Lily Fields (Garden of Love 1)

by Melanie Wilber

  Lily saw Josie swallow hard. She looked like she might cry. Mark gave her an apologetic glance and followed her out of the room with his hand gently guiding her toward the stairs.

  Lily heard him whisper, “Don’t worry. Once they get to know you, everything will be all right.”

  Mark reached back to take Tommy’s hand, and Lily followed numbly behind. The way Mark’s mother had looked at Josie made her angry. She felt determined to support her in any way she could throughout the evening and suddenly had the feeling this could be a long weekend.

  Lily had placed her foot on the first step when she heard a low voice say her name. Turning back toward the foyer, she saw Peter coming toward her. He smiled and her heart began beating strangely. She tried to think about Devin. To keep her thoughts fixed on how much she liked him and how well things were going between them, but Peter’s soft-spoken voice and piercing green eyes had the same affect on her as the night of the concert.

  “I heard you were going to be here,” he said, leaning against the wood railing and not taking his eyes from her for a second. “How are you, Lily?”

  “Good,” she said, managing a wobbly smile and swallowing hard. “How are you?”

  “Great,” he said, his smile widening. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  “J-Josie invited me, and I thought this would be a nice way to spend Spring Break,” she replied, wanting to turn around and go find her room. But she couldn’t move.

  He took a step closer and gently touched her arm. Standing on the first step made her more even with his height, but she still had to look up.

  “Maybe we can go for a walk or something later. I’d like to hear about why you’re here instead of in Kenya.”

  “Okay,” she replied, desperately wanting to put some distance between them, but there was no place for her to go.

  “Here, let me carry those for you,” he said, reaching for her suitcase and removing her overnight bag from her shoulder before she could protest. “I think Mom has you in the room next to mine.”

  Turning to proceed up the stairs, she heard Peter follow her and waited for him to lead the way once they reached the landing. He placed his free hand on the small of her back, like Mark had done with Josie, and guided her to the room at the end of the hall.

  She could hear Mark talking before they reached the doorway.

  “You don’t need to get the cot, Mom. Josie and Lily can be in here and Tommy can sleep with me across the hall. There’s a double bed in there and no room for a cot in here anyway.”

  “Suit yourself,” his mother replied, retreating from the room and stepping past her and Peter as if they weren’t there. Lily saw Josie standing beside the bed, appearing as though she could burst into tears at any moment. Lily knew she would stay strong for Tommy’s sake. He had no idea his mommy was being shunned because of him.

  Forgetting about her silly concerns about Peter, Lily stepped into the room and grabbed Tommy’s hand. “Come here, sweetie,” she said. “Let’s go look at those fish I saw downstairs while Mommy gets your things unpacked, okay?”

  He came with her without hesitation. Lily glanced at Josie and saw the tears starting to drip onto her cheeks. Peter set her bags in the room and without missing a beat followed her out of the room. Lily heard Mark murmur an apology to Josie and cries escaping her throat as Peter closed the door behind them.

  Feeling numb and not believing this was happening to her friend, Lily guided Tommy down the stairs and returned to the front room to look at the large fish tank she had spotted in the corner earlier. Neither she nor Peter said anything, although Peter remained by her side. She didn’t dare look at him, knowing she could start crying herself.

  “Let’s go for a drive,” Peter suggested after a few minutes. “Do you like ice cream, Tommy?”

  Tommy grinned and nodded.

  “Come on then,” Peter said, leading the way to the front door. “It’s not too far. Maybe the pet shop is still open. It’s on the way.”

  They climbed into Peter’s truck parked in the driveway and drove down the hill toward the main area of town they had driven through less than twenty minutes ago. Lily wondered how Josie was doing. She knew Mark was with her and trusted him to soften the blow she had received from his mother, but she wondered why she had responded in such a prejudice fashion.

  Hadn’t Mark told them Josie had a son? She couldn’t imagine him not doing so, but everything pointed to that, unless his mother knew but wasn’t expecting them to bring him along.

  “I apologize for my mother,” Peter said, apparently noticing her disturbed mood. “She always finds something to disapprove of whenever her boys bring a new girl home. She’ll be more welcoming tomorrow when she gets used to the idea.”

  Lily took some comfort in that fact and hoped Josie could do the same. Now she was glad she had come, even if it meant having to face Peter. Knowing how sensitive Josie could be, she supposed more tears would be falling throughout the weekend and hoped the hours passed quickly for her friend’s sake. She prayed for the right words to encourage Josie during the next two days.

  The pet store had already closed, and Peter told Tommy they could come back sometime tomorrow. Driving to the ice cream shop about a block away, Peter helped Tommy out of the truck and Lily followed the two of them inside.

  Peter told Tommy he could get whatever he wanted, and Lily found herself smiling. There was something special about watching a man who had a natural way with children. It reminded her of Devin and how great he was with a room full of second-graders.

  They sat in the mostly deserted shop and ate their ice cream together. Peter kept glancing at her and smiling. She didn’t know when, but she knew at some point she was going to have to tell him about Devin. There was no doubt in her mind that Peter had high hopes for something between them once again. But now wasn’t the right time. Maybe tomorrow she could find some time alone with him.

  They returned to the house and saw Josie and Mark sitting in the front parlor. Josie appeared to be doing better than when they had left, but Lily saw she wasn’t quite herself. She couldn’t blame her.

  Josie covered well for Tommy’s sake, however, asking him where they had gone and what kind of ice cream he’d had. She asked him to thank Peter for taking him, and he did. Lily also noticed Mark making more of an effort to talk to Tommy than usual. Knowing that was one of Josie’s concerns about her and Mark’s relationship, she silently wondered if this could all turn into a blessing after all. If it drew Mark and Tommy closer, she knew Josie would say the difficult moments when they had arrived would be worth it.

  The five of them remained in the front room until it was time for bed. Tommy sat quietly coloring some pictures while the rest of them talked and found some topics to laugh about together, mostly related to Mark and Peter’s growing up years. Josie and Mark went upstairs to get Tommy settled and turn in themselves. Lily wanted to give them some time alone in case Josie wanted to talk to Mark some more before they said good night.

  Peter seemed more than happy she decided not to go upstairs yet. Lily wondered if she should tell Peter about Devin now or wait until tomorrow. She didn’t feel comfortable saying anything because they could possibly be overheard by his parents who were in the other room watching television. And she didn’t want to stay down here too long without going to check on Josie. She decided tomorrow would be better.

  Rising from the Queen Anne style chair in the corner of the room, Peter closed the distance between them. She thought he was going to sit down beside her on the small sofa, but he didn’t.

  “Want to go for a walk with me?”

  She gazed up at his tall frame and inviting face. “Now?”

  “Sure,” he smiled. “It’s a perfect night.”

  “I don’t have my jacket.”

  “You won’t need it,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I’ll keep you warm.”

  “Peter--”

  “Did Mark go upstairs?” his moth
er interrupted them, entering the room before Lily could express her thoughts.

  “Yes,” Peter replied. “They all went to bed.”

  “Oh, all right,” his mother replied, still appearing less than happy about her guests, or at least one in particular. “Dad brought the cot up from the basement. I thought they still might want to use it.”

  “Tommy’s going to sleep with Mark. Don’t worry about it, Mom. They’ll be fine.”

  “Are you going to bed soon?”

  “Lily and I were about to go for a walk.”

  “Oh,” she replied, looking her direction and smiling. “I’ll give you a kiss good-night now then. We’re turning in in a few minutes.”

  She stepped toward Peter and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He hugged her in return and told her good night. “Have a nice walk,” she said more sweetly than Lily had heard her speak all evening. “Be sure and lock the door when you come back.”

  She slipped from the room, leaving Lily feeling dazed. Peter pulled her to her feet and was heading for the door with her hand firmly in his before she remembered she didn’t want to do this. She started to tell Peter she couldn’t go for a walk with him, that she wanted to go check on Josie, but his mother returned to the room, stepping past them to get something out of the magazine rack by the sofa where she had been sitting.

  Not wanting to draw any attention to herself, she had no choice but to go with Peter out the front door. The air felt cooler than when they had been out earlier, and she definitely knew she needed a jacket.

  “Peter!” she whispered, pulling down the sleeves of her yellow turtleneck. “It’s freezing out here!”

  He kept walking and motioned for her to come along anyway. “I have a jacket in my truck you can wear.”

  She followed him, feeling powerless to do otherwise. He retrieved the dark blue jacket from his truck and held it out for her. She slipped her arms into the coat that looked like it could fit two of her inside of it. But it was definitely warm, so she didn’t complain.

  She decided she was going to have to tell him about Devin now, before she let this go any further. There was no doubt in her mind that he planned to declare his feelings for her once again. He was acting exactly the same way he had at the concert and that day he had come to see her.

  With an adorable grin on his face, he grabbed her fingers gently and started to lead them toward the street.

  “Peter,” she said, pulling her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go. “I need to tell you something.”

  He stopped, but his smile only widened. “And I have something to tell you.”

  She stared at him, unable to find the words that had been on the tip of her tongue. Peter’s intense gaze sent her thoughts into chaos. What was I going to say?

  “What do you want to tell me?” he said, stepping closer and brushing some loose strands of hair away from her face.

  “I-I need to tell you that--that,” she swallowed hard, honestly not remembering what she was going to say. His eyes seemed to be looking straight into her soul.

  “That you haven’t been able to stop thinking about me, like I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you?” he prompted her, combing her hair with his fingers.

  She felt her heart pounding in her chest. No! Yes! I don’t know! “Peter--”

  “Lily,” he echoed, drawing her close and kissing her with a gentle passion. Everything inside of her was saying she shouldn’t allow him to do such a thing. Everything except her heart that had always enjoyed his presence and felt drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain.

  “My heart has been aching for you for the last three months, Lily. I wanted to kiss you as soon as I saw you today, but I waited to see if you would still look at me the way you did the night of the concert.”

  “Have I?” she whispered, already knowing the answer but not wanting to admit it to him or herself.

  “Oh, yes,” he replied, kissing her again with his smiling lips. “You definitely have.”

  She didn’t want to, but placing her hand firmly on his chest, she pushed herself away and stepped out of his embrace.

  “Peter, wait,” she said, continuing to walk backwards until she was a good five feet away from him.

  “Stay there,” she warned when he started to come toward her. “I have to tell you something, and I have to tell you with you over there and me over here. When you get too close to me, I can’t think straight.”

  An amused expression crossed his face. “I can’t think straight when I get too close to you either.”

  She sighed and collected her thoughts, feeling determined to spit this out one way or the other. She had already waited too long.

  “I decided not to marry Marty. You’ve obviously already figured that out. But during the last few weeks I’ve been seeing someone else. I admit that I was attracted to you back in December and that I’ve thought about you a lot since then, but you’re down here, and Devin is up there, and for now I am with him. I’m sorry I let you kiss me like that, but I honestly didn’t expect--”

  He had been taking slow steps toward her during her last two sentences, and she had taken two more steps back herself but had hit the garage door. He kept walking, coming to rest his hand beside her shoulder.

  “You were saying?”

  “I-I was saying th-that I--”

  His mouth twitched into a slow smile.

  “That I--”

  “That you can’t think straight when I’m standing this close?”

  She wanted to lower her eyes and walk away, but she couldn’t.

  “I’m in love with you, Lily,” he said, not seeming the least bit fazed by everything she had been spouting off to him. “When you’re ready to admit you feel the same way about me, let me know.”

  He stepped away, walking toward the street. She watched him disappear behind some blooming azalea bushes along the sidewalk. Her heart was pounding. Part of her wanted to run after him and part of her knew she should stay right where she was.

  She stood there for at least ten minutes, wondering if he would come back, and wondering what she would do if he did. I’m seeing Devin. He kissed me last night and today before I left, and it was great. How can I even be thinking about Peter? Why did I let him kiss me like that?

  When Peter didn’t return, she turned back toward the front door and ascended the stairs, stepping inside the warm house with Peter’s jacket still hanging on her like an open parachute. Not wanting to take it back out to his truck, and not seeing a coat rack or anything by the door to hang it on, she left it on and went upstairs.

  Stepping quietly into the room, she walked to the edge of the twin bed that Josie had claimed. Josie had left a dim lamp in the corner on for her but appeared to be asleep.

  “Josie?” she whispered anyway.

  Rolling over, Josie opened her eyes. “I’m awake,” she said, appearing as though she may have been crying within the last few minutes, but her expression turned to one of concern. “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “I need to talk to you.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Lily began to cry before Josie had a chance to sit up fully. Pulling her into an embrace, Josie held her close and patted her back.

  “What’s wrong, Lily? What happened?”

  Lily reached for a tissue on the table between the two twin beds and dried her eyes. She didn’t know how to explain what had happened or how she felt about it. All she knew was that she was more confused than she had ever been in her life, and she felt awful for letting Peter kiss her when she had Devin back in Portland waiting anxiously for her return.

  “I don’t know what happened,” she replied, trying to remember the exact order of how she had gone from deciding to tell Peter about Devin to leaning against the garage door hoping he would keep her out there, kissing her all night long.

  “Peter asked me to go for a walk, and then his mom came into the room. I ended up going outside with him. I was going to tell him about Devin,
and then...I don’t know. I don’t know why I acted like that.”

  Josie stared at her, obviously not understanding. “Acted like what?”

  “He kissed me, Josie! He kissed me, and I liked it. I didn’t want him to stop!”

  Josie’s brown eyes grew large and her mouth gaped open. “He kissed you? Peter? On the lips?”

  She rose from the bed, holding her head in her hands. Throwing her hands out in exasperation, she whirled around to face Josie once again. “What am I going to do? I have never had two guys interested in me at once! I haven’t even had one most of the time! How can this be happening to me?”

  She could see Josie trying to hide a smile, but her friend couldn’t hold back. Her face dropped to her knees that were tucked into her chest, and she started laughing. Laughing until she had tears springing from her eyelids.

  “Josie! How can you be laughing at a time like this?” she replied, unable to keep from catching Josie’s contagious smile.

  “I’m sorry,” Josie said, trying to stop. “With the day I’ve had, I really needed this.”

  She laughed again and Lily joined her, sinking onto her own bed and flopping onto her back.

  “I guess this trip isn’t turning out like either of us expected.”

  They heard a soft knock on their door, and they both went silent. Lily wondered if it was Peter and shot a glance Josie’s way. Josie got out of bed and went to the door, opening it a crack.

  “What’s going on in here?” Lily heard a voice whisper.

  Josie opened the door a little more and laughed again. “Nothing,” she whispered, waving Mark away. “Go back to bed.”

  “Okay,” he replied. “But if I have to separate you two--”

  Josie burst out laughing again and covered her mouth to muffle the sound. “If you do, Lily can go sleep in--”

  “Josie!” Lily said, jumping from the bed and closing the door in Mark’s face. She opened it slightly to apologize and then closed it again, flashing Josie a look between disbelief and amusement. They both started laughing again.