He turned and looked directly into Sam’s eyes. “Until now. Until I met you.”
The look on Lee’s face was one of almost unbearable pain. “When Brianna said you had cancer back there in the restaurant, I felt like the floor had dropped out from underneath me. Again.”
“My mind was reeling. Sam, I’ve grown to love you and everything about you. I just can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
He looked up, as if searching for the right words to say. “I know we haven’t known each other for a long time but we’ve been through a lot together and I feel that it’s time for me to start living again. To start loving again.”
He nodded towards the balcony. “When I was out there, I was thinking. What would Annie want for me?” He grabbed both of her hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Annie would want this for me. She would want me to be happy. And she would love you.”
He took a deep breath. “Crazy as this may sound, maybe this is a sign – that you are the one.”
Lee cupped his hand under Sam’s chin as he looked into her eyes. “I’m glad I know now. You are a beautiful, spirited, gentle soul and I love you.”
Sam blinked. She was at a loss for words. Huge tears slowly started rolling down her cheeks.
As Lee wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, Sam began sobbing uncontrollably. Heart wrenching sobs shook her body as the pent-up pain and grief of feeling unloved for so long was unleashed.
The tighter Lee held her, the harder she cried.
After every single tear had been cried and every ounce of pain had surfaced, Sam finally pulled herself together and lifted her head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t normally break down like that, I just…”
He put a finger to her lips, “Shhh…”
His hand gently caressed her face as he leaned forward to kiss her ever-so-softly. It took Sam’s breath away. It was sweet and gentle and loving, all at once.
Lee pulled away and looked down at her – a look of pure adoration for the woman he loved.
Sam wiped the back of her hand across her tear stained face. “I’m sure I’m a sight right now.”
Lee nodded. “A beautiful one at that.”
“I need a minute to pull myself together…if you don’t mind?” She headed towards the bathroom.
She flipped on the light and peered into the mirror. It was worse than she thought. Her face was splotchy. Her eyes bloodshot and her nose bright red. There were long, black mascara streaks running down her cheeks.
She splashed cold water on her face and did her best to wipe away the black lines the mascara left behind. Moments later she returned to where Lee was still sitting.
“There’s my gorgeous lady!”
Sam gave him a watery smile. “Don’t lie to me!”
“No lie. I think you’re the prettiest woman on the planet.”
They sat and talked for a long time. Lee wanted to make sure Sam felt secure in the fact that he loved her – and he wasn’t going anywhere! He would be right there, no matter what.
Finally, it was time for Sam to head back to her room. When they reached her door, Lee swiftly pulled her into his arms. She tipped her head back, waiting for his glorious kiss. She didn’t have to wait long. His lips possessed hers, as if he couldn’t own them completely enough.
Without hesitation, Sam returned the intensity. She belonged to Lee! He knew everything and he still wanted her! It sent a thrilling tingle down her spine.
The pair were oblivious to their surroundings when suddenly right behind them a throat cleared, “Ahem!” They pulled away guiltily. Jasmine and Brianna were standing behind them.
“I thought we better break you two up. It looked like we could be waiting here awhile.”
Lee laughed. “Well, I guess that’ll teach us.”
He turned back to Sam. “I have some work to wrap up tomorrow morning. I’ll be house-hunting in the afternoon.” He continued. “Looks like they’re going to approve my transfer so I’ll be moving down here in the next month or so.”
Brianna cut him off, “You’re MOVING here?” She turned to her mom. “He’s moving here. Mom, this is a sign!”
Brianna was just about beside herself. “OK, that settles it. We need to start looking for a house, too!”
Lee and Sam started laughing at the same time. “Brianna, it’s not that easy…”
She wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “... but checking the area out might not be a bad idea.”
“Yes!” Bri turned to look at Jasmine.
She shrugged. “I’m in, too. I love it down here! My mom will be less-than-thrilled but she can always come visit. Or move here, too!” she added.
Lee looked at his watch. “House hunting in the afternoon, it is. I’ll meet you ladies in the lobby around 2.”
With that, they said good-night and headed inside.
Chapter 14
Another day of glorious sunshine greeted them the next morning. Since the girls were leaving soon, they wanted to finish up some last-minute shopping.
Sam let them go off by themselves as she settled into the hotel room. She needed to catch up on some office work while it was quiet.
The morning was gone before she knew it. Soon, they were in the lobby, waiting for Lee to pick them up.
House-hunting was fun and Sam was surprised at how much she liked all four houses they looked at. The homes were in really nice neighborhoods. The streets were lined with broad sidewalks and huge oak trees and almost all lawns meticulously manicured. Everything looked so green and lush. She loved the tropical-feel that just seemed to pour out of everything. Palm trees were everywhere. Although the style of the homes were quite different than what she was used to in Michigan, it was something she could definitely get used to, she thought to herself.
“Mom, we need to have palm trees in our yard!” Brianna exclaimed.
The girls liked all the houses, but their favorites were definitely the ones with in-ground pools. Sam had to admit she liked the idea of having a pool, too. A couple of them had what they called screened lanais. The realtor explained this was to keep bugs and pesky critters out. And, he pointed out, there was less maintenance if the pools were screened in.
Hmmm, that made sense to Sam. Guess we’ll need a screen if we get a pool. The dollar signs were adding up.
Lee’s favorite was a pool home that backed up to a golf course.
“Good choice.” The realtor confirmed. “Better for resale value. Golf course homes are very popular down here.”
Lee turned to Sam. “Do you golf?”
Bri snorted. “No, but I’d sure like to see her try.”
“Brianna, that’s not nice!” Sam scolded.
She wrinkled up her nose and turned back to Lee. “For you, I would try it.”
Lee thanked the realtor and said he would get back with him in the next day or two, after he had a chance to talk it over with Sam. When they got back in the car, Lee asked her what she thought.
She agreed the golf course pool home was her favorite but reminded him that she wasn’t the one buying it. “Maybe not, but you may be living in it one day - soon.” He matter-of-factly stated.
Brianna leaned over the front seat. “Wow, you two are getting serious.” For once, Sam was at a loss for words. She was right. It was getting serious – more serious by the minute.
When it was time for Lee and Sam to meet Donovan and Gabby for dinner, they left the girls out on the pool deck to enjoy their last night in Florida and spend some time with Luke and Travis.
On the ride to the restaurant, Sam was getting butterflies and having second thoughts about Donovan and Gabby meeting. What if they can’t stand each other? Or, what if they do like each other, something happens and they stopped dating and then blamed Sam?
Lee looked over at Sam and chuckled. “Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea having them meet, after all?”
Sam slapped Lee’s arm. “Stop it. Just getting cold feet for them, I guess,” she
admitted.
She’d find out soon enough. When they arrived at the restaurant, they asked for a table outside, in the corner so they could keep an eye out.
Donovan arrived first. He didn’t seem the least bit concerned about an extra dinner guest as he reached over to give Sam a gentle hug and slap Lee on the back. It didn’t really matter if Donovan was nervous – Sam was nervous enough for both of them.
When they sat down, she decided maybe it was best to describe Gabby a little – give him a bit of a warning about her over-the-top-personality. But how could she put it in a way that wouldn’t scare him half-to-death?
She opened her mouth to speak but it was too late! Before she had a chance to give Donovan the lowdown, she spotted Gabby as she stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Sam slapped her hand to her forehead. What on earth did that woman have on?
Lee followed her gaze. “Well, will you look at that?” He smirked as he looked over at Sam. “This ought to be interesting!”
To say Gabby was all decked out would be a major understatement. She was wearing a little black dress with a deep slit up the side. It was skin-tight with a plunging V-neck that accentuated her ample bosom. She was wearing a huge, gold necklace. The shiny, round discs did nothing to hide Gabby’s – ahem – “assets.” A crimson red, rhinestone-studded belt was cinched tightly around her waist. It would have looked seriously out of place if not for the 6-inch vibrant red stiletto heels she had strapped on her feet. Sam could hear Gabby clanking as she wobbled down the sidewalk. By the looks of it, she had enough gold bracelets on to open her own jewelry store!
As if that wasn’t enough, she was smacking her gum as she talked loudly into her cell phone. You could hear every word coming out of her mouth. “Donna, I’m telling you, this isn’t gonna work. You can’t just up and quitcher’ job and move down here. I mean you need money. M-O-N-E-Y!!”
Just then she glanced around. She had an audience. “Look, I gotta go. I’m meetin’ friends for dinner. I think they got a hot one for me – if ya’ know what I mean.”
Seconds later, she spotted Lee and Sam sitting at the table and waved a clanking arm in their direction. “Heyyyy!! YooHoo!! OVER HERE!!!”
She put the phone close to her mouth and continued the conversation. “Look, I gotta run!” She tried to lower her voice and whisper to “Donna” on the other end but it didn’t work. You could still hear every word she said. “He’s gorgeous. Look, I’ll call ya’ later. Bye!”
With that, she snapped her phone shut and ran a hand through her unruly red locks. Still chomping away on the gum, she must’ve decided now was time to ditch it. She craned her head as she scoped out the nicely-landscaped bushes and colorful spring flowers surrounding the deck. She bent over, her ample chest threatening to blow out the sides and “patoop.” The gum was clearly no longer a problem.
By now, most of the other diners were staring at Gabby – including Donovan. Sam sneaked a furtive peek at him as she tried to gauge his reaction. Stone-faced. She had no idea what was going through his mind.
Sam nervously wiped a hand across her brow as she swallowed hard.
Lee looked over at her. By the look on his face, she could tell he was thoroughly enjoying her discomfort.
There was nothing left to do except walk over and say hello to her friend. Friend? Well, maybe that wasn’t quite an accurate description. More like an acquaintance…
Gabby spotted Sam as she stood and picked up her wobbly pace. She seemed so excited to see her, Sam felt guilty about being so judgmental.
The guys stood just as they reached the table. Lee spoke first. “Gabby, this is my friend Donovan. Donovan, this is Gabby, our friend from the cruise.”
Donovan quickly offered his hand. Instead of shaking it like a normal person would, Gabby grabbed his hand and turned it over. “Such nice, strong hands! OOHHH, look at that – you have some interesting lines… For instance, look at your heart line…”
Sam snatched Donovan’s hand away from Gabby. “We will not be doing any palm reading. That’s pure witchcraft.”
Gabby’s face fell. “I’m sorry, I just...”
Sam felt bad. She may have overreacted just a tad but this was no way to leave a first impression. Instead, she quickly changed the subject.
“Let’s just sit down.” She glanced around. “We’re getting a lot of unwanted attention. Well, maybe not for you, but at least for me it’s unwanted.”
Lee could see Sam struggling. He sighed as he saved her once again. “Gabby, you look delightful. I forgot how very interesting and entertaining you really are.”
Sam looked suspiciously at Lee. Was he serious?
Gabby brightened at the compliment as she reached up and patted her bright red locks. “Thanks. And I forgot how absolutely gorgeous you are.” She paused and then looked at Donovan. “But not nearly as gorgeous as your friend here.”
With that, Gabby monopolized the entire conversation. She was talking when they ordered appetizers. She talked non-stop while they ate their meal. She was STILL talking when they ordered coffee and dessert.
Sam was slightly annoyed until she reminded herself that this dinner was all about Gabby and Donovan meeting each other.
She sneaked a look at Donovan. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. He didn’t look like he was put-off or if he was, he was doing a good job of hiding it. Sam sent up a small prayer of thanks that the whole thing hadn’t blown up in her face.
She glanced at Lee. He was extremely amused and didn’t seem the least bit bothered by Gabby’s unending chatter.
Finally, much to Sam’s relief, the evening ended and it was time to go. Donovan quickly stood up and ran over to pull Gabby’s chair out for her.
Sam’s mouth dropped open. Well, I’ll be darned. I think he really likes her!
She looked over at Lee who had the same look of surprise on his face. She smiled smugly and Lee returned the look with a shake of his head as if to say, I really can’t believe this.
The four of them walked to where Gabby’s car was parked. Donovan turned to Gabby, acting as if Sam and Lee were invisible. He reached out and squeezed Gabby’s hand. “I would love to have dinner with you again.”
He fished a card from his wallet and handed it to her. “Here’s my work card. My cell number is on it. Give me a call after you get home later and we’ll figure out when we can meet for dinner again.”
With that, he reached over and gently kissed Gabby’s cheek. She must have been just as shocked as Sam because her mouth dropped open and for once, she was at a loss for words. Instead, she just nodded her head.
Finally, she squeaked out. “Sam, thanks so much for asking me to dinner.” She looked back at Donovan. “I had the best time ever.”
Sam raised her eyebrows as she looked over at Lee triumphantly. See, I told you!
Lee just shook his head as Gabby drove off. When they got to Donovan’s car, Lee turned to his friend. “You don’t have to go out with her again, you know.”
Donovan looked puzzled. “But why not? I thought she was absolutely enchanting. Like a breath of fresh air.” He looked back to where Gabby had just pulled out and smiled. “She reminds me of home.”
With that, he jumped in his car. Just before he backed out, he rolled down the window. “We need to get together soon to talk about that diving trip.”
Sam had almost forgotten about that! Ugh, now something else for her to have to worry about!
Sam and Lee headed to their car. As soon as the doors shut, Sam opened her mouth to say something but Lee held up his hand to stop her. “You don’t have to say a word. You were right – I was wrong.” A look of amazement crossed his face. “Still, I never would’ve put those two together…”
Sam crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side triumphantly. “That’s because you’re a guy and you know nothing about women’s intuition!”
With that, Lee shook his head and laughed. “You got that right! Nor do I want to!”
All four of them looked glum. “Why all the sad faces? It’s not like you’ll never see each other ever again…”
Brianna looked at her mom pleadingly. “Honestly, mom. Are you really going to consider moving to Florida?”
Sam sighed as she glanced around the table and then back at Lee. Now it was five glum faces staring at her. She was definitely outnumbered. “Yes, I think we should give it some serious consideration.” She had to admit that she liked what she’d seen today and that getting a job transfer would be fairly easy. The more she thought about it, the more sense it seemed to make.
Brianna’s face lit up. Sam put her hands on her hips. “But…it’s not like we can up and move tomorrow. It’s going to take planning and more research,” she warned.
She looked over at her daughter, a serious expression on her face. “The first thing we’re going to do is pray about it. We’re not moving anywhere without seeking God’s direction on this.”
Brianna ignored the second part of what her mom said as she jumped up and ran over to throw her arms around her neck. “You are the BEST Mom in the whole world and I love you!”
Sam hugged her back as she tried to reason with her. “Remember Bri – it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Just then Lee walked over and placed his hand on Sam’s back. “I’ll help in any way I can, even if I have to fly to Michigan, rent a truck and move you down here myself.”
Before he could finish his sentence, the boys chimed in. “We’ll help, too. We can drive up there and help you move!”
Jasmine sat there with her head in her hands, not saying a word. She was the only one still looking unhappy. Sam walked over and sat down beside her. She put her arm around Jasmine’s shoulder and softly said, “Jasmine, I know what you’re thinking. That we’re all going to move down here and you’ll be left in Michigan all alone. But remember, your mom, your family –they’re all up there. This is a big decision – that only you can make.”
Winds of Deception (Samantha Rite Series Book 2) Page 10