HeartWorks
Eight Stories of Love, Romance, and Passion
Copyright 2016
Published by: Vanilla Heart Publishing
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TABLE of CONTENTS
Gleason’s Greetings
by Charmaine Gordon
Liz Gleason brings laughter and joy into the neighborhood when she opens a card shop. Designing her own humorous greeting cards, business booms and romance blossoms. Is it all too soon when a TV producer shows interest in Liz and her shop?
Ń Boer maak ń Plan
(A Love Story)
by Paul Zunckel
Piet van Zyl finds himself like a fish out of water on meeting the lovely Peggy. The man that will stand down a charging buffalo...the man who is never without a quick chirp...the man, who has an answer for everything has finally met his match...now he is out of his depth, for cupid was around and his arrow hit the burly South African dead center.
Always, One More Time
by Chelle Cordero
Disowned by her parents because of an interracial love affair, Callie Sanders is left alone to raise her son after his father, Jimmy Bernerd, dies fighting in a war on the other side of the world. Desperate to give her son a family she goes to the Bernerd household — what she finds is a second chance at love, acceptance, and family.
The Fourteenth Floorboard
by Neva Squires-Rodriguez
Valentine’s Day uncovers a new world hidden in her home that no one, including Gabriela, can understand. Not even scratching her own arm helps Gabriela understand that this place is real, and part of the reason is that she uncovers a secret bigger than life itself. Her family tries to convince her to never go to this place again, but Gabriela soon learns for herself, the price associated with getting her there, and that some things are better left unknown.
Love, Upside Down
by Lauren Shiro
Chantal is sure of two things: her general contracting business, and her love for her old flame, Desiree. A serious car accident changes everything, causing her to stop working; and she meets someone new in Grace, a friend of a friend who becomes her care giver. This accident turns her world upside down, even her love.
Feeding Romance
by Tamara Philip
Excerpts from Tamara’s award-winning debut novel, The Trouble with Playing Cupid along with the recipes for delicious meals the lovers feed each other along the way, including December’s Favorite Buttermilk Pancakes, Tom’s Creamy Pasta Primavera for Two, and Cupid’s Hot Chocolate (guaranteed to inspire love and adoration from all who drink it).
Heart of Night
A Nightlife Short Story
by Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard
Lady Jannessa Guillory was the daughter of an ambassador, and therefore it was her duty to marry to her station, and to help her father. Yet, the night called to her in such a way she couldn’t deny it. And when a voice found her in the dark, she knew she couldn’t stop her own passions.
Sweets for Your Sweet
by Angela Kay Austin
Excerpts from Angela’s Sweet Victory, along with the recipes for a few of the sweet treats Victoria makes after her move back home to Memphis - and too near to Chad. Includes Sweet Victory itself: a delightful chocolate no-bake treasure of coconut and pecans, and Victoria’s favorite comfort food - baked macaroni and cheese.
More Great Books by These Great Authors
Meet the Authors
Gleason’s Greetings
by Charmaine Gordon
Dedication
Gleason’s Greetings was written with a lot of joy in my heart. This is for my husband Don as we age together. We know the same songs, enjoy the same movies and laugh at the same jokes. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
Acknowledgement
I confess once again to you, dear Kimberlee, the best publisher ever; because you believed in me from the beginning, I believed in me.
Chapter One
“Happy Birthday to me,” Liz Gleason sang to herself while arranging the last shelf of greeting cards in her new shop located in an odd little corner on Fourth Street in New York. Let the customers race in to watch me design some unique cards. Oh Yeah. Valentine’s Day approached in a week and she hadn’t started but ideas flowed in her creative mind.
She rolled up her pristine white sleeves, tied the big painter’s apron around in the back and began. On a cream colored blank card, she wrote in a fine script using red ink, ‘I see London, I see France, I’d like to see your underpants.’ Liz pushed back her curly red hair and wondered, “Does this work?” With care, she added ‘Happy Valentine’s Day to my loved one.’
“Perfect.” She designed eleven more; let them dry and set them in a rack aside from the regular cards she ordered from a supplier. The sign above the cards said Original cards by Liz Gleason.
“Now for the next one. ‘Come with me, Climb a tree, I’ll help you up holding your B cups.’ Happy Valentine’s Day to one who is stacked.’ She laughed, thought, I’m a nut. These poems are stupid and I’ll be out of business in a month. Forty eight years old and still scrabbling along. Harvard Business School be damned.
The little bell rang at the door and in came a customer. Red ink on her perky nose, she turned around to see OH, MY, a good looking hunk.
“Good afternoon, welcome to my new shop, you’re my first customer and I’m Liz.”
“Hi yourself, I’m Roger Mathews and this is a nice little shop. I’m looking for a special Valentine’s Day card. I’ll just look around.”
She wanted to say marry me, I’ll cook and clean and have your babies. Well uh no babies at her age so instead she shut her mouth and went back to the painting table. Suddenly he roared with laughter.
“What’s the matter?”
He held up the ‘I see London’ card, “I’m looking for something for my mom and then I saw this one; it’s hilarious!”
“You like it?”
“Liz, it’s funny and in my business, we never cut funny.”
Intrigued, she asked a question, something she hadn’t done in a long time, “What business?”
“Oh, different kinds of show business like writing scripts for television for instance. What else do you have?”
Embarrassed, Liz tip toed over to the second one. ‘Come with me. . .’
“Great. Hold you up by your B cups for one who is stacked. Where did you get this idea?”
“It’s no big deal. Not Shakespeare. I thought they were kind of goofy but I carry on. I’ll probably be out of business in a month. And to think I went to Harvard. Ah well, the past stays in the past.”
“You mean years ago? You look like a kid. I’m forty and you?”
“I’m forty eight this very day.”
He tilted his shaggy cut hair in thought. “May I give you a birthday kiss?”
“Well, sure, why not.” He lifted her chin, she closed her eyes. He told her to open them. She did. His big hands reached around her back to pull her close and then her fro
nt was beating against his chest. His mouth so warm pressed into hers, tongue to tongue. Her words uttered softly, “Oh, oh.”
“Nice, Liz. Happy Birthday. I have an idea about you, business wise. Come up with more cards and call me. He pressed his personal card into her sweaty palm. I’ll buy the first two to show my partners and be back for one for my mom. Nice cups. You are really stacked.” He gave her fifty dollars without asking how much. She gave him a receipt and her heart.
Chapter Two
Liz watched as he strode down the street, the wintry wind blowing his unbuttoned cashmere coat open, so confident talking on a cell phone with a smile on his rugged face.
I’ll never see Roger again, she thought. Just another dream in my life and I’m too old. Tears rolled down her freckled face; the kiss still burned through her body. Close the shop and retreat to your hovel upstairs. But no, customers came in one after the other to check out the new card shop on the odd shaped Fourth Street.
By the end of the afternoon, she’d sold a bunch of regular cards like birthday, new baby, anniversary, thank you cards and to her surprise, laughter flowed when people looked at her goofy cards. She heard customers comment, “I’ve got to get one of these. Did you do that by hand?” The cash register rang away. Liz made friends for the first time in forever with folks in the neighborhood and a good time reigned over all the bad times in her life.
Seven o’clock, night had fallen on this wintry February evening with snowflakes falling all over the sidewalks and streets. She locked the shop door and tired feet trudged over to the drawing desk. An idea came to her. ‘Let it snow on 4th Street, let it sleet, who cares Moses, smell the roses.’ She groaned. ‘To my dearest love on Valentine’s Day.’ Liz, you are nuts and hungry. She climbed the stairs to dine on peanut butter and jelly and fell fast asleep.
Early the next morning Liz took a shower, washed her curly red hair and put herself together. She even dabbed on a bit of make-up and had a poached egg with toast to start the day.
She sprayed the room with fragrance, dressed in jeans and a white shirt and clip clopped down the stairs. “Yikes,” she yelled. “There’s fargin’ snow everywhere.” Out came the handy dandy shovel to clear the walk. That and a winter jacket with a hood and gloves did the trick. The shop didn’t take up too much sidewalk space but Liz shoveled away humming a new idea. As soon as she came in, warmed her hands and changed into snugly boots, she hurried to the big desk to finish in pink and red the idea she had last night. ‘Let it snow on Fourth Street, let it sleet, who cares Moses, smell the roses.’ Did I really think that last night? What the heck. Hungry and lonely, why not. Someone is going to like it.
She turned on the heat, made a pot of coffee and wondered about Roger. Married, engaged or what? Father said “Daughter, you’re hopeless, too off beat to settle down. The man knew about life. She drank a cuppa delicious coffee and finished eleven more of ‘Let it snow.’ I love this goofy stuff, I can’t help it. When the door opened, a nice looking young man walked in.
“I’m Ken from the computer store next to you. I um, shoveled your part of the walk again.” He checked out her little shop and grinned. “Kinda cute. Our place is big. We’ve been here for years and carry a whole bunch of electronic gear.”
“Thanks for the extra shoveling, Ken. I just opened my little shop yesterday. I’m Liz. Want some coffee?”
“Oh sure. I caught a glimpse of a batch, like um, folks here yesterday coming in and out. May I look around?”
“My pleasure. Don’t spill coffee on my treasures.” She observed him sauntering around, kind of shy, younger than her. Of course, every guy she met had youth on her.
Ken’s reaction to her goofy cards caused her to laugh. For a shy guy, he cracked up. “You did this?”
“I did.”
“You’re a funny chick. How about dinner tonight?”
“Did I hear you say dinner? Ken, I’d love it. Pitiful describes last night’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“Cool. I’ll pick you up at seven thirty.”
She smiled, waved goodbye, her heart sang. A dinner date. Oh My God. I’m not a loser. ‘What will I wear, do I dare, to wear underwear?’ She wrote a new card in black, white, and red ink. To my Valentine’s Date, Don’t be late.’
Lots of stomping boots as customers shuffled through the shop all day. Many pots of coffee were made and Liz had fun with new friends from the neighborhood. She planned to bake cookies the next day to make her shop a homey place. Just as she closed the shop at seven, the phone rang.
“Liz, it’s Roger. How are you?”
“I’m wonderful. Business is great after two days and how are you?”
“I’ll be better if you will have dinner with me tonight.”
“The shopkeeper next door asked me to have dinner tonight. I’m in the process of getting dressed right now. Thank you for thinking of me.”
“How about tomorrow then? Please make time for me.”
“Roger, I’d love to see you tomorrow. Seven is when I close the shop.”
“I can’t wait to see you at seven thirty.”
My, my, she glowed as she looked through the sparse closet furnished with nifty clothes from Dad. When he saw what she dressed in every day, he said, “Daughter, come with me. This is the last time. You can’t catch a guy dressed with you looking so shabby.”
Yes, indeed, the short black silk dress looked just fine with high black boots. She brushed the heck out of her red curls, added make-up and down the stairs she went, long dangling earrings sparkling all the way. Ken had come a knocking at the door looking mighty spiffy. Daddy had taste and maybe she did, too.
Chapter 3
They slipped and slid for a block to a fine dining restaurant. Everyone knew Ken. With reservations ready, they were treated like royalty. Joanna felt like a queen dining on shrimp cocktail followed by lobster tail and Chardonnay.
She sparkled with pleasure. “Ken, this is the nicest evening I’ve had in a long time. Tell me about yourself, please.”
“I grew up around here. My Dad owned the store, taught me everything I know. When he passed, I was next in line to take over because I had a knack for business.” He sliced a thin piece of steak, poured gravy on it and chewed.
“Are you married, divorced, something?”
“No, like nothing. Just business and more business. No time to play and still going strong. I’m 45. How about you?”
“I’m forty eight, came close to marriage but not that close. Father warned me to get on with my life, start a business, maybe a little card shop. He gave me start-up money and here I am. I must call him when I’m successful. Funny, huh. It sounds so easy yet here we are having dinner together. I hope you’re enjoying this time as much as I am.”
He leaned across the table to kiss Liz ever so sweet right there on her lips.
“Not since silly high school boys have I been kissed like that. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I really liked it.”
On the way back, they held hands. Ken asked if she wanted to see his store.
“You bet.” And in they went after multiple mysterious locks were opened and the alarm turned off fast.
“So, what do you think?” Liz threw her arms around Ken.
“This is amazing and wonderful. You carry a lot of great stuff.”
The shy guy from next door could not stop laughing. “Liz, you’re the best. I’ve never met anyone, any woman who makes me crazy with laughter.”
She wanted to dance and sing. Someone likes me, yes he does. Wait ‘til I tell Dad. I think he’ll like Ken a lot. I do. She twirled around to slide to the floor.
“Liz, are you okay? Do you want a new computer, I phone, anything? I’ll give you the moon. Just speak to me.”
Without a word, Liz jumped into his arms to hug him tight. Then she didn’t stop talking. “Ken, you’re the dearest guy I’ve ever met in my whole life and we just met this morning and, and already I care abou
t you. This never ever happened before. Like ever. Hey, do you have a dog?”
Again Ken grinned without stop. “You ask the most unexpected questions.” He set her down on a counter top. “No I never had time, too busy to walk a dog, take care of anything beside the company. Until you, the store is what I’ve had. How about you? Did you ever have a dog and do you want one?”
Hand to her heart, tears welled in her green yes. He grabbed the nearest camera to capture the moment.
“I’ve always wanted to rescue a dog. The time is now. I feel it right here.” She placed his capable hand over her heart to feel the beat, the love.
Chapter 4
“Let’s do a Google search right now. Come to my office, said the spider to the fly.” She giggled. Holding hands, he showed Liz the way to the back where an impressive size office had his name, Kenneth Lerner, engraved in gold. “Like everything else, I inherited this from my Dad.” Ken opened a lap top to check out rescue dogs. In minutes, they were peering at pages titled the best of rescue dogs. “Big or small. I suggest one on the smaller size since your shop is kind of little.”
“For reasons unknown, owners had to find other homes for each pet. How sad for the pooch, Ken. Orphaned and they don’t know why. These are smart educated dogs trained to help others. Oh look at this pit bull.”
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