, he rose, gave a nod to Fred and followed her.

  When he came through the doorway, he noticed a tray with mugs and pieces of cake, but he also observed the look in Neely’s face. “What’s up?”

  She glanced away.

  He held his breath.

  “Would you mind not going out tonight? Dad’s been talking about you stopping by, and something’s going on with him. I hate to leave.”

  “Chest pains?” Jon searched her face.

  “No.” She sent him a tender grin. “His spirit, I guess. He’s melancholy, and that’s not like Dad.”

  Jon drew closer and opened his arms. “I’m happy to stay here.” As if she’d heard his wish, he wrapped his arms around her.

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m being silly, I suppose, but I thought maybe we could visit with him a while or—”

  “No reasons necessary.” Now the soft music made sense. “I’ve always enjoyed visiting with your dad and just spending time with you.”

  She tilted her head upward, her eyes searching his as if seeking affirmation that he really meant what he said. Her soft lips tempted him, and he lowered his mouth to hers, drawing in her sweetness. She yielded to the kiss, her head moving slowly as if to the rhythm of the soft melody floating from the living room.

  When she lifted her head, she didn’t look away. Her eyes sought his, and this time, she moved forward to touch his lips again with hers as naturally as a bud opening in spring. He held her tighter, his heart expanding as if wanting to draw hers in. He thanked the Lord for her, for the difficult times and the good ones, allowing him to see the joy of God’s blessing.

  They parted but lingered in their embrace before she smiled. “Do you like cold tea?”

  “For this, I’ll take no tea. Nothing but you.”

  A tinge of pink rose to her cheeks, and she squirmed away. “I like this dating stuff.”

  If it meant kisses like this, he did, too. He pressed his hand to her cheek as she drew back.

  “Anyone for a game of rummy?”

  Her dad’s footsteps sounded near the door, and Jon stepped away as her father came into the kitchen. “How long does it take to make tea?” His gaze drifted from him to Neely as a grin grew on his face. “I know, sometimes things take a long time. And then, they’re ready.”

  Jon chuckled and shook his head. Fred knew more than they did. He grasped her dad’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “You’re a smart man, sir.”

  “Not really. I just use my eyes.” He glanced at Neely a moment. “And my heart.”

  Neely’s face brightened. “You’ve always used your heart, Daddy.” She turned to face Jon. “So does Jon.”

  He didn’t know what to say since thank you didn’t seem a good response to that kind of compliment. He opted for changing the subject. “I’ve always enjoyed rummy. That was one game my parents allowed us to play.”

  “Marion didn’t like games.” He seemed to slip away, his eyes distant.

  Jon waited to see if Neely would respond. She didn’t.

  Fred looked up. “Now that I think of it, Marion didn’t like a lot of things.”

  Neely’s eyes widened, and she flashed a look at Jon, as if questioning her dad, too.

  He decided Neely was right. Something was going on in her dad’s head that neither understood. Although in that fleeting moment, he remembered that Fred had experienced a health scare. Maybe seeing death at his door for those hours made him look at the past with new eyes.

  With everything that had gone on between him and Neely, new eyes seemed what they all needed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Neely ended the call and rose from the edge of her bed, her head pounding with questions. Since she’d admitted her feelings for Jon and verged on shouting it to the world, her father’s recent melancholy and her sister’s resent vicissitude had thrown her happiness into the shadows. Nothing made sense anymore.

  Since Erik came into Ashley’s life, her sister had presented an upbeat attitude, but beneath it, Neely sensed something wrong. When she’d telephoned a few moments ago, Ashley had slipped and admitted that Erik had stood her up again with a promise to take Joey to a puppet show at the library. Neely recognized another avoidance tactic she attributed to Erik.

  Trying to cover her disappointment, Ashley had defended Erik as she often did. “If Adam hadn’t died, he would have offered Joey every opportunity to expand his world, and I accept that Erik doesn’t have the same connection with Joey.” She’d paused before she added, “I’m sure Erik will in time.”

  Neely’s experience with Erik nixed that thought.

  With that still in her mind, her thoughts slipped back to the following Thursday when her father’s distraction had bothered her. He wasn’t a daydreamer, but she sensed that he had slipped into a kind of melancholy that he couldn’t push aside. Even today, something bothered him, and she wanted to find out what was wrong.

  Though she’d kept her mouth closed with Ashley, she couldn’t with her dad. His health issues motivated her. She strode down the stairs, and at the bottom, she heard him rummaging in the kitchen. “Hungry, Daddy?”

  He shrugged. “Bored mostly.”

  “Nothing on TV?”

  He curled his nose. “Nothing I want to see.”

  “Then let’s talk.” She beckoned him toward the living room.

  He scrutinized her a moment. “Do I have a choice?”

  Though she almost grinned at his typical response, she took it as humor. “I don’t think so.”

  She headed for the sofa, hearing his footsteps behind her. After he plopped into his chair and brought up the footrest, she studied him a moment. “Something’s bugging you. Are you worried about your health?”

  He shook his head. “I suppose t
he heart attack scare made me think, but I’ll be happy being with the Lord so it’s not that. No fear of dying.” He grinned. “Anyway, I figured I was fine, and I went along with the E.R. visit for you.”

  “Really?” She arched a brow, but from his expression, she accepted that he was telling her the truth. “You were talking about Mom last Thursday when Jon was here. Are you still grieving, Daddy?” It had been four years, but grief had a way of sneaking back into a life. She’d recognized it in her own experiences.

  “Not the kind of grief you mean. I’m fine. I suppose thoughts of death roused some old disappointments, but nothing you can fix.”

  A different kind of grief? She’d come home to fix things if they needed fixing. Then she thought of her mother. “You mentioned Mom didn’t like a lot of things. What did you mean by that?”

  “My big mouth.” He shook his head and looked away. “Nothing. Just a thought.”

  “But it’s a thought that’s bothering you.”

  “Girl, you are bugging me. You don’t need my old rambling thoughts. What ifs and should haves aren’t healthy or helpful. That’s the past. Let it lie.”

  She scooted forward toward the edge of the sofa cushion. “No. I can’t.” She leaned closer. “Do you know why?”

  He shook his head.

  “Because I love you too much.”

  He drew in a ragged breath. “I love you that much, too, Neely. I...” He shook his head. “I wish your mother and I could have shown it more.”

  “It wasn’t you, Daddy.” They’d reached the root of the problem. Finally. “You know Mom didn’t have it in her. She was different.”

  “And I knew that when I married her.” He sent her a tender smile.

  “You did?” She couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice.

  “How could I not know? Your mom had a difficult time when she was younger, and I hoped my love could change her.” The smile vanished, and he drifted away again.

  “But you couldn’t.”

  He didn’t respond, but he didn’t have to. She knew the answer. “Why? What had Mom gone through. If I understood, it might—”

  “Your mother never talked about her problems, Neely. She didn’t want to rehash them, and I respected that. Don’t ask. I don’t care how determined you are. Don’t ask me.”

  She’d never seen this side of her father. His voice held the kind of determination she’d been teased about, but this was no joking matter. He meant what he said, and she clutched her hands together, willing herself to hang tight and not push. Today pushing would only create a rift between them.

  Neely rose and sat on the arm of her father’s chair, resting her hand on his shoulder. “I love you, Daddy, and I’m sorry I asked.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  He pressed his palm against her fingers. “No need to apologize. I’m sorry you girls were cheated out of a strong mother’s love, but she loved you the best she could.” He patted her hand, and they sat in silence while she thanked God for the bond they had.

  No words needed to be spoken. Secrets were secrets, and this one died with her mother. Maybe one day the answer would come. Maybe not.

  * * *

  Jon started the car and turned on the heater, then gathered the packages from Neely and put them in the trunk with his own.

  Snow had covered the ground and layered the trees, leaving the street a pristine backdrop for their Christmas shopping. She had gone to church with him on Sunday, and they’d collected names from the Giving tree. He’d picked one for a man who needed a winter jacket and boots. Necessities. He enjoyed giving things they needed. Neely had selected a little girl who also needed a coat, but she’d added a potholder maker and two coloring books and crayons. He grinned, picturing her selecting the items as carefully as she might have chosen them for herself.

  But that hadn’t been the end. She’d noticed the mitten tree, which included gloves, scarves and knit caps. In the stores, she’d gone through numerous racks matching colors and making sets even though she knew the sets would probably be broken. She made him smile.

  As he reminisced, he brushed snow from the windows, his feet slipping beneath him in the flaky piles. Snow and Christmas went hand in hand.

  When he finished, he brushed snow from his hair and shoulders before opening the car door. As he slipped into the seat, he tossed the scraper into the back. “Good job tonight.”

  “It was. I liked this date.”

  When she grinned, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Me, too.” In the short time she’d brought up the idea of dating, he’d learned that dates to her had a different definition than it did for many women, and that difference was one of the things that made him adore her.

  She slipped off her gloves and held her hands toward the warmth coming from the car vents. “Does this all seem silly to you?”

  “Shopping for the needy?” He couldn’t believe his ears.

  She looked at him as if he were an idiot. “The whole dating thing.”

  “Not anymore.”

  She loosened the base of her seatbelt and shifted sideways. “Explain.”

  “The first night I came over for an official date, I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t know what you expected or what I had to do. Does that sound odd?”

  “Nope.” She pressed her lips together, but he saw smile lines beside her mouth.

  “Explain.” She’d finagled a response from him so why not try it with her?

  “I didn’t know what to expect either, and the more I thought about it...” She shrugged. “It didn’t exactly make sense.”

  He kept his eyes on the traffic, but he longed to look at her.

  “We’ve been comfortable together the way we were and why add another element. I like the casual fun we have. I love that you entertain my dad. He needs that so much, but I don’t want you to feel you must.”

  “Neely, you know better than that. I care about your father, and I get a kick out of him. He’s different from my mom and dad, yet he’s the same in a way.” He glanced her way. “He loves his kids, and he wants the best for you all.”

  “My mom was unlike other mothers, and I really want to know more.”

  As she continued, Jon heard the story of the cryptic comment of her father. He understood why she longed to know what had happened to her mother, but he doubted she would ever know. Her dad could be as bull-headed as she was. “Does it really matter?”

  In his peripheral vision, he saw her study him a moment.

  He sought a better question. “Would it make any difference?”

  “Not now. I can’t be more empathetic, because Mom is gone, but I might feel better.”

  “Some things we’ll never know until we see God face-to-face, and then will it be important? I think we experience things in our lives that we might never understand, but from them we learn and change.”

  “I’ve grown in patience.” She gave him a crooked grin. “But I have a lot more to learn.”

  “As long as you and I are changing for the better, we’re making progress. Even today. This talk.”

  “You’re smart, Jon.”

  “It’s easier to be smart about someone else’s issues than to be intelligent about your own.”

  She plopped back against the cushion, her body looking more relaxed. “I want to give us a chance, Jon. I might as well be open. I know I’ve been wavering and foolish at times, but besides being determined—as you always remind me—I’m scared.”

  “Of me?”

  “No, silly. I’m more comfortable with you than anyone.”

  His pulse tripped. He wanted to ask her to repeat it again to make sure he heard her and not just his wishful thinking.

  “I’m not sure why I question everything. Maybe it’s the influence of my mom, but I’m not sure. When I loved h
er, I didn’t get what I wanted in return. Do you understand?” She pressed her fingers against her lips as if she were holding back words or her emotions. “I wanted a mom like yours. One that made cookies and laughed with your sister and me. If we had questions, she’d answer us with the patience of a saint.”

  A twinge of sadness worked through him. “I didn’t know that, Neely.”

  “My dad was the one who tried to be that for us.” A grin broke through her thoughtful expression. “Except for the cookies.”

  “We’ll excuse him for that.”

  “We will.”

  He’d turned down her street, and when he pulled into her driveway, he turned off the lights but left the car running. He unbuckled her seat belt, then his own, and when she loosened her arms, he drew her to him. “One of these days all of these particular worries and questions will be unimportant. The only thing right now that’s important to me is you.”

  She tilted her chin upward, and he lowered his lips to hers, wrapping himself in the bliss of a relationship that had made a sharp turn and was heading home. Home to the heart of the matter.

  * * *

  Through the wide front window, evening darkened the sky. Neely rose and flipped the switch bringing life to the miniature tree lights. Ornaments rousing many memories hung on the branches, and she stood a moment taken back to her youth before she returned to her spot on the sofa.

  With the distraction, Joey’s eyes widened, sparkling with glee as if he had never seen a Christmas tree. “Light.” He pointed to one of the glistening crystal bulbs.

  Jon chuckled and chucked him under the chin. “You like those pretty lights, don’t you?”

  Joey’s head bounced in agreement, but the sparkle only distracted him a moment before his interest return to his new toy. “Truck.” He lifted the four-wheeler off the plastic road—a gift from Santa—and then lowered it again, zooming it along the make-believe highway.

  Jon hit a button that triggered a red light ahead.

  Joey’s eyes widened again. “Stop.” He seemed to tell himself as he slowed the truck and paused, giving Jon a smile.