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Kara fell asleep with a smile on her lips, and the contentment of knowing that she had found a love that would last forever. For a woman who had once been so alone in the world, it was the best Valentine’s gift she could ever receive.
Maddie turned the page of the book on her lap, wondering why she just didn’t give up and go to bed. It wasn’t like she was really absorbing any of the written words.
“Damn it,” she whispered, slamming the book closed and dropping it on the table beside the sofa. Honestly, she didn’t want to go to bed. If she did, she would just keep remembering her encounter with Sam, torturing herself with memories of that scorching hot kiss earlier in the evening.
Swiping the remote control from the table, she pushed the button to activate the television, hoping she could drown out her thoughts with the ten o’clock news.
Her doorbell rang just as the news anchor started recounting the top stories of the day.
Who the hell could it be? She had no real family to speak of and none of her friends would come to her door at this time of night unless it was an emergency. She sprang to her feet and sprinted to the door, her heart racing. Looking through the peephole, she saw a man in uniform, a Hudson security uniform.
“Who is it and what do you want?” she called loudly through the door.
“Special Valentine’s Day delivery for Dr. Reynolds,” the man called back.
“Leave it and go.” There was no way she was opening her door, even if the guy was apparently from Hudson.
“I understand, ma’am. I’ll just leave it here on the doorstep.” The uniformed man bent over briefly, then straightened again and left.
Maddie opened the door a crack, leaving the security chain in place. She watched the man get into his truck and drive away. Closing the door, she lifted the chain and opened the door, her eyes widening.
On her doorstep was the most incredible bouquet of red roses she had ever seen. There were several dozen, too many for her to count in her stunned condition. Lifting the heavy, sturdy vase that appeared to be crystal, Maddie lugged the roses to her dining room table. Placing them in the middle of the circular oak surface, she plucked the card from the middle of the arrangement.
She sat, her shaky knees barely able to support her legs. The card was small, the outside of the tiny envelope decorated with hearts and a cute little Cupid in the corner. The only thing on the front was her name. She opened it with trembling fingers, yanking the cardboard notecard from its surrounding paper. There, in handwriting she still recognized, were only two words.
I’m Sorry.
There was no signature, no other identifying markings.
Dropping both the envelope and card on the table, Maddie buried her face in her hands and wept.
~The End~
Heart of the Billionaire
The Billionaire’s Obsession
Sam
September 15, 1996
HE sat next to me again today. I have to assume it’s just a coincidence, because I can’t imagine why he would want to sit next to me or give me one of his incredible smiles that appeared to light up the rather dreary room of our college English Literature class. I’m not sure if I’m happy or not about the fact that he sat right beside me. Honestly, I had to look around to see exactly who he was smiling at. Certainly not me. Not Madeline Reynolds, the plain redheaded woman with the dorky glasses and too much meat on her bones. But there was nobody else in the room at the time, so I suppose he must have been smiling at me. I didn’t smile back. And I had a very hard time focusing on the classics with HIM sitting next to me.
September 16, 1996
HIS name is Sam Hudson. He introduced himself today. The man makes my palms damp and my mouth go as dry as the desert the moment I see him. When he reached out his hand today and introduced himself, I had to wipe my hand on my jeans before I stammered my name to him like a complete idiot. He was flashing that smile at me again and I went completely brain dead, unable to find even one intelligent thing to say to him. Why does he have to be so handsome…and tall? Everything about the man is just…too much. Maybe tomorrow he’ll sit next to someone else. I almost hope he does. He makes me too nervous. There’s something strange about a handsome guy paying attention to me with so many other gorgeous women in the same classroom.
September 17, 1996
Sam caught up to me tonight after class to ask me if I wanted to study with him. He’s doing the same thing that I am right now, working during the day and knocking out as many classes as he can toward a business degree in night courses. I have no doubt that he’ll be successful in business. He has a hungry look, a determination to succeed in those beautiful emerald eyes of his. I told him I wanted to be a doctor. I’m not quite sure why I told him. I tell so few people because it’s laughable that dirt-poor Maddie Reynolds, a girl shuffled from foster home to foster home, could actually aspire to be a doctor. Sam just smiled, but it wasn’t a mocking one. Then he told me sincerely that he thought I’d make a great doctor. How could he know that? He doesn’t even know me. But at least he wasn’t laughing at me.
November 14, 1996
I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to write for a while now. I’m doing all the double shifts at the nursing home that I possibly can, plus my classes. I have to have enough money to pay for my next semester. Sam took me to his apartment to study tonight, and he actually seemed embarrassed because it was a studio apartment that wasn’t in the greatest neighborhood. I don’t know why he should be embarrassed. He works so hard. His construction job is hard physical labor and I know that he usually works from early morning until evening nearly seven days a week. He’s trying to get enough money to bring his mom and his younger brother here to Tampa to live. Sam talks mostly about the future, probably because his past hasn’t been so good. I can relate to that. I’d rather think about the future myself. I’ve only known Sam for a few months now, but he’s become the best friend I’ve ever had except for Crystal, and she’s been gone for so many years now. I feel a little silly that I ever had doubts about Sam. He’s a very good person, the best man I’ve ever known. And he’s so supportive about all of my goals. I just wish he’d get over calling me his “Sunshine” and pulling the rubber band out of my hair because he says it’s a shame to confine such beautiful hair. Is the guy blind? My hair is absolutely tragic!
December 12, 1996
Sam said something to me today that I thought was strange. He said his friendship with me made him want to be a better man. I’m not sure what that was all about and he just shrugged casually when I asked him what he meant. How much better could he be? He works his ass off, tries to help his family, and is working to better himself by getting an education. Does he think being rich makes a man good? If so, I wish he wouldn’t think that. Sam Hudson is fine just the way he is. He’s perfect. I just wish he didn’t have to work so hard.