Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers

by Emily Matthews

  “Sure, that sounds great.”

  They chatted until she had to go. Sam slipped the note back into his pocket. There were no locked drawers in his office—he was just messing with Phil—and he didn’t want to accidentally leave it lying around. He booted up his computer to work, but was having a hard time getting Annie off his mind.

  The Fourth of July was coming up. He should plan something she would like. He opened up a new search window and began looking for ideas. This woman had him distracted beyond belief. God help him and his business.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Annie threw back the last gulp of wine and set the glass on the counter with unsteady hands. It was her second glass of the night. She never drank during the workweek, but this was an emergency, she reasoned.

  Spread out on the kitchen island were letters, some open, some not, from Wayne. They were all postmarked from a California prison and stamped with a note saying, “This letter was mailed by an inmate confined to the Mule Creek State Prison” and advising that the contents had been reviewed. They’d arrived in a huge manila envelope from her attorney, and she’d opened it with dread. Wayne had saved all the letters he’d written that had come back as “undeliverable” and finally forwarded them all to her attorney, who’d sent them on to her. It was quite a stack.

  When Wayne first went away, she’d responded to his letters, but after committing to leave him, she began to send them back automatically, unopened.

  She stared at the pile in front of her. Not having the slightest bit of interest in what they said, she was tempted to throw them all directly into the trash, but then thought better of it. It would make her feel better, but what if there was something she needed to know in the letters?

  After organizing them into descending order by postmark date, she decided to selectively open only a few. And she would just skim those, to get the gist of what he was thinking. The first one she read, from near the beginning of his sentence, made her laugh out loud. I don’t fit in. The dudes in here are crazy. There’s one guy who keeps giving me this look—like he’s starving and I’m a juicy cheeseburger. I try to avoid him whenever possible.

  The laughter didn’t last long.

  In the first couple of letters he wrote after receiving the divorce papers, he expressed concern and was adamant they could work things out once he returned home. But over time, the letters became increasingly hostile and aggressive. He demanded to know why his letters were coming back with notes saying “no one here by that name” and wanted to know where she was. Those must have been from after she’d moved out of their shared home.

  Each letter ended with his complaints about prison life and how unfair it was that he was stuck there. He took no responsibility for his actions and showed no remorse that someone had died because of him. Typical Wayne. It was all about him, how he felt, and how things affected his life.

  She’d skipped ahead to the more current letters, sensing everything in between would be variations of what she’d already read, and had just finished reading the one with the newest postmark.

  Picking it up, she read out loud. “They say I should be able to get out early. Can’t wait to come find you.”

  She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. It was a veiled threat, but barely. Divorcing him without his consent had been tricky, but she’d let the attorney handle all of that. She’d hoped he would take the hint and accept the fact that she didn’t want anything to do with him and move on with his life, but it didn’t look like that would be the case. He was going to find her. Then what?

  She wasn’t afraid he would harm her physically. He never had in the past. But she couldn’t go back to being his lackey, earning all the money and having him tell her how to spend it. Doing all the housework and reliving memories she’d rather not relive was no longer on her agenda.

  Her life had changed so much, and she’d come so far. Getting back with Wayne would undo all her progress. He wouldn’t support her newfound confidence, and he definitely wouldn’t like the fact that she couldn’t be controlled so easily. No, reuniting with Wayne was not an option.

  She had to be prepared for when he showed up. Mentally and emotionally, she would need to be able to tell him it was over and mean it. To be safe, she should also be ready in case he didn’t take the news well.

  She gathered all the letters, shoved them into an empty kitchen drawer, then recorked the wine and put the bottle in the refrigerator. She knew this day would come and would rest easier once she was ready for it.

  It was well past closing time for her attorney, but she called and left a message anyway. “Please call me as soon as you get this. I need to make sure that everyone in your office knows not to give Wayne my new address. Also, I never received the final divorce paperwork. Could you please email me a copy as soon as possible? And lastly, if any more letters come for me, you have my permission to put them in the shredder.” She hung up and closed her eyes for a moment. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she summoned her inner warrior, then got to work.

  Since she wasn’t sure when Wayne would be released, she decided it was better to be safe than sorry and planned to be ready as soon as possible. She didn’t want to be scrambling once he got out.

  Waking her laptop, she first searched for home security systems. After some research, she purchased the best money could buy and paid extra for express shipping.

  Then she focused on a car. She couldn’t be trapped here with no way to leave quickly if needed. Without test driving anything and based solely on what was available right then, she ordered last year’s model of the Ford Edge. It was dark blue, but she didn’t care about the color. It had a sunroof, AC, and heated seats. Good enough.

  Shopping online was so easy. Why would anyone go to a store when they could shop at their leisure at home and then have everything shipped, usually for free, right to their door? After she ordered groceries to be delivered the next day, at a specific time she designated, she searched for “furniture” and spent the next few hours ordering everything she needed to settle in.

  When she finally looked up, she was surprised to see it was after one a.m. Her contacts were dry, and her credit card had taken a beating, but she felt good about all of her purchases. She powered down her computer and staggered off to bed.

  Although she was exhausted, her mind wouldn’t shut down. She couldn’t help but wonder what this would mean for her budding relationship with Sam. Obviously, she couldn’t involve him in this. They would have to take a break while she dealt with Wayne and could only start up again once she was sure Wayne was out of her life for good.

  She debated whether she should tell Sam about Wayne getting out soon and about his stated plan to come for her, but didn’t want to burden him with all her drama. Also, she didn’t want Sam thinking worse of her because she’d gotten herself into such a mess and married such a loser.

  Plus, what if she told Sam and then Wayne never showed up? What if him coming to find her was just an idle threat? Or what if he gave up after not being able to find her right away? He wouldn’t think to look for her in Washington State and wasn’t tenacious enough to search too hard. She didn’t want to bring all this up with Sam if she didn’t have to.

  The problem was, she didn’t know. Didn’t know if Wayne would find her and didn’t know what his plans were if he did. He’d probably want money and need a place to stay. She was resolute that he would not stay with her, but needed to think through the pros and cons of giving him money. It might get him to go away in the short term, but then she’d always have to worry about him coming back for more.

  It would have to be clear that it was a one-time-only arrangement. And how much was she willing to give him to get him out of her life? If she offered too much, he’d be suspicious and want to know where the money came from and how much she had. If she offered too little, he wouldn’t take it and wouldn’t leave.

  Best-case scenario was that he accepted her decision and moved on with his life. Worst case, he
finds her, comes up here, and then won’t leave, making her life miserable.

  She thought about all the different ways things could go and how she would react to them, but there were too many variables to know anything for sure. The only thing she knew for certain was that Sam would not get mixed up in her mess. She vowed that under no circumstances would Wayne ever find out about her relationship with Sam. God only knew what he would do with that information.

  She had to protect herself, but she also had to protect Sam.

  In the end, she decided she wouldn’t say anything to Sam unless she had no choice. She’d wait for Wayne to get out, then play it by ear. No sense in getting all worked up over something that may or may not happen. She would expect the best but be prepared for the worst.

  She finally fell asleep an hour before her alarm went off and woke groggy but satisfied that she’d made some good decisions and preparations. She could call in sick, but then she’d feel guilty all day. She heaved herself out of bed and into the shower, knowing she could catch up on sleep later.

  It wasn’t even lunchtime before she regretted her decision not to stay home. She’d just gotten off the phone with her attorney, who had called with bad news and more bad news. While attempting to find the divorce paperwork she’d requested, he realized that someone in his office had failed to file the correct paperwork on time and, long story short, she and Wayne were still married. The attorney apologized profusely and promised that everything was being done to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.

  As if that wasn’t troubling enough, his next bit of news made her sick to her stomach. He wanted to warn her that Wayne would be freed from prison any day now. His parole hearing had been a couple of weeks prior, and they’d decided his time served was enough and were letting him out early. The date for his release was imminent. The attorney assured her that he would let her know immediately when it happened and confirmed that everyone in his office knew not to give out her information.

  After hanging up with the attorney, she’d plopped into her chair, completely unsettled. Laying her head back on the cool leather, she closed her eyes. She wasn’t ready. While she wasn’t physically afraid of Wayne, she’d worked hard to build this new life, and Wayne would have no problem waltzing in and messing everything up.

  She would need to distance herself from Sam soon, just to be safe. That thought bummed her out more than any other. She took a couple of deep breaths to settle herself and then started making a mental list of everything she was grateful for. It was a trick her life coach had taught her. It was impossible to be upset and grateful at the same time.

  Just as she was picturing Sam in a swimsuit, there was a light knock at her door. She looked up just in time to see him pop his head in. That gorgeous smile lifted her mood instantly.

  “Hey, Sam,” she said. “What brings you by?”

  “Well, I…” He switched gears mid-sentence. “You look tired. Everything okay?” he asked, coming in and shutting the door.

  “Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.” She sighed and offered a weak smile. “I stayed up too late shopping online last night, and now I’m regretting it.” She wasn’t about to tell Sam about the recurrence of her ex-husband—or rather—still-husband, in her life. Not until or unless she absolutely had to.

  “I stopped by to see if we’re still on to hang out this weekend.”

  “Sure. What’d you have in mind? I’ve been craving Mexican food. Is there any way we can work that in?”

  “That sounds doable. I have to fly to San Francisco on Friday, but just for a few hours. I should be back by late afternoon. How about I pick up dinner on my way home and bring it to your house?”

  “Sounds like a plan. Can’t wait.” She prayed she wouldn’t have to cancel. One more weekend couldn’t hurt. Even if Wayne got out tomorrow, it would take him awhile to find her and then travel up here.

  “Okay. See you then.” He glanced out her office window, bent to give her a quick kiss, and then let himself out.

  She licked her lips, tasting his spearmint gum, then closed her eyes again to imagine Sam without a swimsuit.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Annie made it to Friday and left work early to meet the furniture delivery truck. She arrived home just as a large box truck was pulling up. Packages of all shapes and sizes littered her porch. It was like Christmas in June!

  Yesterday after work, she’d taken a cab to the dealership to pick up her new car. She still couldn’t get over how crazy it was that she could buy a car without talking to anyone and then simply show up for it the next day.

  So far, the car was working out great. It was the perfect size, drove smoothly, and had a decent radio. It felt nice to have some freedom. She parked on the street and motioned to the truck driver to park in the driveway.

  This delivery had her new couches and bed. Even though she’d taken the trouble to move her old stuff up here, she’d thought better of it later and decided a clean start included a new bed and nicer couches. Most of the other things she’d purchased were smaller and coming separately. A lot of it was probably in the boxes on the porch.

  The burly men worked quickly and made short work of the job. She told them where she wanted things, and they took the old stuff out, had the new stuff in, and her new bed set up in less than an hour. It was extremely efficient. After they left, she opened boxes until she found the new sheets and put them in the washing machine.

  Thank goodness she didn’t have to get up early tomorrow. She needed to catch up from the last couple of nights of poor sleep and wanted to get the bed set up and comfy, so as soon as Sam left, she could fall into it and crash hard.

  Well, that was assuming Sam left. She still didn’t know where things stood with them, but she’d just keep taking each day as it came. The fact that he was coming over later was what got her through the day.

  She’d completely lost track of time. When the doorbell chimed at exactly six, it startled her. Jumping up from the sea of boxes and bubble wrap, she jogged to the door.

  She opened it and froze. He was so handsome. His short, dirty blond hair was slightly wind-blown, but he was still perfectly put together. He pulled off his sunglasses, and sea-green eyes met hers.

  She licked her lips. The food he held smelled good, but that wasn’t what she wanted to gobble up.

  “Hope you like your Mexican food authentic,” he said as he held up bags covered in Spanish words. “I was close enough to the border I figured I might as well get the real thing.”

  His smile was her undoing. She all but jumped into his arms and kissed him hard. He returned the kiss with fervor and wrapped his free arm around her awkwardly, trying to hug her without dropping the bags of food.

  She finally pulled back, a massive smile on her face.

  “Guess you really like Mexican food,” he said with a chuckle. She laughed and took one of the bags from him.

  “You seriously went to Mexico for dinner?” she asked as she motioned for him to follow her inside. “You’re nuts. You know that, right? I do like Mexican food, but the kiss was mainly because you looked so good standing there. Sorry if that was too forward.”

  “You won’t hear me complaining,” he said. “You can kiss me anytime you want.” He put his bag of food on the counter, and she did the same with hers. He closed the gap and pulled her into his arms. “Now I can do this properly.”

  He bent to kiss her, and she melted into him. All the shit she’d been dealing with fell away. Finding out she was still married. Wayne getting out of prison and his intention to find her. Trying to get her house put together. She put it all in the back of her mind and leaned into Sam.

  Sam pushed her up against the counter and planted soft kisses down her neck. A moan escaped her lips. Then she caught a whiff of the food, and her stomach let out a long, loud growl.

  Sam backed off and laughed. “Perhaps we should eat?”

  “Yeah, I suppose. I just realized I haven’t eaten since lunch, and this sme
lls heavenly.” She gave him one last kiss and dove into the bags. As they ate, she told him all about her new online shopping addiction, going on and on about how easy and convenient it was.

  “Did you know you can purchase just about anything and have it dropped at your door within a matter of days? Sometimes just one day!”

  “I knew all women liked shopping,” he mused, and she laughed.

  “Speaking of shopping, I’m taking Beckie, and maybe her mom, if she feels up to it, shopping for the fundraiser tomorrow. Sam, seriously, what you did for her was so incredible. I didn’t mention this before, but she couldn’t stop crying when I told her about the promotion. She is so grateful. And so am I. I almost didn’t tell you about all her problems, but I’m glad I did.”

  “Why wouldn’t you say something?”

  “We hardly knew each other, and I didn’t know how you’d react. You walk in as I’m trying to steal someone’s assistant. You could have been a total asshole about it. Thank you for taking the time to let me explain.”

  “No problem. Look, while we’re on the subject of the fundraiser. There’s something I need to tell you.”

  His tone instantly put her on edge. “Okaaay.”

  “Phil has been after me to sign up for this ultra-wealthy dating website. Since I couldn’t tell him about us, I told him to go ahead and sign me up, thinking I could just get out of whatever he tried to set me up with.”

  “He got you a date for the fundraiser.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes, but, Annie—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she interrupted. “It’s not like it was going to be a date for us anyway.”

  “I wish it could be. Why don’t I cancel this Internet date and you and I go together? Maybe it’s time to go public.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Sam. Why don’t we wait a little longer?” She couldn’t tell him that now was the worst possible time to be seen together. “There’s still a lot about me you should know before you make that decision.”