A Valentine for Chelsea

 

Prologue

“What do you think, Daddy?”

Remy pulled Lulu close and dropped an absentminded kiss on her cheek. “You’re a stubborn little girl who needs to go over Daddy’s knee,” he said.

Lulu tucked herself under his arm, thankful to be in his loving embrace again. “I know, and you can spank me for it later. What do you think about Chelsea?”

He rubbed his bristly chin, scowling. “In my day, we’d have taken a man like her ex-husband out behind the woodshed,” he muttered.

They followed Chelsea down the street and Lulu’s heart broke at the sight of her bowed shoulders. The little girl was sad, broken down, and thoroughly cowed by a man who didn’t deserve the gift he’d been given.

“Your day was fifty years ago,” Lulu replied. “Can we help her?”

 “Smart-aleck woman. We’re not guardians anymore, and we ain’t allowed to talk to them without Gabriel’s permission.”

“I was a hundred and eight years old when they planted me,” a scratchy feminine voice said. “Ain’t nobody with enough gumption to tell me I can’t talk to someone.”

Lulu turned to face the woman and smiled. “Mrs. Barber, how are you?”

“A few million pennies shy of my wings, Miz Lulu. Glad to see you got yours, though.” She peered over half-moon spectacles at Remy. “And who’s this fine boy you’re making time with?”

“My husband, Remy,” Lulu replied.

“A pleasure.” Remy tipped his battered fedora to reveal wiry gray hair.

“Does that girl have a guardian?” Mrs. Barber asked, pointing at Chelsea.

“No, I don’t think so.” Lulu glanced at her husband and they shook their heads. “We haven’t seen one.”

“Well, she does now.”

“You need to ask Gabriel first. No guardian gets two at the same time, and you have your great-grandson, and… Oh.” Lulu fell silent at the first sign of Mrs. Barber’s lifted eyebrow.

“Gabriel ain’t gonna like that,” Remy said doubtfully.

“Who cares?” Mrs. Barber inclined her head and made her way down the street to her great-grandson’s office. She had business with that boy and no time for fledgling angels—or archangels older than the earth itself for that matter.

Gabriel could bluster and whine as much as he wanted. Nobody crossed Edith Lynne Barber when she had her mind set on making something happen.

There was a fun fact about Edith she didn’t share with too many folks. She’d earned and lost enough points to have gotten her wings a dozen times over, but she liked being a guardian. Every time she got close to wings of her own, she’d push her charge to the person she chose for them, swirl her cane a few times, and true love sprang to life.

Truth be told, she didn’t need the cane swirl, but she liked the way it looked. Seemed fancier somehow and she liked to annoy Gabriel whenever she could.

Using magic made Gabriel furious and he took away all the points she might have earned, but that was just a side bonus. He called it cheating. Edith called it efficient. Why go through all the trouble of dating and courtship when her methods were more reliable and took less time? After what almost happened with Lulu’s Jennifer and Kaden, he ought to have better sense by now.

She’d gotten the gift from her many-times-great-grandmother, Faith. Dozens of men and women lost their lives during the Salem Witch Trials, but Faith was the real deal. She lived quietly, kept her head down, and came through with her hide intact to produce a dozen fine sons and daughters, all of whom shared her gifts.

Chelsea would be strong enough to slay her own dragons in time, but right now, she needed a knight. Tennyson was a good boy where it counted. His armor only needed a little polish to get the tarnish off. It was time for him to stop his tomfoolery and settle down with the right woman.

Edith just needed them to touch each other. Once that happened, she’d know for certain if they were meant to be. Chewing on her lip, she considered how to get Tennyson out of his office and in the right place before Chelsea got away.

She looked up and tapped her cane on the pavement, bringing a load of snow down from the roof of Tennyson’s office right before Chelsea managed to cross the street.

Chelsea screeched and threw herself backward, right into Tennyson’s waiting arms.

“I told that boy a hundred times to clean the snow off his roof,” Edith murmured. “Ain’t my fault he didn’t listen.”

The minute Tennyson took Chelsea’s hand, Edith saw what she expected.

The faint pink arch hovering over Chelsea and Tennyson seemed strong and perfect at first glance, yet there was something off about it. Edith frowned and moved closer. One end of the arch came from Tennyson, meeting the one emanating from Chelsea like it was supposed to, but there were two swirling purple threads reaching toward both of them.

“Well, shit.” Edith rested her hands on her cane and burst into cackling laughter. “Looks like you’re going to be growing up faster than you thought, son.”

 

Chapter 1

Stupid snow. Stupid ice. And really stupid fluttery hearts hung everywhere. It looked like Cupid puked glitter and shit pink construction paper all over Montgomery.

Some women got flowers or jewelry. Not Chelsea. For her first Valentine’s Day as a single woman, she got a divorce decree, an eventual eviction notice, and a steaming helping of kick Chelsea while she was down in the form of a positive pregnancy test two days after he left her for someone else.

If she had the money, she’d send his new girlfriend a thank you gift. Unfortunately, Evan stole everything they owned on his way out, including her truck. The truck had been in his name so there wasn’t much she could do about it, but it left her with no means of transport. Which meant she couldn’t work—which equated to not having a way to support her baby, much less herself. Thankfully, her landlady was more than sympathetic and let Chelsea stay rent free in exchange for doing the maintenance on her rental properties, but Mrs. Finley could only give her six months. After that, Chelsea would be homeless if she couldn’t find something else.

Jumping at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, she spun around, then relaxed. “Hey, Kaden. How’s married life treating you?”

Kaden’s eyes softened at the mention of his new wife and he reached down to scratch a fluffy golden retriever between the ears. His wife Jennifer used to be her vet, but Chelsea didn’t need one of those anymore.

Jennifer had saved Chelsea’s dog Princess after Evan accidentally on purpose shot her last Christmas eve. Even though Evan was gone and Princess would be safe, Chelsea couldn’t afford to care for her. She was better off with the McCleods.

“It’s wonderful.” He narrowed his eyes, looking her up and down. “But the real question is how are you doing? It doesn’t look like you’ve been eating, and—”

“I’m fine. Everything is perfect,” she replied, too quickly. The last thing she needed was for anyone in town to know Evan had left her knocked up. “I’m just busy looking for work is all.”

“Why don’t you come stay with Jennifer and me? We have the space, and we could loan you the down payment on a new—”

“No, but thanks for the offer. Mr. Parker promised me a few extra hours at the hardware store, so I’ll be fine.”

After everything Jennifer had done for Princess, there was no way she could bring herself to take advantage of them again.

“Actually, Jennifer and I have been meaning to talk to you about that. We wondered if you’d be interested in doing a kitchen remodel for a friend of ours.”

Although she wanted to bounce with excitement, Chelsea kept her cool. Aside from being extremely lucrative, kitchen and bathroom remodels were her favorite thing, and might be just the way to get her on her feet if she could arrange for a vehicle. She even still had all her tools. Evan hadn’t thought they were valuable enough to steal, thank goodness.

“I…”

A painfully familiar husky howl echoed between the downtown buildings. Jennifer trotted across the street, Princess tugging on her leash.

Dropping to her knees, Chelsea opened her arms as Princess jerked free, then knocked her over and bathed her face with doggy kisses.

“I miss you too, beautiful,” Chelsea whispered, burying her face into thick fur. After a few minutes, she stood and handed Princess’s leash back to Jennifer. “It’s good to see you again, but I need to get to work.”

“Us too,” Jennifer replied. “Did Kaden ask you about our friend’s kitchen remodel? It’s the old Smith farm out on Black Falls Road.”

 “Who’s the friend?” Chelsea asked.

“Dr. Barber. He just bought the place and was asking for recommendations. We immediately thought of you and showed him what you did in our bathroom,” Kaden said.

Jennifer scowled and waved a finger in her face. “Which, by the way, you didn’t have to do. I love it, but I told you I wouldn’t accept money for Princess’s surgery.”

“It was the least I could do, especially since you gave her a new home.”

“Speaking of which, are you ready to take her back? She misses you,” Jennifer said.

Chelsea sighed and scratched Princess’s ears. “No, not yet. Maybe when I find a full-time job.”

“Well,” Kaden said after a short pause. “Let us know when you change your mind, and stop by Dr. Barber’s office to make arrangements for his kitchen.”

“I will.” Chelsea took a step back and gave them a halfhearted wave. “I need to get to work, but I’ll do it on my way home.”

As much as Chelsea liked them, watching Kaden and Jennifer McCleod walk away with her dog sent her over the edge into raging jealousy and hurt. She trudged through the snow to the hardware store. Princess was better off where she was, especially since Chelsea was a big fat liar.

Mr. Parker couldn’t afford to pay her for more than a few hours a week. It was barely enough to keep her in ramen, but she didn’t want Jennifer and Kaden to worry. She didn’t have to buy much in the way of food anyway. What was the point when she puked it back up half the time?

Maybe she should see Dr. Barber as they’d asked.

Dr. Barber was one of those physicians who actually gave a damn if his patients made their appointments. He was known to make house calls if people couldn’t get to his office. Who did that anymore?

It didn’t help that he was freaking gorgeous with a thick mass of shaggy brown hair and blue eyes the color of a New England sky in the summer. He looked like Henry Cavill and his stupid cleft chin made all her girly bits jangle when they hadn’t so much as tingled for anything with balls in years.

Aside from needing the work he offered, Chelsea hadn’t had her first prenatal visit, but she was too ashamed to ask for help when she couldn’t pay him. Undecided, she hovered a few steps away from his office, trying to work up the nerve to swallow her pride and walk inside.

No. Not yet. She needed a few hours to think about it.

She stepped to the side, meaning to cross the street. A crack echoed above her head, the loud and ominous. It sounded almost like…

“Shit!”

A ton of snow slid from the office roof, and Chelsea threw herself backward to avoid getting crushed under the icy weight. She landed on something incredibly warm and hard.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Trying to keep her balance on the slick sidewalk, Chelsea turned and looked up into deep blue eyes. Damn, they were even prettier up close. He loomed over her, easily a foot taller than her five feet five inches and he reminded her of a big teddy bear. “I’m good, thanks,” she said, backing out of his embrace. “Thanks for catching me. See you around.”

“Wait!” He trotted toward her and pushed something into her hand. “That’s my card. Call me if you start feeling bad, okay?”

Chelsea shoved the card into her coat pocket. “Yeah, thanks again. I have to go.”

Although she walked as fast as she could, Chelsea felt his eyes burning into her back until she the door of the hardware store closed behind her.

“Good morning Chelsea,” Mr. Parker said from his stool behind the counter. Like every other small-town hardware store, Parker Hardware had at least one of everything someone would need to build a house or raise a barn crammed into a small space that only slightly resembled a tame black hole. “You’re not scheduled until later in the week. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just thought I’d stop in and see how you were doing.”

He snorted. “Pshaw. You didn’t need to come all this way in the cold to see me.”

“Actually, I came in to keep you company.” She took off her coat and hung it over the deer antler coat tree in the corner. In his bib overalls and red flannel, Steven Parker might look like a stereotypical retired maple farmer, which he was, but instead of being a taciturn New Englander, he was kind with a warm and generous heart.

Even if she wasn’t being paid for working, being here was better than sitting at home. She’d been without heat for weeks, aside from a few space heaters she couldn’t afford to leave run too long.

Gesturing toward the Ben Franklin stove in the corner, he grinned, revealing a mouth empty of teeth. He’d forgotten his dentures again. “Well, come on in and sit a spell. There’s water for tea in the kettle.”

Laughing, she shook her head and started reorganizing the hardware drawers. Folks couldn’t tell a three-eighth bolt from a seven-sixteenth on a good day, but boy did they complain when they weren’t right. “Thanks. I’m good. How’s your rheumatism today?”

“Not too bad,” he replied, waving a gnarled hand in the air. “Have a seat. I don’t get much chance to make time with a pretty girl, and you might as well rest up for next time you come in to work. I want to get that old storeroom cleaned out.”

“I meant to ask you about that,” she replied. “There’s a ton of stuff that might be valuable in there.”

Frowning, he snagged a piece of black licorice from the jar on the counter. “Nah, it’s all old junk my daddy had back in the day.”

Chelsea turned on the computer and waited for the old machine to boot. It was at least ten years out of date, but still kept the books for the store. Mr. Parker wouldn’t replace it until it died. “I’m going to take some pictures of that old butter churn and put it up here. Hopefully, someone will buy it.”

“What is it?” he asked, peering over her shoulder at the website she opened.

“This is eBay. It’s an online auction site.” She typed a few words into the search bar and brought up a few churns like the one Mr. Parker had in his storeroom. “See? This one is sitting at six hundred dollars, and the auction hasn’t closed yet.”

“Holy… sugar,” he said faintly, watery blue eyes widening over his glasses.

“Uh huh. And there’s a ton of stuff in that room.” She typed again and brought up another auction. “You have a Brylcreem sign just like this one, but it’s in better shape.”

“Sweet Jesus, little girl.” He let out a loud whoop and took her hand. “Let’s get to cleaning!”

Giving him a saucy salute, she said, “Yes, sir!”

He swatted at her butt, missing by a mile. “That boy Evan wasn’t good enough for you. You’re smart enough to go to the city and find yourself a real man.”

“Not gonna happen,” she said. “Besides, if I up and left, who would make sure the store didn’t fall to pieces?”

He rolled his eyes and gave her one of those looks that said he knew she was full of shit. “One of these days, a prince is going to come sweep you off your feet. Mark my words, missy. My cousin Edith had a sense about things like that, rest her soul, and she was never wrong.”

Resisting the urge to think about Dr. Barber saving her from a nasty fall, she shook her head. “Prince Charming can turn his white horse around and go elsewhere,” she retorted, snapping pictures of the butter churn. “Now, let’s make you some money.”

***

“Dr. Barber, Jennifer and Kaleb McCleod are here to see you,” Angela, his nurse slash receptionist, called from her desk.

One of these days, Tennyson would have an intercom and an office big enough to make it worthwhile, but Montgomery wasn’t big enough to support it. “Send them back,” he replied.

While he waited, he wondered if the couple knew the woman who had nearly gotten creamed by the snow pack falling from his roof. He’d have to make sure that never happened again. She could have been killed. Worse, he’d grown up in Vermont. He knew better than to let snow rest on a roof for too long.

There was something about her. The minute he caught her in his arms, a shock of electricity traveled straight to his balls, making his cock harden instantly. He’d never felt such a visceral reaction to a woman.

She was beautiful, with corn silk hair and vivid green eyes like budding maple leaves. Too bad she’d been wearing mittens or he could have checked for a wedding ring.

Grimacing, he pushed her out of his mind. Building his reputation was too important to risk dating a local only to have her spread rumors that he liked to tie women up and spank them until they begged Daddy for relief. Boston was close enough for a scene every few months. As a practicing physician, most of them gave him free passes just to have him demo medical play.

While it wasn’t his favorite dynamic, he provided the service. It was hard to get sexy over something he did every day, but there was a chance he’d find someone he clicked with at one of those clubs.

Still, he decided to ask Jennifer and Kaden if they knew her. He didn’t like how thin she was, or the gaunt shadows on her face. His interest was strictly professional.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, he’d believe it.

“Princess, get back here,” Jennifer shouted.

Tennyson moved to stand in front of his desk and braced himself. Jennifer’s golden retriever Caleb didn’t give a damn about him. He loved everyone equally as long as they offered food or ear scratches. But Jennifer and Kaden’s adopted husky thought he was hers.

It was impossible to tell a husky much of anything.

A hundred pounds of fur hit him in the chest and knocked him backward. He hadn’t braced enough, as usual, and she had more tongue than any one dog needed.

“Down, Princess,” he ordered.

She obeyed, looking up at him with sheer adoration.

Sighing, he knelt and hugged her, which was what she wanted in the first place. “Are you going to let me adopt her yet?”

Tennyson loved animals and missed having a dog around, but he hadn’t found the right one until he met Princess.

“Well,” Jennifer looked at Kaden, then shook her head. “She’s not really ours to give away. Princess belongs to Chelsea Grant.”

“We wanted to know if you would agree to hire Chelsea to remodel the kitchen in your new house. She’s the one who did our bathroom. She said she was going to stop by, but she might have waited to close up the hardware store with Mr. Parker.”

He froze, almost losing his balance when Princess leaned against him. His mystery woman had hurried to the hardware store after her mishap. “What does she look like?”

“Long blonde hair, green eyes, and wearing a blue coat about two sizes too big for her,” Kaden replied.

If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think the old stories were true about members of his family using magic to find their true loves. Most likely it was because Montgomery was a very small town and there weren’t that many good contractors.

“I’ll keep an eye out for her. Are you talking about the bathroom in your master suite?” he asked. If it was the one he was thinking of, it was gorgeous, with a garden tub and elegant marble shower, along with a beautiful hand carved mirrored vanity.

“She turned a spare room into extra space for it,” Jennifer said. “There’s also a custom walk-in closet for the Prince of Posh’s clothes.”

A quick slap echoed through his office and Jennifer scowled. “What was that for?” she asked, rubbing her trim backside.

“Prince of Posh?” Kaden asked, unsuccessfully hiding a smile.

Jennifer was incorrigible and never missed an opportunity to tease Kaden about having family money. Yet her bratting was always good-natured and she wasn’t cruel.

“If the leather wingtip fits…”

“Enough,” he warned, squeezing Jennifer’s hip. “We’re getting off track.” Turning to Tennyson, he said, “Chelsea refused to charge us for it, so we only paid for the materials. She’ll give you a fair price on the work.”

“Why wouldn’t she charge you?”

Cocking his head at Princess, he said, “Chelsea’s ex shot Princess last Christmas. She did the remodel at cost to pay Jennifer back for the surgery.”

“She also needs a place to live and you have that convenient guest house,” Jennifer added. “Mrs. Finley wants to sell and move to Florida but doesn’t want to leave Chelsea homeless.”

As if she supported this plan, Princess woofed softly and put her paw on Tennyson’s knee.

“Why hasn’t she found another job?” Tennyson asked, getting to his feet.

“She doesn’t have a car. Her ex sold it, then ran off with her savings about four months ago,” Kaden replied, his scowl darkening.

“So what you’re telling me is that I’ll be adopting a woman along with her dog in exchange for a new kitchen,” Tennyson said. “It’s a good thing I like you two.”

“She’s good at what she does,” Kaden said. “You’ve seen her work.”

“Where did she get that bathroom vanity?” Tennyson asked. He could hire anyone to put in plumbing, but whoever built that vanity was a gifted artist.

Although it appeared innocent and innocuous at first glance, all the positions of the Kama Sutra were carefully hidden in the intricate floral design. Like a hidden object picture, he saw something different every time he looked at it.

“Chelsea made it. She had it sitting under a sheet in her workshop, and I refused to take no for an answer.” Kaden smirked, then added, “You want to figure out if you should hire her? Go look in that shop and take a look at some of the pieces I’ve commissioned.”

Jennifer turned beet red. “No, he doesn’t want to see those old things,” she said, too quickly.

“I bet he does.” Kaden held up his phone, revealing a photograph of a St. Andrew’s cross. Made of gleaming polished maple, it was carved with snakes and vines twining up the cross members. Yet they weren’t exactly vines. The bottoms were carved into flogger handles, ensuring everyone would know the purpose for the elegant piece of bondage furniture. Too beautiful for public use, it was art designed for the discerning owner of a private dungeon.

“Holy shit,” Tennyson breathed, itching to strap a sub down on that cross. “She did this? Why isn’t she taking private commissions? She’d make a fortune!”

“We’ve asked, but she says she’s too busy with the hardware store,” Jennifer replied. “Are you in?”

Was Chelsea in the lifestyle? Her carvings showed some awareness of the dynamic, but it was equally possible that she’d made it to Kaden’s specifications. That didn’t explain the bathroom vanity though.

He wanted to explore what he felt when he touched her and if there was a chance of finding a woman he connected with in Montgomery… Maybe he could test the waters while she did his kitchen. He’d have to feel her out on that ex-husband situation first though. He wasn’t about to go where he wasn’t wanted and didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

 “With both feet. When can she move in?”