Love's in the Cards

by Lower, Becky

  Penny’s gaze faltered, and she swallowed, hard. “You’re moving back to Lobster Cove?”

  “Yep.” He nodded, noticing her gulp, and hoping her response was one of interest. “Coming home to the Cove. I miss the smell of salt water in the air, too. And the way the icicles form on the pier in winter.”

  Penny fingered her necklace again. “And you’re buying your parents’ house? The one just down the street from my where my parents live?”

  He reached for her hand, stopping her agitated motion. “I had hoped your folks were still in the same place. Their proximity to my old home played into my decision about buying that particular house.”

  She tilted her head in his direction, her lips pursed and her brow furrowed. “Why would you pick that house? Or this town? You’ve established an exciting life in New York City, and now you’re willingly coming back here, to our sleepy little town? Except for the summers, of course, when the tourist traffic makes things lively. You’re right about Sandra. She won’t leave you alone, since you’ll be living in the area.”

  Del laughed at her questions. “Sandra won’t be a problem, but I see sentiment is lost on you. I needed to come home.”

  Slowly, Penny shook her head and tugged her hand from his grasp. “Why, when you could live anywhere in the world, would you come back here?”

  “This is where I need to be. I have some unfinished business to take care of.” He folded his hands in front of him on the table.

  “What kind of business?” Her voice came out in a whisper.

  “For one thing, Lobster Cove is convenient. Baxter Greetings is headquartered near here, and they have me lined up to give them a series of cards for all the major holidays next year.” He glanced at Penny, who nodded—which he took as a sign to continue. “So, I’ll go into Portland whenever they need me for something, and I’ll go on the road to promote them, as I’ve done today, but without all the mystery hype this time.”

  Penny propped up her chin with her fist. “And I’m sure Abigail at Venus Gallery will want to mount a one-man show, showcasing your other art, now that she knows Dale McLintock is really Del Madison, a home-grown success story.”

  He sat taller and grinned, pleased she had been thinking of ways to support him. “I should hire you to be my agent. You’ve got great ideas.”

  She smiled. “I don’t know about becoming an agent, but a private showing makes sense to me. Especially if you’ve done some abstract seascapes. The tourists will gobble them up. But neither of those reasons qualify as unfinished business. What you have sounds more like an incredibly wonderful future.”

  “Maybe.” He nodded in agreement as he studied her expression. “But I’m having trouble gearing up for Valentine’s Day. For years, I’ve hated that particular holiday.”

  His palms itched as he fought the urge to touch her again. But more importantly, he needed to focus. His future in Lobster Cove depended on her reaction to him. He took a deep breath and paused to sip his wine, about to reveal himself.

  Penny fiddled with her necklace again and then lined up the silverware before she leaned across the table. “Speaking as a card expert, I’ll be the first to admit Valentine’s Day is somewhat of a contrived holiday.” She playfully pummeled his arm. “Don’t you dare ever repeat that to the Baxter gurus, though, since traditionally February is our second best month of the year.” She flashed a grin. “But yes, Valentine’s Day is more a day for women to gush over their men. I can appreciate your reluctance to completely wrap your arms around the holiday, but hate? That’s a pretty strong word. Why do you hate hearts and flowers?”

  He gave into his impulse and touched her. “You are one of the reasons. My main reason, in fact.”

  Penny gasped, yanked away her hand, and then sputtered. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you recall a Valentine’s Day long ago, when our teacher forced us to give valentine cards to everyone in our class?” At Penny’s nod, he continued. “I handed out my store-bought cards to all the other kids, as we were supposed to. But you’re the only one who got one of my pieces of art. I made your card myself.”

  Penny glanced away and then back at him, her eyes shiny with unspent tears. “I assumed you’d done that for everyone, not just me! I still have your sweet card in my memory box. But why would that make you hate the holiday?”

  His breath hitched as he stared at her. “Because you never acknowledged my hard work. I put my nine-year-old heart on my sleeve for you, and you brushed me off.”

  “Gosh, I’m sorry.” Penny squirmed in her seat. “As a shy nine-year-old myself, I couldn’t come up with anything to say. But surely, you feel better about Valentine’s Day now since you’ve got a big fat contract with Baxter Greetings. The word small is not part of their vocabulary.”

  “They’ve been quite generous, and because of them, I’m doing what I’ve always hoped I could.”

  “Which is?” Penny’s voice came out in a squeak.

  Del stifled the urge to grin. “To make Valentine’s Day fun again.”

  Chapter Six

  Penny took another bite of her lobster burger, a specialty of the diner. She needed time to digest all of their conversation, along with the meal. The busy place provided a background of white noise as her mind raced over what had been revealed tonight. After all this time, Del planned to move back home. And she happened to be a twenty-nine-year-old woman having very teenage-girl ideas about him.

  She gazed across the table. He always had been a cute boy, one of the reasons she hadn’t acknowledged his valentine. She had been so tongue-tied around him she couldn’t find the right words to say. And now she had two devastating long-term relationships under her belt. Should she try for one more? Perhaps the third time would be the charm. Her sister’s voice pounded in her ear. Suck it up, Buttercup. She took a deep breath. “Just how do you intend to make Valentine’s Day fun again?”

  He locked his gaze on hers. “By spending time with you. By righting old wrongs. By apologizing to your mother for making the soles of your shoes purple.”

  Penny’s breath caught in her throat. Delbert, her childhood sweetheart, had come roaring back into her life. Whatever should she do? Their half-eaten burgers and fries sat on the table, giving her something to play with while her mind buzzed She maneuvered a French fry into the lake of ketchup on her plate. Even though she’d lived in Lobster Cove most of her life, she’d never tired of the taste the town was famous for. She swallowed a bite of the succulent white meat on a bun. “I’d really enjoy spending time with you, too, Del. How convenient that you’ll be in the same block as my folks, since Abbey and I do hang out there a lot. But right now is our busiest season of the year. And, as much as you hate Valentine’s, I hate Christmas.”

  Del raised an eyebrow. “Why? Because there’s so much work involved at the card shop? Or because of your bad experiences?”

  Penny attempted to corral her wayward musings, but sparks were being set off in her head every time she glanced at Del and goose bumps erupted on her skin. For the first time in almost a year, she experienced very female feelings toward a man. She didn’t need another Christmas casualty. “Because I only seem to make the holiday worse with everything I do. I left Ricky six years ago on Christmas Eve. And then, in an attempt to give myself a good memory, even with the long hours and hectic schedules we keep at this time of year, I decided nothing would do but to get married on Christmas Eve last year.” Her voice wavered, just a bit. “I happened to be a little late getting to our cake-tasting, and I caught Max sampling not only the cake, but the cake decorator, too.”

  Del’s forehead wrinkled, and his brows drew together in an angry line. He took a sip of wine before he answered. “I’m so sorry, Penny. How dare he spoil not only your wedding, but one of the best holidays of the year?”

  Penny’s hands had been fisted as she described the fiasco her wedding plans had become, and how she now had two bad experiences to associate with the season. Del might be a third reason to h
ate the season, given her track record, if she kept seeing him. She glanced down at her hands and uncurled her fingers, deciding to take a chance. “Why don’t we get out of here? Murphy’s Bar has a special karaoke night once a month now, and I’ve become more-or-less a regular. Shall we try our hands at being one of the Four Tops? Or The Beatles?”

  Del grinned. “For years, I performed as John Lennon, at least in my bathroom mirror, using a can of shaving cream as my microphone. Maybe now’s the time I give my voice a try in public. Let me take care of the check, and we’ll go have some fun, Carrie.”

  ****

  Del took a long, slow breath, willing his heart rate to slow.

  Penny Lane Beedle may have destroyed his clumsy childhood attempt to win her heart, but now he hoped to be better at making his feelings known. And he had to admit she attracted him still, even after all these years. First stop would be Murphy’s, with its lobster-shaped barstools, so she could release her inner diva. Then, he planned on kissing her. A lot. He had seen a spark of interest on her part, but could he compete with the memory of Ricky Skeritt? After all, the man was a towering legend in Nashville and beyond. He had been named “Sexiest Country Star” more than once. Del prided himself on being a confident man, but even he had his limits.

  He reminded himself Ricky had let her go, the idiot. He’d only used her to further his own career. Double idiot. No way would Del miss this opportunity. He grabbed the receipt from the restaurant table and stood. Turning, he took her hand and helped her to her feet. Not that she needed help. He simply couldn’t resist touching her.

  Arm in arm, they left Maggie’s. Although the cold December night made their breaths form little vapor clouds when they talked, Del wanted to walk from Maggie’s Diner on the corner of Oak and Main to the other end of the block, at Oak and First, where Murphy’s Bar had been for years. Their slow pace gave Del two advantages—he could continue to have his arm around Penny, and he had time to reflect. His second chance with her stared him in the face, and his timing couldn’t be worse. She had one blown marriage attempt and a failed relationship with the sexiest man in country music—both associated with Christmases past. She should have a better track record.

  Could he possibly be the one to finally give her the happiness she deserved? To provide her with a happy Christmas present, and maybe a rewarding Christmas future? He’d never find out if he didn’t start. “So, how long have you been singing at the karaoke bar?”

  Pretty lame conversation, but any form of conversation with Penny happened to be better than any he’d had with a woman in a long time. Del scraped his hand through his hair, feeling as if the past twenty years had never happened, and he had no experience with women.

  She smiled, settling into his embrace. “The guy with the karaoke machine calls himself Karaoke Joe. He started coming to Murphy’s a year or so ago, one night a month. When I returned from Nashville, I had no interest in picking up a guitar again. But then, I’d stay awake nights with song lyrics and melodies rolling around in my head and couldn’t sleep until I wrote them down. So I started peddling my songs to some of my contacts, and I sold a few that became top sellers for various artists. Haven’t won a CMA award yet, nor have I been nominated. But the buzz around the industry is the song Ricky made famous came close to getting a nod.”

  Del’s chin kicked up a notch and his chest expanded. “How much fun would we have, attending the CMAs?”

  She stopped and stared.

  The lack of movement forced him to pause as well, since he had no intention of letting her go.

  “You really would enjoy the spectacle? I’d be a nervous wreck.”

  He laughed and picked up her hand with the callused fingers, kissing each digit. “Ah, but I’d only be there to supply support. You’d be in the spotlight. So yes, I’d enjoy the CMAs immensely.” He urged her forward, and they accomplished the last few steps toward their destination.

  She glanced up at him as they took seats at one of the rough-hewn wooden tables at the front of the room, where performers took the microphone from Karaoke Joe and sang to the crowd. With any luck, no spots would be left in the lineup. He didn’t need one more comparison between himself and Ricky to enter Penny’s mind. But he wanted to hear her sweet voice lifted in song, so he hoped they’d kept open a slot for her. The way Karaoke Joe nodded in her direction when they entered made Del cross his fingers that she’d have the opportunity to sing more than once.

  Several members of the audience stopped by to say hello to Penny as well, both men and women.

  Del placed an arm casually around her shoulders, staking his claim. She would not leave his side tonight without giving him a kiss. Or a hundred of them.

  Chapter Seven

  After her rendition of Little Big Town’s heartbreaker, “Girl Crush”—CMA’s song of the year in 2015—Penny slid into her chair next to the most handsome man in the room. She could sense Del’s gaze when she had been on stage, and her entire body shivered in delight, in spite of the hot spotlights. His arm up against the back of the chair warmed her, and she nestled up against him. A moment later, his arm draped over her shoulders casually, but Penny’s body reacted as if he had placed a hot band of steel around her, sizzling her skin. She momentarily lost her breath. When she stared into his blue eyes, she quit breathing altogether.

  He dipped his head and kissed her, softly brushing her mouth with his.

  She tasted the wine still on his lips from dinner and craved more. Despite the gentleness, Penny’s body responded, and her heart raced. She’d never experienced a more perfect kiss.

  Until she kissed him back. His tongue touched the corner of her mouth, and she opened herself to him. He swooped in, and their tongues played a cat-and-mouse game for several minutes. When they finally broke apart and she glanced around, Penny was stunned no one in the bar expressed concern. She had been certain the earth shook.

  “Save my seat. My turn at the mike is next. I hope I don’t totally embarrass myself.” Del groaned and rose, leaned over for one more kiss, and strode to the front of the bar.

  As if I’d let anyone take his seat. She squirmed in place, her hormones popping.

  Del chose John Lennon’s “Imagine” and sang beautifully, in a deep, full, baritone.

  At the end of his performance, several of the women in the bar gave wolf whistles.

  Back off, ladies. This man is all mine.

  He returned to his seat and kissed her again.

  From a nearby table, she overheard a woman mutter, “Darn it all. The good ones are always taken.” Penny scooted her seat closer.

  Their drinks were almost empty when Del nudged her. “Murphy’s is fun, but a bit too crowded and noisy. The Sea Crest Inn, as I recall, has five different fireplaces. I’m sure we can find one where we can be alone for a bit. Why don’t we head there and have another drink?”

  Again, she gazed into his ice blue eyes. Eyes that discovered so much beauty in the world and captured that loveliness on canvas. How could she say no to this man? The man she had loved as a boy? She ought to take a chance. “I agree, the bar is noisy. I’d like to sit in front of a warm fire and get better acquainted. Let’s go back to Mariner’s and pick up our cars. Then I’ll meet you at the Sea Crest.”

  The night had gotten colder, so Penny layered on her coat and scarf, and tugged on her gloves for the short trek from Murphy’s back to where she parked her car behind Maggie’s.

  Del wrapped one of her hands around his arm as they strode.

  She risked laying her head on his shoulder. “I’ll stay for a while, Del, but I need to get home soon, and to bed. Every day from now until Christmas will be pretty busy at the shop.”

  He brushed her hair from her face. “You haven’t told me yet where home is. You’re not still living with your folks, are you?”

  Penny smiled up at him. “No, I’ve got my own place. When Abbey and I bought the building where the shop is, the upstairs had already been converted into a small apartment. I
decided the location couldn’t be beat, and I could stay on top of things at the shop.”

  “That’s taking the meaning of ‘on top of things’ to a whole new level.” Del chuckled as he steered her in the direction of the parking lot.

  Her body temperature rose at his nearness, and she wondered when he’d kiss her again. Or if he would. The drive to the Sea Crest Inn took only minutes, and they quickly found a vacant fireplace with a loveseat in front of it.

  “May I help you off with your coat?”

  Penny shivered, not due to the outside temperature at all. The man standing behind her, helping her out of her coat, had brushed her hair out of the way and grazed the back of her neck with a soft kiss. If he hadn’t had his hands on her shoulders, she would have melted into the floor. And she had a feeling the best part of the evening had not yet happened.

  They settled into the loveseat.

  Penny took a deep breath. And took a huge chance. Suck it up, Buttercup. “You’ve got a really nice voice, Del. If you’ll remember, Lobster Cove residents celebrate the Christmas holiday each year by gathering at the gazebo in the park and singing carols. It’s scheduled for next weekend. Will you be in town?”

  He draped one arm around her shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere any time soon. I checked into the Frenchman Bay Motel before I met you for dinner, and I’ll stay there until I can move into my house. There’s no one I’d rather be with than the karaoke queen when I’m singing carols. Count me in, but only if I can be your date.”

  Yes! The best part of the evening had not yet happened, just as Penny had hoped.

  Chapter Eight

  “So, how’d your evening go?” Abbey asked the next morning as they prepared to open the shop. “And please don’t tell me you were in your bunny slippers by 8:30!”