When his phone rang, he pulled it out. “Hi, Zeke. Wanna go hit the punching bag at the gym with me?”
“Nah. I just worked out two hours ago. But I need your help.”
That was weird, because Zeke never let on that he needed anyone’s help.
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I’ve concocted an evil plan,” Zeke said in a villain’s tone.
Sam smiled. “Ah, my favorite kind. Are you twirling your moustache right now?”
“If I had one, I would.” Zeke grew serious. “You know I’d love to have your quarterback gig. Will you come over tomorrow evening and watch game reels with me and help me analyze what I can do to take your spot?”
Sam laughed. “Help you get my spot, huh? Nice try.”
“I understand your conflict of interest. Just help me analyze clips of me playing then, to know how I can improve. Maybe I’ll ask to get put in another position.”
“I can do that. Can I be sarcastic?”
“Could I stop you?”
Sam actually laughed. “No, but be thankful it’s tomorrow and not tonight. Tonight, I would punch you.”
“Bring a better attitude with you, dude. Go punch the bag and work out your bad mood.” Zeke chuckled. “Oh, and I’ll have some good food brought in. Steaks or something.”
“What time?”
“Let’s say six. We’ll eat and then watch the game clips.”
“Sounds good.”
And it did. Just Sam and Zeke watching game clips.
A thought hit him. “What about Savannah? Is she going to be there?”
“No, man. She’s got some sort of hen party going on tomorrow. She’ll be gone all evening.”
“Okay. See you then.”
13
As Smitten and Stupid as You Two
Zeke sat on the porch and rose as Sam pulled into the empty driveway. He motioned to a table set off to the side of the house. “We need to talk.”
“It’s a little cool for that, isn’t it?” Sam asked.
Zeke shook his head and led the way to the small white wrought-iron chair next to a small round table. Zeke sank into one chair and Sam took the other. “What’s up?”
“Just gotta say this right up front. You’re an idiot.”
“Excuse me?” Sam tipped his head and frowned.
“You heard me. An idiot. You had a chance to date my sister — who I told you not to date, by the way — and you blew it.”
“You also told me to ask her out.”
“Which you did not do.”
Sam tipped his head. “I figured if she wanted me, she’d make the next move.”
“What planet are you from, bro?”
Sam sighed and looked toward the street. “She’s back together with her ex. I’m surprised you don’t know that.”
“No way, dude. Not in a million years.”
“I saw her. She hugged him and invited him in to this very house.”
Zeke grimaced. “She didn’t say anything about that to me. There’s got to be a good reason for it. Maybe you saw someone who kind of looked like the jerk.”
“I saw him with my own eyes, Zeke. And I know what he looks like because I tossed his butt out of her place in Lubbock.”
Zeke scowled. “When did he show up here?”
Sam told him.
Zeke paused. “I wasn’t home that evening.” Zeke snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute. I think I know what happened. We’ll have to ask Savannah about it.”
“When I went to the closing on the house, she barely talked to me then. She’s not going to talk to me now, either.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Zeke said, standing as a Texas Roadhouse van pulled up. “Let’s go eat.”
They met the delivery guy and took the two large brown bags. The steaks smelled great and Sam’s mouth watered.
They went inside and set the bags on Zeke’s dining room table. “Go wash your hands, dude, and I’ll wash mine upstairs. Then have a seat.”
Sam shrugged. “All right.”
A few minutes later, he was back at the table, pulling out labeled containers of food. He found his ribeye steak and set it down. He found Zeke’s regular full order of ribs. Then he found a large salad, and set it in the middle. They didn’t usually get a salad, but maybe Zeke was feeling unusually healthy tonight.
He sat down and waited.
A moment later, he heard voices coming down the stairs. Zeke and a woman.
Wait a minute. It was Zeke and the woman.
Savannah was here?
His heart pounding, he stood as they turned the corner into the dining room. Savannah hadn’t seen him yet as she was looking up at her brother and saying, “No way. They’re gonna play Frank as starter.”
He knew the moment she spotted him. The animation left her face and a cool persona settled in. “Mr. Reid.”
“Ms. Jackson.”
“Holy cow, y’all. Knock it off and have a seat. Dinner’s getting cold.”
“I think I should go,” Sam said.
“You’re the guest of honor, Sam. Please stay.”
“I’ll go back upstairs,” Savannah said. “Suddenly, I’m not hungry.”
“You’re the other guest of honor, Savannah. Have a seat.” Zeke’s voice was steely.
She looked at him uncertainly and then sat.
Should Sam follow suit? Or should he walk out? Curiosity won out. He wanted to know what Zeke was up to.
“You might be wondering why I called this meeting,” Zeke started in a starchy voice.
“Now you knock it off,” Sam said as he finally took his seat.
“All right. Now that I have your attention,” Zeke paced back and forth. “The problem with you two is that you’re both too nice.”
Sam exchanged a glance with Savannah, then flicked his gaze back to her brother. “We’re too nice.”
“Darn straight.” Zeke stopped and crossed his arm. “Oh, and you both suck at communication. And that’s why I’m here.”
Sam lounged back in the chair. “Because you’re the king of communication.”
“After watching you two losers, I’m feeling pretty good about donning that crown.”
“Get to the point, Zeke,” Savannah said.
“Start eating your dinners. I paid a lot for this food. Eat and I’ll tell you what I think.”
Sam exchanged another glance with Savannah, whose quirking lip looked like she was trying not to smile. That made him fight back against his own smile.
Was he really that desperate for her attention? He had it bad.
“Now, let Uncle Zeke help you heal the rift between you.”
Savannah said, “There’s no coming back from being ghosted.”
Shocked, Sam said, “I didn’t ghost you. When did I ghost you?”
She stared him down. “I asked you to call me for that date and you promised you would — and then you never contacted me again.”
“That’s because I drove back here to return the compact you’d left in my Cherokee and saw you hugging your ex and inviting him in.” Sam’s voice was bitter sounding.
“I did not.”
“Savannah, did you let someone of the male persuasion in my house that night while I was gone?”
Reluctantly, she said, “Yes.”
“I told you,” Sam told Zeke.
“But it wasn’t my ex,” Savannah lied.
“I know what he looks like.” Sam’s anger flared to life. “And when I help a woman fight off her abusive ex and move her out of the city and then I kiss her, I expect at least some semblance of loyalty to me.”
“You kissed her?” Zeke asked, narrowing his eyes.
Here’s where it was going to get bad fast.
“Yes,” Savannah said, staring down her brother. “He kissed me. I don’t need your permission to kiss a guy.”
Zeke grinned at her. “Did you enjoy said kiss?”
“Stop talking like you’re an attorney, dude,” Sam said.
“Yes, I enjoyed it,” she admitted, turning her stare to Sam, daring him to ... what, exactly?
Zeke lowered his arms to his sides. “Can you two please just admit that you care about each other? It’s obvious that you’re crazy about each other. This is driving me nuts watching you two pretend to just be friends and then pretend the other one has betrayed you.”
Savannah straightened in her chair with indignation. “He ghosted me.”
“Okay, I’m reverting back to attorney.” Zeke held up a hand to Savannah. “Time to let Sam explain himself.”
“This is ridiculous,” Savannah said.
“Humor me,” her brother said, and pointed to Sam. “You have five minutes. Make ’em count.”
When Sam studied Savannah, warmth flooded her cheeks. Finally, he tipped his head and said, “I did kiss you. And that was nothing casual. I don’t go around kissing women willy nilly and playing the field.”
That got a snicker out of Zeke. “Playing the field. That’s a good one.”
“Shut up, Zeke,” Savannah said, keeping her eyes on Sam.
Sam drew in a deep breath. “I came to you for help with getting a house for two reasons. I needed a house since my best buddy kicked me out.”
“I did,” Zeke said. “That’s true.”
“And the second reason?”
“I wanted to spend time with you because I was interested in you. And when I saw you hug that man and invite him into your house, well, I don’t want to be second place. I’ve been second place to my brothers and darned if I’m going to be second place in your heart.”
“Ha!” Zeke narrowed his eyes. “I only wish you were second place. I’m in second place as a quarterback, dude. Shut up about second place.”
Savannah ignored her brother and, her eyes still on Sam, asked softly, “So why did you fall off the radar? I never heard from you again?”
“Because I know what I saw that night. I know what your ex looks like. I helped kick his butt out of your house.”
Zeke put up a hand to Sam this time. “There’s a good explanation for that, I’m sure, and we’re going to let Savannah give us enough details to know the identity of the man.”
Savannah paused, until Zeke pointed a finger at her. “Speak. Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
The whole truth. She’d told the truth that her ex hadn’t been on the porch or invited in, but she had not told the whole truth. She sighed. “There was a man on my porch, but it wasn’t my ex. My ex — the man you kicked out of my place in Lubbock – is Rylan Taggert.”
Sam looked impatient, as if he already knew that.
“The reason you thought the man was Rylan is because he is Rylan’s identical twin, Ryker Taggert. Who is a super nice guy.” She shrugged. “He was in the area for business so he wanted to check on me.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed and she could almost sense his thoughts.
“No,” she said, “he is not interested in me romantically. He is married with a little baby girl and another one on the way.”
Sam leaned back and his eyes widened. “He wasn’t your ex?”
“You’re slow on the uptake tonight, Reid,” Zeke said.
Ignoring her brother, Savannah said, “No, he wasn’t my ex.”
“So, when I saw you with him and pulled back because I thought you were getting back with your ex, I jumped to the totally wrong conclusion.” It wasn’t a question.
“Exactly.”
“Yeah, Sherlock,” Zeke added and punched his arm, not as hard as he could but enough to make Sam wince.
Now Sam knew the whole truth. She held her breath, wondering what he would make of it.
Stunned, Sam tipped his head, trying to absorb her words. “You haven’t seen your ex since I tossed him out?”
She shook her head.
“Then that means...” He let his words trail off.
“Oh, for cripes sake,” Zeke said. “It means you two can get back together. Y’all are the most misguided couple ever.”
Sam ignored his friend, who he suddenly suspected had been matchmaking all along. “So, when you kissed me and said you’d go out with me, you meant it?”
“Yes,” Savannah said softly. “And then you ghosted me and hurt me and I pulled back.”
“See. That. Right there.” Zeke said, shaking his head in disgust. “Miscommunications galore.”
Sam stood. “I’m very sorry that I ghosted you. I pulled back, too, and thought you’d betrayed my trust.”
Savannah stood, as well, and took a step toward Sam.
When Sam took a step, Zeke chuckled. “I’m outta here. I’m going to go watch the game in my room. You guys do what you need to do.”
Savannah said, “Thanks, Zeke. I never took you for a matchmaker before.”
“I never saw a couple as smitten and stupid as you two.”
“Love you, too, bro,” Sam said.
“Me, too,” Savannah said.
They stood where they were as Zeke walked from the room, shaking his head and muttering.
Sam caught Savannah’s gaze. She looked as stunned as he was. They were silent for a long moment, and then he decided it was time to man up. “Where do we go from here, Savannah? Will you give me another chance?”
She paused for another long moment. Then, finally, she gave a slight smile and said, “Yes.”
He took another step toward her, and she followed suit.
Two more slow steps brought them just a foot apart. He held out his hand and she took it, and then they fell into each other’s arms, into a kiss.
When they pulled back, he smiled down at her. “We really ought to go on an official date, don’t you think?”
She nodded, her lips inviting him in for another kiss.
“Would you like to go ride horses at my grandfather’s ranch? I’d be glad to share. Besides, I’d like to introduce you to Gramps.”
After another kiss, she said, breathily, “Yes.”
14
Millions of Heartbroken Women
The older man actually lifted Savannah’s hand and kissed the top of it. “I’m pleased to meet you, Savannah Jackson.”
“Gramps, quit putting the moves on my girl. Save that for the women on your next Branson bus tour.”
Savannah smiled. “I’m glad to meet you, too.”
“I understand you found a house for this delinquent to move into. About time, I say.”
Sam put an arm around his grandfather’s shoulder. “You know I’m your favorite.”
“I don’t have favorites.”
“You have to say that, but I know the truth.”
“Ah, get on with you. Go riding. We’ll talk more when you get back.”
Sam walked her to the stable, and she watched as he saddled the two horses.
Then he motioned for her to come close to the chestnut horse. Savannah raised her foot into Sam’s intertwined hands and he hoisted her up into the saddle. “Do you know how long it’s been since I rode a horse?”
“Too long, I bet.” He patted the rump of her chestnut horse — with a gorgeous ginger coat with similar colored mane and tail — then climbed into his own saddle on his black steed.
“My parents took me when I was little.” She smiled. “Okay, how do you make these things go?”
He’d already given her the necessary how-to-ride-a-horse info, so he just smiled and clicked his tongue. Both horses began moving at a walk. “Okay,” he said. “Be sure to hold the reins the way I showed you.”
She shifted her grip.
“When you’re ready, just tap the horse lightly with your heels.”
She let the horse walk for a few minutes longer, then the desire for more speed took over. She tapped the horse, lightly. It began trotting, and she bounced along, grinning madly. “This is fun.”
He grinned back at her. “It’s twice as much fun with you.”
She hoped there would be many more dates like this, that she would continue to learn
more about this amazing man, and that everything she learned would just make her admire him more. Love him more.
Sam slowed his horse and her horse followed suit. “The Wainwright property is amazing. Thank you for finding it for me. I can hardly wait until my horses are there full time.”
“First of all, it is now officially the Reid place. And, second, you’ll never find time to play football if you’re always out riding your horses.”
He chuckled. “I’ll make it work.”
“I know you will.”
He caught her gaze and her heart caught. His slow grin melted her.
“What say we go to a movie after this?”
“How about we watch a movie at my place?”
“You mean at Zeke’s place?” He frowned.
“Zeke is out of town for a couple of days. It would be just you and me and some popcorn.”
“Noah’s new movie just came out. I’d really like to see it.”
“Noah?”
“My cousin. He played for the Wranglers, then fell into a sweet deal with his buddy who wanted to produce action films. Noah is now an official heart throb. When he announced his engagement, there were millions of heartbroken women.”
“Wow. To have that kind of power.”
“Yeah, there are only one or two women who will be heartbroken when I get married.”
She laughed and tapped her horse again. And they were off, her heart full of happiness.
15
Catcalls
Sam pulled his Grand Cherokee and horse trailer into the long driveway of his new home. The house that he’d waited for five weeks to move into. It was finally his for real.
He’d helped the widow move her furniture to her new, smaller house yesterday. She’d been glad to let him purchase much of her furniture, so he wouldn’t be moving in to bare walls. He’d still need to buy more, and he’d already purchased a bedroom set for the master bedroom.
SAM: A Best Friend's Sister Sweet Romantic Comedy (Waco Wranglers Reid Brothers Book 3) Page 9