“Hi, Mommy, how’s my baby doing?”
“She’s great. Smart as a whip. Bernadette is so jealous, I tell you,” her mother chortled. “You’re late with your call today.”
“I know. I overslept,” Samantha said.
“Good for you. You need to relax more. Kayla’s out and about with your father. I’ll call you when they come in.”
“Aw, geez, I wanted to talk to her. I miss her,” Samantha whined.
“Samantha, darling, it’s only been a week. Relax; your baby is in good hands,” her mother chided. “Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. You deserve it.”
“If you need me, I’m at Tracey and Shane’s,” Samantha said.
“Yes, Tracey told me that you may come visit. How is she?”
“She’s faring pretty well. Still having sickness, but not as much.”
“I thought it would have passed by now. Are you sure she’s taking care of herself?”
“Mommy, Shane is like a mother hen where Tracey is concerned. She’s being very well cared for,” Samantha said. “As a matter of fact, they must be wondering where I am. I have to go, Mommy. Give Daddy and Auntie Bernadette my love, and kiss my baby for me.”
“Okay, dear, talk to you in a little while.”
“Bye,” Samantha said, and hung up. She put her cell in the pocket of her shorts and left her room in search of everyone else. She didn’t know how she would react when she saw Adam this morning. Last night had been deliciously sweet.
She walked through the house and into the large kitchen. Tracey was sitting at the island, eating a bowl of fruit.
“Good morning.” Tracey smiled slyly.
What is wrong with her? “Good morning,” she said, and walked over to her sister and gave her a hug. “Where’s Shane?”
“He and Adam went over to the children’s hospital,” Tracey remarked around a mouthful of fruit.
“I’m surprised he left you alone,” Samantha smiled.
“He knew that you were here. He’ll only be gone for a little bit,” Tracey said.
“How are you feeling?” Samantha asked.
“I feel surprisingly good today. Hopefully these bouts of sickness are subsiding,” Tracey said, rubbing her belly.
“Good. So what do you want to do today?” Samantha asked.
“I have no idea. It’s too hot to walk about outside. I try to stay in until evening, when it cools down a bit. There’s a plate in the warmer for you.”
“Really? You cooked?” Samantha asked, walking over to the warmer in a drawer next to the microwave. She took out a plate that was filled with bacon, eggs, sausages, home fries, and a toasted bagel. “Who can eat all of this? Better yet, who made all of this?”
“Adam made it,” Tracey replied with a smile.
“Adam can cook?” Samantha frowned.
“Of course he can. Hasn’t he cooked for you and Kayla before?”
“Not really. I mean, he’s grilled a few times, but you know Kayla’s favorite food is hot dogs,” Samantha chuckled.
“Oh,” Tracey said.
“You sound disappointed,” Samantha said.
“Well, I thought since he was always with Kayla that…you know, he’d cooked for you and Kayla before.”
“When I was pregnant he would bring food over, but I just assumed that he bought it from a diner or something. Mommy did a lot of cooking and I stored a lot. Other than that I cooked for myself, and still do,” Samantha said with a shrug. “I mean, anybody can grill a hot dog and a burger.”
“No they can’t. Trust me on this. I am one of those people.”
“You can cook, Tracey, you’ve just chosen not to because you were always on the road.”
“There’s coffee in the pot. I still can’t tolerate the smell too much, but help yourself,” Tracey said.
“I’m not going to have it if the smell makes you sick,” Samantha said.
“I’ll be fine. Adam had a cup this morning, and other than when it was first brewing I was good. Go ahead and get yourself a cup.” Tracey waved her on.
“Okay. I could use a cup. I can’t believe I slept so late,” Samantha said, pouring the hot liquid into her cup.
“Any reason why you slept late today?” Tracey grinned.
“Yes. I was tired. It was weird at first not having Kayla here, but I’m starting to adjust. Sort of,” she added. “Mommy’s tired of me badgering them.”
“I know, she’s told me this on several occasions,” Tracey chuckled. “You’re driving them crazy.”
“I can’t help it. I miss my baby something terrible. This is helping me adjust to her being away from me at day care. You know how I feel about that,” Samantha said.
“I can’t blame you on that one; however, Kayla does need to socialize with other children. She’s always around adults. Day care will be good for her and you. Do you trust the one you’ve enrolled her in?”
“I don’t trust anybody with my baby. They come highly recommended, and the director appeared to be very efficient. We’ll see. You know I’m going to be doing surprise visits for a while,” Samantha grinned.
“Don’t get kicked out of day care, Sissy,” Tracey joked.
“I’m serious! I have to be sure,” she said, sitting down and digging into her breakfast. “This is good.”
“So, what’s going on between you and Adam?” Tracey asked out of nowhere, catching Samantha by surprise.
Samantha choked on the forkful of potatoes she’d put in her mouth. Tracey got up and patted her on her back.
“Be careful,” Tracey said.
Samantha swallowed slowly, and then took a gulp of juice. “What do you mean?” she asked, clearing her throat.
“Exactly what I said. I saw him creeping out of your room last night,” Tracey smirked.
“Oh, goodness,” Samantha said, and covered her flustered face with her palms.
“Let’s hear it, before the guys come back,” Tracey said.
“We had sex. That’s all, Tracey. Twice,” she added.
“I knew it!” Tracey cried, dancing around like a crazy person.
“You knew what? Calm down, Tracey,” Samantha chided.
Tracey came to sit next to her. “Was it good?” Tracey asked her.
Samantha blushed. Her sister had no tact whatsoever.
“Well, was it?” Tracey demanded.
“Oh yeah. Very.” She flushed and took a sip of her coffee.
“Ha! I knew it!”
“Nothing can come of it. I have too much going on right now. I have Kayla to think about,” Samantha said quietly.
“If you ask me, that man treats Kayla as if she was his own. Think about that, Sissy,” Tracey said.
“He has, hasn’t he? I’m just not ready to get involved in a serious relationship.”
“Do you still love Kayla’s father?” Tracey asked quietly.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for him before Kayla. Love? Not at all. He ruined any chances of me loving him. I can see now that what I thought was love was just a physical attraction. You know…classic good girl falling for the bad boy,” Samantha joked. “I figured out that he’s not a bad boy, he’s just a straight-up asshole.”
“An asshole that you still carry a torch for.” Tracey eyed her. “So where does Adam stand in all of this? What is he to you?”
Samantha smiled. “Adam—Adam is fire.”
“Yes, well. You play with fire, you just may get burned, little sister. Tread lightly. That’s a man you’re dealing with, not a boy. Remember that,” Tracey said. “Now enough of this deep talk. Let’s go watch something on the tube. Something that’s not sports-related.”
“Miss racing, huh?”
“Yes, I do. It will be there when I get back, if I go back to it. Some things are just far more important,” Tracey said, rubbing her belly. “I love my husband more than anything, and my baby, too.”
“I envy your and Shane’s love. You’re one lucky lady, Sissy,” Sa
mantha murmured.
“Extremely.”
“Tracey, don’t mention what I told you to anyone else. Not even your husband. I need to figure some things out for myself.”
“Mum’s the word,” Tracey said.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” Samantha said.
They hadn’t gotten far when the ringing of a phone sounded.
“Is that a phone ringing?” Tracey asked.
“Yes. It’s not mine. I have mine right here in my pocket,” Samantha said, patting the pocket of her shorts.
“It’s mine,” Tracey said, stopping in her tracks and walking swiftly back to the kitchen. “I left it on the countertop,” Tracey said.
“I’ll be in the media room,” Samantha called after her.
“I’ll be in in a minute,” Tracey said.
*
By the time Tracey got to her phone it had stopped ringing. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID. The phone read one missed call, and Allison Grant’s name was beside it.
“Oh, shoot. I forgot to call her back,” Tracey said to herself, and quickly clicked on Allison number and dialed it back.
“Hi, Allison, Tracey. You called?”
“Yes, two things. Well, actually three. One: How are you feeling?”
“I feel pretty good today,” Tracey smiled. “This baby is temperamental.”
Tracey heard Allison’s soft chuckle through the phone line. “He or she is taking after both parents. Two: I need to set up that interview with you and Shane. And three: Daniel Ashby’s been making some pretty interesting remarks about Samantha. He’s also been inquiring on her whereabouts. I wouldn’t have said anything, but he approached a few colleagues and myself—all women, I might add—trying to get information. He’s going on as if they’ve had a previous relationship. I texted you the other day.”
Tracey frowned. Why the hell would Daniel be looking for Samantha? The man knew no bounds to his idiocies, Tracey thought. “I don’t know what that’s about, Allison. Daniel has always thought very highly of himself,” Tracey said.
“Well, he’s being interviewed by my station this week. I just thought you should know. He called for the interview, I might add, after previously not granting anyone an exclusive.”
“Daniel’s probably just blowing smoke out of his ass, as usual. You would think he would sit his grown butt down somewhere. The Powells put his name on the map, yet he’s gone out of his way to make us and the Westbrooks look bad. He really needs to give it a rest. As for Shane’s and my interview, I would ask that you give me another month or so. I don’t want to be puking on the show. That’ll really have tongues wagging. I’ll check with Shane on some dates and get back to you,” Tracey said.
“Good enough.”
“Thanks for calling, Allison. We’ll have to do lunch when I can finally keep down a meal,” Tracy chuckled.
“Yes, let’s. Talk to you soon. Take care.”
“You too,” Tracey said, and hung up the phone. With a frown furrowing her brow, she walked to the media room where Samantha was.
“Guess what?” she said, as she came upon Samantha watching the cooking channel.
“What?” Samantha asked.
“Daniel Ashby’s been asking about you. According to Allison, he’s been making remarks that you two were an item.”
“Oh.”
Samantha was saved from saying anything further by the sound of loud voices approaching. Adam and Shane were back.
“They’re back,” Tracey said, and turned in the direction of the voices.
Shane walked through the open doorway first, Adam following on his heels.
Samantha watched as Shane immediately grabbed Tracey up in a bear hug. “How’re you feeling today?” he asked, releasing her to run his hand across her protruding belly. “Is he still acting up?”
“I keep telling you she not he, and I feel fine,” Tracey corrected him, giving him a love tap on his arm.
“Whatever, darling’,” Shane said, and kissed her on the lips.
“Get a room, you two,” Adam snickered.
“We have a room; it’s our house, knucklehead,” Shane said.
“Yeah, yeah, I have to get going. I have to be back in Atlanta for meetings,” Adam said.
“Meetings on a Saturday?” Shane asked.
“Yes,” Adam said. “I have a lot going on during the week so this particular meeting I intentionally scheduled for today. I’m taking some of the guys to the Braves game tomorrow, and then next week is packed with meetings again.”
Samantha watched with interest. She was both relieved and upset that Adam was leaving. She was relieved because that meant she didn’t have to watch her step while he was here, and upset because amongst the two love birds he made her feel special and not so alone.
“Adam, have a safe trip back. Call us when you arrive. Shane, I have to show you something. Come with me,” Tracey said, taking Shane by the hand and leaving the room.
Samantha watched the two disappear around the corner. She could only shake her head at her sister’s antics. Samantha knew Tracey was trying to leave her alone with Adam. Why, she wasn’t sure. Tracey was bold, did and said what she wanted most of the time. Samantha was somewhat the opposite.
“So, how long are you staying?” she heard Adam ask.
Samantha turned to look over at him. He was standing in the middle of the floor with his hands in his pockets.
“I leave tomorrow,” she answered, not looking directly at him. She couldn’t, not just yet.
“Look at me, Samantha,” he demanded, advancing on her.
Samantha lifted her eyes to his.
“Don’t be embarrassed about last night. We want one another. There’s nothing wrong with that; we’re both adults,” he said, pulling her into his embrace.
“Adam,” she said breathlessly.
“Don’t worry. They’ll be a while. I’ll call you this week, answer your phone,” he whispered.
Samantha nodded.
“Good. Now kiss me, Samantha. For real,” he murmured.
Samantha brought her lips up to meet his and kissed him thoroughly. Their lips and tongues danced together. He kissed her as if it were their last. Her only complaint was that it ended almost as soon as it began.
“I’ll call you,” he said, then turned and left her standing in the middle of the carpeted room.
“He likes the shock factor I see,” she murmured to the empty room.
Chapter Ten
Samantha was in her workshop rebuilding an engine. She’d stopped working on the new racecar to restore an old BMW® bike. Now she was taking a Honda engine apart and rebuilding a custom one to use on the vintage BMW®. Samantha had been home a few days already. True to his word Adam had called, sometimes twice a day. She’d been pleasantly surprised, because she hadn’t expected him to do so. She enjoyed their talks. They talked about nothing in particular, but would talk for hours at a time.
The ringing of the telephone brought her out of her musings. Samantha took off her protective eye goggles and the soiled gloves and made her way over to her standalone tool chest, where she’d left her cell phone, and picked it up.
“Hello,” she called in a rush.
“Turn on your TV to Sports Center™.”
“Well hello to you, too, Declan. Sorry, I’m too busy for television at the moment,” Samantha snickered.
“I suggest you un-busy yourself, sister dear. Ashby’s on spewing innuendos, and there’s no doubt that they are about you and him.”
Samantha stiffened. Oh goodness, Daniel again. What was he going on about now? she wondered. Samantha rushed into the house and switched on the television. There, live, and in living color, was Daniel, in all of his handsomeness. The man was walking sex appeal. “Hmm, delicious. Too bad he’s bad for one’s health,” she said with an unladylike snort, and then turned the television up.
What? Did Allison take on a new job? she wondered, as she watched him sitting next to sports
panelist Ted Jobson.
“You’ve made some mention of Samantha Powell throughout the interview. Are we to assume that you two were love interests now or in the past?” Ted asked.
“Well, she’s a very beautiful woman, and well . . .” Daniel responded with a knowing smile.
“I really don’t know her. I know of her sister, of course, since she’s won the title a few times, and that you were one of their drivers—up until recently, that is. Considering your sudden departure, it was insinuated that there was bad blood between you, the Westbrooks, and the Powells.”
“Samantha was Tracey’s crew chief,” Allison cut in.
“Oh yes, that’s right. I remember her now, just as gorgeous as her sister. Daniel, this is Allison Grant, she’s our guest analyst for the month while Randy’s recovering from a skiing accident,” Ted said to Daniel.
“Yes, I know who she is. Samantha spoke of Allison. You used to have a thing with Declan, didn’t you, Allison?” Daniel smirked.
“Oh my goodness!” Samantha shrieked at the television and covered her heart with her hand. “You’re just too full of yourself, aren’t you, Daniel?”
“I thought this was a sports show, not a soap opera. Frankly, I would like to know how confident you are about the upcoming race. I mean, you’ve lost the last two to your prodigy, so to speak, and to dispel any rumors of something between Declan and me, well, we all went to school together. You know, high school and college stuff. Nothing to do with our adult lives now,” Allison countered smoothly. “The one thing I am sure of is that the Powells have never operated on gossip. I mean, you know, like spreading false rumors. And only my friends and colleagues call me Allison. Ms. Grant will do fine. Thank you.”
“HA! Take that, you pompous ass!” Samantha hooted, as she watched the stunned faces on both Daniel and Ted.
“Well,” Ted said, clearing his throat. “What do you think your chances are of winning this time around?”
“I know I will win this time around,” Daniel said with a nervous chuckle.
“I hear some talk about the Powells revealing a new car, but no driver yet. Will you be that driver?”
SAMANTHA: Never Say Never (The Powell's Book 2) Page 6