Page 254 of Love Bites

“Tell me about growing up in Rapid City,” Doc said, apparently picking up on my unwillingness to explain the sister-subject in more depth.

The remaining half-hour trip to Harvey’s whizzed by, along with the pine trees lining the road, as I talked about cold winters at home on the prairie and hot summers with Aunt Zoe in the hills.

Harvey banged open the screen door as Doc and I crawled out of the Camaro.

“Oh, Violet, I almost forgot.” Doc grabbed his satchel and pulled a small, thin box wrapped in brown packaging paper from it. “This is for you.”

I raised my brows. A gift? For me? From Doc? What was the occasion?

“It’s not from me. Natalie stopped back by after her appointment and asked me to give it to you.”

Oh, right. I smacked myself mentally for pipe-dreaming again and I took the box from Doc. Calamity Jane’s address covered the front,Attention: Violet Parkerwas handwritten on the lower left corner. I fingered one of the taped ends as we walked toward the porch.

“What’s that?” Harvey asked as I climbed the porch steps.

“I don’t know. It must have come in the mail today.”

“Well, quit diddling with it and open the damned thing.”

Doc leaned against the porch railing as I tore open the package. Inside, I found a box of chocolates.

“Graceland’s Finest,” Harvey read the words printed on the box.

A picture of Elvis in his famous white, rhinestone-studded jumpsuit covered most of the box top. I opened the lid and found a yellow envelope with my name scrawled on it. Chocolates shaped like the King lay underneath, the smell of sweet cocoa hovered around me.

“Let me hold these for you.” Harvey took the chocolates from me as I ripped open the envelope and withdrew a card with a field of daisies pictured on the front.

I looked up at Doc, my shoulders tense. There was no doubt in my mind who had sent these now. Doc frowned back, his dark brown eyes holding mine. He knew, too.

“What’s it say?” Harvey asked through a mouthful of chocolate.

I opened the card and read aloud:

The roses will be red,

For Violet, who I’ll woo.

The Wild Pasque, Friday at seven.

Join me—dinner for two.

“Woo wee, girl.” Harvey whacked me on the back. “You just keep reeling in the weirdos and freaks, I swear.”

“Yeah. Lucky me.” I read the poem again, my left eye began to twitch midway through it.

“You’re not going to go, are you?” The tone in Doc’s voice made it clear what he thought of the idea.

I closed the card, my gut queasy, quivering. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Doc’s question rang with incredulity. He crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. “Have you considered that this admirer could be dangerous? Don’t let the daisies fool you.”

“Or the chocolate.” Harvey grunted as he chewed. “Damn, this is good stuff.”

I glared back. “You have any other idea on how to get him to stop watching me? Sending me these creepy poems?”

“Ignore him. He’ll go away soon enough.”

“He knows where I work. Finding out my home address would be simple. It’s not like I’m in the witness protection program.”

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