Full Bloom

the middle of the bed, her arms hugging her knees. He came back across the room and tipped up her chin with one finger. Then he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
    "Hey," he said softly, "it's going to be all right. You and I are starting something very good. We don't have to keep it a secret."
    "I don't know, Jacob…"
    "I do," he assured her with the limitless confidence of a man who has always been strong enough to get what he wanted and keep it. "You and I are lovers now and I want everyone, including your family, to know it."
    "You know they won't approve, Jacob," she warned quietly.
    "Let me worry about that. As of now, there's to be no more skulking around or misleading information given out concerning your love life."
    "What am I supposed to do?" Emily asked waspishly. "Pass out announcements that I am now having an affair with you?"
    "I think we can be a little more subtle than that."
    "How?"
    "I'll take you to your father's birthday party," Jacob said thoughtfully. "That should be as good a way as any of letting your family know how things stand between us."
    Emily's eyes widened in shock. "You call that subtle?"
    "I call it effective." He patted her on the top of the head and turned once more toward the bathroom. "See you in a few minutes. By the way, I'd like my eggs sunny-side up this morning and whole wheat toast."
    The pillow Emily flung after him was a second too late. It struck the closed bathroom door instead of Jacob's head. She heard his pleased chuckle on the other side of the wall and then the sound of the shower drowned out the masculine laughter.
    Emily sat for a long moment, contemplating the new direction her life had just taken. All the fierce protective feelings she had been experiencing earlier came back stronger than ever. Jacob might think he was invulnerable, but she knew her family a lot better than he did.
    She knew in her heart that it was going to be up to her to provide the real protection for their relationship. She started to think seriously about ways of accomplishing that goal.

    Emily was still mulling over possible defenses later that morning as she fiddled with an experimental flower arrangement. This one involved some delicate freesia, a couple of irises and one magnificent lily.
    "That's the ticket!" Diane exclaimed as she walked into the shop with the morning coffee. "A little more glitz and glamour. Now you're on the right track."
    Emily gazed doubtfully down at her creation. "I don't know, Diane. It's too busy. It's not my style." She removed some of the freesia and instantly liked the new effect much better.
    "I know, I know. You're the subtle type," Diane grumbled as she came around behind the counter. She peered at her friend. "Have an interesting evening?"
    Emily looked up, startled by the unexpected question. "What's that supposed to mean?"
    Diane smiled cagily. "Just a casual comment."
    "Don't you dare ask about my love life."
    "Why not?" Diane retorted innocently.
    Emily grimaced. "Because at approximately 7:05 this morning my mother already did."
    "What made her ask?"
    "Guess," Emily said succinctly. She pulled out an iris, simplifying her creation further. Much better.
    "Oh. So Mom called and realized you had a man with you at seven in the morning? Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Did you tell her who was with you?"
    "No, I let her think it was Damon."
    "Oh, Lord." Diane rolled her eyes ceilingward. "Does the hunk of granite know you fibbed about who was in bed with you?"
    "Hunk of granite?"
    "Sorry. That's how I think of Jacob Stone."
    Emily sighed. "Yes, Jacob knows. He was furious."
    "I'm not surprised."
    "He doesn't seem to realize how upset my family will be if they find out I'm involved with him. I was only trying to protect him this morning when I allowed Mom to think Damon was there."
    "I've got news for you, pal," Diane said darkly. "You don't protect a man like Jacob by pretending you're sleeping with someone else instead of him. Talk about stupid."
    Emily spun around and folded her arms under her breasts. "All right, how do I go about protecting Jacob?"
    "Not by substituting another man into the equation, that's for sure."
    "What other approach is there?" Emily demanded, more of herself than of her friend. "I'm going to have to think of something and fast. Jacob is insisting on taking me to my father's birthday party on Thursday."
    "He does believe in taking the bull by the horns, doesn't he?" Diane noted admiringly.
    "Diane, this