He left the heat of the truck and walked back toward the apartment. Savannah handed him a box. “This is the last one. Now it’s just the rest of the furniture.”
He took the box with a nod, wishing he could tuck one of those loose curls behind her ear.
And then kiss her.
Aaarrrrggghhhh. What was wrong with him?
He tried to snap out of this weird state she had him in. “We’ll need more people to move the sideboard.”
“Selena and I can help.”
He grinned down at her. “Like I’m going to go back and tell Zeke I let his little sister lift furniture. He’ll kill me. No way I’m risking that.”
“Yeah, he is pretty overprotective. Okay. I’ll ask my neighbor if he can help.”
“Okay,” Sam said, and carried the last box out. He’d already loaded the bed and nightstands, table and chairs, and he’d left room in the middle of the truck for the sideboard.
He turned and paused at the edge of the truck bed.
Savannah was talking with a guy, who must be the neighbor.
Jealousy, raw and wild, swept through him.
He needed to get this woman back to Waco so he could drop her and her car off with Zeke, and then get some distance from her.
How was he going to survive six hours on the road in the confines of the truck cab with her?
3
Muscle-Bound Football Players
The road trip had been relatively quiet so far. The moving truck was louder than a car so they had to speak up to be heard.
Not quite three hours into the road trip, they’d passed a few pleasantries, but drifted off into a companionable silence.
Finally, Sam asked, “Getting hungry?”
Savannah hadn’t wanted to say anything, but she was. “Yes, actually.”
He pointed to a road sign listing some fast-food places. “Any of those look good?”
She scanned the sign. McDonald’s. A big nope. Wendy’s. Maybe. Wait. “Hey, Dairy Queen.”
He took the exit into Abilene, Texas, and found the DQ sign.
He looked over at her. “I’ll run in to order because there’s no way this truck is going to fit in their drive-through. What would you like?”
Without hesitation, she said, “Crispy chicken sandwich with fries and an Oreo Blizzard.”
He chuckled. “I’ve never even had a Blizzard.”
“You’re kidding!” She sat back in mock shock. “You must get one today.”
“If you say so.” With a laugh, he pulled the big moving truck into a shady spot, climbed out, went inside, and ordered, choosing the Animal Cookie Blizzard for himself.
When he carried the food back out to the truck, she smiled. “Animal cookies, huh?”
“A favorite since childhood.”
She pulled the food out of the DQ bag.
“Um,” she moaned softly, savoring a bite of her Oreo Blizzard.
He chuckled again. “So, you’re a dessert-first kind of lady, I take it.”
“You’d better believe it.” She pointed to the Blizzard he’d chosen. “Try it before you knock it.”
He grinned over at her. “Whatever the lady wants.” He lifted his Blizzard, took a spoonful and lifted it to his lips, then made an exaggerated, “Um” sound similar to her own.
The sound sent a shiver through her. She shrugged it off. “See, they’re delicious.”
He nodded and took a second bite. “It’s good.” He stared at the cup and said, “Where have you been all my life?”
She laughed. “Zeke didn’t mention that you’d lived such a sheltered life.”
“Zeke doesn’t know me as well as he thinks he does.”
After they finished the food and the last bite of their Blizzards, he pulled back onto the road.
Her tummy full, she snuggled back into the seat.
He glanced over at her and then, his hands at ten and two and his eyes on the road, he asked, “Zeke said you’ve been divorced for a year. Does your ex-husband show up to harass you often?”
Warmth flushed up Savannah’s neck and cheeks. This wasn’t something she normally liked to talk about, especially with other guys. “Yeah. Thanks for getting rid of him and making it look so easy. Maybe if I go to the gym and build up lots of muscles, I can fling him around, too. That would be handy. He comes around occasionally, and his presence is always unwelcome.”
“You’re welcome. Glad I came along when I did.” He drew in a deep breath, still not looking over at her. “What’s his deal?”
“He’s a sociopath, or so my counselor said, so he likes to occasionally come in close enough to emotionally jab me and then he goes off for a while with his new wife. He heard I was moving and wanted to…” She faded off. “Well, I’m not sure exactly what he planned, but I am certain it would have upset me.”
“A sociopath, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
Surprised, she found he was easy to open up to and she found herself explaining what she’d learned. “They’re narcissists plus they’d don’t have a conscience. I think that makes them sociopaths. Anyway, they treat other people like possessions rather than people. He still considers me his possession, even though he’s moved on. He likes to yank my chain every once in a while.”
“Why?”
“Just for fun. His fun, not mine.”
“Sounds kind of sick.”
“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Rylan is one sick puppy. I’m just glad I learned how best to deal with him.”
“And how is that?”
“The best way to deal with a sociopath is to avoid them. The second best way is, when they come over uninvited, to have a big football player yank them out of your house.”
He snorted with amusement. “For your fun?”
“Yeah. It was fun for me.”
“How long have you been divorced?”
“One year getting the divorce, and six months since it’s been final.”
“And he’s still playing games?”
“That’s one reason I’m moving back to Waco. I don’t think he’ll drive six hours to gaslight me, which suits me just fine. Plus, my family wants me to work in their business again.”
“The real estate business?”
He was referring to her family’s business. “Yeah. My grandfather opened it fifty years ago, and family has run it ever since. My parents own it now.”
“Zeke mentioned that he worked there during the summer when he was in high school.”
“He never really got into real estate, though he certainly owns some nice places now.”
“So, you’re going to sell real estate? You’re an agent?”
“Not an agent.” She nodded, somewhat proudly. “Took a long time to meet all the requirements, but, yes, I’m an official broker.”
“I’m impressed.” He glanced over at her.
“Thanks.” His warm smile actually sent a zing through her, warming her heart. He was easy to talk with. She’d shared things she hadn’t told to anyone except her best friend Selena, her family, and her counselor. After Rylan, she didn’t open up to new people easily. She was good at talking with clients, but she didn’t let them in too close.
Sam seemed somewhat interested in her.
But she wasn’t on the dating market. Rylan had ruined her for relationships. Which was too bad, really, because this guy seemed really nice. He was funny. And protective. He was strong enough to scare Rylan, too, which was a big plus.
But still she needed to maintain her emotional distance.
Sam found this woman fascinating. They were thirty minutes away from Waco, and he was sorry that this easy-going conversation with her was almost over. He wished there was some way he could see her again after they got back, but Zeke had made it clear he didn’t want Sam to date his sister.
So, he was going to have to figure out another way to see her.
“How many houses have you sold in your
career?” he asked, glancing over at the pretty lady.
“Oh, let’s see.” She paused and must be mentally counting them off in her head. Finally, she said, “I’d have to check for sure, but at least forty.”
“Forty, huh? That’s pretty good.”
“I’m pretty good at what I do.” She laughed. “So ... how many touchdowns have you thrown in your career?”
“Touché.” He chuckled. “At least forty. I think.” He knew precisely how many because people kept records on athletes, and it was more than forty, but he enjoyed teasing her.
“I guess you’re pretty good at what you do, too.”
He couldn’t help the pleasure that swept through him at her words. “Yeah. I am pretty good at what I do.”
They were silent for the next ten minutes, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. It was a companionable thing. Something he wasn’t used to with women.
Savannah was easy to talk with — and to be silent with. Too bad she was off limits. Because he already liked her — a lot.
“So, you’ll be staying with Zeke for a while. Why not with your parents?”
“I’ve been on my own for too long to go back home to my mom and dad.”
He chuckled again. “That’s healthy. I lived with my parents until a year ago.”
“And then you moved in with my brother. So, I guess we’ll be seeing each other a lot around the dinner table.”
“No. Actually, I’m moving out.”
“Why?”
“You seriously can’t guess?”
“My brother kicked you out?” She sounded surprised.
“He takes your safety very seriously.” He took the exit toward Franklin Avenue. They were getting close.
“So, you’re safe for me to be with for a five-hour drive, but not around the house? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Zeke rarely does.” But he was a lot of fun. “You’re going to cramp his dating style, you know.”
“Yeah. I’ll be working a lot, though, and I like to read and watch movies so I’ll be in my room a lot, too. Or in his pool. We’ll stay out of each other’s way.”
“What are your favorite movies?”
“Legally Blonde. Lord of the Rings. Harry Potter. Napoleon Dynamite. Toy Story. The Hunger Games, at least the first one.”
“Wow. That covers quite the spectrum.”
“How about you?”
“Fast and Furious. Anything with car chases and explosions.”
She sighed dramatically. “I guess we can’t be friends, then.”
“I do like Toy Story, at least.”
“Maybe a limited friendship, then.”
As he pulled onto Zeke’s street, he felt regret that he’d be leaving her here. He could hardly believe he felt this way, but there it was. “Will you be starting work immediately?”
“Yes. I’ll take a couple of days off to settle in, but then I’ll be hitting the office. My parents won’t know what hit them.”
“A house-selling tornado?”
“Exactly.”
He pulled the large truck up, pointing away from the house, then carefully backed in. When he put the truck into Park, he turned to her.
“So, if I want to buy a house, I can just call the office and get you.”
She laughed. “Or you can call my number that Zeke gave you so we could coordinate for this trip.”
“Oh, yeah. That.”
He had her phone number. He’d have to put that fact to good use.
Savannah could hardly believe it had been over six hours already, between the drive and the stop for food. She’d had fun joking around with Sam. He seemed like a good guy. Especially when she compared him with her sociopath ex. But she supposed anyone compared to a sociopath would look good.
Zeke had gotten a few other muscle-bound football players to help unload the truck, so it went a lot faster than the loading had back in Lubbock.
Zeke’s house had a couple of master suites, so he’d given her the second one. Apparently, Sam had been living in one of the regular bedrooms — but not any longer.
The first thing Zeke had said — after hugging Savannah and thanking Sam — was asking for Sam’s keys back. He traded him for another set of keys, and said, “I got you lined up in a townhouse for a couple of months. That gives you time to find another place.”
“Thanks. I think,” Sam said with a laugh.
“You know you’re not staying here with my sister.”
“Zeke,” Savannah said with a frown. “You’re being rude to your friend. He was the perfect gentleman during the drive.”
Zeke put an arm around her. “No guy is going to sleep over at my house as long as you’re living here. That’s because I love you and I plan on protecting you.”
“Thanks. I think,” she echoed Sam’s words, and the guy laughed.
Zeke scowled. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” Savannah said, squeezing her arm about her brother’s waist. “Thanks for your overprotective concern for my safety and honor.”
“That’s better.” Zeke pulled his arm away and headed for the kitchen. “Come on in here. I got you something special.”
Savannah shared a look with Sam, who shrugged. “I have no clue what surprise he’s got for you.”
Savannah pulled a face. “Let’s go see.”
When she did, she started to laugh. “You remembered.”
“Yeah,” Zeke said, finally smiling, his big arms crossed.
“What is it?” Sam stared.
“My precious!” Savannah sat at the kitchen table and pulled the box toward her, as if hugging it. “Amazing cookies from Bittersweet Waco. My favorite. Thanks, Zeke.”
“You’re welcome.” Her big brother smiled down at her. “I wanted you to feel at home.”
“If you guys are really nice to me, maybe I’ll share.” She motioned to them, then opened the box and sighed. “All my favorites. Triple chip. Nutella brownie. Cosmic.”
Zeke pulled out a chair next to her and Sam took the one on her other side. She handed him one of the two Cosmic cookies, and Zeke took his favorite, a brownie stuffed with cookie dough.
She pulled out a triple chip cookie and took a bite. Chocolate goodness melted in her mouth.
Sitting here with her brother and her new friend and Bittersweet Waco cookies, Savannah thought she couldn’t be happier.
4
Like Square Footage
Sam had been melancholy for the last three days.
This morning, he’d forced himself out of bed at six, ran for two miles, showered, and dressed. But he still felt off.
He wasn’t sure what was causing it. He’d moved into the smallish townhouse Zeke had arranged for him, owned by one of the other teammates, which didn’t bother him too much, though he missed the private pool. He was tempted to move back in with his parents for a while, but vetoed that bad idea. He was far too old to be running back home to Mommy and Daddy.
It had taken him two days to realize that he missed Savannah. Two days to try to talk himself out of missing her. After all, he hadn’t even met her before this week. He’d lived his whole life without her. How could spending less than a day with her have turned his life upside down?
He didn’t know, but he missed her. He wanted to see her again.
He missed Zeke, too. His friend seemed to think it was best if he stayed away from the house, even during the day, which meant he was missing out on gaming and pool time there.
He wasn’t sure why Zeke had taken such a hardnose stance, but Sam resented it. If he could go spend a few hours there, he’d probably realize he didn’t really miss Savannah as much as he missed his old friend.
So maybe he just needed to make sure he could spend some time with her. But how?
He couldn’t ask her out on a date, so he’d need to be subtle. How could he romance a woman while being too subtle to call it a date?
Well, if the woman is a real estate broker, you ask her to be your br
oker, and then you go look at houses together. He would look at a hundred houses if he needed to. No hurry. He would romance her so slowly she would never know what hit her.
And best of all, if it didn’t work out, he could back out quietly without getting hurt again.
Savannah was divorced and that made him a little leery. But if her ex’s invasion of her space was any indication, Sam figured it was the guy’s fault. Which brought out all of Sam’s considerable protective instincts.
He wanted to give Savannah more of a chance than he’d given anyone since what’s-her-name. He’d dated his girlfriend for only three months before proposing. She’d worn his ring for one month, and then left him. He still didn’t fully understand why, but it had made him gun shy.
He figured he needed to date a woman for much longer than three months to really get to know her. Maybe quietly date one for at least eight or nine months. Maybe even a year.
He wasn’t in love with Savannah Jackson. That would be crazy. He just needed to see her again. See if he reacted to her like he had before.
Worst case scenario, he ended up buying a house.
Best case, he got a house and the woman.
He picked up his phone and grinned. This was going to be fun. Then he clicked End Call. This would be better done in person.
Savannah took the first hour of the morning setting up her new office — the same office space she’d had before she moved to Lubbock.
At ten, her father peeked his head in. “You ready to meet your new coworkers?”
“Same ones or have you added any?”
He chuckled. “Mostly the same. Miranda and Graham are still here. Debbie and Maria started up their own businesses, not real estate related. And we’ve added Nellie Garcia. She was in your high school class, wasn’t she?”
Savannah nodded. “Ahh, I’ll miss not seeing Debbie.”
“You mean you’ll miss her homemade donuts.”
She laughed. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
SAM: A Best Friend's Sister Sweet Romantic Comedy (Waco Wranglers Reid Brothers Book 3) Page 2
