“Thanks.”
“And Brady was a good lay,” she laughed. “On the other hand, Chris...” she sighed, “it was special with him. He made me feel beautiful.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, he’s sweet. I should call him.”
“No, honey, maybe not; he’s driving, anyway. Maybe tomorrow, okay?” Winnie hoped she didn’t call at all. It would just extend her misery, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.
If she could get Sam home without any major catastrophes, she’d call it a win. She knew that one night out wasn’t going to erase her pain, but maybe for just a little while she would think about something other than Christopher.
As they left the bar, Sam leaned into Winnie. “You’re a good friend.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for making me go out tonight.”
“You’re welcome.”
She helped Sam buckle in, and then started the car. Driving home, she spotted two cops on the side of the road. She was grateful she’d chosen to abstain. That was the last thing she needed. Lost in thought, she rolled through a stop sign. Crap.
The blue and red lights cut through the dark night, and a quick whoop of the siren made her heart drop to her stomach. Winnie pulled the car over.
“Ooh, you’re in trouble,” Sam sang.
“Shh, behave.”
The officer showed up alongside her car. Winnie rolled her window down. “Good evening, officer.”
“Good evening, ma’am. I’ll need your license and registration, please. If your insurance card is handy, I’d like to look at that as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
She reached over to the glove box, just as Sam was about to toss her cookies. “Oh god, no!”
Sam opened her car door and hurled into the grass on the side of the road.
Winnie sighed and closed her eyes for a second. “Here you go, officer.” She handed him her license and registration.
“Is your friend okay?” He shone his flashlight into the car. “Have you girls been drinking?”
“My friend has been drinking. I’m her designated driver.”
“I’ll need you to step out of the car, please.”
“Really?” She whined. “Can I at least make sure she’s okay first?”
Sam was groaning and heaving again.
“Ma’am,” the policeman warned.
“Oh, come on. Have a heart. The guy she’s in love with just left town,” she snapped. Her hand went up to rub Sam’s back. “Are you okay?”
Another heave.
“Ma’am, if you’ll step out of the car.”
“Seriously?” Winnie was pissed. “Listen, I respect the law, I do. But if you’d just give me one minute, I’d be more than happy to. My friend is...”
“Ma’am.” His tone was harsher. “Now. Step out of the car.”
“Fine.” Winnie was pissed. “Sammy, I’m right over here, honey. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Ma’am, I’ll need you to step out of the car, too.”
“Really?” Winnie shot the cop a snide look. “She’s a little busy, or can’t you tell from the sound of all the damn heaving going on?!?”
“I’d appreciate if you kept your comments to yourself, ma’am.”
Winnie sighed. “Listen, handcuff me if you want, take me in for doing absolutely nothing wrong but rolling through a stop sign, but I need to make sure she’s okay.” She dared the cop to stop her, staring him down.
Walking over, she softened her tone. “Sammy, are you okay?” She leaned in beside her and rubbed her shoulders, to help her calm down. Shouting over the top of her car, she told the cop, “Feel free to read me my rights.”
The cop shook his head.
“Soda,” she yelled. “I drank soda all night. I’m not drunk.”
“She’s not drunk,” Sam shouted out, between heaves.
The officer rolled his eyes. Something inside softened. He had a job to do, but it was obvious the driver was trying to console her heartbroken friend. Maybe the friend was drinking, but the driver wasn’t. He issued her a citation for rolling through a stop sign, and told her to be more careful.
“You know what I think?” She said, waving the ticket in her hand.
“What do you think?” He was almost afraid to ask.
“I think you should give me your phone number and take me out for dinner some time.”
Sam’s eyes went wide. Winnie sure didn’t fool around.
“Yes, ma’am,” the officer answered. “You have a good day now.” He scribbled his number on the back of his card, and went on his way.
“Did you really just ask him out? Did he just say yes? I think he was afraid of you.”
“As he should be. Now let’s get you home.” Winnie sighed. This night didn’t go as planned, but it sure did end on an interesting note.
Chapter 19
Morning was rough. Sam was able to keep down some water, but it wasn’t helping the hangover. Thankfully the yucky stuff stopped by the time Winnie got her upstairs and into bed. Sleep came heavy and hard, and when morning rolled around, Sam could barely open her eyes.
Squinting, she looked at the clock. How had so much time passed? Thankfully she didn’t have any appointments today, so she’d be able to recover. The idea of food did nothing for her, but water, she was desperate for more water. Her skin was parched and her body dehydrated.
Walking tenderly, she found her way to the kitchen. Standing in front of the refrigerator, she chugged down a bottle of water. She stumbled to table and sat, letting her head fall to her hands. She was going to need something for this headache.
When the knock came at her door, she ignored it the first time. She didn’t have the energy to get up. As it became more persistent, she trudged to open it. “What?” She scolded as the door swung open.
Christopher was standing at her door. “Hey.”
“Chris?” Sam’s hand went up over her mouth in astonishment. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and opened them again. He was still there.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes!” She threw herself into his arms before he got too far. “What? How? What are you doing here?” She stammered in her excitement, but then her head reminded her of last night’s activity. “I need something for a headache, but come in, come in!” Her voice rose with excitement. She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a handful of pills and swallowed them. Grabbing another bottle of water, she slugged a few gulps, and then went back to see Chris.
“What are you doing here?” She couldn’t hide her enthusiasm. It was like somebody flipped a switch.
“Come here.” He pulled her into a hug. He needed to feel her in his arms again. “...so I got as far as the Georgia state line. That’s when I turned around. I can’t do this. I can’t take the job in Atlanta, not with you here. I love you, Sam. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that yesterday. I should have, and I didn’t. I love you.”
Sam clasped on tightly, afraid to wake up from a dream. “I love you, too.” She burrowed her head in his chest with a smile.
“What are you going to do? Didn’t you accept a job?” she asked as they moved to the sofa.
“I did. But last night I called my boss and told him that I couldn’t accept it. I asked if my old position was still available. I explained that as much as I wanted the opportunity, I couldn’t take the job if it meant leaving my future wife behind.”
“What?”
He looked down, and sucked up his confidence. “You heard me. You’re the girl for me. There’s no way I’m leaving you. Listen, I’m not asking today, okay? Give me a little time, but I know you’re the one. I have no doubt.”
She nodded. “When you do ask, I’ll say yes, just so you know.” A huge smile spread across her face. She knew they were moving fast, probably way too fast, but when she saw him standing there, it felt like her entire world made sense again.
“I’m going to stay with my sister for a while. My ap
artment was already promised to somebody else, but I’ll be nearby.”
“Move in with me.” She hadn’t thought it through, but the words were out before she could stop them. Only once she said them, there was zero regret, so she repeated them. “Move in with me.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“Very. Positive. Absolutely sure. Move in with me.”
Christopher pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Sam. As long as you’re sure, I can’t think of anything that would make me happier.”
“You’re here. You’re really here.” Sam was still in shock.
“Thankfully, I hadn’t found a place yet and was just going to stay in a residence hotel for a few weeks. That would have been a mess if I had a lease. I just had nothing holding me there.”
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Tears were welling up behind her eyelids. They were happy tears, so much better than the kind she cried yesterday. She pressed her hand to her heart. “Don’t you dare ever leave me again, do you hear me?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Sam started to laugh. “Ma’am, that makes me feel old. Hey, Winnie got pulled over last night. We went out to drown my sorrows, and on the way home she got pulled over for rolling through a stop sign.”
“Oh, no. Was she drinking?”
“No! She was designated driver, but when she pulled over, I started heaving. I threw open the door and was losing everything. Winnie and the cop started verbally sparring. You don’t want to get on Winnie’s bad side; she’ll kick your ass. Next thing I know she has a ticket, the cop’s phone number for a date, and we’re on our way.”
“She’s an interesting character. But I’m glad she was there for you.”
“Me, too. I just wish I hadn’t had so much to drink. I’m feeling it today.”
“Why don’t we go to bed, and you can close your eyes for a while? I’d about give my left arm to hold you right now.”
“No need to donate body parts, I’m yours for the asking.” Sam grinned, and led him back to her bedroom.
Climbing into bed with Christopher felt right. It was everything she wanted, to simply be in his arms. She pressed against him and closed her eyes. His hand gently caressed her shoulder and back.
“Your niece and nephews will be thrilled you’re staying.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty happy about that. I hated leaving for so many reasons, but it felt like what I was supposed to do. It was the next step in my career.”
“Are you sure you won’t regret your decision to stay here?”
“Not one tiny bit. I’ve got you, I’ve got my family, and thankfully I still have a job.”
“You do have me.” Sam smiled and kissed his chest.
He smiled back at her lovingly. “And you have me wrapped around your little finger.”
“You mean my pudgy sausage finger?”
“I love all ten of your pudgy sausage fingers.” He laughed. “Seriously, you couldn’t be more beautiful to me, so don’t ever think that’s an issue.”
“I was losing sleep over having pudgy fingers, so I’m glad you said something. I was afraid I was being mocked by strangers for my fingers,” Sam teased.
“You’re silly.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“A very good thing.” He closed his eyes in contentment.
“Chris?”
“Hmmm?”
“Do naughty things to my body.”
Chris grinned in delight, his eyes popping open. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Their kisses turned to heated passion as they twisted and tangled in the sheets. Sweaty and worn out after an adventurous romp, Chris kissed Sam’s forehead. “I love you.”
“And I love you.”
“Uh oh, are we going to turn into one of those mushy couples now? Public displays of affection, always blowing kisses, saying I love you?” Chris teased.
“I sure hope so.”
“Me too.” He paused for barely a second. “Sam, will you marry me?”
“I thought we already discussed this.” She laughed at his proposal. “Of course, I’ll marry you one day.”
“What about one day next week?”
“What? You’re crazy, plum crazy. We can’t get married next week!”
“The week after?”
“Now you’re talking,” Sam teased, certain he was joking.
“I’m serious.”
“What?” She sat up in bed and looked at him. “So soon?”
“Why not? I know we belong together. We’re going to be living together. Why not?” It seemed perfectly logical to him.
“I, umm, I don’t know.” Sam didn’t have a good answer to that.
Chris lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes. “Do you love me?”
“Yes,” Sam replied without hesitation.
“Then why wait?”
She didn’t have a good answer, but was afraid of how fast they were suddenly moving. “Let me think about it, okay? It doesn’t mean I don’t want to be your wife, but that’s a big step to take so suddenly.”
“I thought you liked spontaneity.”
“I do, but honey, this is a lifetime decision. Marriage is for keeps.”
“I want you for keeps.” He kissed her hand.
“Why the rush?”
“Why wait?”
She didn’t have a good reason. It’s just that people don’t usually get married so fast. It was a huge choice. What if it was too soon? They were still getting to know one another. How could he be so sure? She knew she loved him, but what if they wanted different things in life?
After a moment of deep thought, Sam turned to face him more fully. “I need to ask you some questions.”
Chris put his hands behind his head casually. “Sure, fire away.”
“Do you want kids?”
He nodded. “Absolutely.”
“How many?”
“One, two, three, four... I don’t care, as long as I get to raise them with you.”
“Do you like dogs?”
Chris smiled. “I love dogs. I haven’t had one because I’ve been in apartments that don’t allow them, but I grew up with a dog.”
“How do you feel about money?”
“What do you mean?” He wasn’t certain where she was going with that one. His brow furrowed in confusion.
“In marriage, are we combining everything? Paying our own bills? Can I stay home and raise the kids until they’re in school? There are so many things we’ve never discussed.”
“I see. I understand what you’re saying, but I think that if we want it enough, we can make it work. Yes, we’ll combine everything. Yes, you can stay home and raise our kids. And I’ll discuss anything you want.”
Sam smiled warmly. “Then, yes.”
“’Yes’ what?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you next week.”
“What? Really?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Yes. Wow, I need to tell Becky and Winnie. And who will we invite, and how can we put together a wedding so fast?” The words poured out quickly. “Maybe we should slow down and figure these things out.”
“Nope, you said you’d marry me next week. Next week it is.” Chris pulled her closer, and kissed her nose. “Did you hear? I’m getting married.”
“Are you sure? You’re not going to regret this?”
“Are you?”
“I’ll be honest, it makes me a little nervous rushing into something like this, but something in my gut says it’s going to be okay.”
“Trust your gut. Be a team player.” He smiled.
“My gut did very ugly things to me last night. We’re not on the best of terms right now.”
“And you don’t think the booze had anything to do with it?”
“Fair point,” she laughed.
“I can’t wait to tell my family!”
“Oh, crap. I need to tell my family.” Sam’s face went slack, her smile fading. “They’re not going to be happy. It’s t
oo soon. This could get ugly.”
“Do you want to wait?” Chris ran his fingers through Sam’s hair. “I can wait.”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s wait. I’ll tell you what. Let’s make this an official proposal. I am asking you to marry me, but we can get married anytime. A week, a month, a year – you set the pace.”
“Are you upset?” Sam bit her lower lip worriedly.
“You said you’d be my wife. How could I possibly be upset?”
Sam grinned. “A month? Maybe two? A year feels like forever.”
“You decide. When you do, let me know.”
“A month? No, wait. Two months.”
“You don’t sound sure. Sam, I don’t want you to feel obligated.” He didn’t want to pressure her into anything, but he did want to marry her as soon as possible. Make it official.
Sam sighed, feeling overwhelmed. “There’s just so much to do.”
“Leave that to me.”
“Really?”
“I have sisters. They love this stuff. They’ll help you with anything. Then you can focus on what you want to.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Two months from today.”
“Are you sure? I’m available next week,” he teased.
“Two months.”
“It’s a date. We should go get you a ring. An engaged woman should have a ring.” Chris smiled, thrilled the date was settled.
“Ooh, jewelry shopping! Fun!”
“How about we go tomorrow after work? I don’t think I could pry myself out of your bed today. I need another nibble.” He leaned in to kiss her neck.
“Our bed,” she corrected. “And if you keep that up, we’ll never leave the bedroom.”
“That sounds like a challenge. I’ll take it.”
“You’re a goof!”
Chapter 20
Calling Becky was the first thing on her ‘to do’ list. She’d have to tell Winnie and her family, he’d have to tell his family, and so on, and so on. Pulling out a calendar, they circled a couple of dates, and finally settled on the third Saturday of the following month. There was a lot to do, but if they split up the tasks, they’d be more than able to handle it.
Crazy About Curves: 10 Luscious Reads Page 36
