Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

by Susan Mallery

  “I trusted you,” Kelly breathed.

  “I trusted you and look what it got me.”

  Kelly opened her mouth, then closed it. She walked toward the front door.

  “Kelly,” her father called, but she didn’t answer. She grabbed her bag and walked out into the quiet of the night. She had no idea where she was going but it was going to be as far from here as possible.

  20

  Griffith knew that there was no way to read emotion in a text—especially one that was only four words long. Yet there was an ocean of feelings in Kelly’s terse Can I come by? Tulpen Crossing was small enough that he’d already heard about Marilee’s unexpected return.

  Five minutes after texting back nothing more than Yes, he heard her truck pulling up next to his. He walked to the front door and waited. After several seconds she got out of the cab and walked to the house. From what he could tell, she hadn’t been crying, but there was something going on.

  He held open his arms. Kelly walked inside, dropped her purse on the floor and flung herself against him.

  “I hate my mother,” she whispered. “I’m sure it’s wrong and I’ll be burning in the fires of hell for saying it, but I hate her. She’s a horrible person. She’s a destructive creature, creating chaos wherever she goes. She honest to God doesn’t think she did anything wrong. That her leaving was just fine and it’s no big deal she abandoned her two children. She and I were never close, so fine. But what about Olivia? They were always a team and Marilee totally walked out on her, which should have been the worst of it, but it’s not. Now I find out that Olivia’s been with her this entire time. In Phoenix. They work together.”

  She raised her head and stared at him. “I trusted her. I believed her. I thought we were in this together, but we’re not. I can’t trust either of them and my dad is useless. He won’t say one bad thing about her.”

  Griffith was having a little trouble keeping up, but he was pretty sure the chaos here was Marilee and the one Kelly couldn’t trust was her sister.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  Kelly drew back and sucked in a breath. “It all came out at dinner. Olivia had said she and Mom were in touch, but it’s more than that. They’re all tight and cozy in their shared business. She lied to me. When she got here and later. She never said anything about reuniting with Mom. Never told me the truth. Or Dad. She lied to him, too. Why not just say? But did she? Then Mom showed up and she pretended to be all shocked, like the rest of us.”

  She shook her head. “I believed Olivia. I was happy to have her back. I felt bad for what had happened before. I thought we were getting to know each other and all this time, she was lying. She’s just like Marilee.”

  They had officially passed out of territory he could handle and into that scary netherworld of female emotion.

  “Is it possible she didn’t tell you the truth because she was afraid of what you’d think?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” Kelly turned in a circle. “I don’t know what’s happening or what to think or who my family is. My dad is being soooo nice. It’s incredibly frustrating. It’s like when we were kids and he would never say anything bad about her even though we all knew about the affairs. Only now she’s in the house. I have to do something.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Maybe I’ll move out.”

  “Tonight?”

  She managed a slight smile. “You’re saying I might have trouble finding a rental?”

  “You might have to wait until morning.” He thought about offering her a room in his house, but that could be misunderstood and Kelly didn’t need any more stress in her life.

  “I’m sorry to dump this on you.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her. “You’re always welcome here. It’s okay.”

  “You might have had hot plans for the night.”

  “Not possible. You weren’t here.”

  She surprised him by pulling back and blinking. “I don’t think I can handle you being nice.”

  “Then I’ll stop. Are you ready to come inside or do you want to stay in the foyer for a while longer?”

  She glanced around and groaned. “I didn’t even get all the way into the house. I’m an idiot.”

  “You’re not. You’re kind of sweet. Did you eat? Are you hungry?” He didn’t have much in the refrigerator but there was always frozen pizza.

  Kelly flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

  “I know. I won the award just last year. I have a plaque. Want to see it?”

  “I do.”

  Her hands felt good on his back. She smelled like flowers and some kind of lotion, because she would never wear perfume. Tonight there was no makeup, no girlie clothes. Tonight she was just Kelly in cargo pants and boots. His kind of girl.

  He wanted her—that wasn’t new. But he wasn’t going to make his move. Not with her like this. Instead he would feed her, make her laugh and send her back home. Or offer her a bed in a guest room.

  “Where’s Ryan?” she asked.

  “Out. I don’t see much of him these days.”

  “He’s still not cooperating on the work front?”

  “Not even a little.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “We’ll figure it out. So pizza?”

  She nodded. He stepped back and took her hand, then led her into the kitchen. They walked to the freezer and checked out the selection.

  “Pepperoni, all meat, extra meat,” he said.

  “I’m sensing a theme.”

  He grinned. “You’re not going to find anything with vegetables in the pizza selection, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

  “How shocking. How about the extra meat?”

  “Perfect.” He leaned in and lightly kissed her, then reached for the pizza. When he put it on the counter, she moved next to him and put her hand on his forearm.

  “Griffith, wait.”

  He glanced at her.

  “Let’s go upstairs.”

  He waited, sure he’d misunderstood.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” she repeated.

  His dick immediately woke up and offered a yes vote. The rest of him was right there, as well. But his brain, oh, his stupid, sensible brain pointed out that Kelly was feeling battered and vulnerable and taking advantage of her was not only bad form but potentially dangerous for their relationship. He liked her—he wanted to take care of her—and this was not the way to do that.

  “You’re dealing with a lot,” he began.

  “I am.” She bent down and unlaced her boots, then stepped out of them. “I’m thinking a distraction would be nice.”

  “Me, uh, too, but you need time to—”

  She pulled off her T-shirt and walked out of the room. Griffith waited exactly three seconds before muttering, “This isn’t my fault,” and following up her the stairs.

  * * *

  Kelly knew her motivation was suspect. She mostly wanted to get lost and not have to think about everything going on and Griffith was the most effective, nicest, safest way she could think to make that happen.

  When they reached his bedroom, she took in the cool colors, the large king-size bed, the thick carpet. The room was comfortable. Masculine enough to be his, but not so cutting-edge as to be trying too hard. She could get used to a room like this.

  She crossed to the bed and pulled back the covers, then faced him. “Do you have a favorite side?”

  “The one closest to you.”

  She smiled, then pulled off her socks. After unfastening her jeans, she pushed them down. Her bra and panties followed.

  Before she could think more about the fact that she’d just stripped down in front of a man
she didn’t know all that well, he swore softly, crossed to her and pulled her into his arms.

  She relaxed into his embrace and focused on how strong and tall he was. How his hands moved up and down her back. She breathed in the scent of him and the way he cupped her butt before shifting so he could caress her small breasts.

  Sensations began to stir. Warmth and something that was nicely arousing. Her mind got fuzzy, which was the best reaction yet. They kissed. Hot, deep kisses with tongues and lips. That was good, too.

  She tugged at his shirt until he pulled it off. His boots and socks followed, then his jeans and briefs. When they were both naked, she reached between them and stroked his erection. He flexed in her hand. She laughed.

  “You have condoms, right?” she asked.

  “In the nightstand.”

  “Good.”

  She shifted to the bed. He opened a drawer and pulled out a strip of condoms, then slid in next to her. He touched her everywhere, stroking her breasts and teasing her nipples. Heat built inside of her. He lowered his head to her breasts and kissed the tight peaks. She shivered as need raced to every part of her.

  This was the good part, she thought happily. The before. When her body promised a thousand things.

  He moved one hand between her legs. She parted for him. He explored her, paying special attention to the very core of her. He circled that spot, making her breathing quicken.

  Her arousal continued building and building. She strained toward it, hoping this time she would be able to let herself go. Yet even as she reached, her mind intruded. So many thoughts. The fight with her mother, Olivia’s betrayal. She pushed it all away but it returned and suddenly the feel of Griffith’s fingers against her core was little more than pleasant. Her arousal faded as if it had never been and the awkwardness of this first sexual encounter loomed large.

  Disappointment flooded her—sad but not surprising. It had always been like this. There was the good part and then there was nothing. Still, she knew how to move things along.

  She opened her eyes and stretched out for the condom. “Be inside of me,” she whispered.

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded, then pulsed her hips, as if urging him along. Griffith did as she requested. He knelt between her legs and slowly eased inside of her. He filled her, stretched her and for a second, need returned. She sank into the sensation, willing it to continue before it drifted away.

  He moved in and out. She wrapped her legs around his hips and kept pace with him. She consciously quickened her breathing. She wasn’t going to fake it, exactly. Instead she would encourage him. Otherwise, guys liked to take forever and that only got uncomfortable for everyone.

  “Kelly,” he began.

  She opened her eyes and found him watching her. “Don’t hold back,” she whispered. “Please, just go for it.”

  “But you—”

  “It’ll be better for me that way.”

  She arched her hips, pulling him in deeper, then breathed his name. He tensed as if doing his best to hold back, which wasn’t going to work at all. When he pushed in again, she tightened her muscles around him and breathed, “Yes!” Seconds later, he came.

  She sighed and held on to him. “That was wonderful. Thank you.”

  He drew back and studied her for a second. “Don’t move,” he told her.

  He got off the bed and walked to the bathroom. When he returned, he sat on the mattress, facing her. “What’s going on?”

  Why did it always have to be like this? Why did they always have to care? It was her body—she should get to say what happened and what didn’t happen.

  “I don’t understand,” she said, then smiled. “I enjoyed that.”

  “Not enough.” His voice was flat, his expression wary. “You didn’t come.”

  “Oh, that.” She waved her hand. “I liked what we did. It was enough for me.”

  “Uh-huh. What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing. I had a great time, isn’t that enough?”

  “No.” His gaze locked with hers. “Is it because it’s our first time? Do you need to get comfortable? Or is this a regular thing?”

  “I’m not entirely sure what you’re asking, but if it’s what I think it is, then not everyone is the same.” She glanced down and found the weave of the sheets to be fascinating.

  Griffith touched his fingers to her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You don’t climax during sex?”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Not ever?”

  She held in a groan. “Nope. Which is totally fine.”

  “Not even by yourself?”

  She flushed and jerked her head free of his light touch. “I don’t do that.”

  “You should. A lot. Get to know your body. If you don’t know what you like, how can you tell me what works best?”

  Sven had been like this, she thought grimly. Determined to make things happen. After a few months he’d stopped trying so much and well, she’d gotten better at faking it. She supposed it spoke well for the men in her life that they cared about her pleasure. She just wished they would leave it be. She was fine. Happy. Content.

  “You’re making too big a deal out of this,” she told him. “Not everyone needs to fly off into the universe. Some of us just like the closeness and intimacy. It’s that way for me.”

  He didn’t look convinced. “Having an orgasm is a physical response to stimulus. It’s like sneezing. Unless there’s a physical problem, you should be climaxing.”

  She groaned. “Can we please not talk about this? I beg you. Later, but not now. I have too much going on.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He leaned in and kissed her. “Thank you for tonight. Can you stay for a bit or do you have to get home?”

  “Stay and do what?” she asked, trying not to sound wary. She so wasn’t in the mood for him to take a stand, so to speak. The thought of a half hour of him trying various things on her body would be a nightmare.

  “I thought I’d get back in bed and we’d cuddle. You can tell me everything you like about me and I’ll bask in my wonderfulness. How does that sound?”

  Her tension eased, which was probably the point of his humor. “Oh, could we?” She batted her eyes at him. “My hero.”

  “That’s me. Your knight in shining armor.”

  She held up the sheet. He slid in next to her and pulled her against him. She rested her head on his shoulder.

  “This is nice,” he said. “You know what would make it perfect?”

  She grinned. “Either sports or food.”

  “There’s a Mariners game on, if that’s okay.”

  Later she would have to deal with all the crap in her life. Later she would have to confront her sister and feel all the horrible emotions she was currently ignoring, but it wasn’t later yet and she planned to enjoy every second of the reprieve.

  She sighed and closed her eyes. “You go for it.”

  * * *

  Helen had thought the time between declaring herself to Jeff and having him respond had been the longest two days in her life, but she’d been oh, so wrong. The time between finding out Marilee was back and having the chance to talk to him was at least seven lifetimes. When he did finally make it to the café, it was nearly two o’clock, but she had three customers who wanted to linger and then Delja wouldn’t leave so it was forty minutes until they were able to sit down at one of the tables.

  She felt sick to her stomach. Worrying about Marilee had been the best diet yet. She hadn’t been able to eat or sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured them together. Marilee had always been beautiful and according to Kelly, that hadn’t changed. Trying to eat had made Helen sick to her stomach. Even now she felt uneasy churning where lunch should have been.

  �
�I’m sorry I haven’t been able to come by,” he told her. “Things have been complicated.”

  She was sure that was true, but she wasn’t about to admit it to him. She and Jeff had become lovers, then his ex-wife had returned to town and she hadn’t seen him since. If anyone was going to do the talking, it was him.

  “I want to be clear,” he said. “I had no idea she was going to show up and I’m not happy she’s here.”

  Helen allowed some of her tension to ease.

  “But,” he said, and the tension returned, “I think this is a good thing. Kelly and Olivia need to spend time with their mother.” He frowned. “Kelly does, at least. I’m still not clear on what Olivia has going on with Marilee. I knew they were in touch, but apparently they both live in Phoenix and work together.” He shook his head. “Regardless, the three of them need time to be a family. They didn’t have that before.”

  “Because Marilee left,” she blurted before she could stop herself.

  “You’re right. But I still feel badly that Kelly didn’t have a mother around as she went through high school. I wanted the two of them to stay in touch, but Marilee wasn’t interested. She disappeared. I found her once and she told me if I came looking for her again, she would make sure she was never found. It didn’t matter that I didn’t want her back, that I wanted her for the girls. She was always one to go her own way.”

  Her own way? Was that what they were calling it?

  “I made a lot of mistakes with my girls.” He stared at the table. “I should have tried harder with Olivia. I shouldn’t have let Marilee act the way she did.”

  “I’m not sure how you would have controlled her,” Helen snapped before she could stop herself.

  “You’re right. I suppose I should have divorced her rather than waiting for her to run off.” He looked at her. “The only thing I know I did right was to never bad-mouth their mother to my daughters. I haven’t said a word against her and I won’t. If she wants to spend time with them, then I’m in favor of that.”

  Helen waited for the rest of the sentence. The part where he explained that the reunion was going to happen from the safe distance of a hotel. She waited for him to say that he’d been missing her and thinking about her and even though they’d just become lovers, she was important to him and he didn’t want to lose what they had. That he wanted her to know nothing was happening between him and his still-beautiful ex-wife who was sleeping just down the hall in the damn guest room!