by Jeannie Watt
Another sucky Valentine’s Day.
*
After the last door had been hung, the drop cloths packed away, the floors swept for the final time, the crew gathered around Pete and high-fived. Despite the many obstacles, his difficult project had been completed. On time.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said to Felicity, hugging her from the wheelchair.
“I’m glad to be part of it,” she murmured, swallowing back the emotional lump forming in her throat. “Don’t forget to pay Danny.”
He laughed, but it was strained. He knew something had happened between them, something outside of their normal bickering and tiffs, but bless him, he hadn’t asked. “Will do.”
“We should go, Feliss,” Stevie called from across the room. “It’s starting to snow.”
“Right.” Bertha the furnace kicked on and Felicity felt a poignant little stab as she realized that she would never be locked in a furnace room with Danny again.
As things were going, she half wondered if she would ever see him again.
She’d hoped that he would stop by the build to say goodbye again. Properly. He did not, because the next move was hers. She knew him well enough to understand how serious he’d been when he’d said that. As to small messages? She’d looked through the worksite upon arrival that morning, concentrating on the places he knew she’d be working and had found absolutely zero small messages.
The depth of her disappointment there was telling, as was her yearning to see him one last time, even though keeping her distance would hurt.
Your move.
The best move was no move. The yearning to see him would diminish over time.
Like recovering from a crush.
Yes. That.
“I need to go, Dad.”
“I know.”
After one last hug, Felicity said goodbye to Bud, who was taking her dad home, then followed her sisters to the car where her suitcase was already packed in the trunk. She was traveling in her work clothes because who cared?
Stevie and Tess exchanged a meaningful look over the top of the car before they got in, alerting Felicity to the possibility of an intervention during the trip to the Boise airport. Not that she blamed them. She’d stuck her nose into their affairs recently—with positive results, she was proud to say—but their situations were more cut and dried. At least it seemed that way to her.
But sisters would do what they thought they had to do for one of their own.
With a mental sigh, Felicity got into the back seat of Tess’s car, ready to either fend off an attack, or to roll with it and then do exactly what she pleased, but nothing was said. Fifteen miles into the trip, she began to relax and by twenty miles, she was joining in with their banter. Apparently, they realized that she had her life under control. There were some raw edges she needed to smooth out, but she was good. In control. Doing the right thing.
The justification felt weak. If it wasn’t, then why did she have to keep repeating it?
Her sisters must have sensed weakness, or else they’d plotted their campaign in advance, because they didn’t make their move until they hugged her goodbye near the security line.
“Don’t mess things up with Danny,” Tess murmured as she pulled back from the hug.
Felicity’s back stiffened. “I expected better than a sneak attack.”
“We’re not saying Danny is the one,” Stevie said, “but he’s a good—”
“Guy,” Felicity finished for her. “I’m aware.”
“What we’re saying is to keep an open mind. Don’t shove Danny out of your life because he wasn’t in your plans all along.”
“That’s not what—” Felicity swallowed what remained of her automatic defense. “I appreciate your concern, but this thing with Danny is like a vacation. I’ll go home and get back into my old life and our time together will be a pleasant memory.”
Tess glanced at Stevie, and Felicity let out a growl. “Stop doing that. I know what I’m doing.”
“All right.” Stevie put up her hands.
Felicity glanced at the security line, then back at her sisters. “I realize that you’re thinking of what’s best for me. Now, how about a goodbye hug with no agenda?”
Her sisters went in for a group hug and for a long moment, they held, rocking back and forth until Felicity got bumped from behind.
“I’ll be fine,” she said as they broke apart. “Just…uh…keep an eye on Danny.”
They didn’t ask why or how or what they should be watching for, which was good, because Felicity hadn’t an answer for that question.
“I’ll see you guys in April.” When she would fly to Holly then drive her car back to Seattle. “Take a spin in the Audi once a week to keep the battery charged.”
“Will do,” Tess said. “Travel safe.”
Yes. She would travel safely, then fall back into her routine and life would go on.
Except it wasn’t going to feel quite the same.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank goodness you’re here.” Viv Caldwell caught up with Felicity as she stepped off the elevator. She was early for work, but Viv had been earlier, and there was something about the wild look in her eye that made Felicity’s stomach tighten. Only days ago Viv had assured her that everything was quiet. Maybe it had been too quiet.
“What happened?”
“They fired Brett. Mr. Murtaugh. They fired him!” Her voice broke on the last word.
“No.” Felicity pushed back her hair, not caring if it stood up. Viv, who was usually the picture of composure appeared ready to burst into tears. “When?”
“This morning. They had an early meeting. Brett expected a bonus and instead he got the axe.”
Viv blinked several times, and Felicity reached out to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She knew why Viv was so distraught. Brett Murtaugh was her mentor, and as such, she was concerned not only about losing career guidance, but also about losing her job. These things often came in waves.
“Come on.” Felicity jerked her head toward the walled-in cube at the far end of the room. She’d risen high enough in the food chain to warrant a semi-office which would give them a measure of privacy. Lockwood was a proponent of flex time so there were only a few people at their stations, and from the looks of things, unaware of what had happened, but Viv needed a moment to collect herself without being stared at.
Viv sank into the chair, then reached for a tissue which she waddedbn into a ball in her hand, as if not daring to dab her eyes for fear of starting a river.
“It’s not fair,” Viv said fiercely. “He’s given his all for this company.”
“I know,” Felicity said matter-of-factly. It was true.
Welcome back to your real life, her small voice muttered.
Felicity pulled up a chair so that she was facing Viv without the desk between them. “It’s a shock, but this has been in the works for weeks, I imagine.” She wasn’t telling Viv anything she didn’t already know; her goal was to lay things out and help the woman marshal her thoughts. “It’s been a done deal for a while. We simply didn’t know.”
Viv’s red-rimmed eyes came up. “I’m afraid of losing my job. Of, you know, being tainted by association.”
That, too, was a done deal, if the powers that be had come to the same conclusion.
“Do I ask for a meeting? Do I wait for the axe to fall? I’ve never been in this situation. I just put down a big deposit on a new apartment.” Her eyes went wide as they zeroed in on Felicity. “None of us may be safe. This may be the beginning of a major housecleaning.”
“It could,” she agreed, which would screw up her life and her carefully laid plans. It would also give her an excuse to head back to Holly, or to Boise, where she would do what?
Viv sniffed, bringing Felicity’s attention back to her.
“There’s nothing proactive I can do, is there?”
Felicity shook her head. “Not at the moment.”
Viv
got to her feet. “Then I won’t waste time trying to save something I no longer have.” She smiled weakly. “You know what I mean, right?”
Felicity nodded. If Viv’s, or her, job was to be terminated, there was nothing either of them could do. The answer was to keep on keeping on.
“You want to go for a drink tonight?” Viv asked. “Regardless of what happens?”
Felicity smiled. “I would. Thanks.”
There were no guarantees in business or romance, which wasn’t exactly an epiphany; she’d made the same comparison after the Sean debacle.
But losing a job wouldn’t break her heart. Losing Danny forever might.
You’ve already lost him. This friend thing isn’t going to work out and you know it.
Time and distance weren’t going to change that. All it would do was to make the two of them distant with one another. As Viv said, she was wasting time trying to save something she no longer had, while pushing aside the opportunity to have something even better.
The sad truth was that even without the Viv crisis, returning to her real life was not having the effect she’d anticipated. She didn’t feel centered. Her life in Holly didn’t seem to be a long way away. Her feelings for Danny were not diminishing. She was at the point where being locked in a furnace room look pretty good. At least she’d be home.
Her phone buzzed, startling her. The beginning of the end? she wondered as she reached for the receiver. Quite possibly, because Mr. Fanning, senior vice president, wanted to see her in his office. Now.
Felicity got to her feet and smoothed her hair, which felt like yes, it had been sticking up. She pulled her tote bag up onto her desk and dug through it, looking for the comb she knew she had in there somewhere.
She pulled out the paperback she’d taken from the furnace room locker and would hopefully give to Viv later that day if they both had jobs, then stilled as she noticed the small white envelope stuck inside the yellowed pages of the book.
She pulled the card from the envelope, her heart beating even faster than it had when she’d received the call from Mr. Fanning, and scanned the message. Her heart gave a mighty twist, then she quickly pushed the card back into the envelope, squared her shoulders, and headed out of her office on her way to who knew what. Mr. Fanning was going to have to deal with her having less than professional hair, because she was having a day.
*
“The inspections are done. The work has been accepted. Thank you, kid.” Her dad’s voice sounded weary but satisfied as Felicity changed to speaker and propped the phone on the end table. “It’s been a long haul and I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I loved doing it,” Felicity said, curling her feet beneath her as she looked out over the lights of the city before taking a sip of cinnamon tea. Her beloved condo felt oddly foreign tonight, and her tea-brewing ritual hadn’t had its usual calming effect. She had confessions to make.
“No trouble catching up at work?”
“Actually, I came back to quite a shakeup. The uneventful spell while I was gone had been the quiet before the storm.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I still have my job.” As did Viv, although she was still edgy about her professional future four days after the firings. “They let three people go, all above me.”
“That’s unnerving.”
“That’s business.” She sucked in a breath and asked the question that was the lead-in to the conversation she was about to have. “How’s Danny?”
“Never home. I paid him, though, so don’t worry about that.”
She laughed a little. “I knew you would.” Another quick sip of tea, then, “Dad, I have a confession to make. Something I haven’t told Stevie or Tess.”
Her dad cleared his throat. “I kind of thought you two had…uh…”
“Come to an understanding?”
“Something like that.”
“We didn’t, Dad. We parted ways at an impasse.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He spoke earnestly and Felicity mentally squared her shoulders before diving in.
“That isn’t the confession. When I moved to Seattle, I did it for the wrong reasons.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I left my job, relinquished the matching funds to my 401(k), and abandoned my life plan to follow a man.” There. It was out. But she didn’t feel better. She felt bad for having kept the secret in the first place.
“Sean? I thought he followed you. I mean, he was the one with no ties.”
“And I let you think that because I was embarrassed about what I was doing, and that should have told me something then and there.”
“It all worked out, though, right?”
“Well, he did dump me and leave me in a new city where I’d never planned to live, but yes, ultimately I landed on my feet.” Although she’d always regretted leaving Portland.
Her dad was quiet for a moment, and she could hear sportscasters in the background. Finally he said, “I don’t think you need to feel self-conscious. It was a while ago, and I guess I understand why you kept it to yourself.” He cleared his throat as a cheer went up from whatever game he had on in the background. “I’m surprised…but yeah. I understand.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Felicity reached for the small white envelope on the end table next to her teacup saucer, turning it over with one hand. “I think I might do it again.”
The words hung for a long moment. Too long?
“For Danny?” There was a note of hope in her dad’s voice that made things right.
“Well, it won’t be for Cade Kincaid.”
“Good. I never liked the guy.”
A smile started to curve her lips, then faded again. This was only the first of many uncomfortable steps she was about to make.
“Feliss,” her dad continued in a serious voice, “life is short. We know that from sad experience.”
The same thing Sean had said, but when her dad said it, the words seemed to touch her soul. Her family had experienced the heartbreak of a life cut short.
“You do what you have to do,” he added gruffly. “I’ll back you one hundred.”
“Even if I end up living in the basement?”
“You can have your bedroom.”
Felicity laughed. “I love you, Dad. I don’t want you to worry.”
“We Evans are fighters. You’ll land on your feet again.” He cleared his throat again. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m still working it out. I’ll keep you posted.”
Felicity ended the call, then pulled the child’s valentine from the envelope, turning it over to read the glittery words written on a cartoon chalkboard.
V is for Valentine. No matter what happens, you’ll always be mine.
Love, Danny.
The message he’d told her to ignore. The message he’d given her before concluding that he couldn’t be just friends.
She propped an arm over her eyes. Whatever happened, she’d always be his. Truer words were never written in glitter.
And he’d tried to renege on that promise the night before she’d left Holly.
That challenge would not go unanswered.
*
“Fork Horn signed.” Sandra sounded like she was on the verge of doing a back handspring. “We did it!”
“Yeah. I guess we did.”
He and Sandra had spent two backbreaking days clearing debris prior to the arrival of the crew, thus giving them a clean slate upon which to work their disinfecting magic. But the effort had been worth it when he’d called the Fork Horn rep Sandra had been negotiating with and invited him for a casual one-on-one meeting at the warehouse after the cleaning was complete. They’d walked through that very morning, but he honestly hadn’t expected any kind of decision until early next week.
“He loved the brick work and the windows and the view of the river. And I think he really loved the fact that Holly is expanding in that direction, and that the city had signed on to buil
d bike and jogging paths and to put in a small amphitheater.”
“He’s wise to sign now,” Danny said.
“I also got a call concerning one of the smaller spaces. I’ll get back to you with the details tomorrow, and I have a lead on another property I want to run by you.”
“Tomorrow?” They’d planned to meet that evening.
“Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. Something came up and I can’t make it tonight.”
“Okay.” She sounded flustered, and he wondered if she was going on an impromptu date. If so, more power to her. “Tomorrow works for me.”
“Great. Talk to you then.”
He set the phone on the table. Things were falling into place in all areas but one, and that would be the Felicity area.
He went to the window and looked out at the frost-covered Audi. He was beginning to love and hate that car. It reminded him of the fact that Felicity was coming back, but it also reminded him that the next move was hers and he had a bad feeling that she wasn’t going to make it. That she believed that time and distance would turn love back into friendship.
It wasn’t going to happen, which left him to decide whether he was going to fake it when she returned home or avoid her. His parents would be back, and he’d made an offer on a new house only a quarter of a mile from his warehouse. He had no reason to see her unless they bumped into one another.
Or she sought him out.
He turned away from the window and was on his way to the kitchen when his doorbell rang. He didn’t get many visitors at his parents’ house. Sandra and no one.
It was indeed no one.
A doorbell ditch?
Danny looked up and down the street, then noted the tracks in the snow heading around the back of his house. He stepped out to investigate, then saw the bright red envelope lying on the stoop. After shooting a glance in both directions, just in case snowballs were involved, he picked up the envelope and headed back into the house.
When he opened it, he found note cards, the kind the English teachers had tried to get him to use in the good old days to outline thoughts before writing an essay.
He turned the cards over, and his heart jumped when he read “A is for Awesome.”