Her features softened. “I know,” she murmured. Then, generous soul that she was, Samantha hugged him again, resting her head against his chest. She held him for a long time while the night settled around them.
Finally she lifted her head and kissed his cheek before gripping her little dog’s leash and heading back into her house.
* * *
SAMANTHA HELPED BETSEY back into the room with the puppies, then couldn’t resist sitting on the floor. Oscar and Calvin immediately waddled to her, licking her until she picked them both up.
They were growing so fast. They were mostly weaned now, only turning to their mother when they needed comfort.
Samantha was the one who needed comfort now. She cuddled the puppies close, feeling their heartbeats.
Oh, she was such a fool. Had she learned nothing from twenty-eight years on the planet? How could she still be making such utterly stupid mistakes when it came to men?
She had known from the beginning that Ian Summerhill wasn’t for her. The roadblocks had been obvious from the first. Any other woman would have been wise enough to stay away from him, to protect herself better. Not her. She tumbled headlong the first chance she had.
She hadn’t changed a bit from the silly, immature girl who had told her high school boyfriend she loved him the first time he kissed her.
Hot, frustrating tears trickled out. Oscar tried to lick them away, which made her smile but didn’t ease the pain in her heart at all.
For once, at least, she had given her heart to a man who fully deserved it. She ought to get a few points for that, right? Unlike many of the guys she had previously dated, Ian was mature, compassionate, dedicated to his family and passionate about his career.
Any woman would have been crazy not to fall for him.
She should have tried harder, though.
What was she going to do? He was a peer of the freaking British realm. He wasn’t the kind of guy who would fall for someone like her, a seamstress from a tiny nowhere town in Idaho who had seen very little of the world.
She was destined for heartbreak, could see no way to avoid the train wreck headed her way.
The wedding was only a week away and then Ian and the children would be on their way back to England. Meantime, she would simply have to figure out how she would navigate the rest of her life without them.
So much loss. She hugged the puppies closer—yet another loss in her immediate future—and wondered where she would find the strength to endure it all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE DAYS LEADING up to Gemma Summerhill’s wedding to Josh Bailey turned into some of the busiest of Samantha’s life.
The store seemed constantly filled with customers. Samantha couldn’t help any of them and had to leave their shopping to her assistants. She was too busy taking care of a flurry of last-minute alterations, orders for three more wedding gowns and fittings for two of the brides who were planning to marry in dresses she had designed.
At least the frenetic pace helped distract Samantha from the underlying heartache, but throughout her busy days and empty nights, she was aware of a dull, constant ache in her chest.
She hadn’t seen Ian since those moments by the lake. She wasn’t sure if they were simply on differing schedules or if he was purposely avoiding her.
This was the day Margaret had come into the store to pick up her altered dress and Sam waited with bated breath while she tried it on and looked at herself in the trio of full-length mirrors.
“Does it work for you?” she finally had to ask.
Margaret looked enchanted. “It’s gorgeous. Utterly gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s the same dress. How on earth did you manage that particular miracle?”
“I had a good quality dress to start with. That helped tremendously. The dress was fine at the outset. It had to be or you wouldn’t have purchased it in the first place. It just wasn’t quite right for you. I only had to make a few changes, really, to help it fit your style and body type better. I love the drape of the fabric and it’s a beautiful color for you.”
“Yes. I believe I shall wear this exact shade from now until eternity.”
Oh, she liked Ian’s mother so much. His entire family charmed her.
“What do I owe for your work?” Margaret asked after she had changed out of her dress and back into her slacks and white tailored blouse.
Samantha greatly disliked this part of running a store. If she had her way, she would sew for free and give everyone all the dresses. But she couldn’t live on benevolence. She had dog food to buy.
She handed the invoice she had already prepared for Margaret. Ian’s mother looked at it, then shook her head. “That little? That can’t be right. Even with the horrible exchange rate, that’s a steal.”
“That’s my rate, Margaret. Take it or leave it,” she said, then suddenly remembered something she had been trying hard to forget. “Oh. I’m sorry. I suppose I should have been calling you Lady Margaret all this time.”
Margaret raised a finely arched eyebrow. “That is a closely guarded secret here in Haven Point. More closely guarded than Barbara Serrano’s red sauce recipe, and believe me, I’ve tried to get it out of her since I’ve been here. Did Ian tell you?”
She shook her head, embarrassed. “I overheard you and Gemma talking the night of the shower. I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose, I promise. It just happened. I’m sorry I invaded your privacy.”
Margaret gave a dismissive gesture. “I think it’s silly for Gemma to be concerned about people finding out the truth. Who cares about that here? But she has her reason.”
“That’s what Ian told me. Lord Ian, I suppose I should say.”
She was afraid some of her misery must have filtered through her voice, especially when Margaret gave her a close look. “Yes. Lord Ian. Every time I hear that, I’m still shaken a little. None of us expected him to become Viscount Summersby, you know. His brother was always supposed to be the heir.”
“That’s what he told me. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Margaret’s mouth tightened. “No parent should have to endure the loss of a child. It is against the natural order of things, pain beyond measure.”
Sympathy welled up for the other woman and she couldn’t help reaching out and squeezing Margaret’s hand. The other woman surprised her by turning her hand over and gripping Samantha’s hand in hers.
“All of us have been impacted in various ways. I’m not sure Henry will ever recover, to be honest. He misses David fiercely. Gemma suffered greatly, physically and emotionally, since she was driving and blamed herself, though it was no fault of her own. But Ian. He and David were very close. He not only lost his best friend but his way of life, really. His whole profession. He has to give up so much.”
“Why does he have to? Can’t Lord Henry find someone else to handle his business concerns and leave Ian to pursue what he loves?”
Margaret sighed. “I wish it were that easy. I truly do. His father has given him as much time as possible during Susan’s illness, even extending that for a year to help the children through their grief. But I’m afraid time is running out.”
She gave Samantha a careful look. “What has Ian told you about his wife?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Did his parents know the truth?
“He told me they were in the process of divorcing when she was diagnosed with cancer,” she said carefully.
“I tried to love her, for Ian’s sake and for the children. I truly did. She had her good points, though as time goes on it is becoming harder and harder for me to remember those. But I could never forgive her for hurting my son and my grandchildren. Even as she was dying, I couldn’t forgive her. Does that make me a terrible person?”
“I think it makes you human,” Samantha said. “I’m not sure I could, either.”
Margaret
was quiet for a moment, then finally released Sam’s hand, leaving her feeling a little bereft.
“I don’t know what your relationship with Ian is. I’m not going to pry, as he would be the first to tell me it’s none of my business. But I must tell you that since he’s been here, my son seems happier than I’ve seen him in years. He smiles more, he laughs, he even teases his sister. Something tells me that’s down to you.”
“Maybe he’s just enjoying being here in Haven Point, working on his research.”
“That could be part of it. The rest, I think, is you.”
Samantha didn’t know how to answer that. Couldn’t Margaret see how impossible anything was between Sam and her son?
She supposed it didn’t matter what Margaret saw or didn’t see. Samantha knew they could never be together. No matter how much she might wish otherwise.
* * *
THE SATURDAY OF Gemma’s wedding looked as if it was going to be one of those absolutely perfect Haven Point June days.
The temperatures were mild, the lake breeze sweet and the sky was a pure, gorgeous blue, with only a few puffy white clouds passing across for contrast.
Sam spent the morning at the store, finishing a dress she was making for a bride from Shelter Springs, then left everything in the capable hands of Rachel Muñoz after lunch so she could go home and dress for the ceremony.
When she arrived, she found the puppies had somehow opened one of the drawers of her mother’s sewing machine and pulled out all the spools of thread. They were now tangled in a brightly colored mess.
“Oh, no! You rascals,” she exclaimed, and hurried for her scissors to cut them free.
The puppies were becoming so active it was hard to keep them contained in one room. They were completely weaned now and Betsey was spending more and more time away from them.
They were ready for their forever homes, but was she ready to say goodbye? That was the question, she thought as Coco snuggled against her leg while Sam cut away at green thread wrapped around her paws.
She didn’t worry about their futures. Charlene Bailey was taking Oscar, Lindy-Grace Keegan wanted Coco for her boys and little Calvin was going to Ben McKenzie’s mother, Lydia.
She knew they would all be loved and cared for in their new homes but it didn’t make the idea of parting from them any easier.
With the puppies settled once more and all the thread cleaned up, she finally closed the door and headed in to get ready for the wedding.
She had a date, after all.
The doorbell rang just as she was finishing her makeup.
Her stomach quivered with anticipation. If she had missed Ian and the children this much after only a few days, how would she cope once he was back in England and out of her life?
She checked her image in the mirror, feeling a little like a princess heading to the ball in her prettiest dress. Only she supposed she was the fairy godmother and the busy little mice, too, since she had made this one herself.
She had designed her dress to be elegant but understated, a simple column of the palest turquoise, tea-length with capped sleeves.
She had chosen to wear her hair simply to match the lines of the dress, in a French twist that accentuated her neckline and collarbone and showed her earrings to good effect.
Heart pounding, she hurried to the front door. She expected only Ian and was delighted to find Amelia and Thomas standing on either side of him.
“Hello.” She managed a smile, though she felt slightly giddy.
“Hi.”
He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she opened the door. Sam met his gaze and couldn’t look away, trying not to shiver at his hot stare. She wasn’t sure how long they stood in the doorway gazing at each other. Fortunately, Thomas broke the silence.
“Hullo,” Thomas said. “We’re here to take you to Aunt Gemma’s wedding.”
She managed to jerk her gaze away from his father to find the boy looking dapper in a charcoal suit just like Ian’s, a miniature version that fit him perfectly.
“We’re a few moments early,” Ian said, finally finding his words. “Sorry about that but the children were dressed and clean for five minutes. Mrs. Gilbert suggested the best chance of keeping them that way was simply to leave for the wedding before they could mess things up again.”
“I’m almost ready. I only need to grab my shoes and check on the puppies one more time.”
Amelia made a tiny sound of excitement. “Please, Dad. May we say hello to the puppies?”
“If you look and don’t touch. Gemma probably wouldn’t mind dog hair all over you but the photographer she’s hired might.”
“We’ll be careful,” Thomas promised.
Samantha took them to the sewing room and opened the door, keeping the gate in place. All the puppies yelped in greeting, dancing and writhing around, to the children’s delight.
“I love these puppies,” Amelia said with a sigh that sounded as if it came from deep within her soul.
“I do, too,” Thomas said, his voice wistful. “I so wish we could take one home with us.”
“We’re leaving on Wednesday next,” Amelia said. “I wish we didn’t have to go.”
She sounded so sad that Samantha wanted to kneel down right there and wrap her arms around her.
“What about all your friends at home? You told me about your friend Christine, who was going to Barcelona this summer with her family. Won’t it be nice to tell her about your trip to Idaho?”
“That will be fun, I suppose. I’ve sent her pictures of the puppies and she’s so jealous. She adores puppies.”
“There you go.”
“Still, I’ll miss the puppies. Pictures aren’t the same as hugging them.”
“They’ll be going to their new homes next week, anyway.”
“Will Betsey be sad about not being with her babies anymore?” Amelia asked, suddenly looking stricken.
“She might be sad for a day or two. But she’ll be all right.”
“Will you be sad?” Thomas asked.
“A little. But I’ll be all right, as well.”
“I’ll miss you,” Thomas said, his voice a little shy. She could almost feel her heart shatter.
This time she did kneel down, as hard as it was in her dress, and hugged both children.
“I’ll miss you both, too. You’ll be sure to write me, though, won’t you?”
“Yes. Would it be all right if I colored a picture for you?” Thomas asked.
“Definitely.”
“Maybe we can FaceTime, too, on Dad’s computer,” Amelia suggested. “That’s what we do with Aunt Gemma.”
“I would like that very much,” she said.
When she stood again, she found Ian in the doorway to the living room, watching the interaction with an expression she couldn’t read.
He cleared his throat. “We really should be going. We wouldn’t want to be late for Gemma’s wedding.”
“No. Of course not. I only need a moment.”
She slipped into her bedroom for her shoes and evening bag and then returned to the living room. “Ready.”
She might be ready for the wedding, she thought as they all headed for Ian’s vehicle. But she was certainly not ready for everything that would come after.
* * *
HOW WOULD HE possibly be able to keep his hands off Samantha through the entire evening?
The evening was one thing. He could endure anything for one night. But how would he be able to walk away from her to fly home in only a few days?
She had become infinitely precious to him during the short time he had been in Haven Point. He pictured her there as she had been a short time ago in the hallway of her home, holding both of his children and looking as if she was about to weep. His chest ached.
How had she become so very importan
t to his world?
She brought sunshine and joy into a world that had seemed dark and cheerless for a long time.
The children chatted all the way to the house of Gemma’s friends where the wedding would be held. As soon as they walked to the backyard, which was decorated with garlands of entwined ribbons and lush, brightly colored flowers, his mother headed straight for them.
“Thank the lord you’re here,” Margaret exclaimed.
“What do you need me to do?” Ian asked immediately, afraid he had forgotten some kind of wedding responsibility.
“Not you. Her.” She pointed to Samantha. “We’re having a wardrobe malfunction. The mother of the groom is wearing a dress that just ripped at a fairly important seam and she’s quite literally frantic. She’s crying right now in the room off the kitchen we’ve all been using as a dressing room. Is there any chance you could possibly work your magic and repair it?”
Samantha didn’t hesitate. “Of course. Show me where to go. I have a spare needle and thread in my bag.”
Ian had to blink, wondering what sort of woman carried a spare needle and thread in an evening bag little bigger than a credit card.
“Let’s go see if there’s anything we can do to help outside,” he said to the children after his mother and Samantha hurried away.
“Is Mrs. Gilbert here yet?” Amelia asked.
He looked around. “I don’t see her. But she’ll be here.”
They walked around the expansive lawn overlooking the lake where chairs had been set up under an awning for the wedding ceremony.
Ian wasn’t normally the kind of guy who noticed that sort of thing, but even he could tell this was a stunning setting for a wedding.
A quartet of musicians with stringed instruments was setting up on one side, tuning their instruments as a few guests started to arrive.
Already the low hum of conversation and laughter filled the afternoon.
He refused to draw comparisons between this joyful event with his somewhat stiff, formal wedding to Susan. The past was past. His marriage might have been a mistake but he had gained two amazing children out of it, so he couldn’t regret any of it.
Summer at Lake Haven Page 21
