by Amy Woods
Lucy sat across from him but didn’t make a move to serve herself. She scrutinized his face, her emerald eyes narrow and stern. There were flecks of gold in them, like the stars he’d looked up at in the clear country sky last night—more stars in one night than he’d seen in years of city life. Odd to think that they’d always been there, masked into invisibility—just like his daughter.
Lucy didn’t seem convinced. She formed a teepee with her fingers on the table in front of her and focused her eyes on her hands. “It can’t be that simple.”
Sam swallowed and took another sip of tea. “Why not?”
“It just can’t be,” she said, still staring at her fingers. “Men just don’t do things like that for...for me. For Shiloh.”
He put down his glass, bristling at the thought of any man dating Lucy and brushing off his daughter. He didn’t say anything for a few long seconds. “Well, she’s a great kid. Anyone who can’t see that is a damn fool and doesn’t deserve to be around her anyway.”
Lucy looked up and smiled, her eyes glistening. She unfolded her hands to finally grab a slice. “I agree. One thousand percent.” She bit into her pizza and chewed, her forehead creasing as she swallowed. “But it’s still weird that you just rolled into town and did this amazing thing for us.” She took a sip of her tea. “I may not be a psychology guru, but I know enough to know that a man has a motive when he does something that selfless for someone he knows, much less someone he just met.” Lucy set her glass down. “So, stranger. What’s yours?”
Chapter Five
Sam grinned, oddly thankful that the woman responsible for his daughter was bright enough to suspect him of ulterior aims. His gut twisted, and it wasn’t because of the pizza.
She had good reason to be guarded, after all. He couldn’t tell her the truth—not yet. It wasn’t the time or place. He didn’t want to bring up something so big in her own home, which would no doubt upset her—to what degree he couldn’t yet fathom. Regardless of what happened before he left town, he and Lucy were knit together by Shiloh; he and Lucy would have a relationship no matter what, and he wanted it to be a good one...for his daughter’s sake. He didn’t know when he would tell Lucy the truth, but his intuition told him it shouldn’t be now.
But he couldn’t lie to her, either. He refused to lie to her.
“I had a single mom growing up,” he said, before finishing his first slice of pizza in one big bite. He’d worked up an appetite that afternoon, so, New York style or not, the food was welcome. He swallowed. “She and my dad got pregnant young and Mom left college to raise me. She’d been a stay-at-home mom and when he cut out on us, she did what work she could find. Mostly minimum-wage stuff.”
Lucy’s face was filled with empathy—he knew she could relate to his mom’s situation, and he couldn’t help but feel he had a lot to do with that fact. Yeah, Jennifer had kept their daughter a secret, but still, he hadn’t been around—an absent father just like his own. Did the reason really matter?
“I started doing dishes in restaurants as soon as I was old enough, and with both of our jobs combined, we made ends meet. Most of the time.” He recalled those long nights, catching the bus from his neighborhood public school to a nicer section of Brooklyn, where he’d worked in the kitchen of an upscale bistro until early morning, riding back home to catch a few hours’ sleep before starting the whole gig all over again. “But it was hard on Mom. There were times when she could have really used a helping hand, even if it came from a stranger.”
Lucy nodded in understanding. What he’d said was true. He wouldn’t have ended up sitting in her kitchen if it wasn’t for his daughter, but if the opportunity had come up to build a ramp for someone else’s kid who needed it, he would have done the same. He loved making things with his hands, loved spinning beautiful, useful things from wood that would outlast anything from a machine in a factory. “I should really be thanking you instead,” he said. His statement caused lines to form between Lucy’s brows.
“What could you possibly have to thank me for?”
“I don’t get to build things back in New York. I don’t have the space for equipment, or the time. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to practice.” Without thinking, he reached over and tapped Lucy’s hand with his knuckles. The fleeting contact with her skin sent a rush through his nerves, and the way she startled just a tiny bit indicated he wasn’t alone. “So, thanks.”
A small, quiet sound like a cough came from Lucy and she quickly got up from the table and headed toward the sink, taking her unfinished food with her. “Would you like some more tea?” she asked, her voice higher than he’d ever heard it before.
If she was as rattled inside as he was about how it felt when they were in the same room together, then they were in serious trouble.
“No, thanks. It’s wonderful, Lucy, truly, but if I have any more, I’ll be up until dawn.” He stood, taking his empty plate to the sink, where he hovered behind her. “That stuff is stronger than any coffee I’ve ever had.”
She wasn’t facing him, but he could see the corners of her pretty mouth curl in a grin and his heart kicked up its rhythm. “Thanks for dinner,” she said, lowering the plate and turning toward him.
When her eyes hit his, they were wide and sparkling, their green intensified, and the temperature in the room seemed to bump up a few degrees.
The words were right there on the edge of his tongue, but he couldn’t let go of them, knowing they would alter the atmosphere. He’d come here for Shiloh, but each minute that passed had him wanting to get to know Lucy, as well. His restaurants kept him busy, leaving little time for dating, and for the most part, Sam liked it that way. He’d never been one to turn down an evening—or night—with an attractive woman, but he was careful not to ever let it extend much beyond that. What he felt for Lucy was different somehow; he wasn’t just interested in the distraction of a warm female body.
Lucy came with risks he wasn’t willing to gamble on. When he told her who he was, he would need her support and cooperation. He knew his rights to see Shiloh, and he’d spoken with his lawyer to get the details, but it would be so much easier on everyone involved if Lucy simply agreed to let him be a part of his daughter’s life. He wanted to kick his own ass for deciding to handle this the way he had and, at the very least, he didn’t want to stir up any more dust than he had on his way into town.
If only he could convince his body, which was getting warmer and warmer by the second in Lucy’s proximity. What was it about her that made him want to forget all the rules he should follow and just take her in his arms?
“Are you okay?” she asked, bringing his head back into reality. She had a funny look on her face and Sam guessed she might have a faint inclination of what he was thinking.
“Of course,” he answered, his voice coming out just a touch too rough.
She shook her head as if to dismiss the awkwardness. “Listen, I was thinking I could show you around the rest of the observatory grounds. We missed some of my favorite spots on your first day—I mean, if you don’t have plans or anything. You’re new in town and you work here now, so I thought you might like a tour while the place isn’t filled with visitors.”
She tilted her head to one side and twined her fingers together as she had at the table. He was learning that nervous habit of hers, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything about Lucy. He should just say “no, thank you” and head back to the B and B where he’d comfortably spent the past few nights after the owner, a sweet elderly woman, had sorted out his room mix-up and offered him a massive discount. Of course he’d refused, touched that righting a simple, understandable mistake meant so much to the lady.
“Yes, I’d like that,” he answered, ignoring his own advice like a total idiot.
“Great,” Lucy said, clasping her hands together in front of her in a way that sent a thrill up his spine. She brushed past him and stopped where her purse sat on the edge of the short bar that extended from the
kitchen’s counter. “I’ll just text Shiloh and tell her to meet us up there when Paige drops her off.” Lucy pulled her mobile phone out and started moving her fingers across the screen.
Excitement flooded Sam at the thought of spending a few hours with the two of them. He waited, enjoying her chatter while she finished typing and dropped the phone back into her bag, exchanging it for a set of keys.
“Paige is Lucy’s favorite teacher from elementary school. She was a principal for a while, but now she’s teaching part-time at the middle school and sometimes Shiloh babysits for Paige’s son and daughter. Today Shiloh’s helping with the littlest one’s birthday party.”
Lucy’s eyes were bright and full of joy as she talked about her niece, and a bittersweet sense of pride lodged in his heart. His daughter was wonderful...and he had nothing to do with that fact. He hadn’t contributed a single speck of anything that made her who she was—unique, bright, lovely and brave. And it wasn’t that he wanted to take credit for the person she’d become—he just wondered if he had anything to offer that she didn’t already have.
What if she was better off without him? What if he’d made a mistake in coming—in thinking he deserved a place in her life?
“Ready?” Lucy asked after a few moments.
“Ready,” he answered, regretting the lie. He was anything but.
* * *
“All right, city boy. Almost there,” Lucy said, checking back over her shoulder to make sure Sam hadn’t fallen behind.
“Watch it, girl,” he said from only a few inches behind her. “I may not have a regular habit of traipsing through the boonies, but in my town we walk everywhere, so I’m no stranger to traveling on my feet.”
Lucy laughed. She enjoyed teasing him, but she was actually quite impressed with his stamina, as they’d hiked up a steep hill to visit her favorite telescope. The path was relatively smooth—a pretty, paved trail, dotted with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes this time of year, that extended over much of the property so that visitors could tour the grounds, but it wasn’t flat by any means. She and Shiloh often covered the three-mile track on weekends for exercise—Lucy had the leg muscles and Shi the arms to prove it, but she hadn’t expected a New York City chef to be able to keep up.
He was stronger than she’d expected—more talented than she could have imagined and, when she admitted it, far sexier, too.
The thought came before Lucy could stop it, but it was true. She’d noticed his good looks that first day he’d walked into the café and prevented an epic disaster, but it was only this afternoon that she’d realized the full extent of his appeal. How could she not, when he’d been standing in her front yard in those snug dark jeans and T-shirt, having just presented her with the kindest, most generous gift she’d ever received? He reminded her that she was still a woman in her own right. Most of the time, she felt as if her identity was just that of Shiloh’s caregiver, and she didn’t resent the role for a minute, but she’d almost forgotten why she had ever bothered with the whole dating game in the first place before giving it up.
She should be annoyed with Sam, actually, for stirring up that piece of her again. No matter how much she wanted to, though, she couldn’t feel anything other than pure attraction to him, especially since he seemed genuinely interested in both Lucy and her niece. Maybe he was exactly what she saw—a nice, handsome guy with an abnormally good heart. That was possible, right?
She turned around again when they reached the top of the hill. Sam was standing there taking in the view, only the slightest hint of moisture on his brow, whereas she was sweating like crazy, causing her to become suddenly self-conscious.
Lucy rested for a minute, admiring the azure sky before pulling her keys out of her back pocket and heading to a gate a few yards away. Sam came to stand behind her and she was much too aware of his nearness as she unlocked the latch. Her breathing was heavy and she wasn’t sure if it was his proximity or the exercise, but she was glad for the distraction when they finally reached their destination and she could show him her favorite telescope. Talking about it would take her mind off Sam, at least until Shiloh joined them.
“Here’s my second favorite girl,” Lucy said, standing back so Sam could admire the telescope.
Sam laughed. “It’s made of metal. How can you be certain she’s a girl?” he asked, and it was Lucy’s turn to chuckle.
“I just am,” she answered.
“Wow,” Sam said, his eyes wide as he circled the instrument’s perimeter. Lucy’s heart did a little jig, pleased that he was impressed by something she adored so much.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Lucy asked, not giving Sam any time to answer. “She’s the smallest telescope on the property, but that doesn’t make her any less special. She actually came to exist because of one of the larger telescopes. I like to think of them as kind of like family in that way,” Lucy said, grinning to herself.
Sam followed eagerly as she opened the door to the control room and led him inside. Lucy was so excited to give him a private tour into her world that she couldn’t seem to stop once she got started.
“The mirror is actually the center of one of our bigger ones. When my dad bought the fused silica for our largest telescope all those years ago, they cut a circle in the middle to allow light to reach the instruments. They cut the leftover glass in half and used one piece to make this one. She’s not as precise as some of the other equipment, but the scientists use her for search and survey projects in scanning a large area—her specialty. Each of our pieces has its own unique purpose, and they’re all vital to the research, but this one’s my favorite.”
“Like people,” Sam said, and Lucy pondered his statement for a moment.
Her eyes bounced up to his face, but he was busy studying one of several computers responsible for gathering and interpreting the telescope’s data.
“Exactly,” she agreed, touched that he’d expressed a sentiment she had always carried around, but never shared with anyone. None of the few guys she’d dated had ever shown more than fleeting interest in the work that went on at the observatory, but it was a vital part of Lucy’s soul. Not having a degree had never stopped her from keeping up with the scientists’ latest finds, and they were always happy to share with her when she dropped by to talk on one of her less-hurried days. She imagined they welcomed talking to a nonacademic whose eyes didn’t glaze over at their technical language.
She stood still, watching as Sam paced around the tiny room, immersed in the fabric of metal, plastic and glass that comprised the remarkable instrument.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve always been overwhelmed by the night sky.” He still faced away, running a hand a few centimeters over the telescope, not quite touching the material, but his voice, soft and sincere, carried to where Lucy stood. “In a way, I prefer the city, where it’s impossible to see how—” he paused as if searching for the proper word “—infinite it is.”
“That’s a normal feeling,” Lucy said. “It’s human nature to fear things that are out of our grasp...what we can’t completely understand.”
Like you.
Her thoughts turned from Sam to the first time she’d looked through one of her father’s telescopes and seen Saturn’s rings. That rush of raw amazement had been almost too much to bear, setting off her fight-or-flight instinct, and she’d run all the way from her dad’s office back to their house to hide under her covers, unable to express in language what she’d just experienced. It wasn’t until her father found her and held her and explained, without teasing Lucy about her reaction, that the enigmatic beauty of those rings consisted merely of particles of ice, dust and rocks gathered from passing meteorites and comets that the planet’s gravity pulled in and collected. Then it all made sense, and became a little less scary.
That was the moment Lucy decided she wanted to be a scientist, so she could find reason in all the things about life that confused her. Like why her mother left them when she was little, and why her dad didn
’t try harder to make Lucy’s mom stay. Science had rarely failed her, but some facts were easier to swallow than others.
Lucy was glad Sam was preoccupied with the equipment so he couldn’t see any evidence of the sadness that might have escaped into her features. “All I see when I look up there is beauty and endless possibility,” she said.
Something strange and unidentifiable passed through Sam’s eyes at her words, but it was gone almost as fast. “Did you ever consider going?” he asked.
“Going where?”
He aimed a forefinger up into the sky.
“Up there?” Lucy nearly choked as the words sputtered out.
Only every other minute.
“No, not really.” Sometimes a little white lie was simply easier to handle than the truth, or at least less painful.
“Huh,” Sam mused, his tone revealing that he’d managed to delve further into her psyche than he was permitted. “I don’t buy that for a second.”
He stepped closer to her, filling the remaining few feet between them with electric charge. His inexplicable ability to read her without really knowing her was startling, but somehow also refreshing and thrilling. Maybe he wasn’t aware, or maybe he was just being kind, but he’d expressed more interest in her innermost dreams and aspirations with only a few words than anyone else ever had, besides her father—but then, he’d shared her fascination with the cosmos. Sam didn’t. But he cared that she loved it.
She wanted to let herself unravel, to sink into the way he made her feel, like jumping into a still-cool lake on the first long evening of summer. But things were rarely as simple as they seemed, and she wasn’t yet sure if she could take Sam at face value. Sometimes the people she’d trusted most had kept things hidden from her, things that had unleashed mind-blowing surprises and altered her entire life in the span of a few minutes. She wasn’t willing to go through that again, so she was right to guard her heart. It was the wise thing to do...but definitely not always the easiest.