Club Cupid (16 page)
Authors: Stephanie Bond
Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #Fiction - Romance, #Non-Classifiable, #Romance - General, #Contemporary, #General, #Romance: Modern, #Romance - Contemporary, #Key West (Fla.), #Valentine's Day
“Oh, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I insist.”
Feeling dangerously close to tears, she relented with a nod, wanting to end the scene as quickly as possible. Conjuring up a smile, she punched a key on the cash register. “Okay. That’ll be one penny.”
She watched as he ran a finger around his neck, then pulled a leather cord over his head. When he lay the necklace on the counter, she spotted the penny…the shiny penny she’d thrown to him from
the ship…He’d kept it close to his heart. Her lungs expanded as she lifted her gaze to him in wonder.
“I love you, Frankie.” He reached across the counter and pulled her to him for a hungry kiss. She met his mouth with a glad cry, forgetting her customers, forgetting everything but his words and the wonderful pressure of his lips upon hers. Her heart threatened to burst. At last they parted and she murmured, “I love you, too.”
He sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why didn’t you tell
me?
”
“I called, but when you didn’t call back—”
“You called?” she gasped. “When?”
“The same day you moved here,” he said, shaking his head. “Can you believe the rotten luck? I left you a voice message at the office begging you to let me come see you.”
She grinned and looped her arms around his neck, drinking in his new appearance. “Begging?”
He blushed. “Well, sort of. I bought a cappuccino machine.”
Laughter bubbled in her throat. “So did I—call, I mean.”
His eyes bugged. “When?”
“About an hour ago. A woman answered your phone.”
“Renters,” he explained, touching his forehead to hers. “Did you call to beg me to let you come see me?”
Her heart sang. “Well, sort of.”
His smile widened. “Think we should give Parker a call and thank him?”
She nodded. “Afterward.”
His eyebrows climbed, then he groaned and tugged on her arms. “Let’s go to my office.
Now.
”
Frankie emerged from behind the deli case, fumbling with her apron strings and informing Jan she’d be taking a long lunch. But she paused to lift the makeshift necklace from the counter and held it up to the light. Who would have known that setting sail on that silly Club Cupid wedding cruise would have landed her a Valentine for all time. Randy squeezed her hand and her heart swelled with love for the man who had redirected her life course.
As the coin spun, glinting, she caught his loving gaze and winked. “Who says a penny doesn’t go very far?”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3998-6
Club Cupid
Copyright © 1999 by Stephanie Bond Hauck
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