Romantic moments — Kandy Shepherd

In the countdown to the most romantic day of the year—February 14 of course—I’m thinking of the most romantic thing someone has done for me.

It might well be my then boyfriend (we’d known each other for six months) going out to the airport to meet me from a work trip to India with a big bunch of flowers all ready to propose—and then waiting, waiting because the flight was actually due in the next day. So he went all the way home again, then the next day bought more flowers and went back out to the airport again. This time I got off the plane, he gave me the flowers, and then popped the question. Needless to say, I said yes and we were married as soon as we could organize it. We’ll celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in April.

Red roses for romance - we grow our own!

The romance is still alive but as we know each other so well, perhaps in a different way. My most recent gift from him was a speech recognition software program where I can dictate into the computer. All the typing I do causes quite a stress on hands, arms and shoulders. He’d heard me complaining and thought the software might help to take the pressure off. So thoughtful and, in its way, romantic.

Ah, the romance of Valentine's Day! 

 But I really knew the romantic in him was still flourishing when my daughter, out of the blue, asked us: “How do you know when it’s the right time to get married?”

Immediately I replied, “When you’ve completed your education, have a job, have travelled—”

Without lifting his head from whatever he was doing my husband replied, “When you fall in love.”

He was so right and put me—a romance writer!—to shame.

Chocolates are welcome any day of the year!

But this romantic husband of the thoughtful presents, doesn't celebrate Valentine's Day. "It's not for married people," he says. No presents, no flowers, no chocolates. To tell the truth, it doesn't bother me, though I like to tease him about his curmudgeonliness.  (Okay, so maybe I'd like chocolates but I'd like them any day of the year!)

Then I'm loving seeing the preparations my daughter's boyfriend (a romantic like her father) is making for their first Valentine's Day together. Sigh!

 My first novel for Harlequin, The Summer They Never Forgot was released last week and is an emotional reunion story.

Readers are telling me the ending, in particular, is deeply romantic. So as not to include spoilers, I’m sharing a romantic moment from earlier in the book with you:

“When Ben lifted his head from the wave and saw Sandy standing on the beach, it was as if the past and the present had coalesced into one shining moment. A joy so unexpected it was painful had flooded his heart. So here he was, against all resolutions, kissing her. Her lips warm and pliant beneath his, her body pressed to his chest. Her eyes, startled at first, and then filled with an expression of bliss. He shouldn’t be kissing her. Starting things he could not finish. Risking pain for both of them. But those thoughts were lost in the wonder of having her close to him again. It was like the twelve years between kisses had never happened.”

 What’s the most romantic thing someone has done for you? The most romantic gift you’ve been given? Or the romantic gesture you’ve made.

Please leave a comment—I’d love to hear about it!

I have two signed copies of The Summer They Never Forgot to give away. Please include your email address in your comment if you want to be included in the draw.

The Summer They Never Forgot is Kandy’s first release from Harlequin Romance in the US, the UK and Australia.

Visit Kandy at her website

www.kandyshepherd.com

(Photo of red heart © Caraman| Dreamstime Stock Photos)