Late Saturday night, Sam rolled her suitcase into her cottage, flipped on a lamp, stepped back outside, and shut the door. The first thing she wanted—even before doing email, even before stretching out full-length on her own bed—was to see Liv.
Ew. That was a purely emotional response.
But why should it surprise her? She should be getting used to purely emotional responses. Unearthing ancestral ties and seeing—basically—the hand of God bringing together two far-flung histories that resulted in Sam’s existence had seriously messed with her core being. And before all that—
She shook her head. Before all that, she had been primed for it. Meeting bighearted, honey-voiced Jasmyn had been the beginning of the end of Samantha Whitley. Jasmyn was an industrial-strength version of Liv but didn’t know it.
Jasmyn had taught Sam that she could be social and that people would actually accept that side of her. Such an image of herself made Sam squirm inside, and yet it also made her want to go for it, to find a life outside of work.
That thought led directly to Beau.
Which led to facing the fact that he already had a life, one that ruled out their paths crossing in a social way.
Which led to the idea of moving from the Casa to someplace where their paths would never cross in any way.
Which led to craving a hug from Liv.
She paused now in the deserted courtyard and took a deep breath of salt air. Good grief. What did people do with such a clutter of emotions?
Her phone rang and she pulled it from a pocket. Jasmyn’s name showed on the screen and a wave of calm flowed through Sam.
“Hi.”
“Quinn got engaged.”
“You’re kidding. To the guy who dumped her?”
“Evidently that was all in her head. He showed up on a white horse, and he was wrapped in foil. He took her to the baseball fields at the high school. They love baseball. He proposed on the pitcher’s mound and said he had to live in Chicago and he would buy them season passes to the Cubs if she said yes. She said yes. She’ll text you a picture of the diamond ring.”
Sam laughed until the words sank in. “Wait. Chicago? She’s moving? Jasmyn! What does this mean for you and the Pig?”
“Well.” Jasmyn sniffled and giggled at the same time. “Well. You know.” The sniffles won and she stopped talking.
“I know?” What did she know? She knew that buying the restaurant was Jasmyn and Quinn’s future together, not separately. She knew that Jasmyn did not have a real home, nor did she even feel at home in her hometown. Now she didn’t have a job. Or a BFF. Or a surrogate dad in Danno.
Sam’s breath caught. “Really? For real, Jasmyn? You’re coming here? You’re moving here?”
“Is that crazy?” she whispered.
“Crazy wonderful.” And then Sam started crying. She was a goner for sure now.