Chapter 18: Love is in the Air

******Valentine's Day Weekend*****

Dick was trying to not let his excitement get out of hand. He figured it probably wasn't good for his heart. However, it was impossible not to be excited about spending Valentine's with his sweet girl. Lettie and he had been working all afternoon to plan the perfect meal. He wanted to cook Mac dinner for the first time. Since he didn't know a thing about cooking, he'd asked Weevil's grandma to teach him. They'd decided on a salad with Italian dressing and vegetarian lasagna. Lettie told him that if he mastered this dish, he'd be as close to a perfect man as a gringo could get. Dick didn't know if she'd been joking or not, but he laughed. Weevil was so lucky to have a grandmother. Dick wondered if he could get her to adopt him. Then he decided that no grandmother of his would work cleaning houses.

"You are a good boy, Mr. Dick. Your Mac will be most happy with the dinner you have prepared for her," Lettie said as she wiped down the counter.

"I couldn't have done it without you!" Dick said. "Thanks so much. I wish you were my grandma. Weevil's so lucky!"

Lettie patted his cheek affectionately. These 09er boys her grandson had befriended were good boys. "Anytime you need me to teach you a new dish, you just let me know. Mac's lucky to have a man so concerned with making her happy," Lettie said.

Dick grinned. "I'm the lucky one. She's like the most perfect woman ever. She doesn't get mad over stupid shit, but she doesn't let me get away with doing stupid shit either," he said. Then he looked guilty. "Oh, I'm sorry for saying shit!"

Lettie chuckled. "It's okay. I think my ears can handle it," she said. "You have a goodnight with your girl. Keep it at 200 until you're ready to eat." She turned the oven temperature down for him.

He thanked her as she gathered up her stuff to leave. After walking her to the door, he ran upstairs to get into the shower to clean up.

Mac arrived at six. She had been surprised when Dick had suggested they stay in for Valentine's. She wasn't disappointed, though. With all that had happened, Mac thought it would be better for him if they kept things more intimate. From now on, she would never take their time alone for granted.

She stepped to the bottom of the stairs and called out, "Dick! I'm here."

He appeared and grinned down at her. "Happy Valentine's Day!" he said as he walked down to her.

She handed him a rose. "Here. Since you're the cook, I thought I'd play the guy. A rose for my Valentine," she said, flashing her dimples at him.

Dick grinned. "Sweet. We can put it on the table," he said as he took it from her and gave her a lingering kiss hello.

Then he carried the rose into the kitchen where he had the table set up for dinner. He figured the smaller setting would be more intimate.

Mac smiled at the lit candlelight and place settings. "It looks great! I can't believe you cooked for me," she said.

"Well, Lettie did supervise," Dick acknowledged. "I didn't want to mess up and ruin Valentine's."

"It could never be ruined as long as we are together," Mac said.

"I hope you still feel that way after you taste the dinner," he said.

"Hey, there's always take-out," Mac said with a wink.

Dick laughed as he turned on the faucet to put water into a vase. "That's one of the things I love about you—ever the pragmatic," he said.

"It's a boring job, but someone's got to do it," she replied.

"There's nothing boring about you," Dick assured.

"Before you, I'm not sure that was true. You're the most interesting thing about me," Mac said, believing that.

Dick's mouth fell open in surprise. "Why that's the dumbest thing you've ever said!" Dick exclaimed. "There's like a million interesting things about you!"

Mac didn't argue with him but gave him a happy smile. The way he saw her always made her feel so warm inside. She hoped it never changed. "So do we know what we want to do first? Eat or gifts?" she wondered.

"Let me pour you a glass of wine. The salad is ready. I made vegetarian lasagna. I just have to pull it out of the oven," he said. He went to the table and poured the wine into the glasses he had prepared. Mac sat the vase in the center.

"This is lovely, Dick," Mac said. He was so excited, waves of energy were coming off him. The image of him so pale and plugged up to machines at the hospital finally began to fade.

"You are lovelier," he said, kissing her. She had on a red silk blouse with black slacks. The top three buttons were undone, her black bra was showing slightly. He knew she did that on purpose; she knew how hot he found being teased.

"You are very sweet," Mac said.

"Why don't we have the salad? Then I can give you your gift," he said eagerly.

"And I can give you yours," Mac said.

"I thought the rose and you were my gift," he said with a leer.

"Well, I got you a little something," she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small wrapped box.

Mac always gave the best gifts, so he couldn't imagine what would be in the small box. "Now you're being cruel, tempting me," Dick said with a pout. "But let's eat the salad at least. I need to have some food in me before taking my meds."

Instantly, Mac sobered up some and nodded. Then she grabbed the salad bowl with the salad in it and dished out servings for both of them.

"The salad dressing is Italian and is already mixed in," Dick explained.

"Perfect," she said, smiling at him. He gave her a bashful smile. His cooking skills wasn't something he was confident about. It was so sweet.

They chatted as they ate the salad. "I wish I could tell you what Wallace has planned for Thea tonight," Dick said.

"You can't?" she asked.

"Well, I can later," he said ruefully. "I'd rather focus on you right now."

"Sounds good to me," she replied.

"How about I give you the first part of your gift?" Dick asked as he shoveled the last of his salad into his mouth.

"How about you go take your meds? No more wine for you either," she reminded.

"The doc said a sip or two wasn't a big deal," Dick said.

"You had your sip or two," Mac said firmly. "Switch to water."

"Or Kool-Aid. I have some of that in the fridge," he said with a snicker.

Mac laughed. "Why don't you pour me some of that, too?" Mac said. She didn't want to enjoy the wine if he couldn't.

He got up and poured them both a small glass of Kool-Aid. "It's grape. My favorite," he said with a grin. He took his medicine with a big gulp of it.

Mac took a drink and almost choked because it was so sweet. "It's a bit strong for my taste," she said.

"Wallace made it. He likes it sweet," Dick said, sitting back down.

"So can I give you your gift now?" Mac asked, grinning.

"Since it's ladies first, you can go first!" Dick announced.

Mac laughed. "It's nothing spectacular, but I thought you might like it," she told him.

Dick grinned as he opened the box. Nestled inside was a silver-plated money clip with the words The Ties That Bind. He picked it up and turned it over. All my love, Mac was on the other side. He smiled up at her. "This is so cool! I love it, babe!" he said. He moved to the chair next to her and kissed her. Then he got up and handed her a folder. "Here's the first part of mine."

Curious, Mac opened up the folder. Frowning, she read the top of the document. "Why are you giving me your last will and testament?" she demanded, upset. She stood to her feet. "You are not going to die!"

Dick realized his romantic gesture was about to blow up in his face, so he quickly said, "That's not what this is! I swear!"

"So this isn't your will?" Mac asked, looking down and reading it.

"Well, yeah, it is, but it's not supposed to upset you," Dick said.

"How is your prepared will not supposed to upset me?" she asked him.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to her chair. "Just give me a chance to explain, babe," he begged. "I wanted you to see that I'm preparing for our future together. I wanted you to know that if something happens to me way—way in the future, you'll be taken care of."

She glanced down again at the paper and read. "You're going to leave me all your assets? Even what you inherited from Cassidy?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. There's no one else who I'd want to have it besides Logan, Duncan, or Lily, and they have enough stuff. My surfing stuff can go to Logan and Duncan, though!" he said with a grin. "You can give Wallace a car or something. Give Weevil the pool house." He snickered at the thought.

Mac didn't know what to say. The thought of Dick dying devastated and upset her. However, she was touched that he wanted to take care of her. "Dick, I don't know what to say," she admitted. "I don't want to ever imagine a time where you do not exist in this world and yet I remain."

"It won't be for years and years. I'm going to take good care of myself!" Dick assured her.

She put her hand on his cheek. "You better," she said softly. "I love you so much, Dick. Do you get that? My life would be so much less without you in it. I don't want to even imagine it!"

"The same goes, babe," he said. He gave her a soft kiss. Flashing a smug smile, he continued. "But that's not all. I have one more thing to give you. Your real gift." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box.

Mac smiled. "You know you don't have to buy me things," she said.

"I know," he said. "It makes me want to buy you things more. But this is more of a promise of something more." He opened it up. It was a diamond ring surrounded by five blue sapphires on a white gold band.

"Dick?" she asked.

"I know the ring is lame. The diamond isn't nearly as big as the one I'm going to get you when we get engaged for real. But the sapphires are the color of your eyes," Dick explained. "But Wallace and I were at the jewelry store trying to figure out what to get you and Thea. We both agreed that we never wanted to date anyone but the two of you for the rest of our lives. But we both thought we were too young to be married even though Logan and Ronnie are. You don't want to have babies yet, so there's no rush, right?"

Mac grinned and nodded. "Yes, there's not rush," she said.

"So this is our promise ring. A promise that you and I will be married one day after we graduate. Then with this ring on your finger, other guys won't waste time macking on my Mackie!" he announced.

Mac refrained from laughing. He was so very sweet even as he always managed to make her laugh. "So is there a question you're trying to ask me?" she prodded.

"Will you wear my promise ring and marry me some day?" Dick asked her, a wide smile on her face.

"Of course!" she said as she held out her hand. He put the ring on it. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. When the kiss broke off as the need for air became stronger, a thought occurred to her. "Did Wallace get Thea a promise ring, too?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah. It's not as nice as yours, of course. I tried to talk Wally into something pricier, but he didn't think Thea would approve. She's even more practical than you," Dick said, shaking his head at how unlikely that was. Then a thought occurred to him. "You're not upset that we kind of did the same thing, are you?"

"Did Wallace prepare a will, too?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. He doesn't have nothing anyway, and he has more people to give stuff to than I do anyway," Dick said.

Mac laughed, loving him more every second. "I'm glad for Thea. She's crazy about him," Mac said. "It makes me incredibly happy to know another friend of ours has met their perfect match."

"Yeah, she's sweet and doesn't try to make the rest of us mortals feel dumb," Dick said. "Did you know she's a speed reader? It's like the freakiest thing. I came into the kitchen once when she was here studying with Wallace, and she was turning the pages of a book like you do a magazine at a doctor's office. When I asked her about it, she said that she really was reading the words. It kind of freaked me out."

Mac laughed. "People can train themselves to skim and read that fast," Mac said. "I took a class on it. I can do it if I really want to."

"I have a feeling she's not really skimming," Dick said.

"You're probably right," Mac said. "She's not admitted this to me, but I believe she's got a photographic memory. It's how she can get through her courses so quickly and graduate so early."

"Well, Wallace better not screw it up. I bet a girl that smart could come up with ways to punish him that not even Ronnie could figure out," Dick said as he got up to get the lasagna out of the oven.

Mac grinned. The things Dick thought about never ceased to both surprise and amuse her.

******The Echolls******

Veronica had insisted that Logan not go overboard on Valentine's this year since they'd had a wedding and a honeymoon just last month. Logan knew his definition of overboard wasn't the same as hers, but he did cancel the weekend getaway. He tried to tone it down some. However, he still used the holiday as an excuse to by her expensive jewelry. He decided on diamond and ruby earring drops. He bought a matching necklace and bracelet that he'd give her on her birthday and next Christmas. If he dished them out on special occasions, Logan figured he could gain her quite a collection before she was thirty! He liked spending his money on her mainly because she didn't want it or expect it. There wasn't another woman like her in the world, and he wanted to spend every day making sure she didn't regret marrying him.

Veronica knew her gift for Logan would probably pale in comparison to whatever things he had planned for the weekend. It was frustrating, but it also made her feel very lucky. She did manage to wake him up with breakfast in bed. She presented him with his Valentine's gift, a first edition of Lord Byron's poems. He grinned and started flipping through them. Kissing her, he bounced off the bed to get her gift. She hadn't been surprised that he'd bought her diamond earrings. Sure, they had rubies with them, but they still were diamonds.

"You know jewelry isn't a requirement for Valentine's," she said.

"You don't like it?" he asked with a frown.

"Of course, I do! It's the most beautiful pair of earrings I've ever seen and will go perfectly with the dress I plan on wearing tonight," she assured him.

He grinned. "Good. I like buying you pretty things that you don't need or want," he said. "Will it help to know they were on sale?"

She laughed, knowing his version of a sale would never be the same as hers. Giving in graciously, she leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you, Logan. I love them," she told him, making him happy.

Then she did his second favorite thing. She went surfing with him. Her little pink board he'd bought her the year before had only gotten sporadic use. However, she managed to make him proud and caught a few waves without wiping out.

Logan adored the fact that Veronica was so willing to do something he loved. He knew his plans for the night would please her. During their freshman year, she'd tried more than once to get him to do something more culturally pleasing than poker and parties. He'd brushed her off, disappointing her more than once. It seemed so foolish now. However, he had plans to try everything at least once with her. Tonight would be a minor thing, but it was the beginning of the kind of life he hoped to give her.

Veronica wore her favorite red dress and kept her hair down. It'd had been growing again and now was past her shoulders slightly. She curled it and pulled one side up with a clip. His gift to her were proudly on display. The necklace he bought her for Christmas was nestled in between her breast. The low-cut neckline demanded jewelry, so she was glad to have it. When she came out of the bathroom, Logan whistled.

"Smokin' hot!" he exclaimed with a grin. "I totally have the hottest Valentine date in town!"

"I'm not so sure about that," Veronica said, eying him. "You're lookin' mighty fine yourself!"

He stood a little taller in his tux. "Why thank you, wife," he said, loving her new title.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

"San Diego. Not too far. I want to make sure you have enough energy to perform your wifely duties tonight," he said with a smirk.

She laughed. "What? I thought I just had to lie there while you did all the work? A receptacle for your seed!" she joked.

"Hey, maybe my seed will finally take root!" Logan said hopefully. They weren't actively seeking to make a baby. He used a condom most times. However, she hadn't gotten on any form of birth control since her miscarriage. It was like they were letting fate decide.

"I had a very light lunch, so I hope we're going to some place good for dinner," Veronica said, choosing to ignore his comment about making a baby. That was a heavy topic. One that she didn't want to address on Valentine's.

They headed to the front door. "I took a client to this amazing Italian restaurant that you are going to love!" he bragged.

"I don't know. My Italian standard is pretty high," she said doubtfully.

He just looked smug as he led her to his car. "You will love this place. I promise. Luigi's is not the standard in fine Italian dining," he informed her.

"Take that back!" she demanded as he held open her car door.

He just chuckled and shook his head.

The car ride went by fast as they chatted, enjoying each other's company. Then he pulled up to a place called Salvatore's Cucina Italiana. The valet parked their car, and they were seated immediately. Naturally, Logan had reservations. The small white lights around the restaurant added to the charm of the place. Most importantly, the place simply smelled delicious. Veronica took a deep breath just breathing it in. A piano played a romantic ballad, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

Veronica joyfully looked over the menu, deciding to order a cocktail instead of wine. "I think I'm going to go with the Italian martini tonight," she told Logan.

Logan told their server, an unobtrusive attractive man around their age, "Two Il Giardanos, please."

"Coming right up," he replied.

"I think we shouldn't order an appetizer, so I'm guaranteed to have room for dessert!" Veronica said, grinning in anticipation.

"Well, we can sample and take it home for lunch tomorrow," Logan pointed out. He had learned that his very practical wife could deal with splurging if he came up with a valid reason for the waste. Leftovers were one of the many things he'd gotten used to since co-habitating with her. Trina still refused to eat them, but he'd concluded that who he ate the leftovers with made all the difference.

After their drinks were served, they gave the server their order. They held hands across the table, leaning into one another, lost in their own world. Neither could imagine a time when they wouldn't feel so connected.

An hour later, Veronica agreed, "You're right. This place is incredible." She sighed, feeling full and happy.

"I'm glad you liked it. We have about twenty minutes before the show starts," Logan told her.

"What show?" she asked.

"San Diego's drama department is presenting Fiddler on the Roof," Logan told her.

Veronica grinned eagerly. "You're kidding? I adore that play! Mom dragged Dad and I to it once on Mother's Day back when I was around eleven. It was my first musical. So much fun!" she said.

"I know. You told me," he said.

"I did?" she asked, not remembering.

"Well, you told Lily once, and I remembered because I was there," Logan said. "It's not Broadway, but it's hard to mess up a good musical anyway."

"Very true," she said.

"One day I'll take you to Broadway," he promised. He gathered up their doggie bag after paying. Then they left to go to the nearby college.

They enjoyed the musical immensely. It was the perfect choice for Valentine's Day. It was fun and romantic. Logan had chosen wisely.

"You know my mom had a small role once in Fiddler," he shared on their way home.

"I didn't know that," Veronica said.

"Yes, it was before Dad made it big. I was too young to remember," he said.

"I bet she had a lot of fun doing it," Veronica said.

"Yea, she did. Or rather she told me once about when she tried to talk me into trying out for the school musical when I was in school," Logan said, smiling. "I wish now that I'd given in and done that for it. It would've been a simple thing."

Veronica was glad to hear him speak about the good times with his mother. She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure you'd have been a natural," she said.

They arrived back home. Veronica loved going out with Logan, but she took real pleasure in being able to come back to their home. Richie was staying the weekend with Mary since Trina flew to New York Friday to spend the weekend with Clint. They had the place to themselves. Logan wasted no time in taking advantage of that fact. When they walked through the door, he locked it behind them and set the alarm. Then he pinned Veronica against the wall and kissed her hungrily.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss with equal ardor. Then he surprised her by dropping to his knees and raising up her dress. He pulled down her black thong and moved his mouth to her clit, causing her to gasp his name. The hand not holding up her dress moved inside of her. Veronica hadn't been prepared for his actions, so she responded quickly, coming all too soon.

She looked down at him in stunned amazement. "Give a gal a warning before you do that," she said, breathlessly.

He moved up, grinning in satisfaction. "What'd be the fun in that?" he said. Then he tugged her away from the wall and swept her up in her arms. "Now I can carry you to bed and take my time with the next one."

"I do love a man that has a plan," she said coyly.

Veronica didn't understand how he managed to find the energy, making love to her for hours it seemed. Then they finally fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

Logan, though, had one more surprise for her. His excitement over his final gift had him up before ten making her breakfast this time. He was watching for the delivery he was expecting. When it arrived, he signed for it, having the delivery guy bring the large carrier inside. He tipped generously since the man had been willing to deliver on a Sunday.

A short time later, Veronica was awoken by something wet on her cheek. She grimaced and mumbled, "Don't be gross, Logan."

His voice came from her other side. "It's not me," he said. "It's your last gift."

Veronica opened her eyes and sat up in surprise. The most adorable puppy was on top of her. It was brown with black tipped ears and tail. It grinned adoringly at her, kissing her chin. "You got me a dog?" she asked in surprise.

"I got us a dog," he admitted. "I've been thinking about it for a while. You've always had Back Up. I know you love your pits, but I wanted something with a tamer bloodline. This little guy is half pit and half golden retriever. He'll be great with Richie."

"Not a pure bred?" she asked in surprise.

"Nope," he said.

Veronica hugged him. He was so cute! She couldn't believe Logan had gotten her a puppy. "I love him!" she exclaimed.

"I got a bunch of dog stuff in the garage. We can set it up and show him his new home," Logan said. "He's already had his shots."

"Come here," she beckoned. Logan moved to the bed, sitting next to her. "I love you. Thank you." She wrapped her arm not holding the puppy around his neck and kissed him. Their kiss was soon interrupted by a wet tongue on their chins.

Laughing, Logan said, "I think this little guy wants our attention."

They looked down at their puppy, who was wagging his tail and gazing happily at them. "What are we going to call him?" she asked.

"I always wanted a dog named Rover," Logan said.

Veronica laughed. "Seriously?" she wondered. He nodded, looking sheepish. "Well, then, Rover it is."

Logan smiled in pleasure. He loved making her happy, and he love that it didn't take much to make her smile.

They spent a wonderful day together, playing with their new puppy. Veronica thought their first Valentine's as a married couple couldn't have been better.

*****Chapter End*****

I hope you enjoyed this final V-Day chapter. For those that read my Vampire Dairies stories, no, I didn't make up the name of that restaurant. They're really is that exact restaurant in San Diego! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.