A Valentine's Wish

“Thanks for the chocolate, lady.” He grinned, showing caramel stains on his teeth.

“Consider it a late birthday gift.” Lori waited until the kid left before fingering the red ribbon around the box. Why didn’t her admirer just mail the box? Maybe it contained something expensive, something they wanted to be sure arrived safely.

So they entrusted it to an eleven-year-old boy?

Lori shook her head. Only way to find out was to open it. She could do that now, then confront Monny about the gift when he returned from his break. He had to be her secret admirer—there were no other options. After sleeping on her emotional thoughts from last night’s service, Lori decided that Mr. Good Enough wasn’t good enough after all, and she’d rather be alone than lead someone on. Heartbreak, she knew from experience, wasn’t fun for anyone. She would have to be gentle.

Lori’s stomach fluttered in anticipation as she slid the bow off the package and ripped open the cardboard flaps. She rummaged through the piles of packing paper, fingers eagerly searching. Just because she might have to return the gifts after Monny confessed his love didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the process. Her hand hit something soft. With an expectant grin, Lori tugged the item free of the gift wrap.

A stuffed Hershey’s Kiss.

A quick look inside the box confirmed there were a handful of the real chocolate pieces nestled in among the colored tissue—nothing more. A confused frown nestled between Lori’s brows. They worked in an upscale chocolate boutique in the French Quarter, and Manny had sent candy she could have gotten from Wal-Mart? Granted, it was her favorite, but she expected more from someone who made exquisite chocolate every day.

Clutching the little stuffed toy in both hands, Lori turned with determination toward the kitchen. She’d have to help Monny out. Even if she wasn’t interested in dating the handsome Italian, she could at least help him with a few pointers for his next love interest.

It was the least she could do after breaking his heart.

Andy strolled toward the Chocolate Gator, anticipation building in his stomach—and it wasn’t about the chocolates he’d soon be consuming. No, in just a few minutes, he’d see Lori face-to-face, and she’d thank him for the gift he’d sent.

He picked up his step and whistled a little tune. A street artist nodded in greeting as he passed, and Andy paused long enough to toss a quarter into the open guitar case of a performing musician. He couldn’t be happier—his idea was genius. After seeing the Hershey’s Kisses, Lori would have to put two and two together and realize he was her admirer. After all, he was the one who kept the bowl of Kisses on his desk at work, the bowl she visited frequently. Who else supplied her with a constant stream of chocolate at the church? Plus, the gift was cute—borderline corny. Subtle, and yet obvious at the same time. In other words, perfect.

His breath tightened as he walked. Only two more store-fronts and he’d be under the Chocolate Gator’s pink-and-black-striped awning. Andy’s stomach swished with nerves, and he paused to check his hair in the reflection of a store window. He really should get it cut, but he looked so young with his forehead showing. He swiped at a stubborn cowlick with his fingers.

Andy’s cell rang, and his heart jumped like an old man caught dozing during church. Maybe it was Lori, calling to tell him she’d figured out his secret identity. With a smile, he flipped open the cell. “I was just heading to see you—”

“You’ll have an awfully long swim if you do.” The familiar deep voice of his friend Carter chuckled through the line.

“Carter!” Andy dropped onto a nearby bench. Andy’s musician best friend had recently married Lori’s friend Gracie. Andy liked to think he had a little something to do with the perfect match. After all, he and Carter were college roommates and Gracie had been a part of Andy’s church long before Carter showed back up in her life. Andy grinned. “How’s the sun and sand?”

“Both are pretty hot.” A female voice chimed in on Carter’s end of the line, and he laughed. “And so is my new wife, of course.”

Andy snorted. “Don’t make me hang up on you. Haven’t ya’ll had enough alone time yet?”

“Never. Marriage is the best, man. I highly recommend it.”

“So does Pastor Mike.” Andy quickly filled Carter in on what had transpired over the last week.

“Wow, no pressure, huh?” Carter clucked his tongue. “So who’s the unlucky girl?”

“Funny.”

“You know I’ve got to give you a hard time. You gave me enough flak about Gracie.”

“How about some helpful advice? You can tease me after the wedding.”

“Deal.” Carter paused. “Wedding? So there is a girl?”

Andy immediately sobered. If he told Carter whom he had in mind, Gracie would know minutes after. Gracie was Lori’s best friend. Her knowing Andy’s feelings toward Lori would possibly help—or seriously hurt if she didn’t approve. He swallowed. “Someone you know pretty well.”

“Just spit it out, man. We’re about to go on a glass-bottom boat ride.” He whispered something to Gracie about tickets, then stopped short. “You didn’t finally come to your senses about Lori, did you?”

Andy opened his mouth, then closed it. Had he been that obvious to everyone but himself in the last year or two?

“It’s Lori, isn’t it? She’s the one!” Andy couldn’t tell if Carter’s voice held excitement or shock. Maybe both. He stood and began to pace the sidewalk, narrowly dodging a little boy on a skateboard. That would make sense—it was exactly how Andy felt, too.

“Hold on. Gracie wants to talk to you.”

Andy’s stomach rolled, and he gripped the cell tighter in his sweaty palm.

“Andy? Are you serious?” Gracie’s melodic voice traveled from the Gulf as clearly as if she sat beside him. “You’re interested in Lori?”

“Yes?” It came out more like a question, and he cleared his throat. “I mean, yes. I am.”

She squealed so loudly he jerked the phone away from his ear, heart pounding louder than the guy playing the bongo drums on the corner. “It’s about time!”

He dropped back onto the empty bench and exhaled. “Thanks, I think.”

“How was your first date? I can’t believe she hasn’t called me!”

“There actually hasn’t been one.”

A pause hovered over the line. “She doesn’t know how you feel, does she?”

“Not yet.” He told her about the gifts he’d sent. “I was just on my way to see her at the shop, and I bet she’ll have it figured out by the time I get there.”

“Because of a Hershey’s Kiss?” Gracie laughed. “Andy, it’s a sweet thought, but Lori begs, borrows or buys chocolate from a dozen different people and places. I think you’re going to have to be more obvious if you want to be discovered. Although it’s pretty silly to keep up this secret-admirer facade in the first place, if you ask me.”

“You don’t think I should do it?”

“I just think you should give Lori a fair shot at accepting you for who you are. You might be surprised.”

“Has she said something about me before?” Andy leaned forward and braced his elbows against his knees. The same skateboarding kid rolled back by, the wheels scraping loudly on the concrete. Andy turned his head to better hear Gracie’s answer, anticipation hovering like a little child around a beignet.

“Well, no. Not exactly. But why the secrecy?”

Andy opened his mouth to explain, but Carter’s muffled voice on the other end of the line interrupted. “Gracie, we’re going to miss the tour if we don’t leave now.”

A scuffling sounded, as if Gracie had clamped her hand over the receiver. “Just a second, this is important.” She returned to the phone. “Andy, we’ve got to go. Listen, just take it slowly, but don’t be afraid to tell her what’s in your heart, okay?”

“Okay.” He said goodbye and disconnected the call. His agreement to Gracie’s suggestion still lingered on his lips, but its meaning didn’t settle in his gut. He knew what he was doing. There was no way Lori would be responsive to his stating right out that he had feelings for her. She’d be shocked—and not in a good way. They’d been close friends for so long now she’d probably never thought of him as anything other than her best friend. Even if Lori was mistaking Monny as her secret admirer, he had to keep it up a while longer and ease her into the concept of Andy being boyfriend material.

Make that husband material.

Lori slid a tray of chocolate-dipped marshmallows into the display case. She’d already popped a few into her mouth—taste-testing for the customer’s sake, of course—and now she wanted to eat the whole pan. She needed fortification if she intended to confront Monny about being her secret admirer. She’d tried earlier in the afternoon, but he’d been intensely focused on icing a special-order cake, and she hadn’t wanted to distract him. That’d just be one more thing she would mess up.

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