Fortune Finds Florist

by Arlene James

  Sierra folded her arms, her countenance hardening. “That may be for the best. In fact, I’m not sure he should even be invited.”

  Tyree’s head came up, eyes wide and flashing with temper.

  “Of course her father’ll be invited to her birthday party,” Sam said firmly. “Whether he comes or not, that’s up to him.”

  Tyree shot him a grateful look, and Sierra reluctantly nodded, obviously understanding what he’d been trying to tell her. If Tyree was going to be disappointed, let it be by her father.

  “Sam is right,” Sierra said. “I won’t keep your dad from coming to your birthday party.”

  Tyree nodded glumly and fidgeted, pressing her legs together. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

  Sam pointed to the hallway door. “Straight across.”

  “Wash your hands when you’re done,” Sierra instructed. Tyree nodded and hurried from the room. When she was gone, Sierra looked at Sam. “I should’ve known she’d come to you.”

  “A neighbor kid of mine gave her a lift, Terry Zimmerman. No doubt she knew I’d call you the minute she showed up, which just goes to prove that she didn’t really want to run away from home. She was just trying to scare you, I figure.”

  “It worked.”

  “Yeah, well, I think she scared herself pretty good, too. She didn’t squawk much when I gave her a tongue-lashing.”

  Sierra looked up at him. “Maybe, deep down, that’s just what she needs.”

  “What that girl needs,” he told her unthinkingly, “is a father more concerned about her than what he can get out of her.”

  “Like you, in other words. She needs a father like you.” Sierra tilted her head, piercing him with her gaze. “Seems we both need a man like you in our lives.”

  Sam felt a strange, crowding sensation in his chest, as if his heart literally swelled. Could that be true? Was it possible that it was more than just Sierra, that they both actually needed him, not just on the farm but in their lives? He swallowed a lump in his throat.

  “About that TV thing. I shouldn’t have butted in.”

  “No, you were right. What she did was extremely dangerous, but I’m not sure she understands that. A week without television might make her think twice before she does something like this again.”

  Sam nodded and slipped his fingertips into the back pockets of his jeans. His impulse was to walk across the room and hug her, but he’d just wind up kissing her, and now was not the time. Proving that, Tyree returned just then.

  “Can I go say hi to Kim and Keli?”

  Sierra shook her head. “Not tonight. We haven’t even had supper yet. You can see Kim and Keli tomorrow at school.”

  “Maybe they could come home with you after school,” Sam suggested, looking at Sierra, letting her know with his eyes that this was for him, for the two of them.

  “Oh, Mom, can they? Please? I’m sorry I took off. I won’t do it again, ever, I swear.”

  Sierra smiled, then looked down at her daughter. “No TV,” she warned, “and homework first. I mean it.” Tyree nodded eagerly. Sierra looked at Sam, smiling again. “I’ll pick up the girls from school then.”

  “I’ll let Lana know.”

  The warmth in Sierra’s hazel eyes filled him with all kinds of silly thoughts, hopeful, foolish notions that he’d held at bay until now. He saw them out, listened to the sounds of her tires as they drove away and rubbed a hand over his chin.

  Could it work? He had two little girls who could never be treated as equals to Tyree when it came to clothing and other things. Unless Sierra was willing to set some real firm boundaries with Tyree. God knew it wouldn’t do the girl any harm. On the other hand, if his own income increased, they’d be on a more equal footing. What he’d said to Tyree about her mom not having as much money as it seemed was dead-on, but the gulf between them was still large. Could he close it? If he worked real hard, could he make the farm a big enough success that Sierra wouldn’t need to live on the income generated by her inheritance?

  He couldn’t quite convince himself that it was possible, but it couldn’t hurt to try. The farm was going to pay—he believed that with his whole being—but could he turn it into the phenomenally successful venture that he needed to make this work with Sierra?

  Well, he decided, turning his steps toward the twins’ bedroom, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. No more distractions. It was time to get down to real business. He was going to hit the books again, learn everything he could about growing and selling flowers, then he was going to do his best to put that knowledge to work for them, not just for the future, but for their future. Together.

  Chapter Eleven

  “It’s a big risk,” Sierra said, “signing a contract with a wholesaler.” She watched from her desk chair as Sam bent over her desk and signed his name to the contract.

  “I know it is, sweetheart, but if we can keep up our end of the bargain, it’ll pay off real handsome.”

  She hugged that endearment close, wondering if he realized how often he called her by pet names lately. Sweetheart. Honey. Darlin’. The words were always tossed out casually, but they could mean that he was coming to care for her in a special way. Or did they?

  She shook herself, fighting to pay attention. “You’re right, of course. I can hardly believe the wholesaler is willing to take a chance on us like this.”

  “That’s your doing,” Sam said, parking himself on the corner of her desk and smiling warmly. “You sold them on S & S Farms.”

  “But if we should fail, Sam…”

  “I’m not going to let that happen. We’re going to fill this contract, and the next one’s going to be even bigger. You mark my words on that.”

  She believed him. He’d worked like a Trojan lately, daylight to dark, as if his life depended on the success of S & S Farms, and more often than not they spent the evening together. He still went home every night, but at least once or twice a week the twins stayed over, and on those occasions they found a way to be together, sometimes downstairs, sometimes in the guest room, sometimes making use of dark corners and their imaginations.

  In general, their lovemaking had become quick and intense and always occurred at night. Sam was working so hard these days to fulfil the wholesale contract that he almost seemed obsessed, as if he just couldn’t tear himself away from the farm. Sierra was becoming concerned. She loved him desperately and knew that they belonged together; she was even beginning to believe that it might happen, but she had started to worry about why they might wind up together permanently.

  It was ironic, really. Once she’d have used any means to prevent him from keeping distance between them. She’d even bartered her body for the chance to stay close to Sam, to make him see that they should be together. Now she was afraid that what had convinced Sam was not how good they were together but how much he figured that she and Tyree and the farm needed him. And that wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t the money that could keep them apart, though that obviously remained a big obstacle for Sam, and it wasn’t the piddling age difference. What it all boiled down to was whether or not Sam loved her.

  Oh, he made love to her wonderfully well, and he cared for her, just as he cared for Tyree. Sam was a caring man, too caring, perhaps. He thought he had to fix everything and everybody. His early experience had insured that. He’d tried to take care of his mother, to stand between her and her abusive husband, but in the end he’d had to leave to keep a bad situation from escalating, and that one failure had shaped Sam for life. The way he took care of the girls, Tyree, her, everyone, all came back to that one experience.

  Now he was doing it again, taking care of her and Tyree, providing the guidance and strength they both needed. They needed stability; he was giving it to them. She wanted to prove that she could make the right choices, handle her finances, and he was making that possible, too. She threw herself into his arms, practically begged him to make love to her, and he put her into orbit every time. But did he love her? Was she anything to
him like he was to her? Or was she another obligation, another soul in need of rescue? Nothing had ever terrified Sierra more than that thought did.

  “This calls for a celebration,” Sam declared, clapping his hands together.

  Sierra blinked, momentarily unable to find anything to celebrate in this situation, then she remembered the contract. “Oh. Do you think so?”

  “Absolutely.” He grinned ear to ear. “How about we drive into Fort Worth for dinner? There’s a steak house on the south side where they have a dance band and an indoor playground with a big slide that dumps you right onto the dance floor. I took the twins on their last birthday, and they loved it.”

  Sierra nodded and punched up her smile. “Sounds like fun.”

  “Great.” He rocked onto his feet, bent and dropped a kiss onto the center of her forehead, just as if she were one of the girls. “Better get going. Lots to do. I’ll change at your place. Save time that way.” He headed for the door. “Be ready when I come in, okay? And wear your dancing shoes.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Sierra promised.

  He tossed her a wink as he headed out the door.

  Sierra closed her eyes as soon as he was out of sight. She had never felt less like dancing in her life.

  “You don’t have to go up if you don’t want to, baby,” Sam said to Kim. Kim was a little frightened of slides, given her past experience. Keli and Tyree had no such compunctions, however, and were already standing in line.

  “Will you come with me?” she asked.

  “Sure, if that’s what you want.” He looked at Sierra and added, “We both will.”

  Sierra looked at the height of that slide, fifteen feet at least, and her hand went automatically to her belly. “I don’t think I’d better.”

  Sam’s face clouded. “What’s the matter, honey, you feeling bad?”

  She dropped her hand and pushed aside a tiny burst of panic. “Just a little squeamish.”

  He stepped close and slid an arm around her. “Why didn’t you say so? If you’re coming down with something, we can go on home. The food hasn’t even come yet.”

  She shook her head and pasted on a smile, feeling like the world’s worst liar. “No, no. I—I think the problem is that I’m starving. I skipped lunch today.”

  “Silly girl,” he said, hooking an arm around her neck and drawing her in for a quick kiss. Kim giggled behind her cupped hand. Sam looked down at her. “What’re you laughing at, kiddo? You’re next.”

  Releasing Sierra, he swept up Kim, kissing her all over her face. People in the noisy, busy restaurant stopped what they were doing to watch and smile, including the other girls, who hopped up and down, calling for Kim as they shuffled forward in the line for the slide.

  Sam carried her toward them, but at the last moment he looked over his shoulder at Sierra, instructing, “Have some of that hot bread the waitress just brought to the table. Maybe it’ll settle your stomach.”

  Sierra nodded and smiled. There he went again, taking care of everyone, making her love him more and more. If only she could be sure that he loved her, too. She wanted, needed, to be everything to him that he was to her. The fear that she might have trapped them both was eating her alive.

  “Hey!” Sam called, standing in the doorway to the den, a clean change of clothing rolled into a bundle beneath one arm. He’d started cleaning up at Sierra’s. It was more comfortable and more convenient than waiting until he got home, which was sometimes very late, indeed, especially on a Saturday night like this one. “Where is everyone?”

  Giggles wafted tinnily out of the distance, and he turned his head to look at the intercom on the wall.

  “Upstairs!” Tyree answered through the small microphone.

  In the background he could hear the twins squealing, “Get ready! Get ready!”

  Sam shook his head, grinning as he made his way to the stairs and climbed them. About the time he set his foot on the landing, he heard music in Sierra’s room. It was the girls’ favorite place to play. His, too, come to think of it. Though he and Sierra had only made love once on that wonderful, big bed of hers, he often dreamed about being there with her. He walked along the landing to the open doorway, poking his head through. Someone had moved the bedside lamps, tilting the shades so that the light was thrown onto a spot just beyond the foot of the bed. A chair had been placed several feet away. The room, however, was empty.

  “I’m here. Where’re ya’ll?”

  Giggles emanated from the large, opulent bath and dressing area. Suddenly the dressing room door flew open and Tyree pranced out, swathed head to foot in shiny, dark green fabric. Her hair had been scooped up on top of her head and she wore elaborate eye makeup and bright lipstick. She carried a round shampoo bottle upside down in one hand by its long cap.

  “Ladies and gentlemen in the audience,” she announced in a loud, almost shrill voice, “the fashion show is ready. Please sit down.” She stabbed a finger repeatedly at the chair in the center of the floor.

  Concluding that he was the “audience,” Sam strode over and obediently dropped down into the chair, placing his bundle on the floor.

  “Oh, boy,” he said loudly, knowing how they loved to play dress-up, “a fashion show.” He’d teased them before about being models, and now they were taking the game to the next logical step.

  Tyree sashayed forward, every step a miracle of accomplishment, considering the too-large high heels she was wearing with yards and yards of dress. “The announcer,” she shrieked, meaning herself, obviously, “is wearing a forest bridemaid dress with a real full skirt and glamorous shoes.”

  Sam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her phraseology. She hit the light mark on the floor and spun around, nearly toppling over. A hank of hair fell down over her face, but she just pushed it back and hitched up the belt holding everything in place.

  “She has jewelry,” Tyree went on loudly, speaking into the bottom of the shampoo bottle and tugging at the long string of cultured pearls looped around her neck, “that’s, uh, very, very long.”

  “Yeah!” Sam applauded vigorously.

  “Next is Keli!” Tyree screamed.

  Keli practically fell into the room, wearing a veil pinned to her hair and giggling almost uncontrollably, but Tyree didn’t let that affect her monologue.

  “Supermodel Keli is wearing hair pants and—”

  “Harem pants!” Sierra hissed from the bathroom, and Sam clamped a hand over his mouth to hold back the laughter tearing up his eyes.

  “Hair-em pants,” Tyree continued, “with a vest and scarf and lots of coins and chains.” The cobbled together costume was anything but sultry, especially when Keli made a giggling attempt at a belly dance in a vest that hung down to mid-thigh. Sierra had wrapped cords around the bottoms of the pants legs to hold them up. “Oh, and sandals,” Tyree added belatedly, as Keli was already running away from the spotlight. She plopped on the bed, laughing merrily.

  Kim was next, of course, in silk pajamas, flip-flops and some pieces of jade jewelry. Sierra had lined her eyes to make them look slanted and combed her blond bangs and hair down straight. She took mincing little steps, kept her hands pressed together in front of her and bowed repeatedly while Tyree shouted about the Oriental look.

  “It’s, uh, Japany silk,” she said proudly, “made with real worms.”

  Sam nearly fell off his chair, howling. He could hear Sierra sputtering in the bathroom.

  “Well, it is,” Kim insisted indignantly, hands at her hips. “It’s made from silkworms. Sierra said so.”

  Sam controlled his laughter long enough to applaud. He stood for good measure, and Kim took a pleased bow.

  He figured the show was over at that, but Tyree lifted an arm and slung it at the dressing room door, yelling, “Sierra the beautiful!”

  Sam dropped back down into his chair, eager for the final act. Sierra stepped into the doorway and struck a Gloria Swanson pose, one arm stretched upward against the doorjamb, one le
g thrust to the side. She wore a V-necked, sleeveless silver-gray sheath, and a long, narrow scarf with fringed ends wound about her throat. Her hair had been tamed into a bun at the nape of her neck, and she wore a second scarf around her forehead and tied in a bow beneath the bun. Red lipstick, penciled brows, a clunky bracelet, bare legs and high heels completed the ensemble.

  “This is the thirty movie-star look,” Tyree announced. “A flapped dress and elegant ’cessories.”

  Sam grinned as Sierra waltzed around the room. God, she was beautiful. Elegant accessories, indeed. He followed her with his eyes, wanting her with a very pleasant ache. Happiness wrapped around him. Despite all the work, all the worry, all the doubts, all the fears, he’d never been happier than he was right here, right now with his girls showing off for him. His girls.

  His woman.

  At least for now.

  “That’s it for our fashion show,” Tyree cried, waving frantically for Keli and Kim to fall in beside Sierra for the big finale.

  They lined up like cancan dancers, arms linked, with Tyree on one end and Sierra on the other. Sierra counted under her breath, and when she reached three, they all bowed. Tyree overdid it, throwing out the arm with the shampoo bottle. She stumbled, got caught in her skirts and went down. Sam immediately jumped up and started applauding wildly, hooting and whistling.

  Laughing, the twins fell on top of Tyree, pulling Sierra down with them. Soon they were all laughing, filling the room with great delighted whoops.

  “Bravo! Bravo!” Sam called, still clapping.

  Delighted with themselves, the girls began thanking Sierra for helping them by covering her with kisses, leaving bright red lip prints all over her face. Sam decided that he had to get in on that. Going down on his knees, he grabbed two of the girls by the ankles and pulled them off Sierra, then fell on top of her with a growl. The girls launched themselves at the kissing couple, squealing with glee. He thought his chest might burst with sheer joy.