Read Project Valentine (A Homespun Romance) Online
Authors: Geeta Kakade
Project Valentine (A Homespun Romance) (19 page)
He hugged her before going into the kitchen and taking out the things for the salad from the refrigerator.
She watched him quietly for a while, reveling in the sight of him, painting her canvas with pictures of him holding a baby, while a toddler scribbled with crayons and talked to a dog sitting nearby. She'd never realized when she'd volunteered for Project Valentine what a harvest of love she would reap for herself.
Going to Karl, Jessica wrapped her arms around him as he stood at the kitchen counter.
"I love you, Karl."
He turned to her, a glint in his eye, just as the doorbell rang.
A huge frown creased his forehead. "I hope that's not Andy again. You are not to start discussing the wedding with her," he ordered. "The last time you did that they were here till eleven and then you left when they did. Give Andy your mother's number and let her talk to your family all she wants. They'll all like that. I'll even pay her phone bill."
"That's a generous offer," Jessica teased.
"It's prompted by need, not generosity," Karl retorted. "My sister chooses the most awful times to drop in and she always wants to talk for ages."
"She does?" Jessica said mock innocently, remembering the session Andy had interrupted the last time.
The memory made Jessica's smile even wider. "Let me get the door."
"If that's her," Karl called after Jessica on a note of inspiration, "Say I've got the mumps and will be in quarantine till the day she sees me in church."
Jessica laughed. The ruby on her left hand winked back happily. She knew who it was at the door. Opening it she held a finger to her lips. The caller nodded understandingly and handed something over. Jessica blew him a kiss and shut the door.
"Who was it?"
Karl asked when she went back into the kitchen a few minutes later.
"It's my engagement present for you."
"Engagement present?"
"Yes.
You gave me this beautiful ring and so many other things. I wanted to get you something."
"You've already given me the most important thing in the world."
"Like what?" Jessica demanded.
"Love.
Happiness. Faith in myself."
"I was motivated by pure self-interest."
Jessica's grin didn't fool Karl. "This is something just for you."
"Where is it?"
Karl looked at her empty hands.
"You have to close your eyes and come with me."
Smiling Karl put his hand in hers, did as he was asked. Jessica led him into the hall and plopped a kiss on his warm lips.
"Open!"
she commanded.
The dog sat patiently by the stairs, it's leash looped through the rails.
It looked at him and then away. Since Arthur, Karl had learned quite a bit about dogs. This one was a cross between a Labrador and a questionable breed. The large face looked very odd on the thin body. And very lovable.
He went down on his haunches and held his hand out, “Hello there,” he said gently.
The dog turned at his tone then deigned to sniff his hand. A minute later and he licked it.
Karl got to his feet and turned to Jessica and opened his arms to her.
"Do you like your present?" she asked.
He crushed her to his heart and kissed her. "Very much."
"Maggie likes you too," she muttered into his chest.
"She's just been ill treated by her past owners. When the neighbors reported it to the humane society they went and picked her up. She was a mass of cuts and bruises. Time and love are all she needs."
Over Jessica's head, Karl smiled at the dog with the mournful,
treacley eyes. With Jessica beside him, he knew he'd always have plenty of time and love to spare.
EPILOGUE
Jessica looked out the window of the study.
Adam, their four year old, was playing with one of the puppies from the litter of six they had rescued from the animal shelter. Already the puppy showed a marked preference for him. Joy, their daughter, was with Karl surrounded by the other five pups who were tumbling all over her. The six year old shared her cousin Molly’s love for dogs.
Jessica looked down at the letter on her screen.
It was a plea on their blog from the Wagner Rescue Center for homes for the puppies and their other dogs. The Wagner Rescue Center. She was so lucky to have this job…the best one in the world.
The blog had garnered attention from all over the country and they had people drive over from other states to pick up an animal they had fallen in love with on the Internet.
Rikki, the cyber genius, had shown her how to embed short movies of the dogs in the blog and that had received the most response. A trucker had stopped by to take an Afghan hound to a family in New York and a pilot with a private plane had taken a pair of schnauzers to Palm Springs. Jessica preferred to keep the oldest dogs but there was no fiercer champion for the others.
A year after they’d been married, Karl had bought this land outside the city.
It had been farm land and was easily converted to a dog rescue home. They’d built a house on the acreage and she and Karl had planted the fruit trees that made up their small orchard on one side. Further back were the dog runs that let out onto grassy patches. A pair of veterans lived in one of the cottages beside the runs and helped with the dogs. Garcia, had moved into another cottage after he’d retired and he picked up the strays in his truck, making frequent trips to the humane shelters to rescue the dogs on death row.
Molly, at seventeen, was talking of being a vet.
Rikki, at nine, was a cyber-genius and her assistant with the blog. Karl’s practice was flourishing and he had a partner to help him and share the work.
Karl came in through the back door with both the kids who raced upstairs so quickly that Jessica thought they might be smuggling one of the puppies into the house.
“Children inside, dogs and puppies in their kennels outside except for Maggie and Jack,” Jessica called after them, knowing it was a losing battle.
Maggie, the dog she’d gotten Karl for an engagement present rarely left his side when he was home.
Jack the Scottish terrier, was Joy’s dog.
Molly was coming over to baby sit her cousins later and Jessica and Karl were having a date night.
She always brought Arthur’s successor, a Great Dane she’d named Gwen with her, so Adam and Joy got to spend time with her and Maggie before their bedtime.
Karl stopped behind Jessica’s chair.
Putting a hand on the painful spot between her shoulder blades he rubbed it.
“Are they taking that puppy upstairs?” asked Jessica in a mock stern voice.
“He’s cold and he’s lonely. Please, Daddy please.” Karl’s tone mimicked Adam perfectly.
“I can’t do a thing when he looks at me the way you looked at me in the mall. And then Joy adds, Adam needs a puppy.
Then he will sleep in his own room all night and not come into yours. Right Adam?”
Jessica and Karl both laughed.
Joy the politician always found a way to justify everything.
“Oh well,” said Jessica, “What does it matter if there’s another dog in the house?
I better get the training pads.”
Karl put his hand out to stop his wife as she stood up.
“The kids have them and the old newspaper and an old blanket.”
“Looks like they planned this all along.” Jessica knew both kids had inherited her determination gene.
“Just like someone else I know.”
Karl pulled her close and kissed her.
After a while Jessica forgot everything but the way his mouth felt against hers.
“Still love me?” Karl asked, a little later.
“For now and always,” said Jessica, pulling his head down to hers.
The End
The Homespun Series
Book 1 – Faith Hope and Love
Book 2 – Project Valentine
Book 3 – The Long Road Home
Book 4 – The Old Fashioned Way
Book 5 – Mr. Wrong
Book 6 – Daddy’s Little Girl
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About the Author
Geeta Kakade was born in India where she attended British schools and colleges.
An Army brat she has nomadic dust on her feet and loves to travel. The loneliness of the many moves as a child was dispelled by one constant; books. She has worn many hats, teacher, wife, mother, aunt, friend, reader, writer, volunteer. One of her favorites now is grandmother.
She came to America when she married her husband, raised her family and learned to bake bread. She's lived in Michigan and California and has written seriously for the last 34 years. Her first writing break came when she was discovered in RWA's national writing competition by a very intelligent editor. Geeta’s Homespun series was previously published in print by Silhouette Her first six books have been translated into Italian, French, Japanese, German, Spanish and Hungarian and she has been on the Waldenbooks and BDalton bestseller lists.
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