Candy Store

something she said would break down the walls of hurt he had built up long ago.
    “I’m not the only one who’s proud of you. Your parents are incredibly proud. Alice loves you like a son and it’s been killing her to watch you try and shut down something so beautiful that you created from love.”
    “How do you know these things?”
    She reached out a hand to his jaw and was so glad when he didn’t push her away. “They all love you, Derek. Just like I do. Even a blind man could see it.”
    Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her, dragging her naked breasts against his bare chest.
    “What about a stupid man?” he asked, his voice husky yet hopeful.
    Tears fell down her cheeks. “Even a stupid man. Especially if he’s the most amazing, loving man I’ve ever met. Now take me to that bed you always talk so much about and love me.”

Chapter Twelve

    February 14th. Valentine’s Day.

    Callie opened up her shop and tried not to feel sorry for herself. After all, now that everything was out in the open between her and Derek, she had everything she’d ever dreamed of and more.
    She had true love.
    She had a man she could talk to about anything, a partner that she could depend on and who could depend on her.
    The only thing she didn’t have was a date for Valentine’s Day.
    Again.
    Now that Derek was committed to keeping Sweet Returns up and thriving as a candy consulting business, he had been setting up meetings with all of the potential clients that he had put off for the past several months. It just so happened that he had to fly out for an overnight trip to Chicago on Valentine’s Day.
    He had been incredibly apologetic and Callie had been understanding even though she wanted to beg him to rearrange his schedule.
    It was all for the best, she told herself. Valentine’s was one of her busiest days of the year and each year, by the time she flipped her sign from open to closed, she could barely do more than drag herself off to bed.
    Settling into another “Holiday of Love” at her store, Callie did brisk sales all day. With a smile on her face, she sold out of the expensive gift baskets that Derek had helped her put together and in any spare time she had she filled last-minute orders for chocolate and candy that came in over the Internet.
    By 5 p.m. it was dark outside and Callie was exhausted. The big rush was through—most people were at home sharing a romantic evening in front of the fire together by now.
    Callie had been hoping that Derek would call and wish her a happy Valentine’s Day from Chicago, but every time she picked up her phone it was another customer making an order for a box of truffles or a gift basket.
    She was on the phone with a long-distance customer when a delivery truck parked outside her store and a man walked in with a vase of roses.
    And then another.
    And then another.
    Callie quickly wrapped up her call. “Excuse me,” she said to the delivery man. “I think you’re delivering these roses to the wrong place.”
    The man looked at his clipboard. “This is Callie’s Candies, isn’t it?”
    Callie nodded, her heart beginning to blossom with joy.
    By the time the man drove away, Callie’s Candies was filled with vases of roses of every color—on the floor, on the counter, on every shelf. Callie headed for the phone to call Derek’s cell phone to thank him for being the most wonderful boyfriend in the world, but before she could wind through the vases of flowers, four men in tuxedos walked through the door carrying musical instruments.
    Hardly able to believe what was happening, the string quartet began to serenade her with her favorite symphony.
    Tears pooled in her eyes and she had to lean against a display counter to stay steady.
    No doubt about it, Derek was the most romantic, wonderful boyfriend in the whole world. Callie couldn’t believe she had doubted him for one single second. Even from all the way in Chicago, he was giving her the best Valentine’s Day she had ever had.
    And then her heart stopped as the man she loved walked through the door. She ran into Derek’s arms and he swept her up against him and kissed her passionately.
    “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart,” he said and she kissed him back with all of the love in her heart.
    A few minutes later, the string quartet left.
    “I think we’re alone now,” Derek said in a voice laced with passion and love.
    “Lock the door,” Callie said, wanting to drag Derek into the back room to rip