Love in a Small Town

by Betty Jo Schuler

  Sam tucked the bra inside the hamper, his fingers lingering on the lace and satin that held her special aroma, only to drop it suddenly. He'd need a cold shower if he kept this up. The bathroom door stood ajar, and he pushed through it.

  A sweet cloud of steam enveloped him and a shriek assaulted his ears.

  "What the…"

  The breeze from the door's motion cleared the steam enough for him to see Lily…enticingly bare. She was about to step out of the tub but pulled the shower curtain in front of her so quickly, he only caught a glimpse, but what a sweet glimpse it was.

  "Sam Champion," she squealed. "You can't just walk in."

  "I…I didn't know you were home." He felt the way he did the day she dropped a jar on his head. Dazed. "I'm sorry. I think."

  "Business was slow and I left early." She clutched the curtain, emerald eyes flashing, and then, seeing his state of almost-undress, widening. "If you want the shower, I'll be out in a minute."

  He wanted her. She stood there with her red hair hanging in wet strands peeking out from behind an ugly peach and tan striped shower curtain. No makeup. Cheeks pink with embarrassment. And all he could think about was taking her into his arms, carrying her to the nearest bed, and making love to her. He leaned one shoulder against the tile wall and gave her what he opened was a charming grin. "We could shower together."

  "I'm finished." Her eyes caressed him and a tiny smile curved her lips. "I think you should go now."

  "I'm glad to find you home."

  "I can tell." She ducked her head behind the curtain.

  "I'll use my own shower." He took a quick look downward and backed toward the door. She was giggling and he was embarrassed, but he managed a chuckle. "The water wasn't hot, but that's just as well now."

  She giggled again, and he charged down the hall to his own bedroom and bath where he took a very long, very cool shower.

  * * *

  Sam sighed. Lily couldn't find the keys to her banana-mobile and she was going to be late for work. "It's no wonder," he said, watching her rummage through papers on the kitchen table. "Every time you drive it, you lay them in a different place."

  "This is no time for a lecture," she warned, tossing her fiery hair over her shoulder. "I have an appointment with the administrator of Country Care. I asked her to come to my office. That way, no one will overhear when I ask permission for you to audit the books and see if she'll copy the pages we need."

  Sam, who'd been about to add, the table was no place to leave Browning Broadcast, the town's weekly newspaper, took her warning to heart and rose to help search. He'd never seen her angry, but if she got as fired up angry, as she did, happy, he wouldn't want to. He would love to test her degree of arousal but wasn't sure it would be a smart move.

  Last night, they'd sat up late, looking at the pictures in the album, and he'd had a lump in his throat ever since. When he'd seen the picture of his mother as a little girl with a lace-trimmed collar and ribbon rosettes, he'd almost bawled. An embarrassing situation for a grown man. When Lily oh'ed and ah'ed over how adorable little Evvie was, he considered showing her the lace and pink satin ribbon he'd saved but nixed the idea. She'd think exactly what he did. Someday, that lace and ribbon might adorn a child's dress again. A dangerous train of thought.

  "My keys aren't there," Lily snapped. He was pawing mindlessly through a pile of papers she'd left on the counter. "Those are invoices from the store and grant applications for the Community Building."

  He tried not to groan. Why did she mix everything together? There wasn't a paper clip in the whole mess.

  "I sometimes put my keys in here." Lily fumed as she rooted through the silverware drawer.

  "Calm down." He took her hands in his. "This isn't getting us anywhere. I'll drive you to work, and we'll look for them later."

  She stomped out to the driveway, but by the time he let her out at her office, she'd regained her usual good humor. "I'd have walked if I wasn't wearing heels."

  "You look wonderful. You'll knock 'em dead."

  Lily chuckled. "Pick me up at Radiance at five?"

  "On the dot."

  "Maybe we could go see Jenny on the way home. She'd like to meet you, and we can give her the news you're going to help."

  "We'll see." Sam, watching Lily walk up to the door of the mayor's office, thought about the day he'd first walked up to that door. Little did he know the mayor would be a long-legged redhead, with a trim little butt outlined neatly by today's yellow linen suit. He was going to miss her like crazy.

  She threw him a frantic look and mouthed the word 'key.'

  Her office key was on the same ring. Neither of them had thought of that.

  The door flew open just then, and a man stood back to let her in. Saved by her assistant. Sam drove off with a roar and a plan to save Lily from herself. Now, if only someone would save him. He couldn't stay in Browning. He had no job. No future here. But he felt like a drowning man when Lily was around, and he wanted her around, all the time.

  * * *

  Lily was surprised when Sam picked her up in the convertible instead of his van. "You found the keys," she said, sitting sideways to sidle in. Straight skirts were a pain when getting in and out of cars, but her professional look and manner paid off. She'd had a good conference with the administrator and learned they kept a second set of books with copies of all the pages in the safe, and she'd entrusted them to Lily. Laying them on the floor at her feet, she fastened her seat belt. "Where were they?"

  "In the downstairs bathroom, on the lavatory."

  "Why didn't I think to look there? The moment I got home yesterday, I put a candle on the back of the commode and must have laid them down. It's a new scent in my aromatherapy line I was eager to try."

  Ignoring Sam's mutterings, Lily cocked an ear as they cruised down the street. Her car didn't sound right. She'd never ridden in the passenger seat before. Maybe that's why the car's hum seemed strange.

  They passed Teeny Williams going into Schube's. She didn't wave.

  Lily whacked her forehead and turned in her seat. "What did you do to my car, Sam Champion?"

  "New muffler. Purrs like a kitten, doesn't it?"

  "It's not supposed to purr." Lily moaned. "This is a hot car. A collector's item, if it were in cherry shape. There was nothing wrong with my muffler. Those were custom exhaust pipes making the noise." How could a man so smart be so dumb? "Look. There goes Mr. Tuttle, and he didn't even look up."

  "You wanted it to sound like that?" When she nodded, Sam, looking bewildered, shook his head. "That guy, Hank, didn't tell me. I've never been into cars much."

  "Of course, he didn't tell you. He's had his eye on those pipes ever since he went to work there, and at this very moment, he's waiting for the sun to go down so he can put them on his jalopy."

  "I suppose I could go down there and ask for them back."

  She could tell by his voice he hated the thought but he was the one who'd made a major mistake. "You certainly could."

  He groaned. "I'll feel like a fool."

  "If you don't, Hank will tell everyone you are a fool." She patted Sam's knee for comfort. "Fifty-five Chevy's are popular. I've had people flag me down offering to buy it. I won't sell because I love this car. It's me." She patted the dashboard. "My brother lucked onto a heck of a deal when he bought it. He sold it to me because I begged when he moved to Manhattan and didn't want a car in the city."

  Sam pulled up to the curb in front of his house. "You stay here. I don't want you to witness this."

  "Hank's a kid who's had a run in with the law for drag racing. Tell him I want the car back like it was. Tell him I said he'd be better off that way."

  Sam looked at her with what she took for a mixture of horror and admiration. "That smacks of blackmail."

  "Veiled threat," she said, smiling as she closed the door and smacked a hand down on the hood. As he pulled off, she held her ears against her convertible's sickening purr.

  * * *
/>   Hank had already closed the garage, but Sam went in early next day. The kid was understandably disgruntled at having to redo the job and lose the muffler and pipes he'd already shined. He told him to come back at five and he'd have it ready, so Sam walked home by way of Schube's where he picked up a few things he thought Lily needed.

  At ten minutes of five, he went back to the garage.

  Hank charged more this time than the first, and hoping he'd keep his mouth shut, Sam slipped him an extra ten. The young mechanic offered an unsolicited opinion of why Lily didn't get arrested. "She's the mayor, but if it were me, I'd get busted. One look at a young guy driving a hot car, and the town marshal thinks he's a drag racer."

  "I heard that you do drag race," Sam said, and that shut the kid up.

  Back at the house, he hung Lily's keys on a peg he'd put by the door.

  She was home from work and sipping lemonade at the table when he came in. A smile broke across her face. "Kind of obvious, don't you think?"

  "A wooden board carved to spell out KEYS with pegs to hang them on? I thought it was rather subtle."

  "About as subtle as the new key ring you bought. I don't see a shocking pink, silver dollar-sized smiley face leering from your keys."

  "Such ingratitude."

  He poured himself some lemonade and sat down across from her. She opened her mouth and he said, "Don't ask. You heard me arrive, didn't you?"

  "You meant well," she said, patting his hand, "but it seems we both have things to learn."

  He hung his head. "Rub it in, why don't you?"

  Lily chuckled. "Before you get too settled, Joe Bottomley wants you to phone him right away. He called about three minutes ago."

  Sam dialed Joe, wondering what the heck he wanted.

  "A platinum blonde from Arizona came here to find out where you live. It wouldn't have done any good to lie. Anyone in town could have told her. Judging by her eagerness to find you, I assume she's a girlfriend, and based on her looks, Lily's going to hate her. And vice versa. Lily's no slouch in the beauty department. She's on her way."

  Joe's appraisal was too wordy. A car door slammed while he was closing with a nervous chuckle. Sam, his nerves vibrating like harp strings, banged down the phone and ran.

  Lily was peering through the sheer curtains on the living room window. "A blonde is striding up the front walk," she reported. Sam groaned inwardly. He was sunk. "She's wearing a white suit with navy blue accessories," Lily continued. "Petite, a size eight maybe, and stylish-looking." She glanced over her shoulder at him and missed noticing his blood had left his head for his feet. He felt pale, sweaty, and weak.

  Lily peeked out the side of the curtain, trying to get a better look. "I wonder if Carla sent someone to look at the house anyway. I don't see a car." Sam took a few steps backward, wishing he knew what to do. If he could sink through the floor, that would be his first choice. Would Lily lie for him if he asked her to tell Elizabeth he'd left town? Died?

  "Sam, are you listening?" Lily shouted, moving toward the closed door.

  He crept close and spoke in a hushed voice, hoping she'd take the hint. "I'm right here."

  Lily shrieked.

  He buried his face in his hands. "Quiet," he hissed.

  "You scared me, sneaking up behind me like that. Why—"

  "Samuel?" A high-pitched voice called out.

  Lily jumped again, bumping her head on his chin. He yelped.

  "She scared me too," Lily whispered, rubbing her head with one hand and his chin with the other. "Are you okay?"

  "Absolutely not, but I'll have to let her in."

  "Her?" Lily narrowed her green eyes like a cat that smells a mouse. "It's her? Elizabeth?"

  He nodded miserably. "I don't know what in hell's name she's doing here."

  "Samuel?" Elizabeth yelled.

  Lily clapped her hand over her mouth. Did she feel as much like vomiting as he did? Or was she just trying not to scream?

  The last thing Sam heard before he opened the door was Lily dashing up the stairs in her yellow high heels. Hoping she didn't come tumbling down again, he blocked the doorway with his body as he opened the door. "What are you doing here, Elizabeth?"

  * * *

  Sam felt awful allowing Lily to run upstairs but was glad, considering Elizabeth's mood. She hated his house. She took one look around the front hall and hugged her arms to her waist like she thought bats might attack her. "I don't see how you can stay here. Old houses give me the creeps."

  He followed her gaze and saw that Lily had added a plant to the hall table and the mirror above it shone. He could see roses on a table and flowered pillows on the sofa in the living room from where they stood. He must have been blind not to notice all the improvements his lovely houseguest had made.

  "I thought I heard eerie shrieking while I was waiting for you to open the door." She looked around, shuddering. "Which, by the way, took you an unforgivable amount of time."

  "Why are you here and how long are you staying?" he asked.

  "That's a fine welcome." She faced him, hand on hips. "I'm on my way to Boston, and we can go tomorrow if you're ready. The sooner the better."

  "You flew here to get me to fly with you?"

  "I rode here with Mark Rybolt. He was going to a conference in Chicago and offered to bring me, even though it was out of his way. My bags are in the driveway. Mark set them there for me. You can take me to a hotel so I can freshen up, and then to dinner."

  Sam's head reeled, but he was so relieved she didn't want to stay with him; he would have taken her anywhere.

  Hustling Elizabeth and her bags into his van, he drove her to the hotel that she called disgusting. "I'll bet they have roaches."

  He fought back a smile, thinking of the story Jodie told Lily. "There's a bed and breakfast you might like better."

  Elizabeth approved Teeny Williams' place. Teeny looked at him. "Say, aren't you the young man that's staying at the old—"

  "Yes, he is." Elizabeth cut Teeny off. "We'll be going out for dinner and I'll be back later."

  The proprietor pursed her lips at Elizabeth's rudeness, but nodded her silvery head while straightening one of the dozens of doilies in the room she'd be staying in. Teeny should start making them for "welcome baskets" before they started taking over her house.

  Next stop was Jodie's Chrome Grill where, fortunately, Jodie was off duty. Sam didn't recognize anyone there and was thankful as Elizabeth disapproved of everything. There wasn't a decent low-fat item on the menu.

  Sam's head started to ache. "Elizabeth, you're not usually so negative."

  "I have every right to be. The B&B is tawdry. This town is no bigger than a…bath mat. And look at this place. It's a diner where I can't even get a glass of wine. If you'd have come back like I asked, I wouldn't have had to set foot in this God forsaken town."

  By the time Sam bid Elizabeth goodnight at the door of Teeny Williams' bed and breakfast, he felt like he'd been put through the wringer on his grandmother's old washing machine.

  He was pouring himself a shot of vodka when he heard soft footsteps on the stairs. The steps paused but the pit-pat of a dog's paws proceeded. "Hello, Brandy. You can come down, Lily. The coast is clear."

  She padded into the kitchen, barefoot and bewitching in a silky blue caftan…he thought that's what you called it…splashed with showy pink and white orchids. Her hair hung loosely about her shoulders. Without asking if she wanted anything, he took the orange juice out of the refrigerator, poured her a glass, and added a shot of vodka. "A screwdriver," he said, handing it to her. "Join me on the back porch for a nightcap."

  Brilliant white stars studded the June sky. They sat on the top step, and he took her hand in his and held it to his cheek. Wind chimes tinkled and the scent of roses wound itself around Sam. He felt safe here, and content. That feeling, previously foreign to him, had begun to take on meaning. "I never thought she'd show up here."

  "The man who brought her just dumped her off in the
drive?"

  Lily sounded so incredulous, Sam stopped to wonder. Why hadn't Rybolt come to the door? "He was on his way to Chicago."

  "So how long would it take to set her bags on the porch?"

  Sam ran his finger around inside the collar of his polo shirt. Lily tended to play up little details.

  "And he's your dean as well as hers, right? So, wouldn't you think he'd at least say 'hello'? Unless he was afraid you'd be jealous."

  "Hardly." Sam chuckled, but it was odd Rybolt hadn't come in for a minute.

  "I'm sorry if my staying here made things awkward for you."

  "She shouldn't have come. I'm amazed she did. I didn't even think she was speaking to me." He kissed Lily's hand. "She was okay with staying at Teeny's although she called the place quaint. Teeny has starched doilies wall-to-wall, but I didn't see her feather duster if she has one."

  He saw the faint outline of Lily's smile, but her voice sounded sad when she spoke. "Naturally, Elizabeth would rather be with you. I'll leave in the morning, and you can bring her here."

  "She doesn't want to stay here." Sam told Lily about Elizabeth hearing shrieks and thinking his house was haunted.

  "I'm sorry." He expected her to laugh. She sounded morose.

  "I don't want her here. I want you here. Don't worry. She means nothing to me. Everything's going to be fine." He paused, hoping Lily would agree when he told her his plan.

  "Elizabeth wants to go to Boston and says she's afraid to fly alone, so I'm going with her, tomorrow. It's not what I want, but she trusted me enough to let Rybolt drop her off here and I don't know what else to do. I hate to make her angry since we have to work together.

  "I'll stay just long enough to get her settled, then come back to finish what I began. With the house, I mean. I shouldn't be gone more than a couple of days."