Secret Valentine Read Free

job. I thought you were getting out of this town and never looking back?”
    He took a bite of his sandwich before answering. “That was the plan. Funny how life doesn’t work out the way you want. You can work at it, but something always seems to go wrong. Dad passed away right before I graduated the police academy, and I felt bad leaving my mom all alone. I planned to just be here a little while, until she was okay, but six months later she was killed in a car accident. I don’t know why but I couldn’t leave then. I feel rooted here.”
    Looking out over the expansive backyard, I nodded. “I know what you mean. While I was away I missed this place. Now that I’m back, I wonder why I ever left.”
    “Now that you’re back, you can make up for lost time. Your Gran really missed you.”
    Before I could say anything, his police radio came alive.
    “Chief, you’re needed back at the station.”
    “Thanks Connie, ETA five minutes.” He took the last bite of his sandwich. “Sorry, gotta run. A police chief’s duties are never done. Tell your Gran I’ll swing by tomorrow for those cookies. It was real nice seeing you again, Ashlyn. I’m glad you’re home.”
    Long after Kevin returned to the station, I sat on the deck reminiscing. As a teenager, I had pined away for him, daydreaming that one day he would show up on my doorstep confessing his true feelings about how he couldn’t live without me.
    Chuckling to myself and thinking. Boy I was a hopeless romantic back then, I headed back to the house.
    I’d loved the fantasy that Kevin and I would get married, have a few children, and grow old together, but that fantasy bubble popped when Kevin took off for the police academy, and I fell in love with my not-so-good-choice of a husband…
    * * *
    Later that evening after Gran came home, I opened the door to find an out-of-breath Kasey, arriving five minutes before she was even supposed to be off work.
    “I couldn’t wait. I left as soon as I could.” Kasey stood gasping for air.
    I shook my head and pulled her toward the stairs. “Gran, we’re going up to my room. I need Kasey’s help with something and want to show off my new clothes.”
    As soon as we were behind closed doors, I nodded towards the bed. “Another package.”
    She picked up the letters. “This is the breakthrough? We still don’t know who it is. I can’t remember who was in that class over ten years ago!”
    “I have a list, but I need your help.”
    The excitement was gone from her voice as she sat next to me on the small sofa I kept in my room. “Where is it? Let’s get this over with.”
    I handed her the notebook. “I already crossed off two names. What about Brian?”
    “He’s married, he’s the town’s handyman, and owns the hardware store. I don’t think it’s him.”
    I crossed off Brian’s name. “This is going to be easier than I thought. Hopefully we can narrow it down to one name.”
    “Doubt it,” she said before turning to look at me. “Kevin’s the police chief, never married. He’s possible.”
    My heart thrummed.
    “Well, two isn’t bad. I’m sure we can figure out which one it is between those two. Is Julian married?”
    She looked over the list again. “Oh. Julian was killed a year ago by a drunk driver.”
    “Oh man. I didn’t know.”
    We sat there for a while in silence. Julian was a sweet guy, and would do anything for someone else. Why was it that the good ones were always taken before their time?
    Finally, Kasey spoke. “We’ve narrowed it down to Drew and Kevin. Now what?”
    The rest of the evening we tried to cross one of them off the list, but it was impossible. She thought it was Drew, but I yearned for it to be Kevin. As Kasey was leaving she stopped dead in her tracks and turned to me. “With each letter he sends he drops more clues. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I think he’s going to finally reveal himself.”
    After she left, I strolled toward my bedroom and noticed Gran’s light