Love At Cupid's Cove--Valentine Serial Day 13

 

Duncan stopped. He was standing beside the old historic log home that was just down the street from Lacy’s shop. It had the huge cascading Bridal Bush in full bloom that his mother loved. And as Lacy moved toward him he suddenly had an image of her as a bride. His bride. He shut that down immediately. It wasn’t something that could ever be. Wasn’t something he could ever deserve?

Lacy marched right up to him, her eyes alive with a fire he’d not seen there before. “Oh Duncan, I can’t let you walk away like this. For the last couple of days I’ve heard more whispers and talk about you than I care to hear. But maybe that was a good thing because it’s becoming clear to me that you are carrying a burden that you aren’t meant to carry.”

Duncan’s heart was slamming against his ribs as he studied Lacy, wanting so much to pull her into his arms and be free from the guilt and sorrow that blanketed him, suffocated him. But no, he shook his head. He’d prayed for answers, for help and God hadn’t sent it. He’d prayed for Missy to forgive him but—      

“No,” Lacy broke into his thoughts. “Don’t shake your head. Please listen to me, Duncan.” She stepped up close, obviously not caring that they were on the street and everyone could see them.  She placed her hands against his cheeks and her beautiful brown eyes shimmered with more gentle kindness than he’d felt in so long. “My heart breaks for Missy Taylor and that she lost her husband,” she said, as if reading his mind. “But the truth is, she is hurting, grieving and she and others—including you—are blaming you for something that isn’t your fault. You have to let it go. God will heal her wounds with time."

Duncan’s throat tightened with emotion so strong he couldn’t help himself, he pulled Lacy into his arms and laid his head against her sweet, cupcake scented hair. Felt her heart beating in time with his. Closing his eyes he tried to process all that she’d said. And suddenly he realized that maybe God had been listening to his prayers—that maybe in the darkness of his guilt God had sent help, a ray of hope… God had sent Lacy, this beautiful, shaft of sunlight into his world when he’d most needed someone to believe in him.

But could he believe what she was telling him? Could he let go of the guilt eating at him?   

 

 

 

 

 

Love at Cupid's Cove--A Valentine's serial--Lacy Williams

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1401282

He moved, or she did, and their lips brushed in a tentative, seeking kiss. Slowly, Lacy raised one hand and threaded her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.

Noise rushed in her ears, as if she’d turned on all of the electric appliances at once; heat flushed through her like she was standing in front of an open oven door.

She could feel his tension, his muscles coiled to move away. Duncan was a man who kept things so tightly bottled inside… until she felt him break, and he crushed her to him.

Moments—or eons—later, he ended the kiss, pressing her head to his broad chest, tucking her head beneath his chin.

“That was a mistake.” She was so close that his words rumbled beneath her cheek. Stubble from his jaw caught in her hair, tugging the fine strands at her temple.

“It doesn’t feel like a mistake,” she said, heart now pounding with more than adrenaline from their kiss. Somehow, she’d found a way inside the walls he kept up to protect himself. Would he push her away?

She wrapped her arms more tightly around his waist, willing him to hold on to her.

“It does to me.” Gently, he set her away from him.

She blinked beneath the harsh kitchen lights, away from his warmth and the protection of his arms.

“I would never… purposely… do anything to hurt you.”

Then why was he pushing her away? It had to be some misguided sense of honor, because of what everyone in town thought about him. Everyone but her.

“Duncan, wait—”

He turned away, one hand on the back of his neck. Headed for the door. “I shouldn’t have come. I should—we should stay away from each other.” He sounded so determined, but she also heard the thread of doubt underscoring his words.

Luckily for the both of them, his statement only sparked a new determination within Lacy—to find a way to make things right for him.


Start at the beginning:
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_2.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_3.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/cupids-cove-valentine-serial-debby.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial_5.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_7.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cover-valentines-serial.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_9.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentines-serial_11.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-at-cupids-cove-valentine-serial_12.html
http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/2013/02/happily-ever-after-in-cupids-cove-happy.html

Love at Cupid's Cove-- Valentine Serial--Missy Tippens

Duncan gasped and stood frozen as a chunk of what was left of the exploded cupcake plunked from his forehead to the ground, leaving his nose coated in pink icing shrapnel.

The absolute horror on Lacy’s face made something inside him shift. Pure joy burst through him as he roared with laughter. Barely able to catch his breath, he doubled over, hands on thighs, and continued to chuckle.

“Oh, Duncan, I’m so sorry.” She sat the box of cupcakes on the dock. “Here, let me help.”

“Got a bit of a temper, huh?” he asked as she swiped cake off his forehead.

Her cheeks were as pink as the streak down his nose, and she looked pretty as a picture in her embarrassment. “I’m sure my parents would confirm that.”

A grin stretched across his face. And it felt good, so good to have the weight of guilt lifted, if even just for a minute. “You should’ve seen your face.”

“You should see yours.” She smiled back at him as she wiped icing off his chin, her cool hand soft, gentle.

He couldn’t look away from her pretty brown eyes. Though he knew he didn’t deserve it, he wanted to spend time with Lacy. To get to know her better. “Looks like you owe me a Valentine.”

Her eyes widened. “Wh…what?”

“You know. Another Valentine cupcake.”

With a rush of breath, she let out a tense laugh. “Oh, these aren’t for you. I was bringing them since I noticed you gave away your mother’s cupcakes.”

Yep. Definitely a small town. “Oh, so you just happened to notice me walk by and just happened to notice I was empty handed?” he teased.

“Well…uh…yes. My shop has windows. Big windows. “ Her gazed darted out to the water, then back toward town. She gathered up the box of the three remaining cupcakes and held it out to him. “Plus, remember you’re back in Cupid’s Cove now. People talk.”

And didn’t he know it. People talked. People remembered every failure. And some people wouldn’t forgive. “Thanks for checking on me. I promise I won’t swan dive off any docks.”

She gave a firm nod and jabbed the box toward him once more as if wanting to get away from him.

“My mother will love these—all three of them.” He couldn’t help grinning at her, even as his heart hurt that she’d shut him out.

“Tell her it was my pleasure and to have a lovely Valentine’s Day.” She turned and made a beeline back toward her shop. Back to all those red and pink-iced Valentine treats meant for couples who were in love.

It seemed that this year, his mother would be the only one in the Hines family getting a Valentine.

Love at Cupid's Cove - Valentine's Serial - Teri Wilson

Lacy ran toward the end of the pier, clutching the box of cupcakes to her chest, with her heart in her throat. What if she was too late?

She yelled his name into the wind. “Duncan.”

But when she reached the water’s edge, she found him standing in waist-deep water. His jeans were soaked, but his top half was still bone dry. He was carefully wrapping his hands around a pelican floating sideways in the current.

Lacy was mystified. “What in the world?”

Duncan answered her, but his eyes never left the bird. “Shhh. You’ll spook him.”

She watched, equal parts curious and humiliated as Duncan pulled a pocketknife from his jeans and cut away a wad of fishing line that had somehow wrapped itself around the pelican’s neck.

A pelican. He’d jumped into the sea to rescue an injured pelican. And she’d thought…

Never mind what she’d thought. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

She turned to go, but only managed to make it halfway back down the pier when a wet hand landed on her shoulder.

“Lacy? What are you doing here?” Duncan’s masculine voice sent a tremor coursing through her.

She spun to face him. “I saw you go past the bakery. You looked upset, so I…”

He cocked his head. “You followed me?”

“Yes, and then I saw you jump off the end of the pier. It frightened me. I wasn’t sure what to think.” Could this be any more humiliating? She didn’t even know the man, and now he’d think she was some kind of stalker.

He jammed his big, bird-saving hands on his hips. “You thought I was trying to end it all, didn’t you?”

Her only response was a tiny lift of her chin.

“You did, didn’t you?” A tiny laugh escaped him.

At the sound of it, something inside Lacy snapped. “It’s not funny.”

“It is. A little. Admit it. I mean, it’s sweet. You thought I’d jumped to my death in three feet of water.” A smile creased his handsome face.

It was the first time Lacy had seen a look anywhere close to joy on his face. It would have made her heart sing, had she not been his source of amusement.

“Please stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing.” He bit down on his bottom lip. His shoulders shook from the effort it took him not to burst into a guffaw.

Lacy narrowed her eyes, opened the box of cupcakes, pulled one out and threw it directly at Duncan. With a squishy sounding splat, it hit him square in the forehead.

Love at Cupid's Cove - Valentine's Serial - Barbara Phinney

Lacy caught sight of Duncan as he hurried past her shop. Her heart tripped at his downtrodden expression. It was as if someone had kicked his puppy. She craned her neck over the counter, threatening to crush Mrs. Drake's special order coffee cake. The lovely elderly lady was hosting her great grandchildren tonight and had wanted Lacy to bake her old family recipe since poor Mrs. Drake's hands were too arthritic. 

"Look out, Miss Lacy!" Little Debbie cried out. The youngest great grandchild, who'd tagged along for the trip, had plans for their treat, and it wasn't to watch it be crushed under Lacy. 

Lacy backed up. "Sorry. I was just watching someone."

"Sergeant Hines?" Debbie piped up, cheekily, as six year olds who heard too much often did. "He just came from Angie's house. They gots your cupcakes, but Grammie says Angie's mom will probably throw them away. She says it's a sin what's happening between them!"

The bakery fell into a deafening silence. With cheeks as pink as the hearts on the store windows, Mrs. Drake hastily paid for her purchase, grabbed her young grandchild and hightailed it from the bakery. Even Mr. Valentine scooted off, obviously so reluctant to answer any more questions, he'd left half of his coffee crumb cake behind.

Enough! Lacy squared her shoulders. This town was a delight to live in and to work in, but no one should be treating a soldier like that! She hastily packaged up four more chocolate cupcakes, slapped the 'back in 5 min.' sign on her door and locked up.

 image from Wilton© 

Cupid's Cove wasn't so big that Lacy couldn't spot Duncan as he hurried past the church and down to the pier. She regretted not grabbing her jacket, but tossed her personal comfort away as she hurried to catch up with him. Salty wind and the cries of seagulls met her as she reached the long dock. The tide was out, and only the tops of the few fishing boats bobbing and swaying could be seen along the left side.

Duncan stood at the end of the pier, hunched slightly as if staring into the water.

Lacy hesitated. The wind buffeted the box of cupcakes in her right hand. What was she doing? She'd foolishly thought that chocolate could solve the man's problems, but not everyone was like her. 

 image purchased from Dreamstime© 

Still, it was worth a try. Duncan needed a friend, and a good talk over fresh chocolate cupcakes could do wonders. She took one step forward, then gasped. 

Duncan dropped into the choppy brine, out of sight.

Love At Cupid's Cove--Valentine serial--Lenora Worth :

Love at Cupid’s Cove

“I’d like to place an order for some cupcakes. Four or so will be fine.”

Lacy Rose smiled at the handsome stranger who’d just walked through the doors of her bakery. What was an interesting man like him doing in quiet Cupid’s Cove, anyway?

Outside the seagulls cawed and lifted out over the pristine blue waters of the bay. But a brisk February wind pushed through the great oaks and swaying palms.

“What kind of cupcakes?” Lacy asked, her attention moving from the beautiful scene out the window back to the hunky man staring at her with eyes the same color of the sky.

“Chocolate,” he said, grinning. “My mother loves chocolate cake.”

“That’s so sweet,” Lacy replied. “Getting your mother cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.”

“She’d been sick,” he explained, his hands in the pockets of his lightweight leather jacket. “She lives just down the way. You might know her. Betty Hines.”

“I do know Mrs. Hines,” Lacy said while she went about getting his order ready. “So you must be Duncan. She talks about you all the time. I mean, you’re a hero around here. You served in the Army, right?”

The smile on his face died. “Yeah, I did. But I’m home now.” He glanced out the window. “I need to go. How much do I owe you?”

Lacy wondered what she’d said to upset him. She’d often heard that soldiers didn’t like to talk about their time on the front lines. “This one is on the house,” she said, hoping to make up for her faux pas. “Thank you for serving your country.”

Duncan took the pink box but turned back. “Thanks, but you need to understand something. I’m not a hero. Not by a long shot.”