by Justine Dell
“I’ll figure something out,” he said. “I’ve got to do something.”
“Well, Lance—it almost sounds as if Samantha means something to you.” Candice winked at him.
“Listen, besides the pain in my thigh and now the one on my face, she hasn’t meant anything to me in twelve years.” The lie burned his tongue. He owed Samantha more than she knew, but he didn’t want to care about her. He vowed long ago his heart would never belong to another woman. Jax’s mother had spoiled Lance’s outlook on love and marriage, and Samantha had built the foundation of his dislike of love long before that; it had stuck with him.
“Your face?” Candice gaped. “Did she smack you?”
He nodded.
“What on earth for?”
“I told you, I cornered her. This time—she snapped.”
“After all you’ve done for her, she smacked you?”
Lance rose and shook his head. “She doesn’t know.”
“And she never will if she keeps pushing people away.”
“I haven’t figured out how to get to her. She’s a beehive tightly locked away in an iron safe. If I shake it up or try to break in, she comes out fighting.”
“You know…” Candice pressed a finger to her lips. “She met Jax the other day.”
“What? When?”
“The morning you went to get the paint off Mr. Johnson’s cat.”
“Well, no wonder he’s been having nightmares.”
Candice shot her brother a belittling look. “Not funny.”
He laughed. “I was kidding.”
“Anyway, you’d be surprised how much she softened up while she talked with him.”
“Sam? Soft?” He gaped in surprise. “I don’t believe it.”
Candice walked around the counter and gripped her brother’s forearm. “Believe it. I was pretty surprised myself. This new Samantha seems to flinch at everything. I would’ve thought she and kids would go together like oil and water.”
If he had thought Sam couldn’t shock him anymore, he was wrong. Maybe Sam still had a soft spot—for kids anyway. “Yeah. That gives me an idea,” he said.
Candice smiled playfully. “That’s my specialty—giving people good ideas. Now if only I could have some of my own.”
“Thanks, sis.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “I owe you one. And don’t worry, one day you’ll have a big, bright idea for yourself.”
She sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Now go or you’ll be late picking Jax up.”
“All right. I’m going to stop by and see Dorothy and then head out to Sam’s.”
“You’re going back into the fire?”
“Yup, but this time I’ll have my own watering hose.”
“Evening, Dorothy.” Lance strode into Dorothy’s recovery room and walked over the bed. Jax came shooting in right after him.
“Grammy! Grammy!” Jax pounced on the bed and gave Dorothy a big hug. Her eyes lit up brighter than fireworks on the Fourth of July.
“Hey there, cutie.” She ruffled his hair. “I’ve missed your smile. How are you?”
“Great! I got to play with Jason today, and we got in trouble trying to put his dog in the washing machine.”
“Oh my.”
Jax twisted his face and scratched his nose. “Well, Jason tried, but I told him that wasn’t the way to wash the dog. But he just wouldn’t listen.” He leaned in to whisper in Dorothy’s ear. “I think he got spanked after I left.”
Dorothy glanced at Lance, who smiled with an authoritative but appreciative grin. He was proud of Jax. The boy was full of energy and bounced off the walls like a ball of rubber bands, but he was a good kid and knew the difference between right and wrong. Jax had been raised without a mother, but Lance thought he’d done a pretty good job alone.
“Is that all?” Dorothy asked.
Jax lifted his boney shoulders and held out a toy. “Dad also got me this new dinosaur today for passing my alphabet test in school.”
“That’s wonderful!” Dorothy reached out and took the dinosaur in her hands. “What kind is it?”
“It’s a T-Rex!” Jax flashed a quick smile and jumped off the bed. He ran over to Lance and wrapped his arms around him. “Thanks again, Dad.”
Lance patted the top of Jax’s head before bending down and scooping him up for a bear hug. “You’re welcome, Jax. After all—” Lance tweaked his nose “—you did all the hard work, right?”
“Yup!”
“Keep it up.”
“Oh, I will!” Jax cocked his head and looked as though he was considering something. “There’s another dinosaur I want—”
Lance interrupted him with a long, deep laugh. Jax knew how to get what he wanted. He wasn’t spoiled—far from it—but he knew the benefits of hard work.
“We’ll discuss that later, okay?”
Jax frowned. “Oh, okay. Can I go to the vending machine for a snack?”
Lance dug some change out of his pocket and handed it to Jax. He cupped the coins in both hands and jingled them as he walked out the door. Lance shook his head in amusement as he took a seat next to Dorothy.
“He sure is something, Lance.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky. How’s the therapy going?”
Dorothy let out a long sigh. “It’s okay. Did the doctor tell you my memory is starting to improve?”
“No, the doctors won’t talk to me anymore since Sam came back into town. I guess you could say she put the clamp on it.”
Dorothy smiled as she reached for Lance’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
He glowered. “For what?”
“That you have to deal with Samantha.”
That piqued his interest a smidge. “What about her?”
Dorothy waved a hand in the air. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I am talking about. I mentioned the other day I thought something was wrong. I’ve heard all about her attitude.”
“From who?”
“Well, from lots of people. Burlington is not that big, you know. My doctor, the nurses, a few friends who work at the bank. She tries her best to hide it when she’s here, but I see it in her face. She has a tendency to treat me like I’m breakable and then lashes out at others.” Her voice dropped. “And then there’s you.”
He did his best to keep a poker face. “What about me?”
“You don’t think I notice that sour look on your face when we talk about her?”
Lance snorted as he leaned back into the wooden chair. It was hard and cool, the same way he was trying to keep his expression.
When Lance didn’t respond, Dorothy continued, “It’s not always a sour look, you know. There’s another look…”
“Grammy!” Jax burst into the room, shaking a bag of M&M’s. “When you get all better, can we make some of those special cookies? They’re yummy!”
“Of course, dear, just as soon as I get home. Promise.”
“Thanks!”
Lance rose and bent to give Dorothy an affectionate hug. “We’ve got to run.”
“We’re having pizza with Samantha!” Jax called out.
Lance groaned inwardly. He hadn’t really wanted Dorothy to know that. He loved the woman like a grandmother. Like a mother, really. After the death of his own mother, Dorothy had helped him in immeasurable ways. Now that Dorothy needed help, he’d be there for her. And for Samantha.
“Samantha, huh?” Dorothy looked up at Lance thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I’m going to be doing the work on your house for when you get better. We’re going over to discuss the details.”
“That’s wonderful. You two will do great together, I’m sure.”
Whoa. It didn’t sound like she meant the construction. Lance shook his head as he grabbed a piece of paper out of his wallet. “I almost forgot.” He handed the folded paper to Dorothy. “Here’s the last payment.”
Dorothy unfolded the check, then refolded it. “Thanks, but I told you not to worry about it. I’ve just been so happy with the results that I
would have let you keep it all.”
“Well, that’s nice, but I pay my debts. And I wouldn’t feel right had I not given you back every cent for helping me change my life. I owe you for that alone. A million more payments wouldn’t be enough.”
Dorothy blushed. “Oh, stop.”
“No, I mean it. I wouldn’t be what I am today without you, Dorothy.”
“Me neither!” Jax chimed in.
She snickered. “All right. I’ll take it. But I’m afraid you’ll need to give this check to Samantha. She’s in charge of all my finances now.” She handed the check back to him.
He clenched his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was give Sam the last payment on the loan he’d owed her grandmother. Sam would ask questions. He didn’t want to talk about his past with a woman who wouldn’t come to terms with her own.
“Okay.” He took the check and put it back in his wallet. He would give it to her later. Maybe a lot later. “Gotta run.”
“Bye, Grammy!” Jax gave Dorothy one last hug before running over to his dad.
“We’ll come again soon,” Lance said as he ushered Jax out the door.
Her smile brightened, wrinkling her face. “And I’ll be waiting for an update on everything.”
The pizza was nestled between them on the seat, filling the cab of pickup with the smell of cheese and pepperoni. Jax shifted anxiously in his seat and tapped his fingers on his new T-Rex.
Lance turned the truck onto Sam’s street, Templeton Drive. He knew it well from the time he used to spend there when Sam was younger and even after Sam ran off to New York. Over the years, Dorothy’s house had become his second home. The thought of having Sam back in it was, well, distracting.
“Dad! Dad!” Jax called out as he pressed his face to the window. “This is the same street Doug lives on. His house is right there!” He pointed out the window at a blue bungalow sitting right next to Dorothy’s house. “And there’s Grammy’s house!” Jax paused and frowned. “Wait, Samantha lives next to Grammy and Doug?”
Lance tried not to laugh. “No. Sam is staying in Dorothy’s house. She’s from out of town.”
“Oh.” Jax pushed his bottom lip out and scrunched the left side of his face. “Is she from somewhere else in Vermont?”
“No, she’s from New York. One state over from us.”
“Oh, so she’s not that far away.”
“Well, she’s from New York, New York which is way down south by the ocean.”
“New York, New York? How can she be from the two different places that have the same name?”
Lance pulled into the driveway and turned off the truck. The mind of a six-year-old never ceased to amaze him. “You know how we live in Burlington, Vermont? Our city and state?” Jax nodded. “Well, New York, New York is her city and state.”
“How can New York be both a city and a state?”
Lance couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t quite know how to make Jax understand without pulling out the map in the glove compartment, and since he didn’t want the pizza to get cold, he would save that lesson for another time.
“I’ll explain it later, okay? Let’s get inside.”
“Okay. But can I go over and see Doug after we eat? I want to show him my T-Rex.”
“We’ll see.”
With a pizza box in one hand and Jax’s small fingers wrapped around his other, Lance walked up the sidewalk lined with azalea bushes to Dorothy’s front porch. The wood creaked under his weight and the thud of his boots on the planks echoed in the silent night. The porch light was out and no lights flickered inside, but her car was parked out front. She was home.
“Dad.” Jax tugged on Lance’s hand. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s here.”
His lips twitched as he thought about his confrontation with Sam earlier that day. He knew she didn’t have anywhere to go, and he had purposely driven by the antique shop after they got the pizza to make sure she hadn’t snuck away there.
“Don’t worry, she’s here.” With that, he balled his hand into a tight fist and rapped on the solid wood door.
Chapter Ten
“Angry people are not always wise.”
~Jane Austen
SAMANTHA FLIPPED OFF THE LIGHTS downstairs and tightened the knot on her robe as she headed toward the staircase. She needed a long bath and a massage. The muscles in her neck were cramped from hunching over her laptop for the past four hours. Not that the time was worth it—she’d only written four pages. If that wasn’t the most ridiculous thing ever, she didn’t know what was. She couldn’t figure out the problem with the main character in her story, and couldn’t move the story forward.
Her main character wasn’t the only one giving her problems. The story’s hero had decided to run off, and he hadn’t returned, giving Samantha’s muse fits. What the hell happened to her bright idea and wonderful story? It was crumbling, and she didn’t know how to fix it.
She rounded the corner at the end of the hall and stepped into the bathroom. Coming back to Burlington had only added stress. Maybe that’s what was wrong with her story.
No. She slipped out of her robe and dropped it to the floor. The manuscript had run into problems long before she’d ever made it to Burlington. Maybe it would help if she talked to someone. She frowned as she ran a bath; Dr. Wade didn’t do phone sessions. If she could hold out another day, Jenny would swoop in. That made her smile. She missed her friend.
Missed? Now that was a first. Aside from Ava and Gram, Samantha hadn’t ever really missed anyone. An odd ache throbbed in her chest. She hoped she wasn’t turning into an emotional fruit-loop now that she was away from the city. She shook her head, slipping off her cotton pants and tank top.
She wasn’t emotional. The past week had been stressful, and she was relieved she would finally have someone to talk to about it.
A loud bang erupted from downstairs. Samantha twisted around and clutched her hands to her chest. After catching her breath, she glanced at the clock. Six.
Lance.
She didn’t want to face him, so she ignored his knocking. But every few seconds it started again, and each time it got louder. She would never be able to relax in the tub with that continual pounding. Not that she would actually be able to relax after the day she’d had. Guilt still ate at her for slapping him; the crawlies in her stomach still hadn’t subsided. Each time she thought about it—especially the shock in Lance’s eyes—the feeling nauseated her. She didn’t want to see him, but she had to face her problems sometime. Might as well start now.
The thumping continued.
“I’m coming! I’m coming.”
He was persistent; she had to give him that. She yanked on her clothes, slipped her robe on, and stomped out of the bathroom.
She reached the door and swung it open. Lance stood with a sinful smile on his face, holding out a pizza. Geez, she hated that she actually liked to look at him. She would be blind not to notice how attractive he was. Hell, who was she kidding? The man was gorgeous. Drop dead, in-your-face, your-friends-would-be-so-jealous gorgeous. Looks didn’t mean everything, though.
“Lance,” she said coolly. His eyes combed over her face before they slid down to her almost bare chest. The robe hung open, and her tank top was translucent. She might as well have been standing there naked. She ignored the spike of heat when she saw the corner of his mouth stretch into an even bigger smile. She pulled together the front of her robe, tied a nice tight knot, and smoothed the hair out of her face. There they were again, those butterflies in her stomach.
Jax popped out from behind Lance. “Hey, Samantha!”
Samantha’s thoughts were scattered as Jax came full force, arms stretched out toward her. Instinctively she bent down and caught him as he crashed into her. She’d enjoyed the short time she’d spent with the energetic boy at the diner, though it’d made her think about Ava. The memories—and the black hole in her chest—made it difficult to sleep at night. A tear formed in her eye as the light squeeze from J
ax’s arms warmed her. Crap, she was getting emotional.
She shifted away, unsure of the sensation floating through her. “What are you doing here, Jax?”
A big toothy grin made Samantha’s heart skip. This kid was a charmer, and he looked just like—
“Me and Dad came over to have pizza with you!”
So, it was true. Samantha rose and rubbed her clammy hands over the front of her white cotton robe. She smiled down at Jax before focusing her attention on Lance.
“Is there a Mrs. Lance Cummings?” she asked. If there was, she was going to dump a bucket of ice water on his head and push him right off her porch. He didn’t belong to her or anything, but she sure wished that was something he’d shared sooner.
Lance cocked his head and examined her. “No.”
“Fiancée? Girlfriend?” She didn’t know why she cared, but the questions flew out before she could stop them.
His eyes flickered. It was as though he was scrutinizing her every facial expression. She felt like a damned lab rat.
“No and no. Can we come in?” he asked.
Samantha glanced down at Jax. She couldn’t say no to that cute face. Plus, she hadn’t eaten dinner. Frankly, she was surprised Lance wanted to be within ten feet of her after the way she’d treated him. Well, it wasn’t like he’d always treated her perfectly. He’d taken her virginity and then said she didn’t mean two licks to him. That thought made her feel a smidge better about her own misbehavior.
“Sure.” Samantha stepped back and waved her hand toward the living room. Jax ran straight down the hallway. “Wait…Jax!”
“Relax.” Lance strode in, his scent wafting into her nose. “He’s just going to the bathroom.”
“He’s been here before?”
“Yes, many times. Where do you want the pizza?”
