Single Daddy's Valentine Read online

Back at college the next day, I was sitting on my own in the cafeteria during lunch. I was concentrating on proofreading the poster I had created for the town’s annual Valentine’s ball. Being known as a bit of a matchmaker around town had ended up with me being voted on to the organization committee six years ago, and then I ended up being in charge of overseeing the whole thing. It was a lot of hard work but I loved it. With only a month to go before the big day, I was in the middle of sorting out the marketing material. Not that it ever needed a lot of marketing because it was a popular night out within the town.

  Carey dropped her food tray on to the table and sat next to me. “Jeez, I swear the servers in this canteen get slower every day. Lunch is almost over and I’m just sitting down. I’m going to have indigestion all afternoon.”

  I laughed. “That will be great when you’re in class with Professor Wakefield all afternoon.”

  Carey groaned and stuffed a potato chip in her mouth. “Don’t even, all right! That woman gives me indigestion just thinking about her.” Professor Wakefield was renowned for being so boring that at least two students fell asleep in her class every week. “I know I’m going to fail this semester,” Carey moaned. We were both taking an elective class on neurology to support our nursing qualifications at USD (University of South Dakota).

  I looked up from the poster I was proofing and nodded at my friend in sympathy. She pointed at the large piece of paper in front of me. “What’s that?”

  “It’s the poster for the valentine’s ball. I’m just giving it a final proofing before sending it off to be printed.”

  Carey’s face lit up at the mention of the ball. “Oh awesome. I can’t believe it’s so soon. We’ll need to go shopping for dresses. I want something with a low back, very figure hugging, you know? I want Greg to be able to appreciate my fabulous booty.”

  Carey would look fabulous in a dirty old sack. And I knew that Greg would appreciate her booty regardless of what encased it. I was glad my pet project had worked out. I knew Greg was right for Carey as soon as I met him. It hadn’t taken long for me to matchmake them into the adorable little lovefest that they had going on.

  “I’m so happy you two are getting on so well.”

  “Lana, the boy is a dream! He is beyond perfect. I don’t know how to thank you for setting us up.”

  She was going to make me blush. “Just keep the fancy Belgian chocolates coming,” I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows and smacking my lips.

  “How many couples have you set up now? Five?” I nodded. “I’m going to start calling you Dolly.”

  I laughed. “As long as you don’t start following me down the corridor singing Hello Dolly, you can call me what you want.”

  Carey went back to eating her lunch and I checked the details on the poster once more before rolling it up and putting it in my bag. “Right, I’m going to drop this off for printing and I’ll catch you outside class in five?”

  I left Carey humming the tune to Hello Dolly under her breath as she ate her potato chips. Ah, that woman was crazy. I was just glad that I had been able to help so many people find love.

  After dropping off the poster I headed across the quadrant and into the building where my afternoon class was being held. I could hear Carey before I saw her. She was waxing lyrical about how amazing Greg was, and it made me smile when she mentioned how thankful she was that I had set them up.

  “Does Lana have a date for the dance?” One of the other women asked.

  “I don’t know,” Carey responded.

  “Jeez. You would think that Lana would just move on already. It’s been what? Three years since Kyle died? She needs to get a grip and move on.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the corridor. Carey saw me and rushed over. “Lana, I’m sorry you had to hear that.” She glared at the woman who had made the comment, who at least had the good grace to look a little remorseful. “Don’t listen to her. You’ll get over Kyle in your own time.”

  Not really knowing what to say, I pushed Carey away from me. “Um, I have to go. Can you take notes for me please? I’ll catch up with you later.”

  I turned and walked away as quickly as my feet would propel me out of the building. I just needed to get some air. The knot that was always in my chest tightened and I felt like I was going to throw up. There was a wooden bench on the path leading away from the quadrant. I sat down and gripped on for dear life, staring at the paving below my feet, wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

  Kyle. Oh Kyle. Why did you have to leave me?

  Three years had passed since the day that Kyle died, turning my life upside down. And there hadn’t been a day since, where I spent every waking hour wishing that I could somehow bring him back. The feelings of heartbreak and loss hadn’t dissipated in three years. How could it? Kyle was my beating heart. We fit together perfectly. I knew no one else could match what I had with him. So what was the point in trying? Why did no one understand?

  Determined not to cry, I stood up and walked towards the parking lot. I drove back to the farm in a daze, my head full of memories of his face, his laugh, his touch.

  Mom was sitting in the living room darning one of dad’s old work shirts. She frowned when I walked in. “You’re back early. Don’t you have class this afternoon?”

  “I…I have a headache. I think I’m going to go lie down in my room.”

  “Lana, you look deathly pale. Has something happened?”

  “It’s nothing. Just…I overheard some of my classmates gossiping about me and Kyle. Apparently I’m supposed to just get over it and move on. As if having a date to the Valentine’s ball is going to fix the fact that my beautiful man is dead and not coming back.”

  Mom recoiled a little at the vehemence in my voice. Even I was struck by the anger coursing through me. But a nerve had been hit and I was mad as hell.

  “Oh Lana,” mom sighed. The look on my face stopped her from saying anything more. I knew she found it hard to see me moping around the house all the time. I knew she wished that I could move on and find someone new.

  Suddenly I felt the need for fresh air again. I excused myself and walked through the house and out the back door. The fields were brown and hardened with frost. The sun was low but there was a little warmth coming from it. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, trying to stop the pain from devouring me whole.

  “Is everything all right?” I opened my eyes and cupped my hand over them so I could see. Gabe was standing on the track. “I’m not prying. I came over to speak to your dad about the funeral arrangements and saw you. You look really upset. Is everything okay?”

  I smiled at his concern. He had always been a sweet guy. “I’m okay. Just having a moment.” He nodded and flashed that quick smile which had beguiled me so much when I was a teenager. I’m not going to lie. I used to moon over him something awful when we were younger. I had always been his partner in crime growing up, usually banding together against Matt. He had been my boy crush all through high school, and I concocted hundreds of fantasies about him falling in love with me. But he never seemed to see me that way. I was just the best friend, the partner in crime. I pined after him for a while, but then Kyle came along and stole my heart and mind.

  I studied Gabe now. He had dark circles round his eyes and looked exhausted. I noticed that his dark hair was turning to grey at the sides. He kept it cropped short, probably a throwback from his military days. His deep blue eyes had a mischievous intensity that still hit that sweet spot in my groin. Which was a shock, considering I had just been crying about missing Kyle.

  I cleared my throat, mortified about my thoughts. “Dad isn’t in. He’s probably down in the sheds or in the barn with the farmhands,” I said overly cheerful, cringing at how lame I sounded.

  “Okay thanks. I’ll go find him.”

  I watched him as he wandered off down the track and wondered how he was coping with Charlie being dead. I mentally kicked myself for not having the good sense to
ask him, for behaving like a silly lovesick schoolkid. I knew he probably felt even more alone now, what with his wife leaving him to look after Louie and the elephant in the room that was his brother, Matt.

  It just didn’t make much sense to me why anyone would leave a man like Gabriel Dawson, never mind walk out of his life and leave behind their baby boy. I wasn’t surprised when he packed up his whole life and moved to DC after Rebecca walked out. I sometimes wished I had gotten away from this place too, after Kyle died.

  Pull yourself together, Lana.

  I said the mantra to myself a few times before taking a deep breath, pushing back all thoughts of Kyle, and decided to focus on giving Gabe and Louie as much support as I could muster while they laid Charlie to rest.

  Chapter Four

  Gabe

  A week after the funeral Matt and I headed out to the lawyer’s office to hear the reading of dad’s will. I had left Louie with Lana, who seemed happy to spend some time with him. Matt initially refused my offer to drive him to the meeting in town, but he eventually relented and sullenly got into my car.

  We spent the journey in silence, although the deep, unhappy sighs I could hear coming from Matt were loud enough to make the entire journey awkward. I wanted to pull him up on his attitude, but thought better of it. I didn’t have the energy to deal with another tantrum, so I kept my mouth shut and we managed to get into town in one piece.

  I knew an argument was coming. I could sense it in the air. It was always that way with Matt. He would let things build up and stew inside and then he would explode. It was hard to remember he was grieving the loss of dad too, when he was intent on alienating everyone all of the time.

  I parked the car and was just about to get out when Matt huffed a huge sigh out and shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to come to this. I know he’s left the entire estate to you.”

  “You don’t know that at all.”

  “Really? Come on Gabe, be real. We both know he’s gonna do some fucked up shit where I get completely left out of the will.”

  I frowned, unable to believe that Matt would think so lowly of our father. “You’re being paranoid. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

  The lawyer carefully looked through the sheaf of papers on her desk while we waited on uncomfortable wooden chairs across from her. She had been my dad’s lawyer for years, helping him to draw up contracts and title deeds for various things to do with the farm.

  “Okay Gabriel, Matt. I have in front of me your father’s last will and testament. Matt, you have been left the plot of land adjacent to the forest, along with his collection of guns and watches. Gabriel, Charlie has bequeathed you the remainder of his estate, with the stipulation that the farm is to be kept as a going concern. You will continue to manage the estate, employing whomever you see fit.”

  Matt turned to look at me, his face filled with rage. “Now do you believe me?”

  I had to admit I was confused myself. I sat forward in my seat. “I’m sorry Sandra, this doesn’t make much sense. Why has dad left the farm solely to me? Surely it should be split equally?”

  “Well, I do have to agree that this isn’t normal. But it’s what your father has stipulated.”

  Matt pushed out of his chair, knocking it over. He looked like he could turn into the Incredible Hulk. “This is ridiculous! I always knew he hated me!”

  “Matt! Sit down!”

  Sandra cleared her throat. “There is something else that I need to give to you.”

  We both stared at Sandra as she picked up a folded piece of paper and held it up. I took it from her and opened it.

  “It’s dad’s handwriting.” It was a letter, addressed to me. I scanned it quickly, somehow unable to pick up the meaning of it. I looked up at Sandra for an explanation. She simply shrugged and folded her hands.

  “This can’t be right.”

  “What does it say?” Matt grabbed the letter out of my hand and began to read it.

  I sat down hard. “What the hell was he thinking? He wants me to get married to a local woman. What the hell?”

  Matt looked up from the letter in confusion. “It says here that if you don’t marry a local woman, you forfeit the whole estate and it comes to me, to be disposed of as I see fit. Well, fuck me dad! You played a doozy, that’s for sure!”

  “He sure did. But why? That’s just crazy. It can’t be right.”

  “Charlie was adamant that the instructions in his letter be carried out in the event of his death. He asked me to witness his signature,” Sandra explained.

  “But it doesn’t make any sense, Sandra. Why bother leaving the estate to me in the first place if he was going to place such a stipulation on me? He might as well have just left the whole thing to Matt.”

  “Hell yeah. There’s no way on earth you’re going to marry another woman from South Dakota,” Matt crowed. “We might as well just settle it here and now. Do you forfeit the estate?”

  I was just about to speak when Sandra put out her hand. “Hold up just a minute. You don’t need to forfeit the estate right this moment. Why don’t you take some time to think about it? Your father’s wishes have to count for something surely?”

  I shook my head. “No. Not when it comes to trying to force me to marry someone. No inheritance is worth that. I just don’t know why dad would do this to me, what purpose he had in making such a demand.”

  Sandra shrugged. “From what he said when he asked me to witness the letter, I can only surmise that he knew how bitter you were about what happened with Rebecca. He told me that he wanted you to realize that just because one woman from South Dakota broke your heart, you couldn’t discount all of the women here.”

  My head felt like it was about to burst. “So what? He uses the inheritance as a sort of carrot to get me to marry some local woman? That’s nuts!”

  “All I know is that I knew your father for decades, and he was always of sound mind and fair in his dealings. If this is what he wanted to come of his estate, then there must have been a reasoning behind it. Now, I suggest you go away and think about what you want to do. There isn’t a time limit per se, but I suggest if you’re dead set against following the will, we set a date as soon as possible to transfer all the title to Matt.

  I didn’t respond. I was floored. Nothing made sense.

  Matt stood up and took his copy of the will from Sandra. “Just to get one thing straight. If Gabe forfeits the estate, I can do anything I like with the property? Like, I could shut down the farm and redevelop if I wanted?”

  Sandra frowned, as though she was embarrassed to even be answering the question. “Yes, Matt, that’s correct. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we? I’m sure your father didn’t mean for the entire farm to be closed down. After all, the whole reasoning behind having Gabe manage the whole thing, was to ensure it would be kept as a going concern.”

  “Uh-uh, I see. I just wanted to clarify that point.” Matt turned to me. “I’m going to pick up some things from the grocery store. I’ll see you down at the car.”

  I just nodded back at him. I couldn’t move from my seat.

  “Take your time over this, Gabe. Don’t rush into anything foolish either way. I know Charlie always had your best interest at heart.”

  “Really? It feels like he never knew me at all. He picked a funny time to try and make a point, like somehow I have no right to be angry at what Rebecca did to me.”

  Sandra patted my arm sympathetically. “I think what he’s trying to say is that you can’t blame the town for something that one woman did.”

  Matt’s mood had improved when he finally got back in the car. He even smiled at me as he organized the bags in the back. “I got us some beer for when we get back to the house. We can celebrate.”

  “I don’t really feel like celebrating.”

  Matt snorted and climbed inside the car. “Your nose is just out of joint because something didn’t go your way for once.”

  I slammed my hand
down on the dashboard. “Is that what you think this is about? Are you so wrapped up in your obsession that you have to be in competition with me for dad’s love?”

  Matt cracked open a beer with his teeth and spat out the lid. “Just calling it like it is, bro.”

  Gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles went white, I put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. I could feel my blood pressure going through the roof, and it was all I could do to focus on the road in front of me.

  “I can’t believe he’s done this.”

  “I can. And I know you’ll cave in and marry someone local just so you can get your hands on the inheritance.”

  “Don’t be so sure about it Matt. There’s no way in hell I’m marrying someone from here just for the sake of some money. I don’t need dad’s cash. I’m doing pretty well for myself with the company.”

  Matt laughed derisively. “Yeah, you’re already set for life. You don’t need the farm or the land. You can just keep profiting off war.”

  “Don’t test me, Matt. I work hard for my money. And for your information, we specialize in peacekeeping, not war mongering. You would know that if you bothered to keep in contact with me. But you don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself, and your petty little inferiority complex.”

  I threw the car round a corner and Matt cursed as his beer spilled over his shirt. He took one look at my face and laughed. “Gabe, you’re absolutely right, you know that? And you know something? I can’t wait until you sign everything over to me and fuck off back to DC with your tail between your legs. I’ve got big plans for the land.”

  “Yeah well, you’re welcome to it. I’m out of here as soon as possible. Now shut up and let me concentrate on driving, or we can stop the car and duke it out on the side of the road.”

  “Sir, yes Sir!”

  I cursed under my breath and used up the last reserves of my self-control concentrating on not punching my brother’s lights out.

  Chapter Five