“How much did we lose?” he asked. “What was in the boat?”
“All of your ties. Our lunch. The life jackets we should have been wearing.”
“It can all be replaced. You can’t. I’m glad you can swim.”
“Me, too. Water’s cold, though.”
He pressed his chest against her cold, hard nipples. “Yeah, I can tell.”
Tess chuffed out a laugh. “You’re wicked.”
She drove them home in their wet clothes where they took warm showers, separately, to Jeff’s dismay.
Afterward, he heard her drying her hair and called to her as soon as she turned off the dryer, from his bedroom where he sat on his bed leaning against the headboard, because he needed her there with him.
“Are you okay?” She neared the bed.
He nodded.
“I’m going down to make lunch. Do you need something first?”
“I need you. Now.” He snapped out a hand and was lucky enough to snag her wrist. “Stay.” A thread of emotion ran through his voice, something he hadn’t felt in a long time—the love for a woman.
Giving her no chance to back away, he had her sprawled across him and his arms around her like steel bands.
He kissed her cheek.
“Where are your lips?”
She laughed and said, “Here,” and he felt her mouth on his.
He kissed her with the passion and heat of a younger man. Jeff might be in his sixties, but he still remembered how to handle a woman.
She didn’t resist. When he finally came up for air, she said, “I can’t do this. This is unprofessional.”
“Screw being professional.”
“If I’m not careful, you will screw a professional.”
Deep laughter shook him. He wished he could see her, but would make do with touching her.
“I love your sense of humor,” he said.
He kissed her forehead.
“You’re fired,” he murmured against her hair.
“Jeff,” she said, her voice thick with desire, but also with frustration. “I need this job. I have to support myself.”
His lips touched the tip of her nose, as though he could learn the shape of her face with his mouth instead of his failing eyes. “Not if you marry me.”
She stilled. He held his breath. The air in the room turned into billions of listening particles. She leaned away from him, and he could feel her staring at him.
“I beg your pardon?”
He watched her steadily, even though he couldn’t see her clearly. “I need you, Tess. I know we barely know each other, but I want to get to know you better. As it is, I know enough to want you here all of the time, not as an employee, but as a cherished friend.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
“Say yes.” He kissed her again, and her resistance melted into desire, want, need.
His hands roved her body, learning and coveting every one of those extra pounds she griped about.
They made love all afternoon and cuddled while the evening turned to orange and then to dusk outside the window, while they revealed all of their secrets to each other in the waning light through the window.
Tess loved Jeff back with as much intensity as he offered, a partner, taking his burdens as hers and transmuting them to joy.
They spent the night together, a glorious revelation of lovemaking and late-in-years sex that was passionate and fulfilling. He hadn’t known his life could still hold this, not at his age, not with fading eyesight. In his heart, in his soul, he knew he was making the right choice.
* * *
AUDREY DROVE HOME late with Jerry on the passenger seat beside her, tired but happy with the progress she’d made on her show stand. Correction, the progress she’d made today with Gray’s help. Like old times, he’d been a good buddy. Unlike in the past, the way she felt about him was all grown up, and the thoughts she had were not “buddy” thoughts at all. They left her itchy and aware and aching.
Was there a possibility of something more with him? Could she forgive him for what he had done to his father? Now that she knew about Shelly and her children, Audrey had a better understanding of what drove Gray, but the whole business had been so ugly. He had reneged on taking back the greenhouses. He’d saved them from demolition. Was he closer to the boy she used to know and adore? Or would the cold businessman raise his head if threatened again? He’d done so much healing in the cave, though. She wondered...was there possibility with Gray?
She got out of the car and was leading Jerry to his kennel when she noticed the house was dark. Dad and Teresa were home because his truck was in the driveway. Even though it wasn’t quite eleven, they must have gone to bed early.
“Come on, Jerry. You can come inside tonight.”
Inside the front door, she stopped and listened.
“All quiet. You’re in for the night, Jer. You can sleep in my room and I’ll put you out in the yard before Dad gets up in the morning.”
She walked upstairs in the dark, Jerry’s nails click-clicking on the steps behind her.
On the landing, she stopped because she’d heard something strange. Voices. In Dad’s room. A woman giggling. Teresa?
Oh, my.
Dad’s voice murmured something, then his deep laughter filled the bedroom behind his closed door.
Oh, oh, my.
Teresa’s voice responded and, while Audrey couldn’t catch specific words, the tone was warm, loving.
Oh, oh, oh, my.
Audrey smiled so broadly, filled with such joy, she was shocked it didn’t light up the dark hallway. This was awesome, fabulous, more than she could have hoped for. Dad deserved happiness.
She crept to her room at the far end of the hall, washed, undressed and crawled into bed, all while her grin stretched her lips ear to ear.
Holy jumping jelly beans.
Jerry lay down beside her on the bed, and she buried her fingers in his fur.
When had this developed? Dad’s surliness had eased and his temper had abated with Teresa’s presence, sure, but Audrey hadn’t seen this coming. Hadn’t had a clue. She’d been too busy to notice.
She stared into the darkness, petting Jerry and happy for his company, but thinking about romance. The happiness for her father slowly morphed into longing.
She adored her job and her independence, loved her family, friends and dog. The challenge of starting a business and competing in the show excited her. She wanted more, though. She wanted a home of her own and a family.
Remembering how good it had felt to hold Pearl, to imagine that the baby was hers, longing filled her chest like a hard round balloon. Even more, she wanted someone to love and appreciate her. Someone who wouldn’t try to change or pigeonhole her, but who would see her and accept her as she was, wholeheartedly. Lovingly.
That tentative wonder and hope after working with Gray today evaporated. She remembered his disdain of her clothing, her style. No. There was no possibility of romance there.
Sleep eluded her, as out of reach as the love and acceptance she craved.
* * *
GROGGY FROM LACK of sleep, but happy for Dad, Audrey filled a thermal mug with coffee from the pot she’d made and doctored it the way she liked it.
A few minutes ago, she’d heard movement upstairs and someone showering. Dad? Or Teresa?
She heard footsteps coming down the stairs too quickly to be her dad’s. Teresa entered the kitchen, but pulled up short when she saw Audrey. Her face turned a becoming shade of pink. The woman was no beauty queen by any stretch of the imagination, but this morning, she glowed.
Audrey liked her. “May I ask what your intentions are toward my dad?”
Teresa, who was usually so calm and so in control, st
ammered, “I— He—”
Audrey laughed to ease Teresa’s discomfort and wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you for making my dad happy.” She pulled away and looked into Teresa’s pale eyes. “You did leave him happy, I assume?”
Teresa’s shy smile looked so out of character on her bold face that Audrey grinned.
“He asked me to marry him,” Teresa said.
“Woot! Are you serious? That’s awesome!”
Dad married? No longer alone to deal with the terrible changes in his life? After Mom’s death so many years ago, Dad had found love again.
“You have my blessing,” Audrey said, reveling in the joy that resonated in the house.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU mean you can’t come?” Audrey stood in the Army Surplus, shocked that Noah was backing out of his promise to attend the floral competition with her. “You promised me you would support me.”
Noah looked harried. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I know, but that was before Monica Accord booked a fund-raiser to help me raise money to start a soup kitchen in Denver.”
Audrey crossed her arms. “Which she just happened to book on the same day as my event.”
“It was a mistake. An oversight.”
“Didn’t you tell her you would be busy that weekend? You were going to help me set it up.”
“I know. I did tell her I was busy, but she must have misunderstood and thought I was telling her to book it for that weekend. You know how she gets things wrong sometimes.”
Monica was her former sister-in-law, and, yes, sometimes she did get things wrong. “I can’t believe you’re defending her. Monica isn’t as dumb as everyone thinks. She’s dumb like a barracuda. She always manages to get her way in things.” Audrey knew she was being mean-spirited but couldn’t stop herself. How on earth was she going to set up all by herself?
The front door opened, but Audrey was too caught up in her panic and disappointment to care who had come into the store.
“That’s not true,” Noah said hotly. “She’s been great. She’s been giving clothes and makeup to local women for job interviews. She’s not selfish.”
“How do you know? You don’t hang out with her.”
He shrugged and avoided her eyes. Were...were Noah and Monica an item? “I had a prior commitment from you.”
His eyes widened. “That’s enough, Audrey. Cut it out. If you can’t be supportive of the work I do, then just don’t say anything.”
“I’ve always supported your work to help the poor, Noah,” she said. “I’d hoped for the same in return.”
She turned to leave with as much dignity as she could muster while her nerves jittered. How was she supposed to do all of the work alone, transporting so many fragile flowers, heavy wooden boxes and a trellis, as well as setting up an exhibit that would take hours and hours?
A shadow fell across her. Gray.
“I’ll help you,” he said, his voice quiet but firm, and Audrey could have cried she was so grateful.
“I’d like that,” she responded, her voice equally as quiet. She didn’t say more because she didn’t think she could. Her emotions were reeling. She’d always been able to depend on Noah.
She stopped Gray with a hand on his arm.
“Can I trust you?” She studied him while she waited for his reply, willing him to tell her the truth, to be the person she’d always believed he could be instead of the cutthroat businessman he’d become.
He touched her hand, oh, so briefly with his fingers, a feather touch, but it left an impression. “Yes, you can trust me.”
She believed him. “Can you be at the loading dock of the store at eight on Sunday morning?”
“I’ll be there.” He turned and strode toward the counter.
Audrey left the shop.
* * *
GRAY AND NOAH faced off.
“You warned me against hurting Audrey,” Gray said, “but it looks like you’re the one guilty of that.”
Noah’s gaze slid away. “Yeah, you have no idea how bad I feel.”
Gray’s grunt must not have sounded too supportive because Noah said, “I do feel bad. What did you come into the store for?”
“Nothing now. I wouldn’t give you a nickel to support this shop after what you just did to Audrey.” When he left, he let the door slam behind him.
Sam’s birthday was coming up and Gray had planned to give him a Swiss Army knife, but he’d find somewhere else to buy it other than from that hippie snake-in-the-grass Noah.
* * *
WHEN AUDREY DROVE up to the rear of her shop at eight on Sunday morning, Gray was already there, waiting. The weather had turned unseasonably cold.
For an hour, they loaded supplies from the shop into the bed of her dad’s pickup and then drove to the greenhouses.
“Everything looks awesome.” Gray grinned. “You’re going to do well. Let’s get the truck loaded.”
An hour and a half later, they’d unloaded everything at the back door of the convention space.
She drew her plan out of her purse and outlined her ideas to Gray so he would know where to place things, starting with the six-foot sunflowers in the back, tucking them into the corner and lining them along the bland gray curtains.
In front of them, she set up the arbor she’d brought, and Gray helped her wrestle it into place. She curved and curled her clematis with their weird hairy seedpods over it. Underneath the center of the arch, she put a small stone bench and tucked her orchids in and on and around it.
She arranged her boxes, covering them with the moss she’d ordered online and had had delivered two days ago. On one of the higher boxes, she arranged her larger mushrooms.
She placed the smaller boxes on the lower ones.
In and around everything, she tucked her animal topiaries—squirrels peeked out from behind orchids, and a hedgehog looked as if he was nibbling a puffball.
On the floor at the front of the display, she set up a fairy garden with small houses she’d made from birch bark and wild plants she’d found in the forest, including maidenhair fern that she’d divided to make miniature shrubbery around her miniature houses. With stones she’d hand selected from a stream, she created the tiniest walkways edged with small fences that she’d built in the basement and had painted pale blue.
From a doll’s shop, she’d ordered chairs that she’d painted hot-pink. She put them in the middle of the tiny garden and placed the tiniest, jewel-toned miniprimroses that she’d nurtured in the back of her store.
“Voilà,” she said, standing back and planting her hands on her hips. The display was whimsical and playful and original. She loved it. Would anyone else?
“Wow,” Gray said. “This is incredible.”
She wanted to believe it, but she couldn’t judge her own work.
“Truly?” she asked, watching him to make sure he was telling the truth.
A gentle smile lit his face. “Truly. It’s a wonderland. You’ve created something unique using your imagination. Children will love it.”
“Adults, too, I hope. They’ll be the ones voting.”
Gray frowned. “How are you going to get people back here?” He glanced around the crowded showroom. “There must be at least forty displays.”
“Forty-two, but who’s counting?”
“So, you said you’d dress up like a clown to grab attention.” His glance flicked over her.
She’d worn a hot-pink dress today with a fitted bodice and a hot-pink angora sweater on top. Her full crinoline made the skirt jut way out. She thought it way cool, but a temporary insecurity on such an important day had her blurting, “Do I look okay?”
“You look stunning.” She did? Where was the disdain Gray had shown her when he first came home, when his scrutiny
of her style spoke of harsh criticism, when he thought she was cuckoo to dress this way? Now he thought she was stunning? “Answer my question. How are you going to get people back here?”
A slow smile spread across her face as she reached for the box she’d picked up from the printer yesterday and opened it. Inside were a couple thousand hot-pink bookmarks, each one offering a prize to anyone who turned one in to her booth.
“What are the prizes?”
She bent over the one remaining unopened box on the floor.
Inside were hundreds of pink papers hearts. She’d made the paper herself, begging and borrowing used computer paper from all of the shops and businesses in town, shredding it and blending it at home, adding red tissue paper for color and morning glory seeds, and carrying the pulp to work where she shaped and dried the hearts. After she caught Jerry eating one, she learned to store them out of reach.
Come spring, anyone who planted a paper heart in their garden would soon be rewarded with morning glories.
Gray grinned. “Brilliant.”
“Thanks.”
He shook his head. “You’ve done so much work for this. You deserve to win.”
“Thanks.” She basked in his admiration. She might be a highly confident person, but Gray’s support today mattered. “Let’s check out everyone else’s displays.”
“You know what, Audrey? You go ahead. I’m going to stay here.”
Audrey felt an odd jolt of foreboding. “Why?”
“While you were setting up, there was a guy watching everything you did. Didn’t you tell me Bolton planned to win this thing?”
“Yes, but sabotage? I find that hard to believe.”
Gray rested his hands on her shoulders, and Audrey felt a sizzle all the way to her toes.
“I’ve worked in the cutthroat world of business. I know what men are capable of.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m staying here to guard the display while you look around.”
“But what about once the doors open and I have to stand at the door to hand out bookmarks? I can’t expect you to stand here all day.”
“I’ll be here.” His hard jaw, the determined, mulish set of his lips, brooked no argument.
Because of Audrey Page 25