Special Delivery (A Valentine's Short Story) Read online

  SPECIAL DELIVERY

  A Valentine’s Short Story

  By

  Ginny Baird

  Published by

  Winter Wedding Press

  Copyright 2013

  Ginny Baird

  Smashwords Edition

  ISBN 978-0-9895892-5-3

  All Rights Reserved

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient, unless this book is a participant in a qualified lending program. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to export portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  Characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  Edited by Linda Ingmanson

  Cover by Dar Albert

  About the Author

  From the time that she could talk, romance author Ginny Baird was making up stories, much to the delight—and consternation—of her family and friends. By grade school, she’d turned that inclination into a talent, whereby her teacher allowed her to write and produce plays, rather than write boring book reports. Ginny continued writing throughout college, where she contributed articles to her literary campus weekly, then later pursued a career managing international projects with the US State Department.

  Ginny has held an assortment of jobs, including school teacher, freelance fashion model, and greeting card writer, and has published more than ten works of fiction and optioned nine screenplays. She has additionally published short stories, nonfiction and poetry, and admits to being a true romantic at heart.

  Ginny is the author of several bestselling books, including novellas in her Holiday Brides Series. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), the RWA Published Authors Network (PAN), and Virginia Romance Writers (VRW).

  When she’s not writing, Ginny enjoys cooking, biking, and spending time with her family in Tidewater, Virginia. She loves hearing from her readers and welcomes visitors to her website at http://www.ginnybairdromance.com.

  Books by Ginny Baird

  Holiday Brides Series

  The Christmas Catch

  The Holiday Bride

  Mistletoe in Maine

  Beach Blanket Santa

  The Holiday Brides Collection

  (Books 1—4)

  Baby, Be Mine

  Summer Grooms Series

  Must-Have Husband

  My Lucky Groom

  The Wedding Wish

  A Summer Grooms Selection

  (Books 1—3)

  A Haunted Holidays Special Edition

  The Ghost Next Door

  Other Titles

  Real Romance

  The Sometime Bride

  Santa Fe Fortune

  How to Marry a Matador

  Real Romance and The Sometime Bride

  (Gemini Edition)

  Santa Fe Fortune and How to Marry a Matador

  (Gemini Edition)

  Special Delivery

  (A Valentine’s Short Story)

  Chapter One

  Amanda awoke to the sound of a foghorn wailing across the water. It was going to be another gloomy day, and snow was predicted this evening. But Amanda trusted her two-bedroom bungalow to keep her safe and dry. They’d had gas heat installed and a backup generator at the ready. Plus, there was a cheery brick hearth by which she could warm her fingers and toes when the winter chill cut in. She and Luke lived three miles from the river and forty minutes from the world’s largest naval base in Norfolk, Virginia. Theirs was a cozy community of starter homes, nestled among tall oaks and pines with suitably private lots and cul-de-sac streets that lent themselves to children playing. A group of them was always outdoors, engaged in a makeshift soccer game or shooting hoops through the stand-up net the neighbors had erected at the end of their drive. While some folks might find it annoying, Amanda didn’t mind the thump-thump-thumping of the basketball against the pavement, or the hoots and hollers that rang out each time another kid scored. The hubbub and laughter were all part of the joy of living in a family neighborhood. She and Luke would be starting a family of their own soon.

  She felt a stirring inside her and laid her hands atop her big, round belly. Through her flannel nightie, she felt a hard lump rise beneath her skin. Ouch, that was sharp! Maybe an elbow? A smile creased her lips as she thought of how feisty Little Bean had become. That was the nickname her husband Luke had given the baby. During that very first ultrasound, he’d commented that the tiny embryo wasn’t much bigger than a pinto bean. “The kind that you put in chili.” Amanda could still see the wry twist to Luke’s lips as he’d said it. He was an incredibly handsome man, with a buff six-foot frame, dark hair and eyes, and shoulders broad enough to take on the world. And often he did. Luke was fighter pilot stationed aboard the USS Liberty. He was gone for months at time, and Amanda never knew exactly where. His standard line was to tell her he was going on a training mission. This was likely because he thought it would worry her less than the truth, if he were destined for someplace dangerous.

  Amanda threw back the covers and scrambled into a sitting position. It was hard to maneuver these days. Carrying the extra thirty pounds was no easy task for her slight, five-foot-five frame. Yet it was a burden she happily endured. Each ache and each pain only reminded her of her love for Luke and how much closer this baby had brought them. Even with him being so far away. Oooh, what was that twinge? Amanda reached her hands behind her to massage the tension sprinting from the small of her back and racing around her belly.

  She inhaled deeply and breathed through it. Braxton Hicks. Had to be. She’d suffered from enough of these preparatory contractions to let them startle her. They were uncomfortable but would lead to a positive end. She’d Skyped with Luke just last night and told him she thought it would be soon. Amanda was three days past her due date already. They didn’t yet know whether it was a girl or a boy. Both had made a pact not to ask either the obstetrician or ultrasound technician for an interpretation. They wanted it to be a surprise. Emotion welled within her, clouding her eyes. If only Luke could be here… But she knew he couldn’t. She also knew he had no control over his schedule or the navy’s needs. She’d have to stay strong for her own sake as well as the baby’s.

  Amanda was grateful she had her close friend Katie to lean on. Katie was her birthing coach in reserve. Now that Luke’s mission had been extended and Katie’s role had moved to the forefront, Katie checked on Amanda daily: at least two times by phone, and four times by text message. Sometimes she even e-mailed as well. Amanda knew she was blessed to have a friend like that. Her mother had passed away when she was in high school, and Amanda didn’t have any sisters, only two older brothers who lived on the West Coast. While both were supportive, each was married with a busy job and family of his own. Chet and Jared would most certainly send cards and phone with congratulatory messages, but neither was prepared to fly across the country to hold Amanda’s hand. Not that she’d want them to, anyway.

  Once the contractions passed, Amanda grabbed a hair tie from the nightstand and pulled her shoulder-length, blonde hair into a ponytail. She’d make herself some decaf coffee, then start her day. Amanda was glad it was Saturday. She had thank-you notes to write for the baby shower the nice women had given her at the preschool where she taught four-year-olds. It was such an exciting age. With the little ones preparing to enter kindergarten the following year, there was so much for them to do and learn, from their ABCs to the structure of a daily routine. A few of her s
tudents were already starting to read! They were the self-taught, precocious ones, and it was incredible to see how they were coming along. Though, in truth, Amanda loved them all—from the timid and tentative to the bold and brazen, and all styles of personalities in between. Kids were so much fun, and a challenging thrill to manage. The parents said Amanda had a special gift for it, and she hoped this was true. Now that she was about to become a mom herself especially.

  Chapter Two

  Amanda padded to the kitchen in her slippers. After she finished her letters, she wanted to concentrate on her Valentine’s Day message to the baby. Luke had sent his to her by e-mail, and she was to inscribe both notes in the brand-new baby book Katie had given them. There was a section for First Holidays, and even though the baby wasn’t quite here yet, Amanda and Luke had decided that this February fourteenth counted. If Little Bean had cooperated and been born on his or her due date, he or she would be here already. That was Luke’s argument, anyway.

  Amanda’s motivation was different. Though she’d been speaking to her child all along, she could hardly wait to get to do so in person. Writing the baby a very personal note seemed the next best thing. It was like a conversation she could record for their child to play back later at any time he or she wished. Luke had sent his contribution by e-mail attachment and asked her not to read it until after she’d written hers. No cheating! he’d warned, including the emoticon for a wink.

  She recalled the first time Luke winked at her, causing her knees to go weak. They’d been stopping in the same coffee shop during one of his shore leaves and had happened to run into each other an uncanny number of times. One of those times, she’d just cut her fairly long hair into a new style that was layered and fell just past her shoulders. Luke reached for his tall, nonfat latte and grinned. He had an asymmetrical smile that tilted up higher at one corner, causing Amanda’s heart to do a heady flip-flop.

  “New do?” he asked her.

  She nodded numbly, unable to find her tongue. When one spent one’s mornings talking to small children, responding to open interest from a red-hot stranger didn’t come naturally. She mumbled something barely intelligible like, “Uh, um…yeah.”

  He returned a thoughtful look before shooting her a wink. “I like it.”

  Then he was off and out the door, leaving Amanda’s pulse fluttering. It took the person behind her in line nudging her for her to realize the barista was staring at her from the other side of the counter, waiting on her order.

  Amanda was flustered beyond embarrassment. “Sorry,” she told the coffee server. “I just lost track of…”

  “No worries, doll,” the older woman said with a knowing look. “Luke Holiday has that effect on everyone.”

  “Everyone?” Amanda asked lamely. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed. As inane as it seemed, she’d somehow hoped the increasing attention Luke had paid her during their early morning run-ins was meant for her.

  “Not everyone,” the girl behind her insisted. “He’s never noticed anybody’s hair before.”

  Later, Luke assured her it was true. He found her blonde tresses mesmerizing. And the way they played about her pretty face? Enticingly awesome. He’d also noticed her eyes. He’d never seen any so blue. And her hands—so fine and delicate. He could tell she was a compassionate person by the careful way she’d cradled her coffee cup. Amanda accused him of laying it on thick, but he’d simply chuckled in response swearing to goodness it was true. And precisely why he’d gone back to the coffee shop at the same time the next morning in hopes of asking her out. He suggested meeting for coffee to start. It only seemed natural. They already had a regular place.

  Amanda stared down at her thank-you notes, thinking what a lucky girl she was. She’d unexpectedly met the man of her dreams, and every day since had been like a fairy tale. The days when he’d been home, that was. Amanda tried not to let this depress her. She couldn’t be selfish, wanting more than she already had—when she already had so much. Katie often told her how many other women would gladly trade places just to have a husband as wonderful as Luke and a promising future ahead like Amanda and her family did. Of course, she knew this was true. Her heart brimmed over, knowing it wouldn’t be long until Luke held her again. By that time, he’d have a brand-new son or daughter to hold as well. What a wonderful time that would be, the day when they could all be together.

  Chapter Three

  Luke sat on his berth, staring down at Amanda’s photo. It was the small one he always kept in his wallet, and one that had been taken at the start of her year teaching preschool. She wore a string of pearls and a pretty blue sweater that complemented her eyes. Her smile was warm and confident. From the moment he first saw her, she took his breath away. She’d walked into that coffee shop with keen determination and a brisk gait. And when she’d set her eyes on his, Luke’s heart had skipped a beat. No woman had ever had that effect on him, and he’d known plenty in a casual way. Up until that point, he’d led a freewheeling life without much to tie him down. But something about Amanda said being anchored to one woman wouldn’t be that bad. In fact, it might be incredible. All she had to do was say yes. Yes, to that first cup of coffee. Yes, to their first dinner date. Yes, to his proposal when he took her in his arms five months later and begged to her to always be his.

  Asking Amanda to be his bride was a decision he’d never regretted. Now that they had a baby on the way, he was even more wildly happy. Imagine that! He, Luke Holiday, was going to be a dad! To…Little Bean. He chuckled at the memory of Amanda swatting his arm in mock offense. “That’s horrible!” she’d said. “How can you compare our child to food?” He was only being factual, he’d told her. Besides, they’d settle on a real name for their offspring soon enough. And they had. Lena, after Amanda’s grandmother, if it was a girl, and David, after Luke’s father, if it was a boy. Luke would give anything to be home when the baby was born. As it was, he didn’t have much say in the matter. They’d deployed seven months ago. It was to be a six-month tour initially, but due to complications in the Middle East, their mission had been extended.

  He’d been doing reconnaissance flights for satellite mapping but always had to stay alert when navigating enemy airspace. One never knew when something could go wrong, and when it did, things deteriorated quickly. Luke counted on his solid training and experience to see him through, and thankfully, it always had. There was something about a panicky situation that made Luke react calmly. It was like his whole world went on autopilot and he could function without emotion. This was a good thing. Detachment was not only essential to his job, it could be a lifesaver.

  But that was in the air. On the home front, there was no denying his emotions. Especially when he held Amanda close. Just a whiff of her perfume made his heart pound faster. And feeling her warm and womanly form pressed up against him totally made his head spin. Even after five years together, he loved her more than words could express. Luke was infinitely proud of her too. Of her kindness…and her character…and her smart way of talking. Not to mention the fact that she could still turn every head in the room. Being pregnant had only made her more beautiful. He’d seen that glow on her cheeks and the shine in her eyes every time they’d Skyped. How Luke longed to see those things in person. And today was Valentine’s Day, a day when he really wanted to be there with the woman he adored.

  Luke’s door popped open, and his commanding officer walked in. Nobody ever locked their doors aboard ship.

  Luke sprang to his feet in a salute. “Morning, sir!”

  “At ease, Lieutenant.” Commander March’s stony complexion softened. He was in his fifties, with short, blond hair and a grizzled face. “I hear you’re expecting some company at home.”

  “Company, sir?”

  Commander March glanced down at the photo Luke held in his hand.

  “Yes, sir. That’s correct, sir. My wife’s expecting a baby.”

  “Soon?”

  “Any day now, sir.”

  “Then
perhaps what I have to say will come as good news.”

  For the past forty-eight hours, Luke had noticed the Liberty seemed to have changed course. But that could mean anything. He never dreamed it might indicate they were headed home. Luke’s heart leapt at the possibility. He tried to set his jaw but knew his hopeful eyes betrayed him. “Sir?”

  “Have a seat, young man. I’d like to have a word or two with you about your future.”

  “Has there been a change in direction, sir?”

  The commander shared an enigmatic smile. “You could say that.”

  Chapter Four

  Amanda glanced up at the clock from where she positioned herself on hands and knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor. She had no clue it was this dirty. Filthy, now that she was inspecting it up close. Yuck! There was even grime along the toe molding. No way on earth could she bring a vulnerable baby into such a piggy house. She’d been scouring with an old scrub brush for over an hour, and it still didn’t seem clean enough. Thank goodness she’d noticed those first few flecks of dirt when one of her thank-you envelopes had dropped to the linoleum! She paused in her work to straighten her back with a groan. Ack. That pinched. Maybe it was time to give this up and try something else.

  Amanda’s gaze swept to the windows in the adjoining living room. She’d never noticed how cloudy they were! How in the world would her baby be exposed to cheery sunlight with those panes all murky with gunk? Amanda’s cell rang on the kitchen table, and she awkwardly stood to grab it. She was out of breath from the effort of dragging herself to her feet with the aid of a kitchen chair when she answered. “Hello?”