Joe grinned and twisted around to see Vanessa winking at him. She showed him a small red and pink box of candy hearts in one hand and several candy hearts in her other hand.

Several other classmates either smiled knowingly or snickered but Joe and Vanessa paid them no mind. Joe put a finger to his lips and nodded to the teacher.

Vanessa just rolled her blue-gray eyes and jiggled her box of candy hearts. Joe laughed silently and turned back to the front of the classroom. A moment later something clattered on his desk again. He looked down to see a white candy heart this time, reading: I Luv You.

Before Joe could turn around again, the bell rang dismissing the class. Joe barely acknowledged the homework assignment as he and Vanessa ducked out of the room.

He pulled her into a hug. “I love you too.”

She snuggled into his embrace and slipped her arms around his waist. “So what’s the surprise?”

“Oh no. Part of the surprise is that it’s a surprise.”

Vanessa opened her mouth to protest and he popped a candy heart in her mouth. She gave him a slow smile and leaned forward to kiss him, just as someone passed by them and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, I do believe you’ll be late for your next class.”

Joe turned to see their civics teacher eying them disapprovingly. “Sorry, Mr. Pittman.”

Vanessa slid her hand into Joe’s as they headed for the stairs. “I have Algebra this hour.”

“And I’m being gallant and walking you to your class since Geometry is only two doors down.”

Vanessa laughed. “That’s not necessarily being gallant, that’s just convenient. But who am I to quibble?”

They headed to their next classes with seconds to spare. Vanessa dropped her box of candy hearts in Joe’s hand and ducked into her class. Joe grinned and hurried to his own. He sat down in the back and settled in to listen to more boring explanations about theorems and angles. He half-heartedly took notes, doodling plans for their Valentine’s dinner in the margins of his notebook. He couldn’t wait to wow her.　

***

Finally his brother got into the van with a sigh. “Hey, don’t mess with the radio. I have it set on the perfect station.”

Frank shrugged and started the van. “That’s what you get for making me wait for nearly fifteen minutes. I got bored.”

Joe snorted and buckled up as Frank backed out of his space. “Whatever. What are you two doing for Valentine’s Day?”

Frank turned onto the road and headed toward home. “I’m taking Callie to that new place out by the Interstate. Rossini’s. It’s supposed to be a ritzy Italian restaurant. But if you want to take Vanessa, you’d better call for a reservation. Mr. Rossini said they were filling bookings fast for Sunday.”

Joe thought about it for a moment. “I don’t know. You think Vanessa’d like ritzy Italian over Mr. Pizza?”

Frank rolled his brown eyes. “I’m not going to even dignify that with an answer.”

Joe grunted. “It’s an honest question. You know, Vanessa would rather new hardware for her computer setup than chocolates.”

Frank turned onto High Street. “True. You’ve got a valid point. But Mr. Pizza for Valentine’s Day?”

“Probably wouldn’t be crowded.”

Frank waited until he’d parked in their driveway, then reached over and bopped his brother on the shoulder. “Get serious.”

“I was serious.”

Frank shook his head and got out of the van. He headed inside, with Joe right behind him. After the brief exposure to the icy weather outside, it felt warm and cozy in their house.

Joe dumped his book sack on the foyer floor and hurried into the living room where a fire burned cheerfully in the fireplace. “Mmm.”

“Hello, boys,” Laura said from her spot on the sofa. “You two have a good day?”

Joe nodded. “Have a last minute project on Black History month,” he said with a sigh.

Frank shed his coat and went to hang it up in the hall closet. He set his book sack beside the bottom stair tread to take up with him when he headed upstairs. “I have to finish my criminology essay by Wednesday.”

“Well, at least Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend,” Joe said, taking off his coat. He tossed it on his father’s recliner. “That’s always a plus.”

Laura smiled and focused on her knitting for a moment. “So have you two chosen the places you’re going to take the girls? Are you going together this year or not?”

Frank sighed and sat down beside his mother. “Joe wants to take Vanessa to Mr. Pizza.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said it probably wouldn’t be crowded.” Joe turned to warm his backside. “It’s not like I was being serious.”

Frank opened his mouth to argue with his brother and then chose not to bother. He turned to his mother. “Is Dad surprising you with some special dinner or something?”

Laura sighed. “He’s not here. He left early this morning for Washington, D.C.”

Frank and Joe shared a look and then both turned to their mother. “Is Dad working on something?”

“Not that I know of. He told me Monday, he was going to be home this weekend and we’d go somewhere.” She lowered her hands to her lap. “I’m sure he’ll be back tomorrow, or at the latest on Sunday.”

Joe smothered a yawn and veered for the kitchen. “I’m ready for a snack.”

Frank rolled his eyes. “You’re always ready.” He hovered in the doorway. “Mom…”

“Don’t fret, Frank. Your father and I have had quite a few lovely and special Valentine’s Day celebrations.” Laura looked down at the knitting in her lap and smiled. “I believe Gertrude’s been busy baking cookies all afternoon.”

Frank nodded and headed into the kitchen to find his brother ensconced at the table with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies.

Gertrude set a glass of milk and another plate of cookies on the table, giving Frank a rueful smile. “Some things never change.”　

***　

“You made good time.”

Fenton shed his damp coat and hung it on the brass coat rack. “You said it was urgent, Lance.” He gazed around the quiet office. “I got the impression it was official.”

Lance Burton cleared his throat and headed back to his desk. “Not…exactly. I’m…aware of the fact you were in Prague last year.” He motioned for Fenton to sit down.

Fenton frowned. “I didn’t encroach on anything official, Lance. Not that I know of.”

“True. But you were investigating someone, correct?” Lance shifted some files on his desk and then reached across the desk to hand Fenton a slim manila file. “I think you need to know this.”

Fenton opened the file and went cold. An old friend stared back at him. “I ran into Ian in Prague last year. He was —”

“He was SIS, I know, Fenton. And I’m sorry to say, he’s dead.”

Fenton sat straighter in his seat. “How?”

“Official word from London?” Lance had a faint smirk on his face. “Two-vehicle crash on one of the main motorways.”

“You don’t believe it.”

“I make a living being suspicious, Fenton. And considering why Ian Rider was in Prague and why you were…” Lance took a deep breath. “Viktor Sokol.”

Fenton snapped the file folder shut. “He’s untouchable.”

“Yes, for now. Rider’s death may be connected to Sokol though. He retaliated sixteen years ago when a joint covert operation went south.” Lance handed Fenton another file folder, this one older, more creased and marked.

Fenton opened it and read the data. “Both agents murdered?”

“Within six weeks of the infiltration, within one week of each other. The pilot who flew them there was an unknown even to us at the time. Word then was, he was blindly recruited out of the Air Force.”

Fenton slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure where you’re going with this. I went straight into police academy out of college.”

This time Lance handed him a single sheet of paper. Fenton glanced at the photo of a man who looked to be in his late twenties, military haircut, in uniform. He had to read the name twice before it registered. His brown eyes shot up to gaze at Lance. “Are you sure?”

Lance nodded. “I am. The bad news is, we got this through intel. Sokol knows too.”

Fenton cursed under his breath. “I’ve got to get home.”

Lance got to his feet as Fenton stood and snatched his coat from the coat rack. “I hope we’re not too late.”