Vintage Valentine (Elmheart Series) (2 page)

“Mom!” A young girl, who looked to be about seven or eight, stepped into the kitchen. She wore light blue jeans, a hooded sweatshirt and bright blue socks. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back. She could have been Hailey twenty-years ago. The girl placed her hands on her small hips. “I’m hungry!”

Patrick stepped backward and winced. His right knee ached the way it always did when he stood too long. 

“Are you okay?” Hailey’s eyebrows drew together. A small wrinkle formed in the space between them. She reached her hand out to him, and then snapped it back as if she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

“I’m fine.” Patrick shifted his weight to his left leg. He’d learned to compensate for the pain a long time ago. But what he couldn’t wrap his mind around was Hailey. Hailey had a daughter, and most likely she was married. Quickly, he glanced down at her hands. She wore a pearl ring on her right ring finger but nothing on her left.  Patrick’s heart lifted. Don’t go there, he warned himself. It didn’t matter that Hailey wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. The ring could be in the jewelry shop getting cleaned. She might have lost it. She might just choose not to wear one. And even if Hailey wasn’t married, that didn’t mean she didn’t have someone she cared deeply about and who cared about her.

“I’ve got a pot of soup cooking,” Patrick said, turning away from Hailey and toward Kaitlin. “My kitchen helper, Devon, is always hungry. He should be here soon. He comes in after school to help with large events like the party tonight. Would you like some soup?”

Kaitlin wrinkled her nose. “I only like chicken noodle soup. What kind are you cooking?”

“Kaitlin!” Hailey said sharply. “Remember your manners.”

“Chicken noodle,” Patrick said. He smiled at Kaitlin. “It’s Devon’s favorite soup too.” Kaitlin reminded him of his sister when she was younger. After their mom died, it was up to him to make the meals for both him and his sister, Angie.  His dad, when not running the bar, was too busy drinking his dinner. Patrick quickly learned how to heat up a can of soup. He also discovered how to scour the floor of the bar for their lunch money. Sometimes, the bar’s line cook gave Patrick and Angie a plate of buffalo wings for an after-school snack. Both of them enjoyed sitting at the bar with their feet dangling from the stools. But, one day the liquor board inspector showed up unexpectedly. The inspector gave Dad a large fine for allowing two underage kids in the bar. After that, Patrick had to slip into the kitchen and grab a to-go box stuffed with buffalo wings and fries. Now, Angie lived in Portland, Oregon. Patrick missed her a lot and seeing Kaitlin made him smile in a way he hadn’t since Angie moved.

“Chicken noodle soup sounds good,” Kaitlin said. “Where is the hot chocolate?” She scanned the kitchen as if she were a health department inspector.

“Right here.” Patrick picked up the large canister from the counter. “There is a faucet at the sink that pours hot water. All you need is a couple heaping spoonfuls and you’re good to go.”

“What about marshmallows?” Kaitlin continued with her questions.

“Kaitlin,” Hailey said. “That’s enough.” She pressed her lips together and gave her head a disapproving shake. Hailey’s strawberry-blonde hair swung across her thin, cotton sweater revealing a hole near the top left hand shoulder. Patrick frowned. Hailey never wore clothes with holes in them. She always had beautiful clothing, expensive, and well-tailored to fit her small frame. 

“But Mom,” Kaitlin whined, “you promised marshmallows.”

“I did not,” Hailey said. “You asked and I told you I would look.”

Patrick chuckled. It was good to hear Hailey bantering back and forth with Kaitlin. Family was something he wanted, but it was a wish he didn’t voice to many people. It was hard, after what happened with his baseball dream, to want and wish for anything again. He’d learned the hard way what happened to those wishes and dreams. They could go up in smoke in a minute. Gone forever, leaving you an empty playing field and a hard, long run down the bases.

“Mmmm….” Patrick said. “I’m not sure about marshmallows. Why don’t you hop over to the pantry and poke around?”

“Are you the hotel’s cook?” Kaitlin asked.

“I’m the Chef for special events.” Patrick straightened. He was proud of his job as the hotel’s Chef.  It hadn’t been easy to land the job. If it wasn’t for the help of Frank Sullivan, his long-time mentor, he doubted he even would have been considered. When he walked into the interview, Mrs. Matthews immediately remembered him as her granddaughter’s high school boyfriend. She hired him on the spot. Mr. Matthews had been a little cool to him, but he figured it was just his lack of experience. Patrick worked hard to build up the special events and functions at the hotel. He’d been working at turning the hotel back into a profitable business—something it hadn’t been for years. Secretly, he hoped to find out a little bit more about what had happened to Hailey. Now that he had a career, he had something to offer her— not like before when he lived with illusions of becoming a professional ball player.

Kaitlin nodded thoughtfully. “Mom cooks at our house. I don’t have a dad, but I always thought it’d be nice to have a dad who cooked, too.” She turned away from Patrick and scooped a heaping spoonful of chocolate mix into a yellow mug.

Patrick’s heart twisted and ached for Kaitlin. He knew what it was like to not have a parent. He glanced over at Hailey and noted she had gone completely pale. Quickly, Patrick reached over and grabbed a chair from the round table in the corner of the kitchen. He took Hailey’s arm and gently guided her to the chair. “Is everything okay?” He leaned down. She smelled like sunlit meadows in the summer, and for a minute, he felt dizzy and wanted to sit down, too. 

Hailey stared at Patrick’s hand, still resting on her forearm. She gazed up with those wide, hazel eyes that used to make him melt.

“I’m okay,” she mumbled. “It must be the heat in the kitchen. I’ve been cold all afternoon, and I just got a little warm.”

“When Devon arrives, I’ll have him start a fire in the living room fireplace.” Patrick checked the digital clock on the stove. “He should be here in a few minutes. Maybe Kaitlin would like to help, too.” Patrick felt himself craving alone time with Hailey. He wanted to brush his lips across hers. Feel the softness of her cheek, run his hands through her hair, and breathe in more of her. 

“Oh no,” Hailey said, and struggled to stand up. “Kaitlin doesn’t know how to start a fire. In our house, we flip a wall switch and the fireplace comes to life.”

“Nothing wrong with her learning, “Patrick said. “Devon is a good teacher. They’ll be careful.” He smiled at Hailey. Hailey was a good mom. He’d seen her natural instinct to mother in high school. There were always a handful of younger brothers and sisters attending the high school baseball games. Usually, they clustered together, playing in a pile of dirt, or running and playing tag among the bleachers. But, baseball games could be long, and often someone fell down during a game of bleacher tag. Hailey was always the first one to comfort the child, soothe away tears and bring a smile back. 

As Patrick stood beside Hailey in the kitchen, old memories came flooding back. He’d met Hailey in chemistry class during senior year. Hailey had been out of school for a week with strep throat. By the time she returned, she was behind in her work. He agreed to tutor her. Everyone was always tutoring him in English and he was glad to have the opportunity to tutor someone else in something he enjoyed—science. He never meant to fall in love with her. He didn’t have time for a girlfriend. Every college in Western New York was scouting him for a full ride baseball scholarship. But, Hailey wasn’t like most girls who made themselves readily available to him. Hailey was quiet and reserved.

Gradually, as they worked together in chemistry class, Hailey told him about her dad and how he expected her to major in science and become a great researcher like himself. She told him how her mom was scared of her dad and his violent temper. Patrick wanted nothing more than to protect and shelter Hailey for the rest of her life. But first, he had to go to college on the baseball scholarship, and that was where he’d made the biggest mistake of his life—a mistake he wouldn’t repeat. Patrick lightly trailed his hand along the back of Hailey’s shoulders. He felt them stiffen, and then relax slightly as he gently applied pressure in a soft massage. Whatever Hailey’s life had become, she carried a lot of stress in her shoulders, and that was one thing he wanted to take away for her.   

***

Hailey closed her eyes. She melted into Patrick’s firm hands as he massaged her shoulders. It’d been so long since she’d felt the touch of a man. So long since she’d let herself relax. A small moan threatened to escape Hailey’s lips.

Suddenly, the sound of a crash caused Hailey to open her eyes and jerk away from Patrick. A teenage boy, wearing a large green parka, stood in the kitchen door leading to the backyard porch. A blast of cold air and snow spiraled into the room from the open door.  A small white cord dangled down the front of the boy’s jacket. He moved along in a rhythmic dance to the music which pumped into his ears from the earplugs. It was turned up so loud, Hailey could hear the beat. A woman wearing a deep maroon, wool coat, and a colorful scarf tied around her long dark hair, stepped up behind Devon. She firmly shut the door. In her arms, she carried a large basket.

“Devon!” Patrick said. “Cassie!”

Cassie set the basket on the island countertop. “Sorry, we’re a little late. The lake roads haven’t been plowed. If it gets too much worse, we’ll have to walk home!” 

“Hailey!” Cassie quickly crossed the black and white kitchen tile floor. She embraced Hailey in a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you again!”

“You too!” Hailey met Cassie while working on a high school senior project. Cassie was a couple years older than Hailey and attending the local community college. She taught after-school art classes to the elementary school kids.  Hailey’s project was to create an art and science fair with the elementary school kids. She wanted to show how the two could blend together. They spent many hours working together and it was good to see her again.

“What’s in the basket?” Kaitlin asked as she bounced over to the counter.

“Who is this?” Cassie asked as she unwrapped her scarf.

“This is my daughter,” Hailey said slowly. “Kaitlin, this is Cassie.” Hailey crossed her fingers behind her back. She hoped Cassie would not see the connection between Patrick and Kaitlin.

“Very nice to meet you,” Cassie said. “Devon is my husband’s nephew. He lives with us.” She stepped over to Devon who leaned against the kitchen wall. Cassie yanked the earplugs out of Devon’s ears.

“Sorry.” Devon mumbled. He unzipped his jacket and stuck his earphones inside the coat pocket.

Hailey smiled. The kitchen bubbled with life. It was what she remembered about The Elmheart Hotel. There were always neighbors stopping by, friends and family playing games, and long evenings talking and reading by the fireplace. It was good to be back.

A silver, candy heart form stuck out of the basket. “Where did you get this?” Hailey exclaimed. She scooped the heart out of the basket and turned it over in her hands.

“I found it at an estate sale a couple years ago,” Cassie said. “There are a couple more in the basket. I haven’t had a chance to use them yet. But I thought they’d be great for making party favors.” Cassie reached into a red and white, hand-woven bag she carried over her left shoulder. She pulled out a stack of small, red fabric bags. Each bag was decorated individually with swirling hearts.

Kaitlin scooted closer to Cassie, and pressed against her side. “Those are really great! Did you make them?”

“Yes,” Cassie handed a bag to Kaitlin. “The Matthews have donated quite a bit of time and money over the years to the Teen Art Center. I wanted to contribute to their party.”

A lump formed in Hailey’s throat. She had lived with her aunt for the last ten years. They lived in a suburb of Kansas City. There was no past or shared history with her family. Her aunt always said she liked it that way. She said it was too claustrophobic to live in the small town where she’d grown up and everyone knew her life story.  Hailey believed living in a town where she had no history was ideal for having a baby she didn’t want anyone to know about. But, now, Hailey bit her lower lip. Had she been mistaken?

“Mom?” Kaitlin touched Hailey’s arm. 

Hailey looked up, but she didn’t look at Kaitlin. Instead, she stared across Kaitlin’s head and into Patrick’s warm, blue eyes.

Hailey shifted her attention to her daughter. She cleared her throat. “Yes?”

“Do you think Cassie could help with the Valentines? She’s an artist!”

“I’d love to help with the decorations!” Cassie squeezed Kaitlin’s shoulder. “Show me what to do!”

“Devon,” Patrick said smoothly, “can you start a fire in the living room? A fire should have been started hours ago.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Devon ambled toward the door. He paused and held it open as Cassie and Kaitlin scrambled through, both talking quickly about colors, textures, and all the ideas they had for decorating. 

“Well.” Hailey turned back to the basket. She pulled out two more heart candy molds and a bag of chocolate. “I guess we better get to work.” Suddenly, the silence in the kitchen was deafening.

“I’m pretty sure we have better chocolate in the pantry than what’s in those bags. I’ll just store that chocolate for another occasion.” In two long strides, Patrick stepped up beside Hailey. His musky aftershave smelled like a deep forest as his side touched hers. He leaned over, but instead of picking up the chocolate bags, his fingers gently caressed hers. “I missed you, Hailey,” Patrick said softly.

Hailey’s insides shivered. She shyly gazed up at him. She missed him too. She’d wished for him so often when Kaitlin hit her first milestones: the first time she learned to talk, the first time she learned to walk, and her first day of school. But, Hailey never could have told Patrick about Kaitlin. He had a full scholarship. A baseball career was waiting for him. He would have given up everything for her and Kaitlin and she didn’t want him to do that. He would have ended up working in his father’s bar and never fulfilling any of his dreams.

“How is baseball?” Hailey asked brightly.  “I don’t really keep up with too many sports.”

A dark shadow crossed Patrick’s face. He removed his hand from Hailey’s and looked at the ground. When he lifted his head, his eyes were veiled in a dark coldness that made her suck in her breath.

“I don’t play baseball,” Patrick said. “I blew out my knee during freshman practice. I lost my scholarship. I never played a game.”

“Oh, Patrick.” Hailey immediately stepped forward. She placed her hand on Patrick’s arm. Her heart ached for him and she wanted desperately to comfort him and take away all the pain. His dream. His wonderful baseball dream had never materialized.

“I had some rough years,” Patrick said. His voice was flat. “I worked at my dad’s bar for awhile. I was pretty depressed and started drinking a lot. One night, Frank Sullivan came in. He always liked my high school games. He heard what happened and took me under his wing as a line cook in his restaurant. A couple years later, I went back to school and got my degree in culinary arts. It’s worked out. I like cooking.”

Hailey’s emotions crashed inside her. Life could be so cruel, sometimes. Patrick lost his scholarship. He never went to college to become a ball player. Hailey wanted to sit down on the floor and sob. All the years she believed he was happily working away at his dream. And even worse, she’d prided herself on never asking about Patrick. She thought it was best not to know anything. But she was wrong. She should have asked her grandparents about him. They would have told her what happened. She should have told Patrick about Kaitlin years ago. He’d missed ten years of Kaitlin’s life because of her. Suddenly, the world felt like it was closing in on her. Her legs wobbled underneath her.

Patrick stepped forward and pulled her into his arms before she hit the floor. She melted against his hard, solid chest. His arms wrapped around her and she gazed up at him.

“Patrick,” she said.

“Shhh…” he lowered his lips to hers. Softly at first, he pressed his warm lips against hers. She wanted to turn away; stop him from kissing her. She wanted to stop herself from falling over the edge and in love with him again, but she couldn’t. She parted her lips and opened to him. Moaning softly, she surrendered to the kiss. She shifted and moved so she could wrap her arms around Patrick. Her fingers brushed past Kaitlin’s hot chocolate mug on the counter behind them.

Suddenly, Hailey broke away from Patrick. She could not fall in love with Patrick; not without telling him about Kaitlin. But, now was not the right time. There was too much going on. After the party tonight, she’d tell him. She would take him aside and tell him everything. Hailey licked her lips and smoothed her hands over her sweater. She turned away from Patrick

***

Patrick stared at Hailey’s back. He clenched his jaw. He’d been a fool to kiss her. He felt an irresistible pull to Hailey. He was swept away in the moment—just like the night of their senior graduation party. That night, they snuck away to a small boathouse at the back of a classmate’s large lakeside home. Patrick planned to do nothing but talk and kiss. Hailey wasn’t the type of girl to lose her virginity in a boathouse at a senior graduation party. But, maybe it was because everything was changing. Maybe it was the feeling of being invincible as graduating seniors. Whatever it was, they both allowed the moment to overtake them.