Defy the World Tomatoes (22 page)

Darcy hadn’t meant to interrupt such a tender moment and quickly aimed the flashlight toward the shop. “Let’s light some of the scented candles until the power comes back on. Come on, Twink, help me find some tall ones.”

But rather than move, Twink sat staring up at her mother with a narrowed, suspicious gaze. Then she bolted from her chair, dashed up the stairs, and on past Christy Joy into their apartment.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry,” Jeremy moaned.

“She’ll get used to it,” Christy Joy responded, and she gave him a hasty kiss before she followed her daughter.

Jeremy remained at the top of the stairs, grateful Christy Joy hadn’t shown Twink’s speed as she’d left him, but nevertheless certain he’d caused her another problem she didn’t need. Then he sneezed.

“God bless you,” Darcy cried. “You see, I knew you two were going to get sick, and now with no heat, it will probably turn into pneumonia.”

“Don’t be such a worry wart,” Griffin chided. “There’s a box of long matches here. Which candles shall we light, the strawberry or jasmine scented?”

Darcy reached for one with a subtle vanilla fragrance. “Let’s begin with this one. Come on down here, Jeremy. There are towels in the bathroom behind the register, and you two ought to at least make an attempt to get dry. Don’t think about leaving either, because you wouldn’t be safe with all the streets flooded.”

Griffin removed his hat and resisted the temptation to shake like a dog before peeling off his coat. “Am I safe here?” he whispered.

“For the time being,” Darcy replied. “I’m sorry we don’t carry any men’s pants, but our extra-large sweatshirts ought to fit you.”

After stifling another sneeze, Jeremy made his way down the stairs. “No, you ought to save them to sell.”

“Well, I sure don’t see anyone clamoring to buy anything today,” Darcy countered. “Which color do you want?”

“I don’t suppose you carry black?” Griffin asked.

“No, this is a nursery, you big dolt, and we stock several shades of green along with blue, purple, yellow and pink.”

Griffin couldn’t help but laugh at her sudden show of temper. “I want whatever color you have so we can wear them together and look like we’re on the same team.”

Darcy thrust a dark green sweatshirt into his hands. It was of excellent quality and would keep him warm. Across the front, the words Defy the World Tomatoes were embroidered over a bushel basket of vine-ripened tomatoes. It was a colorful logo and, while they sold more T-shirts, they did a steady business in sweatshirts as well.

“How about you, Jeremy, what color would you like?”

“Better give me that same green, and I’ll pay for it.”

“Nonsense, you’ve been working here all morning. A free shirt is the least I can do. Go on into the bathroom and dry yourself off before putting it on.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Jeremy promised, but he waited until she’d handed him a lit candle to go.

Griffin carried another vanilla candle over to the counter and set it down. He dropped his coat and hat onto a stool and then pulled his flannel shirt off over his head.

Darcy tried to avoid staring at his muscular torso, but failed miserably, although she hauled her glance to a halt at his belt buckle. She watched him dry his hair on his shirttail and, after pulling on the sweatshirt, re-comb it with his fingers. Not surprisingly, he’d given little thought to grooming and yet still looked better than most men did on the way to a job interview.

“Twink appeared real upset to see her mother kissing Jeremy. Hasn’t Christy Joy dated much?” he asked.

Startled by his question, Darcy responded with a shrug. “No, she hasn’t dated anyone since her divorce. Like most kids, I suppose Twink hopes her parents will someday get back together.”

“Is it a possibility?”

“Not unless J. Lyle forced Christy Joy back with threats of a custody suit.”

“Is he that heartless?”

Griffin was leaning against the counter, apparently sincerely interested in her response, but she shared her partner’s fears, compounded by the certainty should J. Lyle press for custody, it would be entirely her fault. Seized by a desperate desire to confide in him, she described the terrible afternoon when Twink had disappeared.

“If J. Lyle ever found out Twink had walked down to the docks alone and gone on one of the boats, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it against Christy Joy,” she swore.

Griffin nodded and exhaled slowly. “Why didn’t you call me when it happened?”

She angled away from him. “I didn’t want to bother you when I was sure we’d find her.”

“And if you hadn’t?”

Afraid she would insult him no matter how she phrased it, she chose her words with special care. “Well, there would have been no point in calling you then either. You couldn’t have done anything from Chicago.”

“I could have offered some moral support, and a call would have kept me from walking right into a buzz saw when I got home. Damn it, but I knew there was something wrong, and you didn’t give me a clue as to what. That wasn’t fair.”

“Perhaps not,” Darcy sighed, “but it wouldn’t have been fair to call and scramble your emotions just before a concert either.”

He straightened. “Do you honestly believe I give a damn about a concert?”

She’d tried her best, but anger still shone in his dark eyes. “Perhaps not, but your fans surely do.”

“I’m touched you’re so considerate of their feelings, but I sure wish you gave a damn about mine.”

Before she could respond, Jeremy left the bathroom to join them. Eager to escape Griffin’s ire, Darcy walked up to the front door to look out. “The water’s reached the sandbags, and if it keeps raining this hard, the place is bound to flood.”

What Griffin heard was not merely a quick diversion, but a heartbreaking weariness that made him regret being so sharp with her. “Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap on Christy Joy’s couch? The captain and I can handle the shop.”

Darcy remained by the door. “No, I couldn’t sleep.”

Griffin walked up behind her and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. “Just think of us as part of your crew. You don’t mind ordering them around.” He took her hand then and led her to the stairs. “Just give it a try. Go on.”

The candlelight gave the whole scene an eerie otherworldly glow, and to escape his dark gaze, if for no other reason, she gave in. “All right, but if the shop floods, you must promise to call me.”

“Sure.” Griffin watched her slowly climb the stairs and couldn’t help but wonder when she’d last had a good night’s sleep. His stomach began to rumble and, distracted by hunger, he doubted any of Monarch Bay’s fine restaurants made deliveries by boat. Then he realized they wouldn’t have any power to cook either, which was another problem he couldn’t solve.

Christy Joy rubbed her daughter’s back, but Twink had thrown herself across her bed and stubbornly refused to acknowledge her mother’s presence. Rain pelted the window, but the faint ray of light falling across the braided rug only made Christy Joy feel more disheartened. Twink and the shop were her whole world, and she was ashamed to want still more.

“I know you were shocked to see me kissing Jeremy, but honestly, sweetheart, he’s such a nice man, and when I had the chance, I just couldn’t resist.”

Twink rose slightly. “You kissed him?”

Pleased to have piqued her curiosity, Christy continued, “Yes, I sure did. He’s so shy that I was afraid he’d never kiss me, and I was really curious about how he’d kiss.”

“Is he better than Daddy?”

J. Lyle definitely knew how to kiss, but Jeremy had responded with a passion she’d never tasted with her ex-husband. “That’s a tough question. Daddy’s awfully good.”

“Then why don’t you love him anymore?”

She and J. Lyle had separated when Twink was only two and a half, but she’d expected her to raise some tough questions soon. Now she wished she’d prepared some answers which would make sense to the dear little girl.

“We hadn’t known each other long when we married, which was a mistake, but we were lucky enough to have you right away. I had such fun being your mommy, and I began thinking about opening a wonderful shop where I could sell all sorts of pretty things. Your daddy didn’t want me to work, though. He insisted that I spend my time entertaining clients and attending all the wonderful parties in San Francisco.

“So you see, except for you, we just didn’t want the same things. Neither of us was happy, and we can be much better parents apart.”

Twink’s lower lip was still stuck out in a defiant pout, but she didn’t ask another question and, relieved, Christy Joy stretched out beside her. “Let’s rest for a little while. Maybe when we wake up, the power will be on again, and we can make some popcorn.”

Twink snuggled against her mother, and in a moment she was asleep, but Christy Joy was wide awake. She and J. Lyle shared custody of their daughter, but he’d never made more than an occasional visit to see her. Still, when she’d left him, he’d been furious and sworn that she would come to regret it. It had been more threat than prediction, and she feared if he could have a hand in forcing that regret, then he would gladly use Twink to do so.

Her head began to ache, and she got up to take some aspirin and saw Darcy asleep on the couch. She covered her with a quilt, then went on downstairs.

“Are you hungry?” she asked the men. “I can make some sandwiches.”

“That would be great,” Griffin replied.

“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Jeremy hedged. “Or any more, at least.”

“No, it will give me something to do other than wring my hands. Just give me a minute.”

Jeremy watched her climb the stairs. She was dressed in a pretty pink jumper as though she’d expected to deal with customers all day. “Christy Joy,” he called softly. “Better put on something warm.”

She waved to him and disappeared into her apartment, and he turned to find Griffin eying him with an indulgent smile. “What? It’s cold in here.”

“It sure is, and I’d go out and get us some coffee, if there were shops open. What we need is a generator.”

“I’ve got one on my boat, but by the time I walked back here with something I’d cooked, it would be cold.”

“With a little more rain, you may be able to moor the
Great Escape
down at the corner.”

“How’d you know the name of my boat?”

Griffin made a point of knowing things, but he hadn’t been showing off. “Darcy must have mentioned it when you took her out whale watching.” He turned away to look out the side door on the nursery, where the water was streaming around the plants placed near the building. “My memory just naturally collects odd bits of trivia.”

“How’s it look out there?”

“Terrible. What’s the weather report for the next few days?”

Jeremy paced the shop’s center aisle. “More rain. It’s been such a mild spring. That just makes this storm all the worse.”

“It will blow over eventually,” Griffin offered. They’d been clearing shelves and moving stock to the rear of the shop, but now he wondered if they shouldn’t be carrying things upstairs. “They have some expensive computer equipment. If we can’t keep the water out, that ought to go upstairs first.”

“Sure,” Jeremy agreed. “I suppose the water could reach the counter. Just how solid is this building?”

“I asked that question myself before I bought it, and it’s very well built. The wood on the exterior is there for show.”

“Good, because I sure wouldn’t want the roof to cave in on us.”

“Now you sound like Darcy, and worry never changes anything.”

“Which is probably a good thing,” Christy Joy added on her way down the stairs with a tray laden with sandwiches. She had two bottles of water in the pockets of her pink ruffled apron. “I hope you don’t mind wheat bread. It’s all I buy. I had plenty of cold cuts, but I’ll make peanut butter and jelly if anyone wants it.”

“This is fine,” Griffin assured her, and he helped himself to a ham sandwich and a bottle of water. “I’ll just take this up front where I can keep an eye on the storm.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Jeremy encouraged.

Christy Joy had changed into a pair of Levi’s and a pink sweater. She sat on the stairs and looped her arms around her knees. “I ate earlier with Twink. Come sit here beside me.”

Jeremy sat on the same step, but he kept his distance. He took a bite of his ham and cheese sandwich, had trouble swallowing and had to wash it down with water. “Look, about earlier
—
”

“Don’t you dare apologize. I kissed you first, not the other way around. It was wonderful, by the way.”

Her smile was so very lovely, Jeremy wished he could have kissed her all day. “Yeah, I thought so too, but obviously Twink didn’t.”

“Twink’s only four and, while she is very bright, it’s natural that she’d be confused. I’ve told her only good things about her father, you see.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“It’s not merely kind, it’s smart. I don’t want her to grow up disliking men.”

“You needn’t tell me any painful stories.”