Erin's Way

by Laura Browning

  Where Rick made sense in a cynical, roll with the punches type of fashion, the other one—what was his name? Matty?—did not jive any way Sam figured it. He was certainly no older than Erin, and even though his bright blue eyes appeared open and guileless, there was something else there, something lurking. Erin appeared to trust them both from what he could see, but Sam just wasn’t so sure. He thought back to his last eye contact with the one she called Rick. He’d met plenty of men like him over the years, and he had a feeling that in a pinch, he was probably a man to be counted on.

  Sam’s gaze swept Erin’s sleeping form, curled so trustingly against him. His throat tightened with emotion and his arms tensed around her. He would do whatever he had to in order to protect her. If it meant taking a closer look at her friends, he would do that too. He had found her now, and he wasn’t going to let anyone take her away from him. Not again. Not ever again.

  He had walked away from her all those years ago because she had been a child. To do anything else would have been wrong on every level. But she wasn’t a child any longer, and by some miracle she wanted him. He wasn’t a blueblood like her family, just a redneck county sheriff, a washed up jock struggling to make a living with his family farm and his job as a cop.

  He smiled slowly in the darkness and nestled his face in her short, dark hair. She was a perfect fit. He had worried about that, as big as he was and as small as she was, worried they might not be physically compatible. Worried he would be too much for her. He stroked his calloused palm along her arm. He would give anything not to have hurt her as he had that first time, but he was so relieved to find when they tried again that she was able to take all of him.

  Sam’s lips brushed her hair and he closed his eyes. Erin. His love. She’d waited for him. He found it hard to wrap his mind around that thought. She’d had a piece of his heart for so long. Now she owned him heart and soul. He wondered if she realized what she held. And he seriously doubted he had the words to explain it.

  The next morning left him no time to explain anything. When he and Erin arrived at the barn to feed, they found one of his young Herefords having a difficult labor. Sam was able to get his hand in far enough to determine the calf was in the wrong position, but not far enough to manipulate it.

  “Darn it!” Sam snapped as he tried to maneuver the calf struggling to be born. “My hands are too big to move that foot. See if you can get it.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Erin asked, her eyes wide as her gaze darted from him to the cow.

  “Just bring that one front leg forward, and this baby should come on out.”

  Erin unzipped her coveralls and stripped down to a sports bra so her arm would be bare for reaching inside the birth canal. Sam stroked the cow to keep her calm while he watched Erin in wonder. Everything he’d thrown at her, other than filling out paperwork, she’d tackled without batting an eyelash. This was no different.

  With her head next to the heifer’s rump, she gently maneuvered her hand and arm in until she could bring the leg forward. Once that was done, the calf slipped out taking Erin with it, so she landed on her butt in the straw with a wet newborn in her lap. Her eyes rounded and her mouth opened and closed a couple times.

  Sam tried hard to contain his amusement. Erin’s temper could be somewhat unpredictable, but all he saw was a look of surprise on her face, and it was finally too much.

  He started to laugh and she joined in. Sam squatted next to her and lightly kissed her on the lips.

  “You’re amazing,” he whispered, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.

  She held his gaze for a second, then looked away, blushing slightly. Sam’s heart beat heavily in his chest. The angry, rebellious woman who’d returned was disappearing, and this new Erin was irresistible.

  “Come on, squirt,” Sam teased as he helped extricate her from beneath the calf. “Let’s let mama do her job before this guy imprints on you.”

  “I hope I’m not interrupting,” Evan said from behind them. Sam turned in surprise, then automatically blocked Erin from Evan’s view as she scrambled back into her clothing and zipped the heavy coveralls.

  “Just helping a new mama a little bit,” Sam said over his shoulder as he waited for Erin to finish putting her clothing to rights. He faced Evan and smiled slightly. “Erin’s doing a great job. I haven’t lost any calves yet, thanks to her.”

  She stepped around, under Sam’s arm, and stopped, nestled against his side. Pride and possessiveness swelled in Sam as he put his arm around her.

  Evan’s gaze shifted between the two of them, and he smiled. “I see things are going very well indeed.”

  Sam tightened his arm around Erin. He wasn’t sure exactly how much he wanted to share. What was growing between the two of them felt too new, too tentative. Some of that uncertainty was right square on him because along with his feelings were lingering doubts. “We’re doin’ all right.”

  Evan cocked one eyebrow. Knowing just how blunt his friend could be, Sam narrowed his eyes and stared hard at him. Just for once, he hoped Evan got the message to keep his sarcasm on a leash and keep his mouth shut. Of course, maybe Evan’s amazement had more to do with why someone as young and vibrant as Erin would hook up with Sam.

  Evan cleared his throat. “Actually, I came by to invite you to Dad’s for dinner.”

  Sam felt Erin stiffen, but he ignored it.

  With a smile, he asked Evan, “What time?”

  Erin elbowed him. Sam glowered at her and she huffed.

  “Six. Joe and Tabby are coming with Melodie, although Joe might be a little late since he’s got evening service. Jake and Holly are going to be there too with Noelle and Tyler, so dress is casual with all those kids in the house.”

  Sam glanced at Erin and saw her suspicious look at Evan. “Is that a hint I should avoid the leather micro mini skirt and any desire I might have to expose undue cleavage?”

  Sam gave her a warning squeeze with his arm and aimed another glare at Evan. The last thing he needed was the two of them fighting.

  Evan, to his credit, refused to take the bait. “Erin, at this point, I don’t believe Dad would care if you showed up naked. I had to all but tie him to keep him from coming over here himself just to make sure you were okay, and you know he’s not off house arrest yet.” He turned to Sam. “You need any more help around here?”

  “We’re good.” He glanced at Erin again. “I’ll clean up in here if you want to go inside and shower.”

  She grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.” With a nod at Evan she said. “I’ll see you tonight.” And she was gone.

  Sam watched Erin until the screen door on the porch slammed behind her.

  “Don’t hurt her, Sam,” Evan warned softly.

  Sam jerked his gaze back to Evan. “Why on earth would you even say that?”

  “I’ve always admired you, Sam,” Evan began. “Got a ton of respect for you. But even you have to admit, you can be harsh. We’ve all seen that side over the years. You don’t put up with any shit, and you’ve got a reputation in this state as being hard-nosed. Don’t you think that gives me the right to be concerned?”

  Sam glared at Evan. “Seems to me, I’m the last one around here you should be worrying about. We’ll be there tonight, but so help me, Evan, if Stoner does anything to upset her…”

  “A little protective all of a sudden, aren’t you?” Evan queried tightly.

  Sam stared at him. “No, just finally admitting what I’ve been too darn stubborn to admit to myself for more than a decade, Evan. The summer you went wild and took off, things got a little tense around here too. I panicked, so did Stoner. The upshot was he yanked Erin away from here. From what I can tell, it turned her life into a living hell, and mine into a routine of just gettin’ by.”

  He turned his face toward the house and his expression softened. “I’ve had feelings for your sister since she was just a kid. I was ashamed of being so concerned be
cause she was just a little thing, but I’m beginning to think now I did both of us more harm than good when I pushed her away. At least in the way I did it. The age thing was a problem. I knew it. Your dad did too and hated me for even thinking about her the way I did. So the bottom line was your dad and I both messed things up just by trying to do what we thought was right.”

  “So exactly what does that mean—you’ve got ‘feelings’ for her?”

  Sam scowled. “I’m not a defendant, and this isn’t a trial. Like I said. I’ve got feelings. It’s new, and it’s between me and her.”

  Evan extended his hand. “Sorry I questioned you. You’re a good man, Sam. I know that deep down, and even though I think you’ll be the perfect match for Erin, she’s still my little sister, a little sister who’s always had a tough time.”

  Sam met Evan’s eyes squarely. “She won’t anymore. I’ll make sure of it. And the fact you can see it now, when you didn’t before, says a lot for you.”

  The two men shook hands. “We’ll see you at dinner.” Evan grinned and pivoted to amble back over to the farm truck.

  * * * *

  Erin was curled on her bed with her laptop when she heard Sam come in. The pipes in the old farmhouse rattled as he started the shower downstairs. Just imagining the water sluicing down over his hard, bare body made her belly flutter. She set her computer aside. With a smile on her face, she raced to his room, pulled back the thick covers on Sam’s bed, stripped her robe off, and slid underneath.

  She swallowed with just a hint of fear. She had been here before, and each time he’d rejected her, but after last night, this time would be different. Her heart pounded as the bathroom door opened. Sam came in with just a towel wrapped around his lean hips, his face set in its usual scowl…until he saw her.

  “Erin?” He sat on the edge of the bed, concern lining his face. “Hey, baby. You okay?”

  For just a moment, she had an eerie feeling of déjà vu, but then he smiled, his whole face softening. “You hungry or do you feel like going back to bed for a while?”

  The erratic beat of her heart settled into a deep, regular pulse. “Bed. Definitely.”

  He stood and let the towel drop at the same time she flipped the covers back. His mouth found hers, and he pulled her arms over her head, holding them there as he caressed her with his lips and his free hand until she whimpered and cried out for him. She bucked against his restraint, and he rumbled with laughter. When their eyes met, the laughter died and he kissed her deeply and passionately. He nudged her legs apart and released her arms so he could use both hands to lift her hips and cup her buttocks.

  “You’re on birth control, right?” Sam asked, his dark gaze hot.

  “Yes.”

  A flush stained his cheeks. “I’m clean. Do you mind if we…”

  “Forget the condom?” She kissed him in answer.

  This time when he thrust powerfully into her, she met him gladly and openly. Sam was careful not to crush her as he rocked his hips against her.

  “Wrap your legs around me, baby,” he murmured and sat back on his haunches, pulling her with him. She twined her arms around his shoulders, arching backward as the shift in their positions brought her to a swift climax. Sam kissed her again, tumbling her backward until he once more knelt over her.

  Working himself in and out, his breathing grew harsher. He was close, and so was she—again. What this man did to her was positively delicious. He lifted her hips and pushed deep as he came.

  “Sweet, sweet, Erin.” He nuzzled her and turned her so he could curl himself around her. It was like being wrapped in a cocoon. Everything about him felt right. She sighed in utter contentment and drifted off to sleep, knowing she had found the place at last where she belonged.

  Thanks to Sam and Erin’s afternoon of lovemaking, everyone but Joe was already at Richardson Homestead when they arrived. As soon as they walked in the door, Erin felt the gaze of the little dark-haired, blue-eyed girl standing next to Tabby. Erin smiled at her and received a small smile in return, but the little girl’s brows drew together as if she were worried about something. She tugged at Tabby’s slacks to whisper something to which Tabby shook her head.

  Erin leaned toward Sam. “Who is the little girl with Tabby?”

  “Melodie Matthews. Joe and Tabby are her guardians, but they’ve petitioned the court to officially adopt her.”

  “Her parents are dead?” Erin asked.

  Sam nodded. “Murder-suicide. Her mother went off the deep end after losing a child that was full-term and stabbed her husband to death. Melodie was able to hide, otherwise she would have been killed too.”

  Erin’s gaze swiveled to the little girl. She seemed remarkably well-adjusted for having gone through such a traumatizing experience. Erin felt new respect for her younger sister. Melodie sat across from an older boy while they played with Peter and a dark-haired toddler. “I’ve seen the older boy in Tarpley’s. Who’s he?”

  “Jake Allred’s brother-in-law, Tyler. The baby girl is Noelle, his niece. You remember Jake, don’t you?”

  Erin nodded. She did vaguely remember him, though he was five years older than her, like Evan and Jenny. “Is the very pregnant lady with him his wife?”

  “Holly. Jake calls her his Christmas Angel. It’s a long story that you’ll have to get them to tell you sometime. In fact, I’d bet Evan looks at her the same way. She was kind of a catalyst to him getting back together with Jenny.”

  Erin looked at everyone gathered in the big family room and marveled. She had never seen the house so alive. More than that, everyone seemed happy. She looked at Sam and found him watching her with an intensity that made her just a bit nervous. When their gazes met, his hand tightened at her waist and he drew her closer to his side.

  “I’ve never seen my parents like this, Sam. Things have changed,” Erin said. For the first time that she could remember, she didn’t feel threatened. Warmth kindled, not just for the man at her side but for everyone in the room.

  Sam smiled softly at her. “They can for you too. All you have to do is open up and let it happen.”

  The warmth grew. She could be a part of this. All she had to do was let down her guard. Erin blew out a breath. That was easy to say. Doing it might be a whole different matter. Old habits were hard to break.

  She thought about that a lot as she watched everyone interact and listened to the stories. A basic trust flowed among all of these people that she couldn’t relate to. She realized part of it had to do with shared history. They had been through things together. Longing filled her to have what they did.

  So she asked, and they told her how each of their lives had changed. There was the trauma of Jenny’s gang rape when she and Evan were in high school. Erin had been oblivious to all of that, wrapped as she’d been in her own issues. She learned how Jake had helped Holly through the birth and kidnapping of her baby, and finally Tabby’s arrival followed by the nearly fatal accident that had at last brought everyone together as a family. Erin had missed all of it. While they had been bonding as a strong family unit, she had been sailing the Caribbean.

  She realized with a shock that out of everyone in the room, she knew Sam the best. Something had been forged between them when she was just a child, and he’d taken her up on his horse that day he’d found her with the broken arm. It had grown and changed since then, but in her heart was the knowledge that she could depend on him with her life. He would never let her down. Deep inside, she had always recognized that at some level. She wasn’t honestly sure she could say that about anyone else in the room. With a smile on her face, Erin hooked her arm in his and met his faintly quizzical look.

  Joe’s arrival was the signal for dinner. This was hardly the formal affair of many other meals Erin had suffered through in the stately house. With a couple of high chairs for the smallest children and a booster seat for Melodie, Peterson had to relax his usual starchy demeanor. Tyler, Erin noticed, did his best to lo
ok cool and identify with the adults, but when he thought no one was looking, he made faces at Melodie to make her laugh and spit her milk.

  Erin perked up when Stoner asked Joe if he would mind singing after supper. They gathered in the front hall, and Erin was even more surprised when Peterson and the kitchen staff came to listen as well. Joe’s clear, melodic tenor filled the space from floor to ceiling, as pure as birdsong on a spring morning. Tears filled Erin’s eyes as she listened. Tabby put her arm around her and hugged Erin against her side.

  “Don’t be embarrassed, Erin. He has that effect on me too, and I’m married to him.”

  Erin hugged Tabby back, but she still felt distanced from this tight family unit. Everywhere she looked, talent and success surrounded her. Erin didn’t know what she had to show for her life or how she could fit in

  Everything began to wind down. Jake and Holly were the first to go, since she was expecting twins, which were making it difficult for her to get rest. As Tabby and Joe gathered their belongings together, Erin was surprised to feel a soft tug on her hand. She looked at Melodie. The little girl’s expression was earnest, her big blue eyes staring up at her.

  “Aunt Erin,” she said softly, and Erin leaned down to her. Melodie touched her cheek. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Erin looked at her, surprised and touched. “Why is that, baby?”

  Melodie chewed her lip. “You know about me?”

  Erin simply nodded.

  “You have shadows in your eyes, like I feel sometimes.”

  Erin’s heart stuttered. Like the Grinch, she felt her heart grow at the empathy shining from Melodie’s eyes. Erin touched the little girl’s cheeks. “The shadows in my life don’t even begin to compare, but you have Joe and Tabby now.”

  Melodie nodded. “Be careful, Aunt Erin. Tabby says we have to keep the shadows where they belong and not let them scare us.”

  A frisson of alarm snaked along Erin’s spine. She kept a smile on her face as everyone left; then she dutifully hugged her mother and father. Not until they were headed home did Sam finally take her hand in his.