A Valentine's Wish. Betsy St. Amant
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He wondered if he should even risk this.
The phone jangled on his desk, and he eagerly snatched it up. Any distraction was better than hovering over this greeting card, feeling like a poetic failure. “Youth pastor’s office, this is Andy.”
“Andy, my favorite nephew.” His aunt’s voice rang through the line with her usual flair of Southern charm.
He laughed at their long-standing argument. “Aunt Bella, I’m your only nephew.”
“Psh. Details.” He could just imagine her flipping her manicured hand in the air as if brushing off such a concept. “Listen, dear, I’m at the airport and don’t have much time. I need a favor.”
“Sure, Aunt Bella. It’s the least I can do after you hooked Lori up with a job.” Andy rolled a pencil between his fingers.
“That’s why I’m calling. I have no doubt Lori can handle the store. Our quick interview together and her résumé proved her competent.” Bella drew in a deep breath. “But I don’t know her very well, and since you obviously do, I was hoping you might keep an eye on things while I’m gone. Be there to lend a hand if she needs it. Unofficially, of course.”
“Of course. You’d hate to cut another paycheck.” Andy grinned.
“Boy, you know good and well—”
“I’m just kidding, Aunt Bella.” Andy dropped the pencil on his desk and leaned back in his chair. “I’m happy to help, for free. I’m sure Lori won’t mind if I hang around the shop a bit.”
Bella paused. “I was also sort of hoping you wouldn’t tell her.”
Andy swallowed. Not tell Lori? That was sure to blow up in his face later. “Aunt Bella, I—”
“I don’t want Lori to get paranoid about my faith in her abilities. I just want someone to keep a watch out and be nearby if there is an emergency.” Bella’s voice turned pleading. “I’m talking about a few pop-in visits, a few phone calls. Nothing you probably wouldn’t do for her anyway.”
She was right about that—of course Andy would visit Lori at work. But if Lori found out about the ulterior motive…Andy winced. It wouldn’t be pretty.
Her voice was beginning to sound far away. “I’ve got to go, dear. The signal is fading. Just say yes.”
Andy released his breath, regretting the words he knew he had to speak. “No problem, Aunt Bella. I’ll keep an eye on Lori and the store for you. Don’t worry about a thing.” He squeezed his eyes closed as he disconnected the call. Maybe Lori wouldn’t ever have to find out. Maybe he could stay subtle enough that she wouldn’t feel that he was doing anything more than being a good friend.
His eyes drifted back to the still-unsigned greeting card. A good friend with a secret motive that had nothing to do with the store or his aunt.
“Pastor Andy?”
Andy looked up from the card. Haley stood in his open office door. “Haley! What are you doing out of school?” He swiped the card into his desk drawer and slammed it shut.
She slowly approached his desk, brow furrowed. “What do you mean? It’s after three o’clock.”
“Are you serious?” Andy glanced at his watch—3:22 p.m. The afternoon sun streaming through the slanted blinds confirmed that the world continued to revolve…and not around him. Had he really been sitting there staring at Lori’s gift for almost two hours? He groaned again.
Haley plopped down in the chair across from his and smoothed her cheerleading uniform over her legs. “I came by to tell you Jeremy and I tried making a strawberry cake for the youth service tomorrow. But he can’t cook at all. He totally ruined our practice cake.”
“You made a practice cake?” He bit back a grin. Somehow, he didn’t picture Jeremy hanging out in a kitchen more than absolutely necessary. But at least they were working together and learning teamwork, as was the goal.
“Tried to.” Haley tossed one braid over her shoulder. “The whole thing tasted like glue.” She wrinkled her nose.
He decided not to ask how she knew what glue tasted like. “And it’s entirely Jeremy’s fault because…?”
Haley stared, duh written all over her expression. “He was the one who stirred.”
“I see.” Andy rubbed his fingers over his eyes. Note to self: pick up dessert for Wednesday night. Maybe that was a good thing. He could swing by the Chocolate Gator, pick up some brownies and visit Lori. If he could find a way to secretly deliver the gift before the service tomorrow, then he could gauge her reaction while he was there.
He sat up straight in his chair. Finally, a plan. Now he just needed to figure out what to write on the card and how to deliver it to the shop. He frowned. There was the problem. He couldn’t just stroll inside with a mustache and hat and plunk the vase on the counter. She’d see right through it.
Right through him. He shuddered. No, he wasn’t ready for that yet. He needed to see how Lori responded before he could open himself to that kind of vulnerability. But who would take the gift and keep his secret? Who did he even trust with his secret? He drummed his nails on the desktop.
“Who are those for?” Haley leaned forward and brushed the petals of the lilies with her fingertips.
“Nobody.” The abrupt dismissal rolled off his tongue before Andy could process how suspicious it sounded, and he winced. Maybe Haley wouldn’t notice.
“Yeah, right.” She stood and leaned over the vase for a better view. “You have a girlfriend or something?”
Or something. Andy coughed. “No, they’re for…” He stopped. He couldn’t lie to his own youth-group member. “A friend.”
Haley winked. “A special friend?”
“Just a friend.” Andy stood as well and gestured toward the open door. “Thanks for stopping by. Don’t worry about getting the dessert. I’ll let you guys slide this time.” He’d probably pay for it later, but the last thing he needed was Haley snooping around and figuring out his plan. Despite her off-again, on-again status with Jeremy, the girl was a super romantic and had at one point tried to set everyone in the youth group up with someone else.
Haley stayed by the flowers, seemingly oblivious to his attempt at her dismissal. “Come on, who is it?” Her hand stilled on the petals. “Not Tawny.”
“No, not Tawny.”
Her breath exhaled in a whoosh, and she continued to fluff the arrangement. “Good. She’s not your type.”
Andy agreed. It was debatable if Tawny Sinclair was anyone’s type, especially after what she did to his best friend, Carter. Gracie and Carter’s relationship was almost over before it began, thanks to Tawny’s seductive meddling, but it had all worked out. At the end of the day, she was still a woman in need of God’s grace, a more conservative wardrobe and a healthy relationship—just definitely not with him. Thankfully Tawny’s youth-group volunteer days were long over.
“Then who are they for?”
Haley wouldn’t quit. Andy came around the front of the desk and steered her toward the door. “Isn’t it enough I’m letting you off dessert duty?”
“No.” She grinned. “I’m a teenager, Pastor Andy. You know it’s never enough. Come on, spill it.”
“Never.” He opened the door wider, and it caught the rug at their feet. He kicked to free it while Haley continued to meddle.
“I’ll do Wednesday desserts for two weeks.”
Andy straightened, feigning interest. “Make it four.”
“Okay, four.”
“Nope, still not telling.” He grinned back.
“Pastor