Chelsea chattered on about her pool and painting the fishes on it. By the time lunch ended, Rick had been invited to Sunday dinner and a pool party.
Outside the restaurant, Helen took Chelsea’s hand. “We’re off to shop until I drop. This one never drops. See you at home tonight, Lily. I’ll pick up something for dinner. Nice meeting you, Rick.”
“See you on Sunday. I’ll bring ice cream,” he added, grinning at Chelsea.
Rick shoved his hands into his pockets as he and Lily strolled back to the office. “Helen’s a nice person.”
“Yes, she is. I don’t know what I’d have done without her. I’m going to miss her when she leaves in a few weeks.”
Rick slowed his pace. “Are you ever going to tell me more about your father?”
“Not much to tell. Things have been strained between us since he…since I moved in with Helen.”
“He’s never seen Chelsea?”
“Nope.”
Rick shook his head. “His loss.”
*
Saturday night, Lily finished a transcript and swept through the house with a dust cloth.
“A little late for cleaning, isn’t it?” Helen came down the stairs.
“Just tidying up a bit.”
“Want to make a good impression on Rick?”
“I’d clean up for any guest.”
Helen smiled. “I know. Just teasing. He’s a nice man. Chelsea’s certainly taken with him. He’s all she talked about on the way to the mall after lunch the other day.”
Lily sighed. “I think she misses having a daddy.”
“Is Rick a potential candidate?”
“What? No. Oh, no. He’s my boss, and he’s a friend. That’s all.”
“Is there anyone else in the running?”
She thought of Beau but dismissed him. “Not at the moment. It’s taking all of my time and energy to keep my head above water. And Tyler didn’t do much for my confidence in men.”
Helen snorted. “Tyler was not and, in my opinion, still is not a man.”
Following her to the kitchen, Lily slumped into a chair and leaned on the table. “I worry that he’s going to show up one day and demand to see Chelsea.”
“We’ve talked about this, Lily. I think it’s time you initiate having his rights legally terminated.”
“You’re right. But that involves legal fees.” Helen opened her mouth to respond, but Lily held up her hand. “And, no, I will not let you pay for it.”
“How about legal aid? You’d qualify, income-wise.”
“Now that’s not a bad idea. I need to think about it, though. Maybe it’s best not to poke a sleeping snake.”
Helen poured a glass of milk and sat across from Lily. “I worry about you. You’re young, and you should be dating, meeting Mr. Right.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“My Mr. Right came and went, long before I knew you.” Helen gazed down at the glass in front of her.
“Your Mr. Right? You never told me.” Lily rested her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands.
“I was fresh out of college. He was a seasoned teacher, assigned to mentor me. We started seeing each other outside of school after about six months. When the principal got wind of the relationship, he called us both in and threatened to take it to the board if we continued.”
“That’s not fair. How could he do that?”
Helen smiled. “A small town, a different time. No one would give it a second glance these days.”
“What did you do?”
“I took a teaching position the next year in Sandusky. An hour away, but we still only saw one another on weekends. By the end of that school year, he proposed.”
“Helen! How could you have not told me this?”
“Because it doesn’t have a happy ending. We never married.”
“Why not?”
“I wasn’t ready. I was new to teaching. I wanted to travel. But James didn’t want to wait. He was older and ready to settle down. I went to Italy for the summer, and by the time I returned home, he’d found someone else.”
“Oh, Helen. That’s so sad. He couldn’t give you the summer?”
Helen shook her head. “I told myself it wasn’t meant to be, or he would have been more understanding. I’ll never know. He married the following spring and, after that school year, moved to Colorado.”
“But you were young. Didn’t you meet anyone else?”
“I threw myself into teaching. I love what I do, and my students became my children. Then one day I woke up, looked into the mirror, and saw this old woman looking back at me.”
“You’re not old. You’re…mature.”
“And you’re sweet,” Helen said with a laugh. “Okay, enough of my sad story. Don’t let life get past you while you’re not looking. You deserve to be happy. Not that you can’t be happy without a man. I’ve been happy enough. But I have you and Chelsea in my life.” She stood and rinsed her glass at the sink. “You two have made my life richer than you know. I saw the way Rick looks at you, and there’s no doubt Chelsea has him wrapped around her finger. Don’t dismiss him too quickly. And don’t spend the whole night cleaning. There’s time in the morning for that. Goodnight.”
Lily sat at the table long after Helen was gone. She’s right. I’ve never been in a relationship with a man. And you can’t even call what Tyler and I had a relationship. She stepped out onto the back porch, breathing in the earthy night air. The stars reminded her of the twinkle in Rick’s eyes when he teased or looked at Chelsea. She thought of Beau, his bad boy looks, the danger he exuded—and the excitement.
She locked the door, flipped off the lights, and climbed the stairs to her room. She stood beside the double bed with the sag in the center where she slept. She imagined two dents in the mattress, an imprint of two bodies spooned together, night after night. Sighing, she pulled back the covers and rolled to the middle of the mattress.
*
Chelsea arrived at the breakfast table decked out in her hot pink swimsuit, matching sandals, and sunglasses. Her Princess Jasmine tiara held her unruly curls in place. “Mommy, can we make lemonade for my pool party?”
“I don’t see why not. Aren’t you dressed a little early?”
“I wanna be ready when Rick gets here. He’s gonna help me build a sand castle. An’ he said he can’t wait to meet Pepper.”
“Oh, I’ll bet he can’t.”
Helen had come in from the porch. “Let me guess. We’re talking about Rick.”
“You got it.” Lily smiled and set a bowl of cereal in front of Chelsea.
“I invited Mrs. Glenn to join us. I hope that’s okay.” Helen sat across from Chelsea.
“That’s great. I’m glad you thought of it. I’m going to pick the ripe tomatoes and see what else is ready in the garden.” Lily grabbed the old stockpot she kept in the pantry and headed out the door.
In the garden, she plucked a deep red tomato from a vine and held it up in the sun, admiring its perfection. She was tempted to rub it on her pant leg and take a juicy bite, but she dropped it into the pot and bent to pick another one. Returning to the kitchen, she set the pot filled with tomatoes and leaf lettuce in the sink for rinsing. Chelsea paraded through with the cat slung over her shoulder. “When can we fill my pool?”
“After I’ve showered and someone’s outside with you. Why don’t you and Pepper watch TV?”
“Okay.” She ran into the living room, the wide-eyed cat bouncing with every step.
After a shower, Lily studied three outfits laid out on her bed. How could it be so difficult to choose a pair of shorts and a tank top? And why was she making it such an issue? She decided on a bright turquoise top and navy blue shorts.
Helen filled the old kettle grill with fresh charcoal briquettes. Lily dragged the garden hose across the lawn. She sprayed water over the sand box, dampening the sand to make it more pliable. She stood over the pool, filling it with cool water.
Two fingers poked her
in the ribs. She jumped and turned, the hose still in her hand. Water soaked the front of Rick’s shorts.
His eyes widened and he gasped.
She dropped the hose into the pool and turned back to face him. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”
He laughed and tugged the dripping legs of his khaki shorts away from his thighs. “That’ll teach me to sneak up behind you when you’re armed.”
“I’ll get a towel.”
“The sun will dry me off in no time.”
“But you’re soaked.”
Chelsea bounded out the door and down the steps. “Rick!”
“Hey, Chels.” He held up a brown bag. “Vanilla fudge ripple.”
“Yaaay.” She looked at the front of his shorts and giggled. “It looks like you had a accident.”
“I did. I made the mistake of scaring your mommy while she had a hose in her hand.” He set down the bag and bent to remove the hose from the pool. “I’ll show you how it happened. She was standing here, like this.” He aimed at the pool. “I snuck up behind her and she turned, like this.” He spun around and sprayed Lily with cold water.
“Aaaah! Are you crazy?” Lily turned away and the stream soaked her backside as well.
His laughter rumbled through her. She glanced down to see her tank top clinging tightly to her breasts. She pulled at the knit shirt, then grabbed the towel Chelsea wore over her shoulder and wrapped it around her.
A smile stretched across Rick’s face. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
“I guess I deserved it. I’m going to change into dry clothes. And I should put the ice cream in the freezer.” Lily picked up the bag and hurried to the house. She heard Chelsea shriek and looked back to see Rick chasing her around the yard, spraying the water in an arc above her. A flashback to her own childhood clouded her vision. She remembered a similar game played with Daddy before. Helen was right. She needed to find someone, if not for herself, for Chelsea. Her daughter deserved a father. But Rick had already established himself as a confirmed bachelor.
The phone rang and Lily answered after tugging a dry tank top over her head. “Hello?”
“Lily, it’s Beau.”
“Oh, hi.”
“Is this is a bad time?”
“Well…”
“Good. This will just take a minute. I was wondering if things got settled for you with your house.”
“Not yet. But Rick’s working on it.”
“Is there something between you and Rick? More than a working relationship?”
“No! Heavens no.”
“Then perhaps you’ll have dinner with me next Saturday?”
She stood in front of the mirror and adjusted her hair with her fingers. “I don’t know.”
“Lily, come on. Just dinner. I don’t bite, I assure you.”
A little nip sounds like fun. Chelsea’s delighted screech and Rick’s hearty laugh burst up from the back yard. “Beau, can I get back to you about dinner? I have guests here now.”
“I’ll call you on Monday at the office. Please think about it, though.”
“Okay. Bye.” She stared at herself in the mirror. What was it about Beau that made her hesitate? His bad boy looks? The spark of physical attraction she felt when she was near him? He was fast—fast talking, fast car, fast moving. Suddenly everything was moving too fast. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before descending the stairs.
Rick and Chelsea were hard at work creating sand sculptures when Lily returned to the yard. Mrs. Glenn sat in a lawn chair, shaded by the tree, watching their endeavors. Lily carried a platter of burger patties and hot dogs to Helen at the grill.
“I haven’t seen you move that fast for a while,” Helen teased.
“I wasn’t prepared for a wet tee shirt contest.” She looked across the yard. “I’m worried that Chelsea’s getting too attached to Rick.”
“I think the feeling’s mutual. He lights up when he sees her.”
“I know, but is that giving her the wrong message? He has no intention of getting married or having kids. And if I meet someone…”
“Not if, when. And I think you’re worrying needlessly. What Chelsea will learn is that people come into our lives and, sometimes, they leave. She has to learn that eventually. You can’t protect her from everything.”
“No, but I can try.”
Rick ambled toward them.
Lily squinted at him. “Are you drying out?”
“Just about.” He pointed to his shorts and her eyes followed, settling on the still-damp crotch. She blinked and looked away, waving to Chelsea, hoping the heat would explain her flush.
“The ladies have requested lemonade.”
“It’s in the fridge. I’ll get it.” Lily set the platter on the side table.
“I’ll help.” Rick followed her into the house. He stood in the center of the kitchen and looked around. “This is nice. Homey. Reminds me of our kitchen when I was a kid. Did you put up the border?”
“The border, the ceiling fan, the paint. You name it. Now you can see why I don’t want to move.” Her throat felt thick. “I love this house.”
“I have found a solution to the problem.”
Lily handed him a stack of plastic cups and reached into the fridge for the pitcher of lemonade. “What’s that?”
“Don’t say anything until I finish. Okay?”
“That makes me nervous.” She set the pitcher on the table. “What’s the solution?”
“Gardner Realty is going to buy the house. You can negotiate a new lease agreement with the option to buy. Sanders is willing to apply the rent you’ve paid toward the purchase price.”
“Ah, but I’m not purchasing. Gardner Realty is. And I don’t think that’s a good idea, mixing work and my personal life. Though it seems my personal life has invaded the office lately.”
“It’s a business deal for me, and it solves your problem. We’ll do a lease agreement, based upon a loan. I’ll give you the money to purchase the house, and you’ll get credit for what you’ve paid. The loan agreement will state the amount to be paid each month, equivalent to your rent, and when it is paid in full, the deed is yours. If something unforeseen happens, the house belongs to Gardner Realty. It’s all legit.”
She pressed her palms against the table and leaned, stretching her arms taut. “Rick, I appreciate your willingness to help. I really do. But I don’t like the idea of you being my boss and my landlord. It just feels like it could be awkward.”
He shook his head. “You are one of the most stubborn and independent women I’ve ever met.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I am independent. I don’t seem to have much of a choice. I suppose I’m expected to succumb to your charm and let you rush in on your white horse to save me? Well, that only happens in fairytales.”
“Lily, you know better than that. I’m not a chauvinist.” He picked up the pitcher. “I’m trying to be a friend.” The door slammed behind him.
Tears stung her eyes and she reached for a paper napkin. “Shit.”
The tension between them throughout the afternoon put Lily on edge. She jumped up to run into the house for condiments, more drinks, any excuse she could find. Rick focused on Chelsea and the two older women. Maybe she had been too harsh with him, but when push came to shove, she was the one who had to solve her own problems. Her father bowed out on her. So had Tyler. Why should Rick or any other man be any different?
When Rick said goodbye and got into his car, Lily took in a deep breath and exhaled. She felt the knots in her back loosen. Nice going, Champion. You’ll probably end up losing the house and your job.
Helen cornered her in the kitchen. “I don’t know what is going on between you and Rick, but I do know that’s not the way to win a man over.”
“I’m not trying to win him over. Helen, some things have happened that you don’t know about yet.”
“Tell me.”
She filled Helen in on Rick’s proposal to buy the house.
Lily shook her head. “He doesn’t even know me. I can see where Rick may want to keep me around, though. I have the office running efficiently.”
“Men don’t think things through the way women do. He sees, he wants, he goes after.”
“Helen! Why are you just telling me this now?” Lily laughed.
“Because you need to know it now. I know that you and the other kids always thought of me as the old maid school teacher. But I understand a little more about life than you think. Maybe Rick’s attracted to you and he thinks that by buying the house so you can stay put, he’ll have an advantage with you.”
“Well, he’s wrong. The house may be up for sale, but I’m not. Maybe he’s competing with Beau.”
“You haven’t mentioned Beau before. Who’s he?”
“He’s an up-and-coming contractor. He looks more like a cowboy, boots and all. He’s charming, has a killer smile.” She told Helen about her first meeting with Beau at the restaurant. “You get the two of them in the same room and it’s testosterone overload.”
Helen raised one eyebrow but didn’t say a word.
“Oh, Helen. Come on. There’s nothing between me and either of them.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yes, you did. You just didn’t say it out loud. Besides, I have to find another place to live. I don’t have time for either of those two clowns.”
“Uh-huh.” Helen put her hands on Lily’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “There will come a time when you do have time.”
“Well, for now I just want to get through the next few weeks. And I want to enjoy this time with you while you’re here.” She wrapped her arms around Helen, sinking into the motherly softness.
The back door slammed, and Chelsea bounded into the room. “Mommy, look what I found.” She held out a grubby hand and opened it. A tiny toad rested in the center of her palm.
“Cute. What did I say about bringing bugs and things into the house?”
Helen laughed. “Come on, Chels. Let’s release Kermit back into the wild. Put your other hand over top so he doesn’t get loose in here.” She glanced back at Lily. “Think about what I said. It can be nice to have a handsome clown around.”
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