Sealed With A Kiss

Chapter Three

“Motorcycles!”

“Not just any motorcycles. The best American-made bikes ever.” Sam glanced up from the makeshift drafting table, savoring the moment and the site of Tara’s lovely face contorted in disgust.

“It doesn’t make any difference what kind they are. They’re all foul-smelling and noisy. You might as well sell kerosene and chain saws down here.” Tara swept an arm toward the empty first floor, soon to be occupied by Sam’s Cycles. “Come on Sam, you can’t be serious about this.”

“I’m quite serious.”

“Then you’re doing it to spite me.”

He rolled his eyes and snorted. “You need to get over yourself, Rusty. Not everything’s about you. Did you consider consulting with me about any of your plans?”

She drew a breath to speak, but he ignored it and continued.

“No, because you want to do what interests you. Well, bikes are what interest me. Since it’s a subject I know a little something about, I intend to make a living selling them right here in the Elliott Building. By the way,” he paused, considering a new subject, “I’d like to talk to you about changing the name to the Kennesaw Building.”

“How dare you.” Her azure eyes bulged.

“I dare because it’s time to bring this town into the new millennium. Modernize. Move with the times, don’t you reckon?”

“Are you quite finished?”

“Honey, I’m just gettin’ started.” Sam smiled and looked her up and down. Instead of shrinking from his gaze, she stood taller and squared her shoulders beneath the solid black ensemble. He expected a battle and it seemed she wouldn’t disappoint.

“Grandmother wanted us to come back here and do something to help the community. I can think of a hundred reasons why you’re wasting your time trying to sell motorcycles.”

“Name three,” he challenged.

“Well, first of all, nobody around here rides those things.”

“Yet,” he countered. “And that’s because they don’t have a local dealer or service center. Once that objection is eliminated, you’re gonna see bikers everywhere.”

Tara grimaced at the suggestion. “And secondly, you’ll never make any money at it. How are you going to afford all those greasy parts, let alone new stuff?”

“I have connections.” He gave Tara a conspiratorial wink. “I happen to have a very successful contact in the business who can front me the stock as long as I can meet the, um, payment arrangements.”

“And if you can’t?” Her forehead wrinkled with apparent concern.

“I’d sooner not think about that.” He dismissed the subject with an exaggerated shudder. “Besides, I have a hunch Sam’s Cycles will be a hit.”

“Well, a hunch is not sufficient reason to go into business. You need something sensible to draw customers.”

“Like expensive antiques, huh? I reckon that’s just what we need to get this depressed economy back on track.”

She held up a hand to slow his argument. “You made that point with me yesterday and I’ve reconsidered my original plans. Thanks to your comments there will be a variety of products in all price ranges. So, I guess I owe you one.”

“That’s the understatement of the decade.”

She ignored his jab. “I’m also going to sell a wide range of books and other reading materials, and there will be a modern coffee bar. I intend to have something for every level of spending.”

“And you’ve done extensive market research to confirm that adding books and coffee will attract buyers by the score, I presume?” He enjoyed the flicker of annoyance in her stormy blue eyes.

“You only ask that because you think you know the answer. However, I have years of study and experience in appraisal and sales. I’m studying the markup on the merchandise I expect to carry, I know what the folks around here can afford to spend and I have a marketing strategy to draw shoppers from other towns.”

“Well, it’s nice to know my days as a teaching assistant weren’t completely wasted. Sounds like you didn’t spend all your time in Economics 101 daydreaming about being my bride.”

He was never going to let her forget her uncharacteristically bold confession and the subsequent kiss. And, it seemed, he would use it against her.

“If you intend to humiliate me at every turn, this has no chance of being a cooperative effort.”

“If you’re waiting for an apology, don’t waste your time or mine. I have a lot to do in the next few weeks.” Sam dipped his head and resumed drawing on the large pad of graph paper, which lay atop his makeshift desk, a sheet of plywood balanced over two saw-horses.

Tara’s eyes followed the movement of his thick mahogany mane as his head dropped forward. The devastating appeal of his clean-shaven profile was undermining her determination to remain calm. Against her better judgment, she admired the tanned arms stretched forward across the drawing. Her attention was drawn to the white paper where Sam was positioning windows and doors against a solid wall.

“How about number three?” she asked.

“What?” He glanced up, a puzzled expression in his eyes.

“You told me to name three reasons. Don’t you want to hear number three?”

The confusion left his face, replaced by a look of expectation. Sam sat tall on the stool he’d fashioned from concrete blocks, folded his arms and cocked his handsome head to one side as he waited.

She had his full attention and no idea what to say next. “Even if you can sell a few motorcycles, it’s only a matter of time before you get bored with this place and want to leave again,” she blurted.

The deep crease between his brows softened as he dropped his arms to his sides and indulged in a slow shoulder roll followed by a patronizing smile.

“I can see where a city woman like you might think that,” Sam reasoned, “but there’s still plenty for me in Beardsly. But have you considered that folks might be a bit suspicious of your staying power?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She bristled.

“I was forced to relocate when my opportunity here dried up. But you had every advantage and every reason to stay. These folks may talk slow but their minds work just fine. They know the difference between being left behind and being dumped. I think they’ll give me another chance. You, however, might have some charred bridges to rebuild.”

Sam’s insight was a punch to the solar plexus. Had she been a fool all these years, unconcerned about how the hometown folks would react to her refusal to visit? Suddenly she envisioned her grand opening with no one to sample her fancy cappuccino, no kind face to purchase her hardbound books, no supporters to guide well-heeled shoppers her way.

She knew a thing or two about changing. She might have accepted her grandmother’s challenge without seeing all the relationship repairs that would be necessary but, thanks to Sam, the blindfold was off.

She had a name for her store. Bridges to build.

Literally.

Five days after her loan application was accepted, Tara was still without funds. Buying on credit and scrimping to cover her few personal needs brought back memories of her early years in the city, years she’d sooner remember with distant nostalgia than with familiar clarity.

Sam made building an exterior entrance for the second floor his top priority. By the end of today she would no longer need to bother him for passage upstairs. The thought of not seeing him at his homemade drafting table made her heart sink a bit. But it was just as well, since he goaded her at every turn.

Sitting behind the scarred secretarial desk she’d picked up at a local thrift shop, Tara’s best sales voice echoed in the otherwise empty room.

“Miss Frieda.” Tara tried to sound confident. “I assure you Bridges will pose no threat to the campus bookstore traffic. If anything, we’ll work in concert with you to fully meet the needs of the students.”

“Young lady, as you may recall, I’ve been ‘fully’ meeting the needs of my students for almost forty years, now. Did you ever lack for anything during your school days in Beardsly?”

Her fear was confirmed. The woman at the other end of the telephone line had an ax to grind.

“No, ma’am, of course not. I wanted to tell you myself about the opening of Bridges and let you know my intention is not to compete with your sales, but rather to offer literary alternatives.”

“Well, you’re a few days late. I’ve heard all about your literary alternatives.”

Tara smiled to herself. So, word was out. There must be some buzz on the street.

“That nice young Sam Kennesaw already told me all about your plans.”

Nice? Young? Well, by Frieda Walker’s standards Tara supposed he might be.

Her smile flipped upside down. Was he secretly going behind her back to poison everybody’s opinion? Was he planning to drive her out of town and keep everything for himself?

“Um, I see. So Sam gave you a call already then?” Maybe with some careful questioning she could find out what the big sneak had been up to.

“Sam? Gave me a call? Not hardly. He knows how to do things the proper way. He’s been in the bookstore and student center every day this week. How else is everybody supposed to find out about his bike shop?”

Careful questioning of the college bookstore manager was not going to be necessary. Miss Frieda was in a chatty mood.

“And I saw him down at the Varsity Theater, too. The poor boy can’t afford advertisement, but I always say word of mouth is the best mode of communication, anyway.”

Tara began to suspect she was the one person in town who hadn’t been the target of Sam’s one-man ad campaign.

“Which is another reason for my call. I wanted to let you know the grand opening of Bridges is scheduled for—”

“I know, June first, the same day as Sam’s place, Sam’s Cycles. He’s already told everybody.”

Everybody but Tara.

So that’s what he’s up to. He plans to overshadow my special day with a little excitement of his own, huh? We’ll see about that.

“He’s living with the students? Over in those tiny apartments?” Tara questioned.

“That’s what I heard.”

She and Lacey filled their plates from the all-you-can-eat salad bar at Ruthie’s Kitchen. They ladled creamy dressing atop greens and choice veggies, tossing raisins and croutons on for good measure. Neither woman was inclined to pass on lunch in favor of squeezing into designer jeans. Tara’s all-black, figure-minimizing wardrobe had become infamous about town. It had also become unbearably hot as the mercury rose into the nineties before noon each day.

They slid into an empty table as Lacey continued. “You know the older boys don’t want to live in the dorm anymore. So, three or four of them get together and share one of those little efficiencies that have less square footage than a dorm room, go figure. Well, Sam’s living in the smallest one of all, which makes sense, seeing as he doesn’t have a pot to cook in or a window to throw it out of.”

Lacey paused to collect a getaway crouton and pop it into her waiting mouth. “Anyway, they have a new evening ritual of sitting out behind the apartments, drinking sodas and asking Sam for advice on keeping life simple. He’s becoming their mentor.”

At this new piece of information, Tara sucked in a surprised breath and, along with it, a raisin. Heads turned toward their table while she sputtered and coughed in an effort to dislodge the fruit. She struggled to free her airway, tears trickling over her lashes.

“Honey, are you gonna be all right?” Lacey pleaded.

Tara nodded, swiped at her running nose and continued to struggle for breath.

Strong arms grabbed her from behind, hoisted her to her feet, positioned clasped hands against her chest and gave a powerful tug in and upward. A whoosh of breath was forced from her lungs. A small projectile shot across three tables and into the trash can by the exit door.

The lunch crowd burst into cheers. She didn’t need eyes to confirm what her intuition already suspected. The conquering hero was at it again.

Lacey stuffed a wad of paper napkins in Tara’s hand, motioning she should wipe her face.

Sam released his grip and stepped around the table, his concern turning to amusement as Tara smeared navy mascara from one temple to the other. On the tips of her auburn lashes, he found the blue color enchanting. But by the time she’d finished wiping her eyes and nose, the streaks had given her the appearance of a masked character from the comics.

“Thank you for your help,” she sniffed. “I should go to the ladies’ room and freshen up.”

“No, that’s not necessary. You’re fine, considering you were almost done in by a dried grape.”

“Tara, I agree you should make that trip to the ladies’ room,” Lacey cautioned, gesturing toward her own eyes.

“Nonsense.” Sam took Tara’s hand as he sat and drew her down into her chair. “Now, finish your salad. Oh, by the way, my mama taught me to chew each bite twenty times before swallowing.”

“That must be my problem. I didn’t have a mama.”

“No, you had a rich old grandma and I’m sure she gave you the same lecture.”

He motioned for Tara to continue her meal.

“Since you mentioned your mama, how is she, Sam?”

“Fine. She married a nice retired guy a couple of years ago. They own a condo on South Padre.” He crunched a crouton that he snagged from her plate.

“Aren’t you having anything?” She stabbed a forkful of spinach.

“I’m waiting for the guys.”

“The guys?” Tara’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, you mean the students. Yes, I hear you’ve managed to worm your way into their living quarters.”

“If you call keeping my expenses low by renting the cheapest apartment in town ‘worming my way into the student quarters’ then I guess you’re right. Too bad Grandma didn’t leave us the house together.”

“But she didn’t.” The menacing glare was wasted in the swirls of navy that stained her eyelids and cheeks.

“That’s a shame, too. Instead of rocking on your veranda at night I’m sitting on lawn chairs in the parking lot, enjoying the smell of simmering asphalt.”

“Somehow, I think it suits you.”

He was grateful for the excuse to smile at the ridiculous picture she made in her severe black jacket and skirt, straitlaced hairdo and birdman mask.

A mechanical roll of thunder overwhelmed the clinking of stainless on Melamine as three choppers pulled to a stop near the entrance of Ruthie’s Kitchen. Burly men clad in leather removed their helmets to reveal colorful do-rags over balding heads.

Sam scooted the chair back and pushed to his feet. “Gotta go. The guys are here.”

“Those men? I thought you were talking about some of the students.”

“I know. You assume way too often, Rusty. And you know what they say about people who assume.”

“Save your clichéd pearls of wisdom for the college boys, Sam.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that. I value the guidance of a woman who drinks in my every word and memorizes the lines on my face.”

Tara was mortified. The man must have gone home after her humiliating teenage soliloquy and made notes. All these years she’d prayed he’d forgotten her passionate profession of love. Of the millions of forgetful men in the world, she’d had to fall for one with a razor-sharp memory.

And Sam wasn’t likely to forget anytime soon. As long as she took the bait, he’d keep setting the trap.

She considered tossing her glass of ice water in his insolent face. Instead, she took a long drink to cool down the heat that threatened to rise in her throat and cheeks. She stood, picked up her black clutch and turned away.

His strong hand shot out, grasping her forearm with surprising speed. As if sensing the unnecessary pressure, Sam loosened his grip. She fixed the offending hand with a hot stare and he released his hold.

“Wait, we need to talk,” he insisted. “This involves structural changes to the building that I think you should know about.”

He angled his dark head toward the sound of the bikes. “Those guys are my demolition crew. Tomorrow morning their equipment will arrive and we’ll begin knocking out the alley side of the building to accommodate overhead doors. The day after that we’ll take out chunks of the front side and replace it with showroom windows. It’ll be noisy and dusty. I didn’t want to get started without showing you the drawings and explaining it all first. And I need your signature on a couple of permits.”

The heat creeping up her neck couldn’t be stopped by a barrel of ice water. “When did you start planning this ‘demolition’ as you call it?”

“About fifteen minutes after the reading of your grandma’s will.”

“And you’re just now asking for my permission?”

Sam threw his head back and laughed. Not like you’d laugh out loud at a funny joke. More like you’d laugh with hysterical relief if you won the lottery. The lunch crowd at Ruthie’s had stopped watching the commotion out front and were all staring at Sam when he caught his breath and wiped away the tears of mirth.

“You still don’t get it, do ya, Rusty? I’m not asking for your permission. Not today. Not ever. I have as much right as you do to make changes to that building and if you want to drop by this afternoon, I’ll give you a preview of the coming attractions. If not, I suggest you work from Sycamore House tomorrow, because it’s going to be dusty when those bricks fall.”

He retrieved his helmet and headed toward the exit, but he didn’t exactly make a beeline for the door. Instead he worked the crowd as if he were running for office. He smiled and complimented the ladies and glad-handed all the men. If there’d been a baby in the place, he would have kissed it.

Along with everyone else, Tara found herself mesmerized by the vision of Sam and the other men beyond the plate-glass windows. Then, she caught sight of her reflection in the shiny pane. As Tara’s hands flew to her face, Lacey’s blond reflection joined that of the wretched blue-faced creature in the glass.

“You have to admit, I did try to get you to go to the ladies’ room.”

Tara opened her black clutch and withdrew a small canister of pepper spray. She handed it to her friend.

“In the future, if I ever refuse to follow your instructions, use this.”

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