A Field of Poppies (50 page)

As she drove over the bridge on her way back home, she glanced toward the river. The thick greenery on the riverbank looked different. There were subtle color changes here and there and some flashes of scarlet. Clover was a common cover crop. If he’d planted the crimson clover variety it was probably putting on blooms.

Her thoughts shifted to preparations for their cookout and reminded herself to ask Gladys and Mel to bring folding chairs when they came. Kenny had already warned them he was going to drop by and liked his burgers rare. It was going to be their first official party as a couple and she couldn’t wait.

When she pulled into the drive, she gave the new exterior of their house a critical examination. Mike still didn’t know about the vandalism she’d endured, or about her fight in Millwood’s store, and she wasn’t going to tell him. If it came out, then fine. If not, so much the better. The longer he thought he was marrying a lady, the happier he would be.

She quickly unloaded the groceries and then began prepping for the grill.

****

Mike was in his element over an open fire. It was all Poppy could do not to laugh. He handled the spatula and tongs like he handled his gun - with skill and speed – and the running commentary that went with it kept everyone laughing.

As it neared sundown, people began walking up on foot while more cars began driving by the house. Word was getting around that Poppy and her cop were entertaining. She was on her way out of the house with a new bag of ice when she saw a big white Hummer turn the corner and come slowly down the street.

Oh my God, it was Aaron!

Everyone, including the police, knew the Coulter family was up to their ass in illegal activities, but they had yet to prove it or put one of them behind bars. She paused, wondering if he would acknowledge her as he passed the house. Having Mike on this side of the river had probably made them antsy. But to her surprise, not only did Aaron pull up and park, but he got out, carrying a six-pack and a big bag of chips.

She grinned. No one had ever accused Aaron of being shy.

She dumped the ice into the chest and then wound her way through the crowd toward him.

He looked a little uneasy when he saw her. “Am I going to put a kink in the festivities?”

“
No. Have you met my fiancé?”

He smiled. “I can happily say I haven’t had the pleasure.”

Poppy laughed.

Mike’s radar where Poppy was concerned was always on high alert. When he heard her laugh, he turned toward the sound. The man she was talking to looked familiar, and when they started toward him, he realized who it was, but his inner cop was off duty tonight.

He also remembered it was a tip from Aaron Coulter that had been part of what turned the tide in solving Sadler’s murder, so he couldn’t be all bad.

“
Hi honey.” Poppy slipped a hand under Mike’s elbow. “You haven’t met Aaron yet. Aaron, this is my fiancé, Mike Amblin. Mike, this is Aaron Coulter. He and Johnny have been friends since high school.”

“
Nice to meet you,” Mike said, as he shook Aaron’s hand. “I’m glad to finally get the chance to thank you for the tip you gave us that helped catch Sadler’s killer.”

Aaron was surprised by the cop’s genuine friendliness, but hid it behind a big smile.

“
It never hurts to keep an ear to the ground, you know?”

Mike smiled back. “Yeah, it’s the same in my profession. Grab yourself a burger and good luck in finding an empty chair.”

What could have been an uneasy moment passed without a hitch as Aaron headed for the table where the food was spread out buffet-style.

“
That deserves a pat on the back,” Poppy said.

“
I’ll settle for a kiss,” Mike said, and got what he asked for.

The sun finally gave up and disappeared, but the porch lights were coming on all along the block, keeping lights on the party still in progress.

All of a sudden there was a loud, thunderous boom that shocked everyone into sudden silence. They turned toward the river just in time to see the falling sparks in the sky and realized it was coming from Caulfield’s new residence.

“
Looks like the fireworks are about to begin,” Mike said, and when Poppy frowned, he pulled her back against his chest and whispered in her ear. “Keep an open mind, my love. They are innocent fireworks and have no part in your personal war.”

She snorted beneath her breath but didn’t comment.

The fireworks began and as expected, were a spectacular show that added another layer of fun to her party. She watched for a few minutes, but couldn’t stop thinking about a perky little blonde who wanted an older sister and a boy who’d been her mother’s first love. Finally, she begged off the show, using a trip to the bathroom as an excuse.

Once inside the house, she skipped the bathroom and went into their bedroom and closed the door. She needed to get a grip on her emotions, but didn’t know how. It was just a house. The people who lived there meant nothing in her life, so why did she feel guilty that she wasn’t there?

She sat down on the bed, wishing she could just curl up and sleep when the phone suddenly rang. She answered it without thought.

“
Hello?”

“
We missed you,” Justin said.

Poppy sighed. How had he known to call the moment she’d crawled off into the quiet to hide?

“
Mike and I are having a block party.”

“
It’s probably more fun than my housewarming.”

She didn’t answer.

“
Callie says hello. She was hoping you would come because she’s going to spend a couple of days with the Tillers and wanted to see you before she left.”

The news was actually surprising. Not only was Justin generous enough to share his child, he was giving her birth father a big foot in the door.

“
Really?”

“
Really.” Her silence was painful. No matter what he did, she didn’t seem inclined to accept the olive branch he kept offering. “Do you still hate me, Poppy?”

She sighed. “No, but it’s not for lack of trying,” she muttered.

He chuckled, and the sound washed through her. Then his mood shifted again to a more serious note.

“
Are you ever going to forgive me for abandoning your mother?”

“
It’s not my job to forgive you for that.”

“
Then I don’t understand. What’s left? What’s keeping you from just meeting me halfway?”

“
I live here. Being connected to you makes it hard for me to stay.”

“
You didn’t have to.”

“
I don’t want to leave here. This is home. Mike and I are going to live here even after we’re married.”

“
You’re getting married?”

“
Yes.”

“
When?”

“
December 1
^St.
”

There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “Do you think I might be invited?”

“
I suppose the possibility exists. Tell Callie if I decide to have a bridesmaid, the job is hers if she wants it.”

He smiled. That was more than he expected.

“
Oh she’ll want it, trust me. Are you watching the fireworks?”

“
I was, but I came inside.”

“
You might want to go back out, because the last one’s for you. I’m not ashamed of you, Poppy Sadler and want everyone to know it. I live for the day when you’re no longer ashamed of me.”

The dial tone was sudden and unexpected. Poppy stared at the receiver. He’d hung up. All of a sudden she remembered what he’d said and hurried outside.

“
There you are,” Mike said, as she slipped under his arm and then wrapped it around her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“
Oh wow! Would you look at that!” someone yelled.

All eyes turned toward the sky and the exploding rocket, then down to the grounds in front of the house where a fireworks display had begun to light up.

“
It’s spelling a word! Look! Look!” The crowd began to spell in unison as one by one, the letters lit up on the hillside.

“
P” “O” “P” “P” “Y”.

All of a sudden, the yard went quiet.

Poppy could feel their shock and waited for the judgment that would follow. Mike’s arm tightened around her, reminding her she wasn’t bearing this alone. But nothing happened.

There were a few whispers and then someone giggled.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
What was he thinking?

Then someone in the crowd started clapping. She dared a peek, but it was too late to see who had started it. The sound was spreading as more and more people began to join in, then Aaron came through the crowd, clapping and grinning. She should have known.

“
Way to go, girl,” Aaron said. “Maybe he heard about Frankie and JoJo.”

Poppy glared at him, and then quickly looked at Mike.

That made the crowd erupt as the clapping and jeering got louder.

Mike frowned. “Who’s Frankie and JoJo?”

“
Uh...”

But Aaron was still riding the spotlight. “Yeah, I’ll bet that’s why he wrote her name in fireworks. She’s one woman you won’t want to cross, and if you don’t believe me, Frankie and JoJo will tell you. In fact, I heard they’ve not only given up huffing, but they quit their graffiti tagging altogether. Frankie’s still walking bowlegged and JoJo’s nose healed leaning toward his right ear.”

That set off a roar of delight that made everyone laugh. Even Poppy started to grin.

“
Jesus Christ, Poppy. What did you do?” Mike asked.

She shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

“
Oh, two worthless stoners decided to entertain themselves by writing rich bitch across the front of my house in red paint. I made them sorry.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “You went after two men by yourself? Why didn’t you call me?”

“
Honestly? It never occurred to me. I grew up here, Mike. I’m as tough as they are.”

“
I can vouch for that,” Aaron said. “She had both of them on the floor begging for mercy and Millwood threatening to call the cops. It took all I had to pull her off.”

Poppy waited. Either Mike was going to be horrified, or it would be okay.

All of a sudden he grabbed her hand and held it high. “The winner and new Coal Town champion in a double TKO is Poppy ‘the ball-breaker’ Sadler.”

Poppy grinned. This time when they laughed, it no longer mattered. The only secret she’d kept from him was finally out in the open and he was laughing.

She took the teasing in good fun, but when no one else was watching, looked across the river to the house on the hill. The walls between them kept coming down. Even if she could, she was no longer certain that she would stop them.

****

Two days later

The sun wasn’t yet a full hour old, but already hot and promising to get hotter. Mike had already left for work. She’d traded days with another waitress, so having a day off in the middle of the week was unusual. She had a dozen things planned and was up early and already busy cleaning house. Johnny was coming by in a couple of days and she also wanted to do some baking before the day got too hot.

She’d dressed in an old pair of jeans and a tank top, pulled her hair up off her neck in a ponytail, and was looking all over the house for her other tennis shoe when the phone rang.

“
Hello?”

“
Hey honey. It’s me.”

“
Hi Mike, what’s up?”

“
Go down to the river.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“
You’ll see when you get there.”

“
You know I don’t like surprises. What is it?”

“
He keeps telling you in every way he knows how that you matter. Pay attention, woman. This is why your mother loved him.”

“
Mike, what-“

The line went dead.

“
Oh for God’s sake,” she muttered. “Whatever. I still have to find my other tennis shoe.”

She finally found it under the edge of the sofa, then locked the house and headed toward the river on foot. There were only three blocks between her street and the riverbank so it wouldn’t take all that long to get there, but her steps were dragging. She knew exactly who Mike had been talking about but wasn’t in the mood for more fireworks.

A dog barked at her from inside a fence as she walked past an empty lot, then continued to bark and was still barking when she finally reached Front Street, which ran the length of the Little Man. The closer she got to the river, the more anxious she became, wondering what embarrassing stunt he was about to pull now.

There was that cheap little paper flower he’d worn all winter on his expensive designer suits until it had fallen apart. He’d turned the hill overlooking the Little Man into a marquee with her name lights. All she could think was, what next?

Then she turned the last corner and the sight was so startling that she stumbled. The entire north bank of the river had exploded into a waving cascade of red. Whatever he’d planted had burst into bloom, but she couldn’t think what it meant. It was beautiful – so beautiful it made her eyes burn, but why did this prove he loved her?