Among the Tulips

by Cheryl Wolverton

  She had grown to care more than just a little for this man. If she were honest, she would admit she could even find hope again of not being alone the rest of her life, of having someone to share it with. She could admit that love was in her heart for Victor Rivers.

  Before she could say anything, however, Victor suddenly groaned and released her. Annie still leaned across Victor’s lap, staring up at him in utter wonder.

  She touched her lips and simply blinked.

  “You were kissing Sean.”

  “What!”

  Shocked at his abrupt words, she struggled to sit up.

  Though Victor looked angry, his hands were gentle as they helped her back across to her own seat.

  “You heard me,” he said shortly.

  “I wasn’t!” she argued, abruptly pulled out of the haze Victor had managed to weave in her mind.

  Victor’s eyes narrowed. “I saw you.”

  “No, you didn’t,” Annie argued and started to get angry. “You saw him kissing me.”

  He shook his head. “After the way you looked at him the day he arrived? I heard what he said to you. He’s been infatuated since day one. He even told me he was going to chase you.”

  “He what?” Flabbergasted, she simply stared at him.

  “When he first arrived. He said he was interested. And you haven’t rebuked his advances. And then tonight you left with him and went to the limo, willingly going into his arms.”

  “I did not. Victor, what is the matter with you!” This was not the man she’d come to love, was it?

  Victor fell back in his seat. He lifted his hands to his head and ran them into his hair. “Sean is driving me crazy chasing you as he has been.”

  She shook her head. “He’s not chasing me.”

  “What would you call it?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You wanted him to come back with us in the limo.”

  “No,” she said, working hard to keep her voice calm. “I just thought since he rode with us, it was impolite to leave him standing on the sidewalk.”

  “He lives here, remember?”

  “No, Victor, I don’t remember. I had no idea he lived in London.”

  He sighed. He looked absolutely miserable.

  She wasn’t sure what to say. Slowly, she began, “He told me you had asked him to escort me to the limo.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “I don’t know, Victor. Because you are good friends.”

  “Why would he lie to you?”

  She shrugged. “He’s been acting oddly all week. The reason I didn’t rebuke him at your house, Victor, is that I’m not used to being around people like you. I wasn’t sure if what he was doing was considered normal banter. You never said anything about it.”

  “I’m not your boss. If you want to flirt with him or allow him to flirt with you, it’s not my say.”

  Annie was hurt. “He only flirts when you’re around. The rest of the time he’s a perfect gentleman, except for tonight.”

  “Sean’s not that way. You obviously wanted more from him than you’re admitting.”

  Annie’s eyes suddenly widened. “You’re jealous.”

  He glanced up. “No. I’m not. I don’t believe in long-term relationships. I’m the type that believes in enjoying what you have, and when the other person is done having fun, you split.”

  Annie gasped.

  His words caused her physical pain.

  “So, that’s all this friendship has been to you?”

  He shrugged. “I admit it’s been fun, but if you want him…”

  “I keep telling you, I don’t!” She couldn’t believe she said that. Before she’d met Victor, the idea of ever kissing someone as handsome and well-known as Sean Hampton had been a dream as it was for every woman in America, and England as well, most likely the world. But since she’d met Victor, Sean had paled in comparison.

  Victor obviously read her thoughts in her gaze, because he actually looked upset.

  “You can’t see past your jealousy,” Annie said simply.

  “Please,” he said and waved a hand.

  “I’m right. That’s what Sean meant tonight.”

  “What?”

  She shook her head. “You’re unwilling to listen.”

  The limo pulled up to the hotel. Victor got out. “The plane is waiting to take us back to Holland. I won’t be on it tonight, however. Make yourself at home when you return.”

  He closed the door.

  She gasped again. What was that all about? Before she could get out and confront him, the limo pulled away from the curb. She fell back against the seat, aghast.

  Victor had dumped her—in England—alone.

  The man she’d come to love had simply stepped out of the limo and sent her on her way to the airport. Annie burst into tears. Good heavens. She cried all the way to the airport.

  At the airport the driver pulled around to a private entrance. She didn’t even have her clothes from the hotel. What was she going to do about them?

  They sat there for at least fifteen minutes before the driver got out. He came around and opened the door.

  She stepped out—and came face-to-face with Sean Hampton.

  She didn’t think, only reacted. With every bit of anger and pain in her, she reared back and slapped the fire out of him.

  Sean actually staggered.

  “Whoa!” he said, grabbing his cheek.

  She started toward him and he grabbed her hands. “Calm down, sweetheart—”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  “No really. Where is Victor? I came to apologize. He left so fast—”

  “He left me.”

  She started sobbing again.

  “What?” He said a very British curse and then looked back at her. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. I was going to give him some time to come to grips—”

  “I don’t want to hear it.”

  Her shoulders drooped and she started crying again. “Uh, Annie. We need to get you on the plane. The paparazzi are coming.”

  “I don’t care,” she said miserably.

  “Well I do, and Victor will, eventually.” He slipped an arm around her and picked her up.

  “What are you doing? Keep your hands off me.”

  “My lands, woman, will you calm down? I’m only trying to help you,” he said sternly.

  “Just like when you kissed me?”

  “That was fun,” he said cheekily and then immediately backpedaled when she started to struggle. “I’m sorry. No. That was a mistake. I hadn’t realized just how deep…oh for crying out loud. Stop struggling!”

  When she continued to struggle he squeezed her tightly against him. “You’re not a size three, you know. I might actually drop you!”

  She gasped.

  He reddened. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded. Please, Miss Hooper. Let me explain.”

  They arrived at the plane, and he lowered her to her feet.

  Looking up she saw nowhere to go but up, so she simply started climbing the stairs. Which was really difficult in a full-length gown.

  “I’m only helping,” Sean warned as he reached around her and helped gather some of the dress into his hands.

  “Thank you,” she said stiffly, wishing she could slam the door in his face when she finally made it onto the plane.

  He released her dress.

  She glanced back, hoping to see that Victor was somehow there. He wasn’t however.

  She stepped inside the plane. Going to a seat she collapsed down into it.

  Sean showed up shortly and offered her brandy.

  “I don’t drink.”

  “Ah. That’s right. Sorry.” Going back to the refrigerator, he looked in and brought back a bottle of water. “Here, sweetheart. Drink this.”

  “Don’t call me sweetheart,” she muttered and accepted the water.

  Sean seated himself across the aisle from her. “Buckle up, love,” he said softly. �
�We’re about to take off.”

  She gave up arguing with him. Listlessly she pulled the seat belt around her waist and snapped it.

  He snapped his own seat belt.

  In seconds they felt the plane taxi to take off.

  She closed her eyes and laid her head back. Absently she realized most of her hair had come out of the pins and was loose around her face.

  She reached up and touched it.

  “I see you and Victor had a…talk.”

  Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

  “I’m so sorry, love,” he said low. “I really didn’t mean for this to happen.” He reached across to her hand and pressed his hankie into her hand.

  The plane lifted into the air. She held her breath until they leveled off and then she opened her eyes.

  “Tell me, Sean. If you didn’t mean for this to happen then why did you kiss me?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sean sighed. He looked more serious than she’d ever seen him. “It was because he was lying to himself.”

  Annie only blinked.

  Sean thought about how to explain this. He knew so much about his friend, Jake, but… “You realize Victor is in love with you?”

  Fresh tears spilled over Annie’s cheeks.

  What a sticky wicket, Sean thought, frustrated.

  “You purposely tried to ruin that?” The words came out strained, through a tight throat. Sean took the hankie and dabbed at her face.

  She shook her head no, but then accepted the hankie as he slipped it back into her hand.

  “I called, planning to come up a few weeks ago, the day after you’d been in the accident. Something about Victor’s attitude sounded strange.

  “I stayed away for a few days but decided to come on up. Jake and I go way back to the beginning when I was young in the business. We’ve been in half a dozen movies together. We’re close.”

  “What does this have to do—”

  Sean clasped his hands in front of him. “Let me explain, please, Annie.”

  She nodded and wiped at her eyes.

  “He was running from God. I’m not so religious, you understand, but Victor, he is. Only someone who really believes in God could be so angry at God.”

  “Is that so?” Annie asked quietly, studying Sean now.

  How did she do that? Victor said she’d been looking into his soul the entire time she was there. He shifted uncomfortably. “We’re not talking about me, sweetheart. Anyway, he tried a few churches but just couldn’t reconcile what happened with his family and his anger at church. He lived wild, which was fine with me at the time because I was a bit of a wild buck too. Eventually, however, it started affecting his work. I felt it my responsibility to take him under my wing. I was the more experienced. And it’s been that way ever since. We’re friends, but I tend to play big brother to him, even though he’s older than I am.

  “I noticed about a year and a half ago a change in him. He started spending more time in Holland—that’s where he goes to escape the world. His painting became dark and his poetry searching.

  “When I showed up and saw you pray at the meal, I realized then what was different. He’d found the counter to his parents. You weren’t bitter and angry.

  “His parents were something else,” Sean said and cast a disgusted glance her way. “I’ve met them a couple of times and they are not happy people. You, instead, glowed whenever you talked about God, and when you took us to that little church…”

  She sniffed. “I’m sorry for how they treated you.”

  He shook his head. “People get used to it after a while and you find out who are and are not your real friends. Jake knows I’m his real friend. He’ll get over this with me.”

  At her frown he held up a hand. “Anyway, that afternoon when we were talking, Victor said he didn’t date girls like you, he’d sworn off good girls because he didn’t believe in forever after.”

  She nodded. “He told me that in the limo,” she whispered painfully.

  Sean actually hurt for her. He had blown it big-time. He hadn’t thought his friend would actually stay behind in London and send the woman he loved back to Holland alone. He had planned for them to be on the plane, not him. He hadn’t planned to go back to Holland for a few days, to give them time to work out their feelings.

  Boy, had he messed things up. “He may say that, but with you, love, he doesn’t mean it.” He reached out and took her hand trying to comfort her.

  Amazingly enough, she didn’t attack him, but gripped his hand in return. She had to be really hurting to do that, he thought, ashamed.

  “One thing is certain, I knew my silly games could make Jake jealous. I was hoping I could prod him into admitting his feelings for you and then you two could go from there. I really thought he’d declare himself, but when he hadn’t tonight, well, I wanted him to realize he couldn’t lose you, that he couldn’t go on without you.”

  “By kissing me?”

  Sean shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” He flushed a bit.

  Annie sighed and released her hand. She wrapped her arms around herself, huddling down and withdrawing from the world around her.

  Sean got up and moved into the seat next to her. Carefully, he placed an arm around her. She didn’t fight, so he pulled her closer, but not with any ill intentions this time.

  “I am so sorry, Annie. I was a cad, to say the least. I guess there is still something cynical in me that says there really isn’t a woman like you out there.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, but didn’t change her position. She was still stiff and huddled down into herself.

  “I mean a woman who believes in love and happily ever after. All of the women I know have Jake’s opinion.”

  She loosened up a bit. “You don’t, do you?”

  He sighed. After what he’d caused, he should be honest with her. “I guess I’m really a romantic at heart. I hope that one day, out there, maybe there will be a woman for me who will love me for who I am, not what I am.”

  Slowly, she nodded.

  “I thought I’d found that with Victor,” she whispered and fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.

  He gently pulled until she came over into his arms. She was so trusting and forgiving. How could he ever have doubted that she was a good person and really cared for his friend?

  “Shush, sweetheart,” he said and rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I’ll find a way to fix this. The point I was making is that I was trying to get Victor to realize he cared and at least make some sort of move on you to return your love.”

  “Well he did that…for all of about two minutes. Then your name came up. I think he was only kissing me because you kissed me.”

  Sean considered that. “Maybe, darling, but think about this. It may have started out that way, but Victor never does anything he doesn’t want to do. It’ll only take him a few days to realize what an idiot he’s been, he may have already discovered his mistake, and then he’ll come after you.”

  She shook her head against his chest. “It’s too late.”

  “How can you say that?” he asked, trying to convince her otherwise. “I’m telling you, he’s in love with you. He saw hope in you. The other night after church we spoke while you were in bed. He actually admitted there might be something to Christianity after all. I laughed. I mean, well, that sounded so funny coming from him since he’s been running so long, but then…”

  He paused. “He has to come to terms with that before he can go on. And he’ll be forced to come to terms with that now because his honor won’t let him come to you until he does.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Sean rested his chin on top of her head. He could feel her shudders as she tried to get her tears under control. “He thinks of you as a ‘good girl.’ He wouldn’t make a move on you because of that. He has now done that and that experience won’t leave him. Eventually, he’s going to realize how he feels about you as he goes over what ha
ppened in his mind and why he was so upset over the kiss he saw.”

  She stiffened slightly.

  “He’ll have to face that you love God. He always told me someone who loved God had to have God first in their life. He knows God is first in your life. If he can’t come to terms with that then he won’t be able to come to you.”

  “But you don’t understand, Sean,” Annie said and leaned back to look up into his eyes. “He can’t come to God because of me. He has to change in his heart because he wants to, regardless of me.”

  “But why?” Sean asked, not understanding and already having heard this once from Annie.

  She sighed. “Christianity is a relationship with someone. Could you start up a relationship with me and sustain it just because Victor dumped me?”

  Sean shook his head. “Of course not. Guilt would probably tear us apart within the first month.”

  “It’s the same with God. If he decides to go to church simply because I’m a Christian then he’s doing it because of me, not because of God, just like you’d be dating me because of guilt from what happened with Victor not because you were attracted to me.”

  Sean was surprised. He’d never thought about Christianity that way. “I’ve always considered Christianity a church thing.”

  She shook her head. “It’s an intimate relationship with another person that requires communication and a willingness to obey and give.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sean said simply. “But we’re getting off the subject. What I am saying is that Victor will have to face his problems now. I expected him to do that with you. He’s chosen solitude which I should have realized he’d do. And for that I apologize, but please, Annie, give him time. Give him a chance to sort through his feelings.”

  She sighed. Finally, she moved to sit up straight. He released her.

  “You really care about him, don’t you, Sean?”

  He met her eyes. “I do.”

  “And you really thought you were doing right.”

  He nodded. “I can’t apologize enough for the outcome.”

  “I understand now what you meant about doing your job. You were hoping to trigger something in Victor.”