by Lyn Cote
“We thought we’d meet out here, dahlings,” Eleanor in her floral-print rayon dress said, smiling. Though Eleanor had lived in Florida for more than thirty years, she still retained a touch of a New York accent.
“Yes, we’re so happy the weather decided to behave for your visit, hon.” Verna Rae, born and raised in Tampa, had a soft southern burr to her voice.
“You look lovely in that shade of pink, Spring. Like a princess.” Eleanor squeezed Spring’s hand in greeting.
“You’re prettier than ever, but we’ve got to help you get your tan started, honey. You’re so pale.” Looking over her half-glasses for reading, a gold chain dangling over both ears, Verna Rae examined Spring from head to toe.
After greeting both the ladies with affectionate kisses, Spring sat down with her back to the club, so she could view the vast green golf course beyond the veranda. “You ladies know I’ve always been pale.”
“When we were girls, we would have killed for such creamy skin like yours, dahling.” Eleanor nodded. “But after the war, everybody started wanting a tan. Now they say skin cancer. Always wear sun-block, and they talk numbers. My granddaughter won’t let her little one out without number thirty. That’s what she tells me the doctor told her. Do you wear number thirty, too?”
Spring smiled. “Yes, otherwise I burn.”
“Well, maybe you ought to lower that number and get a little color, honey. I’ve had a tan for forty years and no skin cancer. I like a healthy glow on a young girl like you.” Against the white cotton duck of her slacks and short-sleeved top, Verna Rae’s skin resembled tanned leather.
Spring would have died before commenting on this, so she just smiled. “I’m sure I’ll pick up some color while I’m here. That Florida sun won’t let me get away untouched.” I’ll get my usual million tiny golden freckles! “Are we all here, then?”
“We have one more member coming—” Eleanor said.
“Yes, we thought we’d like the man’s point of view.” Verna Rae gave a decisive nod of her head.
A man’s point of view? “On what?” Spring asked.
“On the April Garden Show, of course. Didn’t I tell you?” Aunty looked honestly surprised.
But her cat in the cream expression was reflected in the other two ladies’ faces. Spring didn’t like the sound of this. Was this the surprise, then, having her at the garden show meeting? Or was the other shoe about to drop?
“Do you still have one each year?” She didn’t want to organize a garden show! That’s what she did all the time at the Milwaukee Botanical Gardens—plan different types of shows, exhibits, always new ideas to draw in people and contributions to the gardens. I’m on vacation! She felt like fleeing to the nearest exit.
“Oh!” Aunty exclaimed, looking over Spring’s head. “Here’s our last member. Good morning, Dr. Da Palma.”
“Good morning to you, Mrs. Dorfman,” a voice, deep and rich, replied.
Spring instantly recognized that once-familiar voice and froze where she sat. It can’t be.
A tanned hand pulled out the chair beside her and a long, lean man in a light tan suit sat down.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Slowly she lifted her eyes to his face.
It was him. Even though she hadn’t seen him for years, she’d recognize Marco Da Palma’s classically handsome face anywhere. Why are you here, Marco? Their eyes met and shock after shock lapped through her.
“Why…” He stared at her. “Spring Kirkland?”
Nodding like a puppet, she held out her nerveless hand. “Marco, how…how good to see you.”
Aunty beamed at them. “I thought you two had attended university together.”
“Yes, I had the pleasure of taking a few undergraduate classes with your niece, Mrs. Dorfman.” Marco smiled.
In Marco’s presence, Aunty, Eleanor and Verna Rae perked up visibly, while Spring willed herself to remain and look calm. Did her panic show on her face? Meeting him again like this!
“Are you down for your yearly visit?” Marco asked.
Spring gave a little start. How did Marco know she visited Aunt Geneva every February? She hadn’t seen him since graduation. “No…this year I’m here for a longer visit.” Stilling her inner tremors she drew herself up straighter. “My aunt wants my help to move into a retirement home.”
“A retirement home?” Marco studied Aunt Geneva for a moment. “You hadn’t mentioned that to me during your recent checkup.”
Checkup? Spring tried to make sense of this remark.
Aunty fiddled with the many lavish rings on her fingers. “I thought it might be advisable to look into the possibility…at my age, you know.”
Verna Rae and Eleanor both looked away, suddenly vitally interested in a group of retired men at the golf course tee nearest them.
Spring tried to guess what was going on among the three older ladies, but Marco’s presence was playing havoc with her mind.
Marco said, “Don’t forget to come in for your blood-pressure check, Mrs. Dorfman.”
Spring frowned. “I didn’t know you were my aunt’s physician, Marco.”
“I am.” He nodded his head at each of the three older ladies around the table. “I took over most of Dr. Johnson’s practice when he retired two years ago.”
“And we’re so happy you did,” Eleanor crooned. “It’s such a nice thing. To go to someone who we saw grow up right before our eyes. I’d hate to have to tell a stranger all about my ailments.”
“That’s right, hon,” Verna Rae agreed. “Marco has been part of this club since he was a groundskeeper’s assistant in the summers. What were you when you started? Fourteen?”
Marco nodded.
Spring thought it was a stiff nod. Now that Marco was a doctor, did he prefer not to remember the years he spent working at Golden Sands? He’d always struck her as a proud man. She hoped the ladies hadn’t pierced him with their well-intentioned words. Evidently, as a successful Golden Sands scholarship student, he’d been offered a membership after graduation.
She took a deep breath, pushing away all the memories that seeing Marco had evoked. “Perhaps we should get the meeting started? I’m sure Marco is a busy man.”
“Well, so was Jack and you know what happened to him?” Eleanor said in a teasing tone.
“Jack?” Spring couldn’t think what the lady was alluding to.
“The Jack who did all work and no play.” Eleanor waggled a finger at them. “A very dull boy was Jack.”
The meeting went downhill from there—in Spring’s opinion. The day of the garden show had been set for the second Saturday in April. The three ladies brought out the notes kept by last year’s committee.
Beside her, Marco appeared interested—but was it pretense? She felt for him. She didn’t doubt for a moment that he’d been “guilted” into coming. Marco had been one of the many students who’d benefited from Golden Sands scholarships and employment. He was the kind of man to repay debts, even if they included garden club meetings.
She’d frozen into a polite pose and couldn’t even make small talk. The points of the discussion slipped past her. All she was aware of was the clean line of Marco’s profile and the citrus fragrance of his aftershave.
“Spring, dahling,” Eleanor prompted. “Aren’t you feeling well? You haven’t said two words.”
Her already warm face blazed. “I’m sorry. I don’t seem able to concentrate. Maybe it’s the change from winter to summer. I just can’t get my thoughts together.”
Eleanor gave her a knowing wink.
“I think we’ve done enough today,” Verna Rae said smoothly, folding up the file from last year’s event. “We’ll meet again next week. Same time. Same place.”
“I’ll try to attend,” Marco said as he rose. “But I think I will be on call for the hospital that day. If an emergency comes up…” He shrugged, then turned to go.
“Why don’t you walk me and my niece to the door?” Aunt Geneva stood up.
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p; Spring cringed at this ploy. I can get there by myself! But she couldn’t demur. It would be too impolite.
“My pleasure.” Marco helped Spring out of her chair. His hand brushed her bare arm, and she tingled with the contact.
“We are going to drop by that retirement home on Azalea Drive.” Aunty marched toward the entrance, with Marco and Spring on her right.
“I’ve heard good things about that retirement home.” Marco glanced at Spring.
Marco’s nearness tightening her throat, Spring concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.
“Yes, yes. It’s supposed to be lovely.” Aunt Geneva lifted her chin.
At the entrance, Marco waited with them for the valet to bring out the car. When it arrived, Spring tried to get a turn at the wheel herself. Her aunt insisted she knew the way to the retirement home and ended up behind the wheel again. He held back a smile, knowing full well why Spring wanted to drive. Mrs. Dorfman’s Wild West driving was notorious around the club. Spring must have nerves of steel.
Spring Kirkland. More lovely than ever. He began to think over the possibilities. Maybe she would be of some help.
Chapter Two
“Now this is one of our deluxe suites.” The tall elegant man with silver at his temples smiled as he ushered Aunty and Spring through the door.
Spring hung back and let her aunt take the lead. The sitting room stretched in front of them, done in shades of ivory and sea-foam green with touches of polished brass. A sliding glass door at one end overlooked a garden where seniors sat chatting and some playing cards around shaded tables.
Spring turned her gaze back to her aunt. Her nerves still quivered from seeing Marco again.
“Ah,” Aunty murmured as she scanned the room.
“Of course, you can redecorate to your own taste. This is the only one I have to show you now. We keep pretty full.”
Spring frowned. Why had her aunt and friends decided to drag Marco into garden show meetings, of all things? Had they been matchmaking or just trying to liven up the meetings?
Aunty nodded to the man, then walked through another door into the bedroom with its adjoining bath.
A dreadful thought occurred to Spring. Could Marco possibly have thought she’d asked for him to be included on the committee for her sake? She cringed inside.
The gentleman followed Aunt Geneva, pointing out the bed that adjusted like a hospital bed for comfort, then pointed to grip bars added for safety in the bath.
Spring brushed aside her preoccupation with Marco and what he thought of the meeting, or of seeing her again. What could she do about it now? She’d just have to make certain she remained outwardly composed. Marco had shown nothing but politeness at seeing her again. She would follow his lead, no matter how his presence affected her.
The gentleman trailed Aunty back out into the sitting room again. “Do you have any more questions?”
“No, I went over your literature before, at home.”
Forcing her mind back to the present, Spring tried to gauge her aunt’s reaction to the retirement suite, but Aunty was giving no clear indication of what she was thinking. Aunty said the right things and looked like a prospective tenant, but…
The gentleman cleared his throat. “I don’t want to seem forward, but we don’t have vacancies very often. If you’re interested, let us know as soon as you make a decision. I have two more couples looking at this suite today.”
Aunty nodded. “I will. Thank you for your time.” The tour came to its natural end, and Spring walked beside Aunt Geneva to the front, where Aunty had parked her car in the shade of a live oak.
Wondering why the tour had struck her as not quite right, Spring asked again to take the driver’s seat.
“You still don’t like my driving, do you,” Aunty replied with a wry smile.
“Let’s say, I’m not quite as adventurous at the wheel as you are. Besides, I enjoy driving a cabin cruiser through town.”
Chuckling at this familiar answer, Aunt Geneva sighed as she eased into the passenger seat. She handed over the key. “You’re a good girl, Spring.”
“You’re a good aunt.” Spring looked over and glimpsed a strange expression on her aunt’s face. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Of course, I am. That doesn’t mean I don’t have aches and pains. You can’t live to almost ninety without those. More’s the pity.”
Spring felt guilty. She’d been so busy thinking about Mother and about Marco that she’d been ignoring her great-aunt’s dilemma. The prospect of leaving her home of more than thirty years must be painful. “Why are you thinking of moving into a retirement community or residence? Do you feel the house is too much for you to handle now?”
Aunty avoided her gaze. “I don’t know. I just thought I should look around and see what is available. You’re the closest thing I have to a daughter. I don’t have any family here in Florida and I’ve seen other retirees wait too long to make a graceful move to a retirement community. I’m trying to decide if now is the right time for me to move or should I wait.”
“I see.” Spring had disappointed her aunt by not settling in the Sunshine State after college. It had been a difficult decision to make, since Aunt Geneva had paid for Spring’s childhood operations to correct a clubfoot, then later for college—even the money to pledge a sorority.
But at graduation, she’d gotten an offer from the prestigious Milwaukee Botanical Gardens while her sister, Doree, had still been a school girl at home in Milwaukee. After being away for four years, Spring had wanted to spend time with Doree before she left their parents’ nest.
“Why don’t we stop at Joan’s and see if she has anything that will catch your eye?” Aunty suggested.
Spring wanted to decline. She had more than enough clothing in her closet at home, but Aunty loved to take her shopping. Buying beautiful outfits for Spring had constituted one of Aunt Geneva’s greatest pleasures since Spring was six.
Her asthma had been bad that winter, and her parents had sent her to Aunt Geneva’s house for a winter of sun and convalescence. Having no children of her own to spoil, Aunt Geneva had showered Spring with gifts and was still delighted to do so.
Spring grinned. “Sounds like fun to me.”
Aunty’s face broke into a broad smile. “Wonderful!”
Soon Spring parked in front of a trendy strip mall in an exclusive section of town. As they strolled into the boutique, Joan, the owner, greeted them. “My two favorite customers! You’re here for a long visit, Spring?”
Shopping with Aunty always summoned up childhood memories of the lovely clothes Aunty had sent to Spring so generously. In turn, Hannah had accepted the hand-me-downs without complaint. But of course Doree had flatly refused to touch them! If Doree were here now, she’d certainly be angry that Spring hadn’t immediately broached the subject of their mother’s biological family. But the right time just hadn’t presented itself.
Before long, Spring walked out of the dressing room in a rose silk sheath. Aunty sat in a split-bamboo chair near the three-way mirror. With her back to it, Spring posed gracefully. “What do you think, Aunty?”
Aunt Geneva studied her. “Turn.”
Spring obeyed in a practiced motion.
“What do you think?” Aunty asked her.
I wish I didn’t have a mission to carry out. I wish I could just relax and enjoy myself. But Spring, centered in front of the mirror, examined herself critically from all angles. “It fits well.”
“Do you like it?” Aunty asked.
“Not enough to buy it.” Spring had been so certain that she’d heard the name Connie Wilson from her aunt’s lips. But maybe she was wrong. She’d only been about twelve when she’d come upon that photograph of Aunt Geneva, her only sister, Gloria, and their childhood friend. Had the friend’s name really been Connie Wilson?
The process continued. Spring finally tried on a three-piece peach linen ensemble. In front of the mirror, she announced, “I can’t resist.�
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“Your gold herringbone chains and bracelet would be just the thing for it,” Aunty agreed with a dazzling smile.
Spring nodded and Joan beamed in satisfaction. Spring walked out with the outfit carefully folded in gold tissue paper and tucked into a long gold-and-white box, tied with gold curling ribbon.
“That’s just the kind of outfit you need for that University of Florida alumni cruise.” Without argument this time, Aunty eased herself into the passenger seat.
Spring wondered if the morning had tired Aunty. “I had that in mind when I selected it. It’s going to be fun, seeing all my college friends again.” Would Marco be going, too? Where had that thought come from?
“I wonder if Dr. Da Palma will be going on the cruise, too.”
“I don’t know.” Having Aunty put her thoughts into words shook Spring. She was going to have to be very careful around Aunty and her friends. Why did older women take it as their duty to try to match everyone into pairs?
“You’ll have to ask him at the next meeting. A cruise is just what he needs. He’s an excellent doctor, but he doesn’t seem to have any life apart from his practice. He should be looking for a wife.”
Spring acted as though this didn’t matter to her at all. “That’s just like him. I mean, that was how he was in college.” And she’d had to accept it then.
Evidently he hadn’t changed.
“Marco, you’re not paying attention.” His petite mother nudged him. “Are you done eating?”
From his seat at the round table in the dinette just off the kitchen, he glanced up. “Sorry, Mama. Just a long day.” He could hardly admit to himself that he’d been remembering how elegant Spring Kirkland had looked at the garden show meeting.
“Well, I’m glad you stopped here for dinner or you’d probably have skipped another meal.”
“Believe me, when I get hungry, I eat.” Marco finished the last bit of the spicy casserole. He wiped his mouth with his paper napkin and pushed his plate and silverware aside. “Okay, Paloma, get out that calculus and we’ll get it done.”
