Shelly's Valentine

**Many thanks to Aries77 for a great editing job!**

Shelly Landford said goodbye to her best friend, Lisa, and set the phone into its wall-mounted base. Shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, she stepped over to her back door and peered through the small square window. She shook her head. Lisa is crazy for going on a night like this." Shelly grimaced with her thoughts. Bar hopping just isn't worth the risk. That is exactly what she'd explained to Lisa when her friend had tried to talk her into going.

Large fluffy white flakes poured down from the lead-gray sky, landing on her wood deck. And they were piling up really quickly. "That's not a good sign," she muttered aloud. The forecast was calling for three to five inches of snow and from the looks of things; they weren't going to be wrong this time.

"Oh, well, at least I'm ready." She thought of her fireplace in the living room and the wood stacked at least a foot high on each side. And she thanked the good Lord that she'd made a recent grocery run so her fridge, freezer and pantry were all well stocked. Her ever-scurrying thoughts shifted to the elementary school. If the snow kept coming down, she wouldn't have to worry about the party her third grade class is scheduled to have. The kids will be so disappointed

With a heavy sigh on their behalf, she turned from the dreary weather to the even more depressing sight of the kitchen sink where dirty dishes awaited her. Since she lived alone, washing them wasn't a chore she did everyday, which left her with the task of doing three days worth tonight. "Hell of a way to spend an evening!" she thought to herself unhappily. "Especially the night before Valentine's day!"

She had no social life to speak of. And it was partly by her choice she had to admit. But, sad as it may be, she couldn't see going out when the men she knew held no interest to her beyond friendship.

Sighing again and flipping the faucet on, none too gently, she got to work. Also because she lived alone, the task didn't take long and she was slipping her last frying pan into the sudsy water when the doorbell chimed some ten minutes later. Pulling a terry cloth towel from a belt loop of her jeans, she dried her hands as she meandered down the tiny hallway that led to the living room and front door.

Her Ohio hometown was small--the kind where everyone knew each other well. Because of this, Shelly never even considered checking to see who was on the other side before opening the door. She did, however, wonder who would be out in the snow at almost dark.

When she looked out, and up, at her guest, running into a pair of jade-green eyes that she'd not seen in ten years, she cursed herself for the lapse in judgment.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob Timmens had to take three deep breaths before he could raise his finger to the lit-up button beside the scarred oak door. After pressing it, he immediately buried his hands into the pockets of the bomber jacket he wore. The wind was blowing something fierce and the snow was now coming down thick. He still wasn't entirely sure why he was even here at the ranch-style home on Ivy Street. When he had pulled into town, he hadn't consciously planned to drive by. Nor did he remember making the decision to stop and see if anyone was home. Yet here he stood.

He hadn't seen Shelly Landford since he'd moved to Texas with his family. That had been the summer before their senior year of high school. And they had not parted on the best of terms.

He recalled clearly the night before he left. His pals had thrown him a kick-ass farewell party and he'd been having a great time. Until he'd taken Shelly by the hand and stole off to the other side of the lake so that they could spend some time alone.

Jake closed his eyes and could still see Shelly's sad and tear-streaked face, made that more unforgettable by the moonlight, as she'd begged him to stay in Ohio with her. He had turned eighteen several months before and his parents had told him that if he wanted to stay and finish school with the people he had known all of his life, they would help him accomplish that. Shelly had implored him to take them up on the offer.

But, Jake's dad had become gravely ill, eaten up with bone cancer, and unable to work. The move was to take the Timmens family closer to his mom's relatives, who would be helping the financially struggling family. Jake just couldn't desert his parents. If nothing else, they would need his help with his younger brothers and sister. Not to mention any income he could contribute.

When he'd tried to explain things to Shelly, an argument had ensued. She'd accused him of not loving her enough to stay with her. He had thrown in her face that if she really loved him, she would understand his reasons for leaving. After some time had passed, of course, he'd realized that she only said those things because she'd been hurting. The same was true for him. But by the time he'd had the insight, it had seemed too late to do anything about it.

Jake opened his eyes and was pulled back from the memories as the door in front of him creaked open. His heart began to thump wildly in his chest and his pocketed hands grew clammy as he came face to face with his past.

~~~~~~~

Jake

Shelly wasn't aware she whispered his name. She wasn't even aware of her own name at that moment. There was a roaring in her ears as her blood flowed hot throughout her body. Her heart had stalled briefly when she first opened the door but it quickly began again, picking up pace in triple time.

Emotions slammed into her as she took in the sight of him. His straight dark brown hair was neatly trimmed close to his head. The six-foot thin and lanky frame of his youth was now a wall of muscle, if what she could see underneath the partially zipped jacket was any indication. Even through the leather, the bulge of rock solid biceps was unmistakable. The straight line of his nose now had a distinctive bump in it--he'd had his nose broken since she'd last laid eyes on him. His full and always luscious lips, however, were still the same and his deep green eyes were as intense as ever. The narrowing of those eyes had her shaking away her astonishment at seeing her high school love again and pulling herself together.

"Hello Jake," she said with a casual air that she didn't really feel. "What brings you around?"

~~~~~~~~

She cut her hair. For some insane reason, that was Jake's first thought as he looked down at the girl he had once loved. When he last saw Shelly, she'd had a mane of rich golden hair that hung to her waist. As he took in the stylishly mussed cap of hair that now ended at the nape of her neck, he mourned the loss of the silken tresses he used to love to run his fingers through.

He had a sudden flash of memory of sitting on the bench seat in his old Ford pickup truck with Shelly in his arms. Parked beside the lake, with nothing but silvery moonlight all around them, their lips meet in a kiss filled with youthful passion. He gathers all of her golden hair in his fist and uses the hold to bring her closer to him. Plain as day, he can still hear her moan and, as it did then, his body hardened.

"Jacob!"

The memory disintegrated with Shelly's shout. He'd been staring at her and she apparently didn't appreciate it. Her dark blue eyes flared with the fire of a temper he remembered well. As he also remembered the stance she now had of one hand on her well-rounded hips.

As his eyes roamed down to take in the swell of her sweater-covered breasts, dipped in waist and denim-clad hips and legs, he realized she was no longer the girl he left behind. She'd matured into a voluptuous, gorgeous woman!

"Jake, either state your business or leave," she demanded, her tone one of annoyance. "It's damn cold out here and I'm closing the door."

"You're right about that, darlin'," he finally spoke.

And before she could guess his intention, he brushed by her and stepped into the warmth of her home.

~~~~

Slowly closing the door until it clicked softly, Shelly used the time to breathe in deeply and adjust to this turn of events. There had been a time when she would have given all she owned to find Jake on her doorstep, wanting to be with her. But that had been the fantasy of naive schoolgirl, which she no longer was.

Pivoting on her sock-clad feet, she found Jake taking in the décor of the living room. She couldn't help but chuckle at the look on his face. The way his eyes widened and his hung open, she figured he must feel as if he'd stepped into a time warp. She hadn't bothered to change much of what had been here when she'd shared the house with her parents during her youth. Yes, the curtains were now light crème Priscilla's instead of the heavy gold drapes her mom preferred. Her mom's coffee table had been old and worn out so she'd replaced it with a small wicker-topped one. And there was carpet on the floor where there had been linoleum years ago. But, the tan brocade sofa and matching chair were the same. As was the antique writing desk in the far corner of the room. The pictures of her family on the fireplace mantle were pretty much the same as well. Shelly just hadn't seen the sense in discarding everything, especially sturdy furniture still usable.

"Is he remembering?" she wondered as she eyed Jake. Many a Friday and Saturday evening had found the teenage couple in this very room, cuddled together on the same sofa Jake now stood in front of.

"Wow!" Jake murmured as his gaze finally came to rest on her. Though he said no more, she could tell from the look in his eyes that he had, indeed, been remembering. Awkward silence settled into the room then. He shifted from foot to foot, his hands buried in his jeans pockets. His fingers fiddled with the change in them. Shelly crossed her arms across her breasts, waiting for him to say something. After all, he did come to her house. All she got for her patience was the sounds of Jake's change rattling and the whoosh of the wind as the storm picked up outside.

Finally at the end of her reserve of patience, she said, "Have a seat, Jake, and I'll make some coffee." Not waiting for a response, she left him alone and stomped to the kitchen.

~~~~

He let go of a pent-up breath after Shelly was out of the room, removed his bomber jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door, and then sat on the old sofa he remembered well. He sunk into it as he always had. It still faced the fireplace and his eyes rested on the pictures there. He recognized a majority of them but there were a couple of additions: Shelly and her parents at what looked to be her college graduation as well as one that seemed to be taken in a professional studio. Jake propped an elbow on the arm of the couch and laid his head in the palm of his hand. Lowering his gaze to the floor, he stared at, without really seeing, the melting snow on his boots.

Seeing her again was way harder than he ever would have thought it could be. Of course, he hadn't given himself much time to think things through. As soon as the offer to visit Lion Aviation had been extended, he'd practically been packed and on the plane from Texas. Though he liked the employment opportunities outlined by the company rep he'd spoken with, its most attractive feature to Jake had been the location. It was a half hour's drive from his old hometown and he just hadn't been able to resist the chance to come back. He missed the place he always thought of as home.

He had considered visiting many times over the past decade. Dreamed of the chance to, in fact. But he'd never felt free to do anything about it. Now, his parents were both gone and his brothers and sister were out in the world doing their own thing. As if giving him a nudge, fate had placed this job of aviation mechanic at Lion in his path just as he was finishing his term in the Air Force.

Jake wasn't a big believer in coincidences. But he had to question if this was the right move for him or just wishful thinking on his part to go back to an easier time and place in his life? And what was he bringing Shelly back into his life for? Closing a chapter? Or trying to start a new one?

~~~~

In the kitchen, Shelly went through the motions of making coffee, but her attention was elsewhere. Mainly wondering what the hell Jake was doing in her house! As the carafe filled with hot black liquid, she pulled out her mom's old serving tray and set it up with mugs, non-dairy creamer and sugar. She didn't really need to be so formal but she did need to busy her hands or she'd most likely pull her hair out!

She was swamped with so many different emotions she didn't know which one to deal with. One was the familiar pang of hurt that his leaving her behind had caused. Another was curiosity of what his life had been like over the past decade. Yet another was the one she was having the most difficulty accepting. That was the warmth and happiness Jake's presence had always filled her with. She had thought those feelings towards him long dead.

Boy was she wrong! And to top it all off, her nerve endings were practically tingling with desire. Jake was the only many that had ever been able to produce the feeling inside her.

The coffeepot made one last gurgle. With no further reason to stall, Shelly added the pot to the tray, took a very deep breath and headed for the living room. The knowledge spread warmth from the roots of her hair down to her toes. She took a seat at the opposite end of the couch and set the tray on the table in front of them.

"How've you been, Shell?" His voice was deeper, richer, than it had been and it slid over her skin like warmed honey. It took all she had in her not to quiver in response.

Glancing at him quickly as she poured the coffee, she replied, "Just fine, Jake, and you?"

"Can't complain." He took the mug she offered, his fingers brushing against hers. A spark passed through his hand and up his arm. From the way she jerked away, Jake knew that she had felt it too.

"So what brings you back?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. She cleared her throat as discreetly as she could but she saw Jake's lips curve slightly and his eyes twinkled with amusement. He hadn't missed a thing.

"A job, actually," he replied before taking a sip from his mug. He preferred his coffee the way it comes out of the pot and he hummed his approval. "That's damn good, Shell. Hits the spot." After another drink, he grinned at her, a bit embarrassed. "I guess I forgot how cold it can get here."

Somehow, his smile relaxed her thought it really shouldn't have. It was the smile of the Jake she used to know; the one that hurt her. Nevertheless, she settled back comfortably against the couch with her doctored coffee in hand.

"I can imagine you haven't seen much weather like this in Texas."

"No, but then I haven't spent much time there lately."

That got her curiosity going. Her fine golden brows arced. "Why is that?"

"I just got out of the Air Force a couple of months ago."

"Wow." Her eyes widened with the murmur. "Sounds exciting. Where were you stationed?"

He smirked slightly. "A little bit of everywhere at first. More recently, I just finished a tour of duty in Iraq."

~~~~~~~

Shelly knew her mouth was gaping open but she couldn't stop it. Jake? In the war? Her heart bounced down to her toes as she comprehended the significance of his words. Hot coffee sloshed onto her jeans and she absently glanced down to find her hands shaking.

Oh. My. God. She'd heard the many reports on the news of what soldiers had been going through over there. Though her heart had gone out to all of them, it had never seemed as real as it did right now. He could've been shot. Or been a victim of one of those suicide bombings. Or...

"Shell?" He spoke quietly as he moved down the sofa to sit next to her. She continued to stare at her hands as if she'd no idea how they got there and he took the quaking mug from her and set it on the table next to his. With a finger gently under her chin, he raised her face so they looked eye to eye. He was shocked to see that her face had paled almost as white as the snow piling up outside.

Even more startling was the tear lingering at the corner of her right eye. Before he'd even consciously thought about moving, he had her in his arms. Her breath was warm against his neck as she murmured, "Oh, Jake," and burrowed into him. Wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders, she began to cry in earnest. He shushed her softly with tender reassurances as he rubbed his palms up and down her back. Even through the angora sweater, she could feel his body heat and it warmed her as nothing else could have. Slowly the tears lessened until she was only sniffling occasionally.

Wiping her face, she leaned back and looked up at him. She tried to give him a smile as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Jake, for acting like such a ninny."

"You're not a ninny, sweetness." His voice had turned deeper, raspier, and the green of his eyes had darkened. Reaching up, he brushed away a lingering tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Can you tell me what that was all about, though?"

"It occurred to me what all could have happened..." Her voice trailed away as she just couldn't finish the devastating thought.

Gazing into those deep blue eyes, seeing something he'd thought lost forever, Jake felt his chest swell with emotions he had doubted he'd ever experience again. He slowly lowered his head. He wanted to taste her again but he'd give her the chance to stop him if she wished.

~~~~~

Shelly knew he was going to kiss her before he even moved. Though she probably should, she wasn't going to stop him. Jake was the only man she'd ever loved and the only one she'd ever wanted to share intimacies with. Ten years ago, she hadn't been ready for that ultimate act of love. She was now and wanted to share it with Jacob Timmens.

She lifted her mouth and met his. Their satisfied moans filled the silent room. The kiss began slow as they relearned the feel and taste of each other. After a few light, open-mouthed kisses, Jake slid his tongue along her bottom lip. Shelly met it with hers willingly and dug her fingerers into his hair. Though the short cut had looked bristly, it was soft against her skin.

She tasted of sweetened coffee and pleasures long absent from his life. Sliding his hands under her arms, Jake lifted her until she could drape her legs over and straddle his lap. Her thighs clamped around his hips as if they were made for that fit alone. She never let go of his mouth, swirling his tongue around his and lightly sucking on it. His cock hardened unbearably, pressing against the seam of his jeans. Shelly chose that moment to rub against his crotch provocatively. They moaned simultaneously and Jake pulled away, ending the kiss. Leaning back, he looked her in the eye.

"If you're going to put a stop to this, baby, please do it now." His voice was rough with passion and his breathing heavy. Disappointment speared through him when she wiggled off of his lap and stood, but he reined it in. He then stared at her in confusion as she held out both hands to him.

"Come to my bedroom, Jake." She said it so softly he had to strain to hear her above the wind still gusting outside. "Stay with me tonight and make love with me."

~~~~~~

Shelly held her breath as she waited for Jake to respond. She didn't doubt for a second her decision to be with him. She dreamed of it, him, all the time and would never forgive herself if she turned down the opportunity. When he placed his hands in hers and rose from the couch, she couldn't keep the grin from her face. Coffee, snow, the world in general, was all forgotten as, silently, she led him down the hall. They passed the kitchen, a small bathroom, and an apparent spare bedroom that looked to be used mostly as a home office. He glimpsed a desktop computer on his way by.