VALENTINE'S DAY VOWS SCHEDULED IN COUNTY TODAY

James Michael King and Susan Denise Harrison are getting married on Valentine's Day for a good reason.

"The all-star break was last weekend," said Harrison, referring with humor to her husband-to-be's love affair with sports and especially the Los Angeles Lakers.

King and Harrison are one of seven Cape Girardeau County couples getting married on the year's most romantic day. In most cases it is a second or third marriage.

Her beloved really did want to make a commitment to her on a day that was special, Harrison says. "Plus, he would get a two-for-one."

One recent marriage-license applicant at the county recorder of deeds' office decided not to get married on Valentine's Day for just that reason. "She said they weren't getting married because she wanted two gifts," Recorder of Deeds Janet Robert said.

The open-eyed King-Harrison version of romance might not match the dewy sentiments found on most Valentine's Day cards today. But each has been married twice before and they've had five years to get to know each other.

"We just decided that this was the year, that five was the magic number," Harrison said.

She also suggested to him that this would be a good year to think about what he wanted from their relationship.

"I teased that if it didn't move forward it was going to move backward," she said.

Some joyful couples bring their families to the recorder of deeds' office armed with cameras and video cameras to record the signing of the license.

"Some act like they don't want to be here," Robert said.

She herself has been married for 31 years to Norman Robert Jr. "I'm beating the odds," she said.

Harrison's previous marriages taught her that "it takes a lot of patience and a lot of compromising."

She jests that the bromide about the charm of the third time is true. "I feel very charming."

Their wedding is being hosted by friends whose house has a large foyer and antiques. Just friends, family and the couple's combined three children will attend.

Harrison spent Friday cleaning, picking up tuxedos, getting the stemware and plates, and having another fitting on her red dress.

"All I require him to do is show up and be there," she says.

Her 12-year-old has bronchitis and her 4-year-old strep throat. Harrison takes a positive view.

"Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong before the marriage," she said.

It doesn't hurt that her new husband is a hospital nurse. Harrison works for the Missouri State Teachers Association.

They'll spend their honeymoon gambling in St. Louis.

The recorder of deeds at one time accepted checks for everything but had to make an exception. "The only time we got bad checks was on marriage licenses," Robert said.