Poppy's Present (Poppy's Place)

by Beck, Stephanie

  “You said not to call the others, so I asked Poppy to come. You have to be reasonable. She’s come to help move you into the new apartment at the assisted living complex.”

  “I don’t wish to discuss this with strangers,” her father said.

  “That’s entirely too bad. I attempted to be reasonable, but you refused. Now I’m giving you another option. You let Poppy and I move you to the apartment, or you are moving in with her in Montana.”

  “Whoa,” Cody said.

  Poppy lifted her hand without turning toward them, unsure of Rose’s game, let alone what their father’s response would be to such a threat.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” he said.

  “We already discussed it. Those are your choices. Poppy’s home—they have plenty of room, her father-in-law is a doctor, Poppy has nurse’s training and is able to stay home to care for you. It makes sense. If you don’t like that, you can move into the apartment where you would have paid assistance as needed.”

  “Get out,” he said. “All of you get out, before I have you thrown out.”

  Rose put her fists on her hips and scowled at him. “You’ve already tried that. It doesn’t work. This needs to be decided today.”

  “I choose to move into your home,” he said stiffly. “If you insist I move in with somebody, it should be you.”

  Rose shook her head. “That is not an option. We’re going to step out and have lunch. When we return, you need to have your decision made.”

  She bent down, kissed his wrinkled cheek, and strode into the hallway without another word. With more questions than ever, Poppy followed, her men at her heels.

  “What the hell was that?” She grabbed her sister’s elbow and spun her around.

  Rose’s gaze darted around the empty hall. “It was necessary. We can’t do this here. Come on.”

  “Yes, we can,” Michael said. “You ambushed her and now you can answer for it.”

  Poppy had forgotten about her backup for a moment, so accustomed to dealing with her sister alone. She crossed her arms and stood her ground. “He’s right. Tell me.”

  Rose stood straighter, still watching around them. “I will not go into family issues at my place of work. If you follow me to my home, I will explain everything.”

  She strode away. Poppy didn’t know what was happening, but if Rose had returned to work at the hospital, her life had changed exponentially. She looked over her shoulder at her men. Each frowned but shrugged.

  “I guess we follow and find out what the heck is going on. I’m so sorry—“

  “Don’t be sorry,” Cody said. “This isn’t your fault. We’ll figure it out and put this all to rest.”

  ***

  The last time Poppy had visited her sister’s home, she’d had to punch in a code to get into a multi-million dollar gated community. Now, she waited while Rose fumbled with keys to a modest apartment complex two blocks from the hospital.

  “I’m the first place on the left,” Rose said, holding the door , but Trevor propped it open. “Thanks.”

  “Greg left you so broke you had to move here? That doesn’t sound like him,” Trevor said.

  Rose’s lips pressed so tight together they turned white. “That rat bastard ruined everything. He asked for a divorce six months ago and moved in with his girlfriend the next day. We’ve been in litigation ever since. He’ll pay one day.”

  But not today. Poppy looked around the narrow hall as she waited for Rose. She couldn’t imagine falling so far and being so bitter on top of it all. Once inside the small apartment, she got another layer of her sister’s life. Brown boxes lined the hall, leaving little room to squeeze through the small kitchen into the living-dining room .

  Rose pointed to a huge dining room table. “I have sandwiches and drinks in the kitchen.”

  “You still have a lot of explaining to do,” Cody said.

  “I have no reason to believe Father would move to Montana. He hasn’t said your name since you left,” Rose said, ignoring him and speaking straight to her. “I needed the threat to make him realize how serious this is.”

  “Why can’t you move into his house? Why can’t he move here?” Poppy helped carry food to the table, falling into the familiar to ease the awkwardness.

  “At the moment, my funds are tied up with my lawyers fighting the bastard. I work far too many hours to properly care for Dad. If his house were closer to the hospital, or any medical facility I could reasonably work for, I might consider it, but I don’t have time to keep up that big house either. I need him somewhere safe so I can focus on me.”

  Poppy sat beside Cody, who stayed silent in the face of Rose’s explanations. The sandwich Michael set on her plate held little appeal, but she picked it up and took a bite. She chewed the cheese and ham as she took in the rest of the apartment. The dark leather sofa belonged in a much larger space, as did the television. She remembered them from the mansion. Aside from the similarly large coffee table, full of papers, the rest of the space was empty. The tiny kitchen, so different than any she’d seen Rose use, sparked more questions, but the row of medication bottles near the sink could provide answers.

  “What else is going on?” Poppy asked. “It’s not like you to shirk responsibility, let alone try to force it off on me.”

  Rose whirled toward her so quickly her hair snapped out of place. She flicked an auburn curl aside. “I am not shirking anything. I am being reasonable and practical.”

  “No, you aren’t. If you were being reasonable and practical, you’d have Father move here. I’m betting there’s a second bedroom, and this is minutes from where he’ll need rehab. You could even have a nurse come in.” Poppy picked up her soda. “I can see his point. He should be here.”

  Rose’s eyes narrowed, and Poppy braced for something vile. Her sister hated to be challenged.

  “What are the pills all about?” Trevor asked, cutting the pregnant pause. “You either have a drug problem or some serious crap.”

  Rose whipped toward him and this time, she winced. Poppy had never been more grateful for her men and the way they worked together.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “It could be,” Michael said. “If you’re abusing drugs, that would be grounds to have the power of attorney revoked and another sister brought in to manage your father’s affairs.”

  “How would you know that?”

  “He’s in law school,” Poppy said. “Tell me about the medication. Are you ill?”

  Rose set her sandwich down. “This isn’t about me.”

  “You made it about you by lying to me and bringing us here,” she said. “Give me a reason to help you in all of this.”

  “Fine.” She tore off a piece of bread. “I have cancer. So far, the doctors have only found it in my neck, but we are treating it aggressively. Between treatments, work, and the divorce, I have neither the time nor energy to take care of Father. I cannot do it, but he asked me not to bring in the other sisters. The assisted living complex is the only place he can have some sort of normal life and hope to get back to his own.”

  “And you didn’t tell him?” Poppy asked.

  Rose glared. “No, I have chosen not to.”

  “Right, and you didn’t tell us either. This whole trip started because of a lie, albeit one of omission,” Trevor said.

  Cancer. Poppy’s heart broke for her sister. Would the damn stuff ever leave their family alone? Rose’s choices made more sense now.

  “I should have told the truth,” Rose said, her neck stiff and straight. “I apologize for not doing so from the start. I’ll understand if you leave.”

  Trevor started to stand, but Poppy shook her head and he sat back down.

  “I’ll help,” Poppy said. “But no more lies. From here on out, you need to tell Father the truth. He’ll understand, Rose, and he’ll want to help you.”

  Rose averted her eyes and shook her head. “You don’t understand.”

  “Yes, I do.” Poppy reache
d across the table and squeezed her wrist. “Dad loves you.”

  She looked up, tears in her eyes. “Greg and the boys left, even knowing about my diagnosis.”

  The confession broke Poppy’s heart. “I’m so sorry. You’re going to have to trust Father will be different. He’s always been different for you.”

  “I never should have looked you up,” Rose said. “It wasn’t fair to you. I’ll tell him the truth and let the chips fall. It’s the right thing to do, and I haven’t made it a habit of doing that lately. Please, finish eating, and we’ll head back to the hospital.”

  Knowing the full story gave Poppy more confidence. She strode along beside Rose, her sister sweating but not backing down. They stepped into the room together, Cody, Michael, and Trevor at their heels. Their father sat at a card table near the window overlooking the parking lot. He didn’t turn when they entered.

  “Father, have you made your decision?” Rose asked without delay.

  “I think you’re bluffing,” he said slowly. “I am going to go home to my house, and you’ll help me.”

  “I already told you that’s not possible,” Rose said, but stopped short of giving the full explanation.

  “I’m not going home with her.”

  Poppy stood straighter. She refused to let him talk around her or to take his insults. “I may be your only choice. I promise to give you the same loving, tender care you gave me growing up.”

  He scowled at her, the left side of his face only a touch lower than the right. “You paint yourself the victim, but I don’t see it. You’re a victim only of your poor life choices.”

  Michael, Trevor, and Cody stepped up beside her, but Poppy could laugh. “I don’t paint myself as a victim. I haven’t for a long time. It’s hard to claim that when I’m married to three men who adore me, spoil me, and have made me a mother to three amazing girls. Let me put it this way. I’m willing to bring you home, Father, because it’s the right thing to do. Isn’t that why you brought me home after Mother died? It was the right thing to do?”

  Rose ran her hands through her hair, her discomfort showing more and more in her choppy movements. Poppy held her father’s gaze, the brown eyes so different from hers. She took after her mother—a fact that he’d admitted once made it even harder to look at her.

  “Rose, I’m ready to leave. You’ll take me home.”

  Poppy turned to her sister. If she backed down and didn’t tell the truth, it wouldn’t be the first time, but this would only lead to more trouble.

  “Tell him,” Poppy whispered.

  “Tell me what?” her father yelled.

  She and Rose jumped.

  “Watch your tone, old man,” Trevor said. “You pull that shit when you’re at my house, and I’ll turn off your fucking cable.”

  “Our mother won’t allow you to speak to Poppy that way,” Michael continued. “And you’ll piss our fathers off as well. They love her very much.”

  Her father’s face grew red. “I don’t want to hear anything about this.”

  The situation began spiraling out of control as the men added their two cents. Poppy refused to tell her husbands to ease off, not when they’d guarded her back for so many years. She shoved her elbow into Rose’s side.

  “Rose,” Poppy whispered. “You have to do something.”

  Her sister looked over, eyes wide. Poppy swallowed back any harsh prompting. “Father, you have to be reasonable.”

  “I am always reasonable. Leave and take those imbeciles with you. Staying with you has never been and never will be an option. This is between Rose and me.”

  His cold expression couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes. Poppy stepped forward. “The other girls already made it clear they have no place for you, didn’t they? That’s why you’re holding out. They won’t have you. Rose can’t take care of you, and I am the only one here who can do the things you need.”

  His gaze narrowed a moment, but then flew to Rose. “What do you mean, she can’t take care of me? What’s going on?”

  Rose swallowed so hard it echoed through the room. Poppy patted her shoulder and took a step back. It was on the eldest to make things right now.

  She folded her arms. “I, ah, I have cancer. It’s not terminal, but the next few months will be a challenge.”

  Their father stood, leaning heavily on a cane, but still able to use both sides of his body. “Why didn’t you tell me? What kind of cancer? Breast?”

  His arms shook with exertion, but he managed to cross the floor to her. Rose took him by the elbow, led him to the bed, and sat beside him. “It’s in my neck, not lymph nodes, just a random lump that has cancerous cells in it. Oral medications have helped, but the doctors still anticipate surgery at some point. I want to take care of you, Dad.” Her voice cracked. “But I can’t. Not right now.”

  He patted her knee. Poppy felt like an intruder watching their moment, but she stayed to see it finished.

  “I understand,” he said and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I do. I, ah, I’ll go to the assisted living for a while, at least until I get my strength back, and then I’ll move in to help you get well. Give me a few weeks, and I’ll be there to do the cooking and cleaning so you can rest.”

  “Oh Dad, I’d never ask you to do that.” Rose rested her head on his shoulder.

  “I know you wouldn’t. I’m going to do it anyway.”

  Poppy patted Trevor’s arm and led the men toward the door. Rose could manage from this point. Her throat stung at the father-daughter picture she’d hoped to one day have for herself, but never would. Rose needed their father’s support as much as he needed her. Poppy snuggled close to Trevor as they walked down the hospital hall in silence. She had who she needed, and her blessings soared. She couldn’t begrudge Rose their father.

  “Poppy?”

  She stopped and looked over her shoulder. Cody and Michael stepped aside. Rose hurried down the hall, wiping the backs of her hands over her cheeks. Poppy met her halfway.

  “Looks like everything will be okay,” she said.

  Rose shook her head, but the tension lines no longer pulled her eyes. “Only because of you. I could stand here and apologize for everything I’ve ever done, for the way we’ve treated you, but I think we both know it wouldn’t be completely true. I’m always going to hate you a little bit.”

  Poppy spun away and strode for her men. She didn’t need this ending. Rose grabbed her elbow and tugged until Poppy turned.

  “But I will always, always be grateful that you turned out so wonderfully despite our failures. Very grateful. Have a safe trip home and, um, I really do wish you the best, even if I can’t fathom what you consider the best.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to offer more help, but Poppy knew her heart wouldn’t be in it; she couldn’t take another rebuke or rejection.

  “Take care of yourself,” Poppy said. “And him.”

  She held extra tight to Trevor’s arm as they made their way through the hospital. She didn’t want the tears, but they fell anyway, even after they cuddled in the town car with Michael again at the helm.

  “I almost wish the old coot had ended up at our house. Can you imagine the talking to Mom would have given him?” Trevor said.

  She snorted and brushed away a stray tear. “Yeah, she would have let him have it. Because she loves me.”

  Trevor kissed her hair. “Damn right she does. I’m pretty sure the dads and Mom all love you more than they love us.”

  “I second that. Paul tells me all the time he’d have booted my ass years ago if not for you,” Cody added.

  She elbowed him. “He did not.”

  “Swear on my best cow.” Cody crossed his heart. “You make our family. Not just better. You make it.”

  “Jeez, guys, I’m trying to stop crying here.” She swatted Cody’s shoulder. “I’m, you know, letting go again. I’m not terribly upset, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting the Hollywood ending here anyway.”

  “Fuck that,” Michael sai
d.

  She burst out laughing. “That was much more of a Trevor response than my Big Guy.”

  “I stand by it. Fuck the Hollywood ending where old wounds are magically healed—I never trust those anyway. This is more honest, but it’s not a bad ending. We’re in San Antonio, and we’re going to take this old school Western style and ride off into the sunset, heads held high, knowing we did right, we’re doing right, and by God we’re living the dream.”

  Poppy’s eyes dried right up, the unexpected mirth too powerful to leave room for tears. Trevor put his hands together once and then twice. Poppy joined him, nudging Cody’s side until Baby Boy also applauded.

  “Well fucking said, Michael.” Trevor patted his shoulder. “Right on. What else are we going to do in this sunset business? Not to steal your thunder, but what about cake?”

  “Hells yes to cake,” Michael said.

  “And ice cream,” Cody added.

  Poppy laughed. “I’m up for anything, as long as I’m riding with you guys. You know, we have another day here. Why don’t we see a movie, eat some good food, and jump on the hotel bed before we call our adventure over?”

  Michael stopped at a red light and tossed a grin over his shoulder. “I have until Monday at nine. Whatever adventure you can think of, I’m game.”

  “Count me in,” Cody said.

  Trevor kissed her bare neck. “Count me twice.”

  Poppy settled back in the seat and grinned. Her girls were having fun with their grandparents, her family issues were seen to, and she was facing the rest of her life with three men who loved her. She couldn’t wait to see what adventures came next.

  ~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

  Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant, Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn't end the way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within a story. When she's not elbow deep in words, her husband and three children command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or bakes cookies…or squeezes in more writing.