“That young fella’s got a good head on his shoulders, and even this old set of eyes can tell he thinks the world of you. He’s the sort I would’ve picked for you if I was pickin’.”
Without thinking about it, Mina leaned forward and hugged her father. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome.” He patted her back in an awkward manner. “You haven’t called me that since you were five.” He stepped away and turned toward the driveway. “Well, I guess I’d best be gettin’ home.” His voice sounded gruff. “Thanks for having me, folks,” he called to Sam’s parents.
Both of them rose immediately and came over, Lilith giving him a brief hug and Mr. Miller another handshake. “Please come back soon,” Lilith invited. “And bring your wife. We’d love to have you both.”
“We’ll see,” was all her father said.
It took him several minutes to get settled in the truck. Mina closed the door for him, leaning on the edge of the window opening. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you?”
“Naw. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for that later on. You stay here and enjoy your beau. Besides, as old as I am, I think I still drive faster than you.” A smile touched his lips at the thought.
Sam came to stand next to her. “It was nice to meet you, sir.” He proffered his hand again.
“You too.” Her father returned Sam’s handshake. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again.” With that, he backed out of the driveway.
Mina watched until the taillights of the ancient truck were out of sight. “Think he’ll be okay?” She looked up as Sam slid his arm around her shoulders. He nodded as they turned and walked back toward the gathering.
“Hey, Sam.” Emma came running up to them. “Thanks for the sandals.” Now in jeans, she tugged up a pants leg and stuck out a foot to model for Sam. “I was going to write you to say thanks, but now I don’t have to.” Emma hesitated. “But I can write you anyway, if you want.” She folded and unfolded her gangly thirteen-year-old arms.
“Sure. I’d like that.”
She beamed and nodded. “Okay then. I will.”
“Hey, Em, c’mon, we’re making s’mores,” Sarah called from near the fire.
Mina could see she was torn between standing here talking to Sam and her favorite treat.
“See ya later,” Emma said after a minute, loping off.
“Uh oh. I think I might have some competition.” Mina laughed. “She loves the sandals though, thanks for sending them. I can already tell she’s going to wear them day and night.”
Sam shrugged. “No problem.”
Mina shivered in the thin sundress without the fire to keep her warm. The air had gotten cooler now that it was full dark.
“Cold?”
“A little.” Mina rubbed her arms. “I should change into something warmer. I’ll be right back.” She headed toward the house. Half way through the door, she realized Sam was right behind her. “This will take just a minute.”
“This won’t.” In the darkness of the living room, Sam pulled her close. “I’ve missed you so much.” His lips brushed hers. “Some days I thought I’d go nuts if I didn’t see you soon,” he whispered, his voice husky as he trailed kisses down her throat and then back to her mouth. Holding her face in his large hands, he grazed her forehead, her cheeks, and the tip of her nose with light kisses, as if to commit her face to memory with his lips, the way a blind man would use his fingers. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered, her arms going around his waist of their own volition in her body’s innate yearning to get closer to him.
He groaned. “Jesus, woman, you’re driving me crazy.” Sam lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, holding her tight against his body.
It was Mina’s turn to groan. Long suppressed desire boiled to the surface, driving her actions as she gripped his mid-section with legs made fit from outdoor labor. “Sam,” was all she could think to say as he kissed her. Lost to reality all that existed at this moment was Sam, his scent, his body, his voice murmuring her name in a hoarse whisper.
The screen door creaked open. “Wait. I forgot my sandals.” Emma. The door slammed again.
It took several seconds for the voices to register. Breathing heavy, Mina rested her head on Sam’s shoulder, still locked in their intimate embrace.
“Baby, they’re going to come back,” Sam managed. With a loud exhale, he gave Mina one last squeeze before setting her down. He turned her around and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the bedroom. “Go get changed.”
Mina stumbled down the hall. You practically attacked him. What’s wrong with you? Changing her clothes on auto pilot, she’d just pulled her sweater down when Emma and Sarah burst through the door. Laughing, the girls flopped down on Sarah’s bed. “What are you guys doin’?” Emma asked.
“I’m not sure yet, probably sitting out by the fire for a while. Why?” Mina concentrated on putting on her sandals, afraid something on her face would give away the wild churning going on in her body.
“Just wonderin’. You happy Sam’s home?’
Mina nodded, but didn’t look up.
“Did you see the muscles on him? Holy crud, he’s ripped.” Emma rolled onto her back, admiration clear in her voice. “He’s sooo hot.”
“Eww, I don’t wanna hear this,” Sarah wailed, putting her hands over her ears.
Emma laughed. “Well, he is. Huh, Mina?”
Mina knew her sister was teasing her. “The hottest.” She got up and headed toward the door. Sam was no longer in the living room. Hearing laughter outside, Mina was surprised when she didn’t find him at the fire with everyone else. Not sure where else to look, she stood warming her hands, trying to get a handle on her unrest.
A blanket dropped onto her shoulders.
“Warmer?”
At her nod, Sam caught her hand and walked back to the lounge chair. Straddling it again, he sat down and slid up against the back, tapping the empty spot on the chair.
Fitting in between his legs, she leaned back, comfortable in the cocoon his arms made, yet aware of each spot his body touched hers.
“Sorry,” he said in a hushed tone.
“For what?” Mina kept her eyes on the fire.
“For attacking you in the house.”
“If anything, the attacking was mutual. What are we going to do?”
“About?”
Mina could feel a blush creep up her neck and was thankful for the limited light cast by the fire. “This,” she whispered. “I’ve always felt like, I don’t know.” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “Like I wanted to crawl inside you to get closer, but this is worse. I can’t seem to get near you without feeling like I want to maul you.”
“Good.”
Mina could hear the grin in his voice. “Not good. What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing’s wrong with you. Look at me.”
Mina shifted on her side to face him.
“There’s nothing wrong. We love each other.” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “It’s how we’re supposed to feel.”
“I can’t get what happened in the house out of my head. I keep thinking what if the girls hadn’t come in, and at the same time wishing they hadn’t.”
“Honey, I feel the same way.” Sam leaned forward to kiss her.
Her hand slipped along his hairline, her fingers gripping the muscles at the back of his neck.
“Like right now,” Sam said with a moan after a few minutes, shifting in the chair.
Mina flushed. She could feel what he was talking about pressing against her side. Groaning, she hung her head. “What’re we going to do?”
“You want my honest answer?”
She nodded, knowing he would tell her.
“Truth, I don’t know for sure. I want to make love with you. But it’s more than that. I want to spend as much time as possible together. I want to wake up in the morning and watch you sleeping. I want to swim and eat and make love. I
need those memories to hold me until we’re together again. It’s what’s going to keep me together. ”
Mina knew exactly what he meant. “The thought of having to go home tomorrow knowing you’re here is driving me crazy.”
“Hey, bro, did you hear that?” Joe called across the fire. “Winona is going camping with Tom’s family. Our sister in the woods? Roughing it?”
Nona made a face at him and popped another marshmallow in her mouth. “I can do it. Besides, we’re not going to be in the woods, smarty pants. We’re going to a campground at Old Orchard Beach in Maine.”
Joe and Winona went on teasing each other.
Mina and Sam laughed and joined in the conversation, all the while their own dilemma weaving its way through their thoughts. Later, they put on a movie neither was very interested in and curled up on the couch, more an excuse to not have to go off to separate bedrooms.
Several hours later, Lilith came out to find them asleep, the television throwing off light from a blank screen. Sam’s head lolled against the back of the couch, his light snore the same as when he was a little boy exhausted after a day of hard play. Only now, instead of a toy, it was Mina he clutched in his arms. Mina used his chest as a pillow, her fingers gripping the material of his t-shirt as if afraid he’d disappear while she slept. Mother’s pride aside, Lilith knew with certainty her handsome son could’ve picked just about any girl he wanted, and he had chosen Mina, or the fates had chosen for him, Lilith wasn’t sure which. Mina, with her odd dress, her aging parents and their strange ways. Ways that had affected not only Mina, but Sam as well. What should’ve been a carefree time for her boy had turned into white lies and clandestine meetings. But they’d managed it. Adults now, they’d be free to pick their own path. Hopefully, it would be the right one. Even in sleep, it was clear they were in love. Mina shifted, and Sam accommodated the move, tightening his arms around her for a moment before relaxing back into sleep. Lilith covered them with a blanket and went to bed.
“Pass the butter please, Mina.”
Mina slid the tub of cheap margarine toward her father and continued to eat the minuscule portions of mashed potato, green beans and chicken on her plate. She glanced at the old clock on the wall and hoped supper would be over, and Ma would be in the garden by the time Sam called. Watching her father struggle to get a firm grip on his knife, Mina absently took it from his hand and made short work of buttering his bread before setting it on the side of his plate.
“Thanks.”
Okay, everybody. Eat, Mina willed her family. She wanted to see Sam. He only had a few days of leave left. They’d taken the girls out to eat and shopping, Sam buying whatever the girls showed an interest in, and Emma and Sarah had caught on quickly. After leaving three department stores with thick plastic bags, they headed into a fourth, eyeing sixty dollar jeans. Mina shook her head. The girls pouted for a couple of minutes and then took off to look at something else. Sam didn’t see the big deal. He had plenty of pay sitting in the bank and tried to buy Mina something. She’d refused, telling him she didn’t want things, she wanted him, which had led to some serious kissing until someone had cleared their throat. An older saleslady wearing half glasses with a beaded lanyard pretended to be refolding a sweater nearby, disapproval stamped on her features. Sam laughed at Mina’s blush as she dragged him away. They’d hung out at his parents’ house a lot and gone swimming at Regent’s a few times. But it was more popular than ever, especially with high school kids, even late at night. Although they were frustrated at a lack of alone time, they both agreed they didn’t want to go off to some no-tell motel as Sam called it. It didn’t feel right.
“I ran into the Miller girl today, what’s her name? Winifred?” Mina’s father took a bite of mashed potato.
Emma laughed.
“Winona,” Mina corrected him. He knows her name. He referred to her yesterday using the correct name.
“Winifred, Winona, whatever,” he said. “I saw her at Vin’s Market. It seems she’s going camping with another family and was wondering if you’d like to go.”
“What?”
“Camping. I know you’ve never gone, but I thought you might like to give it a try. I guess they’re going to the ocean, and you’ve never been there either.”
“Wait a minute,” Emma said. “Isn’t Winona going with—”
“What do you say to a few days off?” Her father cut Emma off. “You deserve a break.”
What’s he talking about? He knew Sam was here. She didn’t want to leave.
“We don’t have the money to buy her camping stuff,” Ma said from the other end of the table as she took another bite of her supper.
“She’s right. I don’t have any camping equipment.” Mina latched onto that as an excuse.
“Don’t need it. She said they already have all the stuff you need.”
“Isn’t she supposed to help you change the oil in the truck?” Ma again, not looking up from her plate.
“Yeah, the oil.” Mina gave her father a sidelong glance. What are you doing?
“Oil can wait until the next week or so.” He gave Mina an annoyed look of his own. “I told her you’d give her a call after supper. In fact, I’m stuffed.” He dropped his fork on his plate.
“You hardly ate anything,” Ma said, looking over at his plate.
Her father patted his nonexistent belly. “I couldn’t eat another bite.” He pushed his plate away and unhooked the crook of his cane from the back of the chair. Sliding his hand to the edge of the heavy table, he used it and his cane to lever himself to an upright position. “Are you done, Mother? Why don’t you show me how that new tomato dust is workin’?” He shuffled toward the back door. “Girls? You’ll pick up the table?”
Mina nodded. Ma took a couple of bites more before reluctantly following her husband out the door, closing it behind her.
“What was that about?” Emma asked, her fork half way to her mouth. “Sarah told me Winona’s going with Tom. Do you even know Tom’s family?”
Mina shook her head. Half an hour later, she dialed the Millers’ number and Winona answered. “Hi, I’m supposed to be going camping?” Mina asked without preamble.
“Yup. Listen, pack some shorts, sweats, your bathing suit, you know, the usual stuff. Oh, and don’t forget some sneakers.”
“Ah, okay. What about Sam?”
“What about him?”
“What does he have to say about this?”
“I don’t know. He’s not here.”
“He’s not home?”
“Nope. He took off early this morning in his truck.”
He hadn’t mentioned anything to Mina the day before. “Ah, okay. Would you have him call me when he gets home?”
“Sure. Go get packed. I’ll pick you up around ten in the morning. Bye.”
Mina listened to the buzz of the dial tone for a few seconds before hanging up the phone. What’s going on? Where’s Sam? She stuffed Winona’s list of clothing in her backpack along with her toothbrush, comb, perfume and a few other supplies, then went back to the living room. She pretended to watch the snowy picture on the television set while she waited for Sam to call. Her parents came in and sat a while before heading off to bed. Emma appeared and asked if Mina was coming to bed. Mina shook her head. Where is he? I hope everything is all right.
The loud hum of the off air signal from the television woke Mina. She jumped up and snapped off the set before the noise woke her parents. She stretched to try and remove the kink in her back from sleeping in the chair, and then went out to the kitchen to check the time. She blinked and looked again. That can’t be right. According to the clock, it was one in the morning.
Turning off the kitchen light, she worked her way down the dark hall to her bedroom. The old alarm clock on their nightstand verified the time. Mina flopped down on the bed, not bothering to undress. Why didn’t he call? They only had a little time left, and Sam had wasted a whole day of it. Doing what? Mina had no idea. He hadn’t mentio
ned anything. She knew he was as frustrated as she was they hadn’t been able to spend any time together alone. What if he’s sick of it and left to go back? He wouldn’t do that. Winona said he’d taken off early. What if he isn’t coming back? Once the idea lodged in Mina’s brain, she couldn’t shake it. She went through all the possibilities and kept coming back to one thought. He’s gone. He must be gone.
Mina still hadn’t slept by the time Winona picked her up the next morning. Winona chatted about what she was taking to Maine and how she got a new red swim suit she was sure Tom would like. Too exhausted to carry on a conversation, she let Winona talk. When they pulled into the Miller driveway, Mina’s eyes went right to the carport-type structure Sam’s dad had built to park their vehicles. Sam’s truck wasn’t in its usual spot, nor was it in the driveway. That confirmed it. He’s gone. Feeling her eyes start to water, Mina blinked several times, the sick feeling in her stomach kicking up a notch. She climbed out of the car and opened the back door to reach for her pack. She heard the screen door slam.
“Hey.”
Without thought, she straightened and slammed her head into the edge of the door opening. She cringed and held her head a second before wheeling around. Sam stood there.
“Ouch. Are you okay?” His features were set in a pained expression of sympathy.
Mina launched herself at him. “You’re here. You didn’t leave.”
“No. Why would you think that? I’m not leaving until I absolutely have to. Are you all right?” He gently rubbed the back of her head.
“Better now.” She put her hand over his to still it. “What happened? You didn’t call me.”
“I know; I’m sorry. It was late. I knew you’d be in bed.”
“That’s okay.” What are you going to do? Tell him you’re so neurotic, you couldn’t sleep?
“You ready?” He took her backpack.
“Ready? For what?”
“Camping, what’d you think? Didn’t Nona tell you?”
She nodded. If he thinks I’m going off to Maine and leave him here, he’s crazy. “I’m not going with Winona.”
My Mother Grows Wallflowers Page 20
