Among the Tulips

by Cheryl Wolverton

  “I am truly sorry.”

  She nodded and then closed her eyes. “I need a nap. I’m going to snooze while we fly, if you don’t mind.”

  What could he say?

  He reached up and signaled the attendant who turned the lights out for them. He allowed her darkness while he held her hand and debated how he was going to clean up this mess.

  Of course, Annie wasn’t really asleep. She was wondering how the man who had caused her so much trouble had suddenly become her confidant.

  What would Victor say about that?

  He’d laughed at the way the two had traded barbs. He’d also been jealous, she now realized, of the way they had traded barbs. The only problem was that her barbs weren’t in fun. They were an attempt to deter Sean’s attraction. He hadn’t been attracted, however, he’d simply been trying to make Victor jealous.

  He had succeeded, far beyond his wildest imaginings.

  If Victor was jealous, he had to care. But, then, as she’d known from the beginning, he wasn’t serving God. He’d told her once that he’d given his heart to God several years ago, but he’d long ago forsaken him, running as far and fast as he could.

  What do I do, Father? she silently asked.

  Peace touched her heart and she heard Trust in me.

  A love she’d never felt burned in her heart for the man, but she couldn’t marry him if he wasn’t on the same page as she was.

  Marriage?

  Why was she even thinking about that? He surely wasn’t.

  Dear God I thought that maybe you had sent me here to change his heart? Was I wrong?

  And then, slowly, it dawned on her. She was the one who had changed. She’d been shy and afraid to leave her own home since her husband had died. And yet, here she was on a plane with a man of world renown. Before coming on vacation to Holland, she probably would have fainted dead away if something like this had happened.

  Maybe God had a bigger plan than she could see. After all, it was true a person could only see through a glass darkly. Maybe there was more going on that she knew.

  She sighed.

  “We’re nearly home.”

  She jumped at Sean’s words so close to her ear. Had she been daydreaming that long?

  She opened her eyes and realized they were descending.

  When they landed, Sean reached over to help her with her seat belt.

  “What are you doing?” Surprised Annie pulled back slightly.

  Sean smiled. “Watching out for my best friend’s girl,” he tried to joke and Annie realized he was trying to cheer her. And his words worked, to a point.

  Annie actually laughed. “I don’t think so, Sean. I seriously doubt he wants you watching out for me. If he knew you were in the plane, he’d probably disown you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he knows by now, darling. I called from the plane and when he didn’t answer, I left him a message with a few choice Dutch words explaining where I would be.”

  She groaned as she imagined what Sean must have said, and then thought of something else. Turning to him, she said, “Speaking of Dutch, what did you say to him back at the party?”

  He smiled. The door opened and he helped her up and preceded her down the stairs. “I told him he was in love with you when I called him. Jij bent verliefd op haar,” he repeated. “And then that you loved him and he needed to get his head…well, suffice to say I became very British with what I suggested.”

  “But what did you say to him when he came out of the hotel?”

  He grinned. “I didn’t say anything to him, sweetheart. It was directed to you.”

  “And that was?”

  He shifted. “You won’t like it.”

  “And that was?” she repeated.

  “Just what I wanted to do when we got back to the hotel.”

  He was right. She didn’t like it. “He said you were driving him crazy with all of the flirting.”

  “Oh my dear, I knew that when I arrived. You do know what you said to me, don’t you?”

  Annie thought back to that day and realized a suddenly bad feeling was creeping up on her. “I said ‘welcome,’ right?”

  He shook his head and laughed. At the last step he turned and accepted her hand to help her down the last two steps. “You said, ‘I’m his.’”

  “I what?” Aghast, she simply stared.

  “Oh, yes. I knew right then that you were more to him than a simple friend. He’d fooled himself by repeating that bit about friendship over and over.”

  “I wonder what else he’s taught me in Dutch that means something else.”

  “Well, you did tell me a couple of times Ga weg.”

  She tried to remember when and shook her head.

  “When he was irritated with me he’d feed you that as an answer. It actually means, Go away.”

  She groaned.

  He laughed.

  They piled into the car. She pulled her dress in and put on her seat belt. Reaching down, she removed the shoe from her broken foot. She held it up. “He had these made especially for me because he didn’t want someone seeing my bare foot and realizing I wore a cast.”

  “Good grief,” he said looking at the shoe. “It looks like a hobbit’s foot.”

  “Hobbit?” she asked.

  “You’ve never read J. R. R. Tolkien?”

  When she shook her head he groaned. “I’ll find you a copy in Victor’s collection when we get back to the estate and you can while away the rest of your vacation reading.”

  She shook her head. “You’re as bad as Victor there. I haven’t said I’m going to stay.”

  He turned onto the main highway that led into the small town of Haut. She laid her shoe down by her feet.

  “You really shouldn’t leave until this is solved.”

  “I’m not the one who left. I was pushed away,” she reminded him. “Besides, isn’t it true that Cinderella turns into a pumpkin at midnight? And it’s way past midnight.”

  “Her coach does,” Sean corrected. “Just give Victor time,” he added.

  She didn’t answer, and in minutes they were through the town and at the estate.

  Wearily she climbed out of the car. He strolled in front of the car and stopped by her side, slipping an arm around her.

  She glared but he only smiled. “Friends. Pax, darling. I’m being honest when I say I have no designs on you. My heart belongs to Victor and what is best for him.”

  She relaxed and accepted his help.

  Slowly, she climbed the stairs. At the top she allowed him to open the door—and was stunned by the scene.

  “Where is my dad?” A young boy came storming across the foyer, anger and desperation in every step.

  His gaze was on Sean. “Uncle Sean? Is Dad with you?”

  The boy was crying. This had to be Victor’s son. He had the same brandy-colored eyes and his face looked just like Victor’s, though he had light-golden hair.

  Sean turned his attention to the boy, releasing Annie. “Hello, Josh. No. I’m afraid not. He’s still in London. What’s the matter?”

  “I hate him. I hate my mom.” He rubbed his nose and then cried, “I ran away from home.”

  With that he turned and rushed toward the library.

  Sean simply stared.

  Annie thought, of all the times for Victor to be gone, this had to be the worst. Obviously, something had come to a head with his mom and he needed his parent.

  And his dad was in London, angry with Annie.

  This was all her fault.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “I’d better call Victor,” Sean said.

  Annie agreed. “I’ll go see if I can talk to Josh.”

  She walked around the scattered mess in the foyer—there was a skateboard, a suitcase, a fishing pole and a backpack alongside a bedroll.

  She was careful not to trip as she made her way across the room. She tapped lightly on the library door.

  She heard the young boy sniffling. She stepped inside. The library wa
s larger than the parlor, but not by much. Books of all types lined the shelves and there was dark leather furniture. A library of the type you’d find in an old Regency mystery.

  The boy stood by the books. He had just started pulling them out and throwing them.

  Appalled, she crossed the room. “Mr. Rivers. Stop that right now.”

  The authority in her voice stopped him in his tracks. He glanced at her. “Who are you?”

  She hesitated and then walked forward, holding out her hand. “I’m Annie Hooper. And you are?”

  “Josh Rivers.” He obediently took her hand.

  “I take it your dad didn’t know you were coming tonight?”

  He shook his head and wiped at his eyes, embarrassed. She motioned toward the sofa. “Want to talk?”

  He eyed her suspiciously. “Do you know Uncle Sean?”

  She thought, if you only knew kid. “As a matter of fact, I do. We’re friends.”

  He snorted.

  “You find that hard to believe?”

  He shrugged, sullen.

  “I thought you were at your mom’s?”

  “I wanted to come visit,” he said, and she could tell only a good upbringing kept him from leaving the room.

  “You told Uncle Sean you’d run away,” she said softly.

  He didn’t comment.

  “Were there problems, Josh?”

  He shrugged. “Mom got married today.”

  “Oh dear,” she said softly.

  Fresh tears filled his eyes. He stiffened. “I heard him tell Mom he didn’t want a kid. She said she was going to talk to Dad. I just figured I’d save her the talk.”

  Appalled, she couldn’t help but stare. “Oh, Josh,” she said softly.

  The boy started crying again. He threw himself into her arms. Being a mother, she gladly accepted him and stroked his hair. He cried as if he’d lost part of himself today. And he probably had.

  She saw Sean open the door and then stop—surprise in his eyes. She motioned him to stay quiet by shaking her head and he entered, staying in the background.

  “If your dad had known that, he would have flown to get you himself. He’s missed you so much. He was very upset when your mom wouldn’t let him come get you early.”

  “How do you know?” he asked through the tears.

  “I was here. He was frustrated. Tell me,” she asked softly, “did she want you to stay because of the marriage?”

  He shook his head. “She doesn’t want to lose the child support. They had a big fight about that. That was why she wasn’t marrying him. But he said he could support her fine.”

  Anger flashed. Annie felt it. Her entire face flooded with heat, she was so angry. “Well, your dad won’t feel that way. I can just about guarantee you that you’ll have a place here. He’s missed you terribly.”

  “Then why wasn’t he here? He said to call, and I called and he wasn’t here.”

  “Oh, honey,” she said and looked up at Sean. “He had a premiere tonight.”

  “He sure did, sport,” Sean finally said, coming over. “We flew to London. Your dad had some unfinished business. I put a call in and as soon as he gets it, he’ll call.”

  The phone rang as if on cue.

  Sean didn’t wait for one of the staff to pick up the phone but instead reached for it.

  “Hello?”

  There was a pause and then Victor’s tones could be heard on the other end. Sean switched to another language and quickly explained the situation. She wasn’t sure what language he spoke, but when he was done, he handed the phone to Josh.

  Annie stood and crossed the room to give Josh some privacy. Sean followed.

  “How many languages do you speak?” Annie asked.

  “Spanish, French, English, Dutch and German. I guess that’d be five.”

  “And that language was?”

  “Spanish,” he said. “I wanted to tell him what happened without Josh hearing. Josh speaks Dutch.”

  “Am I the only person who doesn’t speak more than one language?” she asked frustrated.

  He smiled. “You’re American,” he said easily.

  She growled.

  “Victor asked if you were okay,” Sean said.

  “What did you tell him?”

  He shrugged. “That you missed him, and he was a jerk to make you ride the plane home, and then I apologized. I told him we would talk about this later, that his son needed him now.”

  “And?”

  “He’s still upset. I don’t think he’d be coming home if Josh wasn’t here.”

  She sighed. Sean took her hands. “Don’t lose heart, Annie.”

  Josh finally hung up the phone. Annie moved back across the room and sat down on the sofa. “You feel better now?”

  He shrugged. “Dad’s on his way home. He said he’d be here sometime in the morning, around 7:00 a.m. or so.”

  Annie reached over and stroked the young boy’s neck. “You want some cocoa and then maybe some sleep so you can be up and ready to talk to him when he arrives?”

  The boy was tired. His shoulders drooped and his eyes looked as if he’d been crying on and off all day.

  “I s’pose,” he said.

  She stood, with Sean’s help and then slipped her arm around the boy. She’d been on this leg too much today and it was really beginning to ache.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Josh asked studying the stiff way she moved.

  “I have a broken leg,” she replied.

  “Yeah?” The boy’s interest perked.

  She walked slowly along.

  “Your dad did it, sport,” Sean said with relish.

  “Really?” The boy’s eyes rounded.

  “We were in a car accident,” she explained and shot a look askance at Sean.

  “I’ll tell you all about it—later,” Sean said and gave the boy a look that said, girls just don’t understand these things.

  She rolled her eyes. “Men,” she muttered.

  Once in the kitchen she searched and found the cocoa and made up two cups. She honestly didn’t feel like drinking any, but Sean seemed to be doing well with the boy so she thought they’d probably drink theirs together.

  Bringing the two cups over, she set them down in front of them. Sean glanced up at her. “You might want to clean the cocoa off the dress you’re wearing.”

  She glanced down. “Oh dear.” She brushed at it.

  He shook his head. “On second thought, that dress cost quite a penny, you’d better leave it to the professionals. Doing that is smearing it in.”

  “Just how much did this cost?” she asked suspiciously, but she did stop batting at the fine covering she’d spilled on it.

  He named the amount and she nearly fell over.

  “They don’t make dresses that expensive, do they?” Good heavens. If she’d known Victor had spent that much on the dress, she never would have allowed it. That was more than she’d spent on her entire wedding.

  He shook his head. “That and more sometimes.”

  “I’m going upstairs to change. Excuse me please.”

  She turned and, muttering to herself, she left the kitchen. Crossing to the elevator she stepped in and went up to the upper level. This entire night had been a fiasco. From her encounter with Victor to the flight home and then meeting Victor’s son. And now finding out she’d messed up a dress worth more than her former husband had made in a year.

  Life couldn’t get any worse, she thought miserably.

  Going into her room, she started peeling the dress off only to hear the phone ring.

  Now what?

  It was probably Victor telling her to vacate the premises. She picked it up, beating the maid to it.

  “Hello?”

  “Mama Annie?”

  It was her daughter. “Susan. Hello.” This was a surprise.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  She dropped to the edge of her bed, stunned. “What?”

  Her daughter burst into tears. “It’s
all your fault. And I’m going to have an abortion.”

  Oh, good heavens. Annie reeled in shock. “Susan, you are not.” She worked hard to stay calm and talk to her daughter. “Talk to me.”

  “How could you leave us? When I needed you most you’re out gallivanting all over the world. And now I have no one here.”

  “Susan?” Her daughter was crying hysterically. “Susan,” she said calmly. “What is it?”

  “We just saw you on TV. You were kissing Sean Hampton. How could you? I need you here, and you’re in London!”

  “How in the world could you know that? It only happened a few hours ago.”

  “It was on TV, Annie!” She always dropped the “Mama” when she was angry.

  The flashes she’d thought were lightning. They hadn’t been that at all, but cameras. She felt like an idiot, so naive and out of touch with this world.

  “You’ve forgotten us and you’re out running wild with some man. And who was the man who grabbed you? Oh, yes,” she heard Susan’s brother in the background. “Jake Rivers. You were with them. How Daddy ever loved you I don’t know. Mom always said you were nothing but trash. I didn’t believe her, until now.”

  That was like a slap in the face to Annie—and it brought reality crashing home. She had been gallivanting around while leaving her kids to fend for themselves. Guilt assailed her.

  “Susan, you can’t mean that,” she said.

  “You’re not here are you?” she countered.

  In that moment, Annie made her decision. “I’ll be home tomorrow. Do not do anything rash until I can get there and talk.”

  She hesitated.

  “Susan?”

  Finally she answered. “Okay.”

  Susan hung up the phone.

  Annie slowly replaced the receiver.

  Tears filled her eyes. But this time they didn’t fall. Instead, she switched into a pair of pants and a top and began packing.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Victor was exhausted and had just arrived at his house. It was seven-thirty in the morning.

  He’d had too many hours to think about what happened. Why had he let Sean upset him so? He realized now Sean had simply done it to get Victor’s attention.

  He’d gotten it all right.

  But to send Annie away as he had.