Secrets Of The Tulip Sisters. Susan Mallery

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СКАЧАТЬ to each other, not the sex.”

      “You don’t actually know that,” Helen said, before leaning back. “He really said all that? Just blurted it out?”

      “He didn’t blurt as much as explain. He’s not interested in getting married again and he’s not a one-night-stand kind of guy. He wants a long-term monogamous relationship. With me.”

      “Of course with you. You’re amazing. He’d be an idiot to pick anyone else, but jeez. Nobody just says that.”

      “I know.”

      “It’s interesting.”

      Kelly could have come up with about twenty-seven other words. “Interesting? How?”

      “It’s kind of your thing. You were with Sven for five years and you never once thought of taking things further.” Helen stared at her intently. “You never did think of it, did you? Because I asked all the time and you kept saying you didn’t want to marry him.”

      “I didn’t, I swear. He was great and all, it’s just, I wonder if maybe I wasn’t exactly in love with him.” A thought that had haunted her since the breakup. They’d been together five years. Shouldn’t she have been crushed when he ended things?

      “Not everyone has to fall in love and get married. People have wonderfully happy relationships without going that route. And some of us who do get married choose incredibly badly and end up divorced.” She smiled. “What did you say?”

      “That I would think about it.”

      “And?”

      “It’s been less than forty-eight hours. I don’t know what to do or think or say.” She picked up her drink. “What do you think?”

      “What went wrong with Sven? Why wasn’t he the one?”

      Kelly blinked at the question. She’d thought they would be discussing the pros and cons of Griffith.

      “I’m not sure. On paper we were the perfect couple. We have similar interests and all but there wasn’t any spark.” Sven had been way too into sex. “He liked to walk around naked. That didn’t make me comfortable.”

      “Just randomly naked?”

      “After sex.”

      “Well, sure. He has the body for it. You couldn’t appreciate the show?”

      “Not my style.” She shrugged. “He was nice and all but there wasn’t anything special between us. Not that Griffith is offering me magic, either.”

      “Do you want magic? You’re always so careful when it comes to guys.”

      An excellent point, Kelly thought. “I guess I want more than I had with Sven. I want to be intrigued and have fun.” All within the careful confines of being sensible. “I should tell Griffith no.”

      “Why? Don’t say that. He might be exactly your style. Maybe he dresses after sex. Come on, don’t give up without trying. You need someone in your life.”

      “Why? You don’t date.”

      Helen reached for a napkin from the holder and began to wipe the table. “That’s different. I was devastated by the end of my marriage. Not because he broke my heart, but because I was an idiot to trust him the way I did. Griffith is a great guy. Aren’t you the least bit tempted?”

      “Maybe a little.” More than a little, she thought. If she were being honest.

      “Then at least continue the conversation. What have you got to lose?”

      “You’re right.”

      “My two favorite words ever.”

      Kelly laughed. Maybe she should talk to Griffith again and figure out if he meant what he said. She supposed there was no harm in that. As for what had happened in high school—she couldn’t hold that against him forever. It didn’t speak well of her.

      “Maybe it’s time for you to start dating, too,” she said. “Sven’s available.”

      “Let me think about that.” Helen tilted her head. “No. Did I say no? No. He’s your ex. That would take us places neither of us wants to go.” She raised her voice. “And that little mole on his inner thigh. Isn’t it darling?” Her voice returned to its normal pitch. “I love you like a sister, but there are some things we simply aren’t meant to share. Although I could totally get into Sven being naked. When it gets hot and he takes his shirt off...” She sighed. “You could bounce a quarter off his stomach.”

      “I never tried.”

      Helen pointed at her. “See, if you’d been in love with him, I’m sure you would have tried. It’s a sign. Go take advantage of Griffith, then tell me all about it. I want to live vicariously through your exciting life.”

      “It’s not exciting yet.”

      “That is just a detail.”

       5

      Kelly left the diner and drove back to work. She passed the acres of tulip farmland long before she reached the main offices. Only a few weeks before, the blooming flowers had been a sea of color. After the harvest, there was nothing left but dark soil and the promise of flowers next spring.

      It was a ridiculous waste of land, she thought as she turned into the driveway. Not only was the crop uneatable, the ground lay fallow nearly nine months out of the year. Still, the Murphys had grown tulips for five generations. The flowers were in her blood, so to speak, and she had no interest in doing anything else.

      She pulled into the parking lot and saw Griffith’s truck in the spot next to the one she generally used. The man himself leaned against the driver’s door. As she pulled to a stop, he straightened and walked around to greet her.

      In the few seconds it took him to make the trip, she found herself feeling oddly flustered and out of breath. Did he expect her to make a decision right that second? She needed time to know what on earth she was going to do.

      He pulled open her door and smiled. “Kelly.”

      “Griffith.”

      “You had an overnight package.” He held out a small box. “It was delivered to me by mistake. I thought it might be important.”

      She stared into his brown eyes and found herself oddly unable to speak. What on earth? No. No way. She might be interested in dating Griffith and possibly sleeping with him, but there was no way she was going to fall for him. That would be the complete definition of stupid.

      She took the box from him and recognized the mailing label and return address. Her nerves immediately calmed and her throat unconstricted.

      “I have no idea how this got to you, but thank you for dropping it by.”

      “It’s important?”

      She СКАЧАТЬ