Page 43 of Valentine's in Bayberry

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. This is your mystery to solve. All I’m saying is that it isn’t Valentine’s Day yet. So, maybe he has something else planned.”

She paused, as though to consider the idea. “I think I should just forget it. If whoever sent me the valentine wanted me to know who they are, they would have told me. Right?”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

For a while, they ate in silence. He noticed that as much as Carrie wanted to let go of the mystery, she was still thinking about it.

Maybe all was not lost. Perhaps his gesture just needed to be bigger. And the mystery extended. It would allow him to romance her without her pushing him away.

Chapter Fourteen

She couldn’t let itgo.

It was lunchtime the next day, and Carrie had told herself she wasn’t going to think about the mysterious valentine. The more she tried not to think about it, the more she did think about it.

Jackson hadn’t been any help. She didn’t know what she’d wanted from him. Maybe a man’s perspective. Maybe for him to tell her that this was no big deal. He hadn’t done either of those things. In fact, after they’d finished eating, he hadn’t brought up the subject again. She didn’t either. She didn’t want him to think she was making a big deal of the valentine, because it wasn’t a big deal.

Alice entered the kitchen. “What’s up with you today?”

“Why?”

“Because your mind has been someplace else all morning.”

She was right, but Carrie didn’t want to admit it. “Is there something you need?”

Alice shook her head. “It’s quiet right now. Why don’t you take your lunch break now.”

Her thoughts immediately turned to the mail. It would have been delivered to her parents’ mailbox by now. Not that the person used the mail system. He liked to deliver his valentines personally.

She couldn’t help but wonder if there was a valentine in her mailbox right now. If so, he might have put a signature on it this time. And then she wouldn’t be so distracted.

She looked at Alice. “Would you mind if I ran out for a moment?”

“Not at all. I’ve got the front covered.”

“Thank you.” Carrie grabbed her stuff and rushed out the door.

The short ride home seemed to take forever. She told herself not to get too excited. There was most likely no valentine this time. It was probably just a one-time thing.

Maybe it was just someone in the community going around and trying to cheer up all of the single people. After all, Bayberry had done stranger things in the past like the time they’d secretly invited all of Bayberry’s single people to a surprise speed dancing. It was like speed dating, but instead of sitting at a table, you danced one song with one person. When the song ended, you switched partners. When people learned what was going on, some headed straight for the exit, but a lot stayed—including her.

As her parents’ house came into view, Carrie wasn’t sure this was a good idea. She didn’t want some pity valentine. And yet that didn’t stop her from pulling to a stop in front of the mailbox. After all, she did have to get the mail.

Not about to drag this out, she lowered the window and then yanked the mailbox open. Her gaze searched the shadows. There was a stack of mail. There was no large envelope like there had been the day before. She tossed the mail onto the passenger seat before driving the rest of the way up the driveway.

It wasn’t until she was parked in front of the garage that she realized she should have just turned around and headed back to the shop. But she was home so she might as well go inside and grab something to eat.

She scooped up the mail and tramped through the fresh fallen snow. She let herself in the front door. After taking off her boots and coat, she tossed the mail onto the dining room table on her way to the kitchen. She turned on the oven and checked the messages on her phone while she warmed a frozen pizza in the oven.

There were messages from Kate and Sadie. They both wanted to know about her valentine. Obviously, Abby must have told them. Carrie downplayed the whole thing. But her friends weren’t letting the subject go.

After Carrie ate a couple of slices of pizza, she went to grab her purse from the table where she’d placed it next to the mail. It was then she noticed some of the mail had slipped off the table and fallen to the floor.

As she scooped them up, she found a pink envelope. When she turned it over, she found her name printed in those big block letters again. Her heart skipped a beat.

She dropped the other mail on the table before she opened the envelope. There was another folded piece of construction paper. This time the paper was pink. There was a red heart glued to the front of it.

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