A Valentine's Wish

She squealed so loudly he jerked the phone away from his ear, heart pounding louder than the guy playing the bongo drums on the corner. “It’s about time!”

He dropped back onto the empty bench and exhaled. “Thanks, I think.”

“How was your first date? I can’t believe she hasn’t called me!”

“There actually hasn’t been one.”

A pause hovered over the line. “She doesn’t know how you feel, does she?”

“Not yet.” He told her about the gifts he’d sent. “I was just on my way to see her at the shop, and I bet she’ll have it figured out by the time I get there.”

“Because of a Hershey’s Kiss?” Gracie laughed. “Andy, it’s a sweet thought, but Lori begs, borrows or buys chocolate from a dozen different people and places. I think you’re going to have to be more obvious if you want to be discovered. Although it’s pretty silly to keep up this secret-admirer facade in the first place, if you ask me.”

“You don’t think I should do it?”

“I just think you should give Lori a fair shot at accepting you for who you are. You might be surprised.”

“Has she said something about me before?” Andy leaned forward and braced his elbows against his knees. The same skateboarding kid rolled back by, the wheels scraping loudly on the concrete. Andy turned his head to better hear Gracie’s answer, anticipation hovering like a little child around a beignet.

“Well, no. Not exactly. But why the secrecy?”

Andy opened his mouth to explain, but Carter’s muffled voice on the other end of the line interrupted. “Gracie, we’re going to miss the tour if we don’t leave now.”

A scuffling sounded, as if Gracie had clamped her hand over the receiver. “Just a second, this is important.” She returned to the phone. “Andy, we’ve got to go. Listen, just take it slowly, but don’t be afraid to tell her what’s in your heart, okay?”

“Okay.” He said goodbye and disconnected the call. His agreement to Gracie’s suggestion still lingered on his lips, but its meaning didn’t settle in his gut. He knew what he was doing. There was no way Lori would be responsive to his stating right out that he had feelings for her. She’d be shocked—and not in a good way. They’d been close friends for so long now she’d probably never thought of him as anything other than her best friend. Even if Lori was mistaking Monny as her secret admirer, he had to keep it up a while longer and ease her into the concept of Andy being boyfriend material.

Make that husband material.

Lori slid a tray of chocolate-dipped marshmallows into the display case. She’d already popped a few into her mouth—taste-testing for the customer’s sake, of course—and now she wanted to eat the whole pan. She needed fortification if she intended to confront Monny about being her secret admirer. She’d tried earlier in the afternoon, but he’d been intensely focused on icing a special-order cake, and she hadn’t wanted to distract him. That’d just be one more thing she would mess up.