Love in a Small Town

by Betty Jo Schuler

"Was that a yes?" She hadn't hesitated one second.

  She threw her arms around him. "A most definite yes. I'd love to go with you, Sam."

  A sigh of relief crossed from his lips to hers, but did nothing to interfere with their kiss. He couldn't get enough of her. Their tongues tangled and he twisted his fingers in her hair. Pulling her closer, he felt her soft curves yield against his hard chest. "Lily," he murmured.

  This is as far as we dare go. I promised her, and besides, if we make love, I'll fall in love. For sure.

  He pulled away, afraid he already had.

  * * *

  Whenever Lily entered the Chrome Grill with Sam, everyone acted as if they were a couple, and she liked that. Judging by the way he interacted with the other diners, he enjoyed the atmosphere too.

  He'd walked uptown and taken her to lunch at Jodie's the day after inviting her to the reunion and every day since. It was hard to believe he'd taken an hour's break every day that week, but here it was Friday, and he'd come again. She'd begun to wear a perpetual grin. Life was good.

  Mr. Tuttle was telling a joke again, which meant the weather would continue to be dry. The lunch counter crowd was raising their bets, and complaining louder and longer. Lily ran the sprinkler every day at Jenny's, and Sam watered his lawn at night. Browning had a plentiful supply of water, but it wouldn't last forever. It would surely rain soon. She'd been so involved in fixing up Sam's house, she hadn't given the weather a lot of thought.

  She'd been subtle with the changes. Each day, she put out another pillow or two, and by taking a little time each evening, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom windows and put up the new valances. She'd cut bouquets of roses from the yard and arranged them in vases on tables throughout the downstairs. The yellow chairs looked nice on the back porch--he noticed those immediately--and they both took pleasure in sitting in them.

  Last evening, when she was adding more candles to the library table, she'd caught herself standing back, admiring her handiwork the same as Sam, and she'd laughed aloud. Brandy, who'd been hiding under a table as if the flurry of work scared her, came out to eye her suspiciously. She was acting like Holly Housekeeper and relishing it. Holly Housekeeper and Mr. Fixit. Lily giggled out of sheer joy, and the dog cowered under the table again, whining.

  She hadn't gotten to the second floor yet, but the downstairs looked wonderful. Sam had worked so hard outside, he'd never get to the inside at his present rate.

  "The architect for Cranston's Daycare Center is a friend of mine," Sam told Lily over Jodie's Friday Special. "I called to ask him for sketches of it, and any others he's done, and he's going to fax them to me. I thought you might like to take a look."

  "I can't tell you how much your interest in this project means to me." She blinked back tears.

  "I think you're onto something that will be good for the town. It's going to take a lot to pull it off though. Getting the land and building in place is just the start. You'll need someone to manage it, not just a preschool director but someone who can book events. Administration is a challenge, and the right person could make or break the center's success."

  "You're absolutely right."

  Sam's blue eyes shone. He appeared as excited as she was about this. She tried to think of someone who met those requirements, but she'd no more than started when Sam moved on to his plans for the afternoon.

  "I want to have my wiring checked. My house is as old, or older than Jenny's. After talking to the electrician, I'll go by Joe Bottomley's to discuss some legal matters. When I get ready to sell, I need to have everything in place."

  Lily, laying her fork down, swallowed the acid taste that came into her mouth. Sam, not seeming to notice, laid his hand over hers.

  "I've been pushing so hard, I forgot about that picture album I found. Why don't we look at it tonight after dinner?"

  "I'd love that. Putting faces to the people who lived in the house will make fixing it up even more meaningful."

  Was it her imagination, or did Sam's enthusiasm fade after her remark?

  Tonight would also be a good time to talk about Country Care. She'd given in and gone to see Jenny while the cinnamon bread was still fresh, and while she was appreciative, Lily sensed her disappointment in the mere reassurance she was working on the financial problem. She'd left, feeling ashamed that she'd been so centered on enjoying life with Sam that she'd neglected to ask his advice. She wasn't sure he could help, but she didn't know where to start, and as a mathematician, he might know something about bookkeeping.

  * * *

  The afternoon at Radiance passed quickly, and when Lily arrived home to find Sam wasn't there yet, she went upstairs to her computer to search the Internet for Tina Grusinger. The other invitations were out, and Tina was the only one left to find.

  A hit. Finally. Lily blinked and swallowed hard. Deceased.

  A lump in her throat, she marked her classmate's name off the invitation list and made a note to plan a memorial tribute. Thirty-eight, and Tina was gone. As painfully shy as she'd been at one time, she'd married and had twins who were in high school. Twins she wouldn't see graduate. Lily was glad she'd at least found love and had children.

  Lily had so much she wanted to do yet. She was dying to make love with Sam, and he'd wanted to more than once, she was sure, but his imminent departure was never far from either of their minds. Like an invisible curtain, it fell between them every time.

  Some men would have made love anyway, but Sam wasn't some men, and she loved that about him. It was a value they shared. Lovemaking was meant to be taken seriously. But what if the time never came? She loved him. She wanted his babies. She couldn't bear it if he walked away.

  Hearing Sam's footsteps in the hallway below, she ran down the steps, anxious to put depressing thoughts behind her. Eager to see his face. Hear his voice.

  Seeing his form silhouetted against the light coming through the front door, she paused, relishing the sight. Stepping forward, his face crinkled into a familiar smile and she committed it to memory. If he left…he would take her heart with him, and it scared the begeesus out of her, but it was too late to help herself now. He'd already won her love and she was going to treasure every moment with him she could.

  "Sorry I took so long, but Joe and I had a lengthy conversation. He wanted to know if I would consider setting up an accounting business here."

  Lily almost stopped breathing. "Could you do that?"

  "I could, but even if I was staying, wouldn't be interested. If I wanted to change jobs, it wouldn't be to set up an office where I'd do taxes a few months out of the year. In a town this size, there wouldn't be enough business the rest of the time. Of course, Joe had an answer for that. He said since he can't keep up with all he has on his plate, he's ready to step down as clerk-treasurer. So I could run for office." Sam's chuckle was mirthless.

  "I beg your pardon. There's nothing laughable about becoming a town official in Browning."

  "Sorry, I forgot, Ms. Mayor." Sam gave her a sheepish grin and tried to draw her close.

  She grabbed his forearms. "Wait a minute. You said you could open an accounting office. What did you mean by that? I thought you taught math."

  "Most of the classes I teach are in accounting, a branch of mathematics." He chuckled. "And you know me, I studied accounting, so I had to carry it all the way and pass the exams to become a CPA, just to show I could. I passed first time too, which is damned good. Those tests are tough." He blew on his fingernails and polished them on the blue polo shirt that brought out the incredible depth of his blue eyes. Lily, unable to contain herself any longer, threw her arms around him.

  "I never knew you were a CPA."

  He pulled away and studied her face. "I didn't know you'd be that impressed, or I'd have told you sooner."

  She felt her face grow hot. "I am impressed, but I'm excited because I have an important favor to ask. Would you consider discreetly auditing some books?"

  He fell back a step and scrubbed his hand acr
oss his head. "Whose?"

  "You got a haircut!" He blushed and she started laughing. "You went to the Pink Poodle."

  "If you ever tell anyone…."

  She threw her arms around his waist in a bear hug. "I am proud of you."

  "It took more guts than going for my CPA exam, but it was quicker than driving to Richdale. For the record, I refused to wear one of those pink and black capes with poodles cavorting."

  Lily lost it, laughing until she had to gasp her question. "Did you wear the Humpty Dumpty cape she uses for kids?"

  Sam guffawed and she wanted to hug him again. He was loosening up.

  "You're awful." He drew her close and kissed her.

  "Terrible," she agreed huskily, hoping he'd kiss her again.

  "Whose books do you want audited?"

  "Country Care's." The passion drained from Lily as she went on to explain the home was in crisis. "Perhaps it's an error in the bookkeeping, but if there's tampering, who knows how bad it is? I'd be glad to pay whatever you charge. I don't have a big savings but—"

  "I think I can handle it pro bono." He tipped her chin and her heart melted in the warmth of his gaze. "But why discreetly?"

  She explained they didn't want the thief tipped off.

  "If the person has access to the books on a daily basis, you or someone will need to make copies of the pages. That could be time-consuming."

  "I'll find a way."

  "First step is to find out when there's no one in the office and I'd guess there is someone around the clock."

  Lily sighed. This was going to be tougher than she thought.

  The phone rang. "Don't go away," Sam said.

  After that sexy smile and half-growled warning, she wouldn't think of going anywhere.

  "Lily," Sam called. "It's a man, for you."

  Annoyance roughened his voice and she smugly thought, Sam's jealous.

  Her moment of elation was short-lived. By the time she hung up, her spirits had dropped lower than her green sandals. "That was the keynote speaker for our reunion, a guy who graduated with us, Kris King. He's made quite a name for himself as a sci-fi author. I don't suppose you remember him, but he was a hopeless boor in school."

  "I read his name on the 'notable new book release list' and remembered Jodie saying he was from Browning. His latest book is the third in a popular series. Quite a coup for your reunion."

  Lily gave an unladylike snort. "Carla made the contact and now that he wants to cancel, gave him my number. Kris's publisher is sending him on a book tour and he says it's important to his career."

  "So, what are you going to do?"

  "After I call Carla and chew her out? I'll have to find someone to take his place, and I need to act quickly."

  * * *

  Lily didn't see how they could get a speaker for the Browning reunion on such short notice. While her computer booted up, she called Carla's office and learned she'd gone out of town for a couple of days. It figured.

  Scanning the class list, she started bringing up information on the classmates who planned to attend. Surely, someone had talent to share.

  The list was in alphabetical order by last name, so Carla Baker was listed first and Sam Champion, second. Carla was Mistress of Ceremony so she couldn't ask her. Lily scanned the info on Sam although she thought a talk on teaching math would be too dry. He'd been totally uninvolved in school. No memberships in organizations. No scholarships. She went on to trace his college career and finding he'd changed drastically, sat on the edge of her chair, devouring information. He belonged to everything including honorary societies and was vice-president of the class his senior year at Duke. Spotting an unlikely link that said "hero", she clicked again and the story that appeared on her screen was headed, "Champion Becomes Hero."

  She clicked on the hypertext and waited breathlessly while the website loaded. What had Sam done? Downstairs, the phone was ringing and she heard Sam's grumbled "hello."

  Lily scanned the story rapidly, her heartbeat keeping pace. Sam Champion donated a kidney to a child he didn't know. She devoured the article, pulse racing, and learned the boy couldn't have lived much longer without this "stranger's brave act of compassion." The story told how Sam learned about the boy's need when his parents voiced a plea on a national TV news show. It went on to tell how he and the child became friends afterward, and gave quotes from the parents, voicing their immense gratitude and encouraging others to be so kind. Another link showed Sam had become an active voice for organ donation.

  Lily's eyes misted over. His mother died needing a liver so he must have been touched by this family's desperation. He loved children and saw the chance to save one.

  She'd known he was a good man, but she hadn't known how good. Brushing a hand over her eyes to clear them, she clicked on the story about him leading a drive to attract organ donors and raising an incredible sum of money for further research.

  He had a kind and loving heart just like her dream man.

  Sam walked into the room. "What are you doing?" He paled when he saw his picture and the newspaper article on her monitor.

  She rose to frame his face with her hands. "Reading how kind, brave, and unselfish you are. I'm proud of you."

  "I was glad to help." He grinned boyishly. "It wasn't any big deal."

  "It was too. You're a hero and then you ran this wonderful drive." Just as she waved a hand toward the screen, she was struck with an idea. "Sam, you could be the keynote speaker at the reunion."

  He stepped back. "No way. I hate speaking. The drive was harder on me than surrendering a kidney. Lecturing to a class is one thing. Public speaking is another."

  Lily heard him, but her mind was racing. As mayor, she could give him a key to the city. This was far more fascinating than having Kris speak. She'd seen a recent picture of him, and his looks didn't compare to Sam's, and just because he could write, didn't mean he'd make a fascinating speaker. Sam would; she just knew it, and he'd do it, after some convincing. He'd rise to the occasion to support the cause he believed in.

  "Who was that on the phone?" she asked, forcing herself to change the subject.

  "Carla. She's in Springfield and has what she calls 'an ideal buyer.' I told her, like I said before, I am not ready to sell. She can be quite pushy when she wants."

  Lily laughed and threw her arms around Sam's neck. "That's the secret to her business success, but I'm glad you're sticking to your decision."

  Sam held her at arm's length and looked into her eyes. "I'm also sticking to my decision not to speak at the reunion. Believe me." Pulling her close, he covered her lips with his, and the warmth and passion behind that kiss erased the worry from her mind. He'd do it because that was the kind of person he was. Good through and through.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sam was sweaty from working on the roof, taking down the old antenna. A glass of lemonade and a shower were exactly what he needed. A cold lemonade and a hot shower. He couldn't wait.

  In the kitchen, he spied a telephone-shaped notepad on the countertop and sighed. Lily had a habit of scribbling notes on anything she could find and forgetting where she'd put them. So he'd bought her a magnetic pad for grocery lists and to her credit, she kept it on the refrigerator. But the notepad that was supposed to stay by the phone might turn up anywhere in the house, except where it belonged.

  Picking it up, he saw she'd scrawled a message, "Call Stohler" and a telephone number, and his annoyance grew.

  Stohler was a meddler who worked at the college and Sam couldn't imagine what he wanted with him. He was tempted not to call, but curiosity won out.

  The other professor didn't waste time on amenities. "Sam, do you know who's in the running for appointment to Department Chair?"

  He sighed into the phone, hoping Stohler would sense his aggravation. He'd probably heard Sam was and wanted to verify it. "Why are you asking me? I'm not on campus. There are others more in the know."

  "I know you are. And I threw my name in the hat too." S
tohler cleared his throat. "I wondered if Elizabeth Thompson is in competition, and I thought you'd be able to tell me that."

  After a moment of stunned silence, Sam laughed. "Elizabeth? Department chair? She's the one who suggested I vie for the position. She wouldn't compete."

  "So maybe that's why she's hanging around with Rybolt?"

  "What are you getting at?" Sam felt his blood pressure start to rise.

  "If I get beat by you fair and square, I can deal with that, but I'd hate to get beat by the wiles of a woman."

  "Wait just a damned minute," Sam spluttered. "If you think for one minute that I'd stoop to having a woman pull strings for me, you've got another thought coming. No matter how much I want a job, I'll get it on my own or not at all."

  "That's what I was hoping to hear, Champion." Stohler paused and Sam could hear him breathing hard. "But if you don't mind a little advice…if I were you, I'd ask her why she spends so much time with the dean."

  Sam slammed down the receiver. Rybolt, a widower who lived alone in a mausoleum-like house his rich wife bought before she died. Elizabeth and him? Ha! He had kids near her age.

  Unfortunately, Stohler was on the right track the first time, Sam would bet on it, and he hoped to hell Elizabeth hadn't ruined everything for him. If she'd meddled—and he felt sure she had—Rybolt might have gotten the same impression as Stohler, and that would deal a death blow to Sam's chance of getting the promotion.

  * * *

  Sam turned on the shower. In the furor following the phone call, he'd slugged down a cold beer instead of lemonade, and it helped, but he needed to wash away the grime from the roof and the dirty feeling from his run-in with Stohler.

  Damn. The water pressure was lower than usual, and he needed this shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he headed for Lily's bath. He didn't know why but the pressure was always better there. It would be a while yet before she got home.

  Opening the door to her room, he saw a skirt and blouse on the bed, nightgown on the bedpost, sandals on the floor, and a lacy bra hanging halfway out of her closed hamper. His room was always shipshape, thanks to Duke's training. How had Lily's father reacted to six kids' clothing strewn about? He could see why she kept her door closed. Her bed was made, but it wouldn't have passed Duke Champion's inspection.