A Valentine's Wish (Love Inspired)

A Valentine's Wish (Love Inspired)

Unless youth pastor Andy Stewart finds a suitable wife fast, he'll lose his job. Yet the woman of his dreams is his best friend. And Lori Perkins is still smarting over a failed engagement, so he can't just declare his love. His plan: he'll be her secret admirer and woo her anonymously with flowers and chocolates. And then, when romance is on her mind, Andy will confess his Valentine's wish—to spend his life with her. There's just one little problem. Lori seems to think her secret admirer is someone else! Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or baby-talking her dog, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC. A Valentine's Wish By Betsy St. Amant Steeple Hill Copyright © 2010 Betsy St. Amant All right reserved. ISBN: 9780373875818 Unemployed. Single. And out of brownie mix. Lori Perkins tapped her nails against the open pantry door. Canned vegetables and peanut butter crackers were nowhere near sufficient for this kind of low. She rested her forehead against the frame and blew a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. It really wasn't her fault—well, maybe two of the three problems were. She probably shouldn't have quit her job at the aquarium gift shop before the administrative position across town was a done deal, and she definitely should have gone to the grocery store before her chocolate stash ran out. But her single status was most certainly not of her own choosing. Add the fact that Valentine's Day was mere weeks away, and it became official. She was broke, hungry and destined to be alone. The cordless phone on the counter jangled a shrill ring, and Lori snatched it up while peering one more time at the contents of her bottom shelf. "Hello?" "Lori? I can barely hear you. Are you in a tunnel?" It was her friend Andy Stewart, the youth pastor at her church, L'Eglise de Grace. She stretched one arm toward the back of the shelf. "No. The pantry." "Searching for chocolate, I assume." "Funny." So what if she'd become a little predictable over the years? Lori fumbled around a jar of peanut butter and felt a crinkly wrapper. Maybe a forgotten candy bar? No, just another package of crackers. She let out a huff. Was a little chocolate too much to ask for a girl having one of the worst days of her life? "Are you all right? I can call back." Lori shut the pantry door with a loud click and rested her back against the wooden panels. "I need chocolate." "You're out? How is that possible?" "Gracie helped me finish the last of my emergency stash." "And she didn't refill?" "There wasn't time before the wedding." She supposed Gracie had more important things on her mind at the time, like planning a honeymoon. Excited as she was for her friend's new life, Lori couldn't help the flicker of jealousy in her stomach. Happily-ever-after endings apparently weren't meant for everyone—her ex, Jason, had proven that point well enough. She slammed the brakes on her runaway train of negative thoughts. "Look, is there a point to this conversation, or can I finish my desperate search for relief now?" "Ouch. Bad day?" "Did you not hear me say I'm out of chocolate?" Men. The cute ones cheated, and the funny ones were dense. Take Andy, for example. They'd been practically best friends for how long now—two years? Three? And he'd never once considered Lori as anything more. Though it was probably for the best. If bitter thoughts of Jason still crept in her subconscious, she wasn't ready for more. The need for chocolate intensified, and Lori squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she pretended hard enough she could— Andy cleared his throat. "How about I bring over some chocolate doughnuts? I have something I need to talk to you about." Lori stopped the no from automatically rolling off her tongue. She preferred to indulge in her chocolate bad moods by herself, but without the chocolate, the bad-mood part sounded pretty lonely. "Fine. See you in twenty." "You're late." Lori snatched the box of doughnuts from Andy's hands and left him to shut the front door of her town house. Hopefully, the smile she flashed softened her short words. She didn't want to sound ungrateful, but she had yet to consume any chocolate. She'd be nice after the sugar melted in her system. Lori ripped two napkins free from the stand and tossed one in Andy's general direction as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Thanks, by the way." She ripped open the box and inhaled the warm chocolate scent. Finally. "I only brought a dozen. Hope that's enough." Andy's cheeky grin didn't even bother Lori as