Paradise Found

by Sarah O'Rourke

  As if Vivian could hear the questions in his mind, she murmured, “She wanted to protect you, Ben. Protecting you was Sami’s number one priority.”

  Scrubbing a hand down his face, Ben groaned. “Fuck, Viv!! Why didn’t you tell me? Its three years too late for me to beg her forgiveness… to tell her that she was the only thing I couldn’t live without. Why the hell are you doing this to me now?”

  “Because your second chance is on the horizon, old friend, and believe me or not, I’m here trying to right a wrong that happened three years ago. Me…Armando… Molly and Devil… we all decided that after this last week that Sami’s had that it was past time to face the past. We’ve been talking about it since the first time I saw you in Paradise. Personally, I’m not a big believer in fate, but seeing you here in the middle of freaking nowhere had to have been some kind of cosmic sign from the universe. So, the people that love Sami are trying to give her the future she deserves. And she was never happier than when she was with you. What I have to know before this goes any further is if Samantha’s infertility is a deal breaker for you?”

  “I haven’t been able to love another woman since we split up, Viv. I won’t lie and say I’ve been a monk, but a few one night stands do not a relationship make. When Sami left me, she took my heart. And she’s never given it back,” Ben confessed truthfully. “I’ve only ever wanted kids with her, but I never said they had to be biologically ours. We could have adopted a kid. Hell, with our money, we could have easily afforded adoption if it came to that. So, no, infertility wasn’t and isn’t a deal breaker for me. And the fact that she thought it would be kills me. Now, tell me where the other half of my soul is, Vivian, so that I can find her and make this right. I’ll leave tonight.” Now, that he knew the truth, the only thing in the world he wanted was to find the woman who owned him and plead with her to give them another chance. No power in this life or the next would keep him from finding her. One way or another Samantha Dixon would be his again. Knowing he hadn’t been second best… that in the end she had chosen his happiness over hers was enough to nearly bring him to his knees. He wanted to weep at the nasty things he’d said and thought about her. He should have known his vixen wouldn’t have been so shallow and cruel. But now was the time for him to man-the-fuck-up and be the guy he should have been then.

  His woman was out there…

  And he was going to find her.

  “You don’t need to go anywhere, Ben,” Vivian informed him quietly. “Sami is already on her way here. Now, let’s you and me go sit down. I need to fill you in on a few things that have been happening in our girl’s life lately. There’s a lot you need to know.”

  Staring eagerly into Vivian’s hopeful eyes, Ben began to believe in the power of miracles.

  Chapter Three

  Sami

  “Well, it’s flat,” Samantha declared with a huff from her crouched position beside their doomed ride, staring at the deflated tire with tired eyes.

  “How flat is it exactly?” Armando asked curiously, studying his cuticles thoughtfully as he leaned back against the vehicle’s door.

  Exasperated, Sami threw Mannie a narrow look, silently wondering how he’d look as a hood ornament. “What do you mean how flat exactly? It’s flat, Mannie! Flat is flat,” she retorted, barely resisting the urge to start banging her head against the side of their vehicle. Somehow this rescue mission had run seriously amuck and the rescuers now needed rescuing. This just proved no good could ever come from revisiting the past, Sami thought grimly, silently resolving to stuff her tragic love affair with Ben Atkins back into the box she kept in the back of her mind and leave it there where it belonged.

  “No,” Armando drawled with a slow shake of his dark head. “There’s all different kinds of flat, chica. Think about it. There’s flat like that time you tried to make pancakes out of all-purpose flour and a half bottle of tequila. Then there’s flat like what your ta-tas looked like before you got your first implants. Then, there’s flat like….”

  “You wanna go there?” she asked as she looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at her friend. “Fine then, I will! It’s kinda flat like your ass was before Dr. Abdella worked his magic and lifted that shit,” Sami snapped irritably, rolling her eyes as she heard Armando’s howl of dismay.

  Dropping his hands to his firm, perfectly rounded buns, Mannie’s eyes burned with betrayal as he looked over his shoulder at his ass. “You vicious puta! You swore on your favorite pair of Louboutin pumps that we’d never speak of that again,” Mannie growled, his face reddening as he stiffened against the side of the Land Rover.

  “Yeah, well, all kinds of promises get broken when I find myself stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. You better hope and pray we’re found soon. You never know what kind of secrets will come flying out of my mouth once the sun starts to drop,” she threatened ominously. Running a hand through her hair, she frowned and pressed a hand to her tummy as her stomach growled loudly.

  “You always get mean when you’re hangry,” Armando pointed out grimly. “Why don’t you have a Snickers bar or something and feed your inner bitch before you draw blood with those claws of yours. Specifically, my blood! We both know I’m too pretty to look good with scars, chica.”

  Rolling her eyes, Samantha rose back to her feet as she made her way towards the back of the SUV. “I would, but you ate the last one over an hour ago.” Frowning as she noticed Armando’s fingers moving across his iPhone, she huffed out an irritated breath. “How in the hell are you even getting a cell signal out here in the boonies? I lost signal for mine two hours ago.

  Biting his lip, Armando shrugged quickly. “Just lucky I guess. God knows how badly I need my technology, amiga. The Big Guy upstairs always looks out for me. And a big, fat whoopsie on eating all our snacks,” he murmured with a weak smile at her. Shifting guiltily from one foot to the other, he sighed. “What can I say? I’m a stress eater.”

  Rolling her eyes, Sami turned back to her rented vehicle. “He’s stressed? My life is imploding, and he’s the one who scarfs down the last Snickers bar,” Sami muttered under her breath as she opened up the back hatch. Raising her voice, she peered around the side of the SUV. “You’re lucky, though, my friend, because I’m willing to forgive everything if you’ll just tell me you know how to change a tire,” she offered hopefully as she lifted up the carpet and located the spare tire. It looked smaller than the one on her ride now, but it was round and rubber. It was going to have to work because there was no way she wanted to still be sitting on the side of the road out here in the sticks once the sun went down.

  Staring at Samantha as if she’d sprouted a second head, Armando scoffed, shaking his head as he lifted his smooth, soft hands for her to see. “Do these look like hands that change tires, chica? I change ties, si! I’ve even been known to change a tiara now and then if the occasion calls for it. And I know I change my mind about things on a regular basis. But a tire? No,” he declared tersely, with a shake of his head. “These hands do not change tires.”

  “Great. That’s just great, Mannie!” Sami shouted as she stomped her foot against the ground, coughing as she kicked up a dust cloud, “Maybe you can offer your tiara or tie to the bears when they come out of the woods tonight and try and eat us!” she suggested, making a wide arc with her arm as she spun around to gesture at the woods. “Because that’s what’s gonna happen if we don’t figure out a way to put the spare tire on this vehicle and get the hell out of here! Do you fancy being the appetizer or the entrée for the animals tonight, Armando?”

  Opening his mouth to reply, Armando’s face lit up with pleasure as Sami registered the sound of a car approaching and slowing. Turning around, she, too, felt her face transforming into an unconscious smile as another SUV pulled over behind them on the side of the road and a long limbed man slowly climbed from behind the wheel.

  Dressed in faded jeans and a soft looking blue flannel shirt with a shiny gold star pinned to its pocket,
the dark haired stranger approached them with a kind of slow caution born from years of experience. With one of his large hands resting lightly on the butt of the black gun that was holstered in the tool belt around his slim waist, the man’s face appeared both friendly and kind. “Hello, there!” the man called out in greeting. “I’m Sheriff Zeke Monroe, and y’all look like you could use a little help right about now.”

  “Oh, my, my, my,” Mannie breathed appreciatively as he eyed the long-legged lawman up and down. “Once upon a time, I could have definitely used your kind of assistance, Sheriff.”

  “You’re married, Armando,” Samantha reminded her friend dryly under her breath.

  “That’s why I said ‘once upon a time’,” Mannie returned sadly, still looking at the sheriff with hungry eyes.

  “For God’s sake, he’s wearing a wedding band, Mannie!” Sami hissed as she nodded at the gold band shining on the sheriff’s finger.

  “So am I,” Mannie murmured, wiggling his own platinum band in Samantha’s face. “Besides, I’m just looking and everyone knows there’s no crime in looking. It’s harmless. Like window shopping. Isn’t that right, Sheriff?” he asked the lawman with a flirtatious smile.

  “Well, I’m not sure my wife would agree with you, sir,” Zeke replied uneasily, a red flush beginning to climb up his necks. “She’s mighty territorial.”

  Smacking her pal’s hand away from her face, Sami frowned at Armando. “Get a grip, Mannie, before I decide to call your husband,” she threatened before looking at the other man standing in front of them.

  Nodding absently, Armando smiled at the sheriff. “Make sure you Facetime him. Believe me, he won’t want to miss a sighting of this particular native.”

  “Please ignore my horny friend, Sheriff. He hasn’t seen his hubby since early this morning, and I think he must be missing his attention. They’re still newlyweds.” Pursing her lips, she looked from Mannie to the sheriff and back again. “As for you, Mannie, would you knock it off? It’s obvious you’re scaring the poor Sheriff, and since he’s got a big gun strapped to his side, that’s really saying something.”

  Clearing his throat, Zeke focused his attention on Samantha. “Uh, ma’am. Are y’all in need of some help out here? It looks like you’ve got yourself a flat,” he remarked, glancing at the deflated tire on the Land Rover.

  “You could say that, Sheriff.” Nodding her head toward the spare, she continued, “We’ve got another tire, but neither of us knows how to change it.”

  Making his way over to where Sami stood beside the back of the SUV, Zeke eyed the spare tire and shook his head. “I’m afraid that one’s not gonna work for you anyway. It’s gone flat, too.”

  Closing her eyes, Sami fought the scream rising in her throat. Why did God have it in for her today? She’d made a generous offering at her church’s service last Sunday. She been nice to all the old folks and children she’d run into recently. Hell, she’d even told Molly’s husband Devil (her frenemy – emphasis on the enemy part of that word) that he looked nice in his new suit when she’d seen him yesterday. And yet, God still seemed to be mad at her. It felt like Jesus had, indeed, taken the wheel where her life was concerned and was determined to drive her over the proverbial cliff. “What do you mean my spare tire is flat? It’s a spare. By default, it should be inflated, right?” she questioned herself in a near whimper.

  “Well, ma’am, I’m not sure what the problem is, but this spare is definitely not gonna work,” Zeke informed her with a sympathetic look. He must have noticed the glassy sheen of tears in her eyes because he quickly asked, “Where were you two headed this afternoon? How much further were you gonna be traveling?”

  Feeling her throat begin to thicken with tears, Sami forced herself to take a deep breath. “We’re trying to find a town called Paradise,” she answered tightly. “Although, I personally think they should have named the place Hell since I’ve seen absolutely no indication this so-called Paradise exists.”

  Chuckling, the sheriff crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I can assure you you’re close to arriving there, ma’am.”

  “How close?” Sami asked swiftly, turning to narrow her gaze on the sheriff’s badge on the lawman’s chest.

  “Let’s just say you’re standing on the city limit. If you’d been able to go another quarter mile around the bend up there,” he said, gesturing at the curve up the road, “You would have seen the town’s welcome sign. I’m proud to be the sheriff of Paradise, Tennessee,” Zeke explained with a friendly smile.

  Shoulders sagging, Sami hung her head. “So basically I just stood here and insulted the town to its Sheriff just now,” she replied uncomfortably, feeling her face begin to heat as a wave of embarrassment began to swell over her. Good grief, leave it to her to make a shitty impression on one of the town’s most prominent residents. When she fucked up, by God, she did it with flair.

  “It’s okay. I’ll cut you some slack,” Zeke returned in a kind voice. “Especially since you seem to be having a pretty bad day,” he added with a pointed look at her vehicle. “The good news for you is the town proper sits only about a mile and a half up the road.”

  Thank goodness! Those words were music to Sami’s ears. “Please tell me they have a hotel,” Sami begged, lifting her head to level beseeching eyes in his direction.

  Zeke made a regretful sound as he slowly shook his head. “Well, technically we do, but…”

  “No! No buts,” Samantha pleaded. We just need a couple of rooms,” she implored the man before her. “Two itty bitty rooms. We could even make one room work if necessary. They don’t need to be anything fancy. Clean is all I’m asking for at this point. And a bathtub would be nice, but I’ll settle for a shower if that’s all that’s available,” she prattled on as she shoved her hair out of her face. “Please, we don’t even need them for very long. Just long enough to locate our friend, shove her in the back of our car, and get the hell back out of here.”

  “Sounds a lot like you’re planning a kidnapping, Miss…”

  “Dixon. Her name is Samantha Dixon,” Armando supplied helpfully. “And I’m Armando Savage. Just call me Mannie,” he invited, holding out his hand for Zeke to shake. “It’s what all my friends call me, and I think you and I could be great friends, Sheriff,” Mannie gushed.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Mannie. Miss Dixon,” Zeke said, tipping his Stetson toward her as he continued to shake Mannie’s hand.

  Sami watched as Zeke carefully extricated his hand as she said, “You, too. And honestly, we’re not here to kidnap anyone. Vivian actually belongs to us.” Seeing the sheriff raise one inky eyebrow heavenward, Sami huffed. “What I mean is we merely want to remind our friend that she lives in Atlanta. Not Paradise,” she informed the sheriff grouchily. “Though I’m pretty sure the locals up here have tried to convince Vivian otherwise. Mannie and I are here to remind her that she already has a home.”

  “Vivian is one of our best friends. I know she’ll be thrilled to see us,” Armando interjected helpfully. “She’s an attorney. She came up here to work on some big case for a positively delicious former drug dealer that’s gone straight.”

  Smiling widely, Zeke nodded. “I know Vivian. She’s been working with my brother-in-law, Abel Turner on the Diego Fuentes case.”

  “That’s him!” Mannie squealed, bouncing up and down. “Isn’t he just the hottest ex-criminal you’ve ever seen? Those muscles… that mysterious scar on his face…. YUM-MY!” he continued exuberantly with a dramatic shudder. “It’s enough to make a man swoon from sensual overload!”

  Clearing his throat, Zeke’s face reddened. “Well, I’m not sure about all that, but Diego has been a good friend to my wife and me. Through him, we’ve gotten to know Vivian a fair bit since she’s been in town. She’s been a wonderful asset to Paradise County. A real welcome addition.”

  “Sounds like one big, happy family,” Sami declared through gritted teeth. “The problem is Vivian already has a family. See, she’s our asse
t, Sheriff – and has been for a long time. We miss her a lot, and we’d like her back! I’m sorry, but she’s not an addition to your town. We were only lettin’ y’all borrow her for a spell! I’m afraid that I’ve gotta tell you its way past time for the town of Paradise to return her to where she belongs.”

  “I see,” Zeke murmured, trying to keep a straight face.

  “Oh, I don’t think you do,” she replied with a frown, not quite liking the amused glint she saw dancing in the sheriff’s eyes. “And did you just say you and your wife are friends with Diego Fuentes? Local law enforcement is chummy with a past drug czar?” she asked disbelievingly. “Isn’t that a huge ethical conflict?”

  “It’s a long story,” Zeke replied with a shrug. “But Diego isn’t guilty of nearly all the sins he’s been accused of committing. He’s a good man. At least, he’s trying to be. Your Vivian is helping a lot with that and thanks to her hard work, he’s been acquitted of all charges.”

  “Exactly,” Sami returned with a stiff nod. “You said the magic word. Acquitted. Meaning, Vivian’s job has been completed and she can come home,” she stressed insistently. Eyeing the lawman in front of her critically, she had to wonder if he knew something she didn’t about Viv. “Viv is okay, right? I mean, she’s still here, isn’t she?”

  “She is,” Zeke replied quickly. “Saw her at the café just this morning and she seemed just fine. She mentioned having a full day ahead of her, but that isn’t anything abnormal when you work with my brother-in-law.”

  “Then why the devil isn’t she answering my calls?” Sami huffed, throwing her arms in the air. “And what in the world is she busy doing if the Fuentes case is closed?”

  “I reckon you’ll have to talk that over with Miss Vivian,” Zeke replied slowly. “In the meantime, we’ll have to find you somewhere to stay since the hotels are booked up.”