Anna Meets Her Match (5 page)

I
t seemed to Anna that Reeves needed to be taught a lesson. He needed to learn that his daughter could, indeed, learn to skate—and behave—given enough time, attention, patience and praise. Surely, once she showed up with all the requisite gear, he’d have to let her try; otherwise, Gilli would never forgive him. Maybe he wouldn’t be happy about it, but, oh, well. Anna would not even consider that he might be right about Gilli being too young. She’d get Gilli rolling if it killed her. Then let the big goof tell her what an immature idiot she was.

Reeves wasn’t the only reason Anna wanted to do this, though. She felt for Gilli, recognized the yawning, unknowing need in her. What that poor kid really wanted was attention and reassurance, not constant criticism and impatient, domineering control.

The Chatam triplets returned to declare the “classic Chatam House” motif their choice. They seemed deflated at finding her alone in the parlor, but Anna merely smiled, delivered Reeves’s message and promised to return tomorrow with samples of the motif printed on various papers.

The next day was Saturday and Valentine’s Day, to boot,
but Anna saw no reason to delay, especially considering what she had in mind for Gilli. She swung by the shop to pick up sample papers, then as soon as she got home pulled down her old in-line skates from the top shelf of her bedroom closet. Next, she went to work on the mock-ups. Once her personal printer had spit out those, Anna set about designing a pair of hand-drawn Valentines, one for the triplets, using the Chatam House theme, to thank them for their business and unfailing kindness, and a glittery one for Gilli, featuring a curly-haired little girl pirouetting on roller skates while wearing a pink tutu, muffler and mittens.

After a quick dinner, Anna made a run to the local discount store and bought protective gear for Gilli, stuffing it into a big, pink paper bag with red tissue paper, confident that she would have put Reeves Leland firmly in his place by noon the next day. As she slipped into bed that night, she told herself that, for once, Valentine’s Day promised to be sweet, indeed.

Hypatia answered the front door at Chatam House the next morning. Dressed in a lovely soldier blue, cowl-neck knit sheath and buckled pumps dyed to match, with pearls at her throat and her silver hair twisted into its usual smooth chignon at her nape, she looked fit to meet the Queen of England over tea; her smile could not have been more gracious if she had been.

“Good morning, dear,” she all but sang. The gray morning seemed to brighten.

“Good morning!”

“Come in, please.” Anna stepped into the spacious entry hall and set aside her portfolio and the gift bag to shrug out of her coat while Hypatia continued to speak. “What is that you have there, dear?”

Anna turned to smile over one shoulder. “Just a little something for a little someone. And the paper samples, of course.”

“Of course. How very prompt you are, and how kind of you to think of Gilli. It’s very timely. She’s in a bit of a snit because her father had to go in to work this morning.”

Anna’s spirits dimmed. She had been strangely looking forward to butting heads with Reeves again. This way was probably better, though.

“Maybe I can brighten Gilli’s mood a bit,” Anna said. “We had a little, er, skating altercation yesterday, and I thought I might give her a lesson. My gear’s in the car.”

“I’m sure she’ll be delighted. We’re still nursing our morning tea out in the sunroom. Won’t you join us?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Anna took up her leather portfolio and the gift bag to follow along behind Hypatia. Reeves would undoubtedly disapprove of her plans for Gilli. They might even argue about it after the fact. The possibility made Anna smile. She had forgotten what fun it was to argue with Reeves. His quick wit easily matched hers, and she found his innate sense of outrage deliciously ridiculous. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed that she wouldn’t see him this morning. The sunroom lifted her spirits significantly, however.

Two glass walls, numerous plants and groupings of comfortable bamboo furnishings upholstered in colorful fabric printed with oversized flowers gave the space an airy, tropical feel that bravely defied the gray Texas winter. Anna found the other two sisters lounging on matched chaises. A small table between them held teacups and saucers. Magnolia, she noted, wore her usual garb, while Odelia’s red plaid jumper and yellow silk blouse warred violently with the upholstery upon which she reclined. The red enamel hearts clipped to her earlobes were the size of drink coasters. It was Gilli, however, who drew Anna’s interest. Wearing jeans and a purple turtleneck, she sprawled half on, half off a deeply padded chair, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

“Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the
bed this morning,” Anna remarked lightly, sinking down onto the plush chair that Hypatia indicated with a wave.

Magnolia sighed. “Reeves had to go in to work today. He’s having some issues with an important negotiation.”

“It’s really not his fault,” Odelia put in, glancing at Gilli, who made a rude sound and curled into a ball on the seat of the chair, covering her head with her arms.

Anna smiled to herself and placed the paper bag on the floor nearby. “What a shame,” she said with a sigh. “I guess that means Gilli won’t be interested in what I’ve brought her.” Anna pulled the two handcrafted Valentine cards from her portfolio.

Gilli’s arms relaxed, and her little chin with its tiny cleft lifted as she attempted to peer in Anna’s direction without being too obvious about it. Anna passed one of the cards to Hypatia, saying, “This is for the three of you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Odelia clapped her hands as Hypatia extracted the card from its envelope.

“How lovely. Thank you, dear,” Hypatia said, showing the front of the card to her sisters. She quickly read the sentiment penned inside and passed the card to Magnolia.

Magnolia passed the card to Odelia, smiling at Anna. “You do such good work, Anna Miranda, but what’s in the bag, dear?”

“Oh,” Anna said, “that goes with this second card, the one I’d hoped to give to a certain little girl.”

Gilli sat up, her curiosity getting the better of her. “I’m a little girl,” she said.

Anna bit back a chuckle. “So you are. The very little girl I had in mind, actually.”

Gilli slid off her chair and went straight to the bag, but Hypatia forestalled her. “Card first, Gilli.”

The girl paused, eyes wide. Smoothly, Anna offered the card to Gilli. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetie.”

Gilli’s brow puckered. “What’s Balertine?”

“It’s a day for sweethearts,” Odelia supplied, smiling beatifically, “when people who love each other exchange gifts.”

Gilli stared at Anna, speculation lighting her copper-brown eyes. They were so like Reeves’s that Anna’s heart flipped over inside her chest. Gilli’s gaze switched to the envelope. Anna carefully removed the card and held it out. Gilli pounced.

“Pretty!”

“Let us see,” Odelia urged. Gilli ran to her great aunt, trailing glitter. Odelia gushed over the card, opening it and reading the sentiment inside. “Happy Valentine’s Day to a roller-skating ballerina.”

Gilli tilted her head, caramel-colored curls bouncing. “What’s balaringa?”

Odelia tapped the drawing on the front of the card. “This is a ballerina. See her pretty dress?”

Gasping, Gilli ran to the bag. “Is it balaringa dress?”

“Nope,” Anna replied as Gilli pulled the helmet from the bag. “It’s what you need to learn to skate.”

The girl instantly deflated, dropping the helmet and slumping her shoulders. “Daddy won’t teach me.”

“I will,” Anna told her, reaching into the bag to remove the knee and elbow pads.

Gilli gasped and immediately turned pleading eyes on Hypatia, wheedling, “Can I? Pleeease, pleeeease? I’m old to skate.”

Anna said nothing. Was it her fault if Reeves hadn’t made his opinion on the matter clear to his aunts?

Hypatia exchanged glances with her sisters before saying, “I think some exercise would do you a world of good, Gilli. Thank you, Anna. Gilli, run upstairs to get your skates.”

Gilli began to bounce up and down. “Skates! Skates! Skates!”

“I’ll go with her,” Odelia volunteered, swinging her legs off the chaise.

“And I’ll get her coat from the cloakroom,” Magnolia added.

“Bring extra pairs of thick socks, too,” Anna said to Odelia, who had risen and taken Gilli by the hand. “The skates may be a little large for her.”

“The extra socks will keep her warm,” Hypatia noted.

“Skates! Skates! Skates!” Gilli chanted, hopping along beside Odelia as the older woman led her from the room, Magnolia on their heels.

“How thoughtful you are, Anna Miranda,” Hypatia said with a gentle smile.

Anna shrugged and confessed, “I have an ulterior motive. I think Reeves needs to pay his daughter more attention, and I hope this shows him that she’s old enough to reason with and not just scold.”

Hypatia’s smile widened. “You are answered prayer, my dear.”

Taken aback by that, Anna passed the older woman her portfolio, babbling, “The…the samples…for you to look at.”

“Ah,” Hypatia purred, drawing the portfolio into her lap. “We’ll talk again later.”

Nodding, Anna shoved the pads and helmet back into the bag, then quickly excused herself and escaped to fetch her gear from the car. She left the bag at the foot of the stairs and returned moments later to find an excited Gilli with her helmet on backward, trying to tear her pads from their packaging. While Odelia clucked and Magnolia held Gilli’s coat, Anna laughed to see Gilli so excited. She sat down on the stairs to help the girl properly don her new safety gear then put on her own before working the extra socks onto Gilli’s feet.

“We’ll put on our skates outside,” she instructed.

“How come?”

“So we don’t damage the floors or break any of your aunts’ valuable antiques.”

Gilli blinked at her then quickly gathered up her hard plastic skates, hugging them to her chest. Anna slung her own over one shoulder by the carry strap, while Odelia and Magnolia together managed to get Gilli into her coat.

With Gilli’s great-aunts waving fondly, Anna ushered the girl out of the house and across the porch to the brick steps. It took several minutes to get skates on both of them. Anna donned her own first, and then buckled Gilli tightly into the pink-and-purple skates. They were a bit large as well as a little too tall, but they would do.

“Okey-doke, let’s get out to the sidewalk.”

That proved a major undertaking. Gilli literally threw herself toward the street, only to wind up sprawled facedown on the gravel drive. Though she wailed for a minute, she wasn’t hurt. The gravel was very deep and served to cushion Gilli’s fall; it also provided a perfect base for Gilli to learn to stand and walk in her skates. By the time they’d made their way down the drive to the edge of the property, Anna had almost convinced herself that she actually could accomplish her goal and teach Gilli to skate. Sort of. She hoped.

They reached the massive wrought-iron gate, which stood open, and used it to work their way past the grate between drive and street to the sidewalk beyond. A harrowing half hour followed, during which they both took several spills. Thankfully, neither suffered more than bruises, and gradually Anna found herself merely tense rather than terrified. Then, suddenly, everything seemed to click and Gilli was skating, or waddling on wheels, anyway. Gilli couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Relieved, Anna’s fatigue disappeared, and she began to instruct Gilli on technique, confident of success. She forgot all about tweaking Reeves and got swept up, instead, in the pride and joy on Gilli’s sweet little face. They were both exhausted but laughing as they skated slowly, hand in hand and noses rosy, back toward the estate gate over an hour later.
They had almost reached it when a late model, silver, domestic sedan turned into the drive and stopped. The driver’s door opened, and Reeves Leland got out, staring at them over the top of the car.

“Daddy!” Gilli called, waving. “Look! Look!”

Anna held her breath, suddenly wishing she’d gone about this whole thing differently. Why hadn’t she realized that she might be overstepping? Gilli was his daughter; he had authority over her, not his aunts. He might be not just irritated but very angry with Anna. That did not seem like such a fun thing all of a sudden.

“I’m skating!” Gilli cried needlessly.

“So you are,” Reeves said after a moment, and to Anna’s everlasting relief, he smiled. His gaze shifted to Anna then, and the smile froze, looking a tad strained around the edges.

For the first time, no quip sprang to her tongue, no goading put-down, no clever crack or blistering boast. Instead, Anna drew Gilli to a halt at the edge of the drive and smiled tentatively, aware that Gilli babbled at her side about the morning’s adventure. Reeves switched his attention back to his daughter, smiling down at her and nodding.

Finally, Gilli drew breath enough for Reeves to speak. “I guess you’ve grown into those skates, after all.”

“They’re actually a little large still,” Anna confessed. “She’s got on extra socks.”

A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds just then, lighting his face so that his eyes glinted like new pennies. “Guess it’s a good thing it’s winter.”

“True.” An awkward silence followed, and Anna felt a great urge to fill it. “Maybe by summer she’ll truly have grown into them.”

“Maybe,” he said, looking down at Gilli. “If you’d like to take off your skates you can ride up to the house with me.”

Gilli dropped Anna’s hand and plopped down onto the cold sidewalk. Reeves came around to crouch beside her and
help her remove the skates. He tapped a knuckle against her pink-and-purple helmet, asking, “Where did you get this?”

Gilli tilted her head back, looking up at Anna. “She got it.”

Reeves looked up at Anna, his forearms balanced atop his knees. “That was very nice of her.”

Anna muttered that it was nothing. She had never felt so off-kilter in her life. It was weird. This was not what she expected of Reeves. He was actually being nice to her.