Flirting With Forever

by Molly Cannon

  “You just told me this was highly competitive. Why in the world would I let the current trophy holder in on our plans?”

  Nell rolled her eyes. “As the current trophy holder I’m hardly going to be threatened by a first-time entry.”

  “That sounds like a challenge,” Theo said distractedly as he looked at the different floats taking shape and made mental notes in his head.

  “Not at all. I actually thought I could offer some pointers. All in the spirit of being neighborly.” Nell was persistent. He’d give her that.

  “I see. Well, we’ll manage on our own. How does a person go about getting work space?”

  “All the spots in the hangar are filled, I’m afraid. Mrs. Cornwell will have to find a space to rent. Does she have her permit yet?”

  “Permit?”

  “Participation permit. Every float has to have one to be included in the parade.”

  Theo wondered what else he needed to know. “I have no idea, but just in case, where do you get one?”

  “City hall. Irene probably already took care of that, but you might want to double-check. And good luck. A new entry will be fun. We tend to be stuck in our ways sometimes in Everson.”

  Nell, despite her odd apology, rubbed him all the wrong ways. He’d love nothing better than to yank that dumb trophy out of her grasping hands and watch as it was presented to Irene.

  But it would be an uphill battle. Theo was starting to wonder what he’d gotten himself into with this parade business. He recognized that new entries faced a big disadvantage from the start. No work space for building being the number one problem. He needed to discuss their options with Irene right away. She had that big old house and a big old garage. Maybe they could build the fricking float up on that hilltop of hers. He jumped in his truck and turned it in the direction of town.

  “It’s not trivial, Mr. Roach. If you’d ever been a young girl faced with going to a prom, you’d understand.”

  He frowned and tapped his fingers on the side table. “I just think our resources could be better used somewhere else.”

  Irene stiffened at his words. They were words she’d heard many times before. “They are my resources, and I’m putting my foot down where this project is concerned.”

  Joe Higginbotham cleared his throat before speaking. “What would Sven have to say about this?”

  “Sven would say that providing prom dresses for underprivileged girls is a worthy project. I’m not taking away money from the food pantry or the veterans’ foundation, so he would say that spreading happiness is an easy thing to do. He’d tell you to smile and give me what I want. And in case you’ve forgotten, Sven doesn’t get a vote anymore.” Sven had taught her not to let the guys in suits intimidate her. He’d told her when he was dying that she would hold the power, and he trusted her to use it as she saw fit. Bless him, he’d trusted her completely.

  “Of course, Mrs. Cornwell, my apologies. But you pay us to give you financial advice.” Mr. Roach remained stubborn for the moment. It was a familiar dance.

  She leaned toward him. “Am I running out of money?”

  He shook his head. “No, but every time we turn around you are spending it on a new project and too many of them aren’t self-sustaining.”

  “I see. So when do you think I’ll run out?”

  Mr. Roach pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.

  “The answer is not for a long time.” Irene set him straight. “The investments you’ve made on my behalf are performing according to projections. I’m not about to run out any time soon. Isn’t that correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Joe agreed.

  “My name is Irene, Joe. How many years have I asked you to call me by my first name?”

  He smiled. “Irene, I’ll look into the pilot program they have in Dallas and get back to you.”

  “That would be great. I want it up and running by the time school starts in the fall.”

  Mr. Roach jumped into the conversation. “What about the boys? Every boy can’t afford to rent a tux.”

  “That’s the spirit, Mr. Roach. Let’s get started on that, too. I don’t want money to keep these kids at home from the dance if they want to go just because they are ashamed of what they have to wear.”

  A knock on her front door interrupted the meeting.

  “Gentlemen, excuse me, please.”

  Irene smiled as the men started reminiscing about their high school proms and left them in the den. She answered the door, surprised to find Theo standing on her front porch.

  “Theo? Did we have an appointment?”

  Theo was looking around at the massive front porch and two-story house that towered over the surroundings. “Good God, this place is huge. Don’t you ever get lost?”

  “Leaving a trail of bread crumbs helps. Why are you here?” Irene was proud of the house Sven had built for her, but it felt odd for Theo to be standing at the front door, taking it all in. If he was going to be judgmental, she didn’t want to hear it.

  “I need to talk to you about the parade float.”

  “Right this minute? I’m in a meeting at the moment.”

  “I guess I should have called, but I ran into Nell, and she put a bee in my bonnet.”

  “About the float? Oh, dear. Well, come on in. I’m almost finished if you don’t mind waiting a few minutes.”

  He walked into the foyer, still looking around this way and that. “I don’t mind. Where do you want to park me in the meantime? Someplace out of the way?”

  “In here is fine. You don’t need to hide.” She led him to a formal living room and waved him inside. “Can I get you something to drink while you’re waiting?”

  “I’m good. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

  She walked back to the study, surprised to feel so disconcerted about having Theo in the house. It was her refuge from old memories and anything that had to do with her past. And now Theo, the most painful reminder of those days, sat in her living room big as life.

  Walking back into the study, she said, “I’m sorry for the interruption, gentlemen. Do you have any more questions?”

  Gordon Roach stood up as she entered. “No, we will look into some of these other foundations that do this sort of thing and see what works and what doesn’t.”

  Joe Higginbotham added, “Then we’ll get back to you.”

  They both gathered their folders and stuffed them back in their briefcases. Irene walked them to the door and thanked them for coming. When they’d gone she turned around, and with a stiffening of her spine, she went to find Theo.

  He’d taken advantage of the time while she was gone. His head was thrown back on the cushions of the couch, and his hat covered his face. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, boots crossed at the ankles. His hands were clasped across his flat stomach, and he seemed to be enjoying a nice nap. Heat curled in her belly as she took the time to study him. He was a beautiful man, long and lean. Nothing about the way she reacted to him physically had changed in all these years.

  She used to come home from work and find him asleep on their couch in the apartment they’d shared in Dallas. She would try to sneak in so she wouldn’t wake him, but he always seemed to sense her presence. He’d sit up and yawn and ask her about her day. She loved that. The time they spent talking almost every night. It was during those talks that her feelings for him started to change. She realized he’d had a crush on her since he started working with her at Piggly Wiggly. She hadn’t encouraged it. She didn’t have time for an emotional attachment. Getting out of Derbyville was her only aim at the time. But she couldn’t lie. She’d been flattered by his devotion. It was nice to have someone think you hung the moon.

  But he’d always been so respectful of her dreams and never pushed himself on her in any way. She could relax with Theo, so when the idea came up of sharing an apartment, she jumped at the opportunity. She should have known it would end badly.

  She didn’t try to be sneaky now.


  “Wake up, cowboy. You said we had things to discuss.”

  He jumped and pushed his hat back on his head. “Sorry about that. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  She sat down beside him on the couch. “So, what’s this about our float?”

  He straightened up. “Not our float, lady. I’m just the hired help.”

  “Okay. My float, then.”

  “You need to find work space.”

  She smiled. “That’s not a problem. Everyone uses that empty hangar at the airfield.”

  He corrected her. “That is the problem. Everyone’s already claimed all the space. As a new entry you’ll have to find someplace else to construct this thing. I thought you might have room up here. A garage or we could put up a large tarp.”

  “Way up here?” She’d liked the idea of being surrounded by other float builders. She’d thought it would be fun and full of camaraderie.

  “You won’t have to worry about spies that way.”

  “Should I be worried about spies?” She looked at him like he’d been drinking.

  He grinned as though the whole process was a big joke. “According to Nell, no one will consider you a threat, but apparently spying is rampant when it comes to the Penelope Bottoms trophy.”

  “I never realized.” She tapped a finger against her lip while considering the situation.

  Theo continued to paint a dire picture. “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if sabotage wasn’t a concern as well.”

  She stood up, pooh-poohing that idea with a wave of her hand. “If I’m no threat, I don’t expect anyone would bother to go that far.”

  “You’re probably right, but once we have a working plan in place, we should take precautions.”

  “So, now we’re back to ‘we’?”

  Theo shook his head. “What about it? Do you have a spot to use or not?”

  “Of course. My garages are full, but there is a covered carport around back. Sven thought it would be handy for boats and or visitors to use, but it’s empty.”

  Theo frowned at Sven’s name but said, “That looks like a six-car garage. Is it full of cars?”

  “I have a variety of vehicles. Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious. Hey, since I’m here why don’t you give me a tour of the house?”

  “You want to see the house?”

  “Sure. I’m curious to see what I was dumped for.”

  Irene wanted to slug him. Instead she herded him to the front door. “Go home, Theo. I’ll be in touch about the float.”

  He held up his hands. “Okay. I’m going. You don’t have to push.”

  “That was a low thing to say, Theo.” She stood facing him with her arms crossed over her chest.

  He sighed. “You’re right. Sometimes old resentments spill out before I can stop them.”

  She didn’t care to hear his lame excuses. “I’m not going to apologize for anything I have. Not to you. Not to anyone.”

  He settled his hat on his head. “Understood. Good night, Ree.” He started walking toward his truck, his long legs carrying him into the falling darkness.

  “Theo?” She walked out onto the porch, calling his name. When he turned around, she said, “I want to win that trophy. I know it’s silly and doesn’t mean much, but I want it. I don’t have to worry about sabotage from you, do I?”

  He walked a few steps back in her direction. “You can always count on me, Ree.” His face was solemn, his tone sincere.

  She studied him for a minute, and then she nodded. There had been a time when she’d believed that without question. She’d believed Theo would always be there, always and forever. And she’d been absolutely wrong. But she was tired of singing that same old song. This was a new day and maybe the start of a new verse. “I’m glad to hear it. Good night, Theo.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Theo hauled the lowboy trailer up the hill using one of Jake’s old work trucks. The road was steep and winding. At least he didn’t have to worry about traffic. He’d been an asshole the last time he’d seen Ree. He couldn’t look at that big, fancy house and not think how much more it had meant to her than their relationship. He’d been off at basic training, missing her like crazy, and she’d been getting cozy with that old goat Sven and all his money. It shouldn’t matter anymore. But the moment he stepped inside that place, it was like little explosions going off inside his head. He sat in that living room surrounded by expensive vases, original paintings, and silk throw pillows, and it was a painful reminder of all the “stuff” he hadn’t been able to give her.

  In all the time they talked, she’d never really acted like she longed for luxury. He knew money was always a concern for them both. The security she’d longed to have while she was growing up was a deep-seated need for her. He hadn’t even asked about her family since he’d been back, but he couldn’t imagine anything had changed. Her uncle had been spineless and her aunt had been overworked, and they argued a lot. Her cousins would have been caught in the middle of all that the same way Ree had been growing up. But these days, he supposed, if nothing else, she didn’t have to worry about being able to provide for them anymore.

  The hill flattened out as he approached her house, and he pulled around back to the carport. It was a wide structure open on four sides, and the plan was to drape it in plastic sheeting to protect their work from the elements.

  Irene hadn’t shown him her design yet. He didn’t have any idea how to decorate a wedding planner’s float to make it stand out in the crowd. Maybe a giant revolving cake or bride and groom statues. He would wait and see what she had planned for an award-winning float.

  He lined up the pickup with the front side of the carport and drove straight through, stopping when the eight-foot trailer was under the roof. He got out and unhitched the truck. Then he pulled it around to the side where it would be out of the way. The back door opened, and Irene walked out past the swimming pool gate and came out to the carport.

  “Oh, good. You already have it in place. That’s great, Theo.”

  “I aim to please, ma’am.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’ll show you the design, but first let’s have lunch. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

  He’d been working all morning on the house on Overbrook Street, and he was hungry enough to eat a moose. “I’m starving. What are we having?”

  “I made cucumber sandwiches and tea cakes.” She looked extremely pleased with herself as she headed back into the house.

  “I can’t wait,” he grumbled. He called after her, “I hope you made a lot.” He’d have to stop off at the diner as soon as he left.

  She laughed as she held the back door open for him. “I remember how much you can eat. I thought we’d eat on the sunporch.”

  He walked through the kitchen out onto a glass-enclosed room filled with flowering plants and lounge chairs. A glass table sat in the middle surrounded by spindly cushion-covered chairs. Place settings were arranged artfully for two.

  “Sit down and I’ll serve. Be right back.”

  He frowned, pulling out a chair, and sat down gingerly. The chair was sturdier than it looked so he relaxed. Irene came out from the kitchen carrying a covered casserole dish. “I was just kidding about the cucumber sandwiches. I made your favorite.”

  He waited as she removed the lid. “Cheese enchiladas? Oh, man, I haven’t had any that hold a candle to yours since—well, since we were back in Dallas.”

  She scooped a large serving onto his plate and then put a couple on hers. From a sideboard she grabbed a basket of chips and hot sauce and put them in front of him. Then she put some refried beans on his plate and a scoop of guacamole.

  “I would have given you a beer, but I thought that was unwise if we plan to get any work done this afternoon.”

  He toasted her with his glass of iced tea. “Who needs beer? I can’t believe you did this, Ree.”

  She blushed a bit, looking embarrassed. “It was nice to have a reason to cook. If we are going to be
working up here on the float, it doesn’t make sense to stop and go all the way into town for a lunch break. Don’t expect enchiladas every day, though.”

  “I can always brown-bag it.”

  She waved a hand to dismiss that idea. “Don’t be silly. Consider it a perk of the job.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He took a big bite of enchilada, savoring the taste. “Man, I’ve missed your cooking.” He ducked his head, knowing that admission was just the tip of the iceberg. He’d missed everything about her.

  She didn’t seem to read anything into the remark, though. She simply smiled and started eating, too.

  It was harder for him not to read anything into the big plate of enchiladas parked in front of him. She’d taken the time to cook for him, and she knew they were his favorite. She’d remembered that after all this time.

  Okay. Big deal.

  He remembered that she loved spaghetti and meatballs. It didn’t mean he was still madly in love with her or anything. That was nonsense. Mad-dog-baying-at-the-moon nonsense. Irene was merely making an effort to be civil, to make sure that the time they spent working together up here all alone on her hill wouldn’t be bumpy. Hell, if they could get along and not jump down each other’s throats every five minutes that would make this project easier for them both.

  But dang it, she’d prepared one of his favorite dishes. She could have thrown some sandwiches together with a bag of chips, and he would have been happy as a clam. The extra effort threw him more than a little. She was wearing jeans and a pale yellow tank top. Her version of work clothes, even though that skimpy top alone probably cost more than his work boots. The tank top showed off her strong, shapely arms and just enough cleavage to distract him. He wasn’t a teenage boy who lost the ability to function in the face of a little boobage, but this wasn’t just anyone. This was Ree. And that little display of her creamy, inviting skin was enough to drive him crazy if he let it. He jerked his eyes up to her face when she spoke. Maybe she hadn’t noticed his ogling.