Sammie narrowed her eyes. “Yes. I can. I mean, I am.”
“Just asking,” Dominic said, holding a hand up in surrender.
She would have loved to turn and stomp away, but she didn’t want to bother any of the other guests, so she simply walked off, leaving Dominic to stare after her. She wished she were dressed in something besides slacks and a blouse, but that was okay. The pants still made her butt look good.
Walking away was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Even as her anger burned, her desire to be in his arms fought for control. Turning around and launching herself toward him would be so easy, but the rejection she felt kept her from giving in to the urge.
Rationally, she understood he had come to Dover for her. But he’d been in the country four days without contacting her. And then he’d reserved a room at the B&B, not knowing she’d be the one answering the door. It seemed as if he wasn’t even sure of his own intentions. At least she got some serious satisfaction from that tidbit. But then what? He’d call or show up at her door? Run into her in town somewhere? And for what? To return her pictures? A familiar feeling washed over her, and her stomach dropped into the pits. She felt robbed. This time hurt more than the last.
Back in her room, she texted Jenny.
Thanks a lot!
What’s wrong?
Thanks for telling me the person YOU insisted I was in love with was in the country and spending time with YOU and YOUR husband.
Sammie! I’m so sorry. I promised him I wouldn’t tell until he was gone. But he just left today, and we were headed to Houston. I was going to call you, I swear.
Fuming, Sammie texted back. Oh, you promised him? And yes, Houston. Because I know Molly is so much more important than I am. Can you at least be loyal to me where HE is concerned?
Sammie turned off her phone and threw it onto her bed so hard, it bounced off. She didn’t bother to see if it had survived, since she hadn’t heard any sounds of cracking glass.
What sucked the most was that she had no one to talk to. The one person who’d been her go-to in life for everything had no time for her now. And not only did Jenny not have time for her, but she was part of the problem.
Unable to contain her silence or her curiosity over Jenny’s response, Sammie retrieved her phone and turned it back on. As soon as it had booted up, it rang. Jenny, of course.
Sammie touched the green button. “Why was he there?”
Jenny launched into a story of how she’d wanted to do something for Dominic for taking care of Sammie, and Owen had offered to help improve Dominic’s business the way he’d done for Betsy, but Dominic had declined their offer.
“I’m sorry, Sammie. I just felt like, if we could strike up a business deal...”
“Jenny, I love you. But you could have talked to me first. This is in no way similar to the case with Betsy. Owen and Betsy have a relationship, and they care about each other. Maybe I haven’t known Dominic long, but he isn’t the type to accept charity. Just because you have money now doesn’t mean you can use it to try to fix every damn thing.”
“I was just trying to help.” Jenny’s voice was clipped, and Sammie knew she’d touched a nerve.
“And now he’s in the other room, and I have no idea how I’m going to do this and serve him...”
“What do you mean, serve him?” Jenny asked.
“He booked a room at the B&B. I’m running it alone because Betsy’s daughter was in an accident, so she had to go out of town.”
“Ohhhh my gosh. Oh...”
“Yeah.” Sammie ran a hand over her face. “I need a drink.”
“No, you don’t.” Jenny groaned into the phone. “You just need to talk to him.”
“I’m not sure he was even going to let me know he was here in the U.S.,” Sammie said. “I don’t think he even knew. He hasn’t contacted me once since I left St. Lucia.”
“You know, he probably feels as confused as you do,” Jenny pointed out. “Give the guy a break. He showed up, didn’t he? He came all the way from St. Lucia.”
“You’re right.” Sammie sat on the bed. “I’m sorry I bit your head off, but please include me in any of your evil plans going forward. We’re supposed to be a team, you know.”
“I will. In my head, I imagined it going very differently. Now I can see how stupid the idea was. Plus, I still can’t help but feel responsible.”
“I thought we’d put that to bed already, Jenny. You can’t be a martyr in this. I miss you so much, but if you ever concoct plans that concern me, I’d rather be in on the planning.”
“Sammie.”
“Jenny,” Sammie replied, matching her friend’s tone.
“I didn’t know he was headed that way, and that’s why I didn’t break my neck to call and give you a heads-up. We can’t change anything up to this moment. But right now, he’s in the same house as you. Is there anything you know for sure?”
“I know I love him, and I’m scared that he’ll be gone again soon.”
“Then make sure he knows how you feel.”
Chapter 30
Dominic paced his room, muttering his frustrations in Creole. This was not going as planned. The idea had been to get his thoughts together, but just looking at her had scrambled his brain like eggs. She was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and now that he had seen her again, he would never be able to forget her. But how could he tell her so if she wouldn’t let him talk?
And what had he been thinking, giving her the pictures when she asked him why he was there? Why hadn’t he just told her the truth? I came because I needed to know what I already knew but couldn’t admit to myself.
She’d given him two keys and said one was for the front door. He needed some air. Besides, sleep would never happen while he knew Sammie was somewhere in this big place. As he unzipped his suitcase, he was glad he’d brought the zipper jacket. He’d worn it when he took walks along the beach in the evening in Destin. The weather in Dover was considerably cooler. He found the light blue cotton jacket and pulled it on.
Dominic stepped out of his room, trying to be quiet in case any of the guests were asleep. He headed downstairs, and just as he got to the bottom, the front door opened and a couple entered.
The man immediately made eye contact and smiled. “Hey, a new face. Are you just getting in?”
“Yes, just arrived. I’m Dominic,” he said, offering his hand.
“Oh my gosh, that accent.” The woman put her hand to her chest. “I just love it.”
“I’m Scooter, and this is my wife, Eleanor.” Scooter glanced at his wife.
“Nice to make your acquaintance.” Dominic stepped down and to the side. “I’m just going out for some air.”
“You might want to take a heavier jacket. Temps are dropping, and they’re calling for flurries in the next couple of hours. That’s Kansas for you. Temps in the seventies one minute and snow the next.”
“Flurries?” Dominic asked.
“Snow,” Eleanor clarified.
“Oh!” Dominic’s eyes widened slightly. “I hope so. I’ve never seen snow before.”
Eleanor made an excited ‘O’ with her mouth. “Well, I normally hope the snow stays as far away as possible, but now I hope we get a little for your sake.”
“Have a good night,” Scooter said. “We leave tomorrow, but hopefully we’ll see you for breakfast. Though I don’t know it’s going to be worth staying for...”
“What makes you say that?” Dominic asked.
“The lady who usually does the cooking had a family emergency, so a new girl will be cooking.” Scooter rolled his eyes. “I doubt she can match what Betsy can do. I mean, the place is named after her, ya know? Plus, I was hoping to talk to her about her recipes. Guess I’ll have to call after she gets back.”
Dominic bade the talkative man and his wife a good evening and made his way around them and out the door. Scooter was right. It was noticeably cooler than when he’d arrived, just a short time ago. He thought ab
out whether he wanted to take a drive or a walk and decided to stretch his legs for a bit since he’d been sitting on the plane and in cars most of the day.
The small-town neighborhood was quiet, especially for a weekend. He thought of how busy Lery and Charles would be and resisted the urge to call to see how they were doing. It would be a wonderful distraction from his dilemma with Sammie.
Since the moment his dark-haired, porcelain-skinned beauty had shown up in his bar, his life had changed. He was still doing all the normal things, but they no longer felt the same. He felt empty, but he shouldn’t. How could someone he’d only just met affect him so? Questioning it had been all he’d done since she left, but seeing her tonight... He didn’t need that answer. It no longer mattered.
His next step was working past Sammie’s fiery personality. He couldn’t be certain he would succeed, but he was going to try. If he did, he would decide the future with her by his side. Maybe he should just pick her up and carry her away over his shoulder like he did at home when Natasha ruined everything.
The wind picked up, and a gust of cold air washed over him, penetrating his light jacket and causing goosebumps all over his skin. He shivered and turned back. Since he didn’t know which room Sammie was staying in, he’d have to wait until the morning to see her. He wasn’t as optimistic as he wanted to be, but he could only try. And he’d try to keep his guard up. If she rejected him, he would use his suave attitude and pretend he was unbothered until he could return home.
Chapter 31
Sammie agonized over whether to go back and knock on Dominic’s door or not. Knowing he was so near and not being with him was torturous. Besides, Jenny was right. This emotional standoff was pointless. He was here. That meant something, and instead of jumping into his arms like she’d wanted to, she’d made whatever his reservations were even worse.
She rummaged through her bag, checking her options. She’d brought several outfits, but they were all similar to what she had on. Whatever! Before she went out into the hall, she checked her hair in the mirror. It looked fine. Dominic had seen her looking much worse. She smiled at the thought and walked with purpose to his room. When he opened the door, she would rush into his arms and say she was sorry for how she’d acted and tell him how happy she was that he was here.
In front of his door, she took a deep breath and tapped lightly. The last thing she wanted was to draw anyone else out of their room. She waited, but he didn’t open the door, so she tapped again. Annoyed, she told herself that he might be in the bathroom or have earbuds in his ears. He wasn’t just blatantly ignoring her.
She tapped once more, slightly harder.
“If you’re looking for the new guy, he’s not in there. We passed him on the way in.”
Sammie spun around. “Oh, thanks, Scooter. I’ll just give him the message in the morning, then.” She was semi-proud of herself for technically not lying. She did have a message. From herself.
“Don’t you just love his accent?” Eleanor gushed. Scooter cast his eyes upward, but Eleanor didn’t notice. “I wonder where he’s from.”
“Somewhere fascinating, I’m sure,” Sammie answered dryly. “I’d better turn in. I have an early day tomorrow.”
“Yes, you do.” Scooter beamed. “I’m curious to see how breakfast turns out. We’ll be there at seven on the dot.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Sammie said. Get out of my head, Jenny. I don’t care.
A thought seized her. He wouldn’t have left, right? Half-tempted to get the spare key to Dominic’s room, she wished Scooter and Eleanor would disappear.
“Anyway, Dom-en-nick...”
“It’s Dom—” Sammie started, but then said, “Forget it.”
Scooter shrugged. “Well, he said he was just going out for some air. So, if the message is urgent, he should be back soon.”
“Thanks,” Sammie said with a smile. Intrusive people could be quite helpful at times. At least he hadn’t vamped out on her.
In her room, she glanced at the clock and felt exhausted. When she got into bed, she didn’t think she would be able to sleep, but when her alarm went off at five, she sat straight up like a vampire in a coffin in one of those old movies.
“Dominic.”
Hurrying around the room, Sammie tried to look her best without taking too much time. Today would be the test of all time in more ways than one: seeing Dominic, making breakfast a success, and getting through the day. Instead of putting her hair up, she left it down and used two no-show barrettes to keep it from falling forward into her face.
In the kitchen, she pulled bowls, pans, and the ingredients she needed from the cabinets. Anxiety over what she needed to do took over. She had a hard time focusing on the notes she’d written. But this had to go well. She’d smarted off to Dominic about being able to cook, and she wanted to impress him. At the same time, she wished she would have gone to the store yesterday and bought a box mix.
As she began mixing the ingredients, she thought, This isn’t too bad. Betsy had gone over everything with her multiple times. No big deal.
She grabbed the baking powder. Was it supposed to be teaspoons or tablespoons? She’d written ‘tsp’ instead of spelling it out like she had for the other ingredients. Surely it wouldn’t matter much, she thought as she scooped out four heaping tablespoons. At least she only had to cook for four people today—five, including herself. She preheated the pan and poured in melted butter.
When the pancake mix sizzled much like Betsy’s, she let out a sigh of relief. Yes, I got this! She just had to wait for the bubbles to do their thing before she flipped the pancake over.
In front of her eyes, the pancake seemed to take a deep breath, puffing tall. And then it died. It completely deflated. Quickly, she flipped it in the pan. She now knew where the term ‘flatter than a pancake’ must have come from. Using the spatula, she removed it from the pan. Maybe she’d put too much batter in there?
Trying again, she poured some batter from the nifty bowl with its own pour spout. It started to cook beautifully, just like the last one, taking a deep breath. She held her own. When this one died too, she gasped, “No!” She flipped it over and stared as it cooked on the other side. “What the hell?”
She tore a piece from the first one she’d cooked, wanting to see how it tasted. If it tasted good, then it wouldn’t matter that it was thin, right? She put it in her mouth and chewed. “Ew!” She glared at the bowl of mix. They smelled like good pancakes but tasted bitter. Maybe she should add more sugar.
A boastful laugh startled her, and she spun around.
“What is wrong, Sammie bél? You look worried and disgusted at the same time.”
“Dominic!” Her heart flipped in her chest and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Maybe she couldn’t get the pancakes right, but damn it, she was going to do this right.
She rushed to him and took his hands in hers. It felt so good to touch him. “I came to talk to you last night, but you were gone, and then I fell asleep.”
Dominic’s face sobered. “You’re not mad?”
“No. I acted like a fool last night, and then you didn’t answer your door. I was so scared you’d left until Scooter told me you’d gone out for some air.”
His eyes darkened, and he put a hand on her cheek. “You came to my room last night? I wish you would have tried again.”
Sammie threw herself against his chest. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I wanted to talk.”
Dominic ran his fingers over her neck and under her hair, tugging slightly to tilt her head back. At that moment, all other thoughts in Sammie’s head vanished; she could only think of Dominic. Waiting for his lips to meet hers was pleasurably excruciating. When they finally did, she threw herself into the kiss in a way she’d never done before. She wanted that kiss to tell him everything he needed to know.
The smoke alarm began to shrill.
Dominic pulled away, and she opened her eyes to see him rushing to the stove. “Oh no!” Smoke s
urrounded the stove, and she used a potholder to wave it away.
“Open the windows,” Dominic said.
Scooter, Eleanor, and Krista all appeared in the kitchen.
“Just as I figured,” Scooter said with a smirk.
“Sorry,” Sammie said. “I’ll start over.”
“Actually,” Dominic said, pushing up his sleeves, “give me thirty minutes and I’ll have breakfast ready.”
Sammie rushed to him, not caring what anyone else thought about her clinging to a guest.
“Ha.” Scooter nudged his wife. “I bet I know what kind of message she was delivering last night.”
For the next two days, Sammie and Dominic prepared the meals and spent every moment together.
When Betsy came through the door on Tuesday, she called out, “Honey! I’m home.”
Sammie and Dominic exited the kitchen, where they had been preparing a small dinner for Krista, a family of four, and themselves.
“Betsy! Welcome back,” Sammie said.
“Thanks,” Betsy replied before turning her eyes to Dominic. “Who is this good-lookin’ fella?”
“Hello,” Dominic said. “My name is...”
“Oh, you’re Dominic Dupre,” Betsy said, guessing perfectly. “I knew you’d be as pretty as that voice of yours.” Betsy fanned her face, which made Sammie and Dominic laugh. “Owen was the last real looker I had come through here. Sure you can’t stay longer than the three days you reserved?”
“I’m definitely not leaving Dover yet,” Dominic said.
Sammie watched Betsy’s eyes narrow thoughtfully as the older woman looked at Dominic and then back at her. She felt herself blush as she watched Betsy make the connection.
“Well, I see you’re getting along beautifully.”
Sammie laughed. “This isn’t the first time we’ve met, Betsy. It’s a long story.”
“Ah! The long story you didn’t want to tell me.”
Epilogue
Sammie dragged the last item in her apartment to the door: a floor-to-ceiling lamp. Turning to look at the place that had been her home for the last five years, she decided to walk through one more time. It was bare to the bones and cleaner than she’d seen it in a long time.
The Conflicted Maid of Honor (The Conflicted Love Series Book 2) Page 15
