Sintown Chronicles II: Through Bedroom Windows (70 page)

“Sure did,” Sam said, gently returning the girl's feet to the floor. “Go ahead. Look inside."

Annie pulled out the stuffed animal. “It's a doggie!” she squealed, “And he looks just like Lucky!"

“I saw it while I was at lunch and I couldn't resist,” Sam sheepishly explained to Shelly.

“Sure,” Shelly said. “You went to a restaurant and they just happened to have toys for sale."

“Okay. I'll confess. I skipped lunch and went to a toy store. It's not a big deal."

“Sam, don't get too attached to Annie or me. It's just not in the cards."

“You're looking at the wrong deck,” he replied. “Hey, Goldilocks, are you ready for some pizza?"

“Can Lucky come with us?"

“Sure."

“Give me a second,” Shelly said as Sam opened the apartment door. “I think I left my purse in the bedroom."

“You going somewhere?"

“You don't think I'd let you take my daughter off without me, do you?"

“I don't know. What do you think, Annie? Shall we let your mother have some pizza too?"

Hugging the stuffed Lucky tightly, Annie cocked her head to one side and looked at Shelly, her blue eyes twinkling. “Well ... if you'll be a good girl."

They were within three miles of Dot when Annie finished her version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

“You hungry, Goldilocks?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, but I want pizza, not porridge. What is porridge, Uncle Sam?"

“I don't know,” Sam admitted. “I think it's a kind of cereal."

“It doesn't sound good. We don't want porridge, do we Lucky?"

“No,” she replied on the stuffed animal's behalf, “we want pizza."

As Annie continued her fantasy conversation, Sam placed his hand gently on Shelly's left thigh. “You were limping earlier. Are you okay?"

“I don't know. I think I pulled something in last night's final performance. The muscles in my thighs have been cramping all day."

“You should see a doctor."

“I'll be okay."

“The Dot Clinic is open twenty-four hours a day. We should have Doctor McGee check it out."

“I said I'll be all right, damn it."

“Do you eat bananas?"

“What kind of question is that?"

“The lack of potassium is supposed to cause cramps. Bananas are loaded with the stuff."

“I'll put it on my shopping list,” she said sarcastically.

“The clinic is right next-door to Papa John's. You want to go before or after we eat?"

She refused to answer.

“I don't like fish on my pizza,” Annie said when they were seated in the pizzeria.

Sam smiled at the waitress. “Hold the anchovies. We'll have a Coke for Goldilocks and her beautiful mother and I will share a pitcher of beer."

Conversation ceased while the trio devoured the delicious pizza pie. Sam offered Annie a fourth slice.

“I don't like pizza anymore,” she said.

Laughing, Shelly ran her fingers through the tot's hair. “Three's your limit, huh?"

Annie nodded. “Let's go golfing."

Sam wiped tomato paste from his lips with a paper napkin. “We need to make one more stop and then we'll play golf."

Shelly glared as Sam helped Annie out of the highchair. “I'm not going to see a doctor, you hard-headed jerk."

“Mommy, are you sick?"

“No, baby. Uncle Sam is kidding.” She scooted to the end of the booth, twisted her legs to the edge, and froze.

“Cramp?” he asked, seeing the agony on her face.

She nodded and, with her jaw rigidly set, said, “I can't move."

He dropped to his knees and placed his hands on either side of her left thigh.

“Right,” she corrected, unable to avoid the tears forming in her eyes.

“God, it feels like a lump of concrete,” he said, gently massaging the trembling muscles. “Relax. Relax. Relax, baby."

“I'm trying."

“Relax, Delilah. Think of the afterglow—after Boyd has taken you to the top of the mountain."

She closed her eyes and felt the muscle tension ease. “It's ... it's better, now."

“Sit still while I pay the tab."

Annie began to cry and Shelly hugged the child. “Mommy has a little cramp in her leg. It'll be okay. I promise."

Sam returned, smiling broadly for Annie's benefit. “Goldilocks, do you think I can carry your mother in my arms?"

“I don't know,” the little girl replied seriously. “She's kind of big."

“I can walk,” Shelly insisted, but her leg betrayed her.

Sam caught her and quickly swooped her into his arms. “It's just next door,” he reminded her.

“You ever think of going on a diet?” he joked as they crossed the parking lot separating Papa John's and the Dollar Building.

“The Dollars do own the damn town,” she said, noting the placard as Sam pushed through the swinging doors.

“This used to be a hotel,” Sam explained, crossing the corridor towards the brightly-lit clinic. “Now the clinic occupies the bottom floor, a mall is on the second floor and the top three floors are apartment units."

Seeing the trio approach, a nurse met them with a wheel chair and quickly pushed Shelly to an examining room.

“Is mommy going to be okay, Uncle Sam?"

“Sure, honey,” he said, pulling her onto his lap after sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair. “Doctor McGee will take good care of her."

“Uncle Sam, do you love my mommy?"

“I sure do, Goldilocks."

“Mommy doesn't love you, but I do."

“I know,” he said sadly. “Hey, do you like to play with blocks?"

“Yes."

“I see some on the table in the corner."

She followed the direction of his head, smiled and slid out of his lap. “Here,” she said. “You take care of Lucky."

Twenty minutes later Shelly approached, walking unsteadily. “The doctor gave me a shot and told me to stay off my feet for a while,” she explained.

“How did you explain..."

“I told her I am a stripper and duck walk around the stage with my knees widely separated. Sam, if you are going to continue to drag me to your neck of the woods you must find a way to accept the fact that I am not ashamed of my profession."

“Want me to carry you?"

“I can make it to the car I think."

“What you need is a long soak in my Whirl Pool."

She nodded.

“Want company?"

“Annie will be disappointed."

“You're right. Annie and I will play golf while you take care of yourself."

As she strapped on the seatbelt, Shelly asked, “Did I see a Bi-Lo Supermarket back at the traffic light?"

“Yeah,” he said while buckling Annie into the kiddy seat. “It's so new you can still smell fresh paint on the walls.” He slid under the steering wheel and reached for the seatbelt.

“Would you mind buying me a bunch of bananas?"

Sam smiled at her wickedly.

“Asshole,” she mouthed.

“How do you like miniature golf?” Sam asked as he helped Annie from the back seat of his Taurus.

“It's fun. I golfed good,” she said proudly.

He laughed. “Especially the last round we played."

“I got a hole in one."

“You sure did. I'm proud of you."

Holding the stuffed Lucky in her right arm, Annie clutched Sam's index finger with her left hand as they headed for the front porch.

“I liked riding the horsie too,” she said.

“Better than the car?"

Annie giggled. “I liked it all, Uncle Sam. Thank you for taking me."

“You're welcome, Goldilocks. Look, maybe we'd better not tell your mother I let you have two ice-cream cones."

She giggled. “I won't tell.” She yawned.

“Sleepy?"

“A little bit,” she admitted. “Look!” she squealed. “There's Lucky!"

Sam glanced to his left and saw Lucky approaching slowly, head low and tail wagging furiously. The mixed breed came straight to Annie, sniffed the stuffed animal, balanced on his hind legs and licked her face.

“Can I play with the real Lucky for a few minutes, Uncle Sam?"

“Honey, it's dark outside."

“Can Lucky come in with us?"

Sam smiled. “If he wants to."

Lucky followed them through the door with no coaxing required.

“We're home,” Sam shouted. There was no response.

“I'll bet mommy is still in the thing."

“Whirl Pool,” Sam offered.

“Yeah.” Annie tossed the stuffed Lucky on the sofa and the real Lucky quickly retrieved it, dropping the toy at Annie's feet.

“Uncle Sam, Lucky likes Lucky too.” She again tossed the stuffed dog and Lucky raced after it.

“Why don't you play with Lucky down here while I go find your mother?"

“Okay,” she said, hugging the real Lucky.

Sam climbed the steps and paused at the bedroom door. Only the bedside lamp was on. Shelly lay in a fetal position, nude and asleep.

He eased down on the mattress beside her and allowed himself the luxury of visually enjoying her magnificent body. He touched her nipple and was surprise at how quickly it stiffened. Reluctantly, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he whispered.

She opened her eyes and smiled. “Have fun?"

He nodded. “How are you feeling?"

“Much better. Where's Annie?"

“Downstairs playing with Lucky One and Lucky Two."

“Both Luckies?"

He grinned. “She's so sleepy I don't think she can hold out much longer. I'd better take my ladies home."

She touched his face.

He felt the tingle all the way to his toes.

“You said something at Papa John's—something about Boyd. How did you know?"

“You told me."

“I didn't say anything about the sex."

“It wasn't hard to figure out. He's the only one who rings your chimes."

“I'm sorry, Sam. I'm really sorry. You're such a sweet guy."

“You said I have a lot to learn. Can you recommend a good teacher?"

“Lock the door."

“What?"

“Do I have to draw you a damn picture?"

Sam pulled the reluctant woman into his arms. “I was expecting you earlier,” he said, stepping aside so she and Annie could enter his home.

“I had to do a load of laundry this morning."

“Uncle Sam, may I see my room?"

“It's not your room, Annie,” Shelly corrected. “It's Uncle Sam's guest room."

“Uncle Sam said it was my room,” Annie countered.

“It's your room any time you want to use it, Goldilocks. Let's go upstairs and see what you think,” he said, swinging the little girl up so she could straddle his neck.

“Look, mommy,” Annie squealed. “It
is
my room. It has a little bed with sides so I won't fall out, and a dresser just my size. Wow! Look at all those toys."

As Sam lowered Annie to the floor, Shelly said, “You shouldn't have done all this."

“It was on sale,” he alibied.

“I wasn't talking about the expense. You're trying to get to me through Annie and I don't appreciate it."

“You agreed to spend the weekend, didn't you? It must be working."

She grinned in spite of herself and shook her head. “You beat all. I guess it is working. We ate lunch together every day this week except Monday and now here we are for the weekend."

“Annie, you play with the new toys,” Sam said. “You mommy and I are going to bring in your suitcases."

“Okay, Uncle Sam."

“I'm not moving in with you, damn it. I just packed one suitcase."

“Whatever."

Lucky was scratching at the front door and, when Sam opened it, the dog, following Annie's scent, raced up the steps to her room.

“Did you have any trouble finding the place?” Sam asked as he waited for Shelly to open the trunk of her Escort.

“Dot is not that big."

“That's one of the things that makes it a great place to raise a kid."

“Sam, let's get something straight. You wiggled into my life through Annie. I have allowed it because Annie likes you and she needs a father figure. I'll screw you once in a while in appreciation, but if you ever hurt her, I'll tear your balls off."

“Ouch. I believe you would. Have you eaten lunch?"

“Yeah. I was so late getting away that I made Annie and me a peanut butter sandwich."

“With bananas?"

“Yes, damn it,” she said as she trailed behind him towards the house. “I've eaten so many bananas this week I think my skin is turning yellow."

“Is it helping?"

“Something is. My thighs still ache every night, but there have been no more cramps."

Sam set the suitcase beside Annie's dresser and watched silently as Shelly placed the little girl's clothes in the top drawers.

“Honey,” Shelly said. “Put on your bathing suit and play with the toys some more. Uncle Sam and I need to talk a few minutes and then we'll go to the swimming pool."

Shelly led the way to the master bedroom, leaving the suitcase for Sam to carry, and closed and locked the door behind him.

“Okay,” she said as she pulled off her shirt, “we have time for a quickie.” Her bra dropped to the floor and she bounced her breasts for his enjoyment.

“No,” he said simply, opening the suitcase.

“No?"

“My love for Annie is not for sale. Yes, initially I used her to get to you, but that's no longer the case. She won my love just as I hope to one day win yours."

“Don't tell me that you..."

“Put your clothes on and let's take Goldilocks to the pool."

“If you don't want to fuck me, why did you invite me to spend the night? Damn it, Sam. I went to a lot of trouble for you this weekend. Hell, I have to drive back to Charlotte tonight for the show and then drive all the way back out here during the wee hours of the morning."

He looked at her for several seconds before replying. “I don't want to fuck you, Delilah. I never have. What I want is to make love to you. Someday I hope you'll allow it."

Annie loved the water wings Sam bought her and quickly learned to paddle her way back and forth between Uncle Sam and her mother. The trio was soon joined by Tim Dollar Junior and his parents. Junior was wearing a white flotation devise around his waist and the two children quickly became friends.

When the adults tired of the water, Annie enticed Junior to join her in the kiddy pool. The adults gratefully retreated to the poolside chaise lounges.