After driving along Interstates 84 and 495 for almost three hours he was getting excited about relaxing at Cape Cod for a week. He looked with great anticipation toward surf fishing and wading in the cold salt water. He hadn’t taken time for himself in a long time and knew he deserved it. He would rather have Sam with him, but since he had gotten no response he decided he needed time away to think and clear his head.
With his windows rolled down the cool air filled the truck and filled him with an unusual sense of freedom. Wearing a plain red pullover shirt, a pair of khaki shorts, a New York Yankees baseball cap and flip flops, he was more than ready.
He pulled into a gas station with a little over an hour to go before he would get to Cape Cod. When he stepped out of his truck the sun gently lay across his face and he grinned. He peered up through his Ray Ban sunglasses and appreciated the clearing blue sky. When he left his apartment earlier it was raining, so he was thrilled the clouds were disappearing. He had checked the weather report for the next few days at the beach and the weatherman said it was going to be a gorgeous week. He couldn’t wait.
He paid for a cold Pepsi and a tank full of gas and walked back to his truck. As the gas flowed into the tank his thoughts wandered. He thought about how Sam was doing and what she would think if she was with him on the way to the beach. Would she be happy to be able to get away for a week and enjoy the sand, ocean, and time alone with him? He shook his head and tried to not fantasize. It only caused feelings that weren’t pleasant.
The gas pump handle clicked into place telling him his truck was full and he placed the handle back into its cradle. With his Pepsi, he sat behind the steering wheel and cranked the engine. Before he drove away from the pump and back onto the interstate he looked through some of his CDs. He needed music, something that would help him forget for the rest of the drive. Some hard beats and fast guitar riffs to get the adrenaline pumping through his veins as his fingers danced on the steering wheel. When he came across the perfect CD he grinned to himself and immediately slid it into the player on the dashboard. Seconds later, “That Smell” began blaring from the speakers and when he pulled out onto the interstate he sang along with Lynyrd Skynyrd, not caring how bad he sounded. It was his vacation and he was going to have a great time no matter what happened.
Chapter Thirteen
Sam
Sam had been in Torrington for three days, and being angry was an understatement. She wasn’t angry at anyone in particular—if you left out Junior and herself. She knew it was going to be a bad day when she couldn’t even make it to the bathroom without stubbing her toe on the nightstand when she got out of bed.
After crying out loud and biting her tongue, Sam hobbled to the shower and began getting ready. She had to meet with her old landlord in a couple hours. She desperately needed some coffee and something to eat before then. She didn’t think it would take long meeting with him, but her stomach was already growling. Plus, coffee was a life source and a way of helping her not lash out at others when they looked at her.
When she finished getting ready, she walked the short distance to the gas station from the hotel. She hadn’t heard anything during the night, but it looked like it had rained while she was sleeping. On the way, a not so kind driver flew through a small pot hole and splashed muddy water onto her favorite jeans and tennis shoes. She stood there in shock with her mouth agape, not a happy camper. She fumed as she got her coffee and walked back to her room to change clothes.
“I literally can’t believe this is happening!”
Plopping down onto the edge of the bed she took long deep breaths to calm down. Normally, she wouldn’t be this upset so early in the day, but knew part of her problem was she still hadn’t been able to find Junior. She had been to his apartment each of the past three days, and even gave in and left a note on his door.
She was being stubborn but was determined to not give in. If the note was still taped to his door later in the afternoon when she went over there she would relent and call him. It was ridiculous how she was behaving and she knew it. It wasn’t his fault she showed up without telling him. If he had gone away for a week or whatever then good for him. Things would be different if she had told him. Possibly. Possibly not.
Removing her shoes and tossing them into a corner she huffed again. After she changed into another pair of jeans she called a cab to pick her up in an hour at the diner across the street. She would grab something to eat there then go meet her landlord. By then her temper would be calm enough to be considered a light rain instead of a tsunami.
She once again headed out the door and across the street. The diner was one she had been to before she moved to Florida over a year ago. The food wasn’t bad as far as she could recall. Hopefully they would have sausage gravy and biscuits. She knew many restaurants in the north didn’t carry that on their menu. Sam wasn’t a true southern girl, but it was a treat an old friend told her about and when she tried it, she was in love. Not good for her heart, but an occasional slip now and again wouldn’t hurt her.
She did her best to enjoy breakfast but couldn’t stop looking at her phone. She kept asking herself, call or don’t call? Text or don’t text? She knew she was being silly. Junior would love to see her or at least talk, but something kept her from contacting him and it was driving her crazy inside. If Tonya was alive she would give Sam a serious talking to and let her know how ridiculous she was behaving.
Sipping her coffee, she gazed out toward the street and watched the cars drive by. An occasional pedestrian would walk down the street and Sam wondered for no certain reason what were they going through in their lives. She firmly believed that every person had their own heartaches and struggles. Some were stronger than others and some didn’t handle life quite as well. She thought about the events that took place in her life, especially over the past year and a half. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that if it hadn’t been for God and Tonya and Junior, she wouldn’t have made it through those enormously painful times. She missed Tonya terribly and Chris even more. She wondered what her life would be like if Chris were still alive.
Sam felt the burn of salty tears fill her eyes. Her throat tightened and she could feel herself beginning to lose control. She had to blow out a deep breath, dry her tears with a napkin, and shake it off. She would miss him and love him forever. There would never be a time she would feel different, but she also had to ask herself something she had been avoiding. Would he want her to be alone forever or would he want her to love again? She already knew the answer to that question, but it was so frightening.
Pushing those thoughts from the front of her mind she left a tip and paid for her food. The cab would be showing up any moment and as she stepped outside it pulled into the already full parking lot. She gave the address to the driver and was relieved to have something else to focus on. She couldn’t deal with thinking about love or Chris’s death. She was stronger with it than she used to be, but with the additional stress she had put on herself, she wasn’t going to handle it well.
Twenty minutes passed before the cab arrived at her destination, and Sam paid the driver. Mr. Landford smiled when he saw her. When she stepped out into the sunlight she found herself standing in front of a two-level house that looked like something straight out of a magazine.
In front was a broad porch that held a swing and flowers in wooden beds connected to the railings. The windows were flanked by gorgeous shutters that looked like they had been recently painted turquoise. There was a small front yard with a few bushes and she could see from the side there was most likely a decent sized back yard. Without seeing the inner part of the beautiful home, she was already falling in love with it.
“Good morning Sam,” he greeted her. “How have you been? It’s been so long.”
Hugging him and smiling she replied, “I know; it has been, hasn’t it? I’m good. How are you?”
“Good, good. I’m glad you are wanting to move back to Connecticut. What made you change your mind ab
out living in beautiful Florida?” he asked as they began walking toward the house.
“Well, let’s just say I had a divine intervention, so to speak.”
“Well, okay then. Come on. Let’s go inside and see what you think about the place.”
Stepping on the porch she could see small details that could use a little touching up with some paint, but it would be an easy task she could handle herself. Inside her breath was stolen from her as her eyes traveled over the first-floor layout. If she took the apartment she would have the first floor and from what she could see, it was more than enough for her. The living room was immense with two bay windows and a hardwood floor with a medium size fireplace. The kitchen had ample counter space and plentiful cabinets made from oak and stained a brilliant dark shade. She could still smell the sharpness of the stain remaining in the air. The appliances were only a year old, he informed her, and both the heating and stove ran off natural gas.
They walked into the massive bedroom and Sam fell in love. Long lacy white curtains hung from a single wide window and barely tickled the floor. The walk-in closet also had shelves for shoes along the entire length of it. The bathroom was connected to the hallway and was more than enough for one person. Two, if she had someone with her. The bathroom had a full bath and shower with built in Jacuzzi jets, an immense mirror that overhung two sinks, and wallpaper that portrayed spring flowers.
“Oh, my goodness, Mr. Landford! This place is incredible!”
Grinning, he replied with about as much excitement as she had. “So you like it then, I take it?”
“Like it? I love it!”
“I figured you would. The last tenants did too, but they moved into something bigger. I was hoping to find someone I could trust living here and when you called me I knew you would be perfect for it.”
“It’s perfect for me. How much do you want for rent and up front? I can pay you today.”
“Well, since I know you really well, I won’t charge you a deposit, but can you handle a thousand a month?”
She had to remember that he knew nothing about the money Chris had left her. With the insurance money, as well, she still sat great financially. Not counting the fact she would begin working again, she could more than afford it.
Smiling at him she answered, “Yes, I can definitely afford it. Thank you for this beautiful opportunity. I’m very excited!”
They walked out into the back yard and Sam couldn’t believe her good fortune. God was once again blessing her and she was extremely grateful for His love. They finished the tour of her new place of residence and Mr. Landford drove her to a bank so she could withdraw the money. After they signed the lease she felt particularly giddy inside and couldn’t wait to get the ball rolling on her move.
When she was back at the hotel room she caught her breath and realized how shockingly excited she was. She hadn’t wanted to move back to Connecticut, but she wanted to do what God told her. With the new place she was renting, however, she was very happy with the choice she made.
She took out a piece of paper and made a list of things to do. She knew she had to start the process of selling her bungalow in Florida, plus call a moving company and start packing her things. There was a lot to do, but she felt like it was right, even if she hadn’t talked to Junior yet.
***
Junior
The sun lay gently upon Junior’s skin as he sipped a cold beer. It was just past noon and the sun was at its highest peak, filling the sky and covering the beach with its glory. In his beach chair and a cooler with a couple of beers and bottle of water, the only thing Junior tried to think about was how lucky he was to have some days off work and get paid for it. That wasn’t how things were playing out for him though. His mind continued to divert back to Sam and he wondered why she hadn’t replied to his email, or called or texted. Nothing from her at all. It bothered him to the point it was affecting how he was enjoying his vacation. Maybe he should go ahead and call her.
As he watched a pair of bikini clad females walk down the fine sand only fifty feet away from him his heart remained on Sam. He could appreciate the beauty of a woman while at the beach. He could even talk to any one of them, but knew he couldn’t act like he wanted with any of them. He wasn’t built like that. A few years ago, yeah, but since he admitted to himself that he was in love with Sam, he didn’t want to or couldn’t be with anyone else. At least not until he knew without a doubt that Sam didn’t want to be with him. He felt like he should know, but something inside told him differently. He wasn’t sure why, but something was there.
Aggravated he set his bottle down and stood from the chair. It was time to get wet and cool off. He placed his baseball cap and shades on the chair and covered them with his towel. Taking off in a jog toward the cold waves he began to feel more at ease. He had always loved the beach. He knew once he dove into the water it would send a cold shock through him, but he would quickly get used to it. The freezing water made him gasp from the initial contact, but after a long minute he acclimated to the water’s temperature. He wasn’t a great swimmer so he waded around and enjoyed the feel of the water that engulfed him. He knew better than to go any further than where his feet could touch the bottom. Even then he had to be careful.
Every time he got in the ocean he was reminded about a brush with death as a teenager. He was on vacation with his parents in Virginia, visiting an old friend of his father. On a hot summer day they went to Smith Mountain Lake for fishing. Junior grew bored because he wasn’t getting any bites. Without telling anyone what he was doing he walked off alone.
He remembered standing at a boat ramp about a hundred yards from everyone else, but his family and friends were in a cove and couldn’t see him. He didn’t recall what was going through his mind at that time, but he walked down the ramp and into the cool water of the lake. It didn’t take long for him to realize he had gone out too far because he could feel the under current pulling him out. It was as if he was in a horror movie and something evil had a strong grasp on his ankles.
Unable to swim, he slowly managed to turn around so he was facing the land and tried to yell for help, but no one in his family could hear him. With every step he tried to take forward he went two steps back. The lake’s evil presence had a strong hold and didn’t want to let go. He would never forget the fear that rapidly grew into a panic; he was convinced he would die. He began praying for God to save him as he ended deep enough, completely under water, and nobody could hear or see him even if they wanted to.
Thankfully, at the last second when he didn’t think he could hold his breath any longer, God literally saved him. He would never, until his last day on earth, forget how it felt when he was miraculously starting to go toward the boat ramp again. Once he was completely out of the water and lying on the ground catching his breath with deep raspy gasps, he was in tears. He would always firmly believe it was God who saved him on that hot summer day. There was no other explanation for it.
As he waded around in the water he recalled not telling any of his family about that brush with death. He simply walked back to where they were and said he had gone in the water to cool off and kept the remaining details to himself and God. Since that day, he had gotten in water countless times, but had never been able to relax enough to learn how to swim. He still couldn’t float or dog paddle. He didn’t care too much. He was enjoying himself and that was what really mattered.
After half an hour he stepped away from the water and back into the hot sun. He allowed the sun’s rays to dry him off, opened a bottle of water, and Sam invaded his thoughts again. He wondered what she was up to on such a beautiful day.
Chapter Fourteen
Sam
Sam sat in a booth in the restaurant with her laptop open as she waited for her glass of ice water and dinner. The day had passed quickly with her excitement for the place she would rent from Mr. Landford. Part of her wanted to ask how much it would cost her a month to rent the entire house. That way she wouldn’t have t
o listen to the tenants stomping around above her. If they had children it would be worse. She could afford it without any trouble. Besides, she thought, she could use the upstairs for storage and one of the rooms as an office. The more she thought about it, the better it sounded in her head. She grinned and thought maybe she would give him an offer and buy it from him. If he was willing to sell.
Looking at the screen on her laptop her inner smile began to lessen. She reread the email from Junior and knew she had to respond. Calling would be good, but she didn’t know what to say. If he was on vacation somewhere, and she felt that he was, she didn’t want to bother him. To her way of thinking, writing back would be the best way to communicate.
As the customers around her chatted away about whatever was happening in their lives and waitresses walked past with drinks and trays of food, she began her long postponed response.
Dear Junior,
Hey there! Sorry it has taken me so long to write back to you! I know…I’m terrible at things like this. I have to be honest first and foremost that I have no other excuse and it was terrible of me to not call or at least write back sooner. I won’t make any other excuses.
I should tell you something that I’m not sure how you will react. I hope you will be pleased and at the same time not upset with me because it happened out of the blue. I know I didn’t tell you I was going to do this, but I came up to Connecticut for a few days. I was hoping to surprise you, but I haven’t been able to catch you at home. After several days of knocking on your door unanswered I figured that you must be away somewhere, hopefully enjoying yourself.
When Never Again Happens (Never Again Series Book 2) Page 8
