by Pat Simmons
David sighed. He looked to Joy. “I’m sure Christian told you what happened. Did you and my brother ever have any misunderstandings like this?”
“Nope, I wouldn’t be that stupid,” Christian answered, coming to Joy’s side.
Joy tilted her head toward his brother. “I agree with him. Our relationship was built on honesty from day one. I had nothing to hide. My life with the children was an open book. Christian just had to convince me that I mattered to him, but that was what won me over—his honesty.”
“That’s what you think,” David griped, crossing his arms and eying Christian. “Because of you, Miss Knight, almost eighty families got curb service with their turkey dinners, so you would be on Christian’s drop off route.”
Giggling, Joy snuggled closer to his brother. “He told me. Wasn’t that sweet of him?”
The couple exchanged a knowing glance, which reminded David of what he was missing with Valerie.
“Excuse me,” David interrupted their private moment in a public place.
“I’m in the middle of a dilemma. You’ll be on a love boat or beach soon,” David paused and frowned at Christian, “I was asking your fiancée about what she thinks I should do.”
“Well…” Joy shrugged. “Weddings are a great place to fall in love. You might want to make sure she comes.”
“We’re already in love.” David twisted his mouth in frustration as he slipped his hands into his pants pockets.
He was still confused about why his woman could be upset with him when he honestly thought he was giving her a high compliment.
“But you couldn’t tell, considering we haven’t spoken since the showdown at the restaurant more than a month ago. Besides, I can’t wait any longer to reconcile this. I’ve held back long enough.”
“Yeah and V-Day was the beginning of your sorrows,” Christian reminded him as Bethani returned to their side.
When he turned to leave, Bethani stopped him. “Uncle David, prayer changes things.”
He smiled at his soon-to-be niece. “Yes, it does.” David reflected on the problem–solving, age-old adage. Bethani was wise beyond her years. “Thanks.”
Giving her a wink, he continued out the sanctuary. Jesus, I admit that my words came out wrong, but I need you to intervene on my behalf because I believe You are concerned about every detail of my life. Please guide me.
The tongue is a powerful member of the body. If you restrain it, then you will obtain wisdom, Jesus spoke through the breeze, reminding David to read James 3:8 as he crossed the lot to his car.
Once he was behind the wheel of his SUV, he phoned Valerie and got her voicemail again. He huffed as he pulled out of the lot. “Yep, prayer does change things.” But this thing was time sensitive. He wanted Valerie back in his life now.
Chapter 19
The more David prayed, the more irritated he became at Valerie’s absence from Salvation is Free Church.
It was a toss-up between whether he felt responsible for chasing her away or judgmental that she was so shallow that she would allow his comments to cause her to flee. But in the back of his mind, God’s voice urged him to keep praying.
The few times he had stopped by The Stallings Group, Valerie was unavailable, either at lunch or in a meeting—always too busy to spare him a minute.
Knowing how far she was taking this thing, David wouldn’t put it past her to walk in a different mall since he had failed to catch her at the St. Louis Outlet Mall.
The week before the family was scheduled to fly out to Aruba, David played his last hand and visited Valerie’s mother.
He secretly hoped Valerie would be there.
Of course, her car wasn’t. David petitioned God before he got out, “Lord, in the name of Jesus, my mouth got me in this mess, search my heart and guide my words. You know how much I love Valerie. Please let her mother be an ally to influence Valerie to talk it out with me. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Taking the box of chocolates he’d purchased earlier off the seat, David jogged up the steps. His heart pounded as he rang the doorbell.
“Who is it?” Helen’s warm voice asked from the other side.
“It’s David Andersen.”
When there was no immediate response, David’s heart dropped as the seconds ticked off.
Refusing to plead his case outside on the porch, David pivoted on his heel and stormed down the steps to his vehicle.
He was already behind the wheel when Helen opened her door. With a phone in one hand, she waved him back with the other.
Encouraged, David got out and took the stairs two at a time. She had finished her call by the time he reached her.
Helen welcomed him with a smile and hug. David brushed a kiss on her cheek, then handed over the box of chocolates.
“What a surprise—sort of. Why thank you, baby. I’ll take your coat.”
“Mrs. Hart, I’m sure you know why I’m here.”
“I sure don’t know why it took you this long to come,” she fussed, ushering him into her kitchen.
“Have a seat at the table.” It sounded more like an order than an offer. He watched as Helen rummaged through the refrigerator.
“Ah, ma’am, if you’re looking to fix me something to eat, that’s okay. I’m not hungry.”
Helen straightened and slowly faced him, then planted a fist on her hip. “Nobody comes into my house without me feeding them. Got it?” She looked offended.
Rubbing his stomach, David nodded. “As a matter of fact, I think I have an air pocket right here.” He patted his abs and grinned like an obedient child.
“That’s more like it. I have chicken salad.” She beamed as she began to prepare him a sandwich. David watched, biding his time, but Helen broke the silence.
“You know I had to get the okay from Valerie before I invited you inside.”
“I was hoping she hadn’t turned you against me, too,” David said hopefully.
“Oh, she didn’t. I’ve always liked you.” Next she pulled a large knife from the drawer and returned to the table. David watched her every movement.
“I don’t entertain men in my home when I’m by myself.”
She sliced through the sandwich with ease, which made David think she knew how to use the knife to slice more than food.
That air pocket in his stomach suddenly evaporated. His ego was deflated; his honor tainted. “I would never touch a woman—any woman. I’m sorry I hurt Valerie and left a less-than-favorable impression on you.”
“I know, baby. The Holy Ghost let me know you’re a good man, even if Valerie told me not to open the door for you.”
That stung. David cringed. “I see.”
“She’s on her way to ask that you leave or put you out.” Helen winked. “Don’t worry. I won’t let her.” Helen hummed as she put plastic wrap over her bowl and placed it back into the refrigerator.
With renewed hope and a slight hunger pain, David relaxed. As Helen joined him with her own plate of chicken salad and crackers, she asked him to bless their food. David did.
The sandwich was just as good as it looked. Between bites, David tried to plead his case. “Mrs. Hart, I really do love Valerie.”
Helen rocked her head from side-to-side as if she was considering his statement. “My baby is a sensitive soul. At her last birthday, which was days before Valentine’s Day, she thought love had passed her by.”
“She’s gorgeous. I’m blessed that no other man snagged her.”
“There are many gorgeous single women.” Helen dabbed her mouth. “All my daughter wanted was for a man to see what God sees—her heart. She thought you were that man.”
“I am.” David was about to pound his fist on the table when Helen lifted an I-dare-you brow, causing him to gently rest it in place.
“Then you’re going to have to prove it when she gets here.” Helen smiled.
He planned on doing just that. David smirked and went through the motions of engaging in meaningful conversation
as he devoured his sandwich.
Without him asking for seconds, Helen made him another one. She threw in chips on the side this time.
After an hour had passed, they both accepted the fact that Valerie wasn’t coming.
When Helen stifled a yawn, David took that as his cue to leave. He stood.
“Well, I’d better go. I had hoped to convince you and Valerie to come to Aruba for the wedding.”
She got to her feet and waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll be there.” She gave him a hug, his coat, then escorted him to the door, softly praying.
There was only one Hart that David was after and she wasn’t a senior citizen.
If something didn’t give soon, his options would be to move on or become a stalker. “What a choice.” He said through gritted teeth, then drove away.
Chapter 20
The air seemed still around Valerie except for the tug of war going on in her heart as she sat in the same spot for more than an hour.
To go or not to go. With her coat on and keys in hand, Valerie had yet to move.
She needed more time before facing him. And with her mother in the mix, no doubt, Valerie would be double teamed.
The best thing David had ever said to her was that he loved her. But that couldn’t trump his rushed confession that he had compared her to a woman who had dogged him out.
Valerie wanted to be a stand-alone book, not a continuation of a series of his bad choices in women.
Her phone rang as the evening sun began to set outside her window.
She was surprised her mother hadn’t called sooner, multiple times.
“You can come out of hiding. David’s gone.” When Valerie didn’t respond, her mother continued, “Love covers a multitude of sins or faults, 1 Peter 4:8, or in David’s case misspoken words.”
Valerie sighed.
“Kiss and makeup or pass.” She paused. “But I would think twice about giving up on a man who adores you. Goodnight.”
Chapter 21
A few days before the wedding, Valerie sat nervously in the seat next to her mother on Delta Flight 1570 to Aruba. Giddy with excitement, Helen evidently hadn’t picked up on Valerie’s somber mood as she chatted nonstop.
It didn’t matter as Valerie half-listened while glancing out the window. Then she stared at her ring finger. Valerie always thought she would be married by now. She had come close. David said he loved her, but was she a rebound or had fate brought them together? For closure, she had to find out.
Tired of her self-imposed hiatus from SFC, Valerie had returned days earlier, expecting a showdown with David, but that never happened. Although she had stopped running from him, it appeared he had given up the chase. Somewhat relieved and disappointed at the same time, Valerie resumed her work in her auxiliary groups as if she had never met David Andersen.
The nine hour flight seemed too short for Valerie to gather her wits as she and her mother landed in Aruba. The sun had yet to rise, and in a little more than twenty-four hours, Joy and Christian’s nuptials would take place on one of the island’s white beaches.
Despite her mother’s earlier energy, Helen Hart was zapped, and the weariness around her eyes was the evidence. “Come on, Mom.”
Joining in step with other passengers, they followed the signs to baggage claim to collect their bags. In the distance, drivers stood holding signs.
As they passed, one caught her eye: Valerie Hart, forgive me. I want our hearts to beat as one.
“Ah, isn’t that romantic,” her mother gushed.
“Hmm-mmm.” What if she hadn’t come? Valerie eyed her mother at the same time David’s face came into view from behind the poster. He flipped his sign over to reveal another message: You’re the other half of my heart. I’m imperfect without you. He blocked her path, towering over her, while her mother kept going to the carousel. She became woozy once he trapped her in a stare and then intoxicated with his cologne.
“There is only one Valerie Hart. No other woman could come close to you. That’s what I meant and should have said, but I didn’t. I want you, and I’ve tried to give you your space so we can reconcile, but woman know this: I will chase you down and wear you out until you say you love me and forgive me.”
Valerie’s vision blurred as his deep voice, which she had missed, seemed to hypnotize her. “I do—”
David lifted her off her feet effortlessly. She laughed, holding him tightly around the neck as her tears flowed. Lowering her to the ground, he engulfed her in a hug. “I love you,” he whispered into her hair.
“I love you, too.”
Pulling back, David held her attention. “Valentine’s Day will never be the same for me because of you. I want for us to get married the next time it comes around.”
“You haven’t asked me yet,” she whispered her reminder.
David smirked as he got down to one knee. “Didn’t you read my sign? Let me interpret that. I love you. I’m not the same without you. Like Jacob found Rachel, I’ve found you. Please be my heart Valerie and marry me.”
Valerie sniffed to foil more tears, but they had a mind of their own. Love had kept her waiting, but she refused to wait any longer. She had four months to plan a Valentine’s Day wedding.
“Yes.” Sweeping her off her feet, David kissed her, then swung her around to the whistles and applause from everyone in the airport.
Epilogue
David Andersen had gone overboard on Valentine’s Day, but Valerie wasn’t complaining as she admired her fitted wedding gown and the pearl-and-lace band that crowned her head. She had started to give up hope this day would come for her. Staring at her reflection in the floor-length mirror, Valerie sniffed.
After her bridesmaids left her alone in the dressing room, a pink envelope appeared under the door. Breaking the gold seal, Valerie pulled out a beautiful Valentine’s card—her first one in years.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8: “Love is patient, love is kind…” As we celebrate our first Valentine’s Day together, know I’m standing at the altar waiting for one woman: you. Thank you for being my Valentine until death us do part. Hurry to the altar, baby.
Your soon-to-be husband
Valerie closed her eyes. “Thank You, Jesus, for blessing me.”
The tap at the door signaled it was her time. Her uncle waited on the other side. Putting away the card, Valerie gathered her bouquet, which David had insisted on providing. It was an explosion of red roses, baby’s breath and somehow, he managed a few long stems of chocolate roses intertwined with the real ones.
When she stepped in the hall, Uncle Gregory’s eyes brightened with pride. “Your father would be proud,” he said, resting her hand on his arm. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she answered nervously as she allowed him to lead her away.
When the doors opened to the sanctuary, Valerie gasped. She and David had agreed to a candlelight ceremony would symbolize their candlelight dinner.
Finally, Valerie had gotten the perks of Valentine’s Day: the card, the chocolate, and the candlelight affair.
***
Whenever you think about Valentine’s Day, I hope you will always remember Valerie and David’s story. Please tell a friend and if you enjoyed this story, post a review.
About the Author
Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She hopes her off-beat method will track down distant relatives who happen to pick up her books. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven years old in 1988.
She describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as an amazing, unforgettable, life-altering experience. She believes God is the author who advances the stories she writes.
Pat has a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked in various media positions in radio, television, and print for more than twenty years. Cur
rently, she oversees the media publicity for the annual RT Booklovers Conventions.
She is the author of nine single titles and several eBook novellas. Her awards include Talk to Me, ranked #14 of Top Books in 2008 that Changed Lives by Black Pearls Magazine. She is a two-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance for Still Guilty (2010) and Crowning Glory (2011), and the first recipient of the Katherine D. Jones Award for grace and humility as an author. Her bestselling novels include Guilty of Love and the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, and Free from Guilt. The Acquittal was her 2013 release; No Easy Catch is her 2014 release.
Pat has converted her sofa-strapped, sports-fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, and GPS-guided chauffeur. They have a son and daughter.
Pat’s interviews include numerous appearances on radio, television, blogtalk radio, blogs, and feature articles.
Visit www.patsimmons.net or email her at [email protected]
Snail mail: Pat Simmons, P O Box 1077, Florissant, MO 63031
Other Christian titles include:
The Guilty series
Book I: Guilty of Love
Book II: Not Guilty of Love
Book III: Still Guilty
The Guilty Parties series
Book I: The Acquittal
Book II: The Confession, Fall 2015
The Jamieson Legacy
Book I: Guilty by Association
Book II: The Guilt Trip
Book III: Free from Guilt
The Carmen Sisters
Book I: No Easy Catch
Book II: In Defense of Love
