Be My Valentine by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-06-10T16:00:00+00:00

“What else did he say?” Jo Ann asked early the following morning as they sat side by side on the crowded subway car.

Even before Bailey could answer, Jo Ann asked another question. “Did you get a chance to tell him that little joke about your story having a beginning, a muddle and an end?”

Jo Ann’s reaction had surprised her. When Bailey admitted confronting Parker with her completed manuscript, Jo Ann had been enthusiastic, even excited. Bailey had supposed that her friend wouldn’t understand her need to see Parker and correct his opinion of her. Instead, Jo Ann had been approving—and full of questions.

“I didn’t have time to tell Parker any jokes,” Bailey answered. “Good grief, I was only in his office, I don’t know, maybe ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes! A lot can happen in ten minutes.”

Bailey crossed her long legs and prayed silently for patience. “Believe me, nothing happened. I accomplished what I set out to prove. That’s it.”

“If you were in there a full ten minutes, surely the two of you talked.”

“He had a few questions about the business of writing.”

“I see.” Jo Ann nodded slowly. “So what did you tell him?”

Bailey didn’t want to think about her visit with Parker. Not again. She’d returned from work that afternoon and, as was her habit, went directly to her computer. Usually she couldn’t wait to get home to write. But that afternoon, she’d sat there, her hands poised on the keys, and instead of composing witty sparkling dialogue for Michael and Janice, she’d reviewed every word of her conversation with Parker.

He’d been friendly, cordial. And he’d actually sounded interested—when he wasn’t busy being amused. Bailey hadn’t expected that. What she’d expected was outright rejection. She’d come prepared to talk to a stone wall.

Michael, the first time around, had been like that. Gruff and unyielding. Poor Janice had been in the dark about his feelings from page one. It was as though her hero feared that revealing emotion was a sign of weakness.

In the second version Michael was so…amiable, so pleasant, that any conflict in the story had been watered down almost to nonexistence.

“As you might have guessed,” Jo Ann said, breaking into her thoughts, “I like Parker Davidson. You were right when you claimed he’s hero material. You’ll have to forgive me for doubting you. It’s just that I’ve never followed a man around before.”

“You like Parker?” Bailey’s musing about Michael and his shifting personality came to a sudden halt. ‘You’re married,” Bailey felt obliged to remind her.

“I’m not interested in him for me, silly,” Jo Ann said, playfully nudging Bailey with her elbow. “He’s all yours.”

“Mine!” Bailey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re nuts.”

“No, I’m not. He’s tall, dark and handsome, and we both know how perfect that makes him for a classic romance. And the way you zeroed in on Parker the instant you saw him proves he’s got the compelling presence a hero needs.”

“The only presence I noticed was his umbrella’s! He nearly decapitated me with the thing.

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