I jumped back away from the splash. “Hey, watch it!”
“Sammy, don’t move!” Max stared with wide eyes at the sand behind me.
“What?” I stared back at him. I didn’t move a muscle.
“I think a friend of yours wants to say goodbye.”
“What in the world are you talking about?” I looked over my shoulder just in time to see the crab lunge at me.
“No!” I jumped forward and right into Max’s arms.
He laughed as he swung me safely away from the crab. “What’s wrong? No kiss?”
“Not for the crab, but for you, always.” I kissed him as the crab disappeared into the water.
I lost myself in the kiss we shared. I forgot all about the sunburn, the offer to go to France, and even the crab that seemed to have it in for me.
Chapter 28
When we finally untangled, Max sighed.
“I guess we have to start getting ready to go. I thought we could just get some food at the airport. What do you think? Is that alright?”
“Yes, that’s fine.” I tried not to feel disappointed at the mention of the airport. We had to go home sometime.
As we walked back to the bungalow I kept a close eye out for the crab.
“Max, I don’t think I can ever thank you enough for all that you did to put this together. I’m sorry that I ever doubted you.”
“You doubted me?” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
I laughed.
He pulled the door open for me, then paused. “You know what? I forgot something. There’s one more thing that I have to do. I’ll be back in just a little while. Is that alright?”
“Sure, it’s fine. Anything I can help with?”
“No, it’ll be quick. Just something I need to pick up.”
“Alright, I’ll be here.”
I stepped into the bungalow and Max closed the door behind me. Alone in the bungalow, my heart was heavy. It was the last day of our honeymoon, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for everything that would unfold at home. I wished that I’d told Max about the offer. He was the person I always turned to for advice, so why was I holding back?
I shook my head. I wanted so badly to plan and prepare. What about the book release? What about handling all of the tech stuff by myself? I couldn’t even format my own book! The more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became. Then I remembered being in the water.
I was lost at sea, I was shark bait—with very little hope of rescue. I did everything I could to control the situation, and when that failed, I finally surrendered. I gave up on trying to control anything. I accepted what was and settled into the flow of the moment. That was when help showed up—when I stopped trying to make everything happen myself. That was when I was plucked out of the water and placed back on the path I wanted to be on.
Maybe that was the point—to give in and let things fall into place as they would. I’d made every effort to try to get Max interested in working together and traveling the world. I needed to just let it go, and let things unfold naturally. If that meant traveling to France on my own, then maybe that was exactly what I should do.
I packed up our clothes and toiletries to get it out of the way. As I slid my computer into my travel bag, my phone started to ring. I picked it up to see that it was the number that I’d called earlier that morning.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Samantha? It’s Terry Donne. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner.”
“That’s fine. I’m actually traveling this evening, so this is the best time for us to talk.”
“Great. I wanted to discuss the details of the offer.”
“Terry, before you go any further, I just want you to know that I’m not sure if I can accept.”
“Just hear me out—that’s all I’m asking.”
“Of course. I’d be glad to.”
“Your books are very popular here in France. As you know, women of all cultures struggle with body image and self-esteem issues. My goal is to support new authors and spread material that I think is positive and can serve a purpose. That’s why it’s important to me that you consider my offer. I’m willing to pay all your expenses and can assure you that you will have beautiful places to stay.”
“It’s a very generous offer—and it all sounds very exciting. It’s just that the timing may not be the best for me.”
“Oh?”
“You see, I just got married.”
“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Are you not going to continue to write?”
“Yes, of course, but I don’t know if it’s the right time for me to be going to another country for weeks.”
“I understand your concern, Samantha, but I do wonder—what kind of advice would you give to one of your readers in this situation? I find your work very bold. I doubt that you would let anything hold your characters back. Is it purely fiction for you?”
I bit into my bottom lip. Her words hit me hard. She was right. If I were writing this event as a chapter in one of my books, the character would accept the offer without hesitation. But this wasn’t fiction. This was real life. This was my marriage on the line.
“It’s certainly not fiction to me. It’s how I’ve changed my life.”
“I don’t mean to be insulting. I’m just genuinely curious. I have other authors that I can extend the offer to. If you’d like, we could revisit this next year. But I have to say in my experience it’s best to promote while a book is popular. People are fickle, and they lose interest fast. If they can put a face to a name, it really leaves a lasting impression.”
“I understand.” I tightened my grip on the phone. “Could you give me just a few days to think it over?”
“Sure, take a week. But Samantha, I want you to understand the scope of this project. This launch would take place in France, but it would continue on through many countries. I’m connected to a worldwide network of bookstore owners, and they are very interested in having you come also—it would essentially be a world book tour for you—and your husband, of course, if that’s a feasible option for you both. I just want you to understand that if you say no, you’re saying no to a chance to see the world. So take a week and think about it. Any longer than that and I’ll most likely be looking at some other authors. No matter what you decide, I admire your work, Samantha, and I hope that one day we will be able to work together. Oh, and congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you.” I could barely edge the words out.
My mind spun with the information that she’d just given me. I was being offered a world tour? It was everything I’d ever dreamed of—at exactly the wrong moment. My heart wrenched at the thought of leaving Max’s side. No matter how much I wanted the adventure that was offered, it wasn’t something I could ever say yes to—not when it meant leaving Max behind.
Chapter 29
Just after I’d hung up the phone, I heard the door open to the bungalow. I swallowed hard and did my best to hide my emotions.
“Max, I packed us up.”
“Oh?”
He stepped into the bungalow and looked across the room at me. “Thanks for doing that.”
“Sure, no problem. We don’t want to miss our flight. I have lots to do when we get back.”
He smiled. “Wait, we have at least a few more minutes we can enjoy.”
I nodded and walked over to him. I did my best not to look right at him. “Did you find what you needed?”
“Sammy?” Max cupped my chin with his palm and turned my face toward him. “You’re upset? Is it about leaving?”
“No, it’s not. Max, I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” He set his jaw and locked his eyes to mine. “Let’s not start hiding from each other. Not now, alright? You’ve been secretive about something. I know that the only reason that you would hide something from me is because you think it would upset me, or to protect me somehow. So out with it, please? I want us to start our tomorrow off rig
ht.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them again. “The truth is—a businesswoman in France has made me an offer, but I’m not going to take it.”
“An offer?” Max quirked a brow.
“She wants me to do a book tour.”
“Wow! That’s fantastic, Sammy! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because, Max—it’s next month and we’ve just gotten married. I haven’t even unpacked yet. It wouldn’t be right for me to take off so soon.”
“Wait a minute.” Max laughed and shook his head. “Do you think that now that you’re my wife, you’ve got a ball and chain? Do you think I’m going to lock you away in the basement unless I need a sandwich?”
“Max!” I rolled my eyes. “Of course I don’t think that. But like you said, our marriage is important and I don’t want to do anything to weaken it.”
“No, no.” He shook his head. When he met my eyes his gaze was stern. “Nothing will ever weaken it, Sammy. The only thing that could strain our marriage is if you compromise who you are to please me. I loved you when you were Sammy, my best friend, who tripped over everything. I loved you when you were Sammy, my girlfriend, who had a hard time learning to trust me. I love you now—more than ever—Sammy, my wife, who is going to change the world one word at a time. If I thought for even a moment that you were holding yourself back for me, I would never forgive myself. Do you understand that?”
I nodded and blinked back the tears that burned my eyes. “I understand. Max, this is such an amazing opportunity. It’s a world tour, actually. I could travel to all of the places that I’ve dreamed of visiting. But it isn’t you that’s holding me back. It’s me. I don’t want to do any of it—not without you.”
“You’d really want a husband tagging along?” He smiled.
“Only the best husband ever.” I wrapped my arms around him. “Do you really think it’s okay if I say yes, Max?”
“You don’t need my permission, Sammy.”
“I’m not asking your permission. I’m asking my best friend for some advice. Is it the right thing for me to do?”
“I think it is. In fact, I know it is. But first, before you accept the offer—before we board that plane—I need to give you something.”
“Another surprise?” I wiped at my eyes.
“Last one, I promise—for a while anyway.” He winked.
“What is it?” I smiled.
“This.” Max held out a small wrapped present.
I looked down at the present.
“After all you’ve done for me, Max—you shouldn’t have.”
He pushed the present toward me. “Open it, please.” His eyes widened with excitement.
“Alright. Thank you.”
I took the present with trembling hands. I had no idea what it might be, but Max always managed to plan the best surprises.
Chapter 30
I unwrapped the gift as quickly as I could. Inside the wrapping was a small white box. It looked like there might be a necklace or bracelet inside. I lifted the lid of the box and found a very odd item. Max’s face stared up at me from inside the box.
“What’s this?” I picked up the laminated picture and looked at it. “Is this your employee badge?”
“Yes, it is.” He smiled. “I thought you might like to have it.”
“Okay?” I raised an eyebrow. I managed to curve my lips into a pleased smile. “Thank you.”
Max laughed. “Don’t worry, there’s an explanation too.”
“Oh, good.” I laughed with relief. “What is it?”
“Sammy, the truth is—I already quit my job.” His eyes sparkled. “I quit before we even got married—well, actually I was getting ready to quit and then the company let me go, which was so much better. I used some of my severance to pay for the honeymoon, that’s how I was able to pay for so many of the extras.”
“You what?” I stared at him. “Max, am I awake?”
“You’re awake. When you mentioned us working together, I thought it would be great.”
“But this whole time you’ve been acting like you hadn’t decided.” I shook my head and widened my eyes. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“To be honest, Sammy, I thought maybe the honeymoon would be a test run to see how we worked together. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubts about our relationship, but I was afraid that adding work to that situation—well, would it put too much strain on us? Would we be able to separate our personal lives from our work lives?”
“All of this was your way of testing that out?” I frowned. “That’s a lot of work to do to find out if we can work together.”
Max laughed. “I know. I might have taken things a little too far. I wanted to surprise you at the end of the honeymoon. You know—a way of embarking on our new journey together. But you kept trying to get an answer out of me.” He shook his head. “You were a bit relentless.”
I was in such shock that I couldn’t even form words. A small part of me was a little upset that he’d kept the news from me, but that part disappeared the moment I looked into his eyes.
“You really want to do this? It’s not just something you’re doing to please me?”
“I really want to do it, Sammy. Maybe I won’t be on the front lines with you changing lives, but knowing that my support helps that goal in any way means a lot to me. I’ve worked at the same company for so long. Every day I go in, I do my job and I come home. But never once, in all of that time, did my efforts have the kind of impact that one shared conversation over coffee had on Jenny. That’s doing something—that’s contributing. I want to be part of that. No question.”
“Max, that’s just what I was hoping for. I can’t believe that you feel this way too. Just when I thought that our lives couldn’t get more perfect, you go and get more perfect.”
“None of that perfect talk, Sammy, right?” He winked at me. “I couldn’t imagine toiling away in some office while you’re out changing the world one book, one person at time. I get it now. I get why you can’t turn it off. It’s who you are. That’s not something you can turn off.”
“Oh, Max, I’m so happy!” I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. “Ouch! No! That was a bad idea!” I backed off with my arms spread.
“Yes, we might have to hold off on the hugs until after that sunburn heals.” Max leaned in without touching my body and kissed me on the lips. “How’s that? Better?”
“Mmhm.” I sighed as I looked down at my bright red skin. “Maybe the next place we travel can be a little less sunny.”
“Maybe. But it’ll still be paradise, as long as I’m with you.”
I met his eyes and smiled. I knew then why every romance novel in the world had ever been written—because every woman had the right to hope to experience the kind of love that I had stumbled right into.
My journey was just beginning—with Max, with my world tour, with whatever came next. I treasured every single step that had led me to that moment—the good, the bad, the embarrassing, and even the sunburn.
“Let’s get in contact with that woman and let her know that you accept her offer.”
I pulled out my computer and we sat down together to send the e-mail.
As Max leaned over me to show me how to change the text color in my e-mail, I felt flushed—not just because of the sunburn.
I was excited.
I knew in this moment that my entire life had been leading up to this—that I was doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do. As I leaned in to give Max a quick kiss on the cheek, I couldn’t believe that I’d be living out the rest of my dreams with my best friend, with my husband.
I reached under the table, gave myself a little pinch on the leg, and grinned.
It was real.
In a month, Max and I would be embarking on the trip of a lifetime together!
* * *
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Please enjoy the following preview for
Sammy in France (Single Wide Female Travels, Book 1)
Chapter 1
I shifted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. It was biting into the soft skin underneath the sleeve of my shirt. The line moved forward inch by inch.
“Max, are you sure that there’s nothing wrong?” I tried to see past the crowd of people to the gate of the plane.
“It’s fine, just too many people to get on at one time.” Max slid his hand into mine. He squeezed it gently.
Sometimes I thought Max had magical powers in his hands. Every time he touched me or held my hand, everything that once bothered me disappeared. As if to prove my theory right, the line moved forward. I tried to focus on the next leg of the trip. I wasn’t afraid of planes, but I didn’t relish the idea of the take-off.
“This is the first time I’m flying out of the country.”
“Me too.” Max ruffled his hair. “It’s exciting and a little intimidating.”
“I just wish we could get on there and get settled.” I yawned. “I could use a little nap.”
As the crowd filed onto the plane, I could hear bits and pieces of the conversations around me. They were mostly in French. Max and I had both taken French in college, but he seemed to have a better memory for it than I did after so many years. I could pick up words here and there, but I was hoping to be able to hold a conversation by the time we’d spent a few weeks in France. The thought was pushed from my mind as I took my first step onto the plane. I smile at the flight attendant who greeted me. I was moments away from relaxation.
When I turned the corner, I found a congested aisle and had to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Everyone seemed to be cramming their bags wherever they could find a space.
“Excuse me, excuse me, I’m so sorry.” I tried to wedge my way down the aisle with the two carry-on bags I had strapped over my shoulder. It wasn’t as if I could pack lightly. I wasn’t just going across the country—I was going across the world.
“Here, let me take that.” Max reached back to take one of the bags from me, then he hoisted it above his head and slid it into the compartment over the seats. “And the other.” He held out his hand for it.
Single Wide Female in Love Complete Bundle: Books 1-4 Page 37
