Be Mine, Valentine

by Jennifer Johnson

  “Wow!” Nate laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone turn that particular shade of white before.”

  “I’m not ready to deal with tomorrow.” She sighed as she finished wrapping up layers of the cast.

  “What’s the problem?” he asked. “By the sound of it, Emily has everything pretty much pulled together.”

  Sara made herself busy checking the IV flow rate on the dog, not sure if she wanted to discuss her petty problems with a perfect stranger. “It’s stupid.”

  “I’m okay with stupid problems.” He squared himself up in an attempt to look serious. “I deal with stupid problems all day long.”

  “Fine.” She gritted her teeth and looked around to make sure her sister wasn’t in the room. “I bought a really ugly dress.”

  “A dress?”

  “It’s a problem. A really big, bright orangey red, low cut problem that makes me look like a whale with a skin condition.”

  “I don’t see how anything could look bad on you.” Nate’s smile tipped upward, turning wolfish. “Besides low cut is never a problem.”

  “It is at a wedding,” she puffed, her hands resting firmly on her hips. “Now help me get Hattie into one of the kennels.”

  “Only if you promise to tell me more about that dress.” He laughed dangerously and slid his arms under the dog, effortlessly picking her up. “Lead the way?”

  Sara took Nate into the next room where she quickly prepared one of the large kennels. “I need her to stay overnight.” She stepped away to let him place the dog inside. “It’s just a precaution.”

  “Are you going to be open tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be around in the morning and Janice will be at the front desk for most of the day. I’ll have everything ready for you when you pick her up. All you need to do is have her set the follow-up appointments.”

  “Okay. Not a problem.” Nate reached in and gave the dog a scratch. “So are you going to tell me more about this dress or what?”

  Or what.

  It took a monumental effort on their parts to get Charlie standing long enough to put his coat back on and march him out the door. Sara had offered to let them stay the rest of the night on the couch, so Charlie could visit with Hattie when she woke up in the morning but Nate seemed determined to get them home and into their own beds before the roads became impassable.

  So with a heavy heart, Sara trudged up the staircase and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, figuring it was better to dream about the perfect dress than waste the night wishing for one.

  Or dream about Nate Hastings…

  By the time she had showered, dressed and eaten her breakfast, Sara was already ten minutes late for Mrs. Perkins’ Pomeranian. She ignored the disgusted glances from Janice and the two three vet techs standing behind the desk.

  “Do you have Sadie’s chart?” She tapped her finger impatiently knowing from childhood experience that Mrs. Perkins considered her time extraordinarily valuable.

  “Here.” Janice slid the chart across the table. “That was quite a mess you left in the triage room last night. Must have been some kind of party with Nate Hastings and his dog.”

  “Oh God! I forgot about Hattie!” Sara put her head on the desk, too exhausted and overwhelmed to think. “I am so sorry about the mess. I totally forgot about it. I swear I’ll make it up to you.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Janice waved her off. “Sam was in here before I was, had the place cleaned up and updated her chart. He also did the prescriptions and discharge orders when Nate came to pick her up.”

  “He’s already been here?” Sara’s heart sank. She’d gone to sleep thinking about the possibility of seeing him. In her mind he was a little tiny piece of Valentine’s candy that she only got to nibble.

  “In and out before the place even opened. Said he needed to see Sam about a few things before the wedding.” Janice turned around and began sorting through a neatly stacked pile of brown boxes from the medical supply company. “There’s one that Sam told me you had to open and sort through first thing this morning.” She mumbled to herself. “It’s a controlled product or something.”

  “Janice?” Sara tapped the top of the desk to get the woman’s attention back. “Why did Nate need to talk to Sam before the wedding?”

  Janice turned back around and stared at her as though she had completely lost her mind. “Because Sam picked up Emily’s wedding ring from the jeweler,” she said slowly, as though speaking to a child.

  “Why would Nate need Emily’s ring?”

  “Because he’s the best man.” Janice punctuated the sentence with a sharp roll of her eyes. “It’s his job. Now get out of here before Mrs. Perkins starts screaming.”

  Sara tucked the chart under her arm and did her best to look composed. She realized immediately that she didn’t need to bother with the façade as Janice already had her nose buried in the pile of boxes.

  “What do you want me to do with that one Sam said you had to open?” she called out after her.

  Sara took a deep breath and placed her hand on the door knob. “Emily’s on her way down. Have her open it.”

  Within seconds Sara found herself in a staring contest with a formidable Mrs. Perkins and her demonic Pomeranian, Sadie. She’d made several attempts at apologizing but each one only seemed to annoy the woman even more.

  By the time Sara heard the first wild squeal from her sister, she had been bitten by Sadie three times, and was hanging onto her last nerve and ready to call it a day.

  “Is it ever quiet out there?” Mrs. Perkins mumbled under her breath.

  Sara contemplated answering her, telling her that she was lucky she hadn’t come on a day when the new arrivals from the humane society showed up, but was cut short when the door swung open and Emily, followed by Janice and several other staff members, poured into the small room.

  “You need to look at this.” Emily shoved the large, flat box at her and stood back.

  “I’m kind of in the middle of something here.” She pointed to the scrappy, little dog growling on the exam table.

  “Sadie can wait,” Emily smiled. “Can’t she Mrs. Perkins?”

  “No!” The old woman snapped as Emily pushed past her.

  “Open it Sara!”

  With a sigh she put the package down on the exam table, being careful to steer clear of the dog, and lifted off the top off the box. To her surprise there was a layer of delicate, gold tissue paper in place of the usual bubble packaging and invoice she had expected.

  “Are you sure this is for me?” She looked up into the crowd of curious faces.

  “It had your name on it,” Janice assured her. “And it was marked urgent.”

  Sara ran a trembling finger across the thin paper that separated her from whatever lay in the box. Slowly she pulled back the whispery layers enough to reveal a slash of fabric—dark scarlet-colored fabric so soft it brought tears to her eyes.

  “Go on.” Emily whispered. “Keep going.”

  With care Sara plucked out a small, cream-colored envelope hidden between the layers of the tissue paper and handed it to Emily. “Read what it says,” she told her sister as she sank her fingers into the fabric, freeing it at last from the paper. With appreciative gasps moving through the small crowd, Sara held the dress out for inspection. “What does the card say Em?”

  “Thanks for fixing my dog’s butt. Love, Charlie Hastings.” Emily slapped her hand over her mouth in an effort to stifle her giggle.

  “Looks like you made a quite an impression on one of the Hastings men.” Mrs. Perkins picked up the gauzy hem of the dress and held it out for her inspection. “This is silk,” she informed Sara with a sly smile.

  Sara held the dress her nose and took a deep breath before folding it back up and placing it back in its tissue cocoon. “I can’t keep this. It’s too much.” She shook her head firmly. “It must have cost a ton.”

  “Don’t be foolish Sara.” Emily grinned. “It’s beautiful.”r />
  “I didn’t say it wasn’t beautiful. All I said was that I couldn’t keep it. It wouldn’t be appropriate.” Sara bit her lip as she slid the top back on the box. As much as she knew she was right it didn’t quite make the sting of returning the dress to Nate any less sharp.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Mrs. Perkins clucked her tongue and ripped the box open again. “That’s the problem with girls these days. Not a single one of you knows a good thing when you see one.”

  “She can’t keep it.” Emily shook her head. “She won’t let herself keep it.”

  Sara put her hands on her hips and glared at her sister. “That’s not true and you know it.”

  “Oh, be quiet the two of you.” Mrs. Perkins hissed. “When a man gives you an expensive gift you never return it. Didn’t anyone ever teach you that? Half my net worth was gifted to me by some grateful, attention-starved man.”

  “Mrs. Perkins!” Emily gasped in horror.

  “Don’t look so surprised girlie. I’m still quite a catch to the old duffers in town.” She smiled as she handed the dress back to Sara. “Keep it. The kid likes you.”

  “Professional ethics makes—”

  The old woman waved a hand in her face, silencing her. “Professional ethics won’t keep you warm at night will it? Neither will your stubborn pride, so take the damn dress and wear it to your sister’s wedding. Who knows? You might actually get a dance or two out of it.”

  Sara teetered nervously on her heels, not quite convinced she would make it down the aisle on her own two feet. Shifting uncomfortably as the music started she took her first hesitant steps, keeping her eyes as far from Nate Hastings as possible. She wasn’t foolish enough to think avoiding him for the entire evening was possible; all she wanted was to put it off for as long as she could. So she kept her head up and her gaze glued to minister’s shiny bald head until she was properly in her place.

  From the corner of her eye she could see Nate, dressed to perfection in a black suit, smiling at her. Sara had to wrestle with herself not to smile back as they all turned to watch Emily walk down the aisle.

  She then had to restrain herself from making eye contact when the minister had Emily and Ben face one another and say their vows. She tried to look interested in her bouquet of white tulips when Nate handed Emily’s ring to Ben, and she averted her eyes when the crowd broke into raucous cheering at the first kiss.

  Sara finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Emily take Ben’s arm and walk up the aisle.

  Relief was, short-lived however, when Nate held his arm out for her to take.

  She looked for an escape route, something that wouldn’t attract attention from the waiting crowd but knew her fate was sealed. Reluctantly she took hold of his arm and made her way back down the aisle. Sara tried not to breathe in the warm, clean scent of his skin as she clung to his hard, muscular arm. Even with the soft, fluttering whisper of the dress reminding her that he thought about her after he left the clinic, she knew it was useless to get caught up in a dream that could never come true.

  “You look amazing,” he whispered into her ear.

  “You shouldn’t have done it.”

  “It’s Valentine’s day.” Nate gave her an easy laugh and pulled her in closer. “Besides, you needed a new dress.”

  “Do I even dare ask where it came from?” It was easier to concentrate on the details than think about how easily her heart could be broken.

  “Ellie Hampton’s nephew broke all the fire hydrants last summer. She owed me one.”

  “So she opened her dress shop in the middle of the night?”

  Nate nodded. “She got right out of bed and helped me pick it out for you. She said you needed a different kind of red. But we both agreed on the little sleeves and fluttery skirt.”

  “You and Ellie Hampton have expensive taste.” She tried to smile through her anxiety.

  “And you have nice knees.”

  Sara felt the first burn of a blush rise up in her skin. “Thank you,” she stuttered. “It’s a lovely dress.”

  Sara remained silent as they made their way out of the church and onto the snow-covered steps. She wished she had the courage to tell Nate that she loved the dress. That wearing it made her deliriously happy and that standing next to him set every inch of her skin on fire. She wanted desperately to say all those things but as people began pouring out of the church she felt her nerves give way. Slowly she pulled her arm out of his and stepped away.

  “You don’t have to do that Sara.” He reached out, grasping her hand and pulling her back to him. “I’m not going to bite you.”

  “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

  “Then what are you worried about?”

  Sara watched as the church steps emptied of people. She wished Nate would release her hand so she could follow them across the street to the reception hall. She felt the old, familiar urge to fade into the background nagging at her. It was a place she was accustomed to. A place where hearts were never broken, promises were always kept.

  “Sara?” Nate turned, his snow speckled hair catching the light from the street. “What are you so afraid of?”

  Sara drew in a breath and held it for a long second. “Everything.” She exhaled the word, each syllable burning her throat. “I’m afraid of everything.”

  Nate’s held her in his gaze as he leaned down to meet her lips. Slowly he slid one arm, then the other around her waist and pulled her to him. Sara let herself be wrapped up in his warmth, becoming lost in the feel of his mouth on hers as her heart beat against her chest. She could feel the quick rise and fall of his chest before he pulled away from her, his breathing coming in ragged waves. “It’s okay.” He ran a warm hand across her cheek, wiping away the cold snow. “I’ve got enough courage for the both of us.”

  The Gift

  Cat Shaffer

  “Good morning, Al.”

  The voice came from the other side of the four-foot picket fence that separated Al Mason’s yard from that of Mike and Susan Sutton, his neighbors for nearly ten years.

  “Morning, Susie.” He answered with a wave.

  “I’m heading for the grocery in an hour or so if you’d like to ride along.”

  Al stopped on his flagstone sidewalk and said, “That’s real nice, but I’ve got an errand to do this morning.”

  “Whatever it is, I’ll be glad to do it with you.”

  “Thanks, but I’m fine. Say hello to Mike for me.”

  Susan leaned on the fence, a worried look on her face. Al anticipated her next question.

  “Are you going to the Village?”

  He nodded.

  “I thought you said the nurses there thought it was best if you only came to visit once a week. Don’t you go on Saturdays?”

  Al nodded again and held up a small box. “Yep, but today’s Valentine’s Day. I’ve got a gift for Ellie.”

  Before Susie could say anything more, he headed back down the sidewalk to where his old but reliable sedan was parked. He knew Mike and Susie meant well, but they were like his daughter Eileen, convinced that since he was eighty-two, he pretty much needed a keeper.

  They were wrong. The eye doc suggested he curtail night driving, but he could see fine during the day. And Maple Haven Village was less than a mile away by the back streets. Al was pretty sure the car could drive there itself if he pointed it in the right direction, he’d made the trip so many times over the last four years.

  Traffic was light this morning; he only met a car or two on the way. He lucked into a parking place right by the entrance, which seemed like a good omen.

  He began to whistle as he started for the front door. The sun was shining, and he felt far younger than his years just thinking about his Ellie.

  Al had been twenty, newly hired at the sawmill, when he met her at the homecoming picnic at First Church. He’d been invited by his new boss, a deacon there. She’d come with her grandmother, the oldest member of the congregation. He’d been smitten the m
oment she turned those blue eyes on him, smiled and asked him if he’d like a piece of her cherry pie.

  Cherry pie had been his favorite dessert ever since. His favorite song was the one they danced to for the first time, and his favorite memory was Ellie’s luminous smile the day he asked her to be his wife.

  That was on their first Valentine’s Day. They’d been together every Valentine’s Day since and no matter what that bossy nurse said, he wasn’t going to let this one pass without sitting beside his Ellie and holding her hand.

  “Why, Al, what a surprise!”

  The dark-haired young nurse he liked was at the desk outside the Alzheimer’s unit. She never told him to spend less time with his Ellie.

  “I know, it’s not Saturday. But it is Valentine’s Day. I bet a pretty young thing like you has big plans, too. Who knows, that young man of yours might propose tonight.”

  The blush that colored her cheeks brought a smile to his face.

  “If he does, you say yes,” Al confided. “My Ellie said yes to me on Valentine’s Day, and we’ve been married for sixty-one years.”

  “Sixty-one years,” the nurse echoed. “That’s a long time, Al.”

  “Only when you’re a kid like you.” He winked as she hit the buzzer to open the locked unit door for him.

  Al had wondered over the past few years, as Ellie went from lapses of forgetfulness to no longer recognizing the people she loved, what his life would have been like without her. Would he have had the drive to go to school nights and earn a business degree? Would he have had the courage to start his own business and build the biggest hardware in this Michigan town of 20,000?

  He’d wanted to give her, and then Eileen as well, everything she ever wanted. Ellie never asked for much and had been grateful for everything they had. She’d cried when he took her to the house he bought to house their family, the solid brick still furnished the way she’d done it. She’d been more excited than him when he won a trip to Hawaii for being the leading hardware dealer in the state, and almost fainted when he decided to sell out and he told her how much the buyer had offered.