Fools Rush in(104)

It was good to be focused on something as mundane as painting. It didn’t take a great deal of mental effort, but I had to pay attention, too. The guys gossiped about friends I didn’t know, taking great pains to tell me the whole background story so I wouldn’t feel left out. Dipping the brush in the pure white paint I was using for the trim, I wished my whole life could be repainted the pure, empty color.

“You know, princess, sometimes things really do happen for the best,” Curtis said rather abruptly, interrupting Mitch’s dialogue on a friend’s terrible taste in men. He gave Mitch a meaningful look.

“Yes, you’re right,” Mitch replied blithely. “Millie, don’t you agree?”

“What exactly are you talking about?” I asked, dragging my brush along the baseboard.

“Maybe you and Sam weren’t meant to be,” Curtis said rather smugly.

“I guess,” I said, my chest aching dully.

“He wasn’t good enough for you, anyway, dearest,” Mitch murmured gently.

I gave a choked laugh. “Not good enough for me? Sam—”

“He broke your heart, after all,” Curtis put in.

“He’s a good man,” I said, my throat closing up on the words. “Very, very good.” I dipped my brush back into the bucket and swallowed.

“Oh, I don’t know. I always thought he was a little dull,” Curtis said.

“No, he—” I started to break in.

“Yes, rather unremarkable in conversation. You’re right, darling,” Mitch agreed lovingly. “He may have looked good in uniform, but aside from that, he was rather ordinary.”

“Hear, hear,” Curtis sang. “Not like that arm candy you were seeing earlier this summer, Millie.”

I straightened up, bewildered. “Sam’s—”

“And of course, Millie, if he left you, then he’s obviously very stupid,” Curtis said almost gleefully.

“And he probably couldn’t kiss worth a damn. Officers of the law never can,” Mitch added, his lips twitching.

“Stop it,” I ordered. “Sam is the best man I know! He’s kind and smart and funny and thoughtful, and if he dumped me for my sister, then he’s only doing what he thinks is best for his family, which means he’s also unselfish and decent. And he’s a great kisser, not to mention fantastic in bed. So shut up.” I tossed my paintbrush on the drop cloth next to me and glared at them.

“There’s something else he is,” Curtis said, more gently.

“And what’s that?” I snapped.

“He’s here.”

I froze, staring at Curtis and Mitch. My heart stopped, then surged almost up my throat. I swallowed. Swallowed again. Very quickly, I sneaked a peek behind me. Yup. Sam. Standing in the doorway.

“He’s got flowers,” Curtis whispered. “And he’s smiling.”

I tossed Sam another quick peek. It was true. But still I stood with my back to him, my knees trembling violently. I folded my arms across my chest to hide my shaking hands.

“Hi, Millie.”

At the sound of Sam’s quiet voice, my eyes flooded with tears and I put my hand over my mouth. Curtis reached for Mitch’s hand.

“Fantastic in bed. That’s good to hear.” There was a smile in Sam’s voice. I heard his footsteps coming closer.

A bouquet of yellow roses appeared in front of me. Sam stood so close behind me that I could feel his warmth. “Turn around, Millie,” he whispered.

“What about Trish?” I managed to force out, my voice choked and squeaking.

“Turn around and I’ll tell you.”

I looked at Curtis and Mitch for courage. They were teary-eyed, too, clutching hands as if they were about to meet Russell Crowe on the set of Gladiator. Curtis gave me an encouraging nod.

I turned around.

Sam’s arms went around me and he kissed me hard, fast, and then just crushed me against him. He dropped the flowers to hug me tighter, and my heart flew so high and fast that I could actually feel it move in my chest. I heard a shuddering intake of breath from the other side of the room. Apparently so did Sam, because he looked up.

“Guys, come on,” he said. “A little privacy?”

“Oh! Of course. Terribly sorry.” Mitch, smiling a wonderfully huge grin, led a happily sobbing Curtis from the room.

Sam kissed my forehead and then stared sternly at me. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said, a little smile creeping onto his face.

“You must be a lousy cop,” I said a little breathlessly. “I’m not that hard to find.”

“I had to take care of a few things first,” he answered. “Come on, let’s sit down.”

He led me to a sheet-covered couch and sat, pulling me down next to him. “This has been a hell of a week,” he said, running a hand through his graying hair. Then he sighed and gave me a smile that was half sad and half relieved, and my heart lurched. He took my hand and grew serious.

“In answer to your question, Trish is now over the Atlantic, on her way to Paris.”

From the kitchen came a muted whoop. Sam grinned and shook his head. I smiled back, still dazed at his presence. I was here with Sam. My mind couldn’t seem to get further than that.

“Millie, I’m sorry you were hiding out up here, thinking what you must have been thinking. But I had to straighten things out with Trish before I could take care of you. I mean, she did get a pretty big surprise, finding us like that. And she’s Danny’s mother…”