Secure Love

Chapter 5

  Lisa couldn’t find it in herself to do anything on Saturday. Usually she would be the first one down in the mornings and make coffee for everyone, but today she didn’t make an appearance. Connor was sent to make sure she was OK, but when he knocked he was met with a low groan that she wanted to sleep in. This being completely out of the ordinary for her, her family wanted a little more information.

  “Did she seem OK at the game?” James asked Connor. He didn’t hold much hope his son would have information, but he had to try. He knew better than anyone that once Connor got started on baseball he became oblivious to the world.

  Connor only nodded his head before focusing on his eggs. He had already made plans to spend the rest of the day in a gaming marathon with some friends of his, and needed to log on soon.

  “She probably didn’t sleep good. I’ve told her she stresses about work too much and it would catch up with her. Maybe when she does come out I can convince her to finally go a spa with me! We should really all go, especially you Dad, it will do wonders for your back pain…” Didi didn’t notice that her father had already stopped listening. Almost as soon as she started talking he had looked back down at his tablet and continued reading while he poked at his food. Although he worried about his younger daughter, he knew that if it were serious she would have come down and told someone.

  Didi kept rambling to herself the whole morning while Connor retreated to his room to game, and James settled into his lazy boy recliner in one corner of the living room. Saturdays were his day for relaxing and catching up on his reading. Everyone in the house knew not to disturb him…well, everyone except for Didi. Or rather, she knew, she just didn’t follow the rule.

  “Oh, no! I just remembered, Lisa is supposed to shop for flowers with me today! Oh, Dad, you know I can’t make decisions like that myself! Connor is no help, so you’ll have to do. Please, it’s getting so close to the big day and we need to have this set up soon!” Didi marched to stand right before her father. He only looked up at her through his lashes with a scowl.

  “Don’t look like that, blame her for being sick! We need to go now, though, the flower shop probably closes early on weekends, and I’ll need to look at everything and pick the best arrangement.” Didi snapped her fingers as though she had just remembered something very important. “We’ll need centerpieces too.”

  “If it’s so urgent then why wait on me? Go on ahead yourself. You’re the best judge for what you want.” James had had enough of Didi’s shopping habits while raising her, and had no desire to be dragged around a flower shop now, when she would be twice as excited by the most mundane and, in his opinion, boring things. He hadn’t been in a flower shop since his last anniversary with his late wife, and he had no desire to enter one now.

  “I couldn’t possibly, what if what I want is ugly, I need someone to tell me!”

  James muttered a quiet “Not that you would listen.” And turned slightly in his chair, indicating the conversation as over. Didi only scowled back at him and continued her rant until she heard someone coming down the stairs.

  “Sissie! Thank God you’ve come down, Dad won’t go with me, and we need to get to the flower shop two hours ago!” Didi almost tackled her sister before she had even reached the bottom of the steps.

  “I know, I know, I’m sorry. Just let me get a cup of coffee and we’ll go.” Lisa did her best to put on a smile, but it turned into more of a grimace. James noticed over the top of his tablet and only raised an eyebrow at her, to which she responded with a wider, though more fake smile. He only narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before going back to his tablet.

  Didi did not notice the exchange as she had already wrapped her sister in a tight embrace and started almost dragging her to the kitchen to get her the coffee, determined to put it in a thermos if it meant Lisa would be ready to go sooner. Even though she only wore a t-shirt and jeans, throw on some tennis shoes and she’d be halfway decent enough for Didi to go flower shopping with her.

  “So I know three different one’s that I want to check out. The first one we’re going to, I absolutely adore the designs, the second has the better prices for said designs (said with a slight wink), and the third…well I just want to go.” Didi began going into detail about what she thought would be important in center pieces and wall decorations, not noticing that Lisa only nodded along and didn’t actually pay attention, putting on her fakest smile

  So it went for the rest of the weekend. Unfortunately for Lisa the third florist Didi had wanted to see turned out to be an i********: florist, which explained why Didi had been so adamant about going to see her, despite already placing her bid on the second florist they had visited. Before she knew it she had been invited to a private flower showing on Sunday, where she would be required to ooh and aah at all the flowers she’d already had enough of for one day. She did her best to keep a semi-genuine smile on her face, but the entire time all she could think of was Tom.

  No matter how many lillies and roses were put in front of her, her mind drifted to the feeling of a large, warm hand pressing her into rock hard abs, that somehow also felt like cuddling with the Michelin Man. Her mind disappeared in the sensation of soft lips mashing against hers in an innocent dance, then diving into a tongue exploring every inch of her mouth as she surrendered completely under a such a strong force she couldn’t (and didn’t want to) resist. The longer her mind remained in the fantasy the more her body heated up, until she could have a blush reaching all the way to her chest as she imagined how those giant hands would feel against her skin…

  NO!

  He’s taken. He belongs to another and you are not a home wrecker! He’s a piece of crap for making out with you while his girlfriend…fiancée…O…My…God! Possibly his WIFE was waiting for him! You didn’t even look for a ring because you were to busy acting like a slut. That could have saved you quite a bit of trouble if you’d seen that before you left Connor in the first place.

  Lisa continued to hate herself even while Didi kept prodding her every few minutes to look at a new assortment that had been brought out. She didn’t need more than a quiet nod or a quick comment on how gorgeous the arrangement was to be satisfied, leaving Lisa to be content in her discontent for most of the day. She could smile when needed, and throw out a compliment when required, even while inside she battered herself for being so impulsive as to make out with a total stranger. She only had his name and yet she had allowed him to invade her lips and mind!

  "I’m a useless idiot." She reminded herself while she watched as Didi spoke with the woman who had invited them there. At least Didi seemed happy. She had always been the confident one, who knew what she wanted and got it. Now that happened to be something called Venus Bouquet’s as centerpieces, and Calla Lilies on the walls around a venue that had to be booked a year in advance. Although it didn’t matter to Lisa, she nodded when she felt Didi needed her to nod, and pursed her lips when she felt it was the response Didi would want. She really had no eye for these things, but she did know how her sister expected her to respond in a certain way by the way Didi would look at her. With those visual queues she finally made it through the weekend, and never had she looked forward to a working week more.

  “Did you lovely ladies have fun?” James greeted as they got back home. Lisa only nodded as Didi went into a full explanation of everything that had been presented to her, and extreme detail over which one she had actually commissioned. James only glanced at his younger daughter over the top of his tablet again, before diving back into whatever murder mystery he had been delving into this weekend. She wore a small, blank smile that any woman wore when her mind was drifting miles away, and there was no point trying to draw her out now.

  However, he took a page from Lisa’s book to put on the semi-appropriate look as Didi described her weekend in excruciating detail of the colors and scents, even as he only gave her those when needed, otherwise diving back into his Agatha Christi marathon. No matter how many of these he read, the greatest mystery would always be women themselves. One daughter who was too open…the other too closed off.

  If only Martha were here. She’d have Lisa opening up, and Didi totally happy with her choices. James dove back into his novel, determined that at least it’s mysteries would open up to him by the end of the weekend.