Chapter 8

Samantha

Back in her kitchen a couple of hours later, Samantha shot her ‘fiancé’ a look. Erin was on his knee, and they were discussing—in a tone that belonged to a geopolitical debate—Erin’s day at playschool.

Before Jamie had died, even though Erin had been of age, he’d refused to allow their son to do something as ‘plebeian’ as attend a playgroup.

The first thing she’d done had been to sign him up.

Just the memory of that small rebellion, however slight, had her lips twitching, then her eyes accidentally caught focus on the new ring which sparkled as she moved her hand—she was preparing dinner for the three of them.

Whatever she’d expected when she’d been marched out of the house barely four hours ago, it hadn’t been to be dragged to a jeweler’s. Especially not one that spoke of such class and wealth, it was like entering a gallery.

But Josh’s guy had treated her like a criminal, a fact she didn’t appreciate and was only grateful that Erin hadn’t been there to see!

He’d already seen his mother being hauled around by his father, the last message she wanted to send was that it was fine for a woman to be treated like that.

There was no way in hell she was passing on that kind of mentality to her son.

His father had four years’, just, of influence on him. She intended to use the rest of his childhood to eradicate anything like that, refused for her son to be anything like his father.

No way. No how.

For a second, she wondered if Frank had beaten Janice. Kids learned from their parents, after all, and that was why she was so scared for Erin.

But Samantha simply couldn’t imagine Janice taking it.

Which sounded unfair.

Many women might think she wasn’t the kind to ‘take’ being hit and abused, but it had happened to her. Still, Janice was… ebullient. If anything, Samantha could imagine her father-in-law being the recipient of slaps and angry shoves.

Maybe that was where Jamie had learned such behavior was right?

She pursed her lips, jerked her attention from the creamy pearl nestled on her finger and the sparkling opals that were like fire on her hand. Stirring the sauce, she called out, “Dinner’s almost ready, boys.”

She purposefully ceased pursing her lips and curved them into a smile—boys. Ha. The last time Joshua Lewis had been called that, she’d bet he’d been fourteen!

“Time to wash up, Josh,” Erin said, his tone serious. “Mommy won’t serve dinner if we’ve got dirty hands.”

Her grin widened as she peeked over her shoulder and saw Erin leading Josh to the downstairs bathroom.

The sight of her son, the older and bigger man’s hand clutched in his, had her licking her lips. It didn’t disturb her. Didn’t upset her. But it did put her nerves on edge.

She hadn’t meant to introduce Josh into Erin’s life. After Jamie’s passing, either through grief or lack of interest, he’d barely spent any time with her son. If he checked up on them from time to time, outside of her awareness, that wasn’t something she knew about. But dragging Josh into their world… maybe it would have a positive effect on Erin.

Maybe, just maybe, when this was over, and her in-laws had ceased this ridiculousness, Josh could stay a part of Erin’s life?

She couldn’t imagine her son grabbing his father’s hand and tugging him away to the bathroom.

Now she thought about it, she couldn’t remember one instance at all. She’d thought she’d hid the real truth of her relationship, but Erin had always been cautious around Jamie. He’d been all smiles and hugs for her, but he’d been taut and strained with his father.

She bit the inside of her cheeks to quench the emotion her thoughts stirred, but her attention was averted anyway when Josh and Erin returned.

Having served dinner—breaded chicken fillets with mashed potatoes and home-made gravy—she placed the plates on the table, then grabbed her own and took a seat opposite Josh.

The square table didn’t allow for there to be ‘heads’ at the table. They were all just seated around it in a way that felt distinctly, and disconcertingly, cozy.

But she had no right to find this situation cozy. No right at all.

“Do you mind my spending so much time with your mommy, Erin?” Josh asked after he’d taken a few bites and had thanked her and complimented her on the meal.

She almost choked on her own food at the question. Shooting him a glare he ignored, his attention fixed firmly on her son, she kicked out under the table, satisfied when her foot connected with his shin.

He finally returned her look, but there was a blandness to it that told her she was about to be avoided.

Gritting her teeth, she grumbled, “This is hardly talk for the table.”

“Why not, mommy?” Erin said, carefully picking up a piece of chicken and nibbling on the crust to reveal the white, tender flesh beneath. “I like Josh. I like him being here. He makes you smile.”

Her eyes widened—Erin really thought that? Loathe to contradict him, even if Josh did grin at her son’s retort, she grumbled, “Can I help being a smiley person?”

Erin giggled. “You really are, mommy. I see you smile all the time now.”

‘Now’ being the operative word, she figured, but refused to let that darken her mood. She was contemplating the past too much, and thank God, it was history.

It was down to her to make their future right. To make it wholesome and filled with love.

Yes, that’s what she had to focus on.

“I like to hear that,” Josh said with a smile of his own. “But I want to be with you all more. You don’t mind sharing your mommy, do you?”

Erin’s eyes rounded. “Sharing?”

She bit back a grin as she stared down at her plate. “Sharing’s a dirty word at the moment, isn’t it, Erin?”

He blinked. “Dirty word?”

Josh snorted. “Why is it?”

“I wanted him to go to preschool last autumn. Somebody didn’t approve. But I knew it would start this. Erin has only child syndrome.”

“What’s a syndrome, mommy?”

“It’s what you have, sugarplum. It means that you’re on the way to being a spoiled monkey if I don’t watch it.”

“I’m not a monkey,” Erin said with another giggle. “I’m a little boy.”

“Little boys turn into monkeys if they don’t listen to their mommies, isn’t that right, Josh?” She shot him a look, the cast to the glance stern—she was making a point and being facetious at the same time.

The twitch of his lips was proof that she’d scored the hit. “She’s right, Erin. Mommies usually are though. When little boys don’t do as they’re told, they turn into monkeys. Are there more girls than boys in your group?”

Erin squinted a little then held up his hand and counted on his starfish-like fingers. She loved his hands. They were so little, and his nails were so perfect—in a few years, that would change. Her cousins had broken a few of theirs by the time they’d hit nine! “Yes! There are more girls. They smell and Robbie says they have cooties, but I don’t know what they are.”

She’d hoped cooties were away down the line.

“I thought as much,” Josh said, his tone somber. “When a boy turns into a monkey, there’s fewer left to attend the group. That’s why there are more girls.”

“Aren’t girls ever spoiled?” Erin demanded, his eyes rounder than ever at this turnabout.

She probably shouldn’t let the story go too far, but she was enjoying Josh’s playful side too much to chide him. Truth was, Erin was getting spoiled. She was limiting him in some ways, but sometimes it felt like for every step forward she took, Janice helped drag him back a whole yard on their rare visits where she showered him with gifts and catered to his every whim.

“Girls are spoiled, but they don’t turn into monkeys. That’s how they get cooties.”

Samantha cleared her throat. “Cooties and monkeys really aren’t talk for the dining table. Eat your meals, both of you.”

There was a sparkle in Josh’s eye when their gazes clashed and held that, she’d admit, bewildered her.

She wasn’t sure where it came from, her response to it and his reaction in the first place, but she’d never seen it before. Had never seen this playful side either.

When he’d hung out with Jamie in the past, the two of them hadn’t postured as much as she’d have imagined two guys with their backgrounds doing. But they’d usually messed with each other as guys did. Nothing unusual in it, but they’d always been pretty harsh with each other. There’d never been the opportunity to see this softer, gentler side she guessed.

Erin had been too young to really do much interacting when Josh had hung out with Jamie in the past. He was only now starting to talk more anyway…

She carried on eating her meal, and tried not to think about how right it was for Josh to be there—he was engaging Erin. Teasing him, making her little boy laugh.

God, it was intoxicating. Truly.

If the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, then Samantha had just figured out the way to a woman’s…

Through her son.