Free Be My Valentine by Debbie Macomber

lowered the fork to her salad plate and glanced at Steve, praying he’d know what was going on.
    â€œThe two of you make such a handsome couple,” Renée Horton said. Her words were casual, but her expression wasn’t. Everything about her said she was intensely curious about Steve and Dianne.
    â€œThank you.” Steve answered, then turned to Dianne and gave her what she’d referred to earlier as a silly grin and what he’d said was his besotted look.
    â€œHow did you two meet?” Maryanne Atwater asked nonchalantly.
    â€œAh…” Dianne’s mind spun, lost in a haze of half-truths and misconceptions. She didn’t know if she dared repeat the story about meeting in the local grocery, but she couldn’t think fast enough to come up with anything else. She thought she was prepared, but the moment she was in the spotlight, all her self-confidence deserted her.
    â€œWe both happened to be in the grocery store at the same time,” Steve explained smoothly. The story had been repeated so often it was beginning to sound like the truth.
    â€œI was blocking Steve’s way in the frozen-food section,” she said, picking up his version of the story. She felt embarrassed seeing the three other couples listening so intently to their fabrication.
    â€œI asked Dianne to kindly move her cart, and she stopped to apologize for being so thoughtless. Before I knew it, we’d struck up a conversation.”
    â€œI was there!” Louise Lester threw her hands wildly in the air, her blue eyes shining. “That was the two of you? I saw the whole thing!” She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin and checked to be sure she had everyone’s attention before continuing. “I swear it was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”
    â€œIt certainly was,” Steve added, smiling over at Dianne, who restrained herself from kicking him in the shin, although it was exactly what he deserved.
    â€œSteve’s cart inadvertently bumped into Dianne’s,” Louise went on, grinning broadly at Steve.
    â€œInadvertently, Steve?” Sam Horton teased, chuckling loudly enough to attract attention. Crazy though it was, it seemed that everyone in the entire community center had stopped eating in order to hear Louise tell her story.
    â€œAt any rate,” Louise said, “the two of them stopped to chat, and I swear it was like watching a romantic comedy. Naturally Dianne apologized—she hadn’t realized she was blocking the aisle. Then Steve started sorting through the stuff in her cart, teasing her. We all know how Steve enjoys kidding around.”
    The others shook their heads, their affection for their friend obvious.
    â€œShe was buying all these diet dinners,” Steve said, ignoring Dianne’s glare. “I told her she couldn’t possibly be buying them for herself.”
    The three women at the table sighed audibly. It was all Dianne could do not to slide off her chair and disappear under the table.
    â€œThat’s not the best part,” Louise said, beaming with pride at the attention she was garnering. A dreamy look stole over her features. “They must’ve stood and talked for ages. I’d finished my shopping and just happened to stroll past them several minutes later, and they were still there. It was when I was standing in the checkout line that I noticed them coming down the aisle side by side, each pushing a grocery cart. It was so cute, I half expected someone to start playing a violin.”
    â€œHow sweet,” Renée Horton whispered.
    â€œI thought so myself and I mentioned it to Larry once I got home. Remember, honey?”
    Larry nodded obligingly. “Louise must’ve told me that story two or three times that night,” her husband reported.
    â€œI just didn’t know it was you, Steve. Imagine, out of all the people to run into at the grocery store, I happened to