by Cathryn Fox
“He started meeting Katherine up at our lake house; Janine thought he was coming to see me. One day, he went home and told her he had decided to get married. Janine put two and two together and came up with five and thought he meant to me.” Samantha chuckled. “She almost had a coronary when she thought I was going to be her stepmother. It was a great relief when she heard he was marrying Katherine who, as she so cleverly phrased it, was infinitely more socially correct than I was.”
“You weren’t interested in the judge with all his money and social connections?”
“No. I love the judge, he reminds me of my father. I envy Janine her father but,” she added firmly, “that’s all I envy her.”
Samantha had stopped in front of a stationery shop and wandered in with Adam close at her side. She selected a ream of paper, a box of crayons, and a magazine from the counter, asking Adam to hold her ice cream while she paid for her purchases.
“That’s quite a combination,” he remarked, taking charge of her cone. “Crayola’s and Cosmopolitan.”
“I’ll do the ‘How Romantic Are You?’ quiz in crayon just to keep things in their proper perspective,” she countered, then grinned when the clerk pointedly informed Adam, no food or drinks were allowed.
Samantha found him two stores down studying a display of electronic equipment. “All set.”
“Here, let me take your package while you finish your ice cream,” he told her as they continued to window shop their way around the mall.
Samantha suddenly realized she was not eating Valley Forge Fudge but boring vanilla! “Adam Rourke, you are an ice cream thief!”
He laughed. “I’m afraid my curiosity got the better of me. Do you mind?”
“Just don’t think you’re getting this one back,” she admonished him, feeling her cheeks suffuse with color when she realized how singularly intimate it was to share an ice cream cone with this man. “How was your dinner with the judge and Katherine last night?” She asked in a rush.
“Very nice, despite Janine. Hal told me all about Katherine, but this was my first time actually meeting her. She is delightful. They seem to mesh quite well. I think they’ll be very happy together.”
“I agree. I just hope Janine doesn’t do anything to jeopardize their wedding plans next week,” Samantha commented thoughtfully. “They are so excited about the Mediterranean honeymoon cruise. Hopefully, when they return, Janine will have mellowed. Especially if they decide to have a family.” Samantha suddenly realized she was walking alone. She looked back and retraced her steps to a startled-looking Adam Rourke. “What’s the matter? Gum stuck to your shoes?”
Adam shook his head and cleared his throat. “I think my ears just went. Did you say something about a family? My God, the man is sixty-two!”
“I know that, Katherine however is only forty-one.” She couldn’t help but giggle at the expression on his face. “Say, hasn’t anyone ever explained the facts of life to you? There are plenty of couples in that age group who have children.”
“You are handful!” Adam grinned, his eyes crinkled attractively at the corners, then he started to laugh.
“What?”
“I was just thinking what Janine would do if Katherine ever did get pregnant. . .”
“She’d book passage on the next space flight, Russian or private.”
“There’s always that hope.”
Finishing off the last of the cone, Samantha viewed him circumspectly. “You know, you surprise me the way you talk about Janine. I thought she’d be just your type. As a matter of fact, I was thinking you could keep her occupied. Sort of a take-one-for-the-team. Be the virgin sacrifice, throw yourself into Volcano Janine and stop any further eruptions.”
Adam’s brow arched. “What the hell makes you think she’s my type?”
“Janine is rich, sophisticated, socially prominent, and absolutely gorgeous,” she told him with due consideration. “She reminds me of a porcelain figurine: jet black hair, an alabaster complexion, and an absolutely perfect, petite figure. She even has tiny feet.” Sam sighed.
“Tiny feet?”
Samantha grinned ruefully. “You’d understand if you were a woman. Janine always has the ability to make me feel like an Amazon even when I’m sitting down.”
Adam’s fingers filtered through her hair, pushing back a curtain of blond curls. “How tall are you?”
“Five-ten barefoot.” Her admission came out a grown.
“She is a beauty, I’ll grant you that. Janine’s main fault is she tends to classify people by their wallets and social connections, and then adjusts herself accordingly. When they fail to live up to her expectations, she develops the personality of a…a…” he groped for the right word.
“Pit viper,” Samantha supplied, then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth in distress. “I don’t believe I said that!”
Adam grinned broadly. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” Then his eyes narrowed into hers. “And why the hell should I be the…virgin sacrifice?”
“Just a figure of speech,” her lashes fluttered provocatively behind her glasses. “It’s only for two weeks. You’re a tough guy. A marine.” Samantha nodded her head rapidly. “It would really get her off my back and the judge’s. You can handle it.”
He exhaled an exaggerated sigh. “I’m not sure I can handle you.”
They had gone full circle around the mall and once again had stopped in front of the pet shop. “He seems to be a particular friend of yours,” Adam commented, watching the puppy jumping against the window.
“He is. I just wish I could buy him,” Samantha’s voice carried a note of regret. “He has such a sweet, kooky face.”
Adam laughed. “I’m not quite sure what means. Why not buy him? Schnauzer’s make good watch dog’s, they’re like all terrier’s, alert to any noise.”
“It wouldn’t be fair. I don’t get home until late. I wouldn’t dare leave him in a yard kennel; the squirrels would drive him crazy,” she explained sadly. “I would love a chance just to cuddle him, though.”
“Let’s see what we can do about getting him in that enviable position,” Adam grabbed her hand.
Samantha squealed in protest. “Look at the sign. No petting. No playing. What are we going to tell them?”
“Knowing you, I’m sure you’ll think of something,” he intoned dryly and then directed his attention to the man at the register. “We’d like to see the schnauzer in the window.”
The store manager was very cooperative, handing the fat, wiry pup to Samantha and giving Adam a complete history of the breed. The puppy was delighted to be free of his glass cage and was doing his best to give Samantha every bit of affection his wriggly little body contained. He had successfully washed her neck, nipped at her nose and attempted to chew on her glasses, all under Adam’s amused gaze. Samantha shifted him onto her shoulder where he contentedly gnawed on her hoop earring, when the manager finished his monologue by naming a price that caused her to gasp.
“Is this dog for you?” The manager inquired, he tried to retrieve the dog but found Adam had blocked his hands.
“Actually, it’s a present for Aunt Lavinia,” Samantha confided with a dazzling smile. “She’s a widow and now that all the kids are gone, an empty nester. We thought a pet would kind of perk her up.”
Adam winced and rubbed his face, hiding an appreciative grin behind his hand. He could just imagine the story her fertile imagination had concocted. He moved again, when the manager reached to take the puppy.
The shop owner pursed his lips. “You know this is a very nervous, hyperactive breed. How old a woman is your aunt?”
“Sixty.”
“Seventy-five.”
The man looked rather suspiciously at the couple’s simultaneous but different answers.
Adam cleared his throat. “No, no, sweetheart,” he told Samantha in a voice of patient forbearance, “Aunt Lavinia looks seventy-five but she’s really only sixty.”
“You’re r
ight of course, honey muffin,” her smile was pure innocence, “after all she is your aunt.”
“Well, you might like to check on a different breed before you make a purchase.” The manager side-stepped around Adam, determined to retrieve his pedigreed puppy. Reluctantly, Samantha lifted the wiry little bundle that was contentedly snuggled against her neck. “We have a rather large selection of pets. As a matter of fact,” he continued, “it may be more practical to select a bird or kitten. Even gerbils and rabbits have become quite popular pets for senior citizens.”
“We could never get Aunt Lavinia a rabbit,” Samantha sighed sadly.
“Why’s that?” he inquired, curiosity getting the better of him.
She lowered her voice. “Aunt Lavinia had twelve children. Just the sight of a rabbit would give her a heart attack.”
Adam coughed, grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the exit door, leaving her to wiggle her fingers in a cheery good-bye to the startled manager. “You are the most outrageous person, I’ve ever met. Honey muffin?” He slid an arm around her waist. “I don’t have an Aunt Lavinia with twelve children who’s petrified of rabbits.”
“Believe me, if you did and she had twelve children she’d be horrified at seeing a rabbit!” Samantha was not very successful at containing her laughter. “But thanks for running interference for me, nothing better than puppy kisses.”
Adam stared at her flushed, upturned face and suddenly, stopped walking. “Listen, if you want to go back, I’d be glad to buy…” At her arched eyebrow, he held up a palm. “Okay, okay.”
Driving back to her cottage, Samantha realized her wariness and sexual awareness of Adam Rourke had turned into a natural affinity. The thought pleased her. He had become a friend, albeit a transient one. All too soon, Adam was helping her bring the groceries and packages inside.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
Adam glanced at his watch and frowned. “Unfortunately, I am supposed to tee-off in that charity golf tournament in forty minutes with Hal and Katherine. I’ll just about make it from here. Do you golf? We can make it a four-some.” He watched an odd expression flit across her face before she smiled.
“Golf? Well I went miniature golfing. Once.” She exhaled a musical sigh. “You’d never think it would be so difficult to get a small golf ball through a windmill’s…winds? And when I gave it a good slam, it bounced off the…winds…and sailed through the parking lot and…boy, can a golf ball crack a windshield.”
He blinked at her. “I’ve got a translator on my cellphone, because I didn’t understand the windmill…winds…”
Samantha grinned. “I’ll make it easy on you, no I don’t golf, I’d be classified as a hazard. But thanks for the invite. And thank you for all that tea and playing chauffeur.” Samantha dimpled engagingly at him.
“Thank you for a most delicious lunch and a decidedly unusual, but most enjoyable afternoon,” Adam said in his usual lazy drawl. “I’ll be seeing you again, Samantha Logan.”
Samantha’s fingers fluttered goodbye, watching him climb into the sports car, snap the engine to life and drive away.
Chapter Five
Adam Rourke had expected to see a pair of startled blue eyes hidden behind those sexy retro square frames when he knocked on the cottage’s screen door early Columbus Day morning. Instead, he was the one wearing the startled expression. He stared down at the pajama-clad pigtailed little girl, who looked at him curiously, a five-dollar bill clutched in her hand.
“You’re not Jason,” the small blond accused, “do you have Sam’s band candy?”
“No, I’m not Jason and I don’t have any band candy. Is Samantha here?”
“She’s in the kitchen with my brother. Are you a friend of hers? Sam didn’t say anyone else was coming apple picking with us,” she told him rapidly.
“She probably forgot,” he smiled down at her. “My name is Adam. What’s yours?”
“I’m Mimi Edwards. My brother Marc and I had a sleepover last night,” she explained, leading him into the house.
“How old are you and your brother?”
“Marc is almost four. I’m almost seven,” she said proudly. “I’m in first grade, except today ’cause there’s no school, or tomorrow either, and I’ve lost two teeth, see.” She opened her mouth wide for his inspection.
Adam gave her his complete attention, studying the two missing spots with keen interest. “I think I see the new ones coming through,” he told her gravely.
“Oh, good. It’ll make eating a lot easier,” Mimi told him. “You should have come last night then you could have been part of the sleep-over.”
“Had I but known,” he muttered, settling onto the sofa. “And what did you all do at your sleep-over?”
Mimi settled cross-legged on the cushion, facing him, her blue eyes wide. “Well, first we went ‘owling through the woods –”
“You went looking for owls?”
She giggled and shook her head. “No…no…Sam taught us to ‘owl, at the moon…like…” her face puckered, “like wolf cubs.”
“Oh, you mean howling.”
“That’s what I said,” blue eyes blinked at him. “Then we came back here and had hot chocolate and hot dogs that looked like mummies and these tiny little Goldfish ’smores – but you have to watch Sam, she takes all the chocolate parts,” her pigtails swung back and forth. “Then she put Halloween tattoos on us,” she pushed up the pink sleeve of her Disney Princess pajamas. “They have to go on your muscle.” Mimi flexed her arm. “See my muscle, I take Tae Kwon Do from one of Sam’s friends.”
“Very nice muscle and very nice pumpkin,” he agreed.
“It’s a jack-o-lantern,” she corrected, “and it will wash off. My brother got a scary black cat and we put a witch on Sam. And then we all climbed into Sam’s big bed, there would have been room for you and then she read us three Halloween stories, and we counted all the sheep on her nightgown and we got belly button zerberts and then –”
“Ahhh…and just what is a belly button zerbert?”
“Oh…well…it’s hard to explain…ask Sam to give you one,” Mimi’s small hand settled on top of Adam’s large one, her expression serious. “Just don’t let her sing you to sleep, no matter what she says.” Her pigtails were swishing. “We don’t ever want to hurt her feelings but she’s awful. She can’t even hum.”
He choked on a laugh. “Okay, I’ll remember. Belly button zerberts are okay but no singing or humming.” Adam picked a fuzzy blue creature off the floor. “Now, who is this?”
“That’s Cookie Monster,” she told him, “he’s my brother’s. The red one is mine, it’s Elmo.” She held up a happy-looking, long-armed Muppet.
“How about this one?” Adam questioned, indicating a pink fuzzy-faced creature with large eyes and teeth.
Mimi giggled. “That’s Animal. He belongs to Sam. I better tell her you’re here.”
“Why don’t we wait and surprise her,” he said quickly.
“Mimi,” Samantha’s voice called from the kitchen. “You better not be eating my band candy.” Adam winked, putting his finger up to his lips to keep the giggling little girl from answering.
“Mimi!” Samantha called again. Receiving no answer, she came whirling out of the kitchen carrying a squirming, curly-haired little boy clad in Spiderman pajamas. She skidded to an abrupt halt at the sight of Adam Rourke, sitting on her sofa playfully tossing a Muppet in the air. “Good heavens!” She gasped, her eyes wide with astonishment. “What on earth are you doing here? Why aren’t you in the city?”
“It’s a holiday there too. So, I’m taking you three apple picking,” came his insouciant reply.
“Apple picking,” she repeated, putting the wriggling Marc down, who ran to retake possession of his Muppet.
“You know apples on a tree.”
The devilish glint in his green eyes suddenly made Sam supremely conscious of her clingy black knee-length nightshirt that was decorated with red bow-tied white sheep.
“He can come, can’t he, Sam?” Mimi pleaded. “He’s nice. I like him. He’s coming to our next sleep-over.”
“Our next sleep-over,” Samantha echoed.
He watched her fingers comb through the rumpled blond curls. Suddenly, all he could think about was producing that same tousled hair after a few hot hours in bed. That odd pain stabbed again, moving from his chest, to sear his gut and snake lower. Adam bit the inside of his cheek, and fought his baser instincts. Damn, there’s kids! Nodding, his expression quite serious. “Yes, I get to count the sheep on your nightgown, I’m up to sixty five already, have hot chocolate and…” he turned to Mimi, “what was the rest again?”
“Goldfish s’mores and belly-button zerberts.” Mimi gave a proud, near toothless smile at Samantha. “Can he can come with us today, pleeese!”
He laughed when Sam’s face turned bright pink. Adam stood up and walked over to stand in front of her. “There you are. I’m nice, Mimi likes me,” his smile broadened, “will you take pity on a poor visitor who would only end up spending such a beautiful day all alone.”
Samantha snorted at his theatrical, pitiful expression. “I see your charm extends to females of all ages,” she said evenly. “All right, everybody upstairs to get dressed and we’ll head for the orchard with our new chauffeur.”
“Hurray!” The two little ones clapped their hands in delight.
Samantha scooped up Marc while Adam hoisted Mimi upside down over his broad shoulders. “After you,” he motioned for her to precede him up the stairs.
“Not on your life!” Samantha retorted, giving him a playful shove.
“Spoil sport,” he grinned at her before mounting the stairs much to the delight of his squealing passenger.
