“It’s all hearsay. I don’t think Jonathan Madison would knowingly engage in such behavior.”
“Don’t be naive, Alyson. If I were the DA in that town, I’d throw the book at them!”
“Well, you’re not the DA. Isn’t that why you’re here in the first place?” she asked and instantly regretted her words. The last thing she wanted to do was say something hurtful to Samson.
“It’s only a matter of time before they’re brought to justice. And when it happens, you’ll be caught up in it, too,” said Samson. He stood, placed two bills on the table to cover their drinks. “Consider yourself forewarned.”
“So what does that mean for us?”
“There is no us if you’re planning to do business with criminals.”
“Are you asking me to choose between you and my career?”
He thought for a moment, and then brought his lips to her ear. “I guess I am.”
He awaited her response.
Finally, her silence was response enough. He walked away.
She was stunned. Couldn’t move. Her heart raced a million miles per minute. She wondered if there was any truth to Samson’s findings, or if he was simply being paranoid. William Blue showing up at the party had him shaken, and seeing things that perhaps didn’t exist. She wasn’t an unethical person, but she needed more than the accusations of a former assistant DA and a washed-up politician to make her squander such an important business partnership.
Her career was dependent upon it, and no one came between her and her career. Not even Samson Steel.
Chapter 20
It had been a few days since he’d spoken to her, and Samson was beginning to rethink everything he thought that Alyson Talbot was—beautiful, intelligent, brilliant, strong. At the end of that list, he thought he should add unethical, immoral and calculating. Her choice to continue to work with Madison Development would drive a wedge between them, and he knew it. He questioned whether or not he could trust her, and decided that it was better to cut ties with her sooner rather than later—before his feelings were all caught up in a woman who couldn’t care less about him. She had her own agenda, and she was willing to carry it out despite the costs.
He’d come to the Bahamas to get away from his troubles in Illinois. Now it seemed that trouble had followed him there. Perhaps it was time to return home and face his fears. Jackson would understand if he missed the wedding. He lifted the suitcase onto the bed and opened it, began to fill it with his clothing. There was a struggle going on between his heart and his mind. His heart wanted to believe that he could get through this with Alyson. He’d already begun to feel things for her. But his mind had always been the more dominant force. It kept him out of predicaments.
His afternoon flight was on schedule, and he made it to the airport just in the nick of time. Dressed in a pair of khaki-colored cargo pants, a blue T-shirt and a white blazer, he stepped out of the taxicab. His pageboy hat blew from his head, and he quickly grabbed it before it took flight. He handed the driver two Bahamian bills, both with Queen Elizabeth II’s face plastered across the front of it. The portrait of Hope Town, Abaco, depicted on the back of the bills reminded him of time spent with Alyson on the Abaco Islands. He enjoyed those moments with her. He would miss her gorgeous smile and her incredible body. Despite their differences, he would feel her absence.
“Keep the change,” he told the driver.
The flight from the Eleuthera Islands to Chicago was long and exhausting. But he was grateful when the aircraft’s wheels hit the pavement at Chicago’s Midway. The brisk winters in Illinois were a far cry from winter in the Bahamas. He was grateful that he’d packed his insulated parka with the hood. He slipped his snow boots onto his feet before stepping out to the curb to hail a taxi. Large snowflakes brushed against his unshaven face. He slid into the backseat of a yellow cab.
Twenty minutes later, he stepped inside his loft on Printer’s Row. The 1960s warehouse had been transformed into a trendy living space equipped with beautiful hardwoods, high ceilings and brick walls. An abundance of natural light beamed through massive windows. He tossed his keys onto the end table, headed straight for the thermostat and turned on the heat as he shivered from the cold. He plopped down onto the caramel-colored leather sofa, still bundled in his parka. A glimmer of guilt rushed over him as he looked around his contemporary loft. He’d teased Alyson about her downtown condo, while he enjoyed much of the same luxuries that she did. He’d moved from his old neighborhood years before.
After the space began to warm, he took off his coat. His kitchen was modern, with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. His refrigerator was bare except for a two-liter bottle of flat Coke, a half-dozen eggs and a carton of milk. He frowned as he poured spoiled milk down the drain. He removed his boots from his feet and flipped on the television, tuned it to CNN to catch the latest goings-on.
Once the snow subsided, he headed out to visit his mother. Antionette Steel had short, silver hair and golden-brown skin. She looked smaller than he remembered her being just weeks ago, but then she’d always had a petite frame, even before she became ill. Even as small as she was, she was a feisty ball of fire. He loved her spunk. Chemotherapy had managed to steal her hair, but not her positive energy.
She screamed when she saw him. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to come see what mischief you were up to,” he teased her and gave her a strong hug.
She grabbed his face in her hands. “So good to see you, baby. I can’t believe you left the gorgeous Bahamas for this terrible weather.”
“Some things you just have to do.”
“What’s really going on?”
“I told you. Had to come check on my favorite girl.” He smiled.
“I’m fine.” She pulled a pound cake from the oven. “You need to find yourself a nice girl, settle down and have some babies.”
“I found a girl, but I don’t think she’s the right one.”
“Really?” she asked. “In the Bahamas?”
“Yep.” He pinched a piece of cake between his fingers and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.
Toni slapped his hand. “Are you crazy, boy? Messing up my cake! Now tell me about this girl.”
“Nothing to tell. She came. She went.”
“Was she pretty?”
“Gorgeous!”
“From a good family? Got good child-bearing hips?” Toni giggled.
“Ambitious, successful...” He moved his face close to her ear. “Sexy.”
She waved him away. “Then what’s the problem? You have too many rules and expectations, Sammy Steel.”
He explained to his mother about the relationship between Alyson and Madison Development, and the man he’d sent to prison, William Blue. He told her how Alyson had refused to heed his warning.
“I don’t know if I trust her,” he said.
“I understand how you must feel,” said Toni. “But you have to understand her position, as well. This is her livelihood, and she can’t be expected to put her life on hold for a man she barely knows.”
“I don’t want her to be cautious for me. I want her to be cautious for her own good.”
“You sound so protective.” She brushed her hand across her son’s face and then said emphatically, “You love her.”
“That’s beside the point.”
“You didn’t deny it,” she pointed out. “You love her, Sammy?”
“What does love have to do with any of this, Ma?”
“It has everything to do with it. If you love her, you can’t walk away from her or give up. You have to make her understand that you fear for her safety. You have to rescue her.”
“How do you propose I do that when she’s a hardheaded woman who won’t listen to me?” he asked. “You can’t rescue people who don’t want to be rescued.”
“If you love her, you’ll find a way,” she said. “You’ve allowed your fears to rob you of your candidacy. Don’t let fear rob you of love, to
o, son.”
He wanted to lie and tell his mother that he didn’t love Alyson. But he couldn’t. He did love her, though he hadn’t admitted it to her.
“What difference does it make now? I’m here, she’s there.”
“And there are flights between here and there every day of the week.”
“I came home to spend Christmas with you and the rest of the family.”
“And your father?” she asked.
“He doesn’t care if I’m here.”
“He loves you, despite what you think, Sammy. He just has his way about things. He’s set in his ways.”
“He still blames me for not being a cop,” said Samson. “I can’t change who I am.”
“Give him a chance.”
“To hurt me again? I don’t think so.”
“Carve out some time to spend with him.”
Samson gave his mother a sideways glance. Toni knew that he was just as stubborn as his father, and neither of them would give in to the other. Samson’s dad was prideful and rigid. But Samson’s heart was bigger, and he could be persuaded.
“For me?” she asked with a wink. “Can you do it for me?”
“I’ll try.” He kissed her cheek. “For you.”
Toni Steel knew exactly how to appeal to Samson’s heart.
Chapter 21
Alyson had suddenly found herself in a position of choosing between her career and the man she’d become quite fond of. Going to her parents’ home was exactly what she needed at the moment. She needed to see her father. Needed his advice—he was the best advice-giver she knew. She had no clue about how to handle the situation she’d found herself in, and her father was great at making sense of things. He’d know what to do.
She found him in his favorite position—on the front porch of their family home in Governor’s Harbour, the Eleutheran newspaper in his lap, his reading glasses on his face, eyes closed and light snores escaping from his lips.
“Daddy,” Alyson said and took a seat next to him.
“Hey.” He smiled when he saw her. “I almost fell asleep out here.”
“Almost?”
“Good thing I didn’t.”
“Yep, good thing.” Alyson laughed at her father’s antics. Then she sighed, remembering her purpose for the visit.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Man troubles.”
“Already?”
“What do you mean, ‘already?’”
“The fellow... Jackson’s friend,” he said matter-of-factly. “Are you two already having troubles?”
“Is anything on this island sacred?”
“Very little.”
“How do you choose between a man and your career?”
“I think that question would be better answered by your mother. She sacrificed her career for me,” he said. “So I guess I’m somewhat biased.”
“This is different.”
She explained to her father about the Madisons, William Blue and Samson.
He removed his reading glasses, sat straight up in his chair and, with a look of concern, said, “Maybe you should listen to what he has to say. It appears that this could be a potentially dangerous situation.”
“He’s overreacting. I get that he was a victim, but you can’t go around accusing innocent people of wrongdoing.”
“Just be cautious is all I’m saying.”
“I will, Daddy. But this is an important deal. This could make or break my real estate business,” Alyson explained.
“And he must be a pretty important fellow if you’re going through the fuss of it all.”
“I like him a little,” Alyson lied.
Her father was intuitive. “You’ll make other business connections, but will you find a man that makes you smile like I’ve seen you smile lately? You haven’t been happy for a long time, but you seem carefree now. You should consider that.”
“Working with the Madisons can transform my career.”
“No doubt, making a name for yourself in the industry is important,” said Paul John Talbot, “but at what cost? Love?”
“Nobody said anything about love.” Alyson was in denial.
“Well, you’ve found something. And you owe it to yourself to find out if that something is worth the fight.”
“So just forget about everything that I’ve worked hard for?”
“I’m certainly not saying that. Being an achiever is who you are,” he said. “But don’t discount your heart.”
“I think I’ve lost him, Daddy,” said Alyson. “He caught a flight back to Chicago this afternoon.”
“It’s only geography, baby,” said Paul John. “There are flights between here and there every day of the week.”
* * *
Alyson looked at her phone when it buzzed. She opened the text message: Can you meet me this afternoon for a site visit?—Dustin.
She typed, I’m in the Caribbean.
Can you be in Miami by tomorrow afternoon? Say 2 pm?
Of course. She typed.
I’ll arrange for an early morning flight and we can charge it to your new expense account. I’ll be in touch soon with the details.
Thank you was all she could think to type.
When she looked up, she noticed her father observing her closely.
“Chicago fellow?” he asked.
“No. Business,” she said. “I’m headed back to Miami in the morning.”
“Then you should get a good night’s sleep. Why don’t you stay here, and I’ll drive you to the airport in the morning.”
She stood and kissed his cheek. “Anything good to eat in the kitchen?”
“Your mother always has something prepared. Go check things out.” He gave her a wink.
“Thanks, Daddy, for listening to me.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
She rushed into the kitchen and found her mother’s Bahamian spread. After finishing off a huge plate of grouper fish and pigeon peas with rice, she curled up on the sofa in the den. Surfed through the channels on the television and finally settled on a local news station. Thoughts of Samson filled her head. She missed him more than she was willing to admit. She longed for his kiss and touch. She missed his smile. Life with him had been glorious, though short-lived. Life without him was unbearable, uncomfortable. She was listless.
She dialed his number, and dared herself to press the send key. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t know what to say if he answered. And if he dismissed her, she’d be embarrassed. She was prideful.
She tossed the phone aside. Samson Steel would not get the opportunity to snub her twice in one lifetime. She would will herself not to think about him. Focus on business and forget he even existed. It was better that way.
Chapter 22
Cecil Steel was the last person Samson wanted to see, but he’d promised his mother. His father was set in his ways. A man of average height, brown skin and graying hair, he was an older version of Samson. His father had been a thorn in his side since adolescence, since the first time Samson played an organized sport. He knew early on that he wouldn’t be much of an athlete. He had no desire to play football or basketball. While his brothers excelled in both, Samson found greater pleasure in gaining knowledge. Learning became his sport.
“I thought I’d bring you out tonight, have a drink...spend some quality time with you, Pop.”
“We could’ve had quality time at the house,” said Cecil as he relaxed in the booth. “You don’t need to take me to fancy restaurants to spend quality time with me, son. If you would just come by the house more often...”
“I didn’t bring you here to argue.”
His father placed reading glasses on his face and grabbed the menu. Gave it a glance. “Have you seen these prices?”
“I eat here all the time, Pop. It’s one of my favorite places,” said Samson.
“A waste of good money,” he mumbled, and continued to sift through the items on the menu.
“I recommend the shrim
p and grits,” Samson said. “Delicious!”
“Who eats shrimp with grits, and in the middle of the afternoon?” his father asked, peering at Samson over the top of his reading glasses.
“It’s not all that unusual, Pop. I know lots of people who enjoy grits in the middle of the afternoon, as well as folks who eat fish for breakfast.”
His thoughts drifted to the Bahamas and Alyson. She’d taught him to eat many things he hadn’t experienced before. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed her. Couldn’t get her out of his head.
“I’ve never heard of anyone eating fish for breakfast,” said Cecil.
“It’s because you live in a box, and you never step outside of it.”
“It’s not necessary to do all of these things that aren’t going to make a bit of difference when you die,” he said. “You love your family, and do the best you can in your career, and that’s it.”
“You love your family, huh? Does that mean all of your family, or just some?”
“Are you implying that I don’t love you, Sammy?”
“I’m saying you don’t respect me and my choices.”
“Because your choices are absurd.” He shut his menu and removed the glasses from his face. “For instance, you just got back from the Bahamas. The time you spent over there could’ve been time spent looking for another job. Did you forget that you’re unemployed?”
“I needed a vacation,” said Samson. “And besides, it’s not like I’m broke. I can afford to take some time off. I need that.”
“What you need is a career you can be proud of.”
“I am proud of my career. At least the one I had,” said Samson. “And I’m proud of my life, despite what you think.”
“You don’t seem proud at all. You seem confused,” Cecil said.
“I’m not confused. I was a little distraught over what took place on the campaign trail, but I’m clear about what I want now.”
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