Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

by Gina Kincade

  As if she could control it.

  Goddess bless.

  What kind of a green witch was she if she kept killing flowers? She wasn’t that super villain chick with toxic waste blood that poisoned everything she touched, was she?

  She gave a snort and tried to clear her head.

  Liv sucked in her breath and reached for a vase full of roses, checking the ticket for the order in front of her. She could do this.

  She set it on the counter in front of her, plucked one out and pulled off the thorns. At her touch, the flower withered and died, shrinking into a decayed mess of dried petals and wilting greenery.

  Oh shit!

  Not again!

  “Liv!”

  Tears stung the corners Liv's eyes. “I...I'm sorry.” She dropped the dead flower and struggled to hold back the emotions warring inside her.

  Goddess, what was wrong with her?

  “Liv. You stop this right now.” Caroline rounded on her, slamming a vase onto the counter so hard it sloshed water onto the floor. “I need your head in the game. I know it hurts. But I need you here, okay?”

  She started to sputter a response but movement out of the corner of her eye stopped her.

  At that moment, a familiar form bundled against the cold made his way toward the shop.

  God he was an eyeful.

  Liv sighed, wishing that things were different.

  And she knew Caroline saw her looking, dammit.

  The wind rattled the glass windows and a burst of chill slid through the room causing Liv to shiver. Here he was again. Every week, an armload of flowers.

  She knew that because she processed his order every time. Yellow roses. Four dozen. Blank cards to go with them. Sometimes more, but never less.

  It was a shame. He was every woman’s idea of what a hot doctor should be. And to make it worse, he was the doctor that tried to save Penny.

  So why was he in here every week?

  Goddess. Did every man have to be a fucking womanizing bastard?

  Liv sniffed and turned toward the refrigerated glass cases. She was up to her neck in assholes, and couldn’t stomach another one.

  Relieved at the spark of anger that cleared her head, she went to work cleaning up the dead flower, taking care not to touch the rest of the live roses until she found some gloves.

  And she wasn’t going to think about Dr. Thomas Merton. No, she wasn’t. She had work to do.

  Chapter Four

  “Goddamn, it’s cold.” Thomas Merton grumbled as he tugged the scarf up around his neck. The walk from the hospital had been invigorating, but as soon as the wind saw fit to make the coat he was wearing feel like tissue paper, he’d lost the enjoyment in the exercise.

  It hadn’t been this cold when he and his wolf had their morning run in the woods behind the hospital early this morning. At least, it hadn’t felt this cold.

  You’re losing your balls.

  Too much time in human form.

  “Shut up,” he growled, wrapping the coat tighter around him.

  He kept telling himself he would try ordering flowers online again and save himself the trouble. But he had to get out of the hospital and this gave him an excuse. A trip to the flower shop, and then to the bakery, and he was ready to face the rest of the day.

  And it gave him a reason to see the dark-haired woman who invaded his dreams. She was spectacular. Her cerulean eyes sparkled when she spoke to the other woman who worked in the shop, and when she laughed, it made his day.

  Liv. Her name was Liv.

  But as soon as he stepped into the familiar door of The Bluebonnet, the energy in the air triggered his wolf and he narrowed his eyes at the two women at the counter.

  “Good morning, ladies.”

  “Morning, Dr. Merton.” Caroline smiled, her hot pink curls perfect as always. Her partner, Liv, turned back toward the refrigerated case like it held all the secrets of the universe.

  “Good morning, Caroline. Is my order ready?”

  “Sure is. Four dozen yellow roses, ready to go.” Caroline shot her partner a look and bumped her with her hip. “Excuse me, hon. Why don’t you check the orders in the office? Unless you want to help Dr. Merton.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Sure,” Liv replied, obviously distracted. “I’ll check the orders and then I’ll be right back.”

  His wolf rubbed beneath his skin and he shook off the response to his animal’s attraction.

  “She doesn’t know we’re alive, buddy. Don’t waste your breath,” He muttered to himself. But he couldn’t help watching her walk toward the back room and admire the way her ass filled out the blue jeans she was wearing.

  “Here you go. Did you want some balloons or candy to go with those?” Caroline tugged a large festive piece of plastic over the stems of the arrangements and smiled.

  “Not today, thanks.”

  The only thing he really wanted was a chance to talk to the one woman who always seemed just out of reach. But then he thought of Mariana and Jenna.

  “Do you have any stuffed unicorns? Or things like that?”

  Caroline grinned. “I sure do. Over on this display.” She led him to a spinner with big-eyed stuffed toys of all shapes and sizes. It was, in a word, overwhelming.

  Holy God.

  “Um. Wow.” If he touched one, three more fell off.

  “Here. Let me help.” Caroline fished through the pile and retrieved a unicorn and a narwhale. “Will this do?”

  “I think so. And give me a couple of puppies and a few kittens, too.”

  Caroline’s eyebrow went up. “A few presents today, doc?”

  He sighed. “Yes. Some new kids at the hospital. The flowers help brighten the room. In fact…could I get a couple more. I almost forgot I had four more kids on my rounds for the next couple of days.”

  “You got it.” A grin spread over Caroline’s face as she shot off to find a basket to deposit his stuffed loot into. Her bright pink curls bounced as she came back as quick as she’d gone, bearing a small plastic basket. “This ought to do it.”

  “Mmmm hmmm.” His gaze drifted toward the office where Liv had vanished.

  “You could just ask her out, you know.”

  “What?”

  “Liv. You should just ask her out. She likes you.”

  Thomas stared at her and his mouth forgot to work.

  Caroline rolled her eyes. “You’re a wolf. Just go and get her.”

  “I don’t think she’d appreciate that one bit. Not with what she’s been through,” He replied, chagrined. If Liv hadn’t told her friend the full story, then he wasn’t about to elaborate. Besides, it wasn’t his secret to tell.

  Caroline frowned, her eyes clouding over. “She has been through a lot. But right now, she needs someone to shake up her life. And I think that could be you.”

  “She hates me.”

  “No. She just thinks you’re a womanizer like her ex.”

  “What?”

  “All the flowers.”

  “Oh.” The idea never even occurred to him.

  When he didn’t comment beyond that, she paused and a light went off behind her eyes.

  “I have the perfect idea. But you’ll have to be a good sport.”

  He was curious, despite himself.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  She reached down and scribbled an address on a piece of receipt paper. “Be here tomorrow night. We’re bringing the flowers for my friend’s new dating app launch. Liv doesn’t know it, but she’s coming, too.”

  A smile slid across his face and his wolf perked to attention. This could be a night he’d never forget, and he was going to make sure she wouldn’t either.

  Chapter Three

  Liv dragged the last of the flowers into the venue, taking great care not to touch them with anything but gloves. Just that morning, she’d killed an arrangement of lilies and scorched a week’s worth of baby’s breath. Not cool.

  She glanced around the room, admiring the rustic log cabin
look of the place mixed with the shabby chic elegance of crystal chandeliers and artful sheers embedded with white twinkle lights.

  It was lovely. The decorative touches already laid out for the Valentine’s party looked like they'd been set by an army of cupids.

  Pink…pink…and more pink, with a dash of red thrown in here and there.

  She had to hurry and get back so there wasn’t any time for dawdling. Setting the flowers down on each table, and the main arrangement of pink and red roses in front of the podium on the stage, she admired how nice the room looked.

  Caroline had done a good job of networking. If people enjoyed the flowers, the shop would get more business and that never hurt. The busier she was, the less she thought about her life.

  And the sexy doctor that kept popping up at every turn.

  The phone on her hip buzzed. She pulled it out and read the text.

  Come on back. There’s another delivery I need you to do for me.

  Liv sighed.

  As if she had time for anything but the shop.

  Grabbing her purse and work bag, she made her way out of the event space. As she walked back to the parking lot, she couldn’t help but notice preparations for a wedding in the room next door.

  “Nice.” Maybe one of the guests would see the flowers and they would get more business. It was going to be a good day.

  ***

  “How did it go?” Caroline asked as Liz pushed through the door and stumbled back into the shop, stomping the wet snow off her boots.

  “Not bad. Looks like there’s a wedding happening tonight, too, so maybe someone will catch sight of our work.”

  “Great!”

  “What did you need me to do?”

  Caroline smiled and handed her an arrangement. “Deliver this for me, okay?” She handed Liv a card with a room number.

  Oh God. It was the hospital.

  “Caroline…”

  She, out of anyone, knew how Liz felt about that place. And she hadn’t been back since.

  “I want you to go the long way. Behind the building.”

  “Why?” She eyed the slushy mess outside and shuddered.

  “You'll see.” Caroline turned back to the mass of Valentines and birthday orders in front of her. The phones had stopped ringing in a mild reprieve but the online orders were still going strong. “Now, hurry. We have to get ready to leave soon. And thanks for helping me out with this one.”

  “Do you just want me to stop and deliver it on the way home?”

  “No. Now, go. Take a walk and deliver some cheer.” Caroline slid a glance her way. “Just do me a favor.”

  “What?” Liv shrugged back into her jacket and grabbed her purse. She picked up the arrangement of cheerful daisies and bright greenery, moving toward the door.

  “Don't touch the flowers, okay?”

  Liv smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. Now, hurry. I need you back here to help with the afternoon rush. And say hello to that smokin' hot doctor for me if you see him.” Caroline jammed a lily into a funeral arrangement and waved her off.

  The smokin' hot doctor.

  Ha.

  She was the last person he would be interested in. Wasn’t she? He’d seen her at her lowest. There was nothing sexy about that.

  But the fact remained that he kept coming to the shop.

  Why?

  Maybe he wanted to date Caroline. She was flirty and fun…but she’d never seen her encourage anything. Well, that she knew of.

  The hospital was just a few buildings over. As if she could ever forget that fact. Liv held her face up to the grey sky and let the fresh air calm her. Nature always did that, even in the winter months if she really admitted it.

  The Texas winter was a cold one and last night it had actually snowed.

  Cool crisp air tickled her nose and put a spring to her step. Her boots shushed along the slushy sidewalk as she arrived at her destination. Muddy snow was everywhere and she had to walk through it to get to where she needed to go.

  “Dammit. I liked these boots, too,” she muttered as she went around the building and approached the back of the hospital. Caroline wanted her to go in from the back. Perhaps the room was close to the rear entrance.

  She eased her way down the snow covered walk and found herself in front of a large, if not familiar circular garden. It, like everything else, was suffering from the winter season. The plant life had withered and died, making what should have been a lush display of foliage into a snowy mass of ice-covered, dead greenery surrounding a large, skeletonized tree.

  “Now, that is just depressing.” Liv sighed.

  “It is.”

  “Who?” Liv whirled, searching the garden.

  “Here.” A young girl in a wheelchair sat off to one side, her body obscured by the trunk of the tree. Trails from her chair blazed through the snow, stopping where she had paused in her journey.

  “Oh. Hello.” Liv smiled, making her way over through the wet snow. “I'm here looking for Charlie Sussman. He has a delivery.” She held up the vase of daisies, careful not to touch them.

  The girl smiled, her pale face illuminated by the bright rays of the winter sun. “I'm Charlie.” Wrapped in a blanket, she appeared little older than twelve or thirteen.

  “Well, then. These must be for you.” Liv smiled and trudged closer.

  Charlie lifted her hands from beneath the blanket. Her thin fingers emerged from beneath a long coat, reaching out to accept the flowers.

  “Thanks.”

  “You're welcome.”

  She gathered the merry daisies into her lap. Emotions warred across the girl’s face. “I wish they didn't have to die.”

  “What?”

  “The flowers. It makes me sad.”

  Liv frowned. “I know. It makes me sad, too.” She ran her hand along the stone of the small retaining wall.

  “They should be able to be green all year round.”

  Liv took in the dead garden and twisted her hands her heavy sweater. “I’m sure you have a nice garden at home to tend when the weather warms up.”

  “No, ma'am.” Charlie shook her head. “My dad and I live in an apartment.”

  “How long have you been here?”

  “A few days. My dad sent the flowers. He had to go away on business. He'll be back on Saturday.” Charlie pulled the hat lower on her ears.

  “That's good.”

  “I’ll be glad when he comes home.”

  “What are you here for, honey?” Liv looked up to find one of the nurses watching from the window and waved a hello.

  “There’s something wrong with my lungs.”

  “And they let you out here in the cold?”

  “Just for a few minutes. I like to look at the garden.” Charlie touched the flowers and smiled. “Do you have a daughter?”

  Liv smiled, surprised. “Yes, I do. She's away right now.”

  “That sucks.”

  Laughing at the deadpan tone, Liv smiled. “Yes, Charlie. It sucks.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Penny.”

  Charlie wrinkled her nose. “It’s a funny name, but I like it.”

  “I’m glad you approve.” Liv chuckled.

  “How long will she be gone?”

  “Longer than I want.”

  Tears prickled Liv’s eyelids but she quickly blinked them away.

  “Maybe she’ll come home after the snow goes away. I hate the snow. It’s so hard to steer in.”

  Something broke inside of Liv, shattering the ice that had been around her heart for so long. There was life beyond what the winter had temporarily taken away.

  She was a green witch, dammit.

  It had been so easy to get mired in her own sorrow. Liv had forgotten. She had let her heart get frost bitten and filled with pain, but she also had the capability to summon the sweet tender shoots of spring. There were more daughters to love than just her own. She had been selfish in her grief.


  “I have an idea.”

  And if it didn’t work, she mused, the plants were already dead.

  “What?” Charlie rolled her chair closer to where Liv stood.

  “How about we bring life into these plants. It will be our secret garden? What do you think?”

  A nervous flutter filled her stomach. She could do this.

  Charlie grinned. “Now, how are you going to do that?”

  “Oh...I have my ways.” Liv responded. “But here's the thing.” She paused. “I need you to touch this leaf for me. Give it all your love. Can you do it?”

  Charlie nodded, a frown pressing her lips into a thin but determined line. “Okay.”

  “Good. Now, roll a little closer.” Liv helped to push her close to the stone barrier fence surrounding the garden. “Okay. Hold on.”

  The girl reached out her hand and touched the shriveled up remnants of a plant.

  Fingers tingling, Liv summoned her green witch energies. Thinking of her daughter and the joy she would have seeing her again,; she poured her love into the small garden and the pale shell of a girl who sat shivering in the winter chill.

  “Penny…”

  The scent of flowers…the first breath of spring.

  Love for her daughter and her generous heart sent a tear sliding down her cheek. Where it fell into the earth, a tender green shoot grew.

  “Who are you?” Charlie whispered.

  “A friend. My name is Liv.”

  “Hi, Liv. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.”

  Liv sucked in a deep breath as the tingling became a rush of warmth throughout her body. Roses bloomed in a garden of vibrant greens and magnificent color. The skeleton tree burst forth in a frenzy of budding leaves. It was as it was meant to be. Life came from the cold expanse of death and all was good.

  Charlie gasped as the world came alive, then laughed as leaves unfurled and blossoms burst open in all their glory.

  She hadn’t failed.

  “Caroline…” Her best friend had known. This small slip of a girl had taught her more of a lesson than anyone had in a long time. Nothing made you think of life more than when death looks you in the eye.

  Maybe she was right about more than just this, too.