Heartwarming Holidays Sweet Romance Books 4-7

Chapter 2-2

Wanda was refilling coffee at one of the four occupied tables and chatting with some of the guys who worked for one of the farms nearby. They were talking about how they were happy the weather was so nice that day. It made their regular routine much easier. Valerie couldn’t help but listen as she straightened the bottom shelf below the counter and then turned to arrange the cups and straws.

The bell on the door, which was distinctive from the one in the service window, got her attention and she turned to see just the person she’d been meaning to talk to. “Mrs. Gregory!” she exclaimed. “How are you?”

Patricia Gregory always had a smile on her face, with a crown of white hair that made children mistake her for Mrs. Claus from time to time. “I’m just wonderful,” she said, cheerfully. “How are you, Valerie, dear?”

“Good,” Valerie replied, smiling and averting her eyes from the hearts that danced above Mrs. Gregory’s head.

“That’s wonderful to hear. I just stopped in to pick up a pie. You know, Mr. Gregory loves my cookies and cakes, but when he’s a-hankerin’ for a slice a pie, he don’t want nothin’ but Frank Bishop’s apple with the crumbly crust.”

“It’s right here!” Frank said, smiling through the window as he slid a perfectly packaged pie through. “You tell Allen I said hello.”

“I will do so,” Mrs. Gregory nodded. “You’ll make his day; that’s for sure.”

“Nothing but the best for my favorite customers.” Frank waved and returned to the grill before the burger he was cooking burned, and Valerie noted mentally that everyone was his favorite customer. Still, it made people happy to hear that, and she thought it was an endearing quality about Frank.

She took the pie off of the ledge and brought it over to Mrs. Gregory before stepping over to ring it up. As she punched the numbers into the cash register, she looked around the room. Seeing no one nearby, she quietly said, “Mrs. Gregory, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, dear. What is it?” The older woman took a few steps closer and stopped looking through her pocketbook to catch Valerie’s eye.

Valerie cleared her throat. “Do you happen to know Horace Nelson?”

“Lilly’s husband?” Mrs. Gregory asked. “Yes, I know him, though not well. It was such a shame when she passed.”

Valerie assumed she’d know at least one of the Nelsons. She seemed to know just about everyone. “Well, I’m afraid he’s having a hard time since his wife passed away. He comes in almost every afternoon around 5:00 and stays for an hour or so, eats dinner, never speaks to anyone, and then leaves. I try to talk to him, but most of the time he doesn’t seem very interested in anything I have to say.”

“That is a shame,” Mrs. Gregory said as she handed money to Valerie. “I knew Lilly from the hairdressers. She was always so kind hearted and sweet. She spoke very highly of her husband.”

Valerie made change and handed it back to Mrs. Gregory, who dumped quite a bit into the tip jar. “Do you think… that is… would it be possible for you to reach out to him, Mrs. Gregory? I mean, I’ve invited him to church, and he always declines. But maybe if you asked him to come to one of the events your Bible study group does together. Or maybe even he could somehow get involved with the Senior Center dance.”

“We can use all the help we can get with that,” Mrs. Gregory muttered as she shoved the rest of her money into her wallet. “As a matter of fact, if we don’t get more volunteers, there might not be a dance at all.”

Valerie closed the cash register and looked the older woman in the eyes, surprised. “Why is that?”

“Well, there just doesn’t seem to be as much interest this year in helping out,” she shrugged. “Elvira and I have asked several people, but everyone says they’re too busy. The younger generations just don’t seem too quick to want to volunteer these days, I’m afraid. And Elvira and I, and our families, can only do so much. It’s not like I can climb up on a ladder to hang streamers.”

“Oh, Mrs. Gregory, I’d be happy to help,” Valerie offered, before she even had time to consider she was volunteering to help with a Valentine’s Dance. “I know how much the seniors love that event. I might be able to recruit some friends to help as well.”

“Friends to help with what?”

The familiar voice belonged to Erin, and Valerie was happy to see her friend had come in while she’d been busy talking to Mrs. Gregory. She hadn’t even heard the door chime. Alec was standing next to her, looking curious, though just as reserved as usual.

“The Valentine’s Dance at the Senior Citizens Center,” Valerie replied. “It seems there aren’t a lot of volunteers this year.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Erin said, resting her hand on Mrs. Gregory’s shoulder. “I really wish I could help, but my graduate classes are getting pretty intense, and I have to get ahead with my work because I’m taking a trip in March, and I can’t afford to miss any school work.”

“I understand that, dear,” Mrs. Gregory said with a small smile.

Valerie wanted to ask Erin where she was going, but before she could, Alec’s unfamiliar voice said, “I can help.” He glanced from Mrs. Gregory to Valerie and then back to Mrs. Gregory again.

“You can?” Valerie asked, the idea never even crossing her mind.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “I have DJ equipment, and I can help with decorations or whatever.”

“That’s right. I’d forgotten you’re a DJ,” Mrs. Gregory replied with a smile. “We usually have a live band, but that’s getting more and more difficult to find. Ones that can play our type of music, that is,” she said catching Valerie’s eyes.

“I can play whatever you want,” Alec said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Valerie noticed he was with the “still winter” crowd, as he was wearing a coat. “I have plenty of speakers—whatever we need.”

“That’s wonderful news,” Mrs. Gregory said, a look of relief washing over her face.

“Mr. Nelson used to be an electrician. Maybe he’d like to be in charge of lighting.” Valerie knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try. “I can run it past him when he comes in. She glanced at the clock behind her on the wall and noted it wouldn’t be much longer until he arrived.

“That would be so helpful.” Mrs. Gregory’s face was beaming now.

“Have you asked Delaney about helping out with the snacks?” Erin asked. Delaney was also a friend from high school who owned the bakery down the street.

“Not yet,” Mrs. Gregory admitted. “I’d hate to ask her to do something like that when she bakes all day.”

“I bet she’d be delighted to help,” Valerie said, getting a giggle out of all of them. The name of the bakery was Delaney’s Delights. “I can stop by tomorrow and ask her.”

“You all are wonderful,” Mrs. Gregory said, still smiling. “I can’t wait to tell Elvira. She will be just as relieved as I am.”

“Do you have any committee meetings coming up? Maybe we can attend?” Alec’s question was a good one, and once again, Valerie was surprised to hear him so vocal.

“I believe we were going to try and meet next week. Let me check with Elvira, and I will let you know,” Mrs. Gregory said, taking her pie off of the counter. “You kids are just magnificent,” she added, making Valerie feel like she was a child again. “Thank you so much.”

“Thank you,” Valerie called after her as Mrs. Gregory disappeared out the door, still beaming.

“That’s so sweet,” Erin said, patting her brother on the arm. “I really wish I could help.”

“Maybe you can cut out little hearts on study breaks,” Valerie suggested, knowing Erin probably wouldn’t like that anymore than she would. But here she was, the first volunteer of the senior citizens’ party brigade.

“Maybe,” Erin nodded.

“Did you have an order for pick up?” Valerie asked as the two sat down on the stools they normally sat on when they were waiting for their dinner.

“Yes, Mom called it in a little while ago.” Erin brushed her hair over her shoulder.

“It’s probably about done,” Valerie assured them. She was still having trouble believing Alec had volunteered for anything. She knew he worked at their father’s construction company, though she had no idea what he did. He’d gone away to college, though, so she was sure it wasn’t just as a laborer. And he and Erin almost always came in together, which secretly made Valerie jealous. She was never so close with her older siblings. Erin was finishing her master’s in child psychology, having decided to take a break from social work while she studied. The thought made her remember she’d mentioned a trip, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you going in March?”

“Oh, to Ireland,” she replied, a bit sheepishly. “Our grandparents still live there, and I haven’t been for a visit in… a while. So I’m going.”

“That sounds exciting. You’re not going Alec?” Valerie asked.

“No,” he replied, shaking his head. The pause afterwards was so long, Valerie thought he might not say more, but eventually, he added, “I just have a lot of important projects at work to finish up.”

“He went last year,” Erin explained, and Valerie nodded as if she remembered that, but she didn’t. She hadn’t ever really paid too much attention to Alec, she realized.

The door chimed, and Mr. Nelson walked in, his expression solemn as usual.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Nelson,” Valerie said in greeting. “I’ll be right with you.” He nodded and made his way to his usual booth, which was empty. “Well, I’m not sure what we’re getting ourselves into with this Valentine’s Dance, but it might be fun.” She shrugged; she had to remember it was for the senior citizens, not herself.

“I thought you hated Valentine’s Day,” Alec reminded her, a bit of a crooked grin on his face.

Valerie drew her lips together in a straight line and studied him until he laughed. “I’m not a fan,” she admitted. “But if it helps our elders, I’m willing to pitch in. A lot of those people are my best customers.”

“Present company excluded,” Wanda said, over her shoulder, as she passed between Valerie and the window to grab an order Frank was sliding through.

“Your order’s just about done, O’Connells,” Frank said with a smile and a friendly wave.

“Maybe this Valentine’s Day will be different,” Erin said, and Valerie was pretty sure she’d heard that before. But she knew in her heart it wouldn’t be. It was just two weeks she needed to endure.

“I’ll be right back,” Valerie said as she poured Mr. Nelson some tea and grabbed a straw. She made her way over to him, smiling at the other customers as she went. He was staring out the window, lost in his thoughts once again, as she set the glass down. “Hi there. How are you, hon?”

He blinked hard and looked up at her. “Hi, Valerie. I’m doing okay. How about you, dear?”

“I’m doing okay,” she said, letting her true feelings about Valentine’s Day come through just a bit so that she could possibly use that tone to persuade him to help with the dance. “I just volunteered to help with the Senior Citizen’s Valentine’s Dance,” she said, hoping she might spark his interest enough for him to at least ask a polite follow through question.

Her tactic didn’t work. He only nodded. “I think I’ll have the chicken and dumplings,” he replied, his voice morose and disinterested.