Authors: Lynn Hunter
“Johnathan,” Lily began once they pulled out of the parking
lot of the store. “It's never a good idea to talk so much to strangers. You
should definitely never tell then your name or invite them to your house. That
could have been a bad man. Anything could have happened.”
“You told me not to talk to strangers when you or Gramma
aren't around.”
“I know, but I just want you to be more careful about
strangers okay?”
“Yes, ma'am. But I’m always careful. Everybody is a
stranger until you talk to them.” He defended.
“You should never ask an adult stranger to come over and
play,” Lily explained.
Johnathan was quiet for a few moments. “I'm sorry Mom. I
just get bored at home sometimes. I want to play with someone.”
Lily felt her heart squeeze. “Oh honey, I'm so sorry I've
been so busy lately. I promise I'll make more time to take you to play with
your friends.”
“Okay. Thanks, Mom.”
Things were going to get better, they had to. Her mom
seemed to be recovering well from the stroke. Her doctor said she would be
able to live a long healthy life. Provided, of course, that she took care of
herself and limit stress as much as possible. Her mom was still young and
beautiful at fifty. It was still hard to believe she had a stroke. Even
though it was a mild one, it was life changing. She couldn't bear to lose both
parents so close together. She and Johnathan would be all alone. They had no
other family. Her dad died of a massive heart attack a year and a half ago.
It was bad enough that her mom was so distraught with having lost her beloved
husband. But to find out a few weeks later that his construction business was
going bankrupt and he took a hefty mortgage out on the farmhouse to pay off
debts and creditors, unbearable. Fortunately, his life insurance paid a few of
the larger debts but now they were broke. Every time she walked to the
mailbox, she felt sick to her stomach knowing what awaited her inside.
Lily was grateful for the business she received from cake
orders. Not to mention the cake decorating classes she taught at home every
Thursday evening. The clients were people who knew and loved her mom and dad
and wanted to help any way they could. She knew they felt sorry for her and
her mom but once they realized Lily had the actual talent the orders started to
come in. She now had almost more business than she could keep up with only
working out of her house. One day soon she would have an actual storefront and
she could make real money from large orders. Right now they were barely making
ends meet with what she could do. If the incident at the grocery store was any
indication, she still wasn't doing enough. She was only surviving on about
four hours of sleep as it was. She needed to figure out how to fit a few more
orders in.
Pulling up to the house, Lily let out a long sigh. Piercing
blue eyes flashed in her memory. Samson. Her stomach fluttered. Oh lord.
What was wrong with her? It had been almost nine years since she felt any kind
of tingle for a man. She purposely tried to conjure up John in her mind. The
only picture that came was the face of the son they had created together. She
named Johnathan after his father so they would never forget him. She was
determined not to.
Lily shook her head. “Help me with the bags, Johnathan,
please.”
“Okay,” he responded, already jumping out of the car.
As they walked into the house, they were greeted by the
delicious scent of garlic bread.
“That smells so good.” Johnathan groaned, setting the bags
on the table.
“Dinner is just about ready,” Her mom announced, wiping her
hands on a kitchen towel. She was cooking a lot more these past few months.
She looked so lovely with her blond hair pulled up and her cheeks flushed from
the stove. Nobody would ever guess she had a stroke eight months ago. Or that
Lily wasn't sure her mom would ever recover from losing her husband. Her
parents were so in love. Jack and Sarah. Everyone who ever saw them together
could see how much they cared for each other. Her father had been quite a few
years older than her mom but it didn't seem to matter to either of them. Her
dad was a strong, virile man. He was supposed to live forever.
“Good. I'm hungry! Go wash up Johnathan and I'll set the
table.” Lily headed for the sink to wash her own hands. “Thanks for cooking
mom, but I could have done it when we got home.”
“Lily, I told you I'm fine. The doctor said weeks ago I
could do regular chores. It's not like I'm plowing fields.” She said with a
touch of irritation.
“Okay, I just want you to go slow,” Lily said as she put the
groceries away.
“I'll eat slowly. How about that? I'm still alive and
healthy. I'm not going to sit in a rocking chair and waste away. That stroke
was a wake-up call for me.”
“Then you can do the dishes too if you’re feeling so spry.”
Lily teased.
“Not on your life. I can't believe you would make a poor
old lady work so hard.” Her blue eyes twinkled.
They set up the kitchen island with plates and silverware
before laying out the meal.
“Guess what happened at the store Gramma?” Johnathan said
as they sat down to eat.
“What?” her mom asked. Worry entering her lovely face.
“We didn't have enough money at the store for the gun. The
coupon was spired.”
“Expired? Oh no.” Her eyes went to Lily.
“It's okay Mom. We got it covered.” Lily said quickly not
wanting her mom to stress.
“Yeah! Samson paid for
everything
!” Her son said as
if Samson was his best friend in the world.
“Samson?” Her mom questioned, taking in Lily's flushed
cheeks.
“A man standing in line behind us at the store. He paid for
everything before I had time to put anything back.” She explained. “And then
he ordered two dozen cupcakes instead of a repayment.”
“How did he know you baked?”
“I told him. He was really nice.” Johnathan said.
Lily sighed. “No big deal Mom. I have to take the cupcakes
to his shop next Friday at noon. Maybe we'll get some repeat business.”
“I'll ride along.” She turned her attention to her grandson
asking about his day at school.
After they finished eating and the kitchen was cleaned, Lily
helped Johnathan with his homework. She loved this time of the evening.
Everything was so calm. Tonight, though, she felt restless. Almost anxious
like something was going to happen. Her thoughts kept wandering back to the
man at the store. Why did her thoughts keep turning to him? She could still
feel his warm hand on her elbow. A man hadn't touched her, except a handshake,
since her father died. It made her feel off balance. Maybe she should just
mail him a check. No, that would be rude. Not to mention she might be missing
repeat business. With a mental groan, she wondered how she could fit in any
repeat business. She would worry about it later. She brought her thoughts
back to her son, where they should be.
Lily decided on chocolate cupcakes. Judging by the cake Sam
bought at the store, he liked chocolate. She carefully packed the freshly iced
cakes into two boxes specifically for cupcakes. Guys working in a shop might
not care about presentation but someone might be impressed enough to place an
order.
Lily worried about this day all week. She felt edgy and
nervous about seeing Samson again. Maybe he wouldn't be there. Or, she could
just run the cupcakes inside and be on her way. Two minutes’ tops.
“I'm ready to go. Do you need help packing up?” Her Mom
asked breezing into the kitchen. As usual, she looked fresh, wearing jeans and
a soft short sleeved red sweater. Her blond hair was curly and shiny, swinging
around her shoulders. She looked perfectly put together even in jeans and a
simple sweater. Lily, on the other hand, also wore jeans but they had worn
holes in the knees. Not the fashionable kind, the tired kind. Her black
t-shirt showed her morning work, covered in flour and icing. As long as she'd
been baking she always forgot to put on an apron, usually remembering after she
made had already made a mess. She was a messy baker but wasn't trying to
impress anyone with her looks, just her cakes. She usually changed into clean
clothes before a delivery but for some reason, she didn't want to today.
“Nope. I got it. Let's get going.” Lily carefully stacked
and lifted the boxes and started for the door.
Her mom didn't move from her spot next to the Island.
“Don't you want to change your shirt and brush your hair?”
“My hair is in a ponytail Mom, and I don't have time to
change. You can run these inside to the owner. Let's go. Would you grab my
purse and keys please?” She wanted to hurry this along and get it over with.
Her mom clearly wanted to argue but trailed her out of the house grabbing their
purses along the way.
It took about twenty minutes to get the shop. The large
building sat on an enormous lot with several semi-trucks and trailers parked in
neat rows. The shop had two large bays and a small office off to the side. On
the left side of the parking lot was another much smaller building that looked
to be an office with a few cars parked in front.
She turned to her mom without turning off the engine and
took a deep breath. “Why don't you run those inside and I'll wait here,” nodding
to the cupcakes in her lap.
“Lily you've been acting so strange for days now.” She
reached out to put her hand on her forehead. “Are you feeling alright? Are
you sick? Why didn't you say something-”
“No, Mamma, I'm not sick, I promise.” She sighed. “I'm
sorry.” She turned off the car and opened the door then walked around to the
passenger door. She would run inside, drop off the boxes and hightail it out
before she ran into Samson. “Just wait here, I'll be right back.” She bent
down to gather the boxes but her mom’s eyes were looking past Lily curiously.
Instantly she felt warmth along her back and knew who was behind her.
* * *
Sam waited all week to see her again and she was finally
here. His body hummed with excitement when he saw her old blue Honda pull into
the lot. He wasn't sure she'd come.
“Who's that?” His brother Dean asked around a mouthful of
grilled burger.
“That's dessert.” Sam murmured and left his brother
standing alone as he walked out to meet Lily. She was so cute with her hair
pulled up. She had on those same worn jeans she was wearing when they met the
first time. And the same black t-shirt. He felt his body charge the closer he
got to her. He finally reached her and stood as close as he could to her back
without touching her. She was talking to an attractive older blond woman
sitting in the car. The other woman looked like an older version of Lily
except Lily's eyes were a light brown where this woman had sky blue eyes.
“Hello, Lily. Did you have any trouble finding the place?”
She took her time but finally turned to look over her shoulder at him. Her
soft brown eyes held a wariness in them. Was she still afraid of him? That
wouldn't do for his plans at all. He forced his body to take a step back and
give her some space. “Want me to carry that for you?”
She glanced down at the boxes in her hand as if surprised
she was holding them. He almost smiled. She wasn't as immune to him as she
pretended to be...or hoped she'd be.
“Um...Yes.” She turned and practically shoved the boxes at
him. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
* * *
Oh, Lord.
He was more attractive than she
remembered. He was tall and muscular and smelled
so
good. When she met
his glittering blue eyes, her breath left her lungs in a whoosh. She saw his mouth
kick up at one corner and heat stained her cheeks. He was laughing at her. He
knew how he affected her and he thought it was funny. Feeling humiliated, she
turned away and saw her mom’s eyes practically bug out of her face. Not
wanting to make introductions she just said brightly, “Okay all set.”
“Stop.” Sam's deep voice commanded softly and she froze.
She couldn't believe it, she obeyed his command as if she was his dog. “Lily,
why don't the two of you stay for lunch.”
She forced her stiff body to turn to him once again. “Thank
you, no. We have to-”
“Hey there Sam,” another voice called. A tall, lean man
emerged from the glass doors of the office and ambled in their direction. He
looked to be around fifty Lily guessed. He had a neatly trimmed head full of salt
and pepper hair. His face was creased with a smile that seemed natural on him
like he smiled often. He was handsome with a lean, tan face and light gray
eyes. Judging by the way he looked now, he was probably downright hunky in his
younger years. His smile made her want to smile back. Almost. She would have
if her face didn't feel so stiff from the tension in her body.
“Who do we have here?” The man asked, his friendly grin
aimed at her.
“This is Lily,” Sam answered. “I'm sorry, I didn't get your
last name the other day.”
She swung her eyes back to him. She didn't want to tell him
for some reason. She didn't want him to think she was interested in
friendship. His eyes glittered almost demanding she tell him. She turned back
to the friendly looking man. She extended her hand. “You can call me Lily,”
she said with a forced smile.
He clasped her hand in a warm grip. “Nice to meet you,
Lily, my name is Glenn Jones.” Something past her caught his attention and the
easy smile froze on his face. With her hand still caught in his, she half
turned.
“Oh! I'm so sorry Mr. Jones. This is my mom, Sarah.” He
gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and approaching her mom seated
in the car.
“Hello, Sarah.” He greeted, reaching for her hand to draw
her out of the door. “My, my,” he murmured. His eyes traveling over her mom’s
face and taking in her halo of blond hair. “Two beautiful women on our lot in
one day. I don't know how you did it Sam but I'm going to have to give you a
raise.” He said without taking his gaze off Sarah.
Lily wasn't a bit surprised by his reaction to her mom. Men
always found her captivating and it drove her dad crazy with jealousy. Glen's
compliment caused her mom to flush with pleasure and she gave Glen a shy
smile. Was she
flirting
? Lily felt her jaw go slack with shock.
“I don't work for you, old man.” Sam chuckled. His deep
voice sent pleasure vibrating through her body.
“Oh, yeah,” Glen said, his twinkling eyes turned to Lily.
“Sam owns the shop and I own the trucking company. It's a win, win for both of
us.”
“Jones Trucking,” her mom murmured. “I've seen your trucks
on the road. It's nice to meet you both.”
“Do you live here in Falls?” Glen asked still not releasing
her hand.
“No, we live outside of Baker.” Conversation starting
easily between the two of them. Lily felt awkward and out of her element. She’d
never saw her mom touch a man other than her dad. It made her a little
uncomfortable.
“If you two ladies aren't busy, stay and have lunch with
us.” Already leading her mom toward the smell of food grilling.
Lily’s hand shot out and latched on to her mom's arm. The
quick movement drew everyone's attention. She felt heat climb her neck,
knowing she must look like a child who wanted to cling to her mother. She
forced her stiff fingers to let go. “Um, we need to get going. We have to
meet Jonathan's bus.” Begging with her eyes for her mom to understand.
“I'm sure we have a few minutes for lunch honey.” She
smiled gently before walking away with Glen. Lily watched as he put a hand at
the small of her back and bent down slightly to hear whatever her mom was
saying. This left her standing alone with Sam, who had remained like a
watchful statue for the last few minutes.
“Are you hungry?” He asked.
Without looking at him, she turned to the car. “No thank
you. I'm just going to sit here and make a list of things I need from the
store. You go on ahead.” She gave him what she hoped was a dismissive smile.
Sam knew when he was being dismissed. However, he wasn't
ready to leave yet. Frustration started to build. He stood behind her as she
bent over to search her purse inside the car. She had a nicely rounded rear
and he got hard just by watching her bend over. He couldn't stop the groan
that slipped out of his throat. She didn't miss it either. It startled her so
badly she jumped and hit her head on the door frame.
“Oh shit. Are you okay?” He put the cupcake boxes down on
the roof of the car and reached for her. Rubbing the back of her head she
stepped back and put a hand out in front of herself to keep him away. He
ignored it and kept moving closer until her small hand came in contact with the
hard ridges of his stomach. At the contact, she jerked her arm away so quickly
she smacked her elbow on the open door behind her. She let out a small
distressed sound and he paused. Sam saw the pulse quicken in her neck and a
flush fill her face. She was trapped between him and the car door. Wide,
frightened eyes met his before they fell away again.
“Have I done something to offend you Lily?” he asked, “Are
you scared of me?”
“Apparently,” she said shakily.
He was so pleased with her honesty, he stepped back to give
her some breathing room.
She visibly relaxed. “I'm not trying to scare you. I just
want to get to know you.”
Startled eyes met his. “Why?”
“I'm attracted to you.” Her shaky hand smoothed her ponytail
and then tugged at the front of her shirt in a nervous gesture.
“I-I'm not interested in getting to know anyone, Mr.
Fuller. I'm sorry.”
She was fresh and sweet....and young. He should probably
let it drop but his body wouldn't let him. She was so unlike the women he
usually dated
.
He wanted her. “Do you have a boyfriend?” He saw her
mind working behind those maple brown eyes. “The truth.”
A guilty look crossed her face. She was an open book. “No.
I don't.”
“Come eat lunch. No pressure. We'll just talk.”
After several minutes, she let out a sigh “Alright. Just
lunch.” She warned with a tiny frown.
He wasn't going to argue. He grabbed the cupcakes and she
moved out of the way so he could shut the car door.
“What kind of cupcakes do we have?” He asked as they
started to walk.
Lily felt heat fill her cheeks. “Chocolate.”
He gave her a knowing look. “I love chocolate.” His deep,
gravelly voice made her shiver and he didn't miss her reaction. Her eyes met
his and she saw his flare with heat. Her breath caught and she stopped in her
tracks. She was flushed from head to toe and her nipples turned to tight,
painful peaks. Could he see through her shirt? She crossed her arms over her
chest and hunched her shoulders.
“It's okay, Lily.” He tried to soothe her but the sound of
his voice made her body feel achy.
“I-I think I'm getting sick. I need to go home. Please
tell my mom I'm waiting in the car.” She started backing away.
Sam's arm snaked around her back to halt her flight. Her
whole body stiffened. “Please don't touch me,” she begged in a whisper, feeling
so out of control of her body she wanted to cry.
“You're not sick, baby. It's okay.” She looked up into his
eyes and saw understanding.
“I can’t go over there, Sam. Just let me go home.”
He opened his mouth to reply when her mom called from
several feet away. “Lily, honey, are you alright? You look flushed.” She
asked with a concerned look on her face.
“Actually Mom, I am feeling a little under the weather. I
think we need to head home.” She turned to Glen. “It was nice to meet you,
Glen. Enjoy the cupcakes.”
“You too, Lily.” He glanced at Sam curiously. Probably
wondering what went on between them. “Did Sam order more? We would love to
have fresh cupcakes instead of that stale stuff Sam gets from the store.
“Great idea.” Her mom said. “There is a card with our
number in the boxes.”
“Perfect,” Glen said with a pleased smile. “I'll walk you
to the car.”
As they made their way to the car, Lily turned to follow
giving Sam no choice but to let her go.
“I want to see you again Lily.” His voice quiet, for her
ears only.
“I'll bring cupcakes next week, but that's all. I don't
want more. With anyone.” Lily strived to sound final but she felt like she
was lying, even to herself.
“You want more with me, honey. That much is obvious.” His
warm hand wrapped around her upper arm stopping her from walking away. “But
I'll give you time to get used to it.”
Get used to it? “Stay away from me, Sam.” Her body went
from hot to ice cold.
“Not a chance.” His words were not a threat but a
challenge.