Secrets Of The Tulip Sisters

His brows rose slightly. “There was never any distaste.”

“You say that now.”

“You’re going to make me pay, aren’t you?”

“I think a little, yes.”

“Okay. I’ve probably earned it. Thank you for the tour,” he added. “I liked seeing where you work.”

“You should come by when we’re harvesting. It’s pretty exciting.”

“I’d like that.”

“Me, too,” she said before she could stop herself.

He smiled and took a step toward her. For a second she thought he was going to kiss her. She had no idea how she felt about that or what it would be like. Anticipation quickened in her belly right before he lightly touched her upper arm, then turned and walked back toward the parking lot.

She stared after him in disbelief. That was it? What had happened to him wanting to sleep with her? Why hadn’t he made his move?

She put her hands on her hips and glared at his retreating back. Men were stupid. All of them, but mostly Griffith.

* * *

Helen finished locking the front door of the diner. The downside of her job was starting so early in the morning. The upside was she was usually out by three in the afternoon—earlier if she could get her food orders in during the mid-morning lull.

She dropped her keys into her bag and turned to find Jeff standing a couple of feet away.

She pressed a hand to her chest. “You startled me.” Which was the truth and also better than her next thought, which was more along the lines of how good he looked. All manly in his plaid shirt and jeans.

“Were we supposed to go to JML or something?” Because while Jeff was a regular at the café, he’d already been by for breakfast. He wasn’t generally an afternoon kind of guy.

“No. I wanted to talk to you.”

For a second she allowed herself to hope that he’d finally come to his senses, realized he was madly in love with her and was here to declare himself. Or at least try to get in her pants, but she was okay with that, too.

“I’ve been thinking about what we talked about before,” he began. “About the women I see in Seattle.”

Yes? Yes? She did her best to look completely normal when on the inside she was doing a competition-worthy cheer routine. Oh, please, oh, please let him want sex with her. Wild, crazy, hot monkey sex.

“You caught me off guard with your questions. I didn’t know what to say.” He raised one shoulder. “I guess I was embarrassed.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know. People talking.”

“No one’s talking. I observed.” Although she did think other people had noticed, she wasn’t going to tell him that.

“My point is, you’re right. We’re friends. Good friends. So ask me what you want to know and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.”

The hot, glowing sex bubble inside of her burst with an audible pop. “That would be great. Probably not right here.”

He looked around at the empty café parking lot. “Probably not.”

They walked the quarter block to her small house, the one she’d bought after her aunt and uncle had moved away. It was just over fourteen hundred square feet, with nice light and an updated kitchen. But what had sold her on the place was the oversize living room with the perfect space for her piano. The small upright was one of the few things she had from her parents. The piano had to be on an interior wall, away from drafts, vents and the sun.

She unlocked the front door. Jeff followed her inside. They gravitated to the kitchen, as people always did, and settled on the bar stools in front of the main counter.

Unsure of the protocol for a conversation like this, she asked, “Do you want something to drink?”

“I’m fine.”

They were sitting about two feet apart, angled toward each other. Helen set her purse on the counter, then didn’t know what to do with her hands.

“I have a couple of bars I go to,” he began. “I’ve also used a dating website or two.”

She told herself that whatever he said, she was going to keep her mouth firmly shut. And act natural. No snorts, no gasps, no blushing, although the latter would be hard to control.

“I make it clear I’m not looking for anything long-term or involved. No serious commitments.”

“Why not?” she blurted before she could stop herself. “See, I don’t get that. I know you and you’re a commitment kind of guy. You love your routine and the rhythm of the seasons. Why would it be different with a woman? Why wouldn’t you want to be with someone long-term?”

“It’s complicated.”

“It’s not. Kelly wouldn’t care. She worries about you being alone. One day she’s going to move out and then you’ll be in that big house all by yourself. You can’t sell it—it’s been in the family too long. I guess you could move out and Kelly could...” She cleared her throat. “I’m going to stop talking now.”

He gave her a brief smile. “Want to bet on that?”

She grinned. “No. Anyway, you were saying it’s complicated.”

“Maybe that’s not the right word. With my past...”

He meant Marilee, the bitchy, unfaithful ex-wife. “You know what she did wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t about you, it was about her. Something inside of her.” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re right. There was something in her.” He shifted on the bar stool. “When we first started dating, I knew she wasn’t long for this town. That as soon as she graduated from high school, she was gone. Then she got pregnant. I was shocked when she told me and even more surprised that she wanted to have the baby. We got married and Kelly was born and Marilee went to college and got her degree and started teaching. For a while things were okay between us. Then they weren’t.”

He looked at her, then away. “I never knew how to make her happy enough.”

Happy enough that she wouldn’t cheat, Helen thought. She’d had a similar thought herself. With Troy. She’d kept thinking that if only she were prettier or thinner or more adventurous in bed, he wouldn’t cheat on her.

“Like I said before, it’s not about you. It was never anything you did. It was always her.”

“You telling me or yourself?” he asked gently. Because, of course, Jeff knew about her past. Everyone in Tulpen Crossing did.

“Both.”

“I agree with you, at least in theory. My head tells the story, my gut is less likely to believe.”

“And because of that, you won’t get involved?”

“That’s part of the reason.”

“What’s the rest of it?” That he was secretly in love with her? If only life were that convenient.

He leaned toward her. “This conversation is supposed to be about you. Here’s my advice. Make sure you like the guy. Keep yourself safe. Listen to your gut and make him wear a condom. Don’t take any crap about how it doesn’t feel good with a condom. It feels just fine. You deserve someone who looks out for you.”

Like he was doing now, she thought dreamily. Only he wasn’t talking about himself. He was giving her advice on how to sleep with someone else. Not exactly the act of a man secretly in love with her.

Another dream dashed. It appeared she was never going to have her way with Jeff—not if she couldn’t get him to be the tiniest bit jealous.

“I appreciate the advice,” she told him.

“Good.” He stood. “I need to get back to the office.”

She rose and walked him to the front door. He turned and smiled at her. Before she could catch her breath or react, he pulled her close. Like in a hug. Not that they hadn’t hugged a billion times before, but maybe this was different. Maybe he was finally going to—

He leaned in and kissed her. On. The. Top. Of. Her. Head. WTF?

Helen forced herself to smile tightly as he drew back.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said.

What she said was, “Absolutely.” What she meant was, “Not if I see you first.”

6

Kelly lowered the seared pot roast into the pressure cooker, then added broth and the vegetables. While most people were Crock-Pot fans, she’d never taken to it. The thought of having to get up first thing in the morning and dice or chop or even assemble was too daunting. A pressure cooker gave her the same kind of flavor in a significantly shorter period of time.

She put on the lid and set the timer. In ninety minutes they would have pot roast—one of her dad’s favorites.

She supposed a psychologist would have a field day with the fact that she was still living at home at the ripe old age of twenty-eight. Every now and then she thought about moving out. She just wasn’t sure when that was going to happen. Or if there actually was a reason to. In some societies, multigenerational families were the norm. She and her dad could start a trend.

She smiled at the thought, then rinsed off the cutting board. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that dinner would be ready at six. She was halfway to her dad’s study to tell him when the front door opened and a semi-familiar voice called, “Hi, Dad. It’s me. I’m home.”

Had Kelly been holding more than a dish towel, she would have dropped it for sure, because standing right there in the living room was her sister, Olivia. The same Olivia who had left at fifteen and never returned.

Okay—that wasn’t fair—Olivia had been sent away. As for not coming home, at first she’d refused to come back for holidays and summer vacation. Kelly remembered that. What she couldn’t recall was if or when she and her father had stopped asking her to come home.

Kelly took in the stylish, beachy, wavy hair, the perfect makeup, the casual-yet-elegant tunic over leggings and the brightly colored athletic shoes that were obviously all about style rather than sports. She was acutely aware of her own battered cargo pants and faded University of Washington sweatshirt.

On the surface, she and Olivia looked a lot alike. They were the same height, with brown hair and eyes. At least they’d started out that way. Today Olivia’s hair was more golden than brown and her eyes had a distinct hazel cast to them. Kelly realized she wasn’t the before picture so much as the cautionary tale.

Her sister stared at her. “Kelly? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

“I came to see Dad.”

Just like that? As if she hadn’t been gone over a decade? Because although Jeff made regular pilgrimages to see his daughter and Kelly had tagged along more than once, Olivia had, to the best of Kelly’s knowledge, not been back to Tulpen Crossing in over a decade.

“I’m making dinner,” Kelly said.

Olivia frowned as she glanced around the kitchen. Her expression cleared and she laughed. “Oh, that’s right. Dad told me you were still living at home.”

Jeff walked into the kitchen. “I heard someone...” He stared at his youngest daughter. His eyes widened and his mouth formed a happy grin. “Olivia! When did you get here?”

“Just now. Hi, Dad.”

Jeff held open his arms. Olivia rushed into his embrace. Kelly fought against a sense of resentment and foreboding.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Jeff said as he held her tight. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

They stepped back and smiled at each other. Jeff pulled out a chair and they both sat at the kitchen table. Kelly stood awkwardly by the island, not sure what she was supposed to do. Join them? Bolt? She settled on hovering.

“Tell me,” her dad said. “Why are you here?”

“I thought it was time for me to visit,” Olivia said with a brilliantly white smile. “Phoenix gets so hot in the summer and the real estate market pretty much dies. I had some vacation time, so here I am. I hope it’s okay.”

“Of course it is. Better than okay.”

Kelly reminded herself to smile when Olivia glanced at her. She was trying to remember the last time she’d seen her sister. Five years ago? Six? They rarely had any contact at all. The occasional birthday text or an awkward phone call, but that was it. Jeff and Olivia visited more regularly, but still not that often. Jeff had gone to Olivia’s college graduation. Kelly had been sick and stayed home.

“You’re selling real estate?” she asked.

“No, I work in marketing. I design the brochures and handle the advertising for the individual houses and the company. I’ve also recently started a staging business. I help people set up their homes so they’re more appealing to buyers. It’s fun.”

“That sounds great,” Jeff told her.

“I like it. It’s amazing what you can do when you rearrange furniture and add some accessories.” The bright smile returned. “I’ve been working a lot so I’m looking forward to taking a couple of months off.”

A couple of months? Kelly held in a groan, then reminded herself that Olivia was her sister. It would be nice for them to get to know each other again. They weren’t teenagers anymore. They were adults and would get along fine just like they had when they were little. Although the entire situation made no sense at all. Olivia had never liked being a small-town girl.

“This will be fun,” Jeff said. “My two girls under the same roof.”

“I know.” Olivia smiled again. “I can’t wait to get together with my friends. Everyone’s going to be so excited. I was texting with Ryan and—”

Kelly groaned. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said before she could stop herself. “You came back for your high school boyfriend?”

Her sister’s mouth formed a prim, straight line. “Of course not. You’re being ridiculous. I want to see all my friends. Ryan is just one of them.”

“Sure.”

Kelly wondered whose idea the visit had been—Olivia’s or Ryan’s. Last she’d heard Griffith’s younger brother was going hot and heavy with someone else.

Olivia stood and moved to the counter. “I mean it, Kelly. I’ve moved on. Started a career.” She picked up her sister’s hand and shook her head as she studied Kelly’s short, ragged nails. “Gotten a manicure. You’re the one still living with Dad.”

Kelly told herself to ignore the dig, but that didn’t stop heat from flaring on her cheeks.

“Girls,” Jeff said mildly. “I know you haven’t lived together in a while, but come on. We’re family.”

Kelly snatched back her hand and nodded. “Of course. It’s so nice to have Olivia back.”

Her sister winked at her. “I know. It’s great, isn’t it?” She turned to Jeff. “Daddy, do you mind if I stay here?”

“Of course not.” The man couldn’t have looked happier. “Your old room is just as you left it. Kelly will show you where the clean sheets and towels are. Stay as long as you’d like. I’m sorry I won’t be able to visit with you after dinner, but I have a gig tonight.”

Olivia laughed. “What does that mean?”

“I’m in a band.” He chuckled. “Okay, not a real band. I work with a music school that helps people learn to play instruments and then perform.”

“He’s the ringer,” Kelly added. “Dad and my friend Helen are the professional musicians who help. They perform in showcases every few weeks.”

“That’s fun.” Olivia wrinkled her nose. “I think I remember you playing guitar when I was little. It was nice.”

“Come with me. We can talk between sets.”

“Thanks, but I’m meeting friends later.”

“Next time, then.” Jeff hugged Olivia and Kelly. “My two girls back at home. Who would have thought?”

Yes, who, Kelly thought to herself. Certainly not her.

* * *

For reasons not clear to Griffith, the sign at the craft mall/community center had been changed. When he’d shown up for the book club, it had been called Petal Pushers. Now there was a new sign: The Dutch Bunch. He figured it was an homage to the tulips they grew in the area, but still. Kind of strange for the Pacific Northwest where Native American names gave visitors tongue-twisting trouble.

He always enjoyed listening to tourists trying to pronounce places like Snohomish, Issaquah or Cle Elum, or his personal favorite, Stillaguamish. Not that he knew anything about naming a craft mall.

He’d shown up for a musical showcase where local bands performed for friends and family. It was the audible equivalent to a train wreck—you really didn’t want to look and see anything bad, but it was impossible to turn away. In this case, there was the faint possibility of hearing something passably good, with the more likely outcome of wincing through the butchering of a perfectly good song. Or twenty.

Griffith wouldn’t normally bother coming. He had plenty to fill his time. But Leo’s son was playing tonight and Leo had asked Griffith to attend. Leo rarely asked for anything, plus he’d sounded so proud when he’d told Griffith about the showcase.

Apparently the band was going to perform a Beatles retrospective. Griffith hoped the Beatles who had already left the earth had reached a state of grace and forgiveness. If they chose to exact punishment for what was about to be done to their songs, there was no telling what could happen.

The room would hold a couple hundred people. There were about sixty there already. Leo and his family had claimed the entire front row of tables. Griffith waved at him, then settled in for what he would guess was going to be a very long evening.

The event was BYOB. He’d grabbed a six-pack of beer. As he found a seat at one of the tables, he wondered if he should have brought something stronger. Or more of it.

He’d just opened his first bottle when he saw Kelly walk in and look around. At first he thought she was looking for friends to sit with, but then he noticed she seemed tense and on edge. When she glanced in his direction, he waved her over.

Her look of relief was gratifying.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she approached. “I didn’t think anyone came without being obligated. You know the music is going to be awful, right?”

He stood and held out a chair. “I do. Leo, my floor supervisor, has a kid playing. He asked me to come. What’s your excuse?”

“I couldn’t stay home.” With that she pulled a bottle of vodka out of her large tote bag. “They still serve sodas and stuff here, right?”

He eyed the full bottle, then pointed to the concession stand by the wall. “Sure. What do you want?”

“A large glass with ice. Tonic water if they have it, otherwise club soda and a lime.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks.”

The room was filling up and the noise level rising. They were going to have a full house tonight. He walked over to the serve-yourself concession stand and filled a large Solo cup with ice and three inches of tonic and added a couple slices of lime. When he returned to their table, Kelly sat staring at the far wall. Her eyes were unfocused and her mouth trembled slightly.

He sat next to her and handed her the cup. “What’s wrong?”

“Is it that obvious?” She poured a healthy serving of vodka, then swirled the ice in the cup. “Don’t ask. I know the answer. It’s just... I don’t know. Everything was fine, you know? Sure, my life isn’t that interesting, but I like it. I have a good job and good friends and then bam, something smacks you upside the head.”

For a second he wondered if she was talking about what he’d suggested. No, that had been several days ago and when he’d seen her at the farm, she’d been friendly enough. It was something else.

“Olivia’s back,” she said flatly.

It took him a second to figure out who Olivia was. “Your sister?”

“That’s her. She’s home for the summer.” She took another drink. “I’m being punished. I get that. It’s fair, but damn. I don’t know how I’m going to get through it. She’s so perfect. Her clothes, her hair. Plus the way she talks about everything in Phoenix. Only if it’s all so great, what is she doing here?”

He had no idea what she was talking about, so he kept his mouth shut. Kelly needed someone to listen—him knowing or not knowing the subject seemed unimportant.

“It’s been so long. She was fifteen when Dad sent her to boarding school and I was eighteen. Getting ready to start college. I was so excited and—”

She looked at him. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m lying. Dad didn’t send her away. Okay, he did, but it was my idea. I’m the one who said she was acting out in school. She and Ryan were dating and it was getting serious and I was so scared she was going to be like our mom. I was worried for her, but mostly for myself. I knew if she screwed up and got pregnant, I would be stuck dealing with it all and I just didn’t want to. I know that makes me a horrible person.”

He shifted his chair closer and put his arm around her. “No, it doesn’t.”

She blinked away the tears. “It does. I was selfish.”

“Because you didn’t want your sister to get pregnant at fifteen? Yeah, you were a real bitch.”

“But we sent her away.”

He thought about his brother and the women in his life. Griffith had been away at college when his brother was in high school, but he’d heard plenty of stories.

“You did the right thing for both of them.”

“You’re being nice. Thank you.” She leaned against him and took another drink. “Now she’s back and she’s already mentioned seeing him.”

“Ryan has a girlfriend.”

“That’s what I thought. I’m not sure Olivia knows, but that’s not my rock. I just don’t know how I’m going to deal with her for the summer. Biologically we’re sisters, but in reality, we’re strangers.”

“Want to move in with me?”

She looked at him. “Wow, there’s an invitation.”

He grinned. “I meant into your own room. The house is big enough.”

“I’m not sure jumping from the frying pan to the fire is a good idea, but thank you for the offer.” She sighed. “Dad is happy. She’s his baby girl and now he has both of us together under one roof. Maybe this is a sign that I should get my own place.”

“Maybe you should see how things are going to go first.”

“Logic. How like a man.”

She poured more vodka into her cup. Griffith rubbed her arm and wondered how this was all going to turn out. It did seem strange that Olivia would simply leave everything for the summer. As for Ryan, God knew what trouble he was in now, what with his current girlfriend and his former girlfriend all in the same town. Maybe he would try to escape the trouble by showing up to work on time. Unlikely, but a guy could dream.

* * *

The band played for nearly an hour, although it seemed much longer what with their lack of understanding about music and staying in tune. When they were done, Griffith’s ears were ringing. He hoped the condition wasn’t permanent. He congratulated Leo and his son, then went back to the table and collected Kelly.

“That was great,” she said brightly as she tucked what was left of her vodka into her bag. “I think by the end, they were getting the hang of it.”

“I think you’re drunk.”

“Maybe. But that’s okay. I’m an adult.”

“You’re an adult who’s not driving home.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Probably not. I’ll get a ride with my dad.” She looked around, took a step, stumbled, then started to laugh.

“Okay, then.” He drew her close and started for the stage. “Let’s go find him together.”

“That’s nice.” She smiled. “Are you going to kiss me?”

There was a non sequitur. “Nope.”

“Why not? You want me as your girlfriend. That means kissing, Griffith.”

“Yes, it does and while I look forward to kissing you, I’m a firm believer in the woman being sober. Or at least not as drunk as you. Call me old-fashioned.”

“I didn’t know there would be rules.”

“There are always rules, Kelly. The trick is knowing which ones it’s okay to break.”

“I don’t break rules. I should. Maybe I’d be more like Olivia. She’s so pretty. I want to be pretty, too.”

“You are.”

“You’re just saying that for the sex, but it’s still nice. Have you seen her clothes?”

“Not yet.”

“And her hair. It’s so shiny. She was wearing makeup and everything. Plus, she has boobs. I never got mine.”

His lips twitched. “You are so going to regret this conversation in the morning. When you get home, drink a lot of water.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“You say that now. Come on. Let’s go find your dad.”