by Sara Orwig
Once at the restaurant in Dallas, she sat across from Sam at a table covered in white linen. He leaned back and unfastened his coat to let it swing open. Sam always oozed self-confidence, which probably was part of his take-charge personality.
He took her hand and smiled at her. Once again, for a moment a pang rocked her while she wished life was different and Sam held fresh, contemporary views.
“What would you like to drink?”
“Ginger ale is my preference.”
He smiled, candlelight highlighting his cheekbones, giving a warm tint to his tan skin. “I’ll have that with you, then.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “You don’t need to drink ginger ale.”
Before he could answer, their waiter appeared and Sam ordered two ginger ales.
“That’s ridiculous. Get a glass of wine, beer, whatever you like.”
“When you can drink wine, I’ll drink wine. Right now, you do what is healthy and I’ll join you.”
Looking at the dimly lit restaurant that held a small dance floor, a fountain at one end of the room, tables centered with candles in hurricane lamps, she thought of the unbridgeable chasm between them—one that she couldn’t change any more than Sam could change how he felt. There was no future for them. She had to get along with Sam since he would be in her life for many years because of one strong tie. But she didn’t expect to share many nights like tonight. She looked into his eyes, and it was as if a fist squeezed her heart.
He was handsome: thickly lashed blue eyes, symmetrical features, his straight, neat brown hair, a firm jaw, his straight nose. The charcoal suit gave him a commanding appearance. White cuffs showed at his wrists with gold cufflinks catching light from the candle’s flame. If only he didn’t hold such outdated views of women.
He gazed back, holding her hand, his thumb running slowly back and forth over her knuckles so lightly, yet she felt his touch to her toes.
“Thank you again for the beautiful flowers.”
“They’re a token—hopefully, something that represents joy and wonderful expectations. Lila, I’m excited. A baby seems a miracle.”
She tilted her head to study him. “You amaze me. I would never have guessed your reaction to the news that you’ll be a dad. You seem opposed to children at the club and yet you turn right around and seem dazzled over the prospect of having your own baby. That’s an enormous contradiction that I didn’t expect.”
“It’s how I feel on both subjects. I am dazzled over the prospect because my own baby is a miracle. Every baby is, and that has nothing to do with kids in the TCC children’s center. Our baby, Lila. That just staggers me. I’m restraining myself—I want to whoop and holler and I can’t stop grinning when I think about it. I can’t whoop and holler here, and we’ll have to toast the event with ginger ale, but I’m so excited I’m babbling.”
He grinned broadly, a happy smile that made her heart thud, and she couldn’t resist smiling at him in return. Startling her, he moved the candle out of the way, leaned across the table to draw her closer and kissed her hard. After the first startled second, she returned his kiss. She was oblivious to their surroundings as she kissed him. Joy tinged with a sadness filled her.
Finally, he sat back in his chair. “I’m thrilled beyond words.”
“I’m glad but still shocked. Your past never gave a hint that you would react this way. You voted against women joining the Texas Cattleman’s Club, and against the child-care center. If you could vote again tomorrow, you’d still vote that way, wouldn’t you?”
“I think so. I don’t expect our baby to be in a child-care center. Before, I never thought about the children’s center in terms of myself. I’ve told you why I voted like I did. The club was started as a male haven. I don’t see why the ladies don’t have their own club. And they do have some clubs in Royal and men aren’t trying to crash them. Actually, that’s insignificant and tonight I’d like to stay off the subject because I want this night to be a celebration of our baby. That’s the most important thing in my life right now.”
“I can’t argue with you on that one.”
He glanced toward the dance floor. “There are some couples dancing. Let’s join them.”
He stood, still holding her hand, and she rose to go with him. As soon as they were on the dance floor, he wrapped her into his arms to dance. She was close against him, moving slowly with him. As always, the dance became sensual, stirring desire. The piano player sang the romantic lyrics that she knew by memory. This night with Sam would remain a memory forever.
Beautiful flowers, this dinner, his attitude about the baby, no proposal, a joyful celebration tonight—he amazed her in all those things.
They danced slowly and returned to their table when the song ended. As he held her chair and seated her, he caressed her nape, a feathery brush of his fingers that made her tingle.
Their drinks had been served, and Sam picked up his glass of the bubbly clear liquid. “Here’s to our baby, Lila, and to you, my baby’s mother.”
“Thank you, Sam.” Smiling at him, she lifted her glass. She raised it to touch his lightly before taking a sip of the ginger ale.
She raised her glass again. “Here’s to you, Sam, for your understanding, for not rushing into an instant plan, especially for not proposing the minute you heard the news.”
“A proposal would be so terrible, Lila?” He waved his hand. “Don’t even answer. I told you that tonight is a celebration—one of the happiest occasions of my life. I don’t want any controversy, even in fun. Let’s stay off the thin-ice topics tonight.”
“Once again, I won’t argue with you. This is a wonderful evening, Sam.”
He gave her such a warm look she wondered whether he had mistaken that as an invitation to seduction. “Great,” he said, lifting his glass to her. They both took another drink and set down their glasses.
He took her hand, holding it gently and running his thumb over the back of her hand and her wrist, light brushes that she should have been able to ignore but couldn’t. He was doing everything right and it was beginning to unnerve her.
“Have you made any plans regarding our baby?” Sam asked.
“Not really. I’ve just been getting accustomed to the idea. I’ve let them know at work and I’ll take time off. My mom knows. I told Shannon and of course, my California doctor knows.”
“You don’t have a doctor in Royal?”
“I have my family doctor, but not anyone I’ve seen about this.”
“I think you should see a doctor here or in Midland—I’ll take you to Midland if you prefer. You never know when you might need one, and for the sake of the baby, I think you should have a record established with a doctor you want. If there’s an emergency, you don’t want to meet a new doctor for the first time.”
“I suppose you make sense and I should,” she said.
“I’d feel better about it, both for your sake and the baby’s.”
She nodded. “All right, Sam. You win this one.”
“I’m not trying to fight with you, Lila. I really want what’s best for you and our baby.”
“I have to admit, you surprise me more and more. You’re not doing anything the way I expected. You have won the Most Unpredictable Man title over this.”
He smiled in return and raised his glass of ginger ale in a toast. She touched her glass to his and sipped, laughing as she set it down.
“Have you thought of any names?”
“I’m debating about later and whether or not I want to know if I’ll have a boy or a girl. At this point, no, I’m not thinking about names. It’s too early.”
“Do I get input?”
“Yes. I don’t promise to let you name our baby, but I’m willing to listen.”
“Good. When you decide to go public, let me know. I’d like to
tell Josh. With our dad gone, we’re basically all the family we have. There are cousins and aunts and uncles, but no one who lives out this way and none we’re close to.”
“I will soon, but not quite yet. I have to make some decisions first and I really would rather everyone in Royal know about the baby after I’ve gone back to California.”
“Whatever you want,” he said. “You said your mom knows—how does she feel about it? This will be her first grandchild.”
“I think she’s excited and she’s supportive, but this is new to her. I’m guessing her real excitement will come when she holds her grandbaby in her arms.”
“I imagine you’re right, there.”
“She likes you very much, so you have an advocate.”
“Do I need an advocate?”
“Not really, at this point. She also thinks the flowers are beautiful.”
“Flowers, taking you to dinner—those are things that I can do. What I feel like doing is dancing down Main Street and through the TCC, shouting to everyone I see that I am going to become a dad. Don’t worry, I won’t really do it yet. I might not be able to control myself when this baby comes into the world. We have a miracle, Lila.”
“You sound convincing, as if you really mean that.”
“I mean it with my whole heart,” he said, his sincere tone and blue-eyed gaze giving emphasis to his words. “This is the most fabulous thing in my life.”
“I’m repeating myself, but I never, ever for one second expected you to react the way you have.”
“See, you don’t know me all that well. But you will,” he added softly, his voice holding sensual promises. “In truth, I’ve been a little astounded myself at how I feel. I’ve never given little kids a thought, because I’m never around them. We didn’t have younger siblings. They just haven’t been part of my life and I never would have guessed I’d feel this way, but this is my baby, Lila. I’m thrilled.”
Growing solemn, she studied him. He might turn out to be far more of a problem than she had dreamed if he was locked into wanting his baby in his life. This was not something she had factored in when she had thought about Sam’s reaction to the news. He had been so opposed to the child-care center that she had never imagined he would be thrilled to become a dad. And he was becoming far more appealing to her—something that could prove her undoing.
The waiter arrived to take their orders and she withdrew her hand from Sam’s. As she ordered the grilled salmon, Sam waited, looking mildly amused, and she was certain it was because she had insisted on ordering for herself. He probably had ordered for every other woman he had ever taken out from the moment he had started dating.
Next, she listened while he ordered a prime rib.
“Thank you for letting me place my order,” she said as soon as they were alone.
“There’s no way I want to infringe on your independence in stuff like ordering dinner. That’s not one of life’s real issues.”
“It is rather well known that leopards don’t change their spots, so that was a leap for you.”
“I can adapt and I can definitely try to please you,” he said in a huskier voice. “That’s what I most like to do.” He took her hand again. “I would like to spend hours tonight, darlin’, just trying to pleasure you,” he said softly. His tone conveyed far more than his words and she tingled when she heard his thick, husky drawl.
“Sam, maybe I’ve underestimated you. You want to spend hours together tonight—that just makes my heart race,” she replied in her own sultry tone, unable to resist flirting with him and letting go of worries for a while.
His blue eyes darkened and he inhaled deeply, taking her hand and placing a light kiss on her palm. He held her hand, resting his on the table. “Now, that, Lila, makes me want to chuck dinner and head for a private place where I can ‘pleasure’ you for hours.”
“But we’ll do what’s sensible and sit and talk about our future,” she said with great innocence, still having fun flirting with him. “But I do feel better, Sam, that you’re being positive,” she stated.
“A simple compliment that I will definitely reply to before this evening is over,” he said softly, his voice becoming velvet, having the same effect as a caress.
“I think it’s time we change the subject.”
“For now, maybe, but we’ll continue the conversation later back at my place.”
“Back at your place? Sam, your self-confidence overwhelms me. Brace yourself—back at your place might not happen tonight.”
“If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. We’ll see,” he said with all the certainty in his statement that he would have had if she had flatly accepted. His confident smile indicated what he expected to do when they returned to Royal.
“So you worked in your office today or in Pine Valley where you’re building?” she asked, knowing she should stop flirting and keep space between them because she did not want a seduction scene later in the night.
“I have four houses right now that are under construction, and I spent time at one first and then another. Two are in Pine Valley. I was at my office and at the club. At the club, all the men can talk about is Alex Santiago’s disappearance. As far as I know, there’s still no word on Alex.”
“The few times I’ve seen Nathan, he looks preoccupied, as if he’s worried,” Lila said, withdrawing her hand from Sam’s.
“The last two times I’ve been at the club, rumors have been going around that Chance may have had something to do with Alex’s disappearance.”
“Why would Chance do anything to harm Alex?”
“A woman is why,” Sam replied. “Cara Windsor. Chance dated her and then she fell in love with Alex.”
“Chance doesn’t seem like the type to harm someone, but I don’t know him that well.”
“I agree with you. I know one thing—the last conversation I had with Alex, which was shortly before his disappearance, was interrupted by Dave Firestone, who was mad as hell. I left, so I didn’t hear what the heated exchange was about, but they were angry with each other.”
“That doesn’t sound so good. Have you told Nathan?”
“No, but I’m thinking maybe I should, with all the rumors flying about Chance.”
“I’d think so. It might be important. It would be terrible for them to focus on the wrong person,” she said, thinking more about Sam than the rumors.
Salads appeared and they paused in the conversation until the waiter had gone.
While they ate, Sam kept her entertained. She ate lightly, declining a dessert. Sam was showing his best side, handsome, charming, doing all the right things.
They danced until ten and then flew back to Royal. “Come by my house, Lila. It’s not too late and we can sit and talk.”
“Sam—”
“We’ll talk. I’ll take you home whenever you want. C’mon. Better sitting with me than going home and sitting up with Hack.”
“My brother,” she said, shaking her head and smiling. “This summer, you’ll always win with that argument. Okay, briefly.”
The moment she agreed, Sam changed course to drive them to his home in Pine Valley.
When they reached his house, Sam directed her to the kitchen. “We’ll get something to drink while we talk. You’re limited in your drinks. Want another ginger ale, milk, hot chocolate? I have a veritable grocery store here. What would you like?”
“Actually, hot chocolate sounds the best,” she said.
“Lila, this is good tonight because I want us to get to know each other. I know a lot about your family from being friends with your folks, although I see far less of your mother than your dad.”
While he talked, he removed his charcoal jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves. He unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt. When he reached the third button, he glanced at her to catch her wat
ching him. Blushing, she turned away, wishing she had done something besides stare at him as he made himself comfortable.
“You can unbutton all you want, too,” he said.
His words ended her embarrassment and tension. She smiled at him. “Thanks for the offer,” she remarked dryly. “I think I’ll keep it together.”
He walked over to her. “I know one thing that can go and I hope you don’t object.” He removed the sterling clip holding her hair. Auburn locks tumbled to her shoulders. He placed the clip on a small table and then combed his fingers through her hair while they gazed into each other’s eyes. “You know this is the way I like your hair—down, falling free. Your hair is gorgeous, Lila.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking at his mouth while he stood so close. Her breath caught as she looked into his eyes.
She expected him to kiss her, anticipated his kiss and then was surprised when he turned away. “Hot chocolate it is,” he said.
She tried to ignore the flash of disappointment. He was doing what she wanted, so she should be relieved they hadn’t kissed.
As soon as he had their drinks, they strolled to the adjoining living area that overlooked the patio and sparkling blue pool. She sat in a corner of a sofa and he sat beside her, closer than she had expected. There was a table beside her and one in front of the sofa, so they had places to set their drinks.
“Tonight has been fun. I’m excited, Lila. This is my first child. How could I possibly keep from being excited?”
She had to laugh at him. “You have six months to go. Some of that excitement may wear off.”
“I think it may grow instead of diminishing.”
“If it grows much more, I think you really will be dancing around town.” She smiled at him. “I’ve had fun tonight, Sam. It’s been enjoyable, surprising, but the problems will come.”
“We can weather them,” he said.
“Your supreme self-confidence is always with you.”
“How much do you know about babies, Lila?”