Free My Forever Valentine: New Zealand Happy-Ever-After Romance (Due South: A Sexy New Zealand Romance Book 5) by Tracey Alvarez Page A

teenager, a deep vein of affection still existed between his parents. Now that he and Shaye planned to remain in Oban, he’d dreaded his mom announcing a return to her home in LA.
    “I wasn’t sure you’d approve.”
    “Everyone deserves a second chance.” Like Del had gotten a second chance with his father—not only to save Bill’s life but to begin repairing the damage caused by thirteen bitter years apart. “I think you’re both mature enough to make it work this time.”
    “Go on with ya, you cheeky bugger.” Bill spoke sternly but his eyes crinkled. Then he cocked his head at the approaching squeak of wheels on linoleum. “There’s the tea trolley. Better go back to your room before you miss out on your cuppa.”
    “Yeah, yeah.” Del stood and picked up his newspaper. “You just want to get rid of me so I won’t grill you about your wooing techniques.”
    His father chuckled as a young woman pushed the loaded tea trolley into the room. “Think in this instance you could teach me a thing or two. Now let me drink my tea in peace.”
    Before Del could self-censor his actions, he bent and kissed his father’s forehead. “I’ll give you some pointers after dinner, Dad.”
    Del shuffled in his newly purchased slippers down the corridor to his own room. Shutting the door behind him, he glanced at the storage cabinet next to his bed and the plush kaka toy Shaye had bought him the day before.
    “So you won’t miss your little buddy,” she’d said as she had given him one long, wet, smoking-hot kiss before returning to his dad’s room, where his mom and brother had been visiting.
    Del kicked off his ridiculous slippers and padded to the window, which overlooked the parking lot two floors below. Grey clouds scudded across the sky and an empty plastic bag twisted and flapped in a wind gust.
    Shaye would’ve left their little beach house and started on evening prep in Due South’s kitchen. Knowing she was working on Valentine’s Day was bad enough. Knowing she was working without him by her side was gut-wrenching. The dozen red roses he’d sent were a poor substitute for being able to hold and kiss her and tell her how damn lucky he was that she was his forever Valentine.
    Forever Valentine? Listen to him. Del shook his head. Maybe he did need an old man nap.
     
    ***
     
    While Shaye would rather eat instant noodles with a side of powdered macaroni cheese from a packet than get on the Stewart Island ferry unnecessarily, she had done so today.
    For Del.
    Yes, she’d told him she’d stay in Oban, seeing as he’d be discharged from hospital tomorrow. Yes, she’d agreed over the phone, they’d have lots of other Valentine’s Days together. No, she wouldn’t work too hard, since Due South was now the place to eat. And no, she hadn’t forgotten to pick up some peanuts so Bird-brain the kaka would get his daily fix.
    Even after all those promises, she’d still bribed her staff to run tonight’s dinner shift for her, because Shaye Harland would be damned if she’d spend her first Valentine’s Day as Del’s fiancée away from her man.
    Her heroic man, who’d just donated a kidney.
    Shaye glanced at the pale pea-green walls of Invercargill hospital’s public restroom visible in the reflection behind her. A toilet flushed, and a white-haired nurse in scrubs hurried out of the cubicle. Shifting in her cute ballet flats, Shaye continued reapplying lip gloss while the woman washed her hands.
    Peripheral vision revealed the nurse’s glare in the mirror. Oops .
    “No visitors on the ward between 3:00 and 4:30p.m. It’s the patients’ enforced rest time,” the woman said, wagging a finger.
    Shaye peeled her gloss-sticky lips apart in a smile and widened her eyes. “Oh, I’m not visiting. I’ve got an appointment in Gyno.”
    The woman, who reminded her of Mrs. Peacock from Zoe and Jade’s favorite board game, Cluedo, narrowed her wrinkled eyelids.
    “Gyno, hmm? You always get so fancied up for