“You’re kidding.” Had he intended to come back before her mom called him? Was everything a lie? It didn’t feel like one. Sam seemed sincere.
“He called me right back and told me he’d already scheduled a flight to come find you, that he’d just intended to show up on your doorstep. I suggested he email you first, told him it might be nice if you had a little time to prepare.”
Simone stared at her reflection in the mirror. Who was this woman? She’d hired a detective, stalked Sam, and called him? Simone was in shock. “You believe him?”
She nodded vigorously. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he’s head over heels in love with you. And on top of that he adores Sabrina.”
Simone swallowed, fighting down the fear that had snuck up on her.
There was a knock on the door. “It’s time,” a female voice said. Simone recognized the voice as that of the party planner. She still jumped, her nerves on end.
“If I didn’t believe he was sincere, I would’ve said something. But I know he loves you. Please tell me you know it too.”
“I do,” Simone said, quickly, realizing that was the truth. She did know, without a doubt. Simone hugged her mom again. “Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re not mad?” she asked in a small voice.
Simone smiled big. “I’m in shock. I can’t believe you did that for me, but no, I’m not mad.”
“I’m so glad.” She opened the door and they walked down the stairs.
***
The wedding was beautiful. Sam looked so handsome in his black tux with a white tie.
Sara held Sabrina and stood beside Simone. Liv and Heather stood beside her during the ceremony. They wore silver dresses and held silver roses. Sabrina was in a white dress that was similar to Simone’s and Simone couldn’t help but wonder if the designer had made it for Sabrina on such short notice.
Simone’s bouquet was filled with silver, white, and red flowers. Two men stood next to Sam. She found out later they were his best friends.
As the night progressed she got to know them. They seemed nice, gentlemanly even.
Not everyone was as cordial, though. Simone caught several gorgeous women glaring at her. Three of them cornered her as she went through the line to get something to eat.
“Unbelievable,” one said, shaking her head.
“What is?” Simone asked.
“That he chose you,” another said, her eyes roaming Simone’s body.
“Red?” The third one said, and reached out to touch Simone’s hair.
Simone stepped back, smiling sweetly. “I don’t think it’s unbelievable at all—if you three are an indication of what he had to choose from.”
“Bitch,” one said.
All three walked away.
Someone came up behind her. Simone tensed until he slid his arms around her waist.
He kissed her ear.
“Sam,” she breathed, relaxing and leaning into him.
“You’re awesome,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck.
She turned and smiled, kissing him softly.
After many minutes, he lifted his head. “Sabrina and I have something to show you.”
“Oh?”
He went over to Heather and held out his hands. Sabrina practically jumped into his arms.
“How’s my girl?” He snuggled into her chubby cheeks.
She giggled. “Daddy.”
Simone’s heart melted. “That’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard,” she breathed softly.
“Wait. There’s more.” Sam bent over, setting Sabrina’s feet on the ground. “Let’s show Mommy what a big girl you are,” he said.
Sabrina giggled again. “Big gurrrrrl. Mommy.” Her eyes lit with excitement as she spoke, like her daughter liked the sound of her own voice.
It was as though Simone’s baby grew into a toddler right before her eyes. “Show me,” Simone said, forcing back happy tears.
“Ready?” Sam let go of her hands and took a few steps back. “Come to Daddy.” He squatted down so he was at Sabrina’s level. “Come on.”
Simone held her breath as Sabrina took a tentative step and then another and another and another until she fell into Sam’s outstretched arms.
“That’s my girl,” he said, nuzzling her cheek.
Sabrina laughed.
Simone clapped her hands together. “You did it!”
Bright Light
Sixteen
“Count back from a hundred,” the anesthesiologist said kindly.
Simone was nervous. She’d never had surgery before. Sam, her mom, her sisters, and Sabrina had come with her to the hospital. They gave her the encouragement and support she needed. She could do this. Because of them she had the strength and courage she needed to survive. Because of them, their love for her, she would survive. They were her miracles.
“Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven…”
***
Simone heard beeping. People were shouting. After a time the noises went quiet and she saw a white light at the end of a long tunnel. It beckoned and she started walking toward it. With each step the tunnel lit up. Hands reached out to touch her. She felt like she should be scared, but she was filled with love, so much love that she started to cry. The emotions filled her to overflowing and she longed for more. When she reached the end of the tunnel, people stood there waiting. Somehow she knew them. One elderly woman reached out and embraced her.
“Welcome home, Simone dear.”
She hugged them back “Where am I,” she asked, looking into the woman’s soft eyes.
The woman smiled and put her arm around Simone’s shoulders. Others patted her arms and touched her hands. She glanced back the way she’d come and stopped.
Realization dawned on her. She was dying. “I’m not ready,” Simone told the woman, hoping she’d understand.
The woman removed her arm. “Go back then, dear. We’ll be here when the time is right.”
Sam Stayed
Seventeen
Simone opened her eyes. She was in a small room. Her family surrounded her bed. Their expressions were downcast and sad.
“Hey,” Simone said, her voice hoarse. “Why the long faces?”
It seemed that their countenances changed as one, and they spoke together too—all different things so she couldn’t understand what any of them were saying.
Finally Sam took Sabrina from Simone’s mom’s arms and brought her over. “Hey, baby-girl,” Simone whispered. She smiled and reached out for Simone. “Can I hold her?”
“In a minute. The doctor needs to check and make sure you’re—” his voice broke. He coughed and continued, “That, everything is okay.”
“All right,” Simone said.
The doctor came in and ran her tests. When she was finished they all looked at her expectantly. The doctor smiled. “Good news.” At those two words Simone felt the room sigh with collective relief. The doctor smiled bigger. “Simone isn’t completely out of the woods, so to speak. I believe I got all the cancer and it looks like her motor functions are working properly. So…”
Sam, Simone’s mom and her sisters clapped. Even Sabrina clapped.
The doctor continued, “She’ll need a round of chemotherapy, just to make sure the cancer is all gone. She’ll also need a lot of physical therapy.” She cleared her throat. “We did almost lose her.”
Simone remembered the bright light, the lady with white hair. She knew the doctor was talking about that moment and her heart started to beat rapidly.
The machines Simone was hooked up to reacted with beeping noises.
“You all right?” the doctor asked, checking Simone’s pulse.
She nodded. “Yes, just glad to be here.”
“Good.” The doctor turned to Simone’s family. “She needs rest—a lot of rest. It’s going to be up to each of you to make sure she gets it. Understand?”
They all agreed.
“Excellen
t.” The doctor went to the door. “I’ll be back later to check on you.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Simone said, wiping at fresh tears. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done. It means a lot.”
“You’re very welcome.”
When the doctor was gone, Simone’s mom and sisters kissed and hugged her. Then they left too. Sabrina and Sam stayed behind.
Sam sat on the bed, letting Sabrina hug Simone.
She kissed the top of her baby’s head. “Hi, baby-girl,” she said softly. Sabrina smiled and reached a hand up to her mother’s face. Simone kissed it.
Sam laughed. Simone glanced over at him. She sucked in a breath. He’s so handsome, she thought admiring his thick, dark hair and his eyes. Especially his eyes. They seemed to dance with happiness.
For some reason that made her think of his cowboy hat, the one he wore every day when they spent their summer together. “Whatever happened to that ratty old cowboy hat? The one you always wore when we first met.”
Sam looked surprised and a little uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?” Simone tried to shrug, but it hurt too much.
Sam stood. “Laura gave me that hat while we were dating.” He smiled remembering. “She said I was sexy in it.”
“She was right,” Simone said softly, understanding his discomfort.
“When I left you that day, after our summer together, I knew I needed to figure out my feelings for you and that meant the hat had to go.” He glanced out the window.
“You threw it away?” she asked, horrified.
“No.” He faced Simone, stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “The hat is one of the two things that I kept to remind me of her.”
“Well I’m glad to know you still have it.” And she meant it. He’d been through so much.
Sabrina cooed. “Mama. Mama. Mama.”
“That’s right, I’m your mama,” Simone said softly, kissing her small hand.
“You’re okay,” he said, caressing Simone’s head.
“Yes.” She leaned into his touch.
“You realize what this means, don’t you?”
“No, what?” she asked, allowing herself to smile. She hoped it meant Sabrina, she and him would be together for a very long time.
“You’re stuck with me. You’re going to have to grow old with me.”
“I like the sound of that.” Simone took Sabrina’s tiny hand between her fingers.
Sam leaned down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I love you, Simone Merrick.”
“Say it again,” she whispered, loving the sound of her name on his lips.
Sam kissed her again. “I love you, Simone Merrick.”
The End
Start a new mystery romance by RaShelle Workman. Download Not So Lucky.
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Summer Love. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Simone and Sam. Individually these two characters had lives filled with a lot of trials and pain. Together they are able to give and receive more love than they ever believed possible. And it all started with one Summer Love.
If you enjoyed Summer Love, please do me a favor. Go back and leave a review. It only takes a couple of minutes but helps me out a great deal.
Sincerely,
RaShelle Workman
About the Author
RaShelle Workman is a bestselling author, wannabe chef, and dog lover. She's publishing two brand new series, including UNDERCOVER EMPATH with her amazing publisher, Curiosity Quills and The Lucky Clover Romance Series. RaShelle has been self-publishing since 2011 and has no interest in stopping.
Her motto is: LOVE HURTS. LOVE HEALS. so LOVE HARD! And it shows in the different genres she writes.
Her most popular series to date is BLOOD AND SNOW, a reimagining of Snow White with a vampire twist. There are several series within the Blood and Snow world, all inspired by different fairy tales, including THE CINDY CHRONICLES, BLOOD AND SNOW Season Two (Vampire Lies, Vampire Secrets, and the upcoming Vampire Nights), THE BEASTLY SERIES, and THE EVER AFTER SERIES as well as several short stories. In 2016 she's releasing a new adult series from the world entitled THE DARK MOTH SOCIETY. The series has sold more than a million copies worldwide since release of the first book in 2012.
RaShelle is also the author of The Immortal Essence series (ya sci-fi romance), Sleeping Roses (contemporary romantic suspense), and Across the Ages (ya time travel romance). Her books: Sleeping Roses, Exiled, Beguiled, and Dovetailed have foreign rights contracts with a Turkish publisher.
Currently, RaShelle lives in Utah with her husband, three children, and their three dogs.
*** If you're curious about The Blood and Snow World Order, please visit, rashelleworkman.com/p/blood-and-snow-world.html ***
Her books include:
Sleeping Roses
Summer Love
Not So Lucky
Dead Lucky
Across the Ages
Exiled
Beguiled
Dovetailed
Blood and Snow ~ Volumes 1-12
The Cindy Chronicles
Vampire Lies
A Beauty So Beastly
Vampire Secrets
Asha's Kisses
Asha's Curse
Asha's Magic
Vampire Nights Undercover Empath
Short stories:
Cindy Witch
The Hunter's Tale
Gabriel
After the Kiss
Zaren's Travels
The Professor's Origin (exclusively with Vampire Nights)
Visit www.rashelleworkman.com to join RaShelle's EXCLUSIVE mailing list and be entered to win a signed paperback copy of Blood and Snow volumes 1-4 (Special Edition). And be sure to like her Facebook page for all the latest news: https://www.facebook.com/rashelleworkman.
Additional Contemporary Novels
By
RaShelle Workman
Not So Lucky
Dead Lucky
Sleeping Roses
Coming Soon
Not So Lucky
Lucky Clover Green is goal-oriented, despite her hippy parents. She has plans for her life and knows how to make them happen. There’s even a list to prove it.
1. Graduate from prestigious law school. Check.
2. Find an apartment in New York. Check.
3. Get engaged to the man of her dreams. Check.
4. Become partner at a law firm. Ch—Well, she’s still working on that. First she needs a job.
On impulse, she goes to a club with her roommate and meets the lead singer of the band Toxic Suspects. His name is Maxwell Legend. He’s hot, gorgeous, and soooooo doesn’t fit into her plans.
And then her fiancé is murdered.
Turns out Lucky might not be so lucky...
Purchase Not So Lucky here.
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Summer Love Page 8
