Third Time's the Charm

by Liz Talley

  “They have a three-year-old, so I want to do a site visit and make sure it’s the right fit. Sometimes cattle dogs are a bit nippy.” Grace tucked the folder with the paperwork under her arm.

  “She’s never nipped at me. Well, sometimes she tugs on my pant leg when she wants me to feed her. She likes her kibble.” Sunny leaned down to rub the dog’s head. Rex sidled up next to Sunny and rubbed his head against her knee. Sunny indulged the big furry lump. “Hey, Landry, will you take Fancy for a stroll? She might need to potty. Here are the baggies in case you need one.”

  Landry looked at the plastic pet-waste bag with horror. “You mean I have to pick up her poop?”

  “That’s what dog owners do.” Henry winked at Sunny, and she put her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing.

  “Fine.” Landry groaned, grabbing the bag and leash.

  “And take your sister. She’s assaulting people and making them take flyers. I don’t want to have to chase these papers all over the square.” Henry eyed his daughter, who was ambushing a woman coming out of Parsley and Sage. The older woman had what looked to be a bag of yarn and was hotfooting it toward her car.

  Landry took Fancy and pulled her along behind him. The dog turned and looked plaintively at Sunny but eventually followed the boy.

  “She really is assaulting people, isn’t she?” Sunny said, her voice filled with humor and warmth.

  At that moment, déjà vu hit him. How many times had he stood somewhere with Sunny laughing over something inane? Too many to name. And it felt good to see Sunny smile, to be involved in something that mattered to her. This was the Sunny he remembered. This was the Sunny he’d always loved. For the second time that afternoon, his heart clenched.

  “I might want to discuss the art of subtlety with the kid.”

  Sunny tilted her head. “Wait a minute, you are going to talk to her? If I remember correctly, subtleness always escaped you. You went after what you wanted.”

  “I always knew a good thing when I saw it,” he said, allowing his gaze to slide from her baby blues to her lush mouth to her delicate collarbones to her gorgeous breasts. And damned if his Sunshine didn’t blush.

  And it was cute. She actually looked a little tongue-tied, and right then and there, Henry decided this woman needed more in her life. More flirting, more laughter, more good stuff.

  Backward. They were doing it all backward. Weeks ago, they’d had soul-stirring, healing sex, but that door had been shut. His task was clear—he had to seduce her. Not her body, but her heart. Sunny was right—he went after what he wanted. And Henry Todd Delmar had always wanted Sunshine No Middle Name Voorhees.

  Always.

  Grace fanned herself. “You two are making me blush with all that flirting.”

  Sunny’s eyes widened. “We’re not flirting.”

  Grace laughed. “Um, that’s the very definition of flirting, and hey, go right ahead. I’m enjoying it.”

  Sunny turned to Henry and shook her head. “Stop flirting, Henry.”

  “Like I can help it when I’m around you. You just said yourself that when I want something, I go for it.” Henry could have done a bit more of that flirting, but at that exact moment a squirrel decided to hop across the path in front of them. Rex jumped and pulled Henry off-center. He stumbled and went down on one knee like a complete klutz. Thankfully he managed to keep the dog from tugging the leash from his hand. “Damn it, Rex.”

  Both Sunny and Grace started laughing as the big dog woofed and lunged at the offensive rodent swishing its tail and darting indecisively between two oak trees.

  “Smooth,” Sunny said, walking over to take the leash from him. The dog’s constant pulling kept him from struggling to his feet. “Come, Rex.”

  The dog glanced behind him but returned to his incessant barking as Henry managed to stand. “He’s not so great at listening.”

  Sunny glanced up at him. “Neither are you.”

  “But we’re both adorable, right? And you want to take us home?”

  She shook her head. “You are incorrigible.”

  “That’s just what Mrs. Peterson said about me in the third grade. I didn’t know what that meant, but I embraced it. Mrs. Peterson had good legs and a pretty smile. I figure anything that made her come to my desk was a good thing.” He gave her his best incorrigible smile. “Why don’t you let me take you out tonight?”

  “What?”

  “Out to dinner.”

  “Like a date?”

  He smiled. “Why not? We’re friends, right? Going slow. Right?”

  “Yeah, but your kids are with you.”

  “Technically, but my parents are taking them to see a movie in Jackson.”

  “I’m not sure we want to go there, Henry. I’m going to leave. Isn’t it better to stay friends and not… you know.” Her cheeks were still flushed, and she looked prettier than he’d seen her look since she left Morning Glory.

  “I’m talking about eating together,” he said, tucking a piece of blond hair behind her ear. How many times had he done that? Baby-soft hair, sweet curve of her cheek.

  Her eyes lifted to his. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, Henry.”

  “It’s food and conversation, Sunshine.”

  “Everyone will talk,” she said with a heavy sigh.

  “Do you really care?”

  Something in her eyes hardened. “No.”

  “So I’ll pick you up at seven?”

  “You really don’t take no for an answer, but I guess going on a date might be nice. I like food and conversation.”

  “Perfect.” He took the leash from her hand. “I’ve got Rex. Go ahead and help Grace with the cats. Looks like she’s struggling to get Honey Boo into the crate. I’ll take Rex for another romp and check on Fancy and the kids. Tonight we’ll adult with some wine and hopefully enjoy reminiscing about catching boots and that time you tried the Sun In in your hair.”

  “Oh Lord. I don’t want to remember that,” she said, relinquishing the dog. “Some things are better left forgotten.”

  “True.” He turned back around, his heart oddly light and full of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could nurture the remnants of their love and create something new… something strong enough to keep her in Morning Glory. It was a long shot, but still a shot. “But there are some things worth remembering.”

  Her gaze searched his. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Sunny hadn’t bought a new dress in forever, but as she left the pet-adoption event, she spied a pretty sundress in the window of a recently opened boutique. Normally she’d admire and then move on, but today she stopped and went inside.

  Because she had a date.

  She hadn’t had a date since high school. Not really. She and Alan had hooked up, but there had been no wine and moonlight. More like a pool hall and beers if she was lucky. Most of the time she elected to stay home and watch TV rather than endure drunk guys hitting on her and causing Alan to get into fights. Jealousy had been Alan’s middle name.

  The dress in the window came in her size and looked about as perfect as a dress could look on her. A stretchy bodice hugged her curves, and because she’d lost weight, there were no odd bumps or lumps showing. The skirt fell with a soft swoosh midthigh, and it was the perfect shade of summer pink. She felt a little guilty spending money she needed to complete the remodel, but it was so pretty, so feminine, and harked back to a time when she enjoyed being a girl, that she stuffed the guilt and embraced the feeling of being pretty.

  Besides, the way things were going with Betty, she had little hope she could convince her mother to sell the house. Seemed the thought of going to the Arbor had motivated Betty to be more active. Instead of begrudgingly doing her therapy exercises or working on managing everyday tasks, Betty had tackled them with a gusto Sunny’d never seen before. Betty now fixed her own breakfast and had been working on strengthening the limbs on the working side of her body so that she could perform simple tasks like sliding onto the toilet and moving to
the bed on her own. When Sunny had told Eden the strides her mother was making, her sister had been shocked.

  “Where are you going dressed like that?” Betty asked when she came out, fastening a pair of dangling earrings she’d found in Aunt Ruby Jean’s jewelry box. They’d been her great-grandmother’s, and the vintage shell-pink beads just matched the color of the dress.

  “Out to dinner.”

  “Like on a date?” Betty used the chair to maneuver so she could better see Sunny. “With Henry?”

  “If you must know, yes.”

  Betty gave a Cheshire smile.

  “Don’t,” Sunny warned, looking for her purse. She needed a cute clutch but had sold all of hers when she’d had a moving sale last fall. Her wallet looked a bit like a clutch. Maybe she could make that work. There was even a slot for her phone.

  “And you bought a new dress?” Betty’s tone was knowing. She might as well blow on her fingers and buff them on her tracksuit lapel.

  “Yes, but not for him. For me. I saw it, and I haven’t had anything new in forever.”

  Betty stared at her.

  “What?”

  “You are the most stubborn girl I’ve ever known. You’re even more stubborn than I was.”

  “I’m not stubborn.” Sunny didn’t have time to argue with her mother. She needed to find her lipstick and the mints she’d bought at the grocery store. Not that she needed fresh breath for Henry. She just… needed fresh breath for Henry.

  “Or maybe it’s not being stubborn. Maybe it’s being stupid. I mean, you are the girl who chucked her entire life and ran when things didn’t go her way.” Betty smacked her lips like a courtroom attorney making the point that would win a case.

  Sunny jerked around, abandoning her search for the mint tin. “I did not.”

  “You did. You run from everything. That’s what going to wherever it is you’re planning on going—California, is it?—is about. You don’t fight for anything. You quit and run.” Betty’s expression had narrowed, her good eye fixing her to the wall like an entomologist pinning a moth. Made Sunny feel wriggly. Yeah, her mother had definitely missed her calling. She would have made a good attorney.

  “That’s not running away. That’s running toward. My husband is dead and I need a new start.”

  “So why go there? Can’t you start over here? With Henry? With me?”

  “Henry is not an option, Mother,” Sunny said, wanting to mean it. She couldn’t even begin to hope that kind of happiness could be hers again. How many times had she thought she could create a future for herself, her fingers brushing against contentment, only to find herself grasping at cold, dank air? Henry was her past, and going out with him was… well, just going out on a much-needed date. Okay, so she’d bought a new dress. Whatever. This date was about two adults having a decent dinner, drinking wine that wasn’t from a box, and having a conversation that wasn’t about student IDs or drawer pulls.

  Or at least that was the argument she’d given her heart… which seemed to beat faster when it thought about moonlight, wine, and kissing Henry.

  Which she wasn’t going to do.

  Nuh-uh, no way, not a chance. Unless…

  “Henry’s always loved you, you know. I don’t know of any man who would take care of a woman’s mother and sister unless he felt something pretty damn strong.”

  “He did that out of guilt, not love. You should have told him to stop. It wasn’t his place to take care of you and Eden.”

  “No, it wasn’t his place, but he did it anyway. Look, I know men. Henry didn’t know if he would ever see you again, but he came to the house and mowed the yard and trimmed the bushes just the same. He didn’t do that because he had to. He did it because he’s a good man who couldn’t do anything else to make things right between y’all. It was his small way of trying to right the wrong he’d done.”

  Her mother’s words sent a huge spider crack across her soul.

  Henry loved her.

  Deep in her heart, she knew he’d always loved her, but that didn’t erase all that had happened between them. No, she couldn’t blame him for her stormy marriage or the painful loss of her babies, but neither could she just let it all go.

  Or maybe she could. Maybe to an extent she already had. Maybe that’s why she’d carefully lined her lips for a pouty effect and pulled on her best lacy panties.

  Best not to think about that.

  “I’m going to be gone a few hours. I’ll have my phone in case you need me. Would you like to move into the bedroom? Or stay out here until I get home?”

  Betty looked like she wanted to continue their conversation, but Sunny was done. When it came to Henry, she was no longer sure where she stood.

  “I’ll stay out here. Where’s the dog?”

  “In the kennel.”

  “That kennel is tiny. Why don’t you just let her out?”

  “Because I’m leaving you here alone. If Fancy gets into trouble, you can’t corral her.”

  “She ain’t gonna do nothing but lay on that couch and look at me with her tongue hanging out. Probably planning all the dishes she could make out of my sad ass,” Betty said, her voice sounding oddly fond of a dog she claimed would just as soon as eat her as lick her.

  “Are you sure?”

  Betty shrugged. “Whatever.”

  Sunny hadn’t told her mother that Fancy was close to being adopted. The thought of the little dog vacating their lives made her heart ache, but she’d determined on the day she brought Fancy home that the scared little pup deserved a happy family. She and Betty were paper thin on happiness at the moment. “I’ll let her stay with you. If she gets to be too much, just tell her to kennel. She’s learned what that means and usually goes without having to be secured.”

  Sunny walked back to her room and released the hound. Fancy trotted into the living room, jumped onto the blanket Sunny had placed on the couch, circled twice, and lay down. She grinned at Betty and then turned her head toward Sunny, tongue lolling out, eyes happy.

  God, she was going to miss that dog.

  And judging by the way her mother looked positioning her chair near the couch, Betty would too.

  The doorbell rang just as Betty turned on the television.

  “I’ll be home soon,” Sunny said.

  “Aw, don’t come home too soon. That would be a waste of that dress… and those pretty panties I know you’re probably wearing.” Betty turned up the volume.

  Sunny shook her head and went to the door.

  Henry was not going to see her lacy thong.

  But when she opened the door and saw Henry standing there with a clutch of buttercups, she wondered just how fast those panties would hit the floor.

  The man really took her breath away.

  Henry stared at Sunny framed in the doorway, looking like Grace Kelly in her fancy dress and kitten heels. Gone was the tough girl wearing a biker jacket and motorcycle boots. Sunny’s former cold indifference had softened into something that seemed almost content.

  “For you,” he said, thrusting the flowers her way.

  Sunny took the buttercups and lifted them to her nose, inhaling deeply. “Oh, they smell like spring.”

  “And you look like sunshine.”

  “I am Sunshine,” she said, playing along with the joke he used to make back when they were in school.

  “So you are.” Henry grinned like the fool he was for her. Damn it.

  “Let me put these in water and then we’ll go.” She turned and walked toward the kitchen, and he decided the view from behind was almost as good as the front. The dress molded to her body and swished round her killer legs when she walked.

  “Hello, Henry Todd,” Betty said from her place in front of the television. A pair of ninjas were facing off on the screen. He rather envied them. Clean fighting. With Betty, there was no such mercy. “I hope you’ve got protection. I hear you knock up your dates.”

  “That’s right. Thank you for reminding me, Betty.”

 
; Her laugh was a creaky pipe. “Always had a good sense of humor. That was never your problem.”

  “Wait, you know my problem?” he asked, playing along.

  “Yeah, you have a dick.” She kept her eyes on the fight scene.

  He held up his hands. “I’m afraid I’m guilty of that.”

  Sunny walked back into the room. “Okay, we can go. Wait, what’s going on? What did she say?” She leveled a glare at her mother.

  “An anatomy lesson,” Henry said, motioning Sunny toward the door.

  “You kids have fun,” Betty called out, her tone almost gleeful. Henry knew the woman didn’t get her jollies from much besides eviscerating unsuspecting people. He wasn’t unsuspecting. He knew Betty’s game. It was to always draw blood, and he rather respected that about her.

  They stepped onto the porch, and Sunny turned and locked the door. “Whatever she said, I’m sorry about. She can’t bite her tongue. Ever.”

  “It’s cool. Is she staying alone?”

  “She is. Over the past few months, she’s been working on developing independence. I asked that they change her physical therapist to someone she couldn’t bully. Ever since Caron took over, Mom’s been making progress in gaining strength and mobility. Plus Aunt Ruby Jean promised to stop by and drink some iced tea with her later. And I have my phone.”

  They moved toward the truck, and he made sure to beat her to the passenger side in order to open her door for her.

  “Same old Henry,” she murmured as he took her elbow and assisted her up the running board. Her hair brushed his cheek. Lilacs or lilies or some other flower that bloomed in the springtime assaulted him.

  He’d love to get lost in her garden, drink in the honeyed sweetness, but he couldn’t stand there huffing the air like some weirdo, so he jogged around and climbed inside. “Music?”

  “Sure.”

  Cueing up a pop station, he backed out. “I thought we might go into Jackson and eat somewhere fancy, but then I had a better idea.”

  “A better idea?”

  “Yeah,” he said, heading out of Grover’s Park and toward his land. They’d driven this route too many times as teenagers, each buzzing with the anticipation of being alone. Of what might come. He’d banked on using those wisps of memories to create an intimacy he wanted to explore with her.