Marry Me
Samantha Lind
SamanthaLind.com
Marry Me
Lyrics & Love Series Book 1
Copyright © 2018 Samantha Lind
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage or retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, photocopying, mechanical or otherwise, without express permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, story lines and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, events, locales or any events or occurrences are purely coincidental.
Trademarked names appear throughout this novel. These names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intentional infringement of the trademark owner’s trademark(s).
The following story contains adult language and sexual situations and is intended for adult readers.
Cover Design by Oh So Novel
Editing by All About The Edits
Proofreading by Proof Before You Publish
Created with Vellum
Renee
Thank you for your encouragement to write this book! I loved every time you messaged me telling me the song was following you as much as it was following me! Your encouragement throughout the entire process meant everything to me. I know you love Lauren & Sam just as much as I do, and I hope that never changes!
Thomas Rhett
I know the likelihood of you ever seeing these words is very slim, but on that off-chance that you do one day read this page, thank you. Thank you for writing such passionate words into songs. Thank you for loving your wife as deeply as you do that you have that passion to write such emotional songs.
When the idea for this book came to me, I’d heard “Marry Me” many times. But it was that one time, something changed. The words spoke to me in a way they never had before.
So, here’s to you, and the love story you created with this song. I can only hope my inspiration has done it a fraction of the justice it deserves.
Contents
A note from the Author
Playlist
1. Sam
2. Sam
3. Lauren
4. Sam
5. Lauren
6. Sam
7. Lauren
8. Lauren
9. Sam
10. Lauren
11. Sam
12. Lauren
13. Lauren
14. Lauren
15. Sam
16. Lauren
17. Sam
18. Lauren
19. Sam
20. Lauren
21. Sam
22. Lauren
23. Sam
24. Lauren
25. Sam
26. Lauren
27. Sam
28. Lauren
29. Sam
30. Lauren
31. Sam
32. Lauren
33. Sam
34. Sam
Epilogue
Afterword
Coming Soon
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Samantha Lind
A note from the Author
Sometimes an idea for a new book will strike an author out of thin air. They see a picture, live through an experience, hear a song, watch a commercial, you get the gist. That is exactly how this series and book came to existence.
I’d heard the song “Marry Me” by Thomas Rhett countless times, even watched the music video a few times (my kids are obsessed with watching music videos!) and nothing…until one evening, I was driving home with my kids when this song came on the radio and within minutes, I had the entire book plotted in my mind.
As soon as I got home that evening, I started jotting down the ideas and within an hour, I had everything set; I just didn’t know when I’d be able to fit this book into my already-booked schedule. To my disarray, the characters for this book decided they were most important and pushed their way into the front of my mind, and wouldn’t stop yelling at me until I sat down and wrote them out. Unfortunately for me, I was under a deadline for my last release at the time. So, like the good little author I am, I sat down and wrote out the first few chapters, and then put them on the back burner until I finished my other book.
From the moment I had the book plot pop into my mind, it’s almost as if the song has been following me. For the week following that evening, every time I got into my car, the song would either already be on the radio or would be the next song played! It was almost a little freaky! But I embraced it and soon the ideas started flowing and I turned it not only into a new book but decided that since music influences all of us so much already, I would create an entire series of standalone books, where a song plays a role in bringing its character to life. These books will not overlap, they will just be under the Lyrics and Love umbrella, since they will be inspired completely by a song.
In closing, I leave you with the only song that inspired this book. The one I’ve now listened to on repeat probably over a thousand times while writing this book. The character and words really flowed once I was able to dedicate time to them and I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Playlist
Marry Me ~ Thomas Rhett
1
Sam
Now
“Whiskey, on the rocks. Make it a double,” I tell the bartender as I collapse on the barstool.
“Yes, sir,” the pretty blonde behind the bar replies, giving me a once-over.
As I wait for her to pour my drink, I tug on my tie, pulling it from my neck and stuffing it in my pocket, as my mind wanders to tomorrow.
The day I’ve dreaded since that envelope arrived at my apartment a few months ago.
Lauren.
She’s getting married.
Tomorrow.
But instead of marrying me, she’s marrying some douchebag. No, I’m not bitter at all.
“Sam!” I hear Steven call my name as he sits on the barstool next to me and slaps my shoulder.
The bartender slides my drink in front of me and sets down a coaster in front of Steven. “What can I get for you?” she asks him as I pick up my whiskey and take a hefty drink.
“I’ll take a Blue Moon, on tap if you have it.”
“Sixteen or twenty-four ounce?” she asks.
“Might as well make it a twenty-four ouncer. Looks like I’ll be here awhile,” he tells her, motioning to me with a nod of his head.
My eyes follow the bartender as she walks off to fill Steven’s order.
“So, you want to talk about it?” he questions, knowing full well that I’ve been in love with his sister for years.
She just doesn’t know that.
“Not really, but I have a feeling you’re not going to stop bugging me until we do,” I reply, bringing my glass back to my lips. The whiskey burns as it slides down my throat and fills my belly. The only way I’m going to be able to make it through tomorrow is to be intoxicated. I just need to stay on this side of being obnoxiously drunk because the last thing I would want to do is ruin Lauren’s wedding day.
Even if she is marrying the douchebag.
2
Sam
9 years old
I watch with excitement as two moving trucks pull down our street and stop at the empty house across from ours. The old couple who had lived in that house for all of my nine years had sold it at the end of spring, and the new family was finally moving in.
I watch with anticipation, hoping that a boy my age would climb out of one of the vehicles that followed the trucks in. But before anyone could get out of the van, one of the moving trucks blocks my view of the driveway.
“Sam, get your shoes on. It’s time to leave,” my mom yells.
“Yes, ma’am,” I call out to her as I leave the window and go to get ready.
As we back out of the driveway, I keep my eyes glued to the neighbors’ house, continuing my search for a playmate. Not many kids live on our street and being an only child, I get lonely often.
“When we get home from the store, you can come with me to welcome our new neighbors to the neighborhood, unless you’d like for me to drop you off at Grandma and Grandpa’s, and you can come home later with Dad,” my mom says, pulling my attention away as we drive out of our neighborhood.
“I’d rather come back home with you. I’m hoping that some kids moved in across the street.”
My mom’s errands take what feels like forever to finish, when it was probably only an hour or two tops.
As soon as we pull into the driveway, I see kids in the other yard.
Kids!
They are running through a sprinkler.
One boy. Yes!
One girl. I can work with that.
And best of all, they look about my age. Even better!
“Mom, Mom, can I go play with them? Please?” I practically beg.
“Help me bring in the groceries and then we can go introduce ourselves. If their parents are okay with it, then yes, you can play.”
Jackpot!
I help my mom with the groceries with lightning speed; the excitement of meeting the new kids across the street fuels my eagerness to help get everything put away as fast as I can.
As soon as the last item is away, I bounce my way to the front door, ready to go.
“Wait just a second, Sam.” My mom laughs. “Let me grab a plate of cookies to take with us.”
As my mom assembles cookies on a plate and then covers it, I watch out the window as the kids play across the street.
“Okay, I’m ready if you are,” Mom tells me as she stops in front of the door.
I open it for her and we head across the street.
As we approach the front door, my mom reaches out and rings the doorbell at the same time we hear the boy call out at us.
“Hey!”
“Hi!” I tell him. “I live across the street, and I was hoping to play with you guys.”
The front door opens, and a tired-looking woman steps forward.
“Hello, I’m Amy and this is my son, Sam. We live just across the street and wanted to welcome your family to the neighborhood,” my mom tells her, handing her the plate of cookies.
“Thank you so much. I’m Debra, and that’s Steven and Lauren. My husband, Dave, is around here somewhere. How are you today, Sam?” she asks me.
“I’m great, thank you. Can I play with them?” I ask, nodding in the direction of the kids playing in the yard.
“Of course, go have fun.”
I run off immediately, skidding to a halt in front of the boy and girl playing together, catching their attention.
“Hi, I’m Sam. Can I play with you guys?”
“Hi, I’m Steven, and this is my sister, Lauren. Do you want to run through the sprinkler with us?” Steven asks.
“I’ll need to ask my mom and run home to change first,” I tell him. She gives me the go-ahead, and I run home as fast as I can to change and get back outside to play with my new friends.
Lauren, Steven, and I play in the sprinkler for what feels like hours. We ran all over the yard, both theirs and my own, until we were worn out and starving. After a quick supper for all of us, we were back outside, playing until everyone had to get to bed.
“Today was the best day ever,” I tell my parents as we talk before I climb into bed. “I can’t believe I finally have friends that live so close!”
“It sure does appear we hit the jackpot with our new neighbors,” my mom says. “I’m glad you had so much fun today with them, Sam.”
“Can I play again with them tomorrow?”
“I’m sure you can. Just make sure to stay out of the way as Mr. and Mrs. Kramer are unpacking and trying to get everything put away inside the house.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answer my mother. “Good night, I love you.”
“Love you, too, Sam. Now off to bed. We have church in the morning.”
I give her a hug before pulling the comforter over me and falling asleep with a smile on my face.
3
Lauren
Now
I sit alone in the tent that’s set up on my grandparents’ property. We used it tonight for the rehearsal dinner, and it will be used tomorrow night for my wedding reception. I look around at all the perfectly placed decorations. The magnolia flowers I’ve always dreamed about having at my wedding. The images I always dreamed of growing up, for what my perfect wedding would look like.
I’ve always wanted to get married in just this spot, having loved my grandparents’ land since I was little. They once had thousands of acres but began to sell it off in large chunks over the years, keeping the area around the house for themselves, after neither my dad nor any of my aunts and uncle showed any desire in taking over the farm.
I stand and walk to the edge of the tent and look around, taking in the star-filled sky. The slight breeze feels good against my heated skin. Everything is perfect, except for this nagging feeling deep within me that has me wondering what is wrong. I keep pushing the feeling back, figuring it’s just the normal wedding jitters and nothing more than that. I pull a chair to the edge and sit back down.
Tomorrow, I’m marrying the man I love.
The man I plan to start a family and grow old with.
As I think of these things, and what my life will look like five, ten, twenty-five years down the line, I don’t see Brad.
I see Sam.
The man I’ve always loved, but he just doesn’t love me the same way. He doesn’t want to marry me.
I shake my head, hoping to clear the images of walking down the aisle to Sam.
Dancing with Sam.
Running away to a romantic honeymoon with Sam.
I don’t even realize the tears have started to roll down my cheeks until one hits my hand that’s sitting in my lap. I quickly swipe at the tears, not that anyone is out here with me. But if anyone was to come out, I don’t want them to see me sitting here crying.
I take a few deep breaths, doing my best to calm myself down.
I sit in the moonlight awhile longer, thinking back to my childhood and all the good memories.
Lauren
9 years old
The summer had passed by in a blur. My family moved into our new house at the beginning of the summer, and as much as I hated the idea at the time, it has been amazing.
Steven and I made fast friends with Sam. He fit in with the two of us, and we’ve been thick as thieves all summer.
School starts tomorrow, and the jitters of starting at a new school have been increasing all day. The excitement of meeting new friends and teachers is almost overwhelming. Sam has been assuring me that the school we’ll be going to is great and I’ll fit in easily, but I’m still nervous about it.
“Do you have your backpack all ready for tomorrow?” my mom asks, walking into my bedroom with a basket of clean clothes.
“Yes, I’ve packed and repacked it a few times, just to make sure I didn’t forget anything.”
Chuckling, she tells me, “You’ll do great tomorrow, and it’s not like you don’t already have two built-in friends.”
“I know,” I say on a sigh. “I’m still nervous, but at least the three of us got put into the same class.”
“I can’t believe my babies are going to be in the fourth grade,” Mom says, wrapping me in a hug.
“Well believe it, ’cause we’re not
getting any younger,” I tease her.
“How about we head out for a girls’ lunch, and maybe go get our nails done afterwards?” she suggests.
“Sure! I’ll just put these clothes away quick, and then can be ready to go,” I reply, hopping off my bed.
“How’d you like your first day?” Sam asks me as we all walk home from school.
“It was great! Mrs. Smyth was so nice, I’m really going to enjoy being in her class. I was just a little bummed you and Steven got switched into the other class. How was your first day?”
“It was good, and I told you that you’d love Mrs. Smyth. Did she give you any homework?”
“Nope, said we won’t start homework until next week. She’s easing us into it,” I tell him, as a small laugh escapes my lips. “What about Mr. Lund, did he give you guys homework?”
“Just our reading logs for the month, so not really homework.”
“Oh yeah, we got those, too.”
“I’m going to go grab a snack, but after, do you guys want to play?” Sam asks Steven and me as we approach our houses.
Marry Me (Lyrics and Love Book 1) Page 1