Bear Valley Valentine

by T. S. Joyce

  She laughed and bit her lip before she unfolded the letter wider and read on.

  I wanted to do something a little different for you, because you’re different. You’re special. You’ve brought me back to life in more ways than you can even understand. Or maybe you could understand, but I’m not great with words. Open the box before you read further.

  Her stomach fluttered and her hands shook as she untied the twine and lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in red velvet, was a pocket knife. It wasn’t like any she’d ever seen. The handle was smooth and stained a rich earth tone, and the spine of the knife was etched with a floral design that looked like a creeping ivy vine. She ran a reverent finger down the smooth hilt and pulled it free of its case. On the edge was engraved Flowerlady26 in a fine, pink line that contrasted with the darker arcs of the wood grain. She opened it carefully, and the sharp blade shone in the fluorescent lighting. She’d be able to use it for so much around the shop, and it would fit perfectly into a compartment in her purse. From the craftsmanship, he must have spent some time on it. This was the most thoughtful gift anyone had ever given her.

  A single tear fell to her cheek as she closed the knife and picked up the letter again.

  I began making this for you the first day we talked online. I hadn’t made a knife for fun in so long, and I wanted it to be special, just for you. This is the one I was holding yesterday when you came into my shop. I was trying to think of a way to give it to you without it seeming a strange gift. Maybe it still does, I don’t know.

  I wanted to be the first to tell you Happy Valentine’s Day today, Hadley…so…

  Happy Valentine’s Day.

  Love,

  Bearman

  Hadley wiped her eyes and pulled her cell phone from her purse. Colin had given her his number, and a trill of excitement zinged through her as she put it to use for the first time.

  Are you awake? she texted him.

  His response was immediate. Yeah. I’m out working in the shop.

  She grinned and hit the call button. It rang three times before he picked up.

  “Hey,” he said, his breath catching like he’d been rushing to answer her call.

  “Hey mister,” she said as creeping shyness filled her. “I got your present.”

  “Do you like it?” Colin’s voice was all deep and gruff, as if he was sleepy, and the sexy tone of it brought heat to her cheeks.

  “It was the sweetest gift you could’ve ever thought up. I love it indescribably much.” She turned the closed knife in her hands and rubbed the polished hilt. She wouldn’t tell him that she was going to keep his letter forever because that might freak him out, but it was definitely going into her lockbox of meaningful trinkets she kept hidden in the top drawer of her dresser.

  She sighed regretfully, not wanting to get off the phone. Duty called, though. “I have to get to work on these orders, but will I see you tonight for dinner?”

  “I’ve made a reservation for us at the Winchester Steakhouse at eight. Is that late enough?”

  She stifled a smile at the thought of sitting with him all through dinner, and in public. The ladies around here were going to lose their biscuits when they got an eyeful of Colin without his mountain man beard. “I’ll make it work. Colin?” she asked, turning to the display case filled with red roses. “Did I ever thank you for the flowers you had shipped in yesterday?”

  “Yes, about a dozen times before you left last night.” His voice sounded amused, and she imagined him leaning against his work bench, arms crossed as his snow-colored eyes rivaled the neon streaks of sunrise peaking over the horizon.

  “Well, I just wanted to be thorough about it. You took a lot of pressure off me. Really, you saved the day, and a lot of couples will be getting roses from their significant others because of your thoughtfulness. It means a lot to me that you did that.”

  “I’m glad, Hadley.”

  She loved the way her name sounded in his deep voice.

  “I’m not going to give your sweater back,” she said, leaning on the counter and biting the end of her thumbnail.

  “You like wearing it?”

  “It smells like you, and it’s comfortable. I’ve decided it’s going to be my new sleep shirt.”

  “Mmm,” he said, though it sounded like a contented rumble that likely rattled his throat. God, he was sexy when he made wild-sounding noises like that. “I like imagining you in it.”

  “I like you,” she blurted out. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she squeezed her eyes tightly closed and fought the mortifying blush that was burning her face.

  “Say it again,” he said low.

  She swallowed hard, stalling to make sure her voice came out steady. “The gifts are nice, and they make me feel so special and cared for, but even without any of that…” Hadley inhaled deeply. “Even without the roses or the sweater or the knife, I’d still be just as excited to go to dinner with you tonight.”

  The line went silent, and she frowned and checked if it had been disconnected. When she opened her mouth to ask if he was still there, he said, “I like you, too, Hadley. I’ll see you tonight.”

  His voice was full of some emotion that brought a new wave of rawness to her heart. He didn’t have to admit it out loud that those were big words for him to say to someone else. She could tell.

  “See you tonight, Colin,” she said softly, then hung up.

  A slow smile took her face as she stared at the knife nestled against her palm. Her mountain man was softening up, and little by little, he was letting her in.

  And that was just as big a gift as the one in her hand.

  ****

  It had been hard to focus after the surprise Colin left in front of her shop this morning. She fumbled with ribbon lengths and gave the wrong bouquet to Mr. Nall. He got a much bigger, prettier one for his wife, but she was out the extra money and had to make another for the right customer.

  She and Vona had settled into a routine eventually as the hours passed. Hadley worked the counter, wrapped flowers, lined up delivery orders, talked to customers, and with any spare time, created new arrangements for the display case to replace the bouquets that she sold. Vona made the deliveries. Hadley’s Flower Shop and Gifts was the only florist in town, which meant on days like today, deliveries ran them ragged. After two years working at the shop, though, Vona was a professional and barely needed any direction. Once her deliveries were made, she’d come back and pick up the next few in line. Not too many at once to avoid spills in the back of her little silver Corolla, but enough to remain efficient.

  Geez, Hadley hoped they wouldn’t run out of vases. In a binder she kept near the register, she made a note to order more for next Valentine’s Day. She smiled around the line, three people deep, at Vona as she bustled back in to pick up a few more orders.

  “Do you have any chocolates and stuffed animals to go with the flowers?” a man with glasses and thinning hair asked.

  “Of course,” she answered. “Over on that back wall are all of the options we have available. Pick and choose what you like, and I can attach them to any bouquet you want. Our notecards and envelopes are right here.” She pointed to the end of the counter and nodded her head after he thanked her.

  “That’s the one,” a short-haired woman in a parka said, pointing to an arrangement of pink and red Gerber daisies.

  “I was wondering who was going to end up with this one,” Hadley said, pulling it from the floor to ceiling display case behind the counter. She lowered her voice. “I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but when I made this one this morning, it just felt special. I know Sheri will love it.”

  The woman, Linda, grinned and nodded as she filled out a notecard. “You know she loves the daisies.”

  “How is she? I haven’t seen her around in a while.”

  “Good. Busy. Her high schoolers are running her ragged, and she’s coaching cheerleading this year. She loves it, but I think we’re both ready for that week off at spring break.” />
  “Oh gosh, that was always my favorite time of year when I was in school,” Hadley said with a giggle. “A week to travel to a beach, and then a few months later, summer.”

  “Yep, and that’s exactly why Sheri wanted to be a teacher. Well, after the kids. She loves those crazy kids. Sorry it’s taking me so long. I want to think of the perfect words to say to her.”

  “Don’t rush. I’ll just check you out when you’re ready.” Hadley patted the counter and moved toward the register again.

  A delivery man halted her progress with his approach, though. Hadley frowned. They weren’t waiting on any shipments.

  “Got a delivery,” the dark-haired man said with a blinding white smile.

  “Vona, did you order something?”

  Vona stopped scribbling on an order form and frowned. “No. I don’t remember ordering anything.”

  “It’s not for the shop,” the man said, setting a large, rectangular box on the counter. “This is for Hadley Bennett. I just need a signature right here.”

  Baffled, she scribbled her name where he pointed and thanked him.

  “You got a secret admirer?” Linda asked, grinning up from her work on the notecard.

  Hadley popped open the lid and gasped at the two rows of frosted gourmet cupcakes. The top trio had candy teddy bears decorating them, and the bottom three were adorned with sugar flowers. She couldn’t help the ridiculous grin that stretched her face if she tried. “He’s not being very secretive about it. I have a Valentine this year,” she admitted excitedly.

  Linda and Vona both leaned over the box and peeked inside while Hadley pulled out a handwritten note from the edge.

  Hey Flowerlady,

  I told you I wouldn’t do traditional chocolates, but then I got to thinking you might like chocolates, so I compromised and got cupcakes instead. I know you and Vona are working hard today, so this is a treat for both of you.

  Happy Valentine’s Day to Hadley’s Flower Shop and Gifts.

  From Bighorn Custom Blades

  Oh, she was going to Google Bighorn Custom Blades as soon as she had time to breathe.

  “I call the vanilla one with the buttercream frosting,” Vona said as she took Linda’s payment.

  “You can pick half of them. They’re for you, too.”

  “They are? From who?”

  “From Colin.”

  Linda shot her a questioning look. “Colin who?”

  “Colin Cross,” Hadley specified as her stomach went to fluttering again.

  “The quiet man who hardly ever comes down from the mountains?” Linda asked, cupping her hand for the change Vona was handing her.

  “He’s the one.” Those words felt so right. He was the one. The. One. She’d never felt more sure about anything in her entire life.

  She wished Linda a good day and waved her off, then went to retrieve the bouquet the next customer pointed to.

  Vona was perusing the cupcakes. She sank her teeth into one and rolled her eyes back in her head. “I take ith back,” she said around the bite. “I fully approve of Colin.”

  “The sugary treaties won you over?”

  “Every time. Ith like he knew. Sugar ith the direct way to my heart.” Vona gulped and shoveled the rest of the cupcake into her maw, then gathered up a pair of vases full of red roses and baby’s breath. “More deliveries,” she said in a muffled voice. “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

  “See you later,” Hadley said distractedly as she attached a bear with an embroidered I Wuv U on its belly to a small vase with a trio of bright pink roses.

  The man paid and looked so excited to surprise his girlfriend or wife or whoever with his gift. This was why Hadley did this. Mom had got her hooked on flowers, but this—the cheesy, corny romance of it all—was what she loved. She got to help couples sweeten up the day for the people they loved. She got to be a part of them thanking their loved one for being amazing. She was into this—red flowers, pink tissue paper, heart confetti, stuffed animals, and boxes of assorted chocolates. She was a hopeless romantic, and Colin was nailing Valentine’s Day for her. He got her, knew her—he was hitting everything that would be sentimental to her.

  That man was setting the bar, and he was setting it up-in-the-clouds high.

  Did she need the sweet surprises to care for him? No. But he was making sure she knew he was thinking about her.

  And on a special day like today, where she’d never expected to have a date, it was a nice change to be pampered by a man she was falling head-over-heels for.

  Chapter Six

  Colin checked his watch and cut the engine. He was parked in front of Hadley’s flower shop, and from the looks of the empty spaces beside him, Vona had already gone home for the day.

  Through the large picture windows, Hadley scooped stem cuttings from the countertop into an oversized plastic trashcan. His oversensitive ears picked up soft tones of a country station playing sappy love songs inside, and he gave a private smile. How had a dominant bear like him picked a mate who was so soft-hearted?

  Perhaps she was meant for him. Made just for him, to come into his life just as he’d given up and heal the scars that left his soul raw and open.

  Maybe she could save him.

  But…

  If he gave her what she wanted and he let her in, he risked losing her forever. A soft growl rattled his throat as his inner bear revolted against the thought of her looking at him like a monster.

  That’s what he was, though. A beast with little control over his animal, and nothing had changed. Hadley still deserved better. She deserved a man who could protect her, not throw her into a world where violence reigned. Hell, sometimes bears bled each other just for the fun of it. They fought to relieve stress and tension. And every once in a while, when a clan got as mean and volatile and power hungry as the Long Claws had, they fought to kill.

  She had a good life here. A good job and friends. She’d be better off without him dragging her into the darkness of his world, but it was too late. She had his heart. She had his devotion. His bear had already claimed her as his own. Whatever warm and fuzzies she was feeling last night after they’d slept together, well, he’d felt lightning struck. He didn’t know what the bond did for humans, but he’d chosen. And even if she didn’t choose him back, Hadley was it for him. She was everything.

  Scrubbing his hands over his face, he groaned at what a mess he’d created.

  Aw, fuck it all. Hadley was his.

  He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He’d do it differently this time. He’d learned hard lessons and wouldn’t ignore danger with her. Not like he’d done with his clan.

  He’d give every last breath in his body to protect her, and he’d make up for thrusting her life in danger by making her happy.

  Inside, she leaned on the counter over the box of cupcakes he’d ordered, and her lips turned up in an absent looking smile. He hoped it was his gift that put that gorgeous smile on her face.

  By the end of the night, he’d know either way, whether he could keep her or not. He would give into her wish for him to let her in—to let her see all of him.

  Hopefully, by the end of the night, she’d still be smiling like that when she thought of him. And not running in terror.

  ****

  Hadley’s breath congealed in her lungs, making it impossible to breathe as Colin ducked through the door. Even with the scars across his cheek, he was stunning. A burgundy, wool sweater clung to his broad shoulders, and dark wash jeans hung just right off his hips. With a pair of dress shoes and his neatly trimmed facial scruff, he looked like a completely different man from the behemoth she’d encountered beating metal blades in his shop.

  “You need help locking up?” he asked in that deep, rich baritone that had her ovaries threatening to explode.

  Pushing the words past her windpipe, she wheezed out “No,” then cleared her throat. In a less psychotic voice, she said, “I’m just about done cleaning up. Just let me grab
my purse, and I’m ready.”

  She flitted off to the back room and checked her reflection in the mirror. Long, wavy, dark hair, brown eyes that looked a little intimidated, and rosy cheeks that said she’d probably be blushing all night under Colin’s attention. She brushed on her favorite lip-gloss, just a shade darker than her bright pink sweater dress, then smoothed the wrinkled fabric as she rolled her sleeves back down.

  Why was she so nervous all of the sudden? Maybe it was because she’d over-thought the sexy events that had unfolded last night. Or perhaps it was because Colin was still such a mystery to her while she felt like an open book. Or maybe it was his eyes, such a strange color as he drank in her appearance just a minute ago.

  Exhaling a gust of wind as she shouldered her purse, she straightened her spine and made her way out to the main room.

  Colin stood on the other side of the counter, his hands placed gingerly around a wooden box the size of the one the cupcakes had come in.

  “What’s that?” she asked, a slow smile creeping across her face.

  “A present.” He lowered his chin, like he was feeling the same nerves as she.

  “You’re spoiling me, Cross. How will you ever outdo yourself for any other Valentine’s Day if you keep giving me gifts like this?”

  He slid the box toward her, seemingly undeterred. “Open it.”

  This one was tied with the same type of twine as her knife had been wrapped with, and she untied it carefully. Sliding the wooden lid, she uncovered twelve perfectly square dividers. And in each slot was a bulb.

  “Tulips,” she whispered, running her finger across one. She bit her lip hard as she remembered their conversation last night about her mother. “Are they orange?”

  “Yes,” he murmured, searching her eyes. “Don’t cry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I only thought you could plant them in your yard, like you and your mom used to.”