Romance Got To Get You Into My Life

Sarah insisted Sandy's lack of suitors was because of her forceful and unyielding personality. She urged Sandy to be less demanding and critical. Boys simply didn't like bossy, pushy girls.

While Sandy admitted that Sarah had a point, she was unwilling to accept mediocrity in herself and others. That attitude had a lot to do with why she was so often home on a weekend while her friends and cousins were out on dates.

Now another cousin was getting married. Sandy had attended enough of these weddings to know how things would go. First would be all the girls introducing their dates. Eventually Sandy would be asked if she was there with anyone, even though all of her cousins knew her dismal dating history. Sandy would be the center of a few uncomfortable minutes as the girls tossed out names of possible suitors and why they could be a match for her. Eventually the conversation would turn to less painful topics.

Sandy felt like she was going through déjà vu all over again at the reception. Her cousin Angela had just married a handsome, athletic looking guy and the cousins were agreeing on how well she had done finding a good husband.

"Sandy, are you here with a significant other today?" Marie asked loud enough so the other women turned their attention her way.

"Well, I haven't really had the time with my new position at Smith and Haynes. Grandmother expects me to learn the business well enough to take over for her."

"You don't have any time to date? Have you met any interesting men since Brianna's wedding last spring?" Marie pressed.

"Not really..." Sandy began before Sarah interrupted her.

"I'd say that Mark's a very interesting man. Sis doesn't talk about it much, but she spent a month learning about the sales part of the business with a real hunk."

Sandy loved her sister for trying to improve her social standing, but she worried about the inevitable questions she would be asked.

"No kidding?" Cousin Charity joined in. "A workplace romance? Is it still going on? What's the guy look like?"

"Well he's..." Sandy managed before Sarah cut in with what amounted to shocking information.

"Coming through the door right now!" Sarah blurted as she stared toward the entrance.

Mark was smiling and shaking hands with the groom who was standing near the entrance greeting guests. It was obvious that the two men were good friends by the back slapping and laughter the two men shared.

"Oh, wow!" Marie gasped. "He's very good looking, Sandy. You will be introducing us to your boyfriend, won't you?"

Sandy glared at Sarah as she struggled for a reasonable response to Marie's question. Why did Sarah make it sound like she and Mark were an item? Now she faced the most embarrassing possible situation.

Sarah saw Sandy grimace and decided to try to make the most of the situation. "I don't think Mark saw Sandy yet. I'm going to go get him and bring him over for everyone to meet. He's a great guy."

Sarah saw Sandy's face turn crimson at her words. Sarah had only met Mark briefly, but she felt certain that he'd be a gentleman and help Sandy extricate herself from the situation Sarah had created.

Mark was chatting with his friend Lance when he recognized Sarah as she approached him. His smile became even brighter as he welcomed her with a hug.

"Sarah? I didn't know you'd be here today. Are you friends with Angela? Did Sandy come, too?"

"Yes! Sandy's here and she needs your help. I kind of told all our cousins that she had been working with a real hunk when they asked if she had been seeing anyone. I gave the impression that you liked each other and all the girls want to meet you. Sandy's scared to death that she'll be exposed as a desperate woman and it'll be my fault," Sarah rapidly explained as she led Mark toward the gathering of cousins.

"Could you please be real nice to her? It would mean a lot to Sandy and keep me out of her doghouse."

Mark had been digesting everything Sarah was telling him as he escorted her across the room. "That's the kind of favor I like to be asked. Don't worry. I've got this."

Sandy stood transfixed as Sarah and Mark approached her. She had no idea what to say, how to act, or how to get out of the situation she was facing.

Mark was beaming as he moved in front of Sandy and put his arms around her and pulled her to him and spoke loudly. "It's so good to see you again, Sandy."

As he hugged her to his chest, he whispered in her ear. "Can I give you a kiss? Would that be okay?"

As he released her from his embrace, Sandy looked questioningly into his eyes. She saw what she was looking for and raised her lips up to Mark's. He needed no further encouragement as he again pulled Sandy to his chest.

Sandy lost track of time as her emotions controlled her totally. She was relieved that Mark had asked to kiss her, that he was in her arms and that he didn't care who saw them. She didn't want the moment to end.

"Sis, you're creating a bit of a scene here," Sarah spoke softly to her sister, but loud enough for the others to hear. "These hussies are all getting wet panties just watching you.

"Uh oh, Grandmother's coming over. You'd better let the guy go and see what she wants."

Sandy's face was flushed and radiant as she stepped back from Mark to greet her grandmother. As she regained control of her emotions, she began to wonder if there was going to be a problem.

To her surprise, Grandmother Haynes, moved close to Mark and reached up to kiss his cheek. She took his hand in hers as she turned to Sandy with a bright smile.

"Your mother and father were wondering who the young man was who took you in his arms and greeted you so warmly," Mrs. Haynes revealed. "I assured them what a fine person he is and offered to introduce him to them. Your mother is dying from curiosity. Let's go over and relieve that problem."

Sandy had not even considered that her parents and grandmother were at the reception when she was in Mark's arms. She had never done anything remotely close to passionately kissing a man in front of them. Hell, a warm handshake with a man would have surprised them.

"Grandmother, let me do the introductions, please," Sandy insisted as she led Mark up to her parents.

"Mom. Dad. This is Mark Reynolds. He was the man I told you about when I first went to work for Smith and Haynes," Sandy managed. "Mark, these are my parents, William and Janet Phillips."

Mark smiled and extended his hand to Sandy's mother, but she would have none of it. She stepped past his arm and gave him and warm hug.

"If Sandy can kiss you like that, her mother can certainly give you a hug," Janet stated. "My, aren't you the strong one? Did I mention that I'm very pleased to meet you?"

Sandy felt some embarrassment at her mother's warm greeting. She tried to recall her mother ever acting so cordially to a boy Sandy introduced to her when she realized that Mark was the first guy she ever taken to meet her parents.

William Phillips was less impressed. He shook Mark's hand but felt the need to rebuke him. "I don't especially care for public signs of affection, Mr. Reynolds. I expect you to treat my daughter with respect."

Mark instantly realized that William was a bit of a stuffed shirt. "Mr. Phillips, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. I accept that. It doesn't alter the fact that whenever your beautiful daughter is receptive to a hug or a kiss from me, she'll be getting one."

William Phillips turned red and began to puff up. Sarah saw it and quickly tried to lighten the mood.

"I assume you're talking about me, Mark. I'm ready for all the hugging and kissing you give can me," Sarah joked as he gathered Mark in for a hug.

"Actually, I was referring to the other beautiful Phillips daughter, Sarah," Mark replied with a chuckle. "However, if Sandy is okay with it, I'll be glad to..."

"Don't even think about it, Buster," Sandy interrupted, but with a big smile. "Mark, would you walk with me to meet some of my other relatives, especially that coven of witches standing by the bar staring at us?"

Once she was away from her parents, Sandy stopped and turned to Mark. "What just happened? Did Sarah ask you to save me from an embarrassing situation? Were you just being a gentleman? Why did you kiss me like that?"

"Sarah did tell me that she had sort of placed you in a difficult position and asked me to help out," Mark admitted.

When the smile left Sandy's face, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her close. He lifted her face up close to his.

"Sandy, it was like a dream come true for me. Sarah didn't have to twist my arm. You're a beautiful woman and I really like being with you. I'm not pretending here. I hope that you're not either."

Sandy smiled and softly kissed his lips. "That's what I wanted to hear. I didn't want this to be some sort of mercy fuck, pardon my French. I like being with you, but only if you want the same. I'd like to get to know you better. Are you friends with the groom? I had no idea you'd be here today?"

"I played baseball with Lance in high school. We roomed together on a traveling team one summer. He and I have become good friends. I didn't know that Angela was your cousin until a few minutes ago."

Sandy was beaming as she introduced Mark to her many cousins and assorted relatives. She could tell that they were impressed with his appearance and his demeanor. Mark had told her many times that a good salesperson only had to sell one thing. That thing was himself. If you could do that, everything else would fall into place. Mark was charming, humorous and attentive to all her extended family. They responded with obvious approval.

As was the custom with the family that tables were assigned so that the cousins were sitting at several adjacent tables. Being of legal age, more than a few drinks were enjoyed and stories began to flow. This was usually one of the times when Sandy listened but failed to participate. She never felt that she had anything interesting to offer.

Mark was asked how he met Sandy. He slightly embellished how Sandy had sent him home from work without pay within minutes of meeting him. She had fired him at the second meeting. Sandy laughed along with everyone as she realized that it did make a rather funny story.

"Sis, tell everyone about the time you slept with Mark," blurted out a slightly inebriated Sarah. "That's a great story."

Everyone's attention immediately turned to a blushing Sandy.

"Thanks a lot, Sarah. You just gave everyone here the impression that Mark and I are lovers."

"Is that such a terrible thing?" Marcie teased. "I don't see any problem with it from where I sit."

"I have to tell it now. Your imaginations will be a lot worse than the actual event," Sandy reasoned. "It was at the end of my stint with Mark as my mentor. I told you how Grandmother had insisted on me learning about sales from the expert. As usual, she was right about it. I learned a lot.

"The owner's son of one of our biggest clients was flirting with me. I was kind of hoping to make Mark a little jealous, if the truth be known. I agreed to meet the guy for dinner at our hotel and go dancing in the club afterward. I stupidly thought Mark would put his foot down and stop me. He was the one who pointed out that it's okay to flirt a little with customers to help make sales, but never date them, hook up with them, or have anything other than a business relationship.

"Mark didn't voice any protest at all. I think he went to his room before the guy and I even had our dinner. We drank a little too much at dinner. We went to the lounge afterward and danced. We also drank some more. I was getting worried about how much I had consumed, so I told him I was done for the night and was going to my room."

"So how did you wind up sleeping with Mark when you were out partying with a different guy?" Marie wanted to know.

"The jackass insisted that he walk me to my room. When I pulled out my key card to get in, he took it from my hand, opened the door and followed me into the room," Sandy recounted.

"I was wearing a dress that showed some cleavage. The bastard locked the door. Next he turned around and jammed his hand into my top and squeezed the hell out of my left boob. I fought back the tears and told him we should have some ice to go with the alcohol from the minibar. He grumbled a little but left to get the ice. He took my room key with him.

"I stuffed what clothes I had lying on the bed into my suitcase, grabbed my phone, went across the hall and banged on Mark's door. It was around midnight by then."

Mark added, "I was sleeping pretty soundly, so it took a few seconds for me to wake up. I staggered to the door and opened it to see who would be banging on my door in the middle of the night. Sandy pushed past me, closed the door and locked it."

"I told him that Bret, that was the guy's name, had mauled me a little and I was going to spend the night in his room once I texted Sarah to meet me in Mark's room rather than my room the next morning."

"I thought Sandy was complaining because the guy got a little fresh with his hands. I could understand the guy trying that. As you all can see, Sandy's looks damn good," Mark added.

"Mark sleeps in his boxers. By the time I texted Sarah, he was asleep again. I found one of his tee shirts and slipped it on and went to bed. I wore panties, so don't think I was up to anything. Sarah came to the room the next morning. She noticed part of a bruise showing above the neckline of Mark's shirt that I was wearing."

"Back it up," Sarah insisted. "Mark answered the door when I knocked the next morning. He was in his boxers with his muscles showing. I finally looked around him and saw Sandy in his bed. You can imagine what I thought had happened.

"Sandy assured me that what I thought had happened, never did. That caused me to question my older sister's sanity. While we were talking, Mark wandered into the bathroom to take a shower. I noticed a bruise on Sandy and asked about it. She looked down and was surprised at how vivid it was.

"Sandy was telling me how the guy had grabbed her breast and squeezed really hard and hurt her. We never heard Mark come back into the room until he was suddenly standing there in a towel and angry as all hell. He was kind of scary.

"He asked Sandy if she'd show him the bruises. I couldn't believe it when she just reached up and pulled the shirt down so her big old sweater puppy was exposed."

"Wait! Sandy just showed him her boob because he asked?" Marie questioned. "Sandy, why did you show him your boob if you weren't dating or anything?"

"I've been asking myself that same question," Sandy admitted. "He was so intense and so concerned, it never occurred to me to refuse. He was in a zone and it seemed like the thing to do."

"Wow, that's some story," Marcie stated as he looked at Mark to see his reaction.

"I do need to apologize to Sandy for being inappropriate. I wasn't thinking straight when I heard how badly the asshole had bruised her," Mark confessed.

"Yeah, he was so mad he dropped his towel in front of Sis and me like we weren't even there. He was muttering expletives as he pulled up a clean pair of boxers," Sarah added.

"This just keeps getting better," Marie declared. "Both sisters saw this guy naked? He was so angry he didn't care about scarring you both for life. That's a great story."

"Yeah, I won't go into how Mark beat the hell out of the guy and put him in the hospital after telling his father that his business was not needed or wanted by Smith and Haynes," Sandy drily added.

"No shit?" Marie blurted. "I think it's really hot when a man defends his lady. The guy had it coming and Mark gave it to him. Good for you, Mark."

Sandy listened as others began telling some of their experiences. She marveled at how she was neither embarrassed nor ashamed or her actions. No one seemed outraged that she had shown Mark the bruises on her breast. She wasn't criticized for sleeping in his bed. Everyone acted like it was all totally natural, but Sandy felt that she had shared something special with Mark. It had been way out of character for her, but somehow it had felt right.

Eventually the reception began winding down and everyone started saying their goodbyes and telling what a great time they had. Nearly all of Sandy's relatives told Sandy what a great guy she had. That made her happy but caused her to consider if she really had the guy.

"Mom and Dad are ready to leave. Sarah and I rode with them so we have to go, too," Sandy informed Mark. "Dad's still sulking because you didn't act contrite when he complained about us kissing in public. Mom and Grandmother think you're the cat's pajamas, so there's that. For whatever reason you were so good to me today, I'm grateful. I had a great time."

"Could I give you a ride home?" Mark asked. "Tell your dad that we'll be doing our kissing in private so he shouldn't be concerned."

"That would be great! I'll tell them to leave without me. You're bringing me home."

Mark watched as Sandy spoke to her family. Her mother and Mrs. Haynes both looked his way and smiled. Sarah waved to him while William Phillips scowled and headed out the door.

"Except for my father, everyone thought it was a good idea to accept a ride from you," Sandy told Mark when she returned.

"Yeah, he looked like the cat had just shit in his oatmeal," Mark replied with a grin.

Mark found himself telling Sandy stories of his youth and his family. He had never revealed personal things with her when they were working together. As they approached Sandy's house, she turned to him and kissed his cheek.

"Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Hawaii on business and pleasure. I'm going to meet some people interested in having their cars restored. The pleasure part is when I spend time with my brother, Jeff. He's a Marine and has some free time. He's flying in from Okinawa.

"Would it be okay if I called, texted and emailed you?" Mark asked Sandy. "I feel bad about the trip now that I know you're not upset with me. I didn't contact you since we worked together because I realized my behavior that morning in the hotel room was pretty bad. I'm not proud of it."

"Mark, I feel much closer to you now that I know more about your life before we met. Your family sounds pretty great. I'm sorry my dad was such an ass to you, but I feel pretty good that Mom and Grandmother both seem to like you a lot. Sarah thinks you're a hunk, but she's seen you naked so it's understandable."

"That wasn't my best moment, Sandy. I have this bad habit of ignoring everything around me when I'm angry or really stressed. All I can think about is the issue facing me. That was totally inappropriate. I must have looked like a real jerk. Let me apologize to you again."

"Sarah was very impressed. To be honest, so was I. It was very inappropriate but my exposing my breast to you wasn't exactly the height of good taste. Maybe we're closet exhibitionists," Sandy suggested.

"As beautiful as you are, I can see why you'd be proud to be seen," Mark stated. "You take my breath away."

"Now you're laying it on thick," Sandy replied. "I know what I look like. I'll never look like a supermodel. My ass is too big and my nose looks like a potato."

Mark chuckled at that comment. "A potato? You have a strong nose and it gives you character. The condition of your ass isn't even up for debate. You look like a real woman, not some anorexic bleach blonde."

Mark walked Sandy to her door. She stopped and faced him with a glint in her eyes. That was all the invitation he needed as he gathered her into his arms and kissed her with passion.

"I'll be driving you crazy with tests and emails," Mark promised. "I'll call you when we can work out a good time considering our obligations and the time difference."

"I'll make time," Sandy promised. "I look forward to hearing from you."

Sandy found herself looking forward to the texts and pictures Mark sent to her phone. It was no surprise that Hawaii was a beautiful place. Sandy especially enjoyed the views from Mark's hotel balcony. He had photos of the beach and the ocean beyond. Sandy decided that she would visit the Hawaiian Islands at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Naturally, Sandy had to make an overnight trip to one of her company's better customers the day Mark was scheduled to return home. She had hoped to see him sooner, but that wasn't in the cards. The good thing was that he understood what her job entailed.

Mark told Sandy that he was meeting with customers the next night, so she stopped at a local grill for happy hour and the blackened fish sandwich.

Shortly after Sandy sat down, an extremely attractive blonde about her age sat at a table next to hers. The blonde was soon joined by several other young women. Sandy wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the group of women at the next table made no effort to prevent it.

"How was Hawaii, Brittany? Did you have a good time? Your tan looks incredible," a redheaded woman asked the attractive blonde.

"I didn't see as much of it as you'd think," the woman Sandy now knew to be Brittany replied. "I spent a lot of time in bed for some reason."

"Could that reason be a tall, dark handsome man?" asked a mousey brunette.

"That could have something to do with it," Brittany responded with a brilliant smile. "That man is a sex machine. I did get to watch ships on the ocean from our bed, so I guess I did some sightseeing."

"You're really falling for the guy aren't you? In high school you thought he was a jerk," pointed out the redhead. "What changed your mind about him?"

"He was a skinny boy who talked about cars all the time. He was pretty boring. Physically, he was less than impressive. I ran into him at the mall last Christmas and he remembered me. I couldn't believe he was the same guy. He's filled out in the right places and he's a great conversationalist. I think those ten days in Hawaii may have convinced him that I'm the girl he's been dreaming of."

"Do you mean you might marry him?" asked two women at the same time.

"I'm just saying it's a real chance that he'll be asking me a big question before too long and my answer will be 'yes' if and when he does. Brittany Reynolds has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Sandy was so upset she had to leave before everyone saw her crying her eyes out. She dropped a fifty on the table and hurried from the restaurant.

Mark called her later that night, but she let it go to voicemail. After thinking about the situation, she then decided to block his number. Any normal person would be able to get the subtle hint that she didn't want to speak to him. Sandy had no intention of being one of the women in Mark's stable. He flew off to Hawaii with a blonde who looked like a supermodel. She knew she'd never be able to compete with women like her. The disrespect he demonstrated was just staggering.

As Sandy suspected, it didn't take Mark very long to realize Sandy didn't want anything to do with him. After a week with Sandy shutting him out, Mark messaged Sarah on social media and asked her if she could tell him why Sandy had ghosted him.

Sarah replied the same evening. Her explanation was very vague. She told Mark that Sandy wasn't a booty call and he should just leave her alone. Mark tried to quiz Sarah about her response but found he had been blocked by Sarah, too.

The situation became more complicated between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A large winter storm was forecast to sweep through the northeast with snow measured in feet rather than inches. Temperatures were predicted to drop into single digits with gusty winds.

Mark had paid attention to the weather reports and had done everything he could think of to prepare for loss of electricity and possibly communications. Phone lines and even cell towers were going to be severely stressed by the storm. Mark's phone vibrated in his pocket. He was stunned to see Sandy's number on the caller ID.

"Mark, I know I've got no right to ask you for help, but Sarah might be in danger. She was supposed to drive home from college before the storm got here, but she had a flat tire between Henderson and Hastens Corners. A trucker finally stopped and helped her change the tire, but she lost an hour and it was snowing hard by then. She called mom when she was back on the road.

"We expected her back a couple of hours later, even allowing for bad road conditions. I have an all wheel drive car so I decided look for her by driving along the route she would take to get home. I only got as far as the doughnut shop in Blairtown. My car can't get through snow this deep. Now I'm stranded here. Nothing is open because of the weather. We haven't heard from Sarah since she spoke to Mom a few hours ago. Her cell goes directly to voicemail."

"Sandy, I'll be there in half an hour. Stay in your car and keep the engine running and the heater on," Mark promised without questioning her.

Sandy felt instant relief when Mark responded so positively to her plea. He could have easily blown her off. The emergency warning system had cautioned against travel of any kind. The weather was described as 'life threatening' but Mark hadn't asked questions or tossed insults. He had simply stated that he'd come to her. When she had realized the difficult situation she was in, Mark had come immediately to mind. There were no second options. She knew that regardless of the trouble between them, he would do his best for her and Sarah.

It was twenty minutes later when a large pickup truck pulled into the parking lot next to her. Snow was being pushed by the front bumper, which Sandy thought was quite high off the ground. By the time Sandy had her car turned off; Mark was opening her door.

"Lock it and get in my truck," Mark insisted. "This is the worst storm we've had in decades. We've got to find Sarah, or at least find out that she's safe.

"I've been thinking about the route she'd take to get home. I'm worried that she may have tried the shortcut over Warren Road. It's a secondary road, always the last one to be plowed. The homes are far apart and there are some sharp turns without any guard rails."

"We always take that road when we going to or from her college," Sandy stated. "She might be stranded on the road, or worse yet, slid off the road and gotten stuck. I'm really worried about her."

"We won't stop looking until we know she's safe," Mark promised. "I have all kinds of gear and equipment in this truck. We're as prepared as we can be."

It took half an hour to get to Warren Road. Mark seemed to drive painfully slow to Sandy, but she had confidence that he knew what was best. Snow was actually sliding up over the hood and falling off the sides, but the big truck kept moving.

Ten minutes later, Mark suddenly stopped the truck and backed up a short distance. Sandy looked around. She saw nothing but white.

"What is it, Mark? Do you see something?"

"The snow on the side of the road looks too shallow compared to everything else. I think something had to have cleared that spot off long after it began snowing. Wait here while I go take a look."

Mark found Sandy by his side as he made his way off the road only to find a steep decline.

"Look! That's Sarah's car in that ravine!" Sandy shouted as she took off as fast the deep snow would allow. Somehow, Mark managed to reach the wrecked vehicle before Sandy. The driver's door was wedged against a tree, so he went around to the driver's side. That door wouldn't open because the car's shifter was in Park. He explained to Sandy that he had a tool in his truck to safely break the window and hurried off.

Sandy tried to peer in through the tinted window, but was unable to get a clear view. What she did see greatly concerned her. Sarah appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel. Suddenly Mark was back at her side. He held a small tool that shattered the window glass. Mark carefully pushed the some glass onto the floor by the passenger seat. Then he reached inside and unlocked the door.

Sandy jerked the door open when she heard the lock release. She crawled to Sarah who had remained motionless. She spent less than a minute assessing her sister's condition.

"She's alive, but unconscious. She feels very cold and there's a small knot on her head. Under normal conditions, you shouldn't move an accident victim, but she's going to freeze to death if we don't get her warmed up. We need to risk further injury to save her," Sandy stated calmly.

"I'll help you all that I can, but it's going to be mostly on you to carry her back up that steep bank to the truck. It's going to be a struggle, but we have to get her warmed up."

It required a great deal of effort on Mark's part, but in twenty minutes Mark was gently placing Sarah inside his truck, which had the heater going full bore. Sandy had him place Sarah on her lap rather than in the back seat.

"I want to hold her still and try to get her warmer. How long will it take to get to the hospital?"

"I hate to tell you this, but I don't know if we can make it there. I can barely see the tracks I made driving here half an hour ago," Mark replied. "I think our best bet is my place. It's a lot closer than your parents' house. The hospital would take another hour beyond your parents', if we could make it there."

"Whatever you think is best, Mark. I trust your knowledge in this. Try to get us there safely so we can care for Sarah, please."

Just over forty harrowing minutes later, Mark guided the big truck into a large garage. He had Sarah inside his house in less than a minute. On the ride to the house Sandy had been able to contact her mother with the news that they had found Sarah and would be doing everything they could to care for her. Sandy assured her mother that Sarah would soon recover.

"Where's your bathroom? Do you have bathtub?" Sandy asked. "I want to get her out of these wet clothes and into a warm bath as soon as possible."

"Follow me. I'll carry her into my bedroom. The master bath has a big Jacuzzi tub. I'll start filling it with hot water while you take care of Sarah."

Mark gently placed Sarah on his king size bed and hurried into the bathroom to draw water in the tub while Sandy carefully began undressing Sarah.

"Mark, I need you to carry her to the tub" Sandy instructed. "She's breathing regularly but her respirations are shallow. Try to carefully place her into the water. I'm going to get in with her so she doesn't drown or something."

Mark gently lifted the beautiful naked woman off his bed and carried her into the bathroom. By the time he was ready to lower Sarah; an equally nude Sandy stepped into the tub and sat down with her arms up to accept her sister.

Once the two women were situated, Mark began to relax. Sweat was dripping off his nose. That led him to the realization that he was soaking wet. He unzipped his heavy jacket and dropped it on the floor. He stared peeling layers of clothing off until he was down to his boxers, which clung to him like a second skin. He picked up a bath towel and stepped into his walk-in shower. Five minutes later he emerged wearing a towel and feeling much better.

"Sarah's moving," Sandy called from the tub. "Would you please bring me some small towels and wash cloths? Could you lower the water temperature setting a little? It's starting to feel kind of warm in here."

Now that Mark was refreshed from the shower and had time to relax somewhat, he was acutely aware of the two beautiful sisters sitting naked in his bathtub. He tried to avert his eyes as he fumbled with the water temperature control.

"For God's sake, Mark. You carried Sarah in here naked and handed her to me while I was naked. You don't have to pretend you didn't see us or that we'll be offended if you see us again. I think you saved Sarah's life. We're certainly not going to be upset if you get a few extra peeks."

Mark slid on a pair of shorts and pulled a chair over to the tub. He sat down and watched as Sandy kept rubbing a warm wet cloth over the parts of Sarah not immersed in the warm water. He would jump up and get whatever Sandy told him she needed. Sarah began to move more and finally looked around with apparent understanding.

It required a couple of efforts but she finally spoke as her eyes focused on Mark. "What happened? How did I get here? Where's Sandy?"

"I'm the one running warm cloths over your shoulders and cooing in your ear," Sandy replied with a smile. "How do you feel? We were pretty worried about you for awhile."

"My head feels sore and I have a headache," Sarah responded slowly. "I remember feeling cold. Then I didn't feel anything. I thought I was going to die and I accepted it for some reason. How did I get here? Where is here?"

"We're at Mark's home," Sandy answered. "He picked me up in his big truck so we could look for you. He saw where you had slid off the road. He carried you up a steep embankment through two or three feet of snow to his truck. The roads are so bad we decided to stop here and get you warmed up.

"This warm water feels great," Sarah acknowledged. "I don't have any clothes on! How long has Mark been sitting there watching me?"

"I would guess for about two hours," Sandy answered with a chuckle. "He wasn't watching you all of the time. His eyes wandered over me now and then. I couldn't get mad at him after he worked so hard to save your life."

"I'm not complaining," Sarah insisted. "I was just wondering about how we seem to wind up in these weird situations. Would it be possible to wrap up in something warm and get some sleep? I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Is it okay if we lie down in your bed, Mark?" Sandy asked. "Sarah can sleep but I'll have to wake her up every few hours to check her mental state. Do you happen to have any pajamas we could wear?"

"I don't actually have any pajamas, but I have some running shorts and sweats. My tee shirts will be too big but you've slept in one before. I'll get them."

Sarah and Sandy spent the next ten hours in Marks' bed. Sandy woke Sarah up twice to check her conditions but was satisfied that she was recovering as well as could be expected.

By the time they fully awoke it was two in the afternoon and the storm had abated. When Mark took the sisters home, their mother demanded that he come into their house and have some coffee and a piece of pie.

"Mark, my wife and daughters would kill me if I didn't apologize to you for being a bit surly when we met the first time," William Phillips told Mark. "What you did for Sandy and Sarah last night was something I'll never forget, nor be able to repay. Just know that I'm grateful as hell."

When it was time to leave, Sandy walked Mark to the door. "You're a good man, Mark. I knew you'd help me when I called you. That's what you do. Thanks for everything."

"Could I call you sometime, Sandy? I don't know what I did to piss you off so badly, but I'll try to get it right this time."

"I really don't think that would be a good idea, Mark. I appreciate everything you did for us more than you'll ever know, but I really don't think I can spend any more time with you. I can't change how I feel."

Mark was totally confused, but Sandy's complete refusal to interact with him in anyway caused him to accept the situation. He nodded and left Sandy standing on the porch.

"That man's in some pain, "Sandy's mother observed. "Are you sure he's got other girlfriends? He seems so sincere."

"He's a true salesman, Mom. He could sell ice to Eskimos," Sandy quipped. "It doesn't make him trustworthy."

"It sure looked like you trusted him when we were both naked in his bathtub," Sarah pointed out. "You'd trust him with your life, but not your heart?"

Winter finally faded away. The local Chamber scheduled its annual awards for April. Mrs. Haynes was the chairman of the awards committee and she used the power of her office as she saw fit.

"Grandmother, it's just petty and cruel to insist that I award Mark with the small business of the year award. It isn't going to make me suddenly accept the way he treated me. It'll just be an awkward situation for him and me," Sandy complained.

"I want you to be seen and known in the business community and this is one of the most visible ways to accomplish that," Mrs. Haynes explained. "You're making out of this more than it is. Just ask a few questions to draw him out.

"We've found over the years that most business men make really lousy acceptance speeches. They either try to sell their product to everyone in attendance or they just say 'thanks' and sit down. By asking some questions from a list you'll have, Mark will have the opportunity to explain what his business is and how it works. You two may have hit a rocky stretch, but it's no reason to not be professional."

"A rocky stretch? Grandmother, we're not even friends," Sandy replied. "It's a huge gap, not a stretch. I think he's a cad and a liar."

"Yeah, except when the chips are down and you need a guy with character, ability and nerve to help you out of a jam," Mrs. Haynes stated.

She couldn't talk her grandmother out of making her present the award at the chamber's annual awards dinner, but Sandy did dream up a way to teach Mark a much needed lesson.

Mark knew that receiving the small business of the year award would benefit his business. He could use it to promote himself and his standing in the community. He had his roots in sales and he understood how good press always helped make a sale.

The problem was that the letter he received telling him of the award also stated that Miss Sandra Phillips would be the presenter. She had pretty much told him to leave her alone and he had abided by her wishes. That didn't mean that he didn't think about her often. It hurt that she found him so reprehensible without even knowing why.

His parents had insisted that he needed to go to the dinner and graciously accept the award. He had reserved two tables for the presentation. His five employees and their significant others were attending, as were his parents, his sister and Brittany.

Mark's group took their seats as the formalities began. There were numerous speeches and acceptances. Mark appreciated how the person presenting the award drew out the recipient by asking some general questions about the business and why it was successful. It was far more interesting than the usual bit where a recipient thanked Mom, the guy upstairs and the maintenance man.

Mark began to relax when he saw how smoothly the system appeared to work. All he would have to do is answer some questions about how and when he started his business, what they do and why it works so well. He felt confident he had the answers for any reasonable question. He had this!

Mrs. Haynes took to the podium to introduce her granddaughter, who would be handling the final presentation. Sandy graciously took over and began reading the qualifications needed to win the prestigious small business of the year award. Mark felt confident and relaxed, at least until Brittany whispered to him.

"I've seen that woman. I don't remember where, but it'll come to me. Something seems off here."

"The winner of this year's Small Business of the Year Award is Reynolds Restoration," Sandy announced to a lengthy applause. "The founder and owner is Mark Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds, please stand."

"Mark stood and Sandy continued. "Mr. Reynolds, can you tell everyone what it is that your company does?"

Mark smiled as he gave his best sales pitch on the merits of his small company. Sandy lobbed a few more softball questions before things became interesting.

"Could you take the time to introduce your family and employees sitting at your tables, Mr. Reynolds? It always good to know the people who helped make an enterprise successful."

Mark hadn't heard anyone else asked that question but thought it was a decent idea. His guys deserved some recognition. He had each person stand as they were introduced. When he had Brittany stand, he introduced her as Brittany Roberts before he looked to his mother who was next in line.

"Just a moment, Mr. Reynolds, Sandy interrupted. "You failed to mention what connection Miss Roberts had with your family or business. Can you tell us more about why such an attractive woman is at your table if she isn't an employee or family? She must be something special to you."

"She was at the restaurant!" Brittany loudly whispered as she recalled the woman who left in an obviously upset condition. Brittany tried to determine what it was that had bothered the woman so much. What was the conversation about that day?"

"That woman's in love with you!" blurted Brittany quite loudly to Mark. "It's as obvious as the nose on her face, if you'll pardon the expression."

Sandy easily heard Brittany's comment and felt challenged by the beautiful woman. "We can't all be supermodel material with perfect faces and bodies. Some of us have to work for what we get."

By this time Brittany had put the puzzle together. This was the woman Mark had been pining over all spring. She had dumped him because she thought Brittany was sleeping with Mark and hoped to marry him. Mark was clueless.

"Miss Phillips, you've already succeeded in your major goal," Brittany announced to the room. "Mark walks around like a zombie, a zombie in an unrequited love affair. Mark's brother, however, thinks I'm absolutely gorgeous and that makes me very happy. He's asked me to marry him and will be home next week with a ring.

"You want to know something? I'm going to reward his love for me every way I can possibly think of. He's worth it. I'll be proud to be Mrs. Brittany Reynolds, the wife of Jeff Reynolds. He's a United States Marine on active duty.

"Mark thinks you're the most beautiful thing on the planet. What do you do about it? You broke his heart. I heard how he went way above and beyond to help out you and your sister during that big blizzard last winter. If your goal is to embarrass or hurt him in some way, I'll be all over you. Mark and Jeff are as tight as two brothers could possibly be. Anyone coming after Mark is coming after Jeff and me."

Sandy was stunned by the blonde woman's revelations. She had gone to Hawaii to see Mark's brother. Mark wasn't sleeping with her. She told the room that Mark thought Sandy was beautiful. The idea of making Mark admit that he was a two-timing cad had blown up in her face.

"Mr. Reynolds, I apologize for my behavior this evening. I was way out of line. Congratulations on your much deserved award," Sandy managed before taking a step toward her seat.

"Just a minute!" Mark's words made Sandy stop and turn to face him. "You asked me a few questions. Wouldn't it only be fair if I asked you one or two?"

Sandy nodded and stepped back to the microphone. "Yes, again I apologize. What are your questions?"

"Miss Phillips, are you in love with me or not?" Mark demanded. The entire audience let out a collective gasp at Mark's question. Mark's mother had a smile begin to creep across her face while Sarah and her mother appeared ecstatic.

"That really isn't the sort of question one is asked at an event like this," Sandy began.

"Miss Phillips, do you love me?" Mark once again demanded.

"So this is your revenge for me playing the fool? You want to humiliate me in public? I'll play along," Sandy declared. "I deserve it, don't I?"

Mark fixed his stare on Sandy as she worked toward her response. She stared back at him.

"To answer your question, you bastard, I'm hopelessly in love with you. I've never felt anything like this before. I behaved like a foolish schoolgirl and drove you away. Does that answer make you happy?"

"Actually, it does. I have just one more question. Then I'll stop tormenting you," Mark stated nervously.

"This has got to be good," Sandy practically sobbed. "How much more do you want from me? One more question and then I'm leaving. I didn't come here tonight to expose my weaknesses in front of hundreds of business associates. I'll answer one more question and then we'll be done with each other."

"Okay then," Mark agreed. "Sandy Phillips, I love you like I never thought possible. Will you consent to be my wife?"

Sandy actually staggered when she heard Mark's comment and question. She suddenly felt dizzy. Sarah saw her difficulty and rushed to her side to steady her

"Sis," Sarah spoke into the microphone. "Mark and a hundred other people are waiting for your answer. Do you need time to think about it?"

"I'll marry you. I'd love to be your wife. That should be as clear to you as those big knockers on your future sister-in-law's chest," Sandy declared as laughter and applause echoed around the room.​