Rana stopped breathing. She didn’t move. The daisies, which she was holding against her chest, were crushed between them. She heard the crackling of the green tissue they were wrapped in and felt the damp petals against her arms.
But it was the man who captured most of her awareness. He smelled like summer sunshine and a masculine fragrance. She wanted to nuzzle his warm neck and breathe deeply of his scent. His lips went from cool to warm against her cheek. His breath, rapid and unsteady, whispered across her face. Only a supreme act of will kept her from flinging her arms around him and never letting him go.
He hesitated, as though trying to make up his mind about something; then he stepped away. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, taking her arm and leading her through the mall.
“How is your shoulder?” she asked once they were in the car and negotiating traffic again.
He laughed. “You’ve asked me that several times already.”
“And I never got an answer. What did the doctor say?”
“He said that by the time I go off to summer training camp, I should be in great shape.”
“ Trent, that’s wonderful,” she said enthusiastically, tamping down a wave of sadness that came with his news. When he left for camp, he’d be leaving her life for good.
“I guess the rest and relaxation is starting to pay off.” He grinned across at her. His smile showed brilliantly in his darkly tanned face. “Hungry?”
She nodded. “I didn’t get any lunch.”
“Neither did I.”
He took her to one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. She had just begun to acquire a taste for the spicy ethnic cuisine. “Are you sure we’ll get out alive?” she commented dubiously when he braked in the gravel parking lot of the restaurant. It hardly qualified as such. “Cantina” might have been a more appropriate description. The porch sagged considerably. The sign over the door was so faded that only a few letters were distinguishable. The windows were murky and decorated with window boxes containing dusty plastic flowers in garish colors.
“I didn’t say it was fancy, only that it was the best.”
They laughed and joked all through the meal, which Trent ordered from an enormously fat woman who kept patting him affectionately on the cheek and calling him “Angelito.”
When they left the restaurant, he drove Rana around Houston, pointing out places of interest that an out-of-towner would rarely see.
By the time they returned to Galveston, it was well after dark. Ruby was waiting for them at the back door. “I’ve been worried,” she said. “ Trent, did you forget that you promised to take me bowling tonight?”
Rana could almost hear his inward groan, but for his aunt’s sake, he smiled. “Of course not. Not after looking forward to it all week. Is it all right if Ana comes along?”
“Certainly,” Ruby said. “The more the merrier.”
Rana had had such a perfect day, she wanted it to stop now, before something happened to ruin it. Besides, she didn’t want to intrude on Ruby’s evening with her adored nephew. “I’m a lousy bowler. You two go ahead. I’m tired and want to get to bed early anyway.”
She wanted to think that Trent was disappointed. He seemed to be as Ruby practically dragged him out the front door. “Be sure to lock up,” he told Rana as she waved good-bye. She had the distinct impression that he would much rather have stayed with her than escort his aunt to the bowling alley. His farewell smile left a warm, glowing feeling inside her.
In her room, she placed the daisies in a vase of water and put them where she could see them as she reclined in a hot bubble bath. She had just stepped out when her telephone rang.
“Where have you been all day?” a gruff voice asked when she answered.
“And hello to you, too, Morey. I had to go to Houston.”
“That’s what your landlady told me.”
“You’d be proud of the money I came home with.”
“Too bad I’m not getting my percentage.” Rana wondered again if Morey hadn’t gotten himself into financial straits with his gambling, but before she could inquire, he plunged right into the business at hand. “Well, have you thought it over?”
“Yes, Morey.”
“Spare me the suspense.”
“My answer is no.”
She had thought it over carefully, weighing every aspect of her decision. As recently as last night she had entertained the thought of returning to her former way of life, despite the unhappiness it would bring her.
But today, when Trent had presented her with the flowers, she’d realized how much progress she had made. A man had given her flowers without considering whether or not she was pretty. The daisies weren’t a tribute to her beauty, but to the woman she was on the inside.
She didn’t want to return to the superficial world, where she was considered a commodity solely because God had given her a certain face and body.
“Do you realize what you’re passing up, Rana?”
“Please don’t try to talk me out of my decision, Morey. My mind’s made up. I’m not saying I’ll never go back. Just not right now.”
His sigh conveyed his disappointment, but all he said was, “That’s it, then?”
“Yes. That’s it.”
They chatted about other things. She inquired about her mother’s health. Morey described her mother’s personality in crude terms, but assured Rana that Susan was in good health.
“She’ll raise billy hell when I tell her you’re turning this offer down. And since you’re not here, she’ll take it out on
“I know, and I’m sorry you’ll bear the brunt of it.”
“Goes with the territory.”
“Are you terribly disappointed, Morey?”
“Disappointed, yes. I think you’re a little crazy, but I still love you.”
“And I love you too. I’m sorry to be such a burden.”
“Life’s full of them, Rana. Full of them.”
They said their good-byes. Rana wished she felt more comfortable with her decision. Instead, her conversation with Morey left her feeling vaguely sad and homesick for him.
Then she spotted the bouquet of daisies. They were like a ray of light that penetrated her despondency and coaxed back her golden mood. It stayed with her until she finally dropped off to sleep.
She slept late. When she opened her eyes and glanced out the window, she could tell the sun was well up. Her clock verified the lateness of the hour. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she noticed the slip of paper lying just inside her door.
I knocked twice, but didn’t hear a sound. Yes, I listen at your door often. Guess you‘re sleeping late. I approve. See you later.
The note was left unsigned, but the barely legible scrawl, as well as the humor, was dearly familiar.
She dressed and went downstairs. The house was deserted. She ventured into the backyard and decided to tour Ruby’s greenhouse. The elderly lady had been bragging about the results of her efforts there.
It was hot and humid inside the glass building, but Rana enjoyed the smell of freshly turned soil. Not a breath stirred. Condensation collected in droplets on the panes of glass surrounding her. It was silent. The sound of her footsteps was absorbed by the spongy earthen floor. She walked between the long tables, with their neat rows of potted plants. She studied them, delighting in every exotic bloom, each delicate leaf, with its unique tracery of veins.
“Sloth is a sin.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, and spun around.
“I did it again, didn’t I? I snuck up and startled you? Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Trent heaved a bag of peat moss off his shoulder and wiped his hands on the seat of his cutoffs. His T-shirt was damp with perspiration.