My Sweet Valentine

by Sanders, Jill

  When they were a few minutes outside of Pride, Sara's phone rang.

  “Hello, Josie. How did the interviews go?” Sara’s smile fell away. “What?” She listened to her friend then said, “We're five minutes out of town. I'll be there as soon as possible.”

  When she hung up, she turned to him. He noticed that her face was pale and her hands were shaking.

  “Sara?”

  “Someone broke into our house.” He stepped on the gas a little and decided he could cut the five minutes in half.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sara stood just inside her front door and wanted to cry. Josie's couch and chairs had been cut open and splattered with red paint, much like her furniture had in Seattle. This was her stalker's signature. Her shoulders slumped and her fingers shook. In Seattle, he had stopped with her items, but this time he had destroyed the house as well. Huge chunks of the drywall were torn out, exposing wires and pipes. The carpet was shredded, leaving places on the floor bare. Even the lights were hanging by the wires.

  Allen stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and she felt a little more centered.

  Robert and Larry, his deputy, stood in the mess, taking notes.

  “Sara.” Robert walked towards her with a frown. “I've already talked to Detective Price. He says he's sending someone down. They want to log everything for their reports.”

  She nodded. She'd listened to him half-heartedly. Then Josie walked out of her bedroom, tears streaking down her face. Sara rushed to her and hugged her.

  “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” she mumbled in her friend’s hair.

  “Ssshhh, it's not your fault.” Josie held on tight, then she pulled back and tried to give her a smile. “Now this guy has pissed me off. He better look out.”

  “It is all my fault.” Josie shook her head.

  “This creep better run from me now. He stole my favorite sword.” Josie's eyes watered a little more. Josie was a collector of swords of any style. Samurai, mid-century, modern. It was a strange hobby for anyone, let alone a five-foot Asian-American baker. But her collection was worth more to her than all of her furniture and other possessions. The knowledge that her stalker had not only ruined everything in their house, but had actually stolen a sword turned Sara's stomach.

  Larry walked by and coughed. “Sorry, if you have a minute, Miss Cheng, I need to know if there was anything else taken from your room.”

  Sara watched Josie wipe her face and try to smile. “Sure, I'll be right back.” Larry walked into her friend’s room and Sara smiled when Josie waved her hand in front of her face and pointed to Larry's back. Josie was right—Larry Buck was tall, blond, and handsome. He always had been, but Sara had known him since they were in diapers together. He was more like the brother she'd never had, but for Josie…She thought of the possibilities.

  Allen walked up behind her. “Does Sara need to go through her rooms?”

  Robert shook his head. “I'd prefer she stayed clear. At least until the guys get here from Seattle. Maybe you can go into the kitchen, look through everything there.” Robert looked at Allen. “If you have a minute?”

  “Sure.” Allen looked at Sara. “Go ahead, I'll be right in.” Sara was too dull to realize that Robert had wanted to talk to Allen alone.

  When she entered the kitchen, it reminded her of walking into the bakery last month and her heart skipped a beat. Was her stalker responsible for the mess there as well? Every drawer was opened, every utensil was twisted. Her pans were thrown around, knives stuck out of the walls. Bare wires were hanging from the exposed drywall. Food was thrown on the floor and poured over the countertops. She leaned against the counter and felt like crying. What had she ever done to deserve this? Why was someone so determined to scare and destroy her?

  Just like when her apartment had been destroyed, she started running through a list of her ex-boyfriends, ex-coworkers, ex-friends, anyone who would want to do this. No names or faces came to mind. She hadn't realized tears were falling until one fell and landed on her hand, causing her to jump.

  Allen walked in just then, a frown on his face. “What do you think about staying with me for a while? Robert doesn't think the place is habitable, at least until the landlord’s insurance pays to repair it. He's arranged it so Josie can stay at Amber's apartment since Amber is pretty much living with Luke now. Amber's stuff is still there so it's furnished and everything. Just until we can catch whoever did this.”

  She shrugged her shoulders.

  “If you want, you can stay with Josie?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I'll be fine with you for a while. I'd like to stay with you.” She tried to smile a little.

  A few hours later, they walked into his house. Beast barked and ran in circles to welcome them. When she sat down and he jumped into her lap, she laughed and smiled. Allen and Robert had packed a few items of hers in a bag, but she didn’t want to touch them. Instead, she'd gone over to her mother's house and packed some of her old clothes that she had left there. She'd tossed the other clothes in the trash can.

  Josie was all set up at Amber's apartment above Patty's store. She'd worried about her friend, but Josie had insisted. “Besides, it's right across from the bakery. This way I can literally roll out of bed and walk to work.” They had taken her to the apartment. Amber had met them and handed over a set of keys.

  “I can't thank you enough.” Sara had hugged Amber. She'd only known her for a few months, but knowing that she was marrying Luke almost made her family.

  “I'm never here anymore, anyway.” Amber smiled.

  “Hey?” Allen said, waking her from her memory. “Do you want something to eat?” She shook her head. “How about some soup?” She shook her head, again. He walked over and sat next to her. “I know you're upset, but you need to eat something.”

  She looked at him and could see the worry in his eyes. Nodding her head, she said, “Sure. Some soup sounds good.”

  “Great.” She watched him smile and wondered what she'd done to deserve him. “I'll go heat some up.” He stood, but paused to place a kiss on her head.

  She closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want food. She felt weary and broken. Not to mention that everything she had was now destroyed, again. She rested her head back against the pillows. Beast curled up beside her and sighed. She rubbed his thick fur and closed her eyes.

  Allen looked down at Sara, asleep with Beast curled up beside her. He knew she was probably emotionally tired. He'd been shocked when Robert had pulled him into her bedroom and he’d seen the destruction there.

  “Apparently it was much worse in Seattle.” Robert flipped his file opened and shook his head. “They sent me her file full of pictures when I was warned about her stalking case.”

  Allen had looked around her room and felt himself growing mad. Someone had not only destroyed everything she owned, but had viciously ripped everything to shreds.

  “They used Josie's sword,” Robert said behind him. “I haven't told her roommate yet, but he hacked at her bed frame until the sword broke in half.” Robert pointed to the corner of the room, where half the sword lay among a pile of Sara's clothes.

  Red paint or blood had been splattered over every inch of her room. A large picture of her face had been stapled to her wall and they had hacked at her face until only long shreds remained.

  It was obvious to Allen that whoever had done this wanted to hurt Sara, not just scare her. He knew Robert and the Seattle police detective who had shown up felt the same way. Sitting in the chair next to the couch, he picked up the bowl of chili he'd heated up and started eating. Flipping on the TV, he made sure it was muted and watched a basketball game until Sara stirred an hour later. Then he walked in the kitchen and heated her bowl of chili again. By the time he walked back into his living room, she was standing by the back door. Beast was outside running in circles.

  “Here.” He set the hot bowl on the table. “I have some crackers if you want, instead of the bread.”


  “No, thank you. This is fine.” She walked over and sat down. “Thank you.”

  He walked over and whistled for Beast, who trotted back into the house.

  “Cool trick.” She smiled. “Does he know any others?”

  Allen laughed. “Not really. I wanted to teach him to sit and beg, but I don't have the patience.”

  Sara leaned over when Beast ran to her. She broke off a piece of her bread and said sit. The dog surprised him and sat down quickly. “Shake.” She picked up the dog's paw and shook it, then set the paw back down and repeated the command. The dog looked at her like she was crazy. She repeated the command and motion a few times before the dog finally got it.

  “He's smart,” she said as she tossed him a chunk of the bread. “Now see if he remembers it with you.”

  Beast walked over to him when he called. At first the dog looked at him like he was crazy when he told him to sit. His doggie eyes went to Allen’s hands and when he realized they were empty, he walked back over to Sara. Allen laughed.

  “Here, try it with this.” She handed him a piece of bread. He repeated it, and this time the dog did everything he asked.

  “Now, puppies are ruled by their stomachs. But soon he will want to please you and love will be the reward.” She smiled.

  “You know a lot about dogs. Have you ever had one?”

  She shook her head. “My mother has allergies. I wanted a dog, though, and read up on them one summer. I thought that I could find a way to work around my mother's allergies.”

  He smiled. “We had an old dog when I was a kid. He didn't know any tricks and farted a lot.” She laughed and he smiled. He wanted to make her forget about her stuff. About the mess. She finished her chili and stood to take the bowl to the kitchen.

  “Thank you for letting me stay here.” She washed the bowl and set it in his dishwasher. He walked up behind her and took her shoulders.

  “Sara, I'm letting you stay here because I'm selfish.” He smiled. “I want you here, with me. In my kitchen, napping on my couch, sleeping in my bed.” His body heated as he pulled her closer and kissed her. He meant to show her tenderness, but when her hands sneaked under his shirt, he felt a piece of his control slip.

  “Allen,” she moaned under his lips. “Please.” She tugged at his shirt until he pulled back and removed it, tossing it across the room. Then his mouth was back on hers as she ran her nails up and down his shoulders and back. She rubbed her body next to his until he pulled her up, letting her sit on the countertop. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he rubbed himself against her jeans, enjoying the friction until he had to have her naked. His hands pushed at her sweater until he pushed it up and over her head, exposing her bra. He stood back and enjoyed the view. Her red lacy bra begged for his attention. He dipped his head and ran his mouth over the soft material. Her head dropped back and she moaned as she ran her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.

  Then she was reaching for his jeans. He was breathless and felt the last shred of his control snap when she leaned back on the countertop and her marvelous breasts were finally exposed. He pulled at her jeans until she helped him remove them, while she still balanced on the marble countertop. Her red panties matched her top and he dipped his head to taste them and to taste her. Her breath hitched and she let out a groan when he dipped his finger under the lace and felt her silky skin. He hitched her legs over his shoulders, exposing her even further to his torture. Pulling her panties aside, he touched his mouth to her and had her squirming and moaning. Then, when he thought he couldn't control himself anymore, he yanked his pants down, sheathed himself, and slid into her, slowly. Twin moans echoed in the large room.

  She was leaning back on his countertop so that her elbows were resting on the back of his bar area. The soft lighting and the sweet motion of their movement was almost his undoing. Finally, he felt her convulse under him and let himself go.

  It didn't take him long to realize they need to move. His socks kept slipping on the tile floor so he pulled her up and carried her upstairs and set her gently on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow. He didn't know if she was sleeping or if she was still recovering. He stood over her and looked down at her. She was beautiful. Her long curly hair splayed out over his bedspread. Her skin was glowing from the day in the sun and from the heated sex.

  “What?” She opened one eye and smiled.

  “Just looking.” He ran his eyes over her and smiled. “I'm allowed to do that, I think.”

  “Yes. You are.” She smiled up at him. “As long as it's me you're looking at.”

  He crawled onto the mattress and wrapped his arms around her. “Honey, there's no one else I'd rather be looking at than you. You're beautiful.” He placed a kiss on her neck then traveled his mouth up to her ear where he whispered, “I love looking at you after I've made you come. Your skin glows.”

  “Oh, God!” She wrapped her legs around him and held on.

  “Your hair is a mess from my hands, your lips are pink and swollen from mine.” He kissed her mouth, lingering there for a moment. He felt her hips starting to move against his hips and slid slowly into her.

  “Oh, Allen.” She closed her eyes and rolled her head back for him to rain kisses along her skin. He enjoyed every inch of her, taking his time this time, spending minutes on every inch of her until he felt her tighten around him. Then he started it all over again until finally, much later, he joined her again and fell asleep holding her, his face buried in her hair, a smile on her lips.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sara woke to barking and for a moment was disoriented.

  “Quiet. You'll wake Sara.”

  “Too late.” She smiled and stretched her arms over her head. It had been a week since the break in at the house. Today was the grand opening for Sara's Nook. Rolling over, she looked at the alarm and almost shot out of bed.

  “It's four o'clock. How can it be four o'clock?” She pushed out of bed and forced herself to take a deep breath in, then out. Stress was not her friend. Not on opening day.

  “You said you wanted to be woken at four. It's five til. You still have five minutes.” Allen frowned at her as he opened the door for Beast to come in. The dog rushed in, ran in circles and barked.

  “He needs to go out.”

  “Yeah, hang on buddy. I've gotta put some boots on. It's snowing out there.” Allen stepped into his other boot. He was wearing the bottoms of flannel pajamas. No shirt. She sighed and wished she could spend the whole day exploring that chest. But when he strolled out the door, the dog closely following, the alarm went off and she jumped from the bed to hit the shower.

  When she walked into the bakery, Josie was there already rolling out the dough for the sweet bread.

  Josie stopped what she was doing and rushed over to her. “Opening day!” They jumped up and down laughing. Rosalyn, the other baker they had hired just two days ago, stood in the corner smiling. Sara didn't know the woman very well, since she'd moved here from Seaside, but her resume was impressive and she knew her way around the kitchen.

  “Okay,” Sara sobered, “enough of that.” Josie followed her lead.

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat. Then the two of them were jumping up and down laughing and singing, “Opening day” again.

  An hour before opening, Sara felt all the nerves bubbling up. Becca arrived in her uniform, a Sara's Nook t-shirt, which had come in the mail yesterday, and black jeans. Her sister looked good and Sara knew she would do her best to present the bakery in the best light. Even though she could only work weekends, Becca looked forward to helping out as much as she could.

  They still were looking for someone part-time to cover the front during the day. Until then, Sara or Josie would have to fill in.

  Fifteen minutes before they would open the doors, she looked out front and was shocked to see a line growing outside. Even in the cold, people were lined up around the street corner.

  The place smelled great and the food
looked even better. They were just putting on the finishing touches when she signaled Becca to open the doors.

  Four hours later, Sara sat down and closed her eyes, a huge smile on her face. “I'd say that was a successful opening.”

  There had been a steady stream of people for the first two hours. After that, people came and went. Some people ordered and took it to go on their way to work, others ordered and ate in, filling the place so that, at times, the only room was standing room. People utilized the bar area she’d had the Timothy's build along the window wall. They had run out of blueberry muffins and Death by Chocolate cupcakes, and they’d had to quickly rush and make more.

  “The lull before lunch.” Josie sat down next to her. They sat at a high-top table, watching Becca clear the rest of the tables.