by Marti Shane
“Nick’s a great employer and A.P. is fine.”
“Can I ask why you left?” Seth inclined his head, hands slipped into the pockets of his slacks.
“A.P. was my college job. He still uses me, but I’m on contract.”
“Exclusively?” Seth seemed surprised.
“No.” She decided saying less was best.
“I’m picking up a cluster of manufacturing firms for a three-year turnaround. Using A.P. for admin was part of the deal. Why aren’t you working on that?”
“I might be,” she offered, knowing damn well she wasn’t. “What’s the name?”
“The Kramer deal. Alexis said Nick refused to put you in.” Sam swallowed back any gut reaction to Alexis’s name. Nick hadn’t said a damn word to her. “Don’t get me wrong.” Seth held up a hand. “She’s in great hands with Nick.”
“You’re right. She is.”
“Refuse is a pretty strong word.” Seth circled back around to his original concern. Fucking Alexis. The man wasn’t as smart as she thought if he bought Kramer Industries and left Alexis in charge.
“I regret worrying you,” she said. “My sister died recently and I’m adopting her child. Nick’s protecting my privacy and my time.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You weren’t without reason. I understand.”
“Are you sure you can take-” She lifted her hand to silence him even though she’d shared the concern.
“I’m a professional.”
“True.” Seth smiled, reaching for the door. She imagined he was much like her when it came to sharing personal details, because he was quick to let it go. Why hadn’t Nick told her about this instead of letting Seth blindside her? Leaving her visitor badge with reception, Sam welcomed the dry heat wave through expansive glass doors.
“I thought you’d never get done.” Mick’s familiar sarcasm came from her right. Sam blinked, taking in a welcome sight. Mick stood in her red leather moto pants between two Ninjas. “Your man rented these.” She tossed over a backpack. “There’s a love note and some threads inside. Go change.” Sam buzzed from head to toe, high with excitement and already anticipating the ride.
Zipping up her riding boots in the lobby restroom, Sam thought she made record time. The note from Jake was face up on the bench.
Take the long way home. Love, Jake.
She loved this man. He knew what she needed before she did, the only person who could stay one step ahead of her. Stress she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying melted from her in waves. She had hours with Mick and the open road, which was one of her favorite things. First, she had a call to make. Pulling out her burner phone she typed the number from memory and pressed send.
“Hey,” Alexis answered, knowing it would be her.
“You’re working with Nick?”
“Not exactly. I don’t suppose you could help me with that?” Nick wouldn’t even look at Alexis, much less work with her. Sam knew he wouldn’t risk his biggest client, and as it turns out her Aunt wasn’t that bad.
“He’ll come around. I’ll give him a push.”
“I didn’t know what to say to Seth.”
“I smoothed it over. Told him I was adopting J.J. and you were in good hands with Nick.”
“If only that were true,” Alexis breathed. “Sadly, I need the help.” Alexis was in over her head in her dad’s company, but Sam gave her credit for taking the reins.
“Why didn’t you just ask me?” Sam asked, surprising herself.
“You’ve got enough on your plate. No word by the way.” Alexis had a team searching for Cyrus, and it was making Sam nervous he couldn’t be found. She obsessed over recent photos, no matter how hard it was to look at the man. She needed to be able to recognize him if he showed up in a crowd. “He doesn’t have a passport, at least not in his name.”
“Speaking of…” Sam prompted. Jake wasn’t wrong about the Kramer money, power and influence. Sam had secretly tapped in.
“Five days. I’ll call to make sure you’re there when it’s delivered.” There was a pause. “I don’t think you’ll need it,” Alexis stressed.
“J.J.’s, too?”
“Sam, listen-”
“I need one for him, too.”
“I know.” She raised her hushed voice. “Running won’t help legally.” The possibilities swam around in Sam’s head. Cyrus wasn’t facing major jail time for leaving the scene of an accident. He’d be better off serving some time than relinquishing his rights. He wasn’t the beneficiary on Maggie’s trust if anything happened to her, except now they have a minor son. As legal guardian, he had access to the millions Gram left. No violent history on his record, thanks to the Kramers. Sam wasn’t running. She was hiding while Alexis contested the custody and unsealed her adoption for proof. “Sam?” Alexis’s voice was soft.
“I gotta go.” She ended the call.
The long way was just over a hundred miles and they were back in time for the game. Kay reported J.J. was doing just fine when she called the second time to check. They’d ridden through lunch and her stomach was past growling.
“I want ballpark food,” Mick said, climbing off her bike. Peeling off her riding jacket, she was the spectacle of the parking lot. Her arms were lean and toned, her white tank showing the tan skin at her waist. Wild curls were trying to spring free from her tight braid, giving her a sex-tossed look in her moto pants that gripped her ass and thighs.
Sam couldn’t help but feel sexy herself, peeling off her own jacket and feeling the freedom of not being loaded down with a carefully inventoried diaper bag.
“You’re looking thin, mama. Let’s get some meat on those bones.” Had she been that stressed? She ate when the opportunity arose, but she couldn’t remember the last time she finished her plate.
“A brat sounds good,” she realized, never able to eat at the park. “Maybe two.”
They walked, helmets in hand, earning all kinds of stares. People asked her about Jake as they stood in line for food, as if they were old friends. He was always kind to his fans, and she did the same.
“Look at you talking to strangers and being nice,” Mick teased her. “You almost seem normal.”
“Almost,” she agreed, taking her seat. She’d come a long way with being social, to say the least.
The guys were warming up on the field and Chase gave them a wave as he glanced up. Jake peeked his head over the dugout and she gave him a huge thumbs up. She enjoyed his games, enjoyed J.J., but this moment of less responsibility was nice. Committing to taking a few hours a week for herself, she dug into her mustard-smothered brat.
“You ever gonna start making wedding plans?” Mick asked, licking ketchup from her hand. They were in the sixth inning and on their second round of food.
“Sometime after October,” Sam said. She thought Mary would be pushing her for plans, but assumed she was giving her a reprieve since Maggie and J.J.
“That’s specific,” Mick complained. “What about a dress?”
“Got any sketches?” She already knew the answer, and got excited when Mick lifted her phone. They leaned in over the screen as she scrolled through the rough designs. She hadn’t given much thought to the wedding. At the risk of sounding corny, marrying your dream guy made any wedding a dream wedding. “This one.” She paused Mick’s hand. It wasn’t her usual silhouette of sleek sophistication. There was an effortless to it that Sam wasn’t sure could be brought to life. The skirt was to the floor and full. “It has pockets?”
“Yep, that’s my favorite one.”
“Mine, too.” Sam balanced her food in her lap, taking over the phone. A thrill of excitement rushed through her for the first time since Jake slid on her ring. She blinked at the perfect cut on her finger thinking, despite the drama, she suddenly eager to slip it on and dance with Jake all night. She let herself enjoy the briefest of moments where she really was going to marry Jake.
Reality was, she wouldn’t marry
him just to run with J.J. when Cyrus showed up. She wished with all her heart it would never happen but knew deep inside it would.
“Earth to Sam,” Mick complained, dragging her from her too-frequent thought pattern. Her eyebrows dipped with her frown, searching Sam’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she stammered, “Thinking about Gram,” she offered, which had been her second most frequent thought when it came to wedding plans.
“I’m sorry,” Mick replied softly and managed to keep them upbeat. “Decide what you’re wearing underneath.” Mick swiped right. Refocusing on the screen, she was no longer looking at the perfect wedding dress. Mick was a talented artist, her work dripping with sex. The lingerie was upscale and naughty, and her art was…damn.
“Mick, I love this,” she breathed, the still life gripping her soul.
“Enough to buy it?”
“The lingerie and the sketch. Yes.” She could see a huge demand for this.
“Promises. Promises.”
“What do you mean? I’m serious. You could definitely sell these. I’m talking Rodeo Drive not eBay.”
“The name of the line.” Mick smiled, wiggling her platinum brows. “Promises-Promises.”
“I love it,” she gushed, swiping through a few mock ups of the label.
“Considering I’m irresponsibly unemployed, why not invest everything I have left?”
“You’re an artist. Your investment is time. Let me worry about the rest.” She knew plenty of clients that would spark an interest.
“Because you need more to do? How’d your meeting go anyhow? Did you dazzle?”
“Not exactly.” She remembered her awkward exit with Seth.
“Liar. Of course you did.”
“Did you know Nick’s working with Alexis?”
“The adoption thing?” Sam had to shush, she couldn’t share client information.
“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“In the vault,” Mick said. “Which sucks because now I know and can’t ask him about it.”
“Not good pillow talk anyhow,” Sam teased her.
“That ship sailed.” Mick took back her phone. Sam turned her knees to Mick who shoved her mouth with fries.
“Bullshit! What happened?” She was giddy from girl talk even if it was her brother. Mick chewed slowly, shaking her head. “When did it happen?” Mick sipped her coke, washing down the fries with a groan.
“After you left with the detective. I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”
“You’re damn right you’re telling me. You’ve lusted over him since puberty.”
“Come to find out, that’s the problem.” She sighed. “He’s a damn good kisser, but we got a sibling vibe.” She curled up her lip. “Seriously, incest.” Sam stared; her mouth hinged open as she processed the news. She’d always assumed Mick was the one for her brother. He was closed off, never letting anyone in. He’d known Mick all his life. They were close. Closer than any woman could ever get.
“I’m sorry,” she said for them both.
“Me, too. I need therapy for all the lusty fantasies I had.”
“Did he feel the same way?”
“Definitely. We tried to act like we weren’t freaked out, but it was too weird”
“Have you talked since?” she asked, concerned.
“More than we ever have. It’s so much better with the lust out of the way.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“That’s a good thing.” Mick laughed, clapping when Chase stepped up to bat. Sam joined her, shocked and giddy from the girl talk, but disappointed for the romance she’d always hoped would happen.
Chapter Thirty-One
J.J.’s laugh was Jake’s new favorite sound. He blew against his belly again, his lips tickling and vibrating against the soft baby skin. More giggles erupted and J.J.’s strong hands gripped in his hair. He wasn’t nearly as fragile at nine-months old, and everyone was spoiling him rotten since they got home. They were living between his parents and the B&B on weekends, Sam indecisive on where to live. He liked that she was content here, but he was ready for a place of their own.
“What was Jax thinking?” Sam fussed from under the Christmas tree. “Look at all this shit.”
“Mommy said a bad word,” he told J.J. who was rolling over to crawl over and explore. Sam dug out a box with the new hat and mittens his Mom bought. She eyed them carefully for little plastic tags before tossing them his way.
“Put those on him, please.”
It was Holiday Hump Day at the Jaeger house, half way between Christmas Eve and the New Year’s Eve party. The winter wasn’t as mild this year, which meant bundling up J.J. every time they went out. They were headed to Milly’s to pick up fried chicken BLTs and drop in on Jax. Business ramped up over the summer, Jax’s talent in high demand. Being busy was a good distraction since Travis deployed last month.
Jake wrangled J.J. just before he snatched the Christmas ornament he was going for. A thousand toys from his Uncle Jax and he wanted the metallic balls dangling from the lower branches. He fussed until Jake tossed him, making him laugh.
“He just ate,” Sam warned, but J.J. just kicked his legs. His eyes were hazel and glowed when he smiled, flashing two bottom teeth. Almost bald, the little fuzz he had was white. Aside from his hair color, he looked a lot like Nick and Sam. His little fist gripped at Jake’s lip, wanting him to nip at his fingers. Jake complied. Anything to hear his happy little laugh.
Pulling out from Milly’s, Sam stole a few fries from the bag. She was thin, which made him worry, but his Mom said it was the good kind of stress from being a mother. She had a young metabolism and rarely sat down. Her phone alerted with a text, and he couldn’t miss the sad in her smile as she looked at the screen.
“What is it?”
“My dress.” Using her fingers to blow up the screen, she admired Mick’s work. “It’s beautiful.” He wrapped her thigh with his hand, happy to hear her talk wedding plans. Sam was no bridezilla. Aside from her dress, you’d forget she was a bride.
“You ready to set a date?” he asked. “Nah, not yet.” She gave her usual reply, tapping a response to Mick on the screen. Jake glanced in the back, J.J. snoozing in his rear-facing seat. He pulled in the downtown park, parking away from the street by his old little-league field. “What are you doing?” Sam asked as he put the truck in park. Without answering he climbed from the truck. His breath puffed in gray clouds in the cold air as he paced by the wood-slat fence. Hearing Sam approach, he turned to patient knowing eyes.
“Why?” he asked, terrified of the response. Any talk of the wedding didn’t excite her or stress her. It made her sad. He’d hoped for Christmas it would be in his little envelope. Instead, they both pledged to change the number two diapers for the year, their gestures cancelling each other out.
“I want to marry you more than anything in the world,” she said, eyes pooling with tears. His heart leapt to his throat before dropping through his rib cage and bottoming out in his gut. “It’s all going to fall apart.”
‘Sam, we’re solid,” he said.
“I had a plan,” she said in a rush. “When we first took J.J., I decided I’d run with him if Cyrus showed up. I’ve got a go bag with passports and cash.” Tears streamed her cheeks as she gauged his reaction, His gut squeezed, anger bursting through his veins at the thought of her leaving. “Being married would complicate things and we’d only been engaged a few weeks.”
“It’s been nine months.” He stated the fact instead of going off with what the fuck. “You filed for his passport? How?”
“Alexis.” Her hands flew to his chest, her eyes pleading with his. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“Like fuck you don’t. You’re already packed!” His voice turned to a roar. “Nine months ago! Alexis is fucking helping you? Does Nick know about this?”
“Jake, listen-”
“You listen.” He cut her off, finger pointing to where J.J. slept in
the back seat. “Don’t even think about taking him out of my sight. That is my son.” Sam shook her head, face paled.
“Not unless Cyrus goes to prison.”
“He’s not going to prison. Leverage, remember?”
“No,” Sam growled, her green eyes fierce as her temper flushed over her face. “I swear to you I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Cyrus away from J.J.”
“And I won’t? I called Alexis in the first place.”
“To keep him out of prison,” she shouted. “We’re putting him where he belongs.”
“We?”
“Alexis has all the proof we need. There’s no statute of limitation for attempted murder.”
“Why would you unseal your adoption to accuse someone who isn’t even here?”
“J.J. will never suffer what Nick and I did. I can’t sleep, I barely eat. I think about it every time I close my eyes. I need this to end.”
“It is over, Sam,” he shouted, the words scorching his throat. “In three months, we can petition the court to relinquish his rights.”
“It’s not over for me!” she shouted back.
“Yes, it is!” Sam stumbled back, his roar echoing around them. “Cyrus threw you in the garbage.” He gritted out. “The garbage, Sam.!” Tears glossed her emerald eyes, but he wouldn’t look away. She’d hear him. “Maggie died alone in a hospital because he left her for dead on the side of the fucking road. They’re worthless human beings that never gave a fuck about you.” The words tasted bitter and pulled streaks of tears down her reddened cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
Sam shook her head, swiping at her tears with her sleeves. He bent down to meet her eyes, needing her to absorb every word.
“You’re not leaving me, and you’re sure as hell not taking my son.” He fought his own tears trying to close his throat. “How could you of all people abandon me? I know you love me.”
Without a word or a glance, Sam climbed in the cab of the truck. Jake’s words hung thick in the air they no longer shared. Climbing in the driver’s seat, he turned on the engine to crank up the heat. He was in a sweat, but the dash temperature read sixty-five and that was too cold for J.J. in back. Sam’s hands were folded in her lap, her head down with her hair shielding her face. Fear lanced through him; she’d ask him to take her home, but she didn’t speak or move. Pulling the truck in reverse he backed from the park.