Sammy in Holland (Single Wide Female Travels #3)

by Lillianna Blake

  “Wait, please. You have the wrong idea.”

  “Videos don’t lie, Samantha.”

  “No, they don’t.” I sighed. “But I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me. If you’ll just hear me out, I’ll be able to explain everything.”

  “Shall we order first?” She waved her hand in the air.

  Three waitresses rushed over.

  I raised an eyebrow. The woman certainly had a commanding presence.

  One waitress lingered beside the table. “What can I get for you ladies?”

  I was very aware that the video was still playing on the phone. I reached out to try to block it. “I’ll just have a salad—and some water.”

  “I’ll take the steak and the side of rice without any excessive butter. Please.”

  “Coming right up.” The waitress walked away.

  I looked across the table at Poppy.

  “The truth is, I ate a special cookie without knowing what was inside. I was aware of what I was doing, but I couldn’t stop myself from doing it. It was an honest mistake.”

  “And conveniently made in Amsterdam?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter now, but I want to warn you, my book shop is a sacred place for me and my circle of friends. I don’t want it disrespected.”

  “I can assure you that I won’t do anything of the kind. I’m looking forward to visiting London and your shop.”

  “Are you?”

  She met my eyes with a quiet intensity that left me a little rattled inside. It seemed to me that how I answered the question would decide the direction our relationship took.

  “Yes, I am.” I leaned forward some. “Poppy, I didn’t mean to create this wild situation and certainly didn’t expect it to be recorded for everyone to see on the Internet. But I have to tell you, I don’t regret it.”

  “You don’t regret getting high and causing an emergency situation?” She arched an eyebrow and pursed her lips. “That doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “I do regret causing anyone any trouble, but I don’t regret discovering that I was bound by some seriously heavy need for control. It limited me to such an extreme that I couldn’t even enjoy the fact that my book is doing well. Instead of finding ways to celebrate while on tour, I’ve been looking for reasons that I might fail. A short amount of time without those fears did wonders for my perspective.”

  “Be that as it may, the method you used is not acceptable, at least not in London.”

  “I agree. I am never one to partake of that kind of activity. Like I said, I made a mistake. I didn’t realize the cookies I ate were marijuana cookies. What happened as a result still can be a benefit for me, instead of my hiding out somewhere to avoid embarrassment.”

  She nodded. “I like that you’re willing to find something positive to take from the situation, but the fact remains that my expectations of you are shaken. I want to be certain that my customers are treated correctly. I won’t have any tomfoolery in my shop.”

  Chapter 30

  I studied Poppy for a moment. She appeared to be my age, but the rigid way she carried herself reminded me of someone much older.

  “Do you have a plan for the book signings?”

  “Itemized.” She reached down into her soft-sided briefcase and pulled out a thick folder. “I’ve got every minute of your stay in London planned.”

  “Oh. Usually there’s a day for my husband and me to explore.”

  “You’ll be exploring, under the supervision of a tour guide. I can’t risk you getting hurt, lost, or otherwise detained.” She quirked a brow. “Especially with that in your system.”

  I gritted my teeth. The woman seems to be doing her best to make me feel like a criminal. “We’re capable of keeping ourselves out of trouble.”

  She pointed to her phone again. “Not according to that video.”

  “Poppy, it was a mistake.”

  “I can’t afford mistakes, Samantha. I built this business with my own hands from the ground up. I support my daughter with this business and I will not have it harmed by some silly antics of a woman who still thinks that she’s a girl.”

  I was taken aback by the hostility in her tone. “Poppy, I would never do anything to threaten the well-being of your business. I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot here.”

  “Don’t worry about your feet, Samantha. Just make sure that when you arrive in London, you’re prepared to get to know more fans than you’ve likely met on the tour. Becoming Zara is very popular in London and the books are flying off the shelves.”

  “That’s great news.”

  “It is.” She smiled a little. “And—I have read it. I am a fan, Samantha.”

  “Oh, good.” I laughed. “I was starting to worry there for a minute.”

  “You should be worried.” She locked eyes with me. “Just because I’m a fan, that doesn’t mean that I will do anything to risk my business. It was nice meeting you, Samantha.” She stood up from the table and offered me her hand.

  “Aren’t you going to eat?” I took her hand in a quick shake.

  “I can’t. I have another appointment. We’ll talk in London.”

  “Okay. Thanks!” I smiled at her, but she’d already turned toward the door.

  I ordered some food for Max and me to share at the hotel, then headed back to meet him.

  When I entered the hotel room, it looked as if he’d just woken up. The sheet was crumpled and I could hear the shower on full blast. I made us a picnic in our enormous bed and wondered what surprises London had in store for us.

  As nervous as Erik’s loose attitude had made me, Poppy seemed so rigid that she might just snap. If things went as awry in London as they had in Amsterdam, she would snap right before my eyes.

  Max stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a mop of wet hair. “Back early?”

  “I brought brunch to you.” I smiled.

  He held my gaze. “What’s wrong?”

  “Get out of my head, Max.” I laughed.

  He hopped into the bed and snuggled close to me. I ignored the fact that his hair was dripping water all over me.

  “Honesty, remember?”

  I sighed. “London may be interesting. I’m just a little nervous.”

  “As always.” He kissed me lightly then began to dig into his brunch. “It will all work out, Sammy. Doesn’t it always?”

  “As long as I’m with you, Max.” I grinned. “Whatever happens in London, will happen. But if we’re together, it’ll all be just fine.”

  “Speaking of being together. I have a friend in London that I’d like you to meet.”

  “A friend? Does he live in London?”

  “Yes, she does—and she’s looking forward to our visit.”

  I thought about the tight schedule that Poppy had suggested we’d have. “I’m sure we can find a way to fit it in.”

  “Great.”

  Max devoured the remainder of his brunch, but my appetite had faded.

  I was certain that London would be full of surprises, and all the cookies in Amsterdam couldn’t make me like surprises.

  Dear Reader,

  The Single Wide Female and B.I.G. Girls Club books are written for every woman out there who has struggled with their weight, self-esteem and any number of issues that we all face as we work to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be.

  They are meant to be light-hearted and fun, but I do hope that they will inspire you—to REALLY live your life to the fullest, loving yourself completely as you do so.

  If you enjoy Sammy in Holland, I’d appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave an honest review.

  And…

  I have a FREE book for you!

  Wanna know what inspired Sammy to write her bucket list? Visit my website below and get your complimentary copy of “Sammy’s Big Plan!”

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Enjoy!

  Sincerely,

  Lillianna

  P.S. Also be su
re to see the previews following this page for introductions to additional series by Lillianna Blake.

  Please enjoy the following preview for

  Sammy in England (Single Wide Female Travels, Book 4)

  Chapter 1

  I sighed and smiled as Max’s fingertip swirled a lazy pattern along my palm. With the sun just setting, the scenery outside the train window had me captivated. The subtle rhythm of the train, combined with the sensation of Max’s touch, had lulled me into such a peaceful state that I couldn’t be worried about our arrival in London. After what had happened in Amsterdam, what could be worse?

  I glanced over at Max to see him staring at the seat in front of him.

  “Max, you’re missing all the scenery.”

  “Sorry.” He smiled and looked out the window. “It is beautiful.”

  “This entire journey has been amazing, and now I’m looking forward to meeting one of your good friends.”

  “Good friend is a little strong. We knew each other as kids—for a summer.”

  “Hm, I bet she has some good stories about you.” I grinned.

  “Never mind that.” He cut his eyes in my direction. “No teasing.”

  “Why not? I never get to tease you.”

  He leaned close and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m looking forward to having a romantic evening with you—just the two of us.”

  “Me too.” I gazed into his eyes. Valentine’s Day was coming up, and it still shocked me at times that I had the privilege of sharing it—and all the other special events that used to drive me insane as a chronically single woman—with Max. Never did I think that fantasy would come true. But there he was, right before me, smiling at me, as if he felt as lucky as I did. “I love you, Max.”

  “I love you too.” He stroked his palm across mine. “But you’re not getting me back in a storage container.”

  “Don’t worry, I already checked on that. I didn’t want any surprises like what we had in Amsterdam. Poppy has us set up at a lovely bed and breakfast where we can stay for the duration of our visit.”

  “That should be nice. I’m sure it’ll still be a small room, but at least we’ll have a bathroom.”

  “I hope so.” I laughed and leaned into his shoulder. “I’m not sure I’m brave enough to go without one again.”

  “It’s not bravery, trust me.” He chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist. “At least she’s a little more forthcoming with our plans.”

  “Yes, she’s already e-mailed me an hour-by-hour event plan for the first few days. She even scheduled time for a shower for me.” I grinned. “I don’t think she’s going to be full of surprises.” I bit into my bottom lip lightly. “I do feel bad that I’ve made such a bad impression.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The incident with the hot air balloon…” I cringed.

  “So what? That wasn’t your fault.”

  “Maybe not to you or me, but I think to Poppy, it was. Anyway, I’m not going to focus on that. I can’t let someone’s opinion of me get me derailed. I’m sure we’ll still have a fantastic time in London.”

  Max glanced at his watch. “We should be there in an hour.”

  “I’m going to work on my blog a bit. I’ve been neglecting it. Plus, I want to read back through some old posts. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to get a little rest.”

  I opened my computer, happy to see that the train Wi-Fi service seemed to be working. As soon as I logged onto my blog, I saw a flood of comments. My eyes widened at some of the more colorful ones.

  SWF how many calories were in that cookie?

  SWF when are you coming back to Italy?

  SWF how can you travel so much? Aren’t you working on the next book in the series? We can’t wait forever.

  I laughed and started typing out responses.

  Twenty minutes passed before I even had the chance to look at some old posts. I decided to go back to the first few posts I’d ever made. When I started reading back through my initial plans for my bucket list, I was stunned.

  I’d been filled with so much fear and excitement at that time in my life. More than anything, though, I recognized the extreme amount of determination I’d had. It was clear to me that over the span of my travels I’d became blind to my true passion. A few reminders would be a good way to get myself back on track.

  I titled my new blog post Back to Basics and began typing away. By the time I hit the submit button, the train had rolled into the London station.

  I glanced over at Max to see that his eyes were still open. He hadn’t slept at all.

  “Max?” I grabbed his hand before he could stand up and retrieve our luggage. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Sure.” He smiled at me. “Let’s check out London.”

  End of the preview.

  Be sure to get on the mailing list to be notified about the release of Sammy in England at:

  LilliannaBlake.com

  *If you signed up to get the free book from the previous page, you’re on the mailing list for new releases and special offers.

  Please enjoy the following preview for

  To Love Again (Forty and Free, Book 1)

  Chapter 1

  Every wrinkle met its match with the firm pressure and glide of her palm. Even though there were very few wrinkles in the shirt, Nicole was determined to make sure that there were none. Her hand trembled as she swept it over the next wrinkle.

  How was she ever going to accept the idea that her children now had another mother in their lives?

  She glanced over at the suitcase beside her. It was piled up with more clothes than any ten-year-old girl could possibly need for a two-week trip. But Nicole needed for everything to be there. In the back of her mind, she recognized her attempt to prove that she was, and had always been, a good mother—but that didn’t stop her from smoothing out the last wrinkle.

  She set the folded shirt into the top of the suitcase and stood up from her daughter’s bed.

  So much had changed in the last year in unexpected ways. Perhaps—as some of her friends claimed—she should have seen it coming, but she didn’t. Divorce had hit her like a freight train and plowed right through her happily ever after.

  Only—if she was being honest with herself—it hadn’t been exactly happy, not towards the end, anyway.

  She walked out of her daughter’s room and picked up a pile of laundry that sat outside her twelve-year-old son’s door. She wanted to make sure that it was clean before she packed it. Since he seemed incapable of actually putting his clothes in his drawers these days, she just gathered all of the clothes from the floor to wash them.

  As she walked down the hall to the laundry room, framed photographs—hung exactly two inches apart—stared back at her. There was the photograph of her ex-husband, Jack, as he cradled Jordan the day he was born. Beside it, another photograph of Jack, with Melody in his arms.

  Once they were happy—she was sure of it.

  At the very top of the rows of photos was the wedding portrait. With eager smiles and much smaller waistlines, the shiny faces in the photograph looked foreign to her, as if they were people she’d never met.

  She reached up and loosened the frame from the hook on the wall. It wasn’t right to have it there—not when he was so obviously moving on.

  She dropped the laundry off and carried the photograph into her room—what used to be their room.

  The moment she sat down and sunk into the familiar give of the mattress, tears stung her eyes. She looked at the picture for a long moment. It was really over now. There was no special cement to put together what had broken many years before, and the fantasy that there might be was gone too.

  While Jack had been falling in love, she’d been struggling to deal with the notion of being forty-two and alone. While he was considering adding new babies to his life with his young bride, Nicole was thinking about menopause and whether or not to dye her blonde ha
ir, which had began to sprout silver streaks of reality.

  Time marched on, and she didn’t know how to catch up.

  Before the tears could begin to flow down her cheeks, she took a deep breath and grabbed her cell phone from the charger on her bedside table. She logged into her new favorite website. It was a support group of sorts, but in reality it was a place for women to be honest—to talk about their fears and their joys, and, most of all, vent about life.

  Forty and Free was a website that she’d stumbled upon while attempting to figure out how to react to her divorce. She enjoyed the sisterhood that she felt there and the lively debates. As her heart ached, she typed out a message to post. It detailed her ex-husband’s destination wedding, how excited her kids were to be part of it, and how alone she felt because of it.

  When she posted it, she prepared herself for whatever responses she’d get. Within seconds she had messages of support from an assortment of women. What heartened her was the fact that these women weren’t all moms or all newly divorced. Some had been divorced more than once, some had been with their husbands from the time they were in high school and some had never been married. Everyone had their own view of what a relationship should be and no one was shy about sharing it.

  As Nicole sorted through the responses, she received an alert about a private message from one of the women she’d became close friends with, Ella.

  Cielo Spa & Resort! Trust me. Book yourself a room and have some fun. You owe it to yourself to get out of this rut, and see what the world has to offer. It’s the perfect time—with the kids away—to get to know yourself again.

  Ella’s words impacted Nicole more than she would have expected. She typed a quick response to thank her friend and let her know that she would consider it, then she logged out.

  Each message of support reminded her that her life was not over.

  Just like Jack, she needed to find a way to move forward. She picked up the wedding photograph and carried it over to her dresser. With one last look she shoved it into the bottom drawer.

  “That’s enough—enough tears, enough questions—just enough.” She closed the drawer and returned to the laundry room to get the load started.

  No, it wouldn’t be easy, but she was ready to live again.