by Zuri Day
“Yes,” Sam told him. “Exactly like that.”
“Is that okay with you?” Nick asked him, unaware that he was no longer breathing.
“I love it!” Trey finally screamed, shooting like a missile into Nick’s arms.
Trey’s arms around his neck felt better than he could imagine. Nick finally exhaled. Sam didn’t go home that night. The love shared between them was better than bliss. The work done. No more secrets between them. The next morning, she fixed them breakfast. Then Nick and Trey went riding with Adam and Noah. Family life continued when they returned and watched a movie.
The time felt so right, so natural, that Nick did the unthinkable when just before Sam and Trey prepared to leave that Saturday, he asked her, “Would you like to live here, to move in with me? Trey loves being here. There’s plenty of room.”
And other reasons, which Nick had yet to admit to himself.
Sam was understandably taken aback and didn’t answer immediately. Nick understood. When it came to relationships, she’d gone through a lot. Yet his emotions surprised him as he awaited her answer, and at how lonely his home felt when he was the only one there. As he continued about his routine and enjoyed the rest of the holiday weekend, he knew one thing for sure. Even though the project with Sam Price was finished, the business between them wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
Seventeen
“Hey, cousin!” The front door had barely opened before Sam pulled Danielle in for a hearty hug.
Danielle stepped back. “What was that for?”
“Can’t your cousin be happy to see you?” Sam entered the home.
“You’re a little too happy. Where’s Trey?”
“With Nick.”
Danielle stopped and turned.
“For real? Even though it’s not his weekend?”
“All the cousins were over playing in the pool. He begged to stay and hang out with them. With all I have to do trying to restart my business, I couldn’t say no.”
They continued down the hallway. Danielle glanced back a time or two.
“Somebody’s holiday must have gone very well.”
“Better than I could have thought possible.”
Sam entered the living room and walked over to where her young cousin sat engrossed in a game.
“Hey, Jaylen!”
“Hi, Sam.” Said with eyes still glued to the screen, his hand quickly shifting the control to combat and destroy enemies far and wide.
“Jaylen, take that warfare into your room. Mommy and Sam have some grown-up talking to do.”
“Wait! I’ve almost vanquished the leader!”
“Vanquished?” Sam asked. “Good word.”
“Boy, I’m going to vanquish your behind if you don’t move!”
To prove she meant business Danielle walked over, picked up her son and began blowing smoochies—loud, air-filled kisses that tickled the skin. Jaylen’s laughter floated down the hallway. Sam smiled, reminded of the roughhousing that Sam witnessed between Trey and his uncles. It seemed they were experts in everything from Adam and bucking broncos to Christian and any sport. Noah’s collection of robotic toys had dropped Trey’s jaw. Hers, too, actually. She’d never seen her son more impressed.
“Whew!” Danielle joined Sam on the chenille-covered sofa. “I’m too old to have a six-year-old.”
Sam gave her a look. “You’re thirty.”
“Tell that to my body.” Danielle shifted with a hand to her back. “That boy is getting too big to pick up. Now my back is killing me.”
“That’s because you need to work out.”
“I need Gloria to find a twin to come help run my household, that’s what I need.”
“I hear that. She’s been such a blessing to me and Trey, like part of the family.”
“I’m teasing. That kind of help is above my pay grade.”
Danielle shifted to a more comfortable position. “Enough about our angel assistant. It’s time for you to spill the tea on all that happened in Breedlove. I want the turkey tales with all of the trimmings, thank you very much.”
“Wow.” Sam grabbed a pillow and leaned back, too. “So much happened. Where do I begin?”
“How about the beginning?”
Sam chuckled. “Good idea. You remember how incredible their place is, right?”
“They held a frickin’ carnival on the most beautiful spot in all of Nevada, land that went on forever. How could I forget?”
“The holiday decor is even more spectacular.”
“That’s hard to imagine.”
“Hopefully you and Jaylen will get a chance to see it. There were games and live music and incredible food. The night ended with a lighting ceremony that rivaled any I’ve seen, officially beginning the Christmas season. But I’m getting ahead of myself. The fun started with my meeting the true Breedlove matriarch, Nick’s grandmother Miss Jewel...”
Sam recounted the unparalleled Breedlove Estate experience that for the past four days had been her enchanted life.
“You know I don’t get along with just anybody. I can spot a fake real quick and don’t suffer them lightly. But I have to tell you, Danni, the Breedloves aren’t like most bougie folk. And I’ve seen one or two. Can we say ‘royalty’?” Sam used air quotes.
“We could but we won’t.”
“Agreed. Nick and his family are different. They can hold their own with the caviar crowd but are down-to-earth, too. They’re the real deal. I like them. The brother’s wives were open, friendly, made me feel like family.”
“Sounds like a family you want to join.”
“Slow your roll, chick. That’s unlikely to happen. Nick is warming up to being a father. The same doesn’t necessarily apply to his taking a wife.”
“I know you have to act as though it’s not something that matters.”
“For now I’m just happy we’re getting along.”
“That’s all? No sex?”
“Well...”
“Girl, quit playing. Don’t make me have to drag words out by consonant and vowel.”
“I spent the night.”
Danielle squealed. “That’s good, right?”
Sam shrugged.
“Nick is one fine brother. You could do far worse than him.”
“Look, I’m perfectly fine being sin—”
“Really? Then perhaps you should let your face know. Now back to the story before your nose starts to grow.”
Sam burst out laughing. “I hate you.”
“Thanks, hon.”
Sam shifted the conversation out of the bedroom and back to the variety of activities that the estate offered, and how comfortable it was hanging out with members of Nick’s family she knew already while meeting others for the first time.
“The brothers all have a natural affinity for socializing, comfortable mingling with others regardless of social status. The staff was treated more like family than employees. But I thought the family gathering, especially Thanksgiving dinner, would be different somehow. Haughtier, buttoned-up. I envisioned a dining room straight out of a castle with bone china, pristine manners and a servant behind each chair.”
“What? No servants?” Danielle feigned indignation.
“Yes, but only behind every other chair,” Sam deadpanned. “I’m kidding.” Added a beat later.
Danielle bopped her with a throw pillow.
Sam’s plan for a quick visit with Danielle turned into a chat-athon lasting all afternoon. After speaking with Nick, Jaylen joined Trey in Breedlove so that Sam and Danielle could take a rare spin on the Strip. Vegas residents seldom ventured to the areas that made their state famous, but Danielle felt lucky and Sam wanted to shop. When they returned to the estate that evening, the holiday theme was on full display. Danielle was as blown away as Sam thought she’d be. It was
the perfect ending to her four-day weekend, and probably Sam’s last bit of downtime before Christmas. There was work to do. Decisions to make. After a particularly wonderful evening involving the three of them, Nick had invited her and Trey to move in with him. Tempting offer. But he’d focused on Trey, not her or their relationship. She’d be the first to define herself as a modern woman, one leery of vows with a failed marriage under her belt. Still, she loved the security of commitment and knew few successes topped that of a good marriage. Seeing Scott and Danielle together was proof of that. Then there was her old-school grandmother’s most popular saying that after being with Nick sometimes played in her head.
Doesn’t make sense for a man to buy a cow when he gets the milk for free.
On their way home from Nick’s after his offer, those words had played on a loop in her head. By the time she’d pulled into her garage, she’d made a decision. Sam and Trey would continue to call the condo home. Grandma, 1. Modern woman, 0.
On Monday, Sam rose early. She’d created a to-do list the night before and was ready to tackle each project. She showered and dressed as if she were headed to an office. Sometimes a suit produced better results than yoga pants and a tee. Five minutes after sitting down with a mug of peppermint tea, her phone rang.
“Sam Price.”
“Good morning.”
“Hi Nick.” Breathe. “What’s going on?”
“Thinking about you. Thought I’d call.”
“You’re not working today?”
“Not for another hour.”
“Oh.”
Sam fell quiet, conflicted, as she’d been off and on all weekend. No doubt she was very attracted to Nick and loved being with him. Maybe a little too much for a casual affair. She’d played it off when Danielle teased her, but the deeper she’d examined her feelings about Nick and the more honest she’d been about the probability that they’d deepen further the longer they dated, the more she realized that continuing the casual affair might not be a good idea.
“Are you working? Did I interrupt something?”
Yes. You interrupted the lie I’ve been telling myself.
“Yes, I am working. There’s only three short weeks until the world shuts down for Christmas. I have a lot to do before now and next year.”
“Okay, cool. No worries. We can talk later today.”
“Goodbye.” Sam hung up and turned back to the to-do list on her computer. She tried to focus but her mind kept returning to her unresolved feelings about Nick. Getting up from the couch, she set down her tablet and walked to the window, her life over the past four-plus years playing like a video across a mental screen. The party. The pregnancy. Oba. Africa. CANN. Trey. The actions that had shaped her past. Her vision for the future. What did she want it to look like?
Determined to complete at least some of the tasks on her list, Sam picked up her phone and called Danielle.
“Hey, Sam!”
“Hey, cousin. Do you think the day care would mind watching Trey this afternoon? Gloria isn’t here. I need to focus and right now home is too distracting.”
“Probably not, but I can call and find out.”
“Jaylen’s there?”
“Yep. Scott will pick him up on the way home. He can get Trey, too, if you’re not done with what you’re working on by then. You can pick him up here later.”
“Perfect. Let me know.”
“Okay.”
Minutes later, Danielle texted that the day care would watch him, but at the full-day rate even though it was almost one o’clock. Sam would have gladly paid them double. She was out of the house in less than thirty minutes and another half hour after that had dropped off Trey and was seated in a local library’s private room with her tablet on and cell phone off.
The change of scenery helped but didn’t squelch the thoughts completely. She managed to check off a few items and make the most time-sensitive calls. But three hours later, thoughts of Nick and their situation were still all-consuming. Her shoulders were tense with stress. Rotating her neck to try to remove the kinks, she remembered a conversation with Adam’s wife Ryan, who co-owned a spa and suggested she should come for a visit. Maybe a little pampering was just what she needed to ease her body as well as her mind. After making an appointment online, Sam called Danielle to have Scott pick up Trey. She left the library and soon after arrived at the Integrative Healing Group, located in a nondescript mall about fifteen minutes from the Strip. The place didn’t look like much from the outside, but one step inside the red door that marked Ryan’s business and Sam was transformed.
A soothing shade of blue covered the waiting room walls, with a backlit fountain as the room’s showpiece. The water flowed into the vase of a tall, vibrant plant. More plants were set in floor urns and on tabletops. Notes from the instrumental music—something spiritual, earthy and from the East—seemed to wrap themselves around her, while the scent of lavender added to the paradise-like atmosphere. Sam looked around for the button that would announce her arrival and pushed it, as the confirmation email had instructed. It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of bells, these tinkling as the door to the inner rooms opened and Ryan appeared.
“Sam, hi.” Ryan stepped forward and offered a quick embrace. “I was so excited to see your name come up on our scheduler and actually moved a client over to another specialist so that I could personally attend you.”
“Thank you, Ryan.” Out of the three Breedlove sisters-in-love, Sam had most connected with Ryan, who never seemed to judge her after learning of Trey. She was effortlessly attractive yet genuine and kind. Her heartfelt gesture made Sam like her even more.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I pulled up outside, but your place is truly beautiful.”
“Yeah, the outside is pretty deceiving. But we put our heart and soul into the designing that went on inside, wanting to effect a certain mood and vibration that would immediately put the client at ease.”
“You designed this?”
Ryan nodded. “My and my partner Brooklyn’s souls are in every room.”
They entered a massage room. Here the shade of blue was darker, contrasted against a stark white ceiling flecked with gold. Abstract paintings, angel statues and renderings of spiritual masters brought in an ethereal effect. “Ryan, I love everything about what I’ve seen so far. You guys did an amazing job.”
“Oh my gosh, Sam, I appreciate your saying that. Nick brags that you’re the best designer money can buy, so coming from you that’s high praise.”
So much for getting away from thinking about Nick. Then again, she’d made an appointment at the business of one of his family members. What did she expect?
As soon as Sam was ready and the massage began, so too did the questions.
“You’re really tense, Sam. Working a lot of hours?”
Sam nodded. “Now that my contract with CANN is over I’m focused on rebuilding my company, Priceless Designs.”
“That can be stressful.”
“Yes.”
“Because of Adam, I know that CANN’s business is booming right now. I’m surprised Nick didn’t have you stay on for other builds.”
“It was discussed early on but a contract worked best. The last few years have been a whirlwind. I need time to regroup, focus on Trey and decide how best to move forward.”
“I don’t know much about what happened, but divorce is never easy.”
“No.”
“Nick seems to care a lot about you.”
“Sorry, Ryan, I know he’s your brother, but I’d rather not discuss Nick right now.”
Ryan graciously changed the subject without missing a beat before ending conversation all together to focus on her work. She was skilled and thorough. When finished, Sam’s body was as limp as a noodle. Ryan gave a short tour and explained other services. Sam scheduled another appointment
for the works—facial, body wrap and float tank session—the latter of which she’d heard of but never tried. When they reached the outer door, Sam turned and hugged Ryan.
“Thanks for inviting me to your spa. I feel so much better and can’t wait to come back.”
“I can’t wait for your visit, which doesn’t have to be limited to the spa, by the way. If you’re ever in need of some girl time or want to bring Trey and hang out at the ranch, you’re always welcome. Just give me a call. The business card you picked up has my cell number.”
“Okay. Thanks again.”
They stepped outside.
“Sam?”
She turned around.
“I know it’s not my business and you don’t want to talk but if I may offer a bit of advice about Breedlove men?” Ryan waited and when Sam didn’t speak or turn to leave, continued. “They are fierce companions who love as hard as they work. If you grab their attention, even fleeting, it’s pretty amazing. If you’re lucky enough to capture their heart, though, don’t release it. You won’t find a better man.”
For the rest of the night, Sam’s feelings remained scattered. She woke up to them cemented behind the strength of her truth. The desire at the core of her heart that until now she’d dared not think about, let alone speak. She was precariously close to falling in love with Nick and wanting more than the man was willing to give. She wanted a real relationship. She wanted love. Commitment. A forever man. Happily ever after was sometimes hard to come by, but it was possible. She believed she deserved to have the life that she wanted. And that true love was worth the wait.
Showering and preparing breakfast, Sam felt more grounded and sure of herself than since leaving Africa. The insecurities that had dogged her since the divorce were replaced by feelings of a woman who remembered who she really was—worthy enough for a man to want to put his name behind hers. It might be a while before she was ready to jump back into the dating waters. There was still baggage from the marriage of convenience left to unpack. But one thing was for sure. Whenever she was ready and open to look, she’d be highly unlikely to find him while rolling around in Nick’s bed.
