CHAPTER 13

Sam

Early on, Rocco had warned Sam to treat Beth with care. It took kissing her and meeting her mother to convince him that he might well be in over his head with this woman. He’d met her mother only the one time, and frankly that was enough to last him a lifetime. He loved the fierce way Beth stood up to the woman, defending him at every turn. She made sure Ellie Prudhomme knew she wasn’t backing down in any way, shape, or form when it came to living her own life. Sam couldn’t have been more proud of her.

As the days progressed, Sam discovered he wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to breathe. Every time she was in his arms and his lips were on hers was better than the time before, better than he could have ever imagined. His feelings for her intensified each day until she was all he thought about. He’d heard about besotted men who walked around with their heads in the clouds. He remembered Rocco acting that way when he’d first met Nichole. He never thought it would happen to him, and yet here he was, every bit as dopey as his friend had been.

Sam remembered a half-drunk Rocco telling him about Nichole. It wasn’t a good time in their relationship. It looked like the two of them were about to split and in fact might have. Rocco had been drowning his sorrows in beer and started mumbling under his breath. Sam had the feeling his friend had forgotten he was even there. Rocco muttered something about kissing Nichole and feeling the earth move like a friggin earthquake. At the time, Sam had grinned, amused. That sounded like lyrics to a Carole King song. He wasn’t smiling now. That was exactly how he felt when he kissed Beth. There’d been a quake, all right. One that registered high on the Richter scale. It felt like the floor beneath his feet had started to heave and buckle and all they’d done was kiss. He couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen if things had gone any further.

Nichole was right to be concerned. She might have introduced Beth to him, but apparently, now she had doubts, and frankly, Sam didn’t blame her. Getting emotionally involved with him wasn’t the best option for Beth. She was refinement and innocence, educated and smart. He was none of that.

And yet…Sam found he was addicted to her the way a heroin addict needed a fix. He couldn’t go twenty-four hours without seeing her. At the end of the workday, he rushed out of the garage and was home only long enough to shower and change clothes. The one exception was his poker night, and even then Sam was eager to leave as soon as he could, needing his Beth fix.

Thankfully, Beth’s recovery was coming along nicely. Walking remained difficult for her. Within a short amount of time she’d advanced from the walker to a cane. They often ate dinner together, and then it was off to the piano. He loved their jam sessions. Sam could easily play for hours with Beth. It’d gotten so the staff and half the residents of the rehab center came to listen in.

She chatted with the crowd and took requests. If he didn’t know the tune, like Beth, he was able to pick it up easily enough. Several times a few brave souls would sing along. Beth’s talent moved him and she’d managed to convince him that he wasn’t half bad. They entertained the facility for a couple hours every night and would have played longer if Beth had more stamina.

She was regaining her strength little by little. He could see an improvement even if she couldn’t. He understood her frustration and knew she was eager to get back to teaching and her life. The thought worried him some. Once she was released, their relationship was sure to shift. It was inevitable. He just didn’t know how or what it would mean.

He wasn’t sure what it would look like once she was back to the schedule she’d kept before the accident. Their nightly jam sessions were sure to end. It did no good to worry about it now, although Sam had a fatalistic attitude. He had to be willing to let her go, and while it would gut him, it would probably be for the best. Sam, however, refused to let his thoughts wander down that unwelcome path.

—

Saturday morning, three weeks after the accident, Rocco needed Sam’s help getting a new dryer installed onto the small back porch that served as their laundry room. As always, Sam was happy to lend a hand. It’d been a week or longer since Sam had connected with Rocco and Nichole. As soon as they were finished, he’d head off to the rehab center to see Beth. It never felt right to be away from her for long periods of time. When he left her, his thoughts would automatically calculate how long it would be before he could see her again.

Getting the dryer through the narrow doorway was going to be tight. There were only a couple inches of room, and Sam had already bitten off a few swear words as the two men struggled to get the dryer on the porch. As they lifted the appliance up the steps and eased it through the opening, Owen was at the ready, his money jar in hand. Sam scraped the back of his hand as they moved the dryer through the narrow doorway, lifting away several layers of skin. He swallowed a cuss word, thinking that later he’d let Beth kiss it and make it better. He was sure to get a healthy dose of sympathy from her. Thinking about her sweet lips kissing his hand produced a smile. He might be able to convince her his lips ached, too. At that thought he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Rocco groaned, bent over, as they lifted the heavy machine.

Sam hit his hand again and this time it really hurt. “Son of a…” He bit off the last word and could almost feel Owen’s disappointment.

Once they manipulated the dryer through the door, Rocco and Sam stepped back and exhaled. Thankfully, it took only a few minutes to hook it up.

Disappointed, Owen returned to the house to deposit the money jar in his room. When his stepson was out of earshot, Rocco said, “Got a bit of news about Nichole’s ex.”

“What’s going on?” Sam had never met the other man, but over the years he’d heard plenty. Before Nichole and Rocco were married, Jake had basically blackmailed Nichole into breaking up with Rocco, threatening to take her to court for custody of their son if she continued the relationship.

“He’s going through his second divorce. Wife number two caught him cheating. Seems he didn’t learn his lesson with Nichole.”

“Doesn’t look like he can keep his zipper closed,” Sam muttered. Jake had been a lucky man with Nichole and blew it. Some guys never learn. Although Rocco didn’t mention it, Jake wasn’t much of a father figure, either. The parenting plan called for him to have Owen every other weekend, but the majority of the time Jake was busy. Owen saw his father once a month if that. To the best of his knowledge, Jake hadn’t attended a single one of Owen’s T-ball games. Rocco was more of a father to the six-year-old than Jake would ever be.

“It hurts Nichole that Jake is mostly absent for Owen.”

Sam knew what he was saying. “That choice is his.” But Nichole wasn’t the only one who felt bad for Owen. Rocco did, too, and worked hard to be a positive role model and stepfather to the boy.

“It’s a good thing Owen’s got Leanne and Nicolai.”

Sam knew that the older couple spent a lot of time with Owen and with the baby as well, showering the newborn with love and attention.

The door off the kitchen opened and Nichole appeared, wearing one of the apparatuses that carried the baby in the front, pressed against her chest. Matthew was sound asleep, his head resting against his mother’s breast. Sam reached out and cupped the baby’s small head. He enjoyed seeing Rocco with a young family, and his heart ached for all the might-have-beens in his own life.

“Lunch is ready,” she said.

Both men moved into the house, where Nichole had set the table.

“How’s Beth?” Nichole asked as she set a tray of sandwiches in the center of the table.

“Improving a little more every day.” Sam was proud of the progress she’d made. He didn’t try to hide his smile, which came to him whenever someone mentioned Beth’s name. Sam noticed Rocco watching him and frowning.

“What?” Sam demanded.

“You falling for her?” Rocco asked.

“Maybe.” This wasn’t a discussion he wanted to have, especially now in front of Nichole. He turned his attention to the plate of sandwiches and said to Nichole, “Beth mentioned you were by recently.”

“Yeah. Shawntelle and I came for a visit the other day. Now that she has a piano close at hand she’s resumed teaching piano lessons. A couple of her students were there at the same time. Kids from the high school have stopped by, too. Beth has improved a lot since the last time I was up to see her.”

Sam knew Shawntelle was Rocco’s bookkeeper and a good friend to Nichole.

“We arrived when she was arguing with the physical therapist about getting in the pool.”

Sam snapped to attention. He didn’t know anything about this. “What’d you say?”

“Beth didn’t want to get in the pool even though the physical therapist said it would help her.”

“Why not?” he demanded. He’d kept close tabs on her treatment and was surprised she hadn’t mentioned anything about water exercises.

“I don’t know why she refused,” Nichole admitted. “You’ll need to ask her.”

“I will.” He would definitely find out what was holding her back.

Rocco frowned. “What’s the deal? Is she afraid of the water?”

“I don’t know,” Nichole said. “Shawntelle and I only heard the end of the conversation. I don’t think we were supposed to hear what we did. All I can tell you is that the therapists said it would help her, but Beth refused.”

This didn’t make sense. Beth was one of the bravest women Sam had ever met. He couldn’t imagine her backing down from anything.

Owen appeared and sat at the table. “Mom baked brownies this morning and she let me help.”

“You want to be a chef when you grow up?” Sam asked.

“I do if I can bake brownies.”

Grinning, Rocco walked over to the refrigerator. “You want a beer or a soda?”

“Soda.” Sam pulled out a chair and sat down next to Owen. Nichole had set out plates along with a big bowl of potato chips and sliced apples.

Sam reached for a ham-and-cheese sandwich and studied it as if analyzing its contents. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. “Don’t suppose Beth mentioned me?”

Nichole laughed. “Your name was every other word. It was Sam this and Sam that. Listening to her, one would think you walk on water.”

Holding back a smile would have been impossible.

“She said the two of you have been entertaining the patients and staff every night with your music.”

Rocco reached for a sandwich. “You two are playing together?”

“Yeah.” He could see that his friend was amused but unsure why.

“What’s so funny?” Sam asked Rocco.

His buddy shrugged. “Nothing. I just never thought I’d see the day.”

“See what?”

“You,” Rocco said, lifting the bowl of chips and emptying a large portion onto his plate.

“What about me?” Sam had a feeling he should let this go, but he couldn’t make himself do it.

“You,” Rocco repeated, “hung up on a girl.”

“I’m not hung up on Beth.” He was. He so was, and he had no clue why he would deny it.

“Would you two stop,” Nichole interceded. “You’re beginning to sound like kids on the playground.”

Sam was happy to drop the subject. This thing with Beth was new and he had yet to fully take in what it was exactly, that they had other than a shared love of music and a connection he would be hard pressed to explain to anyone, even himself. And of course her addictive kisses.

Hearing that she didn’t want to get into the pool for her physical therapy puzzled him, and he was anxious to talk to her about it. As soon as he finished with his sandwich, he made his excuses.

“I best head out,” Sam said, scooting back his chair.

“You didn’t eat a brownie,” Owen announced, as if Sam had decided against sampling nectar from the gods.

“Next time, kiddo.” Sam ruffled the top of the boy’s head, raised his chin at Rocco, and hugged Nichole. “See you.”

“Thanks for the help,” Rocco called after him.

“Anytime,” Sam returned as he headed out the door. He didn’t hesitate and drove directly to the rehab facility.

—

When he found her bed empty, he did a search of the hallways, knowing she was probably walking the corridor. She used every excuse to stay out of bed, walking until the pain was too much for her or she grew weak.

It didn’t take him long to find her. Watching Beth walk, he was once again amazed at the progress she’d made in such a short amount of time. Seeing her without her being aware, Sam felt a tug against his heart. She made him proud, knowing every step brought her pain. Sheer resolve was what drove her. Her concentration was keen as she purposefully moved one foot in front of the other. Several times he saw her grimace, and it was all he could do to keep from rushing forward, lifting her in his arms, and carting her back to her room. If it were possible, he would gladly take on that discomfort himself rather than see her suffer.

Sam never expected such strong feelings for another woman. The depth of his attraction stunned him. It was like his heart reached out to her, willing her health and happiness, even if that meant it wasn’t with him.

No, that wasn’t true.

Just thinking about Beth with another man and his jaw tightened. He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t want her with him. That on its own was a surprise, seeing how he felt when they first met. Beth, sweet and proper; him being his irreverent self. It’d taken the accident for him to discover how much they had in common.

As if sensing his presence, Beth glanced up. Immediately her face broke into a smile, her eyes widening with inexplicable joy.

“Sam. When did you get here?”

“Just a few moments ago.”

She started toward him, nearly stumbling in her rush to reach his side.

Sam lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her before she had a chance to lose her balance. “Hey there, one step at a time.”

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.” He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. He wanted to really kiss her, the way he normally did when they were together. Prying eyes prevented him from doing something he knew would embarrass her.

“You got the dryer moved for Rocco and Nichole?”

“We did. Nichole dutifully fed me lunch and now I’m here.” He released her and she apparently noticed his injured hand.

Her eyes lit up with alarm. “You hurt yourself.”

“It’s nothing,” he said, dismissing her concern, loving that she’d noticed.

Frowning, she tenderly rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand. “It looks painful.”

“It isn’t, but if you want to kiss it and make it better…just saying.”

She laughed as he knew she would and pressed her lips over the small injury.

“Better?”

The question fell gently from her lips. He loved hearing the tenderness in her voice. “Much.” Although it wasn’t necessary, he kept his arm tucked around her waist and kept her as close to him as possible.

He waited for a few moments, letting her set the pace as they walked, then asked, making the question as casual as he could, “What’s this I hear about you refusing to do water therapy?”

“Who told you that?” Her voice held more than a hint of defensiveness, the subtle change in her obvious.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes…no, I guess not. It’s no big deal. I’d rather not do it is all.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “I like the beach and everything, but I’m not a good swimmer and—”

“It’ll help, babe.”

“Sam, please, I’ve listened to all the arguments. No one is more eager to get back to my life than me. I’m not convinced it will do much good, and I don’t want to put myself through the anxiety of getting into the water. It’s not a big deal.”

He went still, preparing an argument.

Beth interrupted his thoughts by punching him playfully on his forearm. “Stop calling me babe.”

He frowned, taken aback by her request. “I thought you liked it.”

“Generally I do, especially when you say it in that sexy tone of voice. One look into your eyes and I’m ready to dive into the deep end of the pool.”

“Good, that’s what I want to hear.”

“But not when it sounds like you’re disappointed in me. Then it sounds like a chastisement.”

“You’re afraid?” He suspected that was the case.

Her beautiful eyes looked up at him. “I’m not much of a water person and—”

“Would it help if I got in the pool with you?”

Her eyes widened, as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. “You’d do that?”

“If it would help you, of course.”

She appeared stunned. “I…I don’t know.”

“If you’re worried about getting in, I’ll lift you so you won’t have to climb down the steps.”

“It isn’t that.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It shouldn’t be a big deal—”

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

She sighed and after a moment nodded. “I was eight and the son of a family friend held my head underwater. He was older and he thought it was funny. I thought I was going to drown. I’ve been uncomfortable in water ever since. It’s silly, I know.”

“It isn’t silly.” Sam didn’t know the name of the boy who’d frightened her, but if he ever met the jerk he was determined to make him pay for terrorizing Beth.

“It’s time I got over this, isn’t it?”

“You can do this, Beth.”

“You’ll come in with me the first time?”

“Said I would, didn’t I? I’ll come more than once if you need me to.”

She looked at Sam with such adoration that he thought his heart would quit beating. What she didn’t know was that he’d be willing to walk over hot coals if she asked it of him. Hot coals, sharp knives, anything. She was that important to him.

Yup, he was in big trouble.