A Valentine's Day Return by Brenda Minton

Author:Brenda Minton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-11-07T17:08:23+00:00

* * *

The call about Mindy had happened an hour earlier, right as Kylie started to think about cooking dinner for herself and Junie. She needed to go check on her mother. She couldn’t drive. She’d had no choice but to call Parker and ask for a ride.

They’d called in an order to Chuck’s and were going to pick it up and eat on the road.

“Wait, can you take me to my shop?” Kylie pointed across the square. “Why are there lights on in my shop?”

At Kylie’s question, Parker gave a little shrug, as if she didn’t have a clue. Something in her expression said she did know.

Kylie spotted the old red-and-white truck. “What’s he doing here?”

“Umm,” Parker said.

From the back seat, Faith grew fussy, and Junie said something to her about having a special toy that would make her feel better. A rustle of bags and then a twisting sound. The car filled with the sound of “Wildwood Flower.” It was a tinny dulcimer sound and Loretta’s voice singing of her lost love.

The song had been based on a poem that she’d memorized as a child. “I’ll Twine ’Mid the Ringlets.” It was melancholy but beautiful, telling of a love that had gone sadly wrong.

He taught me to love him, he called me his flower...

She started to tell Junie to put the music box away, but Faith giggled and cooed, no longer sad. The song didn’t usually bring cheer. Years ago, Mark had found an old dulcimer in the attic of his home, and he’d learned to play just that one song on the instrument. She’d learned to sing, just to accompany him.

Years later, he’d taken her to the Opry, and Loretta had been there. She’d signed the old dulcimer for them. She didn’t know where the instrument had gone to, but she’d cherished it until it had seemed like a part of their demise.

My visions of love had all flown away...

She needed a new song. A song that brought memories that cheered her, not took her down a dark path of the past.

“I don’t have time for this, but I need to talk to him.”

“I thought you might.” Parker pulled into a space and killed the engine of her car. “Want me to wait?”

“I don’t know. Yes. Maybe. Why is he here? Is that man ever going to leave?”

“My guess is he doesn’t even know why he’s still here.” Parker nodded toward the coffee shop. “Go. Junie and I will run over and get our orders from Chuck’s.”

“That works for me.” Kylie sighed, too tired to deal with whatever Mark might be up to.

Since the surgery, she’d felt as if she couldn’t overcome the constant exhaustion. She just wanted to be better and to get back to her life. Her very uncomplicated, un-Mark life.

“Here’s a twenty for our dinner.” She pulled the money from her pocket and got out of the car.

Her shop was unlocked. She pushed the door open and went inside. From the kitchen, she could hear him singing a Kenny Chesney song.

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