by Arlene James
“I wish you didn’t have to,” Sierra whispered, holding on to him.
“Me, too,” he said, but he didn’t suggest that it could change, and she didn’t dare suggest it herself.
Sierra spent a busy week getting ready for Tyree’s ninth birthday. Sam and the girls helped, especially Sam, who convinced Sierra to take back all but one of the gifts she’d bought and keep the plans simple. Sierra felt strongly about not excluding anyone in Tyree’s class at school, however, so the guest list included some twenty-six children, including the twins. They invited several adults as well, all people close to Tyree, and enlisted Gwyn to bake the cake and make some sandwiches. In addition, Gwyn’s two teenage children would be coming along, and they had planned games to play with the children.
Sierra cleaned the house, stocked ice cream and the ingredients for punch, bought party favors and, the morning of the party, decked the place with decorations, including a big banner that stretched all the way across the dining room. Tyree and the twins were so excited they could barely contain themselves. Sam came in from the field at lunchtime, cleaned up and helped Sierra set out chips and nuts and dainty paper plates and matching napkins printed with the chosen theme. They stacked the birthday gifts in the living room, including the one that Sam and the twins had brought.
Gwyn and her kids, sixteen-year-old Molly and thirteen-year-old Chip arrived first. The girls squealed with delight over the birthday cake and ran off to place another gift on the pile. Gwyn smiled at Sam.
“Hello, Sam. It’s good to see you again.”
“Ms. Dunstan, Molly, Chip. How’ve ya’ll been?”
“Hanging in there,” Gwyn said. “Sierra’s told me you’ve been working hard.” That wasn’t all Sierra had told her, but thankfully Gwyn didn’t allude to that.
“It’s coming together real fine,” Sam said. Then he turned to Sierra. “Honey, you want me to bring in that punch bowl now?”
Gwyn raised her eyebrows, and Molly looked quickly between Sam and Sierra. “That would be fine, thanks,” Sierra answered mildly. Sam went off, and Gwyn sent Molly and Chip to look after the girls.
“He doesn’t seem like a reluctant lover to me,” Gwyn murmured, sidling up to Sierra.
“Maybe not so reluctant now,” Sierra answered softly, “but…”
“You’re in love with him,” Gwyn said.
Sierra closed her eyes. “And how.”
“Are you afraid it’s not mutual?” Gwyn asked.
“I seduced him,” Sierra reminded her, nodding.
“It’s just sex for him then. That’s what you’re saying?”
“Not exactly,” Sierra whispered miserably.
“Not a bit of it, I’d say,” Gwyn murmured. The doorbell rang then, and Sierra hurried off to answer it, without a chance to explain to Gwyn that she had somehow become another responsibility to Sam, who collected responsibilities like most men collected sports memorabilia.
After that, Sierra barely had a moment to think, let alone carry on personal discussions. Everyone seemed to arrive at once. Her father led the way, followed almost immediately by her friend and fellow heiress, Valerie Blunt Keene, Val’s husband Ian, the town fire marshal, and her mother Delores. Always the trendsetter, Val wore a denim mini, thigh-high boots and a huge sweater with sleeves that hung down to her fingertips. Her highlighted blond hair was twisted up into a spiky topknot that only a hairdresser, which she was, could manage. Ian, who was tall, dark and movie-star handsome, constantly looked at his wife as if he could be overcome by temptation and take a bite out of her any moment.
Dennis showed up next, edgy but alone, and in the midst of a wave of kids. A steady stream of cars dropped off children for the next half hour. Avis Lorimer, the last of the heiresses, arrived in the middle of it, looking beautiful, as usual, with her long, chocolate-brown hair waving about her oval face. She wore an expensive knit pantsuit of the same dark blue shade as her exotic eyes. Surprisingly, she was accompanied by a pale, silent, smirky, younger man whom she introduced as her stepson.
Sierra welcomed Ellis Lorimer graciously, wondering why he’d want to impose himself on a child’s birthday party. She sensed that something odd was going on, but one more guest was no burden, and she didn’t have time to ponder the situation.
With the help of Molly, Chip and Sam, Sierra oversaw several games for the kids, handed out party favors and tried to make sure that the adults all had food and drink. When it came time to open presents, Sierra was very glad that she had listened to Sam. The pile was obscene. Even Tyree seemed overwhelmed and a little embarrassed. She came to Sierra with a proposal.
“Mom,” she whispered, “maybe I ought to just open the ones from the kids. Save the rest for later.”
Sierra dropped an arm around her. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“And maybe,” Tyree went on, “I could share with Kim and Keli. Just the kids’ gifts, though.”
Sierra could’ve kissed her, but she knew too well how that would be received there in front of all her friends. “We’ll have to ask Sam about that.”
“Could we?”
“You get started, and I’ll ask Sam what he thinks.”
Next year, Sierra thought, they would stipulate no presents, at least not from the kids. In the past, Tyree had celebrated her birthday with one or two close friends, her mom and her grandfather. Sierra had longed to give her the kind of big, loud party that seemed the norm. She realized now that they hadn’t quite gotten it right.
Tyree began the unwrapping with more tact than Sierra had expected. She displayed a kind of understated excitement and pleasure that frankly made Sierra proud. While Frank was busy snapping photos, Sierra made her way over to Sam, who stood in one corner with most of the other adults.
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
“Sure, honey. What’s up?”
She pulled him a little away from the others. He looped an arm about her neck and bent his head to hers as she explained Tyree’s proposal.
Sam glanced over his shoulder at Tyree, smiled down at Sierra and winked. “I told you that girl was okay.” Impulsively, she hugged him. His arm about her, he half turned to watch Tyree. When Tyree looked his way, he smiled and nodded. Tyree seemed to sit a little taller, smile a little brighter. Sierra unobtrusively set aside the gifts brought by the adults, a half dozen or so, and whispered an explanation to that group.
Cutting the cake was the most fun part of the day for Sierra. Tyree blew out the candles on the first try, then passed out pieces while Gwyn and Molly cut. Sierra and Delores dished out ice cream and Avis and Val filled punch cups. Sam made himself useful mopping up spills, of which there were several. Sierra proudly divulged Tyree’s plan for splitting up the gifts, and Delores suggested that another remedy for such largesse might be to donate several of the still-packaged toys to a local church that collected them throughout the year in order to provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged children.
“I’ll mention that to the girls,” Sierra decided, sure they would want to donate. “And next year we won’t let this happen.”
Thankfully, the afternoon wore to a close, and their young guests began to depart as the appointed end of the party arrived. When the last little one had gone off, the adults once more gathered in the living room for the final gift opening. When Sierra told Tyree about Delores’s suggestion, she quickly, brightly agreed.
“We got some just alike anyway,” Kim announced.
We. Sierra shared a smile with Sam. Apparently Tyree had informed the twins of the plan. Kim and Keli began separating out the gifts that would go to the church while Tyree opened the remainder.
She thanked and hugged her grandfather for the new video game he’d bought, then did the same with Val and Ian, Delores, Gwyn and her kids and Avis. When the pile of gifts was gone, Sam and Dennis, very conspicuously, were the only ones who hadn’t received a hug. Tyree had opened a gift from the twins earlier, so Sam was off the hook, but she glanced at her father
uncertainly.
Dennis spread his hands, ducked his head and said quite unabashedly, “I’m sorry, pumpkin, but you know how it is with me. I’m not made out of money like your mother is.”
Sierra could’ve choked him, but she put the best possible face on it. “That’s okay. She got so much stuff that she’s giving most of it away and still has lots left, don’t you, sweetie?”
Tyree smiled thinly. “Uh-huh.”
“The most important thing is that your dad was here to help you celebrate,” Sierra went on, and Tyree nodded vigorously.
Sam stepped forward then, one hand behind his back. “Maybe,” he said, “just one more gift, a real personal one.” He brought his hand around and offered a flat, rectangular package that was obviously a book.
Tyree tore off the ribbon and paper, smiled widely and held up the gift. “It’s all about flowers!”
Sam went down on his haunches in front of her. “It sure is, cupcake. Flowers are our legacy. Maybe someday what your mom and I are building here will go to you and the twins, in which case, you ought to know something about it, don’t you think?”
Tyree nodded, put the book down on the armchair beside her and reached out with both arms. “Thank you, Sam.”
“Well, isn’t that just grand,” Dennis said snidely. He pointed a finger at Sierra. “This is on you. That’s the son of a murderer you brought in here to charm my little girl. Is that the kind of influence you want our kid to have?”
Sam released Tyree and rose to his full height, turning on Dennis. “Watch your mouth,” he said softly.
Dennis ignored him, addressing Frank instead. “Did you know that this boy is the son of a murderer?”
The room fell into a deadly silence, then Sam looked to Delores and asked quietly, “Would you mind helping the girls take the gifts upstairs?”
“Why don’t you two help her?” Gwyn said to her teenagers as Delores nodded and moved forward.
“Well, well,” Ellis Lorimer murmured, “interesting.”
Avis shot him a killing look and said, “I think we ought to be going.”
“No, no, that’s all right,” Sam said, waving a hand at her as Delores hustled the girls out of the room and the teenagers followed. “Dennis has thoughtfully pointed out that I’m the son of a murderer. No denying it. He’s absolutely right. It’s common knowledge around here. Now I want to go on record with this. My old man is scum. It’s an ugly fact of my life. And the crap you’ve just pulled here, Carlton, is just like something he would do.”
Dennis dropped his jaw. “Why, you sniveling little—”
“And one more thing,” Sam went on hotly, stepping forward. “I was man enough at fourteen to stomp my old man into a greasy spot on the ground, and I can sure do the same with the likes of you now.”
“Are you threatening me?” Dennis demanded.
“You got it, genius. Bring up that ugliness again in front of my girls and I’ll be throwing a rug over the stain you’ll leave on the floor.”
“What’s wrong with right now, hotshot?”
“Not a thing,” Sam said, surging forward.
Sierra quickly stepped between them. “That’s enough.”
“Get out of my way, Sierra. The jerk’s got it coming after what he said the other night and now.”
“Hoo-hoo,” Dennis crowed, “the boy-toy is throwing a fit.”
“I mean it, Sierra,” Sam ground out, his hands balled into fists. The veins in his neck were standing out.
“I’m not going to let you fight.”
“You’re not my mother!” Sam bawled.
“That’s right. I’m your partner and lover!” she shouted back. “Now calm down.”
“Yeah, Sammy boy, calm down,” Dennis jeered.
Val grabbed her husband by the wrist then, saying, “Ian, this is getting out hand. Can’t you stop it?”
“Oh, I think Sam’s doing just fine,” Ian drawled. “If it was me, I’d already have decked the bum.”
Suddenly everyone was shouting—with Dennis egging on Sam, Sierra scolding them both, Frank demanding to know why no one had told him about Sam’s background and everyone else trying to calm the situation. Sierra finally got the floor by stamping her foot and screaming, “Stop it! Stop it!”
An uneasy silence descended. Sierra caught a breath and looked at her father. “You want to know about Sam’s background? All right, I’ll tell you about Sam’s background. He left home at fourteen because his mother was afraid he was going to step between her and her husband one too many times. When his father started menacing his foster family, Sam left them, too, to keep them safe. He put himself through college after that, and when his father finally murdered his mother, Sam took over raising his two baby sisters.
“By working harder than any other three men I know, Sam established himself as a custom farmer and built a sterling reputation as a businessman and parent. All that at twenty-four. And if that wasn’t enough, he took me on as a partner. He saw in me and my plans what no one else did, and almost singlehandedly he’s made those dreams a reality. S & S Farms is going to be a success, a huge success, and Sam’s not just the brawn behind that, he’s the brains, too. I wanted to prove to you what a savvy businesswoman I could be, Daddy, but the truth is that without Sam I’m just a florist with a big bank account I didn’t earn.”
“That’s what he’s in it for!” Dennis exclaimed. “He’s after your money!”
Sam stepped around Sierra and aimed a fist at Dennis Carlton’s chin in the same powerful, fluid movement. Dennis went down like a brick wall behind a wrecking ball. A communal gasp went up, and for a moment everyone froze. Then Ian casually walked over and glanced down at Dennis.
“Out cold.” He looked up and clapped Sam on the shoulder. “Good work. I’d have torn the head off any man who made that remark to or about me. Fact is, I had Val put her money into trust and insisted on a prenup just so no one could say I married her for her money.”
“Is that right?” Sam said, his hands on his hips.
“That’s a fact,” Ian confirmed. Dennis moaned and rolled his head. Ian crooked a finger at Ellis Lorimer then, saying, “Come on. We’ll help you take out the garbage.”
“Make sure he’s all right before you let him drive away from here,” Gwyn admonished as the three men hauled Dennis up onto his feet. He grumbled and shook his head, but he didn’t struggle as the three men bundled him out into the entry and through the front door, presumably to his car.
“I always said that man was a sorry one,” Frank commented.
“I hope you’re not talking about Sam,” Sierra snapped.
“Sam?” Frank said. “I was talking about Dennis. Sam, now there’s a man.” He nodded emphatically. “You were right about him, and I’m not above saying I was wrong. You chose well this time, Sierra. You chose well. Now I think I’ll go say goodbye to my granddaughter.”
Sierra stood there with her mouth open as he left the room. Val and Gwyn both looked at her and began to laugh behind their hands. Avis just smiled. Sierra shook her head. She was feeling a little giddy now that all the excitement had died down.
“Some birthday party,” she muttered.
“It’s been interesting, you’ve gotta say that,” Gwyn cracked.
“The kids had a good time,” Avis pointed out helpfully.
“I kind of think the highlight was seeing Dennis lying there like a stone,” Val added with a grin.
Sierra giggled, remembering the instant before Sam’s fist had connected with Dennis’s chin. The look of surprise on Dennis’s face was imbedded in her brain—surprise and crossed eyes. “He must have a glass jaw.”
“Out like a light,” Valerie confirmed, snickering.
“The bigger they talk, the harder they fall,” Avis quipped.
They all laughed. Sierra got a hold on herself first. “Okay, okay. This is supposed to be a celebration, but I don’t want Tyree to catch us laughing at her dad.”
Avis immediately so
bered, Gwyn cleared her throat and Val straightened, nodding. “Speaking of celebrations,” Val said, rocking back on her heels. “I have some good news.”
“Oh, yeah?” Gwyn said. “What’s that smug look about then?”
Valerie smiled broadly. “I’m pregnant.”
Gwyn squealed like a schoolgirl, and suddenly they were all laughing again and hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in decades.
“I’m going to have a baby!” Valerie exclaimed happily, as if she couldn’t quite believe it yet herself.
“Me, too!” Sierra blurted, still laughing. The next instant she realized what she’d said and clapped a hand over her mouth, but that cat was already out of the bag and tearing around the house, clawing everything in its path. Sierra looked at the three pairs of eyes staring at her, then realized that only two of them were actually fixed on her. The third set, Gwyn’s, was looking right past her to the doorway. Sierra whirled around.
There stood Ian and Ellis Lorimer. And Sam.
He looked like Dennis had when they’d hauled him up off the floor.
Horrified, Sierra felt the bottom drop out of her world.
Chapter Fifteen
“This is wonderful!” Gwyn exclaimed. “This is better than the inheritance!”
Ian walked across the floor and slipped his arms around his wife, a faint, secretive smile curling one corner of his mouth. Sam just stood there, expressionless.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you all,” Avis said quietly, hugging first Val and then Sierra.
Val beamed. Sierra managed to jerk her gaze away from Sam and almost smile, but inside she was quaking.
“When?” Gwyn insisted on knowing. She looked first to Valerie.
“Five months, two weeks and four days more,” Val answered, rubbing her slightly rounded tummy through the big sweater.
“You hope,” Gwyn told her. “Molly was eleven days late. It felt like eleven months.”