“Ri?” Sam lifted his head. “You okay? Your heart is pounding in my ear.”
“I’m sorry my heart woke you,” she joked.
He propped his head up on his elbow. “You’re worrying?” he guessed correctly. She nodded as he brushed her hair back from her face. “He’s fine. I’m sure right now he’s telling them all about how they’re not tucking him in right, and how their bubble stuff is all wrong.”
She laughed at that.
“Why did he say he was going to work?” she wondered.
“He didn’t want to go with his dad, and I told him it was like work.”
“You’re kidding,” Surely this technique would be frowned upon in some parenting magazine. Though she had to admit the similarity between going with Evan or going to work was fairly accurate.
“Hey, it worked. Don’t mock my ways if they have the desired effect.”
“Okay.” She continued to laugh. “He looks up to you.”
“Is that a problem?” She could feel the tension in Sam’s body as it partially covered her own.
“I don’t think so,” she answered honestly. Whatever came next, she and Luca would handle it. Sam relaxed and kissed her stomach.
“So I guess I need to try to distract you again,” he said as he moved up, teasing her breast with his tongue.
“Sam. I don’t think I could possibly—”
“Let’s find out.”
They slept like the dead after that. No worries from her and no nightmares from Sam. In the morning they were awakened by the sun and the sound of someone yelling from across the street.
She never slept this long when Luca was there. If she tried he would come in and stare at her until she opened her eyes. The thought of him not being there made her heart squeeze with anxiety.
“Morning,” Sam said beside her.
“Good morning.” She tried to smile, but she could tell it wasn’t her best work.
“Yeah. I miss him too,” Sam said, surprising her.
“What?”
“It’s Sunday. He usually comes in to snuggle and tickle us on Sundays. Then we have pancakes.” Sam shrugged. “I miss it.”
She knew she liked Samuel Alvarez Brooks more than was safe, but she’d never been more in danger of falling in love with him than at that moment. It wasn’t a romantic gesture or fancy words that elevated his status in her heart. It was simply that he missed her son and wasn’t afraid to admit it.
“What?” he asked when she wasn’t able to make words.
“I think you’re amazing.”
He smiled. “Do I still get pancakes?”
* * *
He’d guilted Riley into making him pancakes, and watched her as she mixed the batter. She wasn’t huge in the chest department, but when she stirred, the action made her breasts move in the most appealing way. He could only stare.
“So have you been invited to this party at Lex and Ian’s?” she asked, hinting.
He knew hinting from a mile away. He stopped looking at her chest so he could make eye contact. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he nodded. “You mean the party where they subject their newly adopted children to their friends? Is it not terrifying enough for three little kids to be flown from another country to one where they don’t speak the language, just to wind up at a picnic with a bunch of strangers gawking at them?”
“Well, when you put it that way it sounds like torture. I think the idea is to let them meet a bunch of other kids so they can play and have fun.”
“Oh. I guess that’s not so bad then,” Sam agreed.
“So are you going?”
He bit his lip, stalling. He liked Luca. He was a cool kid. But that didn’t make him a kid person. Besides, no one in their mixed group of friends knew about them, except for Cooper and Roz. This would be an announcement of sorts.
This would also give everyone the opportunity to lecture him about dating a mother and the seriousness of that. He was well aware of the seriousness.
“Yeah. I guess I’ll be there,” he said, though he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. “Do you want to go in together on a gift? Maybe I buy and you pick it out?”
“Seriously?” The way she was looking at him made it quite obvious that this went far beyond what he intended. He had meant it to be a convenience. She was seeing it as some kind of commitment. Crap. He just kept digging a bigger and bigger hole. He was never going to be able to crawl out.
Since he was already up to his ears in commitment, he suggested they ride together. Again, for the sake of convenience. She agreed with a smile and he hoped she wouldn’t hate him someday.
Luca came home later that night. The minute his father put him down he ran to Sam with his arms up. Sam held him while Luca whispered in his ear, “I’m home from my work.”
Evan was complaining to Riley about diapers and wipes so Sam took Luca back to his room to unpack. If he’d stayed he couldn’t promise Evan would have left in one piece. He only had so much control.
As promised they went for ice cream. Sam noticed how closely Riley held her son, despite how much Luca tried to squirm away. It seemed like there wasn’t enough kisses and snuggles to make up for the time Riley missed.
Sam went to Sacramento for three days. He checked in with Riley twice. Not that she’d pressured him to check in, but because he had legitimate questions regarding the party. When he got back in town they went out to eat at a kid-friendly place. They chatted about his job and both of hers. Along with Luca’s antics.
He dreaded the party on Saturday for multiple reasons. First, because it meant lost time with just Riley and Luca at the house having fun. Second, because it was a kid’s party, which meant there would be kids there. And thirdly, because there was a very real possibility that someone might spook Riley about him and he might lose her and the arrangement they had.
She picked up the gift from the backseat while Luca turned his shy on and put his arms up to be held. Sam obligingly leaned down, and the monkey-child clung to him as expected. “Don’t think for a minute I don’t know you’re going to be wiggling down about two seconds after you see the kids. You’re not fooling me,” he told the boy.
As if trying harder, Luca laid his head on Sam’s shoulder and held on tighter.
It turned out to be more like twenty seconds, but before Luca did his squiggling exit, all the adults in Lex and Ian’s kitchen were staring at Sam. Roslyn was the only one smiling. Cooper looked skeptical and everyone else had their mouths hanging open in shock.
“Um. Hi,” Lex said as she glanced between him and Riley. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
“Yes. We do.” Very, very well. Though he doubted Riley was going to elaborate. At least not while the menfolk were still in the kitchen. “Remember when you suggested I stop in at Valley Jewelers when I was looking for something for my niece’s graduation?” Sam said. “We met then.”
“Oh.” Lex glanced around the circle of their friends as if worried she was going to be held accountable for this atrocity.
Before too long, the party split into two sections as most parties do. The men went outside to assist Ian with the task of combining meat and fire. While the women stayed in the kitchen. This had been Sam’s apprehension about attending.
He wondered what stories they were sharing about him.
“Dalton didn’t make it?” Sam said as he looked around the patio.
“No. He’s in . . . Someplace really hot,” Ian said with a frown.
“Oh! Albuquerque.” Sam forgot about that job. No doubt Dalton went over the weekend so he had an excuse to get out of the party. Why hadn’t Sam thought of that?
“Yep. That’s it,” Ian said at the reminder. “So what’s going on with you and Riley?” Cooper and Tucker stopped talking so they could listen to his answer.
“Uh. Well. Just the normal stuff. We’re seeing each other a little bit. Nothing serious.” Frowns turned down every face. “What? She’s okay with it.” Frowns were repl
aced with eye rolls. “No. Really. She got burned by her ex. She said she’s not looking for anything complicated.”
“She has a kid,” Tucker said.
“Right. I know. Luca and I get along great,” Sam pointed out.
“For now.” Ian’s brows knit.
“Yeah. For now. You know it’s not like any of you haven’t screwed up before.” Sam pointed at Ian who had divorced Lexi even though he still loved her, and Tucker who had nearly botched his relationship with Nichole because he couldn’t handle his fame.
Cooper continued to frown, and Sam didn’t have any dirt on him. Cooper was also closest to Riley, being her brother-in-law. It wasn’t going to be easy to win him over.
“Look. I’m not making any promises to her. And I’m sure the hell not making them to you guys. I like her. She likes me. We have a good time together and her kid is fun. That’s what this is. I’m not some creep who’s planning to do something bad to her. I’ll try my best to be respectful. You all know me well enough not to doubt that.”
They all gave a nod of half-hearted agreement. Better than nothing. The subject changed to baseball, and he was free. His drink was empty and he knew he could get a refill in the kitchen. But now that he was out of the frying pan, there was no way he’d purposefully put himself in the fire.
Chapter 7
“Every great husband and father was at one time a bachelor,” Roslyn defended Sam to their friends while Riley watched Luca playing.
“No one could match Tucker for bachelordom. He had women throwing panties at him while he was on stage. Trust me when I say, if Tucker can settle down with one woman, anyone can,” Nichole pointed out while stirring her margarita. “And we’re talking about starting a family.”
“Excellent!” Roz cheered. Riley gave her a hug first since she was closest. She was happy for Nichole, and glad for the subject change.
The problem wasn’t that Sam was too much of a bachelor. He’d told her he wasn’t good at relationships and she had assumed it was a case of not wanting to commit. But the truth was, Sam was very good at being in a relationship. And he was excellent with Luca.
No, the problem wasn’t that Sam didn’t want to be with her. She wondered if the problem was more that he thought he couldn’t. Riley and her friends talked about kids and childbirth until they nearly had Nichole talked out of it. Riley noticed Sam out on the patio with the men, the same empty bottle in his hand. She smiled knowing he’d rather die of thirst than come inside and be subjected to Team Estrogen.
She picked his favorite beer from the refrigerator and ventured outside, confident in her abilities with Team Testosterone.
“Need a drink?” she asked as she held up the beer.
“Baby, you have no idea,” he whispered in her ear as he took the bottle from her. “I was getting ready to text you.”
She laughed at that and wrapped her arm around his waist.
“They’re talking about umbilical cords inside,” Riley told the men who all cringed in unison. “What were you guys talking about?”
“Deck stain.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure which conversation I want to avoid the most,” she admitted with a wince. Sam leaned down to kiss her.
“Fortunately we’re about to eat, so we can all stop talking for a few minutes while we stuff our faces,” Ian said as he held up a plate of meat.
They all filed into the kitchen and the noise grew while everyone filled their plates and found a place to sit.
Sam winked at her. She knew him well enough to know he was telling her everything was fine. She winked back to tell him the same thing.
* * *
“How bad was it?” Riley asked as Sam carried a sleeping Luca out to the car after the party.
“How bad was what?” He played dumb, but it didn’t work.
“How much did they try to scare you?” she explained.
“Probably about as much as the women tried to warn you off me.” He hoped it hadn’t worked.
“Actually they said you were nice.”
“Well, I don’t know if I believe you. But all the guys said the same thing about you.”
She laughed and got in the car as he started it to drive them home.
“I fly out tomorrow evening,” he told her. He didn’t want to leave them.
“When will you be back?”
“Friday night.”
“I’m working at the hotel Friday night.”
“I’ll see you Saturday?”
“Sounds good.” Except that it was an entire week away. He’d have to get over it. Maybe it would do him good to gain some distance.
The job in Ohio frustrated him beyond belief. The guys he’d hired for the demolition didn’t seem to care if they ever got done. “Hey, remember how I told you this needed to be done by Friday?” Sam said on Wednesday while they were taking their third break of the morning.
“Yeah.” The foreman gave him a raised brow.
“Well, we’re not going to make it with you standing around with coffee cups in your hands more than you’re working. I need to be home by Friday. I have a—” He stopped. He’d almost said he had a family to get home to. It nearly erupted out of him as if it were the truth. He blinked a few times and then angrily pointed at them. “Get back to work. You’re staying tonight until that second story is down, or don’t come back in the morning.”
The next day, the guys seemed more motivated. Especially after Dalton called the foreman and explained that their bonus hinged on the job being done on schedule. During lunch they all came into the job trailer to escape the heat for half an hour. It only took a few minutes for them to start bitching about their wives.
Sam listened with new interest in the age-old conversation. He’d heard these same gripes before. He never paid attention, not planning to ever be in that position. But now he was curious about the realities of marriage. Obviously it couldn’t be that horrible, or no one would ever do it. Marriage would be extinct by now if it was that bad.
“The old lady thinks we need a new sofa.” This from a bearded guy who was unwrapping a sandwich. “As if I’m out here working my ass off for some floral piece-of-shit sofa.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t need a new sofa if you hadn’t worn yours out from sitting on it all the time,” one of the others teased.
“My wife is always yapping about needing this or that for the kids or the house. She stays home all day and then complains when I get home and want to relax.”
“I hear you,” said another. “When I get home, I’m tired. Is it too much to ask that I be left to recoup from my long day? Maybe a nice dinner? Maybe get the kids to keep it down?”
Sam couldn’t take anymore. It was ridiculous.
“When I was in Kandahar, I was with two guys who missed their wives and kids. They had to make do with phone calls and the occasional Skype. They died over there, and never got to come home to bitch about dinner or about buying a new fucking sofa.”
No one said a word.
The guys finished up their lunch in silence, and left the office eight minutes before their time was up. Win. Win.
That night when he went back to the hotel room, he called Riley.
“Hello?”
“Hey, you busy?” he asked, as he relaxed at the sound of her voice.
“I’m heating up pasta-Os.” The girl never bought anything name brand. “What’s up? Are you okay?”
“I guess so.”
“What’s wrong? You never call. You just send sexy texts.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you tonight. Is that okay?” He rubbed his forehead not sure why the need was so crucial all of the sudden.
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
“What do you think of your sofa?” he asked.
“What?”
“I noticed it wasn’t floral.”
“Why would I want a floral sofa? I like this sofa. It’s easy to clean and we’ve had sex on it. Good memories. Why are you asking about my sofa?”
&nbs
p; Sam couldn’t help but smile. “No reason. I’m just working with a bunch of assholes. I can’t wait to come home.”
There was a long pause, and Sam—hearing what he’d said—began to panic until she said, “We miss you too.”
He could have easily played it off that “home” was Roanoke, and Sam hadn’t said he missed them. But Riley knew what he was thinking. He’d never had a connection like that before.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days,” he said huskily.
“See you then.”
The rest of the week couldn’t be over fast enough, but eventually he was on a plane heading east. Back to Riley and Luca.
* * *
While Luca was taking a nap on Saturday afternoon Riley and Sam were on the sofa making out, and making up for lost time. She’d told herself not to get attached, but she couldn’t help it. When Sam got there he picked her up and kissed her for a very long time while Luca danced around their legs. Any distance she had managed was gone after that.
Then Sam turned his attention to Luca, holding him by his ankles and making him laugh until he couldn’t catch his breath. It was no wonder why Luca was worn out.
Sam had his hand under her shirt and they were just about to move it to the bedroom when her phone rang. When she saw her sister’s smiling face on the screen she almost went into a panic.
Roslyn never called her. They would text back and forth for hours, but actual conversation? No. Who did that anymore?
“What’s wrong? Is Maddy okay?” was Riley’s greeting.
“Yes. It’s Mom. She’s had a heart attack. They took her to Centra. Ken says she’s stable, but he didn’t have a lot of information. Should I swing by and pick you up on the way? Cooper is staying with Maddy.”
“Um.” Riley’s mom brain kicked into gear as she quickly ticked off available child care. Anita was at bingo. Lexi was up at the cabin. And Roslyn was getting ready to drive to the hospital too. She could drop Luca off with Cooper, but that would be a lot for him to handle alone. “Let me call you right back.”
“What is it?” Sam asked.
Riley was already calling her mother-in-law on the off chance she hadn’t left yet.
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