Valerie Hansen - My Deadly Valentine

Praise for Valerie Hansen

Kudos to Valerie Hansen for writing an exceptional story with a puzzle thats nearly impossible to solve.

RT Book Reviews on Hidden in the Wall

Provides heart-pounding action and heartwarming romance.

RT Book Reviews on The Danger Within

Valerie Hansens story offers a heartwarming romance with enough suspense to keep the pages turning.

RT Book Reviews on Out of the Depths

Praise for Lynette Eason

A beautiful mystery and a solid romance. I highly recommend this book.

Dee Henderson, bestselling author of the OMalley Family series, on Lethal Deception

Lynette Eason does a fantastic job. Dont miss it.

RT Book Reviews on Holiday Illusion

A wonderful mystery.

RT Book Reviews on A Silent Terror

VALERIE HANSEN

was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.

Married to her high-school sweetheart since age seventeen, she now lives in an old farmhouse she and her husband renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous turn her life has taken. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for all of Steeple Hills Love Inspired lines.

Life doesnt get much better than that!

LYNETTE EASON

grew up in Greenville, SC. Her home church, Northgate Baptist, had a tremendous influence on her during her early years. She credits Christian parents and dedicated Sunday School teachers for her acceptance of Christ at the tender age of eight. Even as a young girl, she knew she wanted her life to reflect the love of Jesus.

Lynette attended The University of South Carolina in Columbia, then moved to Spartanburg, SC, to attend Converse College, where she obtained her masters degree in education. During this time, she met the boy next door, Jack Easonand married him. Jack is the executive director of the Sound of Light Ministries. Lynette and Jack have two precious children, eight-year-old Lauryn, and Will, who is six. She and Jack are members of New Life Baptist Fellowship Church in Boiling Springs, SC, where Jack serves as the worship leader and Lynette teaches Sunday School to the four- and five-year-olds.

MY DEADLY VALENTINE

VALERIE HANSEN
LYNETTE EASON

CONTENTS

DANGEROUS ADMIRER

Valerie Hansen

Special thanks to Sheree and Sonja, who helped
me understand how a card and gift shop is run
and who also keep me well supplied with lovely
merchandise. Their store is one of my very favorite
places to shop.

I sought the Lord and He answered me;

He delivered me from all my fears.

Psalms 34:4

PROLOGUE

S he cant do this to me. Who does she think she is?

Pacing, watching, he grew angrier as the moments passed. Women are evil, he muttered. Theyre all the same.

He stared at his hands. They werent trembling the way they had been when hed first realized what was really going on. Facing the problem had helped. So had making plans and looking toward the future.

Was victory going to come easily? Probably not. But he was going to enjoy every moment of the process and see it through to the end.

That conclusion made him smile. He was clever. The woman wouldnt have a clue what was going on until it was too late. And then hed even the score. With pleasure.

ONE

T heres no holiday I like better than Valentines Day, Rachel Hollister said. She smiled as she straightened the rack of new cards and admired the predominance of red hearts and white lace. Except maybe for Christmas and Easter and St. Patricks Day and

Eloise McCafferty, the elderly founder of the shop, chuckled. You love greeting cards, period, Rachel. Thats one of the reasons why I decided to turn this operation over to you. My dear Delbert would be rolling over in his grave if he could see how far in debt we are. She suddenly got an impish grin on her round, full face and her eyes twinkled. Will you have to fire me to cut corners?

Of course not. Rachels blue-eyed gaze met the older womans and she realized Eloise had been teasing, although there was an element of truth to the supposition.

Whew! Thats a relief.

Sobering, Rachel patted her mentors shoulder. I still wish youd let me buy an interest the way I offered to. I have a little money saved and

No. Youre like a daughter to me. Just dont bury yourself in this place 24/7 and miss out on the rest of life. She winked. Like maybe marriage.

Rachel gave a nervous tug on the hem of her embroidered T-shirt and smoothed it over her jeans. Believe me, I discovered a long time ago that I dont need a man in my life to make it whole.

Maybe not a snob like Lance Beech or the guys you dated before he came along, but there must be a perfect husband for you somewhere.

In a little town like Serenity? I cant see any good prospects. Besides, I prefer to stand on my own two feet.

She purposely changed the subject. So, are you ready to tackle the last of the shipment that came in yesterday or do you want me to do it?

Youre the boss. You tell me to jump and all Ill ask is how high.

Thoroughly enjoying the banter, Rachel nodded and pointed. Okay, Miss Froggy. You go in the back room and check packing slips while I rearrange these drawers. Theres a lot of old stock in here that I need to weed out and I wouldnt want you to feel bad having to watch.

I dont mind as long as we donate the rejects to charity the way we planned.

Absolutely.

Rachel pulled an empty cardboard box closer and went to work as soon as the older woman left the room. It was a tedious chore, one that muted her senses and lulled her usually quick mind into a daydreaming state.

Valentines Day. What a lovely occasion, she mused. Except that I rarely receive any of the sweet, sentimental cards we sell.

Perhaps that should have bothered her but it didnt. After her recent, messy breakup with Lance and the way some of their mutual friends had started practically shunning her, even at church, Rachel was far from ready to open her heart to another man, let alone anyone local.

She was just rising and getting ready to drag the half-full cardboard box to the next drawer when she heard a muffled, squeaky noise coming from the back room.

Eloise?

No one answered. Eloise? Are you all right?

Waiting quietly for an answer and hearing nothing, Rachel frowned. That was strange. Unless Mrs. McCaffertys hearing aid battery was going dead, she should have replied.

Eloise? Answer me.

Instead of a spoken response, Rachel heard a piercing scream! She gasped. Her feet felt rooted to the carpet. In the few seconds it took for her to force herself to move, the wordless screeching was repeated so many times she lost count.

Jace Morgan was cruising Main Street, just passing the grocery store, when the call came over his radio. He was still learning his way around the area and might have had trouble locating a residence on one of the many unmarked, outlying, dirt roads, but the commercial district was easy to navigate, especially since the sheriffs office was right across the square.

He radioed that he was on scene as he parked his black-and-white patrol car in front of the group of stores. Leaving the light bar flashing, he stepped out of the vehicle.