“That sounds ominous.”
“Hm. Well, here’s the Reader’s Digest version. I mentioned I was divorced. Wayne is my ex-husband. We got married right after college. He was the only person I’d ever dated or, quite frankly, the only one who ever showed any interest in me. I settled, thinking he was the best, and perhaps only, chance I had at getting married and having a family. He was nice enough at first, but not too long into our marriage, he became controlling and demanding. He forbade me from seeing my family after getting tired of them asking for our money.” She made air quotes on the word our. “He didn’t work much,” she explained.
“That sucks.”
“Then, after he lost his job and couldn’t find work for several months, he started losing his cool more and more.”
“Did he ever hurt you?” he asked, struggling to keep his temper in check. This guy sounded like a real asshole.
“Me? No. But he’s in prison because he got into a bar fight and accidentally killed a man. He’s doing three years for involuntary manslaughter.” She looked up, presumably to gauge his reaction. When he didn’t jump and run, she continued. “Anyway, he’s the reason I hadn’t talked to my family for so long. For once, I was grateful for his controlling ways. It gave me the excuse I needed to break ties with them.”
“I’m sorry,” he said simply.
“Why are you sorry?”
“That you’ve had to deal with all that. That you can’t rely on your family. That your ex is a douche. That so many people seem to take advantage of you. You don’t deserve any of that.” He pulled her into a hug and held her. He thought he felt a tear or two land on his arm, but she pulled it together quickly.
“Well, I do have my grandpops. He’d do anything for me. He’s in a nursing home back in Hayward. I moved him there to be taken care of because I didn’t trust my family to do it properly, and he didn’t want to come to Washington with me. I do miss him.”
She shook her head and perked up. “But enough doom and gloom, I’ve come a long way, baby.” She smiled. “Moving up here is a new beginning for me. I left all that shit in California and won’t be going back anytime soon. Enough about my dysfunctional family life. What’s your family like? I bet they’re great.” She stayed curled up in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.
“I hate to gloat, but yeah, they’re awesome. I have four brothers. You sort of met one at the bar last week. He’s a bit of a player, but harmless. He came out here to stay with me several years ago and never left.” He laughed. “He’s a state trooper and lives on a little farm not too far from here.”
“A trooper? That’s exciting.”
“Definitely. He has a lot of crazy stories. I’m actually the only one in my family who didn’t go in to some sort of emergency service career. My brother Johnny is an ER doc, Alex is a firefighter, and Mitch, the youngest, is a police officer. Those three brothers and my mother all still live in New York City. That’s where I grew up.”
“I can tell. Your accent comes out every once in a while.”
“Yeah, I get harassed about that. It seems to come and go depending on what I’m doing and who I’m with. Whenever I watch the Knicks, it comes out pretty strong.”
“Are you close with your family, even though they’re so far away?”
“I’d say so. I get out there as often as I can. Mitch is getting married this summer, so I’ll definitely be there for that. It was a little weird to hear the news that the youngest was going first, but I’m completely overjoyed for him,” he said with a grin. “He’s had a rough go the last few years, and meeting Maggie really helped him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s the one who’s a police officer. About three years ago, he and his partner responded to a bank robbery, and Jimmy was shot and killed. They’d been partners for several years, and Jimmy was more like a father or a brother to Mitch. It messed him up.”
“That’s so sad.”
“Yeah, Mitch didn’t take it very well. Spent two years in a funk. It took Maggie and a new, supportive partner to help him out of it.”
“You’ve met her then?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s great. They’re getting married at Maggie’s grandpa’s place in the Hamptons.”
“The Hamptons? Wow, they must be rich.” Annie was still curled up next to him, and he was absent-mindedly running his hands through her hair.
“Yes, she comes from money. Good thing Mitch made some money off my company so she doesn’t think he’s a gold digger.” He laughed. She didn’t.
He knew exactly what she was thinking. If their relationship continued and anyone found out about it, that was what everyone would say about her. Luckily, she seemed too tired to make the argument right now.
Her eyes were half-closed, and her head got heavy on his shoulder. Sam shut up and continued to stroke her hair until she nodded off. Not long later, she woke with a start and apologized.
“Don’t,” he said. “I’m the one who barged in here uninvited. You’ve been working hard all day and need some rest. I’m going to head home so you can sleep.”
She may have wanted to object, but he was right, and she knew it.
“Okay,” she agreed. “I probably could use a good night’s sleep before the workweek starts. I’ll walk you out.” She got up slowly and held his hand while walking to the door.
“Thanks for the plant,” she said.
“Thanks for the pizza,” he replied. He bent and kissed her on the lips.
“Hey, you didn’t ask permission for that,” she teased, and he chuckled. “Guess I’ll see you around the office.”
“Oh, that reminds me. I stopped by your office the other day to say hi, but you were deep in conversation with Cooper’s assistant. Do you need an admin assistant?”
“Huh? Oh, no. She’s just a friend.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll let you get some sleep. Thanks for letting me crash your evening.”
He gave her one last peck on the mouth and left.
CHAPTER TEN
“So, about this idea I’ve been trying to get you to listen to,” Phil began. It was Monday morning, and Sam was at his desk sipping coffee, trying to get some work done.
“Oh, here we go,” said Sam.
“Just hear me out. It’s an auction.”
“Oh? I’ve never gone to one of those before.”
“Will you let me finish?” Phil asked. “It’s an auction, but you don’t just bid on things. I mean, there will be things to bid on, but in this case, you are what people bid on. It’s a live auction of people!” He sounded so excited.
“Is that even legal?” Sam looked up from his computer. “It doesn’t sound very politically correct.”
“People volunteer to be auctioned off. Just for like a day or even an hour. Some of them are people you only get to have lunch with, but bigwigs, you know? Like you.”
“I see what you’re doing. Don’t try to flatter me into it.”
“It’s a big deal, Sam. A lot of Seattle’s top politicians and sports figures are doing it. Matthew’s doing it.”
“He is? Well, why didn’t you say so? If he’s in, I’ll do it too.” Matthew was Sam’s business partner. Together they had founded and built Samatrix. The “sama” in Samatrix was the first two letters of Sam’s name and the first two of Matthew’s.
“Well, that was easy. I’ll lead with that next time,” Phil muttered. “It’s for cancer research, specifically here at the University of Washington Medical Center. They want to try out some experimental drugs that don’t have government backing yet and need funding. It’s a good cause.”
“They’re all good causes, Phil. No one would do a fundraiser for something no one wanted to support.”
“Good point. Since I’m on a roll, let’s revisit the matchmaker thing we talked about. I did some research and have a recommendation for which one you might want to start with.”
Great. Phil didn’t know anything about Annie, and Sam couldn’t tell him
about her either. As far as Phil knew, Sam was just as single as he had been last week. How could he get out of this without raising red flags?
“I told you, I don’t need that yet,” Sam hedged.
“Whatever happened with Annabelle?” Phil asked, pretending to brush something off his pant leg. Like Sam couldn’t see straight through this fishing expedition.
“Nothing, why?” Sam averted his eyes. Why was Phil asking about this now? Did he suspect something? The last thing he needed was Phil breathing down his neck while he was trying to pursue Annie.
“Just curious. You said you liked her and wanted to go for it but haven’t said anything since. Normally you’re an open book, but you’re acting cagey. Have you seen her?”
“A, none of your business, and B, no. Just around the office,” he lied. “Look, if you want to sign me up for some stupid website, fine. But you have to manage it all.” That should get Phil off his back. And he didn’t actually have to go out with any of the women. He could come up with excuses all day long with reasons why he couldn’t.
Phil’s phone vibrated, making it dance an inch across the table. Phil picked it up and read the incoming text.
“Speak of the devil. HR just texted. Apparently, Annabelle is trying to hijack Cooper’s assistant, and Cooper’s having a fit over it. Not what I want to deal with right now.”
Sam stood from behind the desk and made a show of stretching. “Tell you what. I need to get out of here and stretch my legs. I’ll handle Annabelle and Cooper. You go tell the auction people I’m in and set up the matchmaker deal.”
***
Annie had arrived at work to find Beckie crying quietly at her desk. She pulled Beckie into her office and closed the door. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m sorry,” Beckie sobbed. Now that she was behind a closed door and with someone who would listen, she let it all out.
Annie put her arm around the younger woman and murmured soothing words while stroking her hair. “Hey, it’s okay. It will be okay. Is it your mother?”
“Yes. She’s not doing very well. The last round of chemo really wiped her out. I’d like to stay home with her more, but I’m the only one working right now and we can’t afford for me not to.”
“Do you have anyone to help you with things?”
“My sister. She stays home to take care of my mom, and I work to make money and make sure we have insurance.”
“What about your dad?”
“He left a long time ago. My mom has a brother, but he lives in the Midwest. He sends money sporadically, but not enough for us to live on and pay all the medical bills.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility for two young women. How old are you, Beckie?”
“I’m twenty-two, and my sister is twenty. It’s not so bad. Before my mom got sick, I was in college and had a great time there. And I was really lucky to land this job when I did. I was up with my mom most of the night, so I’m just tired and having a bad day. Mr. Cooper treats me like I’m an idiot, and on days like today, when I don’t want to be here at all, it really gets to me.”
“Hm. That’s too bad,” Annie said sympathetically. “How about we go get a cup of coffee, maybe a cookie? And see if we can turn your day around. I’ll go clear it with Cooper.” She handed Beckie a tissue and left without giving her a chance to say no.
Over coffee, Annie found out that Beckie’s mom had an unusual type of blood cancer. There was no known cure, but the doctor gave fifty-fifty odds on her survival with chemo and other medications. She also found out Beckie was only a semester away from a degree in graphic design. She was interested in finishing her degree one day and coming back to Samatrix as a graphic designer.
When they returned to the office, Cooper was tapping his foot impatiently. “If you need an assistant, why don’t you call HR and request one?” he asked politely but clearly annoyed.
“Great idea, Cooper. Thanks,” Annie said as she entered her office. She immediately called HR, put her bitch face on, and demanded that Beckie be reassigned to her.
Not ten minutes later, she looked up from her computer to see Sam’s hunky frame filling her doorway. Damn, he looked good.
“Hey, Sam.” She looked back to save what she was working on and then turned to give him her full attention. “What brings you by?”
She looked out her office window to see a smug Cooper grinning at her. Not feeling very cordial, she waved back with a wicked smile.
“Well, don’t taunt him, Annie. Geez.”
“What? Taunt who?” she asked, widening her eyes and blinking innocently.
“Cooper. That’s why I came by. I hear you’re trying to steal his admin assistant. I asked if you needed one, and you said no. Has something changed?”
“Yes. I need one, but not just anyone. I specifically want Beckie. Did you know she’s only a semester away from graduating with a graphic design degree? I could use her to help me. Her talents are wasted just typing Cooper’s letters.”
“She’s going to school and working? That must be tough.”
“She’s not in school now. She dropped out to take this job, but wants to return and finish and then come back to be a graphic designer for Samatrix.”
“There must be more to it than that. Why don’t you just come clean?” Sam wasn’t one to beat around the bush. He leaned forward and waited.
Annie sighed. Maybe Sam would help her with this if she explained. Simply demanding Beckie be assigned to her obviously wasn’t going to work. She told him about Beckie’s situation and how Cooper wasn’t flexible at all with her mother’s doctor appointments and wouldn’t let her work any overtime to make some extra money.
Sam sat silent, and Annie wondered if it had been a mistake to blab Beckie’s business to the boss. She opened her mouth to tell him to forget it, but he spoke before she could.
“Why don’t we make her a graphic design intern then? A paid intern position that has a higher salary than an admin assistant,” Sam said thoughtfully. “Sounds like more money would help for now. Then, once her mother’s on the mend, we can work out a way for her to still work but also finish up that last semester. If she’s any good at graphic design, we can hire her back at full graphic design pay.”
Annie was speechless, and it was possible she fell in love with Sam at that very moment.
“If I didn’t have glass windows, I’d jump across this desk and hug you right now,” she said through blurry eyes. “That all sounds perfect. Can you really make that happen?”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Duh. Of course you can make that happen.” She rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. “Sam, this is really, really amazing of you. Like, seriously amazing. How can I thank you?”
“I’ll think about that and make a list.” He winked. “Another thing, it sounds like she could use a night out. There’s a fundraiser for cancer coming up soon. Why don’t the two of you come with me? If her mom’s feeling up to it, bring her too. I can tell Phil I need a few more tickets. It’s a fancy thing. You’d have to get dressed up and all that. Don’t women go for that sort of stuff?”
“A night out for both of them sounds perfect. What a great idea, Sam. We can’t go with you, though. And we’ll buy our own tickets.”
“Tickets are five grand a pop.”
“We still can’t go with you, but you can leave our tickets at will-call,” she said without missing a beat, and he laughed.
“Good enough.” He walked over to Annie’s phone. “May I?” he nodded to the phone.
“Of course.” She scooted back so he had room.
He picked up the phone and then stood helpless. He gave a little chuckle. “Uh, what’s the number for HR?” She pushed the redial button and smiled.
“Hey, this is Sam.” He paused for a second and then said, “Sam MacDonald.”
Annie could hear whoever was on the other end of the phone apologizing profusely. She doubted Sam called HR much and could see why they’d be confused.
He glanced out her window. When he saw the hall was empty, he leaned in and kissed her briefly on the mouth.
“I’ve wanted to do that since I walked in here,” he whispered next to her ear.
“God, Sam, you’re crazy,” she said, flustered. “But damn, you look hot in that suit.” He smiled at the compliment.
“So, I was wondering, do you have any plans for this weekend?”
“Assuming I find a car this week, I was thinking of driving out to the beach. I miss the ocean.”
“Did you live near the beach in California?”
“Not really. I lived in Hayward, which is east of San Fran, but Santa Cruz was only about an hour away. Google says it’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive to get to a beach from here.”
“Hm, you do realize that Washington beaches are very different from California’s, right?”
“Is there sand? Are there waves? How different could it be?”
“For starters, probably about twenty to thirty degrees. And that’s outside the water. Only crazy people actually get in the water,” he said. “It may technically be summer, but bring a coat.”
“Sounds a lot like the San Fran beaches—too cold. That’s why I went south. Well, I didn’t plan on swimming anyway. I just like to sit in the sun and listen to the waves. Maybe read a book.”
“If you don’t mind me tagging along, I could plan something. I’ll pack a cooler and bring some beach chairs and firewood. If I take the truck, we can drive right on the beach and find a secluded spot. Plus, if I drive, you wouldn’t have to worry about getting a car right away. Whaddaya say?”
“Well, dang. You make it hard to say no. You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not at all. When I first moved out here, I used to go a couple of times every summer. I haven’t been in years, but I’m sure not much has changed.”
“Okay. Let me know if you want me to bring anything. And I’m buying lunch.” She gave him a stern look when he made a move to protest. “No arguments.”
Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers Page 7