by Arlene James
He didn’t argue, just dragged himself into the other room. She had turned down the covers, so he lifted them and got inside. “Ahhhhhh.”
She showed up just as his eyes were drifting shut, wrapped head to knees in toweling. She bent and pressed her mouth to his.
“Where’r m’girs?” he asked against her lips.
“Downstairs cleaning up after dinner. Now go to sleep.”
“S’erra?”
“Hmm?”
He meant to say that he loved her, that it was all for her, for them, that he was going to let her take care of him a little more often, that this was the pinnacle of his life, finding her, loving her, being loved by her, but the words drifted away with consciousness.
Sierra dressed in the same clothes she was wearing when Sam had come in and quickly dried her hair before going back downstairs. The girls were in the den watching television, the twins on the couch, Tyree sprawled in a chair.
“Is Sam okay?” Keli asked.
“Sam’s sleeping. He’s worn-out.”
“No one works as hard as Sam,” Tyree said, a touch of pride in her voice.
“You’re right about that.” She sat down on the sofa next to the twins.
“Where’s Sam sleeping?” Kim wanted to know.
Sierra looked determinedly at the television screen. “In my bed. You and Keli will have to sleep in the guest room tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Where will you sleep, Mom?” Tyree asked idly.
Sierra thought of all the nights that Sam had spent here on this couch. “Here,” she said.
“You could sleep with Sam,” Keli commented. “It’s a big bed.”
“There’s room,” Tyree agreed.
Sierra just smiled warily and said, “Listen, Sam needs to sleep in tomorrow, so when you get up be real quiet about it, okay, just in case.”
“Could we stay up late?” Tyree asked hopefully.
“Yeah, then we won’t get up too early,” Kim added.
Sierra chuckled. “Okay. We’ll make a slumber party of it.”
“Oh, boy,” Keli said. “Popcorn!”
“Well, of course. Popcorn is a slumber party requirement.”
“And sodas,” Tyree insisted. “Please, Mom.”
“Yeah! Please, Mom,” Kim echoed.
Sierra’s breath caught. Was Kim really starting to think of her as her mother? If so, she’d better act like one.
“We’ll split a couple,” Sierra decreed flatly. “And after that it’s fruit juice or water.”
“Yippee!” Keli exclaimed. Launching up, she threw her arms around Sierra’s neck and smacked a happy kiss on her cheek. Tyree just grinned.
“Let’s see what’s on TV later,” Kim suggested eagerly, and Sierra got up to make popcorn and divide two sodas four ways.
Sierra closed the bedroom door and went to the linen closet at the end of the hall to pull out the usual blanket and sheet. She’d take a pillow from her own bed. The girls had made it, surprisingly, to just past midnight before yawns and droopy eyelids had spurred Sierra to herd them upstairs and tuck them in. Now, carrying the linens, she walked to her own room and slipped through the door.
Sam lay just as she’d left him, on his back, one hand resting palm up on the pillow next to his head, the other palm down on his chest. He looked about eighteen, but she well knew the strong, virile man inside that sleeping facade. She had never known a man as determined, as hardworking, as true to his principles, as caring as Samuel Jayce. In many ways, she felt unworthy of him. Yet, she knew, with some sadness, that he was hers for the taking. Sam’s overdeveloped sense of responsibility would hand him to her on a silver platter, but she didn’t want him that way, and Sam deserved more than another set of responsibilities.
After placing the bedding on a chair, she pulled her nightshirt from the dresser drawer, using the light from the hallway by which to navigate, and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change. Ready for sleep, she padded out on bare feet to retrieve her bedding and head downstairs, but instead of going all the way around the big bed for the pillow, she just reached across Sam for it. He sat bolt upright, nearly scaring the life out of her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, blinking.
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
He looked around the darkened room. “The girls?”
“Sleeping. Lie down. Everything’s fine.” She urged him back with a hand on his chest.
He sighed and closed his eyes, more asleep than awake. “Come back to bed then,” he mumbled.
Back to bed? “I’m going to sleep on the couch,” she said softly.
He rolled onto his side and limply patted the spot next to him. “C’mon.”
Did he know what he was saying? Probably not. On the other hand, what could it hurt? The girls themselves had suggested that they share. Of course, the girls had no idea what sharing a bed could mean for a man and a woman. But not tonight. It was late, and they both needed sleep. The girls would sleep late, probably nine at least. Besides, she wanted this night beside him, even if it was only to sleep. She set the alarm for eight and went to shut the door. She didn’t even think of locking it. Instead, she made her way around the bed and slipped beneath the covers.
“Sure, honey,” Sam mumbled, and rolled toward her, winding up facedown with his shoulder over hers and his arm across her waist.
Sierra smiled. He was obviously dreaming. She chose to believe he was dreaming about her. Hugging that thought tight, she closed her eyes and slept.
At some point she heard a short, sharp bleat, then a faint thump. The bed rocked slightly, and she remembered thinking that she probably ought to get up. The next thing she knew an oddly familiar but out-of-place voice jolted her awake.
“Good God! I should have known.”
She blinked, realized it was daylight and frowned at the dream that had awakened her, unable to recall anything but the sound of her father’s voice. Then she turned her head and finally understood that it was no dream. Her father towered over her bed, his face like thunder. To make matters worse, Sam suddenly sat up.
“Huh? What?”
Frank McAfree pointed an accusing finger at him but clearly addressed Sierra. “Who the hell is this? I knew something was wrong when Tyree said you were having a ‘sleep-in’!”
“Daddy,” Sierra said, pushing hair out of her face.
Sam gaped at her, then glanced around the room. When his gaze reached Frank, he started to get out of the bed.
“Don’t.” Sierra laid a restraining hand on his forearm, and he glanced down at himself, obviously realized that he was naked and immediately subsided.
“What’s going on?” he croaked, glowering.
“I came to check on my daughter!” Frank practically roared. “And I find her in bed with a man—and Tyree in the house!”
Sam turned a wide, accusing glare on Sierra. Moaning, she sat up. What a way to start a morning! She wanted to pull the covers up over her head and pretend it hadn’t happened, but Frank was sputtering outrage all over them even now.
“How old are you? My God, don’t you have any decency? I never thought this of you, Sierra.”
“Will you just go downstairs now? I’ll be down in a minute,” she said miserably.
“We’ll be down in a minute,” Sam corrected.
Sierra gulped. Frank made a disgusted sound and stomped out of the room. Sierra dropped her head into her hands. Sam leaped out of bed and began looking around for his clothes.
“What the hell is going on? Is that your father?”
“Yes. Your clothes are in the dressing room,” Sierra informed him. “Dad obviously dropped by, and something Tyree said made him come up here.”
Sam was already striding angrily for the dressing room. Resigned, Sierra got up and pulled on the same clothes she’d already put on twice now. She was barely decent when Sam strode back in again, yanking on a T-shirt over his jeans.
“I think I know how we wound
up in bed together,” he said brusquely, “but you’d better tell me just the same.”
“You were so tired,” she began. “I couldn’t let you drive home, and I didn’t want you sleeping on the couch. This just seemed the best place for you.” She gestured toward the bed. “The girls actually suggested that we share. Because the bed is so big.” She glanced at the folded linens on the chair. “I was going to sleep on the couch, but then you sort of woke up and said…” She bit her lip.
He sighed. “I knew I was in your bed. I think I was dreaming that we were there together.”
She bowed her head. “I knew that. I shouldn’t have lain down with you. I thought that if I set the alarm I could get up before anyone else.” As she said that she looked at the alarm, frowning.
Sam put a hand to the back of his neck and admitted sheepishly, “I, uh, think I turned it off. I must’ve thought it was mine. I remember hearing it, but I guess I thought I set it by mistake. I seemed to recall promising you that we’d sleep in.”
“But we weren’t supposed to sleep in together,” she added.
Sam sighed. “So naturally your father would walk in on us.”
Sierra hung her head. “I’m sorry, Sam.”
Sam nodded, then rubbed a hand over his face. “I guess we should go down now.”
“Maybe you should let me handle this, Sam,” she suggested wanly.
The look he gave her said that he thought she’d handled enough already and not exactly with sterling results. Unfortunately, she couldn’t disagree. He walked to the door, opened it and lifted an arm toward her. It had all the authority of an order. Sierra reluctantly trudged out onto the landing and down the stairs.
Frank paced the living room. He was wearing golf clothes as if he’d come straight from an early game on links.
“This is my father, Frank McAfree,” Sierra said as they entered the room.
Sam walked right up to him and put out his hand. “Sam Jayce. I’m Sierra’s partner.”
Frank ignored the hand that Sam offered him and glared at Sierra. “This is the kid you were telling me about?”
“He’s not a kid,” Sierra defended quietly, watching a muscle flex in Sam’s jaw. He parked that rejected hand at his hip and squared his shoulders, widening his stance slightly.
“Maybe you’d like a tour of the farm,” Sam suggested firmly, “to check out the operation.”
“Maybe,” Frank growled, “but first I want an explanation. What the hell did you two think you were doing?”
“Sleeping,” Sierra said. “Just sleeping.”
“Don’t tell me you’re not lovers!”
“We are,” Sam confirmed easily. “For now.” Sierra blinked and lifted a hand to her chest. It felt as if someone had poked her there—hard—with a finger. He might as well have said, “Temporarily.” Sierra swallowed. “But we don’t generally spend the night together, not with the girls in the house.”
“Girls?” Frank echoed, looking at Sam. “You have a daughter, too?”
“He’s raising his twin sisters,” Sierra said quickly. “I guess they’re still asleep upstairs. We stayed up late, the girls and I. Sam worked hard yesterday. He was too tired to drive home. I had to literally put him to bed, and later I just…I didn’t see the point in making a bed on the couch. I—I thought I’d be up before anyone else,” she finished lamely.
Frank pointed a finger at the wall, hissing, “Your daughter is in there eating cereal. Don’t you think she knows that you were upstairs sleeping with him? She told me herself. ‘Mommy and Sam are having a sleep-in.’”
“She only meant that we were sleeping late. I told the girls last night that I wanted Sam to sleep in because he needed the rest. That’s all that means.”
Frank was shaking his head. “This is irresponsible. Even for you, Sierra.”
“Now hold on there,” Sam interjected. “Sierra is not irresponsible. Okay, I agree that we shouldn’t have been in the bed together. And we never have been before, not with the girls in the house. You have my word on that. But Sierra is not irresponsible.”
“Oh, no? What do you call this place?”
“All right,” Sam conceded with a nod of the head, “maybe the house is a little much, but to Sierra security means a real home. You ought to know that. So maybe she should’ve financed part of it, scaled back a bit. Everybody makes mistakes. Besides, it’s worked out fine. The business is in good shape. We’re going to turn a profit, a substantial profit, and she’s going to recoup her investment here in spades.”
“And you’re making sure none of it gets away from you, aren’t you, buster,” Frank accused.
“That’s not fair, Daddy,” Sierra said sharply, leaping to Sam’s defense. “Sam has worked as hard as three men at this. Why do you think he was too exhausted to drive himself home last night? We’ve borrowed money on Sam’s credit and reputation. The farm was my idea, but it’s his accomplishment. He’s the one making it happen. He doesn’t have to romance me to see his share of the profits.”
“And for the record, I resent the implication that I would,” Sam added flatly.
Frank looked at Sam, shrewdly assessing, and Sam stared back unflinchingly. Finally, Frank looked away. Sam turned to Sierra.
“Why don’t you start some breakfast, honey? I’m going to show your father around the place now. Set an extra plate.”
“I won’t be staying,” Frank said gruffly. “I’ve eaten already.”
Sam shrugged. “Suit yourself. I still think you ought to see the operation.”
Frank nodded sharply, just once.
Sierra licked her lips, wondering if she dared let these two out of her sight, but then Sam smiled and kissed the top of her head, while Frank cleared his throat and looked away. She decided that she could trust Sam to handle this. Maybe if Frank saw what the farm was becoming, he would at least understand that she had made a wise choice in Sam as a business partner.
She turned and walked out of the room.
Sam took Frank McAfree out the front. He was boiling mad, but he was determined to be respectful, too, mindful of the man with whom he was dealing. He made sure the door was closed firmly behind them before confronting the older man.
“Now, then,” he began tautly, facing Frank. “Number one, don’t ever walk into Sierra’s bedroom uninvited again. She’s not a child. She’s entitled to privacy, especially in her own house. Number two, you’re Sierra’s father, and I understand your concern, so I’m willing to suck up whatever you throw down on me, but don’t you ever speak to her like that again. Sierra doesn’t deserve to be called irresponsible. I don’t care what mistakes she may have made in the past, she doesn’t deserve that attitude you turned on her.”
“Doesn’t she?” Frank asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Do you think I’d trust my girls to her if she was irresponsible? Do you think I’d have gone into business with her? Do you think I’d let myself fall in love with her?”
Frank narrowed his eyes. “How old are you?”
Sam threw up his hands, brought them back to his hips, dropped his head and tapped a foot impatiently, doing his best to tamp down his temper. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I don’t know,” Frank said. “Maybe nothing.”
Mollified a bit, Sam folded his arms. “In that case, I’m twenty-four.”
Frank snorted. “I didn’t know my butt from a hole in the ground at twenty-four.”
“Well, I do.”
Frank looked away. Sam could’ve sworn he was grinning, but when he looked back, his visage was stern. “We’ll see about that.”
“We sure will,” Sam agreed.
“Let’s get on with that tour.”
Sam turned. “This way.” He led Frank toward the greenhouse, figuring he might as well start at the beginning. “And keep up,” he grumbled when Frank seemed to hang back a step. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover by the time my breakfast is ready.”
Sam didn’t see the q
uick grin that flashed across Frank McAfree’s face, nor would he see it again or hear a word of praise before the fellow climbed into his big, luxury sedan almost an hour later and drove away.
Chapter Fourteen
“What happened?” Sierra asked once the girls were safely out of earshot. She folded the dish towel and laid it aside, turning to face Sam.
“Not much,” Sam answered, leaning a hip against the counter. “I showed him around. He left.”
“I’m sorry, Sam. This is all my fault.”
Sam shrugged. “He doesn’t have any business coming into your bedroom that way, even if he is your father, and he really doesn’t have any business talking to you like you’re a wayward teenager, either, and I told him so.”
“Oh, Sam, you didn’t.”
“I darn well did.”
She sighed. “What did he say?”
“About all he said of any importance was to tell Tyree he’d see her at her birthday party next week.”
“Apparently he came by to ask her what she wanted for a present and see if he could do anything to help with the party,” Sierra revealed.
“Good,” Sam said. “That’s what grandfathers are supposed to do.”
“You didn’t argue then?” she asked weakly.
“No, we didn’t argue,” Sam said, reaching for her. She came into his arms feeling as foolish and irresponsible as her father thought her to be.
“I am sorry, Sam. I shouldn’t have gotten into that bed with you.”
“Best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long, long time,” he said dismissively. “Problem is, it’s going to be awful tough now to crawl alone into that lumpy thing back at my place.”