Page 1 of V is for Valentine
Chapter One
“Need help?”
Felicity Evans jumped at the sound of the voice behind her, then made an irritated noise in her throat as the load she carried shifted. The precariously balanced boxes slid sideways, and as she fought to rebalance them, everything else she’d been carrying—her handbag, the suitcase dangling from her fingertips, the work boots tucked under her arm—tumbled to the ground. The boxes followed and Felicity’s shoulders slumped.
Really? Her rescue mission was going to start like this?
She slowly turned to face Danny Montgomery, former neighbor and nemesis. “I’ve got this,” she said darkly before shifting her attention back to her strewn belongings.
She let out a long breath, cursing herself for being so intent on her balancing act that she hadn’t realized that Danny had come up behind her on her dad’s snowy drive. There was no gate there, so he must have vaulted over the fence, just as he’d done too many times when she’d grown up in this house.
“Sorry about that.” Danny picked up the box closest to him, but instead of handing it to her, he held onto it. “Have you ever heard of making two trips?”
Felicity tucked her shortish blond hair behind her ears and counted to three. She’d save ten for later. “I live on the second floor of a renovated Victorian. No elevator. Two trips are not my normal mode of operation.”
“Ah.” He shifted his weight, still holding the box, making Felicity wonder what he planned to do with it. Despite the crisp first-day-of-February temperature, he was wearing a gray T-shirt with a Boise State logo and really, really worn-out jeans. Comfy watch-football-on-Sunday jeans. It was Monday.
“Sorry to hear about your dad,” Danny said, bringing her thoughts back to where they belonged, which was not on his clothing.
“Yes. It’s a bad time for this to happen, so close to his project deadline.”
“You’re back for a while?” He pointed at her suitcase with his chin. It was the same suitcase she’d packed several days ago when she’d flown home for a weekend wedding, but this time instead of wedding finery, she’d packed her work clothes—sturdy shoes, leather gloves, bandannas, long sleeve cotton shirts, loose jeans and a wide leather belt. She’d have to borrow a tool belt from her dad.
“Two weeks. After Dad got hurt yesterday, I managed to catch my flight to Seattle, then I packed the car, watered my plants, and started driving back to Idaho.” An eight-hour through-the-night drive and all she wanted now was a cup of coffee. Or to pass out on the sofa. Most of all she wanted Danny to leave her in peace.
“Can your plants survive for two weeks without water?”
“Cacti, Danny. I have cacti.”
“Sounds about right,” he murmured.
She waited for him to say “prickly,” but instead he gave her a mild look.
“Well, thanks for offering to help. I’ve got this.”
“Right.” He looked over his shoulder as the door to his mom’s house opened and the redhead that she’d seen him with on her December trip home stepped onto the snowy stoop.
“Daniel?”
“Be right there.”
Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Daniel?”
“I’m in trouble,” he said tuning his attention back to her.
“What’s new?” she asked.
What was new was this feeling that she didn’t like seeing Danny with the redheaded beauty who gave her a friendly wave. Felicity waved back, and the redhead smiled before disappearing into the house. Felicity turned her attention back to Danny, who showed no sign of leaving.
“I saw you two at the Holly Festival.”
“We were there,” he said, before shifting subjects. “I assume you’re going to take over your dad’s project?”
“Someone has to finish the drywall and all the other last-minute details.”
“Need help with that?”
The offer surprised her. “Like the last time you helped me? I think not.”
