Among the Tulips (15 page)

“Put that way…” He nodded. “You've got a deal.”

A
nnie opened the door and was not surprised to find a flower delivery truck in her driveway.

“Mrs. Hooper?”

Annie nodded.

“These are for you.”

“Thank you.” She took the yellow tulips. They were beautiful.

And they were so appreciated.

Lifting the card, she found it said,
Hoe is het met jou?

Her fingers trembled as she read the words. There was no name, just that phrase written upon it. Though it sounded familiar, she couldn't remember the translation.

Tulips.

He'd remembered her secret love of tulips.

Never in her life had anyone ever sent her tulips.

She'd arrived home three weeks ago, to the hot humid and very overpowering Louisiana heat. Wilting, she'd come home only to have her daughter stop by and blithely inform her, as she asked for more money, that she wasn't really pregnant. Her daughter had only said that to make Annie realize that it
could
have happened, since Annie wasn't being responsible and was running all over Europe with some movie star.

Annie had been furious. At her daughter and herself. Victor had been right. He'd known without even talking to her daughter that she had been lying.

They'd had a huge argument that had ended when Annie had told her daughter she was cutting the apron strings. Her daughter had thrown a statue, shattering it and Annie had told her to leave until she could treat her better.

It hadn't taken long for her stepson, Mark, to hear of the fight.

He'd shown up, laundry in tow, to test the waters.

Annie had informed him she wasn't a washeteria. And then she'd dropped the bombshell. The money in the trust that their father had left them had been split up. She'd opened accounts for both
children and had given them all but enough money to last her for two months.

Mark had been stunned. And then he'd told Annie he loved her and if she needed the money—

But Annie had simply said no. She was glad to know that Mark loved her. She had really begun to wonder. But giving them the money had been for the best. The children had been obsessed with the money their father had left her. By getting rid of it, giving it all to the kids, they would then have no more fuel from their mom against her. They could love her or not. They wouldn't be coming to her begging for money anymore—at least not their daddy's money. Nor hers since she wouldn't have any. She really was starting all over again.

But Victor had changed something in her. She was living again, felt alive and young, despite the fight they'd had. He had changed her in so many ways.

And though she missed Victor dreadfully, she admitted she needed the time away to break free and start her own life.

Which included the new job. Without Harry's money, she would need that job—desperately. She felt more qualified since the art lessons Victor had given her.

She wondered what Victor was up to….

She looked again at the flowers and then, on
impulse, went to the small rolltop desk and pulled out some writing paper. Sitting down, she began to write:

“It's a letter from Annie,” Victor said, wiping his face and sitting down in his chair at work.

He and Sean were doing some extra scenes on the movie that was due out at the end of the year and he'd had his mail forwarded.

“Oh?” Sean asked. He straightened his chain mail and threw the long black strands from the wig back over his neck. “What does she have to say?” Grabbing up a bottle of water he took a long cool swallow.

Victor was already reading.

“She really doesn't write verse well,” he murmured, a grin on his face. “But I'll never trade this letter for anything.”

“She wrote you poetry?” Sean asked. “Let me see.”

Victor held the letter up out of reach.

“I think it's time I finally go visit,” he said quietly.

“Finally? It's been nearly two months and you think it's
finally
time you go?” Sean dropped back in his seat with a big grin on his face.

“We're ready for you,” one of the assistants said.

Sean stood. “We'll be finished up by the end of the week.”

Victor nodded. “I'll be on the plane the next day. Can you watch Josh?”

“What are uncles for?” Sean said.

Victor stood. “Thanks. For everything.”

“Anytime,” Sean agreed.

“Just remember,” Victor said warily. “You promised. No more kissing Annie.”

Sean chuckled. He held up his hands. “Now what about at the wedding?”

The growl Victor let out scared the assistant away and had people within the area wondering just what had happened to set those two at it again.

 

Annie had counted twenty-two bouquets of tulips in her house this morning. She really needed to have a talk with Victor.

She'd found an English-Dutch dictionary and discovered what each message meant. The first one had said simply, How are you. A very apt question after the way she'd been when she'd left. The following day, red tulips had arrived with a note saying, I'm sorry.

Then a bouquet with a note that said, Forgive me.

Followed by notes such as: I'm a fool. You're my life. I got your letter. Be the keeper of my heart. There were more impersonal ones like: God has changed me, along with, my son likes you. He wants to see you again and so do I and I have full custody. She could go on and on. But today the note had translated as: I'll be seeing you.

She smiled at all of the flowers. Though she wasn't in Holland, she felt as if she was living among the tulips. It was breathtaking. And his notes…

She'd even gotten a four-page letter from him last week. It'd been seven weeks since she'd left. She'd started her job early at the Community Center. Her children, though they didn't agree with her
living her own life, had made peace and were actually starting to come by more often again.

She was so glad she'd done the right thing with them. She'd written Victor telling him what had happened, but hadn't heard back until the long letter.

She was ecstatic to hear he was in church and had such a hunger for God. He told her how many things he was discovering and that his son had hooked up with the youth group at the church. They had made a big difference in his life and he thought his son was going to heal.

He was worried because he was going to have to do some extra shooting for a movie that was due out in December and his son was going to be home alone with the servants. He said he might even take his son to the set instead.

It had been a wonderful letter.

She missed him so much.

Now in class, waiting for it to start, Annie took some time this morning to work on her own painting. Since she was in the Community Center, she didn't look up when the door opened, she simply said, “Come on in. I'll be right with you.”

She was working on a project for her house called Peace. For the first time in years she thought she'd finally come to grips with that. She hadn't
realized how little complete peace she'd had until she'd confronted her children.

“Delivery for Mrs. Hooper.”

Annie gasped.

She knew that voice.

She darted a glance around the canvas and stared.

Victor Rivers stood in the room smiling and looking so very good to her eyes. His hair was groomed perfectly, having grown back out, she noted, and he had a bit of stubble, probably from the shoot he'd had to do. The shirt and pants he wore complemented his gorgeous masculinity. “You've lost weight.”

He smiled.

Then she saw what he had in his hand. “My shoe?”

It was the shoe she'd worn over her cast. “I'm looking for the woman who can wear this shoe. She ran out of my house one morning and I haven't seen her since.”

She bit her lower lip, grinning. She slowly shook her head. “I'm afraid it doesn't fit me.” She held out her leg to show the cast was gone.

“I'm glad to hear that,” he replied and then from behind his back, he brought out the other shoe. “But perhaps this one does?”

Her eyes widened.

He walked forward and knelt down in front of her. “What are you doing, Victor?” she asked.

She saw that every single person from the center was gathered at the door, peeking in. She blushed. Of course, Victor would draw a crowd wherever he went. Oh dear, there was Amy with a video camera.

When he touched her shoe, she looked down. He slipped the loafer from her foot. “Let's try this,” he said.

“Victor,” she whispered.

She hadn't seen him in forever, but it was like only yesterday. Her heart was hammering, blood racing through her vessels and she even felt light-headed.

He eased her toes into the shoe and released her foot.

She tried to slip her foot in but something was blocking it.

“Don't tell me this one doesn't fit either?”

She knew that was her shoe and it should fit. She lifted her foot and grabbed the shoe to see what was the matter. “Well it might help if you took this silly little box out…”

She trailed off as she realized just what the box was.

She glanced down at Victor, who was still on one knee before her, and then back at the box. “Open it, Annie,” he said.

With trembling fingers, she pried open the lid.

“Will you marry me?”

Her hand went to her mouth. “Oh heavens,” she whispered. Inside was a beautifully cut oval diamond.

“I love you, Annie Hooper. I thought my life was great until you came along. But with your crash into my life I was never able to go back to how I was before—on autopilot, simply navigating through life without purpose. Because of you I've found life in Jesus and because of you I've found love again.

“Though these last seven weeks have been some of the best of my life as I've rediscovered my relationship with Christ, they have also been the loneliest of my life. Marry me,” he repeated. “I know now that I can do ever after.”

Ever after.
He'd come to grips with his relationship problems just as she had come to grips with her own weaknesses.

And he wanted her to marry him.

She nodded, unable to say anything.

He took the box and slipped the ring on her finger.

“Now about our wedding,” he said as he stood. “We have to have a big wedding. And Sean has already agreed to be my best man. But there's this
custom that the best man can kiss the bride. When he tries that I want you to say
ga weg.
Okay?”

Annie tossed back her head and laughed. And then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, in front of the gathering students and staff.

He lifted her into his arms, holding her close. Spinning her around in the middle of the room he said, his mouth only a mere breath from hers, “I'm never going to let you go again.”

“Nor I you, my love. Nor I you. For now and evermore.”