Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers

by Emily Matthews

  “He kept insisting that I not worry about how much it costs or who’s going to pay for it, but I told him I’d pay my own way. He said that’d be fine and we could talk later about the payment arrangements. He talked like money was no object to him. Is he rich or something?”

  Annie laughed out loud. “Pops. Have you never heard of Sam MacDonald? Co-founder of Samatrix?”

  This time it was Pops who choked on his Coke. He narrowly avoided spitting it back out on the table. “That’s the Sam you’ve been seeing?” His eyes got wide. “Are you shitting me?”

  “You met him. Didn’t he tell you his name?”

  “Oh my God. It was him. I did recognize the name, but figured it must be some other fella with the same name because, I mean, why on God’s green earth would the billionaire Sam MacDonald be in my room offering me a chance to move? I hope I didn’t come off looking like an asshole. I was a little gruff with him at first. He probably thinks I’m a grumpy old man.”

  “I’m sure that’s not the case. You’re too sweet for that,” she said.

  He huffed. “So, he’s handsome, he’s rich, but how does he treat you, Anna Banana?”

  She sighed. “That’s the bitch of it, Pops. He is amazing, and I know he likes me, but I don’t think he trusts me. I understand why—he’s been burned several times by other women—but I can’t be in a relationship without trust.”

  “Well, he just needs to get to know you better. Then he’ll see, you’re different from other women. He just needs a little more time.”

  “Maybe,” she hedged. “What should I do, Pops? I think I broke up with him the other night, but I’m not sure. I ran out before we could finish the conversation.”

  “From what he told me, he’s sorry about what happened. Love makes men do dumb stuff sometimes, Anna. You ladies have to give us a break once in a while. He’ll do the same for you when you mess up, and that’s what love is all about—loving someone, flaws and all. Do you love him?”

  “Yes. I do. He’s so different than I expected him to be. He’s kind and generous and, I have a feeling, fiercely loyal.”

  “Sounds like a keeper.” Pops sucked barbecue sauce from his finger and then pointed the clean finger at her. “You should give him a chance. Or at least a phone call.”

  “He told you I wasn’t calling him back?”

  Pops gave a curt nod.

  “Fine,” she said, and Pops smiled. “It looks like I’ve come a long way for nothing. Well, nothing but a nice dinner and some brilliant advice.”

  “You’ll make the right decision, Anna Banana. Just follow your heart.”

  Annie spent the night in a hotel near Ruby Garden. The next day, on her way out of town, she stopped by her parents’ house. It went as she expected—a lot of complaining and negativity. That was why she had to give herself so much space from them. They were toxic. In the past, she’d tried to share some of the stuff she’d learned about having a positive attitude and changing your mindset to change your life, but it was all lost on them. She’d also given them multiple books over the years, but they all sat in a corner gathering dust.

  After listening to the life’s-not-fair show her parents always put on for her, she let them know Pops was moving to Bellevue, and that they were welcome to stay with her if they wanted to come visit him. It was an open invitation she knew they would never take her up on. If they didn’t visit when he was thirty minutes away, she didn’t hold out much hope they would when he was eight hundred miles away.

  She walked away from the house, wondering how they went through life with no purpose. They had no goals, no ambition, seemingly no will to do anything but bitch and whine.

  Her next stop was a florist. After tucking the pre-arranged, brightly colored assortment of roses, carnations, and lilies into the seatbelt next to her, she headed to the graveyard where her angel was buried.

  She laid the flowers tenderly at the base of the headstone and sat down next to them. The July sun was brutal, beating down relentlessly, much like the guilt Annie nursed. The flowers would wilt within hours, but she didn’t care. Sweat running down her back and tears running down her cheeks, she apologized to her daughter for failing to protect her. She prayed for Avery’s soul and for her forgiveness.

  The guilt and despair would live with Annie forever, but she would find a way to keep moving forward. She couldn’t change the past, and she knew it would do no good to live in it either.

  On the drive home, she played Brody Robinson podcasts until she had her head back on straight. Between her parents’ negativity and her own berating for her part in Avery’s death, she had hit a low point. Pep talks from Brody had her refocused, feeling better, and ready to face Sam.

  When she stopped for the night, she finally called him.

  “Annie. It’s good to hear from you,” he said. “I was beginning to worry. Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. I drove to California to see my grandpa. He said you stopped by.”

  “I did. I wanted to surprise you. I hope you’re okay with the arrangements I made,” he said, and a tear slid down her face. He was so sweet and thoughtful.

  “It all sounds perfect. Why’d you do it, Sam?” she asked.

  “For you. I thought it would make you happy, and I want to make you happy. Annie, I’m so sorry about what I said in your office last week. I didn’t mean it. I hope you know that. I went in there half-cocked and pissed off at Wayne and wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, you forgive me? Or okay, you accept my apology but bugger off?”

  She gave a soft laugh. “Okay, I accept your apology, but I’m still not sure about this.”

  “Fair enough. Can I take you to dinner when you get back? When are you getting back?”

  “Sure. I’ll be home tomorrow, but late. How about Thursday?”

  “I’ll clear my calendar,” he said. “I’ll let you get some sleep. I’d rather have this conversation in person anyway. Drive safe and call if you need anything.”

  “Will do. Good night, Sam.”

  She hung up and stared at the phone. She knew people could change. Just look at all the changes she’d made in her personality and in her life. But could Sam change? Did he want to? Maybe she should take all the Brody Robinson books she’d given her parents and give them to Sam. Chuckling at the thought—how pretentious would that be—she finally fell asleep, still not knowing what to do.

  The rest of the drive back to Bellevue was uneventful. She stayed at the same hotel and slept like the dead. The next morning, she booted up her computer to start looking at houses. Her real estate agent had gotten back to her to say she would put Annie on an automated email list that would send her listings that fit her criteria right as they came on the market.

  Before she became too engrossed in house hunting, she searched for the Home Away from Home retirement center.

  From the pictures, it looked like a five-star resort.

  They had a garden that the residents ran and cared for. There was an enormous pool that was partially outdoors and partially indoors. And on the second floor of that building, a fully stocked gym. There was a medical clinic that had a variety of doctors on staff.

  According to the website, they cooked the food on-site, and the sample menu looked mouthwatering. No recooked chicken at this place.

  There were a wide variety of room sizes and services. You could go from independent living, in your own luxury apartment, to hospice care all at the same facility. It was a definitely place for the rich and famous.

  When she clicked on the rates, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. Twenty thousand dollars! A month? Good God, they must spoon-feed the residents. Of course, Sam had picked the finest yet most outrageously expensive place ever. How were she and Pops going to be able to afford that? There was no way. She’d have to find something close but more affordable. She wouldn’t say anything to Pops until she found something though. He’d been so excited about this place.
And why wouldn’t he be? Geez. She wanted to move in.

  A little while later, she turned off the computer and focused on getting ready for her date with Sam. He had texted to ask if she could do lunch instead, which she’d agreed to. He had a hectic schedule, and she knew he probably had to move things around to fit her in on such short notice.

  Digging around in the duffel bags, she found a casual, teal-colored sundress to wear and ironed it. She took a little extra time with her make-up and was ready right on time when Sam came to pick her up.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Sam was relieved Annie had agreed to go out with him. He’d finally figured out what his grand gesture of apology and love was going to be, and it was totally dependent on her coming with him today.

  He showed up at the hotel right on time. She opened the door, and his heart swelled at the sight of her. He stood there like an idiot, not moving or saying anything, staring at her. After an awkward minute, she said hi and reached out to give him a tentative hug, but he was having none of that. He pulled her in and embraced her hard.

  “I’ve been so worried about you,” he said gruffly.

  “I’m fine, Sam. But thank you. I appreciate the concern.” She pulled back and smoothed her hair. “Let me just get my purse, and I’ll be ready.”

  Once they were in the car and she couldn’t escape, he spoke again. “So, I have a surprise for you. I’m not sure what you’ll think, but I hope you like it.”

  “Who doesn’t love a surprise?” she said, still somewhat guarded.

  “Scale of one to ten, how hungry are you?”

  “Oh, maybe a six,” she said. “Why?”

  “No reason.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road, even though he could feel her staring a hole through him. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “I trust you.” Heavy emphasis on the I and the you. “That’s never been an issue.” She finally looked his way and raised an eyebrow.

  “Touché.” What an idiot. Now she was thinking about how he didn’t trust her. Precisely what he didn’t want her thinking about. Smooth, MacDonald.

  He pulled into the Bellevue airport and headed toward the hangar that housed the Samatrix jet.

  “Sam, what’s going on? I thought we were going to lunch.”

  “We are. Just not in this state,” he quipped as he parked the car and got out. He ran around to get her door, but she sat still once he opened it. She turned to him.

  “Sam, you can’t just throw money or planes or expensive dinners at our problem.”

  “I know, I know. Seriously, that’s not my intent. I have something I really want you to see. Just humor me. Please?” He would resort to begging if he had to.

  “Fine,” she said as she held up a hand and allowed him to help her out of the car. “But only because my curiosity is killing me. Where are we going?”

  “Oh, no. That’s part of the surprise. Come on.”

  They took off almost immediately, and once they had leveled off, Sam pulled out a charcuterie board filled with an arrangement of gourmet meats, cheeses, nuts, crackers, and fruit.

  “You call this a snack?” she said. “I could eat off this for a week.”

  “We can put away whatever we don’t eat.”

  “Well, it beats the hell out of Hormel honey ham and Colby-jack cheese,” she said between bites. “You rich folk live fancy.” She smiled.

  After they’d settled in and eaten, she got down to business.

  “Sam, we need to talk. We can’t just keep dancing around the elephant in the room. I am forever indebted to you and Jake for saving my life. Coming back from New York early to check on me was above and beyond. I’m also extremely grateful to you for convincing Pops to move north. I’ve been so worried about him lately.”

  “Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”

  “But,” she said, looking at him, “we need to talk about us. Where do you see this going?” She waved a hand between the two of them.

  “Annie, I’ve made some questionable decisions when it comes to you. I had these rules I used to adhere to religiously, to guard against lawsuits and things like that. I disregarded all of them and made excuses to continue to pursue you, even after finding out you worked for the company. And while that was ill-advised by some, I don’t regret it at all.

  “I’ve also acted impulsively and accused you of things I shouldn’t have, and that, I do regret. A lot. I know throwing money at you won’t make it better.” She was staring at her hands, which were folded in her lap. “Or will it?” he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  She gave a one huff laugh, looked up, and raised both eyebrows dubiously.

  “I’m kidding. I know it won’t. After overhearing what you said to Wayne, that you wouldn’t help him blackmail me or do anything else to hurt me, I knew I could trust you. He had a gun to your head and you still wouldn’t betray me. You didn’t know I was there. You didn’t know I was listening. You were just being honest.

  “Truth be told, I knew I could trust you long before I overheard that conversation. It’s why I broke all the rules in the first place. I had a feeling from the beginning that you were different. But while I knew it in my heart, I had a hard time convincing my mind.”

  “I understand why you have a hard time trusting, Sam. If I had the kind of money you have, I’d be looking over my shoulder all the time too. It’s probably a good thing you do so you don’t get taken advantage of. My problem is that I can’t be in a relationship—assuming you still want to pursue one—where trust is not the basis.”

  “And that’s perfectly reasonable. In fact, I feel the same way. And, yes, I do want to pursue this relationship. I have trust issues. I admit that. I’ve sought some professional help, but you’re right, I have to watch my back and unfortunately, that’s made me a little cynical.”

  “I get that, I do. But all you had to do was read the papers. All you had to do was ask me about Wayne, about Avery. We could’ve avoided all this if you’d have just slowed down enough to talk to me.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell me that Wayne was getting released soon? About the fact that you were still married to him? Tell me about Avery? It seems like maybe you don’t trust me completely either.”

  She was quiet for a moment and he second-guessed himself for bringing it up. But it was a valid point, so they might as well hash it out.

  “Those are all good questions, and I thought the very same thing myself this last week. First off, I didn’t find out I was still married until after our Maui trip, so when I told you I was divorced, I truly thought I was. When the attorney told me about the mistake, he also said it would be corrected within the month, so I decided it wasn’t worth mentioning. Our relationship was new and it would have been an awkward conversation to have, so I opted out of having it.

  “I debated whether to tell you about Wayne getting out, but I wasn’t positive he would show up and didn’t want to tell you if it was a moot point. I was embarrassed that I’d married him, embarrassed that he was probably going to come begging, and I figured, if I didn’t have to come clean, I’d rather not.

  “I also thought that, even if he did show up, I could handle him without involving you. That’s the reason I started to pull away from you last week. I knew you’d want to help, and I didn’t want him anywhere near you. My plan was to get rid of him somehow without you ever being the wiser that he’d shown up.”

  He nodded but stayed silent, sensing she had more to say.

  “Another reason was to protect you. Sort of a plausible deniability thing. I knew that if he knew we had any sort of connection, he’d try to exploit it. Basically, what happened was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid.” She looked down at her hands. “My reasoning was selfish. I should have just told you.”

  “Your reasons don’t sound all that selfish to me. It sounds like you were trying to insulate me, and I appreciate that, but you’re right in that I would have wanted to help. You should have trusted me to help
. What about Avery?”

  “A few reasons on that too. I didn’t want you to judge me or think I was a bad mother…that I couldn’t keep my baby safe.

  “I was also waiting to see if we panned out, so to speak. I didn’t want to tell you something that I normally keep very private if we were just going to get together a few times and then call it quits, you know? It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you with the information, I just didn’t trust that we would be together long enough for me to want to share it,” she said.

  “I can understand that too. I was wrong to go into your spare bedroom. I should have respected your privacy. And I was wrong for jumping to conclusions and not just asking you about it after I did. I’m sorry, Annie.”

  “I’m sorry too. I feel like we’re talking in circles. Maybe we started this too fast and are now reaping what we never really sowed.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “You know what I mean. We jumped into this so fast that we didn’t give ourselves enough time to sow trust, and now we’re reaping the consequences of not trusting one another.”

  “Why don’t we table this discussion for now. We can just enjoy the evening and maybe talk again on the way home.”

  “That’s a great idea. I’ve rehashed it too many times in my mind already. Wanna play a game? I found a cupboard full on our last trip,” she said as she wandered over to the cabinet that held them. Matthew’s kids had taken over a compartment and stocked it with games and DVDs.

  Hours later, after they’d played several games of backgammon, watched two movies, and finished the rest of the food, she was starting to lose patience.

  “Sam, we’ve been in the air for hours. What’s going on?” She looked outside, but everything was dark.

  “We’ll be landing soon. Just a minute longer, I promise. I think you’ll be glad you made the trip.” Just as he said it, the pilot announced their descent and told them to buckle up. “Don’t suppose you’ll let me blindfold you once we get off the plane?” he asked. The look she shot him told him that wasn’t happening.

  “Sam, if we’re in a different country, we have a problem. I don’t have my passport! They’re not going to let me in.”