CHAPTER 16
Sam reached Everly, already at Sugar Pine Stables where Morgan was with Ellie, finishing Search and Rescue training. After hearing of their odd car troubles while out in the middle of nowhere, she found Morgan to deliver an update and the revised plans where Ellie was concerned. Morgan promised an excited Ellie ice cream if she did well on her horse, and Evie was making good on a sleep over promise after ice cream.
As the women made their way to the yard where camp would soon be ending, to collect Ellie, Rene, the equestrian center operator at Sugar Pine, approached them with a surprised smile. Rene was fairly new to McKenzie Ridge, about six months, but had made fast friends with each of them. She was kind and gentle, well liked, but somewhat of an introvert, not stepping out of the equestrian scene too much. It seemed to be her place in McKenzie. She was beautiful, olive complexion, dark hair and eyes, with the athletic build an avid horse rider should expect, but she didn’t seem interested in the many inquiries from the towns adoring men. Each of them enjoyed getting to know her, and the children adored her, including Ellie.
“Hey Rene, just the gal we were looking for!”
“Looking for? Why, what happened?” Rene’s tone took on a manner of nervous concern as she began to look around and fidget where she stood. “I mean, everything is okay, right?”
“Yes, everything is okay. Sam and Dawson just had a little trouble, so I’m signing Ellie out of camp for them. Morgie was taking her for ice cream anyway.”
“Oh, that. Uh, I don’t know; our policy is pretty clear. I don’t have anything from Sam so…”
“Rene, I’m on the pick-up list and her emergency call list, and Morgie has been dropping her off and picking her up for several weeks now, and she’s a cop
!”
“Look, let’s just call Sam; she can give you the all clear.” Morgan offered.
“No, don’t worry about it. You guys are right.” Rene adopted a large superficial smile before walking away with a final statement full of snark, “Besides, we wouldn’t want to worry poor
little Sam. She has half the damn town doing that for her – and taking care
of her. Must be nice
. Ellie, time to go, hon!”
Jaws dropped. Evie and Morgan shared a what the hell
look, completely shocked by the passive aggressive comments from Rene. Since when did she question who picked up Elli? They had been sharing this duty, including Gran and Dawson, for weeks now, without a problem or objection. Sam’s mysterious events the past weeks weren’t a secret, small town and all. That had to be where Rene’s reservation was coming from.
“Hey squirt, ready for ice cream?”
“I love
ice cream! Can I get sprinkles too? Oh, and whipped’d cream? That is my very favorite! Can you come, Aunt Evie? You love ice cream!”
“Sorry, squirt! I’m going to your house to pick up your bag because we
are having a girls’ night sleep over, sister!”
“Oh goody! I love
sleeping overs! Can we eat brownies super late and paint our nails and put make up on Gran when she snores on the couch, again?”
“How’s the couch?”
“Very funny. It sucks. I’m tired of this leg.”
“How was your outing
?” Everly said with a sly look full of mischief, complete with air quotes around the word outing
. Sam was in a bit of a mood, understandably so. She wasn’t used to being a sit on your ass, couch potato type, but here she was, sitting on her ass on a couch, and not happy about it. Everly didn’t let Sam’s foul mood interfere with her prying and was about to drop a bomb that should lighten her spirits dramatically.
“Oh, Evie, honey, I didn’t hear ya come in!”
“Hey, Gran. Just came by to grab a bag for the little one—sleep over!”
“Great idea! Sam can have a night of naked wrastlin’! I’ll get home and start baking!”
“What
? Why would you need to bake for us?”
“Oh child, you get to do your own cookin
’ with that boy of yours! Cookies and brownies are for the midget! Hopefully that boy can screw you out of that mood of yours! You certainly have been dealt a lousy hand lately, but ‘tis no excuse for the funk you’re making us watch.”
With a classic Granny wink and nod, Lou Shaw was out the door and on a baking mission. Never one to mince words, she laid it out for Sam. Apparently, she’d been acting like quite an ass if Gran thinks she needs to get laid. She did need to get laid; she was tired of the hovering and limitations. A night of unleashed, naked passion sounded perfect. Everly must think so too, hence the sleep over!
“So?” Everly asked, impatiently waiting for the details she requested.
“What?” Sam questioned, hopeful the playing dumb move would distract Everly and get her out of sharing her afternoon’s details.
“Dish, kid! Why do you always make me drag it out of you? How was your little adventure
with the stud muffin?”
“Not at all what you think, but it was nice. It was better than nice.”
“Then you did do what I’m thinking.”
“Nope. Just talked!”
“Crap, you are in bad shape!” Everly shot back, hands on her hips, giving Sam a stern look. “Do you even know what you are supposed to do with a boy? You didn’t forget that too, did you?”
“Ha. Funny, Ev! Believe me, I didn’t forget. In fact, I think I remember too well what I’m supposed to do with him!”
“Ah Ha! You are a horny little wench! Look at you!”
“Maybe. Crap, I totally am! Ugh!”
“So, then what happened earlier? I expected you to be floating on clouds with a stupid grin by now!”
“He took me to the creek, where we…you know
. It was nice; he was so perfect, said all the right things. You were right, Ev. He’s one of the good ones. He wants me, just me, I don’t know, forever maybe.”
“Oh Sam, that’s amazing. Wait, you love him, don’t you?” Everly questioned in a sincere and loving tone, happy for her friend. “I am so happy for you, you lucky wench!”
The two friends began to laugh like a couple of giddy school girls when the man in question walked through the door, arms full of groceries and an insecure look centered on his face, laced with a hint of concern, or maybe it was confusion. Afraid of what he may have walked in on, the muffled giggles and watchful, guilty eyes gave it away. Crap, they were talking about him. Great. Laughing was likely a good thing, but man did he feel like a mouse in a hen house. Tread carefully Tayler. Giddy women aren’t always a good thing. It could be a trap.
“Ladies?”
“Hey, Tayler! I’m on my way out, just grabbing an overnight bag for the munchkin—sleep over!”
“Sleep over? Is that a fact?” He turned to a blushing Sam who was giving it all away. Oh, her mind was definitely on its way to the same gutter his was. It was going to be a glorious, naked night. Hot damn! His devilish grin and single raised eyebrow had Sam out of her seat faster than a cowboy on a bucking bronco.
“I’ll go pack her bag real quick, Ev.”
For a temporary cripple, Sam quickly made her way out of the room where she could catch her breath and collect her thoughts, even the dirty ones. That look of his was sinful, made her sweat and want to strip right then and there, which would have been shamefully mortifying, given the mixed company. She was so screwed or at least would be soon.
Everly grabbed one of the many bags Dawson hugged with his massive biceps and helped get them to the kitchen. She was impressed with the contents of his shopping spree. He had put a lot of thought into the evening, despite not knowing they were getting “grown up” time. Flowers, candles, and a haul from Baker’s were amongst the goods unloaded. Lucky Sam!
“Impressive, Tayler!”
“Yeah, I hope so! Thanks for taking El, Shaw; I owe you one!”
“Nah, you guys need a break. She
needs a break!”
“I noticed that. The creek trip helped until we had to come back.”
“Be good to her, Tayler.”
The sudden seriousness Everly adopted took him by surprise. He knew how important these people were to Sam and vice versa; they really were her family in every way that mattered. They had all become important to him too. He appreciated them and respected their opinions. He wouldn’t let any of them down, especially where Sam was concerned, and he had hoped he was making that evident. They were quickly becoming family to him, and he knew better than to ruffle the feathers of the women in his world.
“Ev, you don’t need to worry about me. Sam is…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know; everything is dreamy. Save it. Just be careful with her heart, Dawson.”
“I will.”
She believed him. His reaction was genuine, and she had no reason to doubt his sincerity. She could see how much he adored Sam and valued the relationship they were building. They were both upstanding, genuine people individually. They were straight out of a happily ever after together. She respected that. She might even be a bit envious of what they had, but Sam deserved it, and she couldn’t be happier for them.
Not one to indulge in deep and serious conversation, and it was starting to feel heavy, Everly went a different direction hoping to lighten the mood. Still waiting for Sam to get Ellie’s overnight bag together, she transitioned their conversation to a lighter topic, or so she thought.
“So what’s up with the flat tires? Isn’t that a little weird, even for out there?” She questioned.
“It is. Someone was out there, watching us.” His delivery was straight to the point and laced with anger; someone was indeed after Sam.
“Shit, are you serious? Random prank or is this more of the same?” Surprised, Everly was caught off guard by Dawson’s declaration, just when they thought everything was resembling some sort of normal again.
“Awfully deliberate and thorough to be a prank. Sam doesn’t know.”
“Today just keeps getting weirder. Rene seemed really annoyed that Morgan and I were picking up Ellie, and she made some snarky comments about poor Sam
and how she has so many people looking over her
. Guess she wasn’t far off if you guys were being watched.”
“Really, why would she say that?” Dawson was quick to question, not able to ignore that uncomfortable and unwanted twinge of concern.
“It was out of character for her. Bad day maybe? They’re friends. I can’t imagine her meaning anything by it, but it struck me as odd.”
“Maybe.”
Evie left the kitchen, meeting Sam in the living room where they traded one sassy little girl’s overnight bag and shared a goodbye. Dawson, however, was distracted, lost in thought, pondering what Everly just told him about Rene. Sure, it seemed innocent enough, but it didn’t sit well with him for some undetermined reason. Why would someone say something of that nature, especially about a friend who is trying to come back from a very traumatic experience that wouldn’t go away? There was also that feeling again, and he couldn’t ignore its return.
Rene. It was already established that nobody really knew much about her, other than she was new to town, but they all saw something familiar that they couldn’t quite peg. The anonymity that surrounded her came flooding back like a turbulent storm breached levy. She may not be a threat, but he needed to know who she was and put all the questions surrounding her to rest.
Sam drew a bath with her head-spinning, full of Dawson and all of his shared feelings. Sure, the idea was nice. He was an incredible man, so caring, so nurturing, as genuine as one can be, and insanely sexy. That last part wasn’t as important as the others, but it sure didn’t hurt. She could look at that beautiful God-like physique all damn day. She skirted that thought to the side, before she found herself needing a cold shower to remedy it, and tried to picture a life with Dawson.
It had been months since their initial non-date,
undeniably a whirlwind-like fantasy, and here they were, wherever that was. Clearly, dating wasn’t in question. They were at least that, maybe more, but how much more? Was it even safe to indulge in a relationship of this design? There were no guarantees, and so far no boundaries, comfort zone aborted weeks ago.
Truth be told, as frightening as it was, she wanted this to work, desperately, and not just for her but for Ellie. Seeing the two together warmed her heart and filled it with so much joy it was almost painful. They had done just fine without a man in their lives. It’s hard to miss something you never knew or had, but this was a game changer. The thought of life without Dawson now, left a deep aching sadness that she didn’t want to explore, nor did she want that absence or sense of loss to define her daughter’s life like it had hers.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Everly’s words came to mind and calmed her singed nerves. She was right. Sam had fallen hard for this man she didn’t even know she wanted. She had sworn them off, all but him, apparently. He rushed into their lives like a hurricane, turning her heart and every emotion she possessed upside down and scattered. Guard down, heart exposed, past a distant memory, no longer haunting her, she just might love this man.