by Debby Mayne
"Since you want to work late, why don't you come in after lunch?"
Alexa lifted her handbag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'll stop off at the Senior Center on my way here and talk to them."
As soon as Alexa left, Paula locked up and went to her car. Nick planned to pick her up as soon as she got home because he needed some help at the mall. She couldn't imagine why. He'd always had impeccable taste in clothes. Much better than hers.
Nick was parked at the curb in front of her house, waiting for her. He got out of his car and joined her on the porch. "Took you long enough to get home."
"Wanna come in?"
"Do you need to go in?"
She thought then shook her head. "Not really."
He gestured toward the car. "Then let's get going."
All the way to the mall, he seemed nervous. Each time he pulled up to a red light or stop sign, he looked at her with the oddest expression—as if puzzled. He was up to something. She would ask, but if he wanted to tell her, he would have already. And she was too tired to try to dig anything out of him.
When they arrived at Countryside Mall, he got out, opened her door, and cleared his throat. She took his hand and noticed that his palm felt damp. This was a first.
They started out in one of the larger department stores, where Nick wanted to look at household items. "I thought you lived in a barracks."
"I do, but that might change someday."
Her suspicion grew even stronger. "This isn't about anything specific, is it?"
"Paula," he began then shook his head. "I feel like such a klutz."
She laughed. "You are hilarious, Nick. And you're all mixed up. You're the graceful athlete. I'm the klutzy nerd."
"Well, if you wanna know the truth, I've always wanted to be the nerd. It seems like a whole lot more fun."
Paula cracked up. "I guess being the town golden boy must present a lot of problems . . . like stress and high expectations. The expectations have to be killer."
He didn't respond, so Paula stopped and tugged at him until he turned to face her.
"What's going on, Nick?"
His shoulders rose and fell as he inhaled a deep breath. He cupped her face in his hands. "Paula, I love you, and I'll do anything to keep from losing you again. I want us to be together forever."
Now she was speechless. When she tried to talk, her voice came out in a squeak.
He smiled. "And that's one of the things I love most about you. You're so confident, controlled, and unpretentious that when you're like this, I know it's not an act." He dropped his hands from her face and rubbed them across his shirt. "I've made you sound like a squeaky toy."
She cleared her throat. "It's not the first time."
"No, but in the eighteen years I've loved you, I can count the number of times on one hand."
"Okay," she said, trying to sound unfazed, "so now what?"
"Wanna go look at rings?"
Paula stared at him, dumbfounded. "What did you say?"
"All I said was—"
"I know what you said."
"Well?" He took both of her hands in his. "Do you?"
Paula allowed the shock to fade a few seconds before shaking her head. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"So you're saying you don't love me?"
"I'm not saying that."
The corners of his lips twitched. "I remember back a long time ago when you and I talked about eventually getting married. You didn't seem opposed to the idea then. And we talked about it again yesterday. Have you changed your mind in the last twenty-four hours?"
"C'mon, Nick, a long time has passed since we first talked about getting married, and our conversation last night was hypothetical. We're older now. We have responsibilities."
"Yes, and that's all the more reason for us to make our situation more permanent—either way."
"This isn't an ultimatum, is it?"
Nick hated begging anyone to do anything, and that's exactly what this felt like to him. "No. Where did that come from?"
"The way you worded it . . . when you said either way."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Why do I feel like we're always arguing now? It didn't used to be that way."
"You're only half right. We never used to argue, and we're not arguing now. I'm just trying to do something I should have done a long time ago."
She pulled her hands out of his. "So you're planning to get out of the Army and stay here?"
He couldn't help but laugh. "How can someone so perfect otherwise keep getting the Army and Air Force mixed up?"
"Just answer me, Nick. Are you getting out of the Air Force or not?"
Nick tightened his lips and slowly shook his head. "It's not that easy. I have to wait until it's time for reenlistment, and I can make a decision then."
"Okay, then, let's get this straight. You want to give me a ring before you go back, which has us in a long-distance relationship until you decide you're ready?"
That did sound pretty bad. "Now that you put it that way, I guess I can't ask you to do that."
"Oh, you can certainly ask, but I'd be a fool to go along with it."
"And you're certainly not a fool. If anything, I am for even considering getting engaged."
"No, Nick, you're not a fool." She reached up and placed her palm on his cheek. "You're a very sweet, romantic man who stole the heart of the nerdiest girl west of Tampa."
Nick laughed in spite of the ache in his chest. "A romantic man who loves the sweetest, prettiest girl in the entire universe. I guess I am a fool for that, huh?"
"No, not at all." She blinked then glanced around. "In case you haven't noticed, we've attracted a bit of attention."
He looked over his shoulder in time to see a couple quickly glance away. "Ask me if I care."
"Can we go someplace else and discuss this?"
"You want to talk about it some more?" A sliver of hope rose in his heart.
"Maybe that was a bad idea."
"No, it's a great idea." He pointed toward a bench about forty feet away. "How about we talk over there?"
"Um . . . Nick, do you realize that's right in front of a jewelry store?"
"So? If I can talk you into marrying me, we won't have to go far."
She gave him a gentle shove. "No wonder you get your way so much. You don't give up, do you?"
"Hey, watch it. I'm fragile."
"Right." She rolled her eyes but accepted his hand when he reached for hers.
They sat on the bench and watched a group of pierced, tattooed teenagers stroll by. One of the girls did a double-take and smiled at Nick. He recognized her—she was the daughter of one of his father's employees.
"Hi, Carmen," he said.
"Hi, Mr. Papadopoulos." Her hard-edged look softened. "I didn't know you were back."
"I'm just here on vacation. It's good to see you."
"C'mon, Carmen," one of the boys said. "Jimbo's mother's picking us up by Dillard's, and we're already late."
Carmen waved then turned back to her friends. Nick thought he heard some swear words, but he didn't want to assume anything. "I wonder if we ever came across like that."
"Nope." Paula shook her head. "You were the Tarpon Springs Sponger hero, and I was the scrawny little groupie running after you."
Nick cracked up. "I don't think so."
"Okay, so now where were we?"
"We were talking about getting engaged and riding off into the sunset."
"All the way to the . . . Air Force base, right?"
He grinned. "Yep. What's wrong with that?"
"You're stubborn as a mule, Nick. You already know how I feel about stability. It's the most important thing to me."
Even more important than him obviously. If he could, he'd turn in his resignation right then just to be with Paula. "You know, being married to me has some stability . . . at least it does in my book."
Paula nodded. "Good point."
"Tarpon Springs
will always be home, no matter where we are."
"I wonder if part of what you're feeling is the absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder thing."
"Run that one by me again?"
"You know," she said. "I'm not there, so you think about how things used to be, and you fantasize about how we could go back to that and—"
"Whoa, wait a minute. I don't do that."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. What I feel is very real. It's just that in the past the timing never seemed right. I thought maybe . . . well, perhaps . . ." He blew out a breath of exasperation. "Never mind. It was a bad idea, anyway." He stood and pulled her up. "Ready to go home?"
"Sure." She gave him a little resistance when he started walking toward the mall exit. "Since we're here, let's go take a look at those rings. Just for grins, okay?"
Nick could be with Paula for the rest of his life and still never figure her out. So he decided not to even try. "Fine."
"That one's pretty," she said, pointing to a small solitaire.
"You don't think it's too plain?" He thought about his mother's ring with the ornate scrollwork and diamond chips flanking the monster-size diamond in the middle. "How about that one over there?"
She lifted her eyebrows and made a funny face. "Not in this lifetime." She held out her hands. "Can you picture that honker on these stubby fingers? Whoo boy, that won't work for me."
Nick lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them. "If we were to ever get engaged . . . and I'm not saying we will . . .how about a compromise and go for . . ." He glanced around at the array of rings on display until he settled on a teardrop solitaire flanked by rows of pavé-set diamond chips. "That one?"
An odd sort of serenity crept over her face as she studied the ring he pointed to. "That's very pretty, Nick."
"I know what would look good on you." He tugged her away from the store window. "But I wouldn't want to force you to wear that ring since we're not getting engaged or anything . . . at least not anytime soon." He smiled down at her.
He committed the ring to memory. Somehow, some way, he would slip that ring on Paula's finger— no matter what he had to do to put it there.
13
you what?" Nick's mother couldn't hide the grin that played on her lips.
"I might not reenlist."
The smug look on her face belied her tone. "But I thought you loved military life."
"I do, but I love Paula more."
Mama put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you do, son, but before you take such a big leap, you better get a commitment from her."
"I'm working on that."
"Any other girl would be putty in your hands. You choose the one who stands up to you and makes you work for her affection."
"I know. Paula has a mind of her own."
"That's one of the things we all love about her. We never worried that she only cared about you for being a Papadopoulos."
Nick chuckled. "As if that carries any clout."
She tossed him an indignant glare. "In Tarpon Springs, it most certainly does."
"I reckon it does."
Mama couldn't hold back her smile anymore. "You reckon? Nick Papadopoulos! I don't think I've ever heard anyone but Paula use that expression."
"She's rubbing off on me, Mama."
"Good. That girl's smart and resourceful. Now what can we all do to help you out? I don't want you to have to do this on your own."
"Oh, trust me, you've all done quite enough."
Her smile faded, but she still held a glimmer in her eyes. "We like to help."
Nick hugged her. "I know you do, and I appreciate it."
"What do you have planned for the rest of your vacation?"
"Paula and I were talking about going to the Clearwater Jazz Festival. Any other suggestions?"
"That's a good start." She shook her head. "Can't think of anything else." Suddenly, her face lit up. "Maybe you can take her to Bern's Steak House in Tampa."
Nick nodded. "I wonder if she's ever been there. The one time I wanted to take her back in high school, she didn't want to go because it was too expensive."
"Oh, I'm sure she's probably been since then. We can ask Stephanie. She probably knows."
"I have a better idea, Mama. I'll ask Paula myself."
Ever since the trip to the mall, Paula felt as though she were walking on air. She wished she didn't feel this way, but she was happy Nick still loved her. When she wasn't with him, however, she remembered his wanderlust and her need for staying put. She didn't want either of them to resent the other, and her business was doing better than she ever expected. She'd worked hard to build something that was just now taking off.
She also knew she struggled to trust other people—even Nick. He'd never given her any reason not to trust him, but after what she'd seen with her parents, she realized that love could turn into something very bad and hurtful. It had been almost twenty years since her parents' divorce, and her mother still hadn't recovered—even after marrying Mack.
The one constant in Paula's life was her business. She'd poured all her money, time, and energy into growing it, and it paid off. Having Alexa working afternoons and nights freed her up to handle the wholesale orders and production, which was going quite smoothly. Alexa's idea for talking to the people at the Senior Center turned out to be pure genius. Paula agreed to pay the center's electric bill and pay wages to the people who did the work. The first batch turned out beautiful. It was good for everyone involved.
Paula was happy to see Nick, and she wanted to hang out with him while he was in town. But she resolved to maintain some emotional distance for self-preservation and sanity after he left. It would be difficult to resist his charms—particularly when he talked about building a life together—but the fact that he had limited time kept her from floating off on a cloud to Neverland. Mom hadn't taught her much, but she did show her how trusting in someone else could backfire.
Paula remembered her grandmother telling her that if an obstacle stood in the way and you couldn't move it yourself, leave it there and walk around it. She'd clung to that philosophy of independence most of her life. She certainly didn't get it from her mother, who never minded asking people for whatever she wanted but wasn't willing to get for herself. Paula suspected the main reason her mother married Mack was to be able to quit her job. She never kept her disdain for full-time work a secret. She'd worked one job after another and always found reasons to leave, sometimes for a miniscule raise but always blaming the former employer for not seeing her value. But, as Nick and his family reminded Paula, her mother did support her until she was on her own. As meager as it was, she always had a place to live and food on the table. She knew it wasn't easy for a single mom to support a child.
Alexa's first few nights of keeping the shop open later astounded Paula. She did almost as much business during the week as she did on weekends. Until now, she didn't realize how many local sales she was missing.
"Want me to open early on Sunday?" Alexa asked.
"No. I don't want you to miss church."
Alexa grinned. "You are the best boss I've ever had."
"Don't say that, Alexa. The only other bosses you've had were your family, and that's really not fair."
"Okay, so they treat me like a child, and you don't."
Paula thought about how much more adult Alexa acted around her than she did with her mother and aunts, but she didn't say that to Alexa. "I'm very happy with your work. You've been a great asset."
Tears sprang to Alexa's eyes, and she quickly turned away. Paula knew she was embarrassed by her emotions, so she walked to the other side of the shop. "How are these fat candles doing?"
Alexa dabbed at her eyes with a tissue before joining Paula. "They're starting to do well. I found a picture in a magazine of some movie stars' homes, and that's what they're all burning these days."
"Good thinking."
"Same with soaps. I read that some of the big stars are using aroma therapy in every
thing, including soaps, and they're going all-natural."
"It's a good thing you like reading all those magazines," Paula said. "You'll keep us up-to-date on the trends."
Alexa smiled and nodded silently then made her way back to the sales counter. Paula knew this was her way of regaining her comfort zone.
"Anything I need to know about before I take off?" Paula asked.
When Alexa didn't answer right away, Paula stared at her.
"I don't know if I should tell you this," Alexa began.
"Since you've said that much, you better tell me."
Alexa chewed her lip. "Mama and Aunt Ursa have been working on a plan to get you to marry Nick."
"What?" Paula hadn't intended it to come out in a shriek.
Alexa held up her hands defensively. "I know, I know. It's none of their business, but they've never let that stop them before."
"Does Nick know about this . . . this plan?"
"No, of course not. He'd never go for anything so devious or underhanded."
"Any idea what they're planning to do?"
"Not yet, but I'm keeping my ears open."
"You'll let me know, right?"
Alexa frowned. "Yes, but it feels sort of, well . . . I don't know . . ."
"Sneaky and underhanded?"
"Yeah."
Paula thought about her relationship with her own mother and how strained it was compared to the loving Papadopoulos family. She didn't want to create any friction between Alexa and her family.
"Then don't get involved. This is between Nick and me. Even if your mother and aunt try to make things happen, Nick and I are strong enough to do only what's right for us."
Once the words registered with Alexa, she smiled. "Thanks, Paula. You're an amazing person. Anyone else would have wanted me to act as a double agent."
Paula winked and lifted her finger to her lips. "Okay, motor-mouth, time to flip the switch to the off position."
She left the shop to the sound of Alexa's laughter. On the way to the Senior Center, she wondered what the Papadopoulos women had planned. By the time she arrived, she realized how blessed she was that they would go to so much trouble to bring her into the family. They'd always said she was like one of them, and now they were proving they meant it.