My Sweet Valentine (7 page)

When he'd driven through town early this morning, he'd seen the light on in the bakery. For the entire trip out to the training facility, his mind had been consumed by her. The feel of her, the taste of her caused his system to start working in overdrive. They'd finally gotten her shelf together around eleven last night and he'd followed her the few blocks back to her house. He'd desperately wanted to kiss her again, but refrained from doing so. He knew she had a lot on her plate. Hell, he didn't know half of what it took to start your own business. He’d been here to oversee everything with the training facility, but there had been roughly a hundred contractors who were all getting orders from his commanding officers. All he’d had to do was babysit them and take over when the place was done. He was not only impressed by what she'd accomplished so far, but the fact that she'd been doing it all herself made him realize that maybe she was made of stronger stuff than he'd first thought.

By the end of his shift, every muscle in his body ached. He was set to play another game of basketball the next day and knew he needed a break. Heading to the Boys and Girls Club, the only place in town that had a public hot tub, he checked in at the front desk and talked to Rickie, the teenage boy on duty for the evening. When he sank into the hot tub, his muscles started relaxing slowly. He could hear the rhythmic sounds of people swimming laps in the large pool beside the tub. Closing his eyes, he counted his heartbeats and waited for everything to slow down. He'd trained himself to control his breathing, control every inch of his body. It helped during those times when he was out on a save and most men would panic.

By the time he pulled himself out of the hot water half an hour later, his body was totally relaxed. Drying himself off, he almost passed right by her, but the dark streak under the water caused him to stop and watch. Her hair was tied back in a braid. Her long arms and legs carried her through the water quickly and gracefully in a practiced dance. He stood at the end of her lane and smiled when she stopped and looked up through dark blue goggles.

“Come here often?” He watched her pull the goggles off her eyes and saw surprise cross her face. She looked winded and her checks turned a nice shade of pink. He nodded towards the tub. “Just enjoying the heat a little. It helps with the day's bumps and bruises.”

“Oh.” She tried to smile. “I was just trying to wind down. Usually a few laps help me clear my head.”

He sat down on the edge of the diving board and rubbed the towel over his forehead. Water dripped from his hair, running down his chest, and he watched with pleasure as her eyes followed its motion like she was hypnotized by it.

“I was going to head someplace to eat after. Would you like to join me?” He held out a hand for her to take. She hesitated a moment then put her hand in his. When he pulled her out of the water, he smiled at the one-piece suit she was wearing. She wasn't built like a swimmer, more like a dancer. Her long legs and arms shined with the water glistening off them. Her hand remained in his for a moment, then she dropped her hand and walked over to retrieve her towel. He noticed she looked comfortable in her skin. She didn't try to cover her body and she walked with confidence. Shaking the water from her ears, she smiled at him.

“Actually, I put a pot roast on earlier. It should be ready right about now. What do you say to having a little home cooking? Of course,” she chuckled, “you'll have to deal with my sister and mother.”

He smiled. “I'd like to meet them. Sounds great. What do you say to meeting at your place in”—he looked down at his watch—“half an hour?”

She nodded. “If you can deal with my sister and mother, there might be another slice of something in it for you.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Boston Cream?”

She shook her head. “Cheesecake.”

He put his hands over his heart and closed his eyes. “As I've said before, marry me.” She laughed and he knew at that moment he was a goner. Her hair was silky wet and falling in long curly wisps around her face. She didn't have an ounce of makeup on and he swore he'd never seen anything more beautiful than what he was looking at now.

Half an hour later, he approached her front door feeling like a teenager on his first date. His hands were sweaty, despite the frigid wind blowing off the coast. He didn't know what to expect from her sister or mother. He'd heard of them, but to be honest, he couldn't pick them out of a lineup, even though he'd probably passed by them a dozen times since arriving in Pride.

When the door flew open, he was greeted by a younger version of Sara. She was a lot taller and her hair was a few shades lighter. They had the same eyes and smile, but he could see something else in her eyes. He could tell that she usually got what she wanted. He remembered seeing her a few times on the beach during the summer with other kids from the school.

“Hi. Come on in. Sara's just putting the finishing touches on dinner.” He noticed the house was spotless. Even though the furniture was older, it looked like it was in mint condition. The house smelled of cooking meat and potatoes, something he could appreciate. When he entered the small kitchen, he saw Sara rushing around preparing a salad. An older woman sat in a corner looking at a computer screen through glasses that sat at the end of her nose.

“Come on in.” Sara turned and smiled at him. Her white apron looked clean and like it had just been pressed.

“Something smells wonderful.” He smiled as he handed her a small bouquet of daisies.

“Oh, aren't these beautiful.” She buried her face in the small bundle.

“They aren't much, just something I picked up at Patty's on the way up here.”

“Come on and sit down. The food will be ready in a few minutes.” She motioned to a chair at the table. He walked over and sat down. “Mom, turn that thing off and meet our guest. Allen, this is my mother, Patricia.” Sara introduced them once her mother walked over and took the seat next to him.

“Sara has told us so much about you. I can't thank you enough for helping her out with her car.”

“It was no problem.” He actually felt himself blush a little.

“
I hear you’re taking her to the Jordan's Christmas party, too,” her sister piped in as she sat in the chair across from him. She folded her legs underneath her and leaned her elbows on the table and stared at him intensely. He nodded and tried to change the subject quickly as he adjusted in the hard chair.

Sara watched from the corner of her eye as her family tried to give Allen the second degree. Every chance Becca got, she would ask questions about his personal life. She doubted her sister cared that much about his personal life; more likely, she was just trying to get any scoop he might have. Finally, when Sara had set the salad on the table, she'd gotten bored and picked up her phone and had started texting someone.

“Do you need any help?” he asked, during a lull in conversation.

“No, just finishing up the rolls. The pot roast pretty much cooks itself.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. He looked very uncomfortable at the small table with her mother and sister. Smiling, she turned back to the oven and pulled out the fresh rolls. She knew he was determined to keep trying with her. Well, if he was serious, he'd just have to make it past the crazy that was her family.

She'd never seen anyone eat as much as Allen could put away. The first bite he'd taken, he'd closed his eyes and moaned, much like he had with her pie the other night.

“I've never tasted anything better,” he said as he helped clear the dishes. Her mother was back in her cubbyhole with the computer screen lighting up her face. She didn't exactly know what it was that her mother did on the computer all the time. She was a tax accountant, but Sara doubted she had that much work to keep her tied to the machine that long. Becca had disappeared to her room. The pair of them were pros at avoiding dishes.

When Allen started rolling up his sleeves, she jumped in. “You don't have to help. I'll take care of these later.” She piled the plates on the countertop.

“Nonsense. It's the least I can do.” He looked down at her doubting face. “Don't trust me with your good china?”

She smiled. “It's not that. You're a guest.”

He shook his head. “My mother would have my hide if I didn't help out after having the best home cooked meal I've eaten since…” He tilted his head. “Well, I guess since I was back home.” He smiled again and started filling up her sink with warm water and soap from the large container of yellow dish soap.

She watched for a minute as he started scrubbing the dishes then walked over and grabbed a towel. “Fine, but I'll dry and put them away.”

They stood in the small space and worked quickly. It felt nice to have someone to help out. It didn't hurt that every time their arms would brush or their hands would touch, she felt a burst of heat radiate through her. The spark would shoot up her arms and travel through her insides quickly. It was like touching a live wire, something she'd done once as a child. She'd been with Allison and two other girls. They'd decided to walk to the edge of town and see if they could sneak into an old barn they'd heard was haunted. None of them had known the fence surrounding the place was electric to keep the cows in the field. It had been just a quick painless jolt, like what she felt every time Allen touched her.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” She dried her hands and dusted her slacks off.

“Sounds great. You mentioned cheesecake?” He walked over and sat at the table with a child’s grin on his face.

“I suppose you'd like a large piece?” She pulled out the pan with her latest trial cake. It was an old recipe, but with a new twist. There was chocolate swirled around the top, and inside were two layers, one dark layer of mint chocolate and one of her normal cheesecake recipe. She set the plate down in front of him and nibbled on her lip and waited as he picked up his fork and carefully broke off a piece.

When he put the cake into his mouth, she watched his lips. A memory flashed behind her eyes of how those lips felt on her own. Trying not to close her eyes and moan, she moved her eyes back up to his and realized he was watching her with curiosity written all over his face.

“All I can say is that I've never had anything better. I want you to promise me that if you need a taste tester, you’ll call me first.” He scooped up another forkful.

“Really? It's good?” She waited. He looked up at her and set his fork down.

“Don't tell me you haven't tried this yet.” When she shook her head, he scooped up another forkful and held it out to her.

“Trust me. I've eaten my fair share of cheesecake, being from a family that loves their desserts, but this is by far the best I've ever had.”

She kept her eyes on him as she leaned down and took his fork into her mouth. When the richness hit her, it melted in her mouth and she smiled. Then she saw the heat in his eyes and noticed that he was watching her lips as she licked them for any crumbs. Time and space seemed to stop. Sounds came to a halt and even her heart seemed to take a break. How is it that he could do this to her with just one look?

Her mother's cough broke the spell. She'd forgotten she was sitting in the corner, witness to the event. When Sara looked over, her mother was still looking toward the computer screen. She blinked a few times to clear her mind of Allen and the images her mind had just conjured up.

“Mom, would you like a slice of this cheesecake?” Her mother turned to her and smiled.