Be Mine Forever: A Valentine (Single Father Romance)

by Lexy Parker

  I locked the door and turned the sign before heading back to the register. I was about halfway across the shop when I heard knocking on the glass door. I turned to see a man, begging me to open the door. Who was I to deny a man in a flower emergency?

  I unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Did you need something?” I asked him.

  He vigorously bobbed his head. “I do. I tried to get here before you closed, but I got stuck at work,” he blurted out, sounding absolutely panicked.

  “Come on in,” I said, holding the door open.

  “Thank you! You’re a lifesaver!”

  I smiled. “Happy to help. Are you looking for something in particular?” I asked him, hoping he would buy one of the bouquets already made and ready to go.

  “I’m looking for something that says I’m sorry and I love you and please believe me,” he said, looking around the shop.

  “That’s a lot for a single flower arrangement to say,” I quipped.

  He nodded. “I’ll pay a lot. I need something serious. This is serious business.”

  I took him to the cooler with the prearranged bouquets and pointed to the bottom shelf. “How about one of those?” I asked him.

  “Does that say I’m not cheating?” he asked with a laugh.

  I eyed him carefully. “Usually men spring for jewelry when they’re trying to get that message across,” I said dryly.

  He laughed. “My wife thinks I’m cheating on her. She’s threatening to divorce me. I can’t afford that.”

  “Like you can’t afford it in a financial way, or you can’t afford to lose a good woman you love?” I asked, my irritation making my voice higher than usual.

  He grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “Either.”

  I nodded. “Then if I were you, I’d go big.”

  The moment I said it, I knew I’d chosen the wrong words. He looked at me, lecherously looking me up and down. “Have you ever been with a married man?” he asked.

  “Get out.”

  “What? Come on, I was only teasing.”

  I shook my head. “No. Get out. I hope she leaves you and takes you for everything you have.” I seethed, pointing to the door.

  “Hey, that’s no way to talk to a customer.”

  “You’re not my customer. You haven’t bought anything, and I refuse to sell you anything that might help you persuade your wife to stay with your sorry ass! Get out of here now before I call the police and then your wife!” I shouted.

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m guessing you’re single.”

  I pointed toward the door. “You have until the count of three to get out of my sight.”

  “You can’t call the cops. I haven’t done anything.”

  I gave him a sweet smile. “I don’t know. You’re in my shop after I’ve closed, you’re a big guy, you’re harassing me.”

  “I am not!” he argued, his eyes wide with shock.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “Who do you think they’re going to believe?”

  “You crazy bitch. I will never give you a dollar of my business,” he said with a scowl.

  I shrugged. “That’s too bad, because I bet you’re the kind of guy who buys a lot of forgiveness flowers. Then again, I don’t deal with assholes like you.”

  He stomped out, shooting me a last glare over his shoulder. I locked the door and smiled as I waved goodbye. The guy was a dick. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to hit on me, as if I would ever screw around with a married guy. I finished cleaning up, counting out the register before stuffing the deposit in my purse and going out the back door. My little Nissan Maxima was waiting for me in the two spots reserved for employee parking. It wasn’t exactly a booming business that required a full staff. Most days, it was just me and sometimes Dani.

  I dropped off the deposit in the night drop and headed for home. My phone rang in my purse. I fished it out and saw it was Dani.

  “Hey!” I greeted.

  “Have dinner with me,” she answered.

  I laughed. “Where?”

  “I’m at Connie’s,” she replied.

  I knew the diner well. It was where we often ate together. “I’ll be there in about five minutes.”

  “Want me to order for you?” she asked.

  “Yes, the usual.”

  “Extra fries?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Damn straight!” I replied.

  I took the next right and headed for the diner. My plans for sitting at home alone and drinking wine while dining on a wholesome dinner of cheese and crackers would have to wait. Hanging out with Dani and eating a greasy burger and fries sounded like a much better plan.

  Dani was already eating her fries when I arrived. When the waitress saw me come in, she waved. “I’ll bring your dinner right over, Jamie,” she said with a smile.

  “Thank you!”

  I sat down and took a hearty sip of the Diet Coke waiting for me.

  “I was surprised you weren’t home already,” Dani said.

  I rolled my eyes. “I had a last-minute customer.”

  “Oh?”

  I nodded. “Well, he thought he was going to be a customer, but I kicked his scandalous ass right out the door.”

  “You did what? Jamie, why!” She gasped.

  “He was a jerk,” I mumbled, moving my hands so my plate could be deposited in front of me.

  I dumped a mound of ketchup on the edge of my plate and quickly dipped a couple fries in it before taking a bite.

  “Jamie, it isn’t like you are making money hand over fist. You can’t turn away every customer you don’t like,” she lectured.

  I shook my head. “The guy hit on me.”

  She giggled. “You’re a beautiful woman. Guys are going to hit on you. Men flirt with you all the time.”

  “The guy was married. He came in after I closed, freaking out, saying he needed a big arrangement to convince his wife he wasn’t cheating on her. Then, in the next breath, he asked me if I’d ever been with a married man. He was a disgusting pig. I kicked him right back out the door!”

  She grimaced. “That isn’t cool. I hate that there are men out there cheating on their wives.”

  “It’s so wrong and to lie about it and try to make it all better with flowers is appalling,” I agreed.

  She smiled. “That was one thing I never had to worry about with Gage. He would have never cheated on me.”

  I nodded. “You’re right. He wasn’t built that way.”

  I stuffed a couple more fries into my mouth before taking a healthy bite of my burger.

  “I cannot believe you can eat the way you do and stay as tiny as you do. It is so unfair!” Dani protested.

  I smiled. “Good genes. My mom was always really tiny, even when she was pregnant. I’m sure it won’t be quite so easy once I hit forty.”

  “You’ve got fourteen years to pig out and then your ass is going to be in the gym with me every morning, sitting on the horribly uncomfortable seat and pumping your legs while you pretend you are on some mountain road,” she grumbled.

  I laughed. “I will happily go sit on a spin bike and pedal right alongside you, as long as it isn’t at the butt crack of dawn.”

  “Good. I’m going to hold you to that one of these days and the class is early in the morning,” she pointed out.

  “You name the time and place and I’ll be there,” I promised.

  “Did you find a new delivery service?” she asked.

  I nodded, wiping my mouth before answering. “Yes, they’re coming in tomorrow morning. It’s a small company and the guy said he just hired a new driver who could handle my small amount of business.”

  We both laughed, knowing it was true. I didn’t have a booming business and most of my customers chose to pick up their own arrangements. It was hard to compete with the big internet warehouse flower stores when it came to deliveries. I prided myself on making each arrangement and pouring my own love and creativity into every one I made.

  “Do we know this company?” sh
e asked.

  I nodded. “Kind of. He’s been around for a few years. I’ve heard of him and seen the trucks and van around town. He’s the only one that was willing to negotiate with me. The rest wanted my firstborn as payment,” I grumbled. “It will be a trial basis. If it doesn’t work out, then I will have to figure out how to pay more.”

  She giggled. “Well, I’m glad you found someone. I hope the guy isn’t a creep.”

  “Why would he be a creep?” I asked, suddenly worried.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “Well, you said he was the cheapest. Cheapest isn’t always the best in my experience.”

  “I’m not buying a product I can return. It’s fairly straightforward; pick up the arrangements and deliver them to an address. How hard can it be?” I asked, wondering why the last driver quit such an easy job.

  “What if he hired some crazy dude, who just got out of prison, because he doesn’t want to pay a lot? He gets away with giving you a low price because he’s paying his employee next to nothing,” she suggested.

  I rolled my eyes. “You have so much faith in mankind.”

  “Hey, experience tells me people are not always good. Do you want me to be there tomorrow when he comes in?” she asked.

  I shook my head. “I think I can handle it. I deal with people all day. I usually don’t know any of them. It’s part of working with the public,” I reminded her.

  “Yes, but this guy might be different.”

  “He can’t be any worse than the asshole I dealt with thirty minutes ago. I can take care of myself. If he tries anything, I’ll punch him in the throat,” I said firmly.

  She burst into laughter. “All five feet five inches of you and what, a hundred pounds?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I haven’t been a hundred pounds since I was in grade school.”

  “Liar.”

  I shrugged, taking another huge bite of my burger. I was naturally thin, but I liked to think I was strong and tough. I was confident in my ability to take care of myself. Of course, being mentally tough wasn’t quite the same thing as being strong in general, but I had a snappy mouth and could usually talk tough.

  “Be careful and keep your phone on you at all times,” she warned.

  I nodded. “I will. Our town isn’t exactly a hotbed of crime, you know.”

  “There’s always a first time,” she pointed out.

  “You’re paranoid.”

  “I’m cautious,” she retorted.

  We finished our meals and chatted a bit more before we both headed home. I wasn’t worried about meeting a new delivery driver, but I would keep my guard up. I had to believe the company would vet their employees before hiring them. I hoped so at least.

  Chapter 5

  Philip

  After loading Sadie into the truck, I started the drive to school. I couldn’t stop the feeling of guilt at taking her in thirty minutes early. She wanted to go in, and a lot of the other kids went early to take advantage of the breakfast program, but I still felt like I was dumping her off. Tara and I had decided early on we were going to avoid day care and maybe have a part-time nanny. We wanted to be hands-on parents who raised our child. Best-laid plans.

  I was already thinking of ways to make up the thirty minutes to her. The guilt was real. I knew it was uncalled for. It was thirty minutes, not thirty days. It was just one of those things I couldn’t shake. I wanted to spend every minute of every day with her. I felt like I was the only one who could keep her safe. If I wasn’t there, something would happen to her, something horrible.

  I briefly closed my eyes and counted to three, fighting off the panic. It was school. She would be fine. I didn’t have to be with her all the time. It wasn’t healthy for me to try and do so. At least that’s what everyone kept telling me.

  “What should we do for Valentine’s Day?” I asked her, wanting to do something special.

  She smiled. “I want to get a new dress and go out to a fancy dinner.”

  I laughed. “What?” I asked, wondering where she got that idea.

  She sounded like my wife. It took me a little by surprise. She was only seven. I didn’t know who she would even know about the dress and dinner. I was thinking she would want to watch a movie or something kid friendly.

  “I want to get a new dress, put on pretty shoes, and do my hair before we go out to a fancy dinner,” she explained as if it was completely obvious.

  “Where did you learn all that?” I asked, amazed by how smart and observant she was.

  She shrugged. “I see it on TV all the time.”

  I needed to be a little more careful about what she watched. I guessed it had to be all the Disney movies, and there was that one show she liked, I remembered.

  “Okay, if that’s what you want to do, I’ll make it happen,” I promised.

  She smiled. “Good. I want a pink dress. Maybe purple with sparkly shoes, and I’ll need a new hairband to match.”

  I nodded. “We will go shopping and see what we can find.”

  “You have to dress nice too,” she reminded me.

  “Of course. I can’t take out a pretty girl if I’m dressed like a slob,” I told her.

  I knew these were important lessons that could only be taught by example. I wanted her to expect a man to treat her with respect and take her out to nice restaurants. I wanted her to demand the best. Tara and I had discussed the idea of daddy-and-daughter outings. She wanted me to show our little girl how a real man behaved and treated a woman. My heart squeezed a little thinking about the memory of that conversation late one night in bed after we had learned we were going to be having a little girl. I had promised her I would do my best. I meant to keep my promise.

  I pulled up to the school, doing the tuck-and-roll approach. A teacher opened the back passenger door on the truck, waved hello to me before quickly helping Sadie out of the truck, then closing the door and hitting it twice to let me know she was clear. It was all very much like a conveyor belt. I wasn’t sure I was okay with the approach to the drop-off, but it seemed to be the thing at schools here and back in Seattle. Everyone was always in a big hurry.

  When I got to work, Clay was just hanging up the phone.

  “Give me a second and I’ll print out your deliveries for the day,” he said.

  I nodded. “Busy day?” I asked.

  “You are picking up that new business, Cupid’s Arrow,” he replied.

  “What the hell is that?” I asked, my lip curled at the name.

  He laughed. “It’s a flower shop. The one I told you about.”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned. “How cheesy. Cupid’s Arrow. As if flowers really mean love. I hate that people think a few flowers can take the place of the words.”

  Clay dramatically flinched. “Bitter much? Ladies love flowers. A sick person loves flowers to brighten a room. Flowers don’t mean love, they mean someone is thinking about the recipient. They are kind and pretty and can brighten anyone’s day.”

  I grimaced. “I suppose, but Cupid? Really? That implies love to me,” I grumbled.

  He laughed, shaking his head. “Flowers are one of the oldest ways in the book to tell a woman you think she’s pretty. Some people actually like the old-fashioned ways, you old Scrooge. Lighten up. Hell, you really need to stop and smell the roses in a very literal sense,” he lectured.

  I rolled my eyes. “Because that will make everything better. Who is this shop owner? She better not be one of those annoying bubbly types. I just want to get the orders and get the hell out of there,” I grumbled.

  “She sounds like a nice woman,” Clay defended.

  “I’m sure she is. It’s probably some old lady, thinking she’s some matchmaker with her flowers. She’s going to want to talk to me. I don’t want to talk about love. I don’t think I’m the kind of guy to make flower deliveries,” I warned.

  “Sure, you are. A young lady sees you coming to her door carrying flowers and she is going to be very happy,” he said with a grin.

  I r
olled my eyes again. “Until summer, when I wear short sleeves and they catch a glimpse of my tattoos. I better wear safety glasses. I see a lot of pepper spray in my future,” I muttered.

  He laughed. “People love getting flowers. No one is going to attack you with pepper spray. You’re not in Afghanistan or Seattle anymore. This is the Deep South. People are welcoming and generally very nice.”

  “Have you never watched horror movies or those documentaries about those sick fucks who stalk women and pretend they are delivering flowers?” I shot back.

  He shook his head. “You have a very active imagination.”

  “It’s not me, it’s the world,” I argued.

  “Here, take this and be nice. The woman I spoke with seemed very nice. It’s a little out of your way. We’ll have to adjust your normal route to fit it in,” he explained.

  I nodded. “I might be able to come in a little earlier a few days a week. Sadie’s decided she wants to eat breakfast at school with her friends.”

  Clay smiled. “I knew she’d fit in.”

  “Me, too, but I didn’t think she would throw me over so quickly,” I muttered.

  “She’s going to be married with her own kids before you know it,” he warned.

  I glared at him. “Shut up. Don’t even say that.”

  He laughed as I walked out the door. I found nothing funny about my little girl growing up. It was all happening too fast. I climbed in the truck, inputted the address of the ridiculously named flower shop into the GPS, and headed out. It was going to be an exploration of a part of town I hadn’t yet visited. I looked around, noticing it was an older area with most of the buildings all one story. It had that old-school, small-town feel with large planters on the sidewalks outside the various shops and actual wooden signs instead of the flashy neon ones in the newer part of town.

  I passed a dress shop with little girls’ clothes displayed in the front window. I remembered Sadie’s request for a new dress. It would be much more convenient to shop in town than to have to drive thirty miles to the mall.

  “You have arrived.” My GPS called out.