Bobbi Smith by Heaven

spoke with finality. “You pledged yourself before God to another man. John’s a good man. He deserves more from you. I won’t cheat both of us just to satisfy your desires. I wish I didn’t love you, but I won’t damn myself to the hell of being your illicit lover.”
    She went pale at his harsh words.
    “John’s the perfect husband for you. He’ll always be at your side. He’s successful and rich . . .”
    “You know he doesn’t mean anything to me!”
    “He may not mean anything to you, but he pleases your parents, and that, my dear, matters to you.” Matt remembered how her father had come to him at the store and tried to force him to give up his dreams and come to work for him. Matt had refused. He needed to live his life his own way. He needed to be his own man. He couldn’t give it all up—not even for Valerie.
    “I should have defied my father! It doesn’t matter to me that you’ll never make a lot of money. It doesn’t matter to me that you take those long trips looking for treasures that may or may not exist. I shouldn’t have listened to my family! I should have . . .”
    “It’s over, and it has to stay that way.” He cut her off. “You’re a married woman now.”
    “That doesn’t stop me from thinking about you, and wanting you, and remembering . . . What we shared was so wonderful . . .” She brazenly approached him, coming around the counter and touching his arm.
    “Valerie, you’d better leave.” Matt’s hands clenched into fists at his sides as he ordered her from his life.
    “I know, but Matt, kiss me just one last time . . . please . . .” She tried to loop her arms about his neck and pull him down to her. Her lips were but a breath apart from his. He was tempted, so very tempted, but his honor held fast.
    “No,” he said, taking her by her upper arm and pushing her away from him, breaking the intimate contact. He steered her to the door. “Good bye, Valerie.”
    . She looked up at him, her desire for him shining in her eyes. “You really mean it . . . You don’t want me?” “Go home to your husband.” He opened the door and all but pushed her out.
    “I’ll always love you, Matt.”
    The words were in his heart, but he couldn’t say them. He wouldn’t say them. Though he had nothing else, he still had his honor. She was another man’s wife. “Good bye, Valerie.”
    Matt closed the door, drew the shade, and slid home the bolt, locking her forever out of his life. He remained standing there, staring at the door, long after she’d gone. Bitterness filled him. He had loved her. He had given his heart to her. He would never be so foolish again.
    Finally, Matt turned back to the desk. He felt drained, empty, as he sat down and returned to reading his mail. He was merely going through the motions as he unconsciously ripped open a small package, pulled out the letter within and began to read.
    As he read the missive, the pain of Valerie’s visit was tempered. The letter was from Lawrence Anthony, and it was about the Crown of Desire. Matt was saddened to learn that the older man was dead, but the news that he’d had the crown and was giving him a chance to join in the hunt to find it thrilled him beyond his wildest dreams. All he had to do was wait until he heard from a priest named Father Bradford. Evidently, Lawrence had trusted this priest implicitly, and because of that, Matt knew he would trust him, too.
    The crown. . .. Matt picked up the book written in Lawrence’s own hand and studied it, but the odd lines of free verse made little sense to him. He realized that he’d have to bide his time and wait for the good Father to arrive. He hoped it would be soon. He’d been searching for the crown for years and now could hardly wait to begin.
    Later, as Matt locked the book and letter away, Valerie slipped back into his thoughts. In that moment, he knew he’d done the right thing by refusing her father’s wishes. No matter how hard he might have tried to please