Storming the Castle (Dale Series)

by Arianna Hart

  “Grant checked it out and made sure it wouldn’t fall apart the first time you sat on it, Piper, but be careful with it. It’s pretty old, so I wouldn’t try to stand on it or anything.”

  “You better not be standing on any chairs with that broken arm.”

  “Says the man who was swinging her into orbit,” Nadya said.

  “I have no idea what you were talking about. I’ll grab the chair, Pip, you get the door and we’ll all have some coffee cake.”

  “Is it Mom Anderson’s?” Ellie asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Fantastic.”

  “Come on in and help yourself. I’ll bring the chair up to your room.” He put his guitar in the living room and dropped his phone on the counter.

  When he came downstairs he heard the tail end of Faith’s song.

  “Sam wrote it just for Mom,” Piper said.

  Ellie’s eyes glowed and Nadya was sniffling back tears.

  “Sorry, pregnancy hormones. Everything makes me cry,” she said, using a napkin to mop herself up.

  “Sam, that was beautiful. Are you going to put it on your next album?” Ellie asked.

  “Ah no. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of my songs.”

  “That’s too bad. It’s beautiful. It makes me think of Grant. Can I get a copy of it?”

  “Um, sure. I guess. But I want Faith to see it first.”

  “Of course. How were you going to give it to her?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far ahead. We only just recorded it,” he admitted. “Email it, I guess.”

  “That’s a pain, videos take forever to load. Why don’t you just put it up on YouTube?” Nadya suggested.

  “What?”

  “You can make a YouTube account and upload your song. All you need is an email address. I’m surprised you don’t have one already.”

  “My manager handles all my social media.”

  “It can be private. You don’t have to use your stage name if you’re worried about other people seeing it.”

  As soon as it was on the net, it would be permanent. Emails could be deleted, phones broken, but the internet was like herpes. Once it was out there, it was there forever. The part of him that hated the next man Faith got involved with loved the idea. The insecure part of him that worried about his feelings being rejected cowered in fear at the thought of his heart put on display.

  “Can I do that? Isn’t there something in my contract about offering free songs or something?” he asked, hedging a bit.

  “Hold on, let me check.” Nadya took a legal-sized folder out of her brief case and flipped through the pages.

  “Do it, Sam,” Piper said. “That way, every time Momma misses you, she can look at it. It’s better than a picture.”

  “You really think so?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “If Miss Nadya says it’s okay, then I will.”

  “Okay, here’s the clause you were thinking of. Cutting out all the legal mumbo-jumbo, it basically says you can’t post anything for free that they are trying to sell. But if you weren’t planning on including this on the album, you’re in the clear as long as you aren’t selling it independently and are just offering it for free.”

  “Then I guess I better figure out how to create a YouTube account.”

  “I can help you with that,” Ellie said.

  “I’ll get Momma’s laptop.” Piper ran out of the room.

  “Here, let me help you. You shouldn’t be carrying a computer with a broken arm,” Ellie called after her.

  Nadya waited until the two of them were out of earshot before turning to Sam. “As soon as she sees that, she’ll know how much you love her, if she doesn’t already.”

  “I hope so.”

  “And what about when you’re gone?”

  He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I have to go back to L.A. I have to go on tour. You’ve read the contract. It doesn’t matter what I want to do, that I want to stay here. I have to keep my word, and I have a responsibility to the people who count on me for jobs.”

  “So why can’t you finish out your contract and come back?”

  “Faith shouldn’t have to wait two years for me while I’m traveling all over the world. I can’t ask her to put her life on hold because I want her.” Because I love her.

  “Do a shorter tour.”

  “What?”

  “It states you have to do a tour. It doesn’t say anything about how long it has to be, or how many shows you have to do. Space them out so you have downtime between shows, and you don’t have as many.”

  “It’s not that easy. I need a month at least to record the album. Then I have to do the required rounds at award shows and after parties before the album drops to drum up interest.”

  “It can work out if you want it to. I guess you just have to really want it.”

  “Sam, you need to set up an email first,” Ellie called from the living room.

  “You’ve given me a lot to think about.” But it wouldn’t mean squat if Faith didn’t want him to stay in her life.

  …

  “So I think we’re all set for the mediation hearing next week. We’ll start out offering supervised visits once a month in Dale, but compromise to twice a month with the option to renegotiate at six months,” Andrew Blackman said, tapping the legal pad he’d taken notes on.

  “I want to make sure they can’t cancel without at least two days’ notice, and if they cancel more than two visits in a three-month period, they’ll lose visitation, or something like that. I don’t want them treating Piper like a shiny new toy only to discard her when the novelty wears off. I also want something in there limiting the value of the gifts they can give her. I get that grandparents want to spoil their grandchild, but I don’t want them trying to buy her love and promising a pony or something crazy like that.”

  Faith had taken to Mr. Blackman the second they shook hands. That he was built along the lines of her father probably prejudiced her a bit, but he was also smart as a whip and seemed to know what he was doing. His office, while well decorated and attractive, was comfortable and didn’t make her feel like a peasant coming to plead her case in front of royalty, like Matthew’s office had.

  “I’ll include that. I also want you to get a children’s advocate for Piper. I’ll have Mary email you some names of advocates we work with on a regular basis. It’s their job to look out for Piper’s best interests.”

  She could darn well look out for her daughter’s best interests, but she realized she might not be as willing to see the Prentices’ side of things, even if they would benefit Piper.

  “Okay. Do you think you’ll be able to get the meeting moved to Darma? I really don’t want to drive all the way to Savannah.”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem. I know the firm representing them, and although they’re conservative, they are reasonable. You might want to be more open to allowing Piper to visit them in Savannah, at least on school vacations. Their lawyer can argue that they are getting on in years and shouldn’t have to drive the seven hours up to Dale all the time.”

  “I’m willing to compromise if we make it to the six-month re-negotiation period. I don’t trust their sincerity after five years of absence in her life. I gave you the letters they returned when I tried to reach out to them before.”

  “Yes, I included them in your file. I completely understand your reticence. It’s my job to look at all sides of things and prepare for whatever the judge throws at us. You have a solid case, and even if you don’t get everything you want, there is no way they will get custody. I’d stake my reputation on it.”

  She believed him, but she was still nervous. A part of her wished she hadn’t destroyed the video, but even as she had that thought, she discarded it. Mr. Blackman seemed honest and competent, even if he wasn’t a barracuda.

  “Thank you so much for your time,” Faith said, standing.

  “I’m glad we could finally connect in person. I’ll let
you know the time and place of the mediation hearing.”

  “Great. Have a nice day.”

  “You, too.” He walked her to the door. “By the way, did your late husband work for Markum, Dobratz, and Klein?”

  “Yes, he did. Why?”

  “I started out there when I first passed the bar.”

  “Really? I’m sorry, I don’t remember Matthew mentioning you.” Faith racked her mind trying to remember if she’d seen him at any company parties.

  “I left before he joined the firm. My wife and I decided it was better for our family if I went to a smaller firm, so I joined one that focused on family law before opening this practice with two of my associates.”

  “A very wise decision,” Faith replied, having a pretty good idea why he left the firm.

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  Although still nervous, she felt much better about the upcoming mediation. It had been difficult to keep from telling Mr. Blackman she wanted to keep the Prentices away from Piper completely. She had to keep reminding herself that even if they had been jerks to her, they were still Piper’s grandparents. Pip was the only remaining connection they had to Matthew, and it would be cruel to deny them contact.

  But there was a teeny, tiny, bitter part of her that wanted to punish them for what they’d put her through after Matthew’s death. She wasn’t very proud of that, but it was there. The only way she could push beyond it was to try to put herself in their shoes. If anything happened to Piper, she’d be so angry with the world she’d lash out at people, too.

  It didn’t excuse their actions, but it made them a little more understandable. Sort of. Maybe. When push came to shove, her parents had raised her to act with kindness.

  Heck, she’d forgiven Matthew, so anything was possible.

  She checked her phone when she got into the truck, pleased at how easily it started since Sam had asked Grant to fiddle with it. There was a text from Sam with a picture of him and Piper eating ice cream. He’d sent it half an hour ago. Why wasn’t she at Mary Ellen’s?

  Before she called Sam, she saved the picture to her phone. It was pathetic, but she’d been taking pictures left and right of Sam to have when he left. She’d even snapped a selfie of the two of them sitting on the porch steps with Sadie.

  God, she’d turned into a sixteen-year-old girl with her first crush. It would hurt just as badly when it was over, too.

  Sam picked up on the first ring. “Hey, sexy. Are you all done with the lawyer?”

  “Just got out and I’m headed home. Where is Piper?”

  “Mary Ellen had to run Sydney to the vet, so I held on to her. She just texted me that she’s about half an hour out.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d have her for so long.”

  “It was fun. I actually beat her in a game of Candyland.”

  “How many did you play?”

  “Four.”

  “That’s rough. Okay, I’ll be home in an hour and half. I can pick up a pizza on the way if you’d like.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Faith put her phone away and pulled out of the parking lot. Her blood heated at the thought of going home to Sam. They’d stolen some kisses here and there, but he’d been busy finishing his album, and she’d been preoccupied with keeping Piper happy. And by the time Piper went to bed, Faith was so exhausted, she all but collapsed in bed herself. In her head an imaginary clock ticked down the days until he had to leave. His leaving was going to devastate her, but she’d never let him know it. He hadn’t pretended their relationship was anything more than a mutually satisfying sexual encounter.

  She couldn’t help but think he felt something for her, but their lives were so diametrically opposed, there was no way it could last after next week. He might promise to keep in touch, but after a while, the contact would come less and less often, until he drifted away completely.

  It would be better for both of them if they made a clean break. But not yet. She was selfish enough to want to have as much time as possible with him before the end.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Faith opened the door, balancing the pizza, her purse, and a bottle of wine. “Sam? I’m home,” she called.

  “In here,” he answered, coming out from the living room. “I borrowed your laptop, I hope that’s okay.” He had a sheepish expression on his face that immediately had her wondering what he was up to.

  “Of course.”

  She put the pizza and the wine on the counter and dropped her purse, stretching out to ease the ache in her back. Between the hours in the truck and the tension she’d been feeling, her muscles were stiff and achy.

  A small groan from Sam had her turning in his direction. His gaze was fastened on her chest, which was thrust out in front of her from her stretching. Heat sizzled through her blood stream, igniting fires throughout her body. It had been a long time since they’d made love.

  “How hungry are you?” she asked, her voice throaty with desire.

  “For pizza? Not nearly as hungry as I am for you.”

  She wasn’t sure who attacked who, but she was in his arms in seconds, tongues tangling and clothes flying.

  “I need you, babe, so bad,” he whispered against her throat.

  “Yes. Now. Condom.” This man robbed her of the power of speech every darn time he touched her.

  “Back pocket. I was hopeful.”

  “Thank God.” She fumbled open the foil packet while he divested himself of his shorts.

  Her blouse and bra were hanging off one arm, and she shook them off while he kneeled and licked her right through her underwear.

  Faith let out a gasp as he shot her over the edge barely seconds later.

  “A little quick on the trigger there, Ms. Adams.”

  “I’ve been thinking about you the whole ride home,” she said, feeling languid and relaxed.

  She pushed him to his back and sheathed him with their protection. His groan as she stroked his length was music to her ears.

  “Stop playing, or I’ll be just as quick on the trigger.”

  “I got mine, I don’t care.” She straddled him, easing his hardness into her softness like a key into a lock.

  “Shit, there’s always round two.”

  “Think big, we have all night.”

  “It might just kill me, but what a way to go.”

  Faith couldn’t come up with a witty response, she was too busy reveling in the feel of him between her legs. Once again, the power of speech was beyond her as pleasure soaked through every pore of her body.

  He clutched her butt as he bucked his hips and ground his pelvis against her clit. Unbelievably, another orgasm ripped its way through her, and she could do nothing but ride the wave until she collapsed over his chest.

  For long minutes, they were silent as they recovered. Faith felt boneless with satisfaction and chose to ignore the slight ache of the hard wood floor against her knees.

  What she couldn’t ignore was Sadie’s cold nose pressed into back. She let out a shriek and rolled off Sam.

  “Way to kill the mood, Sadie girl,” he said with a chuckle. He stood, unabashed with his nakedness. “Why don’t you take the pizza up to your room while I clean up. We can have a naked picnic in bed.”

  “That sounds awesome. I’ll get the plates and napkins. I bought a bottle of wine, too. Do you want some?” He hadn’t had anything alcoholic since he’d been in Dale, at least not that she’d seen, but he never talked about it, so she hadn’t brought it up.

  He was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. Finally, he said, “Shit, I guess now is as good a time to try it as any.”

  “What do you mean, try it?”

  “I’ll explain upstairs.”

  Feeling far less comfortable with her nudity than Sam apparently did, she stole his T-shirt before gathering the supplies for their picnic. She opened the wine and grabbed her best glasses along with two bottled waters before heading upstairs.

  He’d already disposed of the con
dom and laid a sheet over the comforter. He was so thoughtful sometimes it melted her heart.

  “I can’t believe you brought silverware. It’s pizza, woman.”

  “Pizza with the works. It’s messy.”

  It took a few minutes to get everything arranged to her satisfaction, but soon they were on the bed eating slightly cooled pizza.

  He took a sip of the wine, and Faith watched his expression as he tasted it.

  “I’m not going to turn into the Hulk because I’m having a glass of wine. You don’t have to look so worried,” he said.

  “But you haven’t had any alcohol since you’ve been here, and I don’t want to be the reason you go off the rails.”

  He leaned back against the headboard and took a sip of water this time. “When I came here, I was worried that I was an alcoholic, or at least well on the way to being one. I was scared.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “That’s when I had my manager look for a place I could dry out. He suggested a rehab, but I couldn’t see myself going to one of those places. If I was going to face my demons, I was going to do it on my own terms.”

  “And have you? Faced your demons?”

  “This was the test. When I first got here, I wanted a drink more than I wanted my next breath. Whenever I talked to Dave and thought about going back on tour, I immediately wanted a bottle of Jack. I was nervous about drinking at the bonfire, because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop, and I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

  “You could never embarrass me.”

  “Trust me, I’m sure there are plenty of pictures of me you could find that would shock the hell out of you. This seemed like a good test. You only brought one bottle.”

  “I think you’re okay. If you really had a problem, you could have gone out and grabbed some. You could go out now.”

  “And leave you naked and alone in bed? I don’t think so.”

  “An alcoholic wouldn’t care. I remember guys coming to the bar on bicycles because they’d lost their licenses from drinking and driving. It’s a disease. A powerful one.”