Simon
He still can’t believe he almost lost complete and total control with Sam earlier. That was not what he had planned. He simply wanted to check her ankle, make her lunch, and do a perimeter search around the cabin to inspect their traps and alarms and wait out the rain. Then he’d touched her. It seems as if that’s all it takes where Samantha is concerned. One touch and he loses his mind.
After the rain finally stopped around five, they set out on the ATV with her sitting between his thighs driving it while he rode behind her keeping watch for dangers. Having Sam pressed into the front of him between his legs was a very uncomfortable ride, to say the least.
“I don’t see anything that would make me think this camp is a threat,” Sam says, breaking into his daydreaming over her body.
“No, I don’t, either,” he concurs. “I don’t think this is a group that Parker’s running unless it’s that much different from the others. Cory said the camp he and John found was mostly comprised of tents and a few sheds or something.”
“So was the one in the woods last night,” she says.
“Right, but this isn’t the same. These are mostly small cabins,” he adds. “I’m gonna need to get closer.”
“Really? Do you really think that’s a good idea after last night?”
He sighs, “Nobody will find you here. I’m just going to take a quick look a tad closer.”
“I’m going with you,” she asserts.
“What if someone finds the four-wheeler?”
“I’ll take the keys,” she says stiffly as if she is at her wit’s end with him, which is likely true.
Simon weighs his options and realizes it doesn’t matter what he thinks. She’s going to follow him whether he wants her to or not.
“Alright,” he gives in, which must surprise her.
“Really?” Sam asks with wide blue eyes.
Simon touches the tip of her nose and says, “Of course. Do you think I could resist giving you your way?”
She grins superiorly and stands. They’ve been spying from high ground on the quaint village deep in the forest. Whoever did come up with this idea to build in this spot was very smart. The village is nestled in a gully near a stream that he can hear gurgling from up high and is protected on all sides from the weather and harsh winds. However, if anyone did find them, they could be in trouble, sitting ducks if someone decided to attack.
The sun will set in an hour or so, and they need to get moving. Simon doesn’t want to be out late with her again. She does need to rest.
Simon’s radio crackles on his hip. He presses the button but can’t bring anyone in. “Wait here. I’ll be back.”
He rushes further up the hill and is able to make contact with Cory, who is calling. When he returns, Sam has packed their ATV and has her rifle on her back. He explains that they need to make this quick so they can meet Cory and Paige.
They get to the bottom of the ravine as the sun makes its final descent over the crest of the tall hills around them. He taps her shoulder and indicates to their left. Sam follows silently behind him, so silently that he has to check on her frequently to make sure she’s still with him. Two men are splitting wood near one of the cabins. A few children are playing tag in the cleared out area around the homes. Simon sees a pen with horses and two cows. There is a barn opposite them, so he heads there and has Sam wait while he looks inside. Nothing that would point to Parker or the highwaymen is inside. He hurries back to her and indicates they should leave. Once they make it to the top of the hill again, Simon notices that she is limping slightly.
“Are you ok?” he asks with concern.
“Just tweaked it a little again,” she explains. “I’m fine. What do you think about this place?”
“I’m not getting the same vibe. I heard some people talking in the barn. They were only concerned about milking the cows.”
“Yes, and those men cutting firewood were talking about their children. I agree with you…”
“Wait, what?” he asks in a teasing tone.
“I agree with…”
“Again? What did you just say?”
She punches his arm. “Shut it.”
“I’ll drive this time. We’ll give your ankle a break,” he says, to which she nods. “Really? Two in a row? You’re agreeing to this, too?”
“No, my ankle’s just sore,” she says.
“Before we go, I can wrap it,” he offers, to which she shakes her head.
“I don’t think I can get my boot on with that wrap.”
Simon nods, “Fine, as soon as we get home.”
He pauses and waits for it.
“Yeah, when we go home.”
“Yes!” he says fiercely and actually pumps his fist in the air twice. “Three in a row!”
Her small hand slips to her dagger on her hip in a menacing manner.
“Right, don’t push my luck,” he quips and chucks her under the chin and secures their packs onto the rack on the back of the ATV. Then he straps his sniper rifle and his other rifle onto the top of the packs for easy access.
He mounts the four-wheeler and allows her to get on behind him. If he thought having her sitting between his legs was rough, having her straddling his waist is maybe worse.
The ride back to the cabin is a fast one because he doesn’t want her to be out in the weather for too long and also doesn’t want them to get spotted with so little protection from a flying bullet. Once they arrive, he stows the ATV again and grabs their gear. Sam tries to help, but he tells her to go inside and gather her things. Within a half hour, they are back on the road in the Jeep this time and moving much faster. They are going to be late getting to Cory because they were delayed since he took Sam with him on the recon.
Realizing that the rest of their night is going to be in a vehicle with his sister and Cory, Simon takes advantage of their time alone to talk.
“I’m sorry for what happened earlier,” he says.
“Me, too,” she says as if miffed at him.
Simon amends his statement. “I’m not sorry I kissed you. I’m just sorry I took it too far.”
“Don’t worry,” she says. “It’s never happening again. When we get back to the farm, I’m going home to Dave’s.”
“No, you can’t,” he blurts in a panic.
“Why? What’s wrong? Is there something going on I don’t know about?”
He contemplates how much of a sin it would be if he lied. Are some sins greater than others? Are there measurements by which to grade one at a higher value than another?”
“Simon? What is it?” she presses.
“Um, nothing,” he says. He almost pushed her right into sex this afternoon, and he was reasonably certain she would’ve gone along with it, too. Herb has encouraged him to seek solace in Scripture lately, and Simon has an overwhelming sense of guilt for almost consummating their relationship. She doesn’t deserve that. Sam is a good girl, the best kind of girl. He isn’t sure, of course, but he’s guessing that she hasn’t had sex with anyone at Dave’s, either. He doesn’t want to spoil her. Waiting until marriage is going to be hard, considering he’s been in love with her for so long. He’s been in lust with her for that same amount of time. He’s just a buffoon who couldn’t figure it all out until recently. Now he can’t wait to be with her. Of course, winning her over may take some time.
“Are you hiding something from me?” she asks with trepidation in her soft voice.
“No, definitely not,” he admits. “When could that ever actually be possible? If there’s one thing we’ve both got between us, it’s that we know each other better than any other person on earth.”
She doesn’t answer, so Simon glances her way. She’s staring at him.
“Yeah,” she says in agreement.
“I still wish you’d come to the farm instead of Dave’s,” he suggests and turns on the windshield wipers when it starts sprinkling again.
“Why?”
Leave it to Sam to be direct. Simon weighs his options here, too, and decides that the truth will better serve him. “Because I miss you.”
“Simon,” she says in a complaining tone this time.
“It’s the truth,” he admits. “I miss you all the time. I miss talking to you. There’s been so much happening around the farm and around town, and I always turn to tell you something. But you’re not there. It’s very frustrating.”
“You’ve got Paige.”
“That’s not the same,” he explains patiently. He’d like to hold her hand but doesn’t push his luck. “I don’t talk to her the same way I talk to you.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “It’s hard to explain. Paige is my sister. I love her. I’ll always love her, but it’s not the same. I want you back in my life. I want us to be together. If you aren’t in love with Henry, then you should move back to the farm.”
“I’m not leaving my uncle,” she firmly states.
Simon sighs. Then he realizes that she didn’t argue about loving Henry, and that makes him feel a lot better. “I can understand that. I wouldn’t want to leave Paige,” he says. Then he pauses before adding, “But I would. I would leave her to be with you, even if I had to live over there with you. I can’t stand being separated from you.”
This is all difficult to say out loud, but Simon wants her to understand the depth of his feelings. They are not shallow. They run straight to his core. She has captured his heart like no other ever could. He just needs to make her understand.
“I think that’s a horrible thing to say,” she says, surprising him.
“If you love someone, you want to be with them,” he ripostes. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Paige. You know I do. But I want to be with you.”
“You could always move to Fort Knox. It was made quite clear that you’d be welcomed there with open arms.”
He chuckles. If she is just the tiniest bit jealous, that must mean something. Or perhaps he just wants it to. “I’m not interested in living at Fort Knox. I would move to town if it meant I could drive over and see you more often at Dave’s, but I have no interest whatsoever in moving north.”
She harrumphs with righteous indignation that makes Simon want to snatch her into his arms and kiss her pouty mouth.
“I know you’re angry,” he starts, to which she snorts. “You have every right to be. I won’t try to take that from you. You deserve to be a little mad.”
“A lot.”
“Correction,” he jokes. “A lot. You deserve to be a lot mad, but I want you to consider if you think I could make you happy. I’d never hurt you again, Sam. I promise. I know what I want now. I always knew. I just couldn’t allow it to happen. I felt like it was wrong.”
Sam quickly glances out her window.
“I love you, Sam,” he says, each time the words feel easier coming out of his mouth. “I’m not in any hurry,” he lies. “I’ll wait forever if I have to,” another lie. He’ll murder Henry and steal her away if he has to. A few more kissing sessions like the one earlier in the cabin should do the trick. She may hate him, but she doesn’t hate him touching her.
“Hey, there’s our white truck,” he says, pointing out the front window in the distance near the gas station where they agreed to meet.
“Yeah, that’s them,” she agrees and unfastens her seatbelt as they approach and slow down.
Simon puts it in park, and Sam shocks him when he feels her cool, small fingers on his arm. She doesn’t make eye contact but does speak the most fantastic words he’s probably ever heard.
“I…I miss you, too, sometimes,” she says quickly and gets out of the Jeep before he can respond.
A slow grin spreads over his face, one that he can’t help or stop when he gets out and grabs their gear.
“What’s your deal?” Cory asks as he walks up to him, Damn Dog at his side.
“Huh? Oh, nothing,” he answers, snapping out of his trancelike state daydreaming about an angel with dark hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes that walks the earthly ground like him, although she seems much better suited to be sitting on a cloud staring down at all the lesser mortals.
“Hm,” Cory says suspiciously. “Get your pumpkin in the game, nerd. We’ve got to find that pecker-head Parker. I get first dibs on shooting that fucker.”
And then the moment has passed as his best friend pricks his bubble of euphoria with crude language and talk of killing. It’s usually how most of his fantasies come to an end, so he’s used to it. Leave it to Cory to ruin the mood. He was feeling a bit superior, like he could conquer an entire village alone. Just a few, short words from her had lifted his spirits on high. But then they were deflated, and he was forced back to the ground again. And Cory’s right. He does need to concentrate. It’s going to be a long night.