“I am. I’m just looking around.”
“Mummy, check out the butterflies.”
Her fear of anything fluttering around her was gone as they were everywhere.
And she loved every single moment.
AFTER THE BUTTERFLY house and the petting zoo, I was almost dead on my feet. Paige still had plenty of energy to burn, and Sam had no problem keeping up with her.
“How about we go and get some lunch and then check out the other insects?” Sam said. His arm was casually slung around my shoulder, his other hand in Paige’s.
“I love that idea. I’m starving,” I said.
“Me too.” Paige was so loud that I shook my head, my finger to my lips.
“This way.” Sam led us toward the cafe, and we found a table while he ordered fish and chips.
“Are you having fun?” I asked Paige.
“Lots and lots. That butterfly on my arm was cool.” Her eyes were so animated, and I loved hearing the excitement in her voice. It had been a long time since I’d seen her so happy, so full of joy about life. Sam had made that change for her, had given her what she was missing.
Sam returned, high-fiving Paige as he sat down, and gave me a tender kiss.
“Thank you for today. It’s amazing,” I said.
He grinned. “I love spoiling my girls. I’m hoping it kinda makes up for when I’m not here.”
“I hate it when you’re not here, but I wouldn’t have things any other way. It’s not like there’s another woman I’m competing against.”
Sam reached for my hand and squeezed it. “No, there isn’t.”
It didn’t take long for the food to arrive, and Paige got stuck right in, practically inhaling her meal.
“I’m glad you don’t see me spending time with Finn as competition,” Sam said quietly.
I shrugged. “He’s your son. I don’t think you would have started something with me if you thought that I would get in the way of things with Finn.”
Sam cleared his throat. “I started seeing someone just before I started visiting Finn. It didn’t work out for long.”
I licked my lips. “Really?”
He shrugged. “She didn’t like that I was going to be out of town every second weekend. I wasn’t about to give up the chance of a relationship with my son. Even if he didn’t know I was his father.”
I squeezed his knee. “That’s tough.”
“That’s why I was alone for so long. It was easier.” He smirked. “And then this hot single mother dropped into my lap. Not literally, but pretty close.”
Laughing, I rolled my eyes.
“One of the things I realised was that you got me. You understood my need to spend time with my son, and you’ve not put any demands on me to do anything else. I know it’s early days, and it’s hard to find a balance, but somehow we’re doing it.”
Taking a bite of my fish, I cast my eyes toward Paige. She had a mouthful of chips and a big grin on her face as she looked back at the butterfly house.
“I would never ask you to choose between us and Finn.”
“I know.” He gave me a small smile.
“Can we see the crocodiles?” Paige asked.
“We sure can,” Sam said. “Did you want to go and see the bugs as well? I heard you can touch a tarantula.”
Paige’s eyes grew big again. “That would be bad. They’re all fuzzy and scary.”
Sam laughed. “I don’t know if I’d be brave enough either.” He shifted his gaze to me. “What about you?”
“I’ll be the one running in the opposite direction.”
He grinned. “You’re no fun.”
Paige laughed as I poked my tongue out. “You know that’s not true.”
What a day.
PAIGE HADN’T LASTED LONG after dinner, and was fast asleep and tucked in well before her bedtime.
Sam sat on the couch in front of the television, waiting while I sorted her out.
I walked back to the living room, smiling as I sat beside him. “Thank you for today.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. It was a lot of fun.”
“Paige loved it.” I swallowed. “She’s missed so much with it just being the two of us and not having the money to do things. This has been amazing.”
His eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Why?”
“You look like you’re tearing up, and I don’t wanna see my girl sad.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I buried my face in his neck.
The feeling of safety engulfed me. I could trust Sam. He knew what it was like to lose everything, and what it was like to be alone. “I’m not sad. I’m happier than I have been in a very long time. I have you to thank for that.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.”
“I hate Sunday nights. It means it’s Monday tomorrow.”
Sam laughed. “If you want, I can stay another night, take you to work and Paige to school in the morning.”
“I hate you running around for us. It’s not necessary.”
He smiled at me as I raised my head. “I like doing it. I’m going to the same place as Paige anyway.”
“You should just move in, then.” The words were out before I thought about them, but all he did was grin.
“I could, but we haven’t spent any time at my place yet. It’s bigger, and there’s a proper backyard for Paige.” He leaned his head against mine. “Yes, I’ve thought about it.”
My soul soared at the thought of being with him all the time, and it was tempting. Paige and I had lived in this little flat since I’d got back on my feet. It was all we could afford. Together, Sam and I could work together to build a life.
“There is something else I wanted to talk to you about, but not around Paige.”
I nuzzled his cheek. “She’s fast asleep. What is it?”
“I’ve been invited to a wedding at the farm next month. Ella’s sister Vanessa’s getting married, and I thought maybe you two could come with me.”
I grinned. “We’d love to. If it’s going to be okay with Ella. I mean, introducing me to Finn is a big step.”
He looked sheepish. “I’ve already asked her. Just in case. She was fine about it.”
“Really?”
“Okay. She wasn’t sure. But Ella is like the ultimate mama bear. Once she heard you had a daughter Finn’s age, she was more excited.” He grinned. “Don’t worry about it. She and Matt will love you and Paige. You’ll see how tight we all are, and how well you two are going to fit in.” He stroked my arm. “I think it’s a good time to do the introductions, and I get to take my girls away for the weekend.”
I cupped his cheek with my palm, pulling his face toward mine. “I love that idea.”
The thought of us going somewhere as a family made me giddy. Sam had given me everything, and even though I had caution imprinted on my brain after all that had happened on the past, we were going at a speed both Paige and I were happy with. He hadn’t rushed us, nor was he expecting too much.
I couldn’t wait to meet Finn. Sam had shown me photos, but to meet his son was a huge step.
It was Ella I worried about. Sam still held some affection for her, that much was obvious, but what would she make of me? It was almost like being summoned to see the principal. As a mother, I knew the only thing I could do was make sure she knew I was no threat to her, even if Finn lived with her full-time.
We’d just have to see.
Chapter 11
NATASHA
We pulled up the driveway at Sam’s house for the first time, and I caught my breath. It was clearly much bigger than my little place, but then, Sam had told me he had three bedrooms.
“You like?”
“It looks nice from the outside.”
He grinned. “I think you’ll love the inside too.”
The section was fenced, with a small front lawn. I could picture Paige playing here, and it hit my heart so hard I wanted to cry. We hadn’t even got out of the car.
“I�
�ve just got around to concreting the driveway. It was brick and broken to hell, but it’s smooth now. Good for riding a bike on with the gate closed.”
I leaned on his arm. This was Sam going all out to convince me to move in. He knew it wasn’t just about me, that Paige’s well-being had to come first.
“Can I get a bike?” Paige didn’t miss a trick.
“Maybe. Shall we go inside and see what Sam’s house looks like?”
She nodded, undoing her seatbelt.
Sam’s home was beautiful. It was bigger than I’d imagined it, even though he said there were three bedrooms. With large wood framed windows at the front, I could just picture the sunlight that must flood into those front rooms in the mornings.
The front garden needed a little work. I stepped out of the car and stretched my legs, taking in the area more closely. The lawn was mowed, but the gardens were empty.
“The flowers here were overgrown. I’ve stripped it all, ready to do something with.”
“There’s so much potential here,” I said.
“That’s what I liked about it. I just haven’t had much enthusiasm for it lately. It seemed like a great idea, but after a while being by myself, it seemed a bit pointless.” He grinned. “Though maybe my luck’s about to change.”
“Don’t count your chickens.”
Sam waggled his eyebrows. “I would never do that. But if I find all the reasons for you two to move in with me, you’d better bet I’ll be telling you about it.”
“Can we go inside?” We both turned at Paige’s voice. She stood at the front door, waiting to be let in.
“Of course we can.” Sam jumped up the steps and unlocked the door. “Ready?”
I trailed behind them as Paige ran inside with Sam straight after her. The inside of the house was simple, but neat. Books lined one wall, and there was a couch and chairs in the centre of the room facing a flat-screen TV.
“It’s not anything flash, but it’s home.”
“I think your living room is almost as big as my flat.” I laughed.
Sam grinned. “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Come on, check out the bedrooms.”
He led us to the hallway. The bathroom was between two bedrooms with a third bedroom at the end. I poked my nose into the first one.
The room was painted blue, and in the corner was a king-single bed with a duvet on it. The pattern on the duvet was of trains. “Finn likes trains,” he said, standing awkwardly, as if it were something to be embarrassed about. Tears pricked my eyes as I looked at the room. It was beautiful. He’d said his son wasn’t ready for visits, but Sam was prepared.
“Where’s Finn?” Paige asked.
Sam bent down and tapped her on the nose. She giggled. “He’s on the farm with his mum. We’ll go and see him in the morning.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“We’re going to the wedding tomorrow. You can wear that new dress your gran bought you,” I said.
Paige clapped excitedly.
“And this is your room for tonight.” Sam led us down the hallway to the next room and opened the door. It was the same size as Finn’s room, but he’d put a Disney Princess duvet on the bed.
“Oh my God, Sam, you didn’t have to do this.”
“I thought my little princess might like it.” He grinned at Paige, who had lost her voice and stood gaping at the room. It was a simple gesture but enough to turn my heart into a puddle. His little princess. “I hope I wasn’t overstepping the mark. I just thought if she saw the other room …”
“It’s lovely.” I pulled him toward me for a kiss while Paige pushed past and jumped onto the bed.
“There are princesses on it. I see Cinderella,” she said.
“I don’t know which ones are which. You’ll have to teach me,” Sam said. He took my hand in his and squeezed it. “Everything okay?”
I nodded. “This is wonderful, Sam.”
“During the week, I kept thinking about you two spending the night here, and I wanted to do something special.”
“You have.”
“Sam. This one’s Sleeping Beauty, and this one’s Ariel …” Paige chattered away, and Sam reached up, wiping tears from my cheeks with his thumb.
“I think I’d better go pay attention. I imagine if I get any of these wrong, I’ll be in trouble.” He smiled. “Why don’t you go check out the master bedroom?”
Leaving him with Paige, I reached the end of the hallway and opened the door.
The room was about twice the size of my bedroom at home, with a much larger bed in the centre. A bedside cabinet sat on either side of the bed, with two chests of drawers down one side of the room, a wardrobe, and an entrance to an en suite. Compared to the room in my little flat, it was massive.
I ran my hand along the edge of the bed as I approached the bathroom. In one corner was a shower over a large bathtub, big enough for two. Sam was right—this house was perfect for the three of us, with room for Finn when he was ready to stay.
This was the easiest decision I’d ever had to make, but still, part of me wondered if it was the right thing to do. Was I ready to give up the safety of my home and routine for the unknown? What if everything fell apart? I had such strong feelings for Sam, but was it enough?
“What do you think?” Sam’s hand landed on my shoulder.
“It’s amazing. How did you afford a house in Auckland with prices the way they are?”
He pulled me closer. “I found it before prices went nuts, and Mum and Dad helped me out. These days I could probably double what I paid for it, but keeping it just felt right, you know?”
I nodded.
“You two need to see the backyard. It’s not huge, but there’s space for Paige to play.” He ran his hand down my arm, linking his fingers with mine. “Come on.”
We walked back out the hallway, and Paige followed as Sam led us to the kitchen and through the back door.
A concrete path ran to the clothesline halfway down the backyard. The rest was grass, with a small garden shed in the back corner. It was simple, but Paige would love having grass under her feet whenever she wanted.
“You’re not making this easy,” I whispered.
“I wasn’t trying to. I want you two to move in with me.”
“Can we get this weekend out of the way while I decide?”
Sam kissed my temple. “Of course we can. It’s a good time to think over starting our life together, celebrating Ness’s wedding.”
Paige ran around on the grass. “This is so cool.”
Sam chuckled, slipping his arms around me.
It was cool.
Chapter 12
NATASHA
I yawned as Sam stood at the end of the bed, throwing some things in a bag.
“Good morning. What time is it?”
“A little after nine. We really need to get ready and get on the road.” He smiled and shook his head. “I should have packed last night. Someone distracted me.”
I grinned. “Is Paige awake?”
“She’s awake, dressed, and in front of the television with some toast.”
I blew him a kiss. “You’re good to me.”
Sam laughed. “I just made the toast. She did all the rest. There are clean towels in the bathroom if you want a shower. We need to be out of here before ten if we want to get there on time.” He rounded the bed and bent to brush his lips against mine. “We all slept in. I guess my bed agrees with you.”
“I had so much room. What is it, a queen?”
He tugged on a collared shirt. “King. I always did like lots of space. Guess we have that in common.”
“My tiny bed must have been torture.”
With a chuckle, he shook his head. “It was snuggly. I like snuggling with you.” Grabbing a tie from the drawer, he headed toward the door. “I’ll go make you some breakfast.”
I smiled, my heart warm from the care he took of us.
I loved him. Now to get up the courage to tell him.
Half an hour later, we were in the car and headed out of Auckland. The sun shone brightly, with barely a cloud in the sky. If the weather was like this farther north, it’d be a beautiful day for a wedding.
“I’ve done this trip so many times by myself. It’s nice to have some company,” Sam said.
“It’s a beautiful day for it.” I stroked his arm. “What do you think, Paige?”
“When are we going to get there?”
I laughed. “It’ll take a little while, hon.”
“You can play on my phone to take up some time if you want,” Sam said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Of course. I barely use it for anything other than Facebook occasionally and texting. There are some games that came installed on it.”
He passed me the phone, and I reached behind to give it to Paige. In seconds, the sound of game music filled the car, and she lost herself to it while we continued on our trip.
My heart panged at seeing him so good to Paige.
All Sam kept doing was proving how special he was.
THE FARM LOOKED SPECTACULAR.
Two houses stood with maybe a hundred metres between them. From what Sam had told me, Ella and Matt lived in one house, her parents in the other. That they had that closeness, and with it, as I understood, a wonderful supportive environment, made me a little jealous. It wasn’t Mum’s fault she couldn’t help us so much, but sometimes it felt like her spending time with Paige was a chore. I knew it put pressure on her for Paige to stay the night, but she was their only grandchild.
Just beyond the houses, a marquee was set up. Farther to the right, a floral arch stood and in front of it, chairs were laid out. It was all ready for the wedding and reception.
On the grass to the left of the front house, a dozen cars were parked. Sam found us a space, and I took a deep breath as he made his way around the car. People gathered by the chairs.
“Is this the wedding?” Paige asked.
“It sure is, sweetie. I hear there are other kids here for you to play with.”
Sam took my hand as I exited the car. His little gestures left me melting inside—his sweetness was everything I needed. He smiled as I stood and opened the back door.
In the End (Lifetime #3) Page 11