A Valentine for Kayla (3 page)

Kayla stood at the counter. She wore a cuddly-looking sweater and an ankle-length black skirt. Her long curly hair cascaded down her back. Was it as soft as it looked? He shook his head, willing the thought away. She turned just then, and her face lit when she spotted him. “Hey there. Twice in the same afternoon.”

“Must be my lucky day.”

“Mine, too.” She shot him a grin.

He sauntered over to her and studied the menu board.

“Did your girlfriend like the flowers?”

“The flowers were for my mom, and she loved them.”

“Oh, I thought… Never mind.” She grinned. “I'm glad she enjoyed them.”

He reached for the order sheet, scanned it, checked off what he wanted on the sandwiches, then turned back to Kayla, who was still waiting for her order. “This place makes the best sandwiches.”

“I know. I come here at least once a week.”

He stepped up to the counter and placed his order, then sidled up to Kayla again. He glanced toward the window and spotted another banner. “What goes on at the Spring Festival?”

Her face lit. “It's so much fun. The whole town turns out. It's a combination street fair, art fair and farmers' market. People come from all around. There's tons of food and baked goods, too. All the proceeds go to the town beautification fund.”

“Here's your sandwich, Kayla.” Nick, the owner of Deli on the Rye looked at Derek. “Your order is almost ready. How's your mom doing?”

“Her speech is a problem, but she still gets her point across.”

Nick chuckled. “I like your mom. Give her my best. She comes in here once a week for my split-pea soup.”

“I didn't know that. Will you change my soup order to split pea?”

“You got it.”

Derek turned his attention back to Kayla, who was stuffing her wrapped sandwich into an oversize purse.

She looked up. “What happened to your mom?”

“She had a stroke last week.”

“Oh no. I'm so sorry. Do either of you need anything?”

“Thanks, but we're doing okay. I'm a little concerned about going back to work and leaving her alone, though. Her speech was affected by the stroke, and I don't think she could make anyone understand what she needed over the phone. Otherwise, she seems to be fine.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So far my boss has been understanding, but I don't know how many more days I can miss without losing my job.” Losing the job wouldn't be a hardship, but he enjoyed making deliveries. It was fun meeting so many people who liked him for himself and not because he was famous.

“Hmm. What's your mom's name? Maybe I know her.”

“Helen Wood.”

“I don't think we've met. This town feels small and cozy, but it's amazing how many residents I don't know since I'm holed up in the flower shop most days.”

“That makes sense.”

“If I think of some way to help your mom, is there a way I can reach you?”

He almost spouted out his cell number but stopped. He'd learned after his first album went gold not to give that out. “Tell you what—I have a feeling I'll be in here a lot. Maybe leave a message with Nick, and I'll stop in at your shop.”

“Okay. That reminds me. There's something at the flower shop I want to show you.”

He raised a brow. “Really? I'm intrigued.”

“Good. See you.” She flicked him a saucy grin and ambled out.

He turned back to the counter and started when he saw that Nick stood there with his arms crossed over his chest and a wide grin covering his face.

“She likes you.”

“Kayla?”

Nick nodded. “She's been coming in here every Friday for the past two years and rarely says a word. I've never seen her talk to anyone the way she just did with you.”

Derek tucked the information away to ponder later. Right now he had his eye on dinner.

“I added an extra container of soup for your mom. On the house. You tell her to not be a stranger.”

Derek paid and snatched up the bags. “Thanks, man. See you soon.” He strode out the door and headed straight for his pickup. Kayla liked him, huh? He wasn't sure what to do with that bit of knowledge. Of course, Nick could be wrong. Not that it mattered, since he wasn't in the market for a girlfriend. Right now he needed to focus on getting his mom well and figuring out what to do with the rest of his life.

* * *

“You remember Derek?”

“The UPS guy, right?”

“Yes, well, his mother had a stroke last week. She's doing okay, but he said her speech has been affected. He's afraid to leave her alone for any length of time, and I thought maybe she could hang out here with us.”

Jill looked up with wide eyes. “I don't know. I'm not great around old people. Especially sick ones.”

“She's not sick and she's not old. Think of her as your mother. Surely you'd want someone to keep your mom company if she'd had a stroke. Her name is Helen Wood. Maybe you know her.”

“Oh! Why didn't you say so? Of course I know Helen. She's an absolute sweetheart. I had no idea she had a son. I'd heard she had a stroke but didn't connect her with Derek. You'd think she would have mentioned him.” She hung her head, and her cheeks reddened. “You're right—she isn't old. She's good friends with my mom. And guess what else. She's an accountant.”

“You're kidding.”

“Nope. My mom said she still has her faculties. Maybe she would be willing to look at our books while she's hanging out here and give us some advice on how to boost profits. I really want this place to do exceptional.”

Kayla pressed her lips together. Jill was needlessly worrying since their profits were decent, but there was no harm in trying to improve. “We'll need to talk with Derek and find out if his mom is up to it, but I see no harm in asking.”

Kayla busied herself with her preopening routine—dusting, sweeping, mopping when needed and washing fingerprints off all the windows.

Time flew, and an hour later she flipped the closed sign to open and propped the door wide with a wagon filled with flowers. These sunny days were a rare treat she intended to take advantage of. She smiled at a passerby, then went inside.

Kayla grabbed yesterday's money bag from the safe and slipped it into her large purse. “Off to the bank. Be back soon.” She headed out the door, made a left, passed Deli on the Rye and kept going.

She spotted a UPS truck parked ahead and picked up her pace. Maybe it was Derek. Her heart rate quickened. An unfamiliar man wearing the standard brown uniform stepped out of the phone store across the street and jogged across the two-lane road. Deflated, she slowed down. She'd hoped it was him.

Oh well—she could simply leave a message with Nick at the deli as Derek had suggested. She doubled back, and reaching for the door to Deli on the Rye, she lost her balance as it suddenly swung inward. She fell forward, and steady hands grasped her shoulders.

“Hello, Kayla. We meet again. Are you all right?”

Kayla blinked and nodded. “Kismet. I was going to leave a message for you.”

He grinned. “Really?”

“Yes. It's about your mom. Jill, my business partner, and I would like to help. We were thinking she could hang out at the shop some days so you could go back to work.”

He shook his head. “That's not necessary.”

“Of course not, but that's what friends do. They help each other.”

“Hmm. I didn't realize we were friends.” He winked. “In that case, let me talk with my mom and see what she thinks. Maybe she'd be up to it for part of the day.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “If you'll give me your number, I'll call you.”

She rattled off her cell number and nearly floated to the bank, then back to the florist shop.

“Are you okay?” Jill's tone sounded anxious in the otherwise peaceful shop.

“Perfect—Derek has my number.”

Jill giggled. “I think he had your
number
the minute he stepped in here.”

Kayla stuck her tongue out, then joined her friend in a gigglefest. She wrapped an arm around her stomach and tried to slow her breathing and stop laughing. “Sorry. I didn't sleep well last night, and you know how I am when I'm tired.”

Jill nodded. “Exactly like me. I didn't sleep, either. All I could think about was taking a vacation.” She waggled her brows. “I was considering Palm Springs. What do you think? I already looked at our orders, and there's nothing for the next seven days. We could close up the shop all week or just until Wednesday.”

“I don't know if closing up is such a great idea. Especially if you're worried about profits. Even if we hold a sale to get rid of the cut flowers in the fridge, we'd take a hit. We need to be open to make money. What about your mom? Do you think she'd come in and run the place for a few days? Or better yet, we take separate vacations and leave the shop open.”

Jill crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. “Actually, that's a good idea. I'll see if my mom would cover for you, but what about me? We'd have to find someone who can do what I do.”

“What about hiring Ashley temporarily?”

“She's still in high school.”

“But she's eighteen and graduates this May. What if you plan your trip for this summer? That would give you more time to work with her and become confident in her skill.”

Jill broke into a smile. “I'll talk to her after school.”

Footsteps sounded behind her. “Excuse me.”

Derek!

D
erek stood in the flower shop's entrance, his gaze on Kayla. Her cocoa-colored hair cascaded down her back in loose ringlets.

Her face lit in a smile as she stepped toward him. “This is a surprise.”

“I wanted to say thanks for inviting my mom to hang out here, but I don't think it will work.” Although the offer was meant to be kind, he could see nothing kind about asking his mother to sit in a public place for several hours.

The smile slid from her face. “I'm sorry to hear that. I wish her a speedy recovery. If there's anything at all we can do, please let us know.”

He nodded. What was it about Kayla that made him regret turning her down? Maybe it was the sincerity with which she made the offer—no strings attached. She was so different from the kind of women he usually dated. Not that he was thinking of dating Kayla. His time was consumed with taking care of his mother right now.

The other woman stepped forward and held out her hand. “I'm Jill. Your mom and mine are friends. I think she's planning to invite Helen over, so maybe that will work better for her needs.”

“That's a good idea. She needs to be around her friends,” Derek said.

Jill reached for the phone. “Good. I'll let my mom know. I think she was planning to stop by and visit Helen today. Maybe the two of them already worked things out.”

He grinned. “That wouldn't surprise me. Mom doesn't fill me in on all the details of her life.” He looked around the store. The space was light and uncluttered, but it still contained a lot of merchandise he hadn't noticed the first couple of times he'd dropped in. One side of the business held potted plants and fresh flowers, while the other side was stocked with gift-type items—knickknacks, cards, books, teas and coffees, and candies. His gaze stopped at the corner wall. “You carry music.”

Kayla grinned. “Yes, in fact, there's a CD I've wanted to show you.” She breezed by him.

He followed and nearly stopped breathing when he spotted the CD she reached for—his latest-and-greatest collection.

“Check this out. You could be long-lost brothers. You have the exact same eyes.” She studied his face and then looked back at the CD jacket. “It's uncanny how much you look alike. Of course, this can't be you. Why would a famous singer be living in this small town and working for UPS?” With a shrug, she placed it back on the shelf.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and willed his thudding heart to slow, unable to believe she didn't push the issue. He blew out a sigh. “Yeah. Small world.”

“I was going to have a cup of coffee. Care to join me?” She motioned toward a coffeemaker placed near a bistro table.

“Umm, yeah. Sure.” Could he sound any more Neanderthal? He shook his head.

“Something wrong?” Kayla poured the rich-smelling brew into a white mug.

“Nope. You ever listen to DJ Parker?”

“Not yet.” She handed him the mug and poured one for herself, then tossed a couple sugar packs on the table, along with a few creamers. “I thought about looking him up on Amazon and taking a listen, though.”

“Why don't you?” What was he doing? Talk about self-sabotage.

Her face brightened. “Sure. I'll grab my laptop.” She stood and rushed through the swinging doors.

He buried his head in his hands. He was playing with fire and likely to get scorched. Call it his ego, but he wanted her to like his singing.

Kayla came back and set the computer on the table between them. A moment later a sample of his least favorite song from his latest-and-greatest album piped into the room.

He held his breath, not taking his eyes from her face. “What do you think?” Why did her answer feel like life or death?

“I'm not sure yet.” She clicked on the next song and a smile tipped her lips. Such soft-looking lips. “I like this one. The melody makes more sense than the first one.” Her gaze slammed into his, and she caught her breath.

He saw confusion, and a spark of interest resonated in her chocolate-colored eyes. He looked away, unwilling to explore the feelings her look brought on.

Kayla closed the laptop. “I see why Jill ordered his CD. He has a nice sound.” Her words came out rushed as she pushed back in the chair.

He reached out and caught her hand. “Can we visit a bit longer?” He was encouraging her interest knowing it was a bad idea for both of them. Kayla was a sweet, caring woman who deserved more than a fraud like him, but he couldn't help being drawn to her innocence and kindness. Plus there was something about her that made him feel good inside when he was with her.