Be Mine Forever: A Valentine (Single Father Romance) Read online

  I nodded and smiled. “I think that sounds like a very good compromise. If I ever find a husband, I’m going to use you as an example of a good husband. It doesn’t even have to be flowers. I just want that little reminder every week.”

  He laughed, waving a hand through the air. “Oh, I don’t know if you want to use me as a good example. I’ve made some big mistakes over the past fifty years, but my Dottie loves me anyway. I have to stay on her good side with the flowers. I probably make her crazy all week. Monday, I show up with flowers and it wipes the slate clean. Every Monday she makes a delicious pot roast to thank me for the flowers,” he said, a small smile on his face.

  “That sounds like a very good arrangement,” I told him, imagining my future. Was I destined to have that comfortable relationship with routines?

  I put together a bouquet for him, filled with vivid pink and purple flowers before sending him on his way. He was smiling brightly as he walked out the door. He had been my most loyal customer. He was a sweet, kind man who always had something nice to say.

  I loved making people smile. Being in the flower business was very rewarding. People, even those who were getting the dreaded sympathy arrangements, always smiled when they saw their flowers. My little flower shop had grown in the past year and I was no longer able to personally deliver the flowers. It was a good and bad thing. I liked the business and appreciated the income, but I missed the connection with the people.

  I tidied up my workstation and heard the bell over the door again. “I’ll be right there,” I called out.

  “It’s just me,” Dani, my sister-in-law replied.

  I walked up front, finding her at a sympathy arrangement with a sad look on her face. I stared at the white roses surrounded by baby’s breath and felt that same sadness I could see on her face. I quickly snapped myself out of the melancholy trance.

  “Hey, what brings you by?” I asked her, trying to sound upbeat.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “I was out running errands and thought I’d see if you needed any help today.”

  “Are you off today?” I asked her.

  She nodded, her strawberry blond hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. Seeing her hair left without any styling told me everything I needed to know about her state of mine. She was down. Dani had always been a bit of a fashion queen, her hair and makeup always done, but lately, it was like she could barely find the strength to get dressed in the morning.

  She let out a long sigh. “Yep. Things are slow at the vet clinic. I’m only working a couple days this week.”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I have a few orders I need to put together,” I told her, knowing she wanted the distraction, and looked forward to spending some time with her.

  “I can help,” she said, jumping at the chance.

  “I’d like that.”

  “It’s warm today,” she said, walking into the back room after me.

  I nodded. “It is.”

  I loved Dani like my own sister, but things were definitely strained. The mundane small talk was evident of that strain.

  “Have you got a lot of orders for Valentine’s already?” she asked.

  I laughed. “Yes. Lots of roses. I like the guys that step out of the box and go for some of the more daring arrangements.”

  “But the classics are the best,” she said, a wistful tone in her voice.

  “I suppose. I do like the red roses, and the white, but I love the daisies and the pretty orchids,” I told her.

  “I can’t wait for spring,” she blurted out.

  I laughed. “Me too. I think it is going to be here before we know it. There are going to be flowers blooming everywhere. Wedding season will begin, and it is going to be very busy.”

  “We have to go on that hike we keep saying we’re going to do as soon as you get through the spring rush,” she said, referring to our plans to take on the Appalachian Trail, or at least a small leg of it.

  I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat at the thought of the hike we’d been planning for two years. I wasn’t sure I wanted to take it now. Things were different. It wouldn’t be like we had planned.

  “Yeah, maybe,” I said, not committing to anything.

  “We have to go shopping for our gear,” she said, her enthusiasm forced.

  I nodded. “Yes. I want to look like a real hiker. Khaki pants, big shoes, and lots of granola,” I teased.

  “Don’t forget our cool walking sticks,” she said, playing along, her mood lightening.

  “Of course not. And our fancy backpacks with the bars and stuff that makes it look like we know what we’re doing.”

  She laughed. “I’m not sleeping on the ground.”

  “I don’t think we can fit a bed in our packs,” I reminded her.

  Her laughter filled the room. She was about to reply when the store’s phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she said, moving to answer it.

  I started pulling out the supplies I needed to work on my first order of the day. I could hear her voice, mumbling, and then what sounded like frustration and anger. She reappeared in the back room, a hand on her hip, her long hair hanging over one shoulder.

  “Uh-oh. That doesn’t look good. Complaint?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “That asshole delivery driver just quit,” she snapped.

  I raised my eyebrows. “As in he isn’t coming in today?” I asked, already mentally tallying the deliveries I had scheduled for the day.

  She nodded. “Yep. Said he got a real job and wasn’t coming back. He had the audacity to tell me we should be glad he called at all. Said his girlfriend made him call to tell us.”

  “What a jerk. It is so hard to find good help. He sucked anyway,” I said, shaking my head with disgust.

  “I can do the deliveries today. I have to work at the clinic tomorrow, but I can help you out before and after my shift,” she offered.

  I smiled, appreciating her help. “I’ll figure something out. I’ll call a delivery service and see how much it costs. It might be better to hire it out anyway.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Yes. It might actually be cheaper in the long run. I won’t have to pay gas, insurance, and a wage. It will be a one and done.”

  “I’ll look up some local services,” she said, pulling out her cell phone.

  “I can’t afford to pay any more than I was already. Things aren’t that good,” I reminded her.

  She nodded. “Got it.”

  I went back to work on the arrangement, half listening to her as she called a few places to get quotes. I dreaded going through a learning curve with a new company, but I didn’t have any options. I wasn’t too worried about finding a new service. If I couldn’t find one, I’d hire the job out for now. Maybe I’d get lucky and find a driver willing to work for a nominal fee all while being super cheerful and bright.

  I laughed to myself, sticking a fluffy fern into the arrangement I was working on. I wasn’t going to freak out—yet.

  Chapter 3

  Philip

  My first stop of the day was at a small specialty store. The woman who owned it was going out of her way to flirt. Never mind the fact she was old enough to be my mother. I smiled, doing my best to be polite, but needing to get moving in order to make all my deliveries on time.

  “I am so glad Clay hired a big, strapping young man like you for the job. It’s like a little bonus for his loyal customers,” the woman, Betty, cooed.

  “Thank you, Betty. Where are your deliveries for today?” I asked, trying to steer her back to the matter at hand.

  “Right over there, handsome. How tall are you?” she asked.

  “Six three,” I told her.

  “Are your eyes green?” she asked.

  I nodded. “They are.”

  “Well, my, my, you are a handsome devil, aren’t you?” she teased.

  “Thank you,” I told her again, not too bothered by her bold comments.

  “I bet all the
ladies drool over you,” she joked.

  I smiled. “I’m married.”

  “Oh! Oh my! Your wife is a very lucky woman,” she said, looking down at the gold band encircling my left ring finger.

  “Thank you,” I mumbled again.

  “Do you have any children?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, a little girl.”

  “Oh, I bet she is a pretty little thing. Does she look like you?”

  I shrugged. “She’s got my hair and eye color, but her mother’s naturally curly hair. She’s petite, just like her mom,” I said, unable to stop smiling as I talked about Sadie. She was my whole world.

  Betty smiled, bobbing her head. “You’re a proud daddy.”

  “I am. I need to get going now. I’ll see you next week,” I told her, walking out the door with the packages I was to deliver.

  I got in the driver’s seat and stared down at the ring on my hand, twirling it around with my fingers. I pulled it off, stared at it, and put it back on. The ring was as much a part of me as my left hand. I started the truck and headed back to the main office to drop off the packages that would be going to FedEx, and to check in with Clay.

  I parked in the back and went inside. Clay was in his small office, talking on the phone. I grabbed a water from the small fridge and did my best not to eavesdrop. Clay was securing another job, it sounded like. I knew things were a little slow for the business right now, but he was expecting things to pick up once the weather warmed up.

  He hung up the phone and looked up at me from the desk. “Got another account for you,” he said with a smile.

  I nodded. “It sounded like you offered a pretty low rate,” I said.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I offered a fair rate.”

  “Why? You are one of the few delivery companies in town, you could charge more.”

  He smiled. “It’s not always about the money.”

  “Did you get your business degree out of a box of Cracker Jack?” I teased.

  Clay laughed. “If you mean the Marines, then yes, in a way.”

  “The Marines did not teach you to take pennies on the dollar for a job,” I said dryly.

  He shook his head, pointing at his knee. “No, but when they were so kind to give me my walking papers and send me off to college for cheap, the business school sure did.”

  “How is the knee?” I asked him.

  He shrugged. “As good as it can be with no cartilage. I wasn’t blessed with good breeding like you.”

  I laughed. “It’s your fault for trying to keep up with me in the gym.”

  “I wanted to be one of the cool kids. How was I to know my scrawny knees weren’t on the same page?” he joked.

  “You were smart and used that free education. I wished I would have been smart enough to do the same,” I mumbled.

  “Hey, you still can,” he reminded me.

  I shrugged. “Going to school and taking care of a kid while keeping a roof over our heads isn’t going to work. At least, not right now. I need to get settled in, then I will think about it.”

  “Well, you know I’ve got a job here for you.”

  I laughed. “Not if you keep offering our services for nothing.”

  “It’s not all about the money. This town is small enough that people know people. I don’t want to get a reputation for screwing over small business. We are all just trying to make it,” he explained.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “It’s your business and I guess you know what you’re doing.”

  “I do.”

  “I am done with my route for the day. If you don’t have anything else, I’m out of here,” I told him.

  He checked his roster and shook his head. “It’s clear, but tomorrow, I need you in a little earlier to accommodate our new client.”

  I grimaced. “I don’t know how much earlier I can make it in. Sadie is first. I need to get her to school and then I’ll come right in, but I’m not going to drop her off too early.”

  He nodded. “I understand. You know, one of the ladies I’ve been working with for years, she is the head of the before and after school care. They do all kinds of stuff with the kids. Teaching them robotics and stuff like that.”

  “I have seen the posters and I might think about getting her into one of the classes, but not until next year. She needs to find her bearings. Plus, I’m not all that interested in sending her off to school for twelve hours a day,” I mumbled.

  “I get it. I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m here to help. Sadie is a smart girl and she’ll make friends. I bet she’s already made a couple,” he said with a laugh.

  “As long as they aren’t boys, she can have all the friends she wants,” I said.

  He burst into laughter. “You are going to be that dad. The guy standing at the door, no shirt on, all your Marine tats on display, and mean-mugging the poor boy who dares to try and date your daughter.”

  I nodded and grinned. “Damn straight. I want any boy who looks at her to have the fear of death instilled in him.”

  “I’m sure you will do a great job of doing exactly that. Poor Sadie. She’s going to be single until she’s thirty.”

  I grinned. “Perfect.”

  He was still laughing when I walked out the door. I didn’t mean to be an overprotective father, but it was instinctual. I wanted to protect her from everything, including broken hearts. I knew it was a part of life and it was bound to happen, but I didn’t like the idea of my baby girl being hurt, even if it was only minor teenage heartbreaks.

  I got in my truck and headed for the school. I would be a few minutes early, which was fine by me. I pulled into a parking spot on the far side of the building and walked toward the entrance, waiting outside the group of other parents that were waiting for their kids. I saw a few of the moms looking my way. They probably thought I was a creep stalking children. I was new in town and nobody knew me. I realized I had a rough edge about me. That came from serving in the Marines for nearly seven years. You had to develop a tough exterior to make it in the military.

  When the kids started filing out of the school, I searched for Sadie’s curly brown hair that always made her stand apart from the rest. The moment I saw her, I waved, drawing her attention. She ran toward me, just as excited to see me as I was to see her. I dropped low, preparing myself to take the exuberant hug she was bound to bless me with.

  I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, hugging her before kissing her on the forehead. “I missed you!” I told her.

  “Dad! I had so much fun today!” she squealed.

  I caught the looks of the parents around us, watching our reunion. A few of what I knew to be the single mom club members were eyeing me like a piece of candy. I knew all about the attraction of a daddy with his kid. It worked both ways. Men were just as excited by the prospect of a beautiful woman who was also a good mother. It had to be that innate instinct we all had to procreate.

  “Why don’t we go get some frozen yogurt and you can tell me all about it?” I told her, putting her down and taking her hand as we walked back to the truck.

  She was practically bouncing as she jabbered on and on about the new friends she made and how much she loved her teacher. I loaded her into the booster seat, checking the seat belt and jogging around the front of the truck and climbing into the driver’s seat. She was still talking.

  I drove to the small ice cream shop I had spotted while out on deliveries for the day. I realized my job was actually a great way for me to get to know my new home. I’d found a new grocery store, a used kids’ clothing store, and a new park to take Sadie to. Every day, I felt a little more settled. I hoped Sadie did as well.

  “What kind do you want?” I asked Sadie as we stood in front of the counter.

  “Chocolate,” she immediately answered.

  I had suspected as much, but never wanted to presume. I wanted her to feel free to change her mind at any time.

  “One for me as well,” I told the young woman waiting patiently
to dish up our frozen yogurts.

  With our cold treats in hand, we took a seat at one of the tiny tables in the corner. Sadie picked up where she had left off, telling me all about recess and her new friend, Cory. I was a little leery at first, but then I realized Cory was a girl. I knew I couldn’t freak out over her being friends with boys, but I was certainly not okay with sleepovers.

  “Did you have a good day at work, Daddy?” she asked.

  I smiled and nodded. “I did. In fact, tomorrow I’m going to drop you off a few minutes earlier at school. Clay picked up a new job and I need to go in early.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Can I eat breakfast at school?” she asked excitedly.

  My initial reaction was hell no, but then I realized it was something she wanted. I hated the idea of her eating two of the three daily meals at school. I had to let go a little. I’d been keeping a death grip on her for months now. It was time to loosen the reins.

  “I think that’s a good idea. Does Cory eat breakfast at school?”

  “Yep. I was going to ask you if I could have breakfast with her and now I can!”

  I smiled, happy to have made her day. “What do they serve?” I asked her.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  I made a mental note to check the school website. I also would need to add money to the meal account. I hoped it wasn’t too exorbitant. We were living on a tight budget. It had to be that way for now. I had decided spending time with her was worth more than a high-paying job. We weren’t starving, we had a roof over our heads, and everything we needed. She wasn’t going to be getting an iPhone anytime soon, but she’d survive.

  Chapter 4

  Jamie

  It was time to lock up. I was ready to go home and chill out on the couch with a glass of merlot and some cheese and crackers. My job wasn’t necessarily hard, but it did get tedious at times. Plus, who didn’t like to go home and just chill out?