by RJ Nolan
“I’ll be there in ten minutes—tops.” Sam’s voice was resolute, leaving no room for argument. She hung up before Riley could respond.
Ten minutes? She’s back from LA already? Riley stared at her phone, considering whether she should call Sam back and tell her she didn’t need to come. Who are you kidding? You know you want her here. She tossed the phone onto the bed, then hurried to the bathroom to wash her tear-streaked face before Sam arrived.
* * *
Sam broke a land-speed record covering the distance to Riley’s hotel. She tossed her keys to the valet and bolted for the hotel entrance.
The sound of Riley’s voice when she answered the phone had flashed Sam back to that fateful call so many years ago. It’s not like that. Riley said she was fine. Just the thought of Riley’s aunt hitting her made Sam’s temples pound. She took several deep breaths. The last thing Riley needed right now was more anger.
She rapped on Riley’s door. “Riley. It’s Sam. Let me in, please.”
The door swung open. Riley offered a watery-eyed smile, then winced.
Sam’s resolve to remain calm evaporated with one look at Riley’s bruised face and puffy split lip. That fucking bitch! Her gaze swept Riley, looking for any additional signs of injury. She didn’t see any. She forced her hands to unclench. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to put a hand on Riley’s shoulder.
Tears began to trickle down Riley’s face.
The sight of them broke through Sam’s anger. Oh, Riley. One long step and she wrapped her arms around Riley, drawing her close.
Riley stiffened for an instant, then slumped against Sam as her tears began to flow. Clutching at Sam’s shirt, she buried her face against Sam’s chest.
“Easy. I’ve got you.” Without releasing her firm hold on Riley, Sam used her foot to shut the hotel room door and murmured to her as she guided her into the hotel room. A quick glance around found nowhere they could sit together, except the bed. Sam moved them over to the foot of the bed.
Riley allowed herself to be tugged down and buried her face against Sam’s chest again.
As she stroked her fingers through Riley’s silky hair, a million questions whirled through Sam’s mind, the biggest one being why Riley was in a hotel room instead of her condo. When she spotted the suitcases and garbage bags on the bed, more questions were added to the litany already ricocheting through her head. She put her questions aside and concentrated on comforting Riley any way she could.
Finally, Riley sniffed and pushed out of Sam’s arms. She dashed the tears from her face. “I’m sorry. I—”
“Stop right there. We’ve been through this before. No apologizing for honest emotion, remember?”
Riley grimaced. “Ow.” Her hand went to her lip. “I know, but you must be getting sick of me crying all over you all the time.” She scooted sideways, putting some distance between them.
“It’s hardly all the time.” Sam slid across the bed, closing the gap between them, then gently brushed her finger over Riley’s bruised cheek. “You need to get some ice on this and on your lip. Are you hurt anywhere else?” She barely resisted the urge to run her hands over Riley to check for herself.
“No. I’m fine.” Riley laid a hand on Sam’s arm. “She just slapped me the one time. She was about to do it again, but my uncle stopped her.”
Sam covered Riley’s hand for a moment, then pushed off the bed and stood. “I’ll get some ice for you.”
“I iced it before I left the condo and again when I got here. It’s okay.”
Sam scowled as she sat back down on the bed. “No, it’s not okay. I don’t care who she is, that bitch hurt you.”
Fresh tears glimmered at the corners of Riley’s eyes.
Sam knifed her fingers through her hair and forced herself to calm down. “Feel up to telling me what happened?” She swept her gaze across the bags on the bed. “And how you ended up here?”
Riley jumped up and began to pace. “Let’s see.” Words burst from her. “I found out that my aunt has always hated me.”
Sam gasped. That can’t be true—can it?
“That my uncle has known all along that I was gay.” Riley’s voice got louder with every word. She stopped and faced Sam. “And that, of course, gave him the right to not only betray me, but to throw me out of the condo I stupidly thought I owned.”
What? Sam gripped the bedspread so hard that her fingers ached. Her head spun with each new revelation. She swallowed the barrage of questions that wanted to burst forth.
“Then there was the whole disowning me thing.” Riley’s face twisted. “Not that that’s any big loss.” As quickly as her anger appeared, it dissipated. Tears flooded her eyes. “Damn it.” She spun away, turning her back on Sam. “Damn them both! They never loved me.”
Sam sat frozen, struggling with her own rage. Riley’s tears once again broke through the red haze clouding Sam’s thoughts. She stepped up behind Riley and placed her hands on her shaking shoulders. Sam gently turned her around and gazed down into pain-filled green eyes.
Riley’s lower lip quivered.
Gently cradling Riley’s face in her palms, Sam leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. “I’m so sorry.” The impulse to kiss away Riley’s tears was overwhelming. She brushed a butterfly-soft kiss across the bruise on Riley’s cheek.
Riley rose up on her toes and pressed her body against Sam.
Without any conscious direction from Sam, her arms enfolded Riley and drew her even closer. She bit back a groan at the feel of Riley’s body molded to hers.
Riley’s hands came up to clutch Sam’s shirt-covered chest for just a moment before her body went taut. Wide green eyes met Sam’s. Ducking her head and mumbling a hasty excuse, Riley pulled away and fled to the bathroom.
Good going. Like she didn’t have enough stress already today. You totally freaked her out. Sam’s shoulders slumped.
* * *
Gripping the bathroom counter with white-knuckled intensity, Riley struggled to regain her composure. Embarrassment warred with anger. She had blubbered all over Sam like some little girl who needed her to make it all better. She gritted her teeth and faced her reflection in the mirror. Puffy, red-rimmed eyes glared back at her. What’s the matter with you? She hadn’t been that little girl for a very long time, and she’d never been this needy and pathetic. She grabbed a washcloth off the shelf and soaked it in cold water, then pressed it against her swollen eyes. Groaning, she remembered what else she had almost done. Had she really been about to kiss Sam? As Sam’s soft lips brushed her cheek, she had lost all rational thought. She was trying to comfort you, not make a pass. Idiot.
Riley threw the washcloth aside. Could this day get any more screwed up? Rubbing her aching temples, she blew out a breath. She couldn’t hide in here all night. You’re a grown woman. Act like it. Go out and face Sam.
She quietly opened the bathroom door and peered out. Sam was standing by the windows with her back to Riley. Stepping out, she said, “Hey, Sam. Sorry about my meltdown.”
Sam turned to face her. “You’re handling all this better than I would.”
“I doubt that.” Riley smiled when she spotted Annie safely cradled in Sam’s arms as she herself had been. For a moment, she envied the bear. “I see you’re making friends with my girl.”
Sam stroked the bear’s soft fur. “Yeah, but she’s a little upset with me ’cause I don’t know her name.”
Riley crossed the room to stand next to Sam. She ran a finger over Annie’s furry face. “Her name is Annie.”
A smile lit Sam’s face. “Hey, my middle name is Ann.”
“I know.” Heat crept up Riley’s neck. She hadn’t meant to admit that. Glancing up at Sam, she was surprised to see a pink tint on her cheeks. “She’s a good protector. Like someone else I know.”
Sam’s expression fell. “I wasn’t much good to you today,” she muttered and frowned. “I can’t help but feel responsible for what happened with your aunt and uncle.”
“Wait. Hear me out.” Sam’s arms tightened around Annie. “I know you still feel guilty about me getting injured. Maybe you thought telling them was some kind of atonement for what happened.”
Riley shook her head. “You’re wrong. While I will probably always carry some guilt about what happened to you, this wasn’t about you. It was about me.” She thumped her own chest with her fist. “It was long past time for me to claim my own life.” A life that had been turned upside-down in just a matter of hours. Groaning, she slumped into a nearby chair and rubbed her aching temples.
“What’s wrong?” Sam knelt down next to her.
“It just hit me…everything I need to do. I have to find a place to live, contact my accountant, find a lawyer, just to name a few. To top it all off, I’ve got to do all that while I work twelve-hour days and cover on-call.” Her hands clamped onto the arms of the chair. “Damn you, Uncle Rielly. I don’t need this.”
Sam took Riley’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “I’m here for you. Not to tell you what to do, but as your friend, to support you in any way you need.” She hesitated, then added, “If you want me.”
Riley’s hand tightened on Sam’s. “Of course I want you.” She felt her ears heat when she realized how that sounded. It’s true, but that’s not what she meant. She would never be interested in you like that.
“Then you have me.” Sam smiled. “Me and Annie.”
Tugging Annie from Sam’s grasp, Riley smiled. She wrapped one arm around the bear, hugging it to her chest as she wished she had the courage to hug Sam. “I’m lucky to have you both.”
Sam stood with groan and slid into an upholstered chair across from Riley.
“How’s your leg?” Some friend she was. She’d been so caught up in her own drama that she hadn’t even thought about Sam.
“It’s fine. Just a little stiff.” Sam ducked her head, then ran her hands up and down her thighs.
A bit worried by Sam’s suddenly tentative body language, Riley asked, “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Sam took a deep breath and looked up. “Umm…listen. I have a solution to one of your problems.” Her hands kneaded the material of her jeans. “Come stay with me until you find a place of your own.”
Shock rendered Riley momentarily speechless. You are one special woman. “Oh, Sam, I can’t impose on you like that. You’ve done more than enough just by being here and letting me cry all over you.”
“It wouldn’t be an imposition. I have a guest room.” Sam leaned forward in her chair. “Come on, say yes. I haven’t had a roommate in years. It would be nice to have someone to come home to.” A blush tinted Sam’s cheeks. “I mean, just until you find a place of your own.”
As Riley surveyed the sterile hotel room with her belongings stuffed in trash bags, her shoulders slumped. The thought of coming back here after a long day at the hospital was disheartening. The memory of how comfortable she had felt at Sam’s apartment filled her with longing. Was Sam just offering because she felt sorry for her? Gazing into Sam’s eyes, she saw nothing but an honest attempt to help. Can I really do this? Sam wasn’t the only one who had not had a roommate in years. The opportunity to spend more time with Sam wasn’t lost on her.
It’s really your life now. Do what you want. With that little pep talk, Riley stood and held out her hand. “All right. If you’re sure.” She smiled at Sam’s quick nod. “Let’s do it.”
Grinning, Sam stood and captured Riley’s hand in hers. “Roommates, it is.”
An unexpected wave of sadness washed over Riley at the thought that roommates were all they were destined to be.
Chapter 30
After dowsing the lights, Riley eased open the guest room door and peered out. The nightlight Sam had left burning in the bathroom threw a soft patch of light into the hall. She glanced toward Sam’s room. The door was open, the room beyond a dark void. Stepping out into the hall, she tightened her grip around the flashlight she had borrowed from Annie’s utility belt. Once she was sure she was clear and the light wouldn’t shine into Sam’s room, she turned on the small flashlight but kept her hand cupped around the end to mute the glow and tiptoed toward the front door. A floorboard creaked under her stocking feet, making her cringe. When she reached the front door, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
“Good morning.”
Clutching her chest, Riley spun around. The beam from her flashlight danced crazily around the dark room.
The light in the kitchen turned on. Sam stood framed in the kitchen doorway, the light from the kitchen streaming around her.
Riley shut off the flashlight, hoping that Sam couldn’t see the blush she was sporting at having been caught sneaking around like a burglar. “I was trying not to wake you. I know it’s really early.”
“No problem.” Cradling a cup in her hands, Sam rubbed one bare foot over the other. “I was up.” She turned on the light over the dinette table.
The sudden illumination made Riley blink. What was Sam doing up at five a.m.? Then it hit her. “Today’s your first day back at work, right?”
“Yeah. Not real work, just administrative stuff.” Sam found her coffee cup suddenly interesting. “No big deal.”
Regardless of Sam’s words, the thought of her returning to work was enough to make Riley’s pulse spike. “Still, it’s been what…almost twelve weeks? I’m sure it has got to be a little stressful.”
Sam shrugged. “Want a cup of coffee before you take off?”
It stung that Sam didn’t want or need her moral support. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“Have a seat, and I’ll grab you a cup. Black, right?”
“That’s right. Thanks.”
Sam disappeared into the kitchen.
Riley slid into a chair at the small dinette table adjacent to the kitchen.
When Sam returned, she leaned over to place the coffee on the table.
Riley’s gaze was drawn to Sam’s T-shirt, which stretched tight over her broad shoulders and clung to firm breasts. The sudden kick of her libido caught Riley off guard. None of that. She forced her gaze down to her coffee.
“How’s the lip this morning?”
Riley looked up. “Not too bad. A little sore.”
Sam frowned and lifted a finger to gently stroke across Riley’s bruised cheek.
A pleasant tingle followed her touch.
“These are going to bring lots of questions at work. You ready to face all that?”
So she doesn’t want to talk about how going back to work makes her feel, but wants me to? “It’s no big deal,” Riley said, echoing Sam’s earlier words. While she appreciated Sam’s support, she was becoming uncomfortable with it always being one way—Sam supporting her.
Sam’s brow furrowed. “But—”
“I’ve always tried to keep my professional life separate from my personal one.” Which had been easy, since she didn’t have a personal life. “This is no different. I’ll cover up the bruises and go to work like always.”
Sam stared at Riley, her lips pressed into a thin line. “That won’t cover up what happened. What your aunt did to you. That has to affect you.”
“No, it doesn’t cover up what happened.” Riley met her gaze head on. “But neither does blithely saying it’s no big deal going back to work for the first time—no matter what you’re doing—after you were shot in the line of duty.”
Sam’s usually expressive blue eyes turned a flat, hard silver, then she looked away.
What are you doing? Why are you pushing her? Riley put her hand on Sam’s arm. The muscles were tense under her fingertips.
* * *
Sam barely resisted the urge to pull away from Riley’s gentle touch. While she found it aggravating, she respected Riley for calling her on her evasion. Still, she hesitated, struggling against the need to look strong. This is Riley. She has already seen you at your weakest.
“I’m sorry,” Riley said. She let go of Sam’s arm
and clasped her hands together in her lap. “I’m projecting my own fears about you going back to work onto you.”
“You don’t have anything to be concerned about. I’m going to be on desk duty.” Sam huffed with enough force to stir her shaggy bangs. “But I am a little worried about going back to work. Not about getting physically cleared, but I have to meet with the department psychologist as many times as he recommends before he’ll clear me to return to full duty.”
Riley’s brow furrowed. “Is there some reason you think you won’t get cleared?”
“No.” Sam’s hand tightened around her coffee cup. “I just hate the whole ‘tell me how that makes you feel and let’s talk about your feelings’ crap.”
“I can understand that. Not my favorite thing either.” Riley stroked Sam’s arm, peering deep into her eyes. “Are you still having nightmares?”
Sam started. She did still occasionally have a nightmare about that fateful day, but of late, the nature of her dreams had morphed. In her nightmares, she didn’t arrive in time to stop Keith from hurting Riley, but Riley didn’t need to know that. Sam nodded reluctantly. “Not like I used to, though.” She searched Riley’s eyes. “Are you?”
Riley looked down. “Sometimes,” she said, so softly that Sam had to strain to hear her. She shook her head roughly as if trying to clear it of bad memories. “Back to the department psychologist.” Her gaze locked with Sam’s, and she squeezed her arm. “Just be your honest, straight-forward self, and I’m positive you’ll be fine.”
Sam picked up her neglected coffee and grinned. “Well, the straight part isn’t going to work for me.”
Riley smiled, then winced as the movement tugged at her lip. “Me either. I’m not going to hide who I am anymore.” Her eyes sparked with determination. “I do plan on coming out at work, but it will be on my terms, not because I’m forced to.”
“I can respect that.”
“Guess I did make a mistake. I shouldn’t have been so quick to leave behind all the makeup my aunt kept pushing at me.” Riley’s hands tightened on her cup. “Instead of covering up my unsightly freckles she disliked so much, I could’ve used it to cover the bruises she caused.”