Page 11 of Sweet Valentine
Colton unsticks it, then slides it over. “Let’s do it.”
Without any further ado, she rips it open. From inside, she pulls out one last small, folded card. Her eyes scan over the words that widen her eyes all over again, triggering, too, a flicker of something crossing her face.Wonderment,Colton things.
“What does— What does it say?” he asks.
With gravitas, Patty sits up even straighter, pushing the long tendrils of her dark hair back, and reads aloud: “Your final task is to tell each other how you feel. Usingonlythe words from the Sweethearts candies you’ve collected.”
Colton, none too surprisingly, freezes. “Are you kidding?”
Patty genuinely has to bite down on her lip again to keep from dissolving into laughter again. “They’re pushing their luck, or putting it on the spot – I don’t know. But I don’t have a problem with it. Both of our candies pooled together couldn’t be so bad, could it? It can be a redo for earlier since that…” She makes a face, mostly to mess with him, “Uh, well, that was awful. Especially since this is now officially a first date.”
It surprises her a little, but very pleasantly, when he gamely leans into it. She empties her pockets; first one, and then the other, until a chunk of the table is more or less covered. “Let’ssee,” he starts. He doesn't pause. In the end, he just props a few into a row, side-by-side, with the diagonal slants of the sides of the hearts pressed together:Call Me, Trust Me, Kiss Me.“Yeah?” he checks with her, looking up after.
Out of his pile, it’s ‘Trust Me’ that Patty picks to tap with a forefinger. “Hard one.”
Colton swallows thickly. “But worthwhile, hopefully.”
For a prolonged beat, Patty holds his gaze. The air between is thick, charged with the unspoken. Slowly, she lays down the candy then considers the rest of the options. Inquisitively, she sifts through the pile. She curls it into her palm before he can see it. “Let’s,” Patty says, eyes breathtakingly bright, “try this…” Her forefinger taps on top of his third choice. “And we’ll see about my addition after.”
There are a lot of things Colton believes about himself, and a lot more he doesn't. Yet his genuine care and burgeoning desire for Patty Sullivan challenge everything he had decided to settle for when he’d moved into Maplewood Grove.
When Colton stands to round the picnic table, his eyes latch to Patty’s the way they had the week before—this time, it isn’t just the lack of window between them that renders their connection so potent. All people feel; all of them put feelings into words. Most made promises, and few, in Colton’s experience, actually kept them. It was rare to connect with someone—to feel for them—in a way that transcended speech. It’s connection. A collision of souls, if one believes in such a notion.
It is about action, he thinks, in the breath before he bows over Patty, his palm cradling the soft line of her jaw to bring her supple lips to his. His hand covers hers, clenched with her secreted piece of candy. In between the waves his lips make over hers, he asks without needing to see it: “Be Mine?”
Chapter Six
Much,much later, after a romantic twilight had been spent wrapped up in the warmth of one another’s company, Patty Sullivan and Colton Rhodes meander back into the thick of their little town’s melee. The glow of the string lights is bright, making it seem earlier than it is—but it doesn’t blind them. It feels right. With laughter permeating the air, turning crisp chill warmer when the molecules are traded between their warm bodies, it’s only right.
As they look around—Colton, vigilant, and Patty, curious—she nudges the sheriff with her elbow, a playful glint dancing in her eyes. “You know,” she chirps, “we owe a little birdie a visit.”
Colton smirks. Her stomach flip-flops over the brash way he drawls, “Oh, I haven’t forgotten, doll.”
Across the square, Betty Lou Hopkins stands nursing a styrofoam cup of cocoa by the refreshments corner. Her eyes dart around enviously, a hunger in them that too-obviously morphs into satisfaction that radiates from her. The new couple exchange a knowing glance as they close in on their pretty, troublesome target.
“Oh, Betty Looooou,” Patty hollers sweetly, a lilt of mischief almost undetectable. Not to the man whose hand she holds,though. “We need to have a word with you,” Colton adds, cocking a severe brow. His expression is more daunting than Patty’s; it has the town gossip’s eyes widening comically, her hands nervously primping up her hair.
Betty Lou releases a theatrical gasp. “Don’t tell me you’re going to give me grief for working for the greater good, folks!”
Colton steps closer to the other side of the refreshments table. His tenor staid and his features the picture of utmost authority. “We know what you’ve been up to. You orchestrated this whole thing, didn’t you? Start to end.” Patty nods besides him somberly, her eyes narrowed, and her hands on her hips in her best imitation of a stern mother. Her lips helplessly twitch with amusement she tries her damnedest to rein in.
Betty Lou is impervious. Her nose in the air, she huffs, indignant and defensive, “Well! Idle minds wander!” She raises her cup in a toast—and it isn’t altogether clear whether it is to the happy couple or her own masterminding. Either way, Betty Lou insists: “Can you even blame me? Someone had to give you two crazy kids a push. The Sheriff's been making eyes at you for months. And you’re a darn fine lady, Patty. I won’t apologize. Youcan’tmake me.”
Silence hangs heavily. Colton blinks at the young girl like he’s considering how true her claim is. A beat passes, before his face breaks into a grin. “Well, we just wanted to say…”
Patty joins in, happily finishing the sentence, “...thank you.” Her giggles don’t stem from amusement, but rather, pure contentment.
Betty Lou lets out a triumphant cackle, her grin widening. “I knew it! I knew you two were a match.”
Patty shoots her a pointed look she may have stolen from Colton. “You didn’t exactly give us much choice.”
Colton pulls Patty closer to his side, his arm draping over her shoulders. “I guess we can let you off the hook this time.”
As they part ways with Betty Lou, Colton leans down and whispers, “How about we escape all this matchmaking for a bit?”
Patty smiles up at him, warmth flooding her chest. “You have something in mind?”
“A quiet weekend,” he suggests, “just the two of us. Away from the town and Betty Lou’s prying eyes.”
Patty grins. “I like the sound of that.”
Just before they head out of the square, they catch sight of Rachel Green standing with her son Jamie. Rachel waves, a soft smile on her face as she chats with Max Bennett, the local craftsman, who’s eyeing her with interest. Patty glances at Colton. “Looks like someone else might have been set up tonight.”
Colton chuckles. “Looks like Betty’s magic works on more than just us.”
Hand in hand, they make their way into the night, ready to begin their own quiet adventure.
The End
