All-American Girl (21 page)

“Well, you’re looking better. You’ve got color in your face. You’re smiling and you look happier than you have since the first time I came.” Samantha blushed. “And well…I wasn’t expecting you to catch on about Lance.”

“I’ve known Lance a long time. When he came over to the house, he used to stop in the hallway and look at your pictures. Sometimes he would smile, sometimes he would frown, but he always looked.”

“Oh.” Samantha got goose bumps. “Sorry I missed your therapy session. I really wanted to be here.”

“I know.” Dorothy rose from chair and walked across the floor toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Samantha asked.

“My session time changed today. It’s right now. Care to join me?”

Samantha jumped up. “Of course!”

Lance picked up Jax and took him to breakfast at Candice’s diner, still wearing a smile from the night before. Deep in his gut, he wanted a million more like it. He shrugged off that thought. Samantha didn’t want anything long-term. Not only that, he still wasn’t certain she was on the mend with her life.

“Hey, Candice,” Lance said as he and Jax strode into the diner.

“Hey, boys!” Candice rushed around the counter and greeted both of them with a hug. “You hungry?”

Jax beamed. “Yeah, Aunt Candy! Can I have some pan-e-cakes?”

Lance laughed.

“Sure thing, squirt. Have a seat. I’ll bring them out.” Candice looked at Lance. “Where were you last night? I called and left messages. I needed help rearranging the equipment in back.”

“Was some of your new bakery equipment delivered?”

“Yes, and now it’s hogging the back room. I could’ve used some of your man-strength.” She eyed him curiously, and he tried not to smile. “Why didn’t you call me back?”

“I was busy.”

Candice’s curious eyes changed to amusement. “Ah…I see.
Busy.
I want details.”

“Later. If ever.”

“Later it is. I’ll bring out a hearty breakfast of meat and eggs.” She winked at him before striding off in the opposite direction.

Lance led Jax to the table and they sat down. “Did you have fun at Jim’s last night?” Lance asked.

“Yeah.” Jax proceeded to tell Lance every detail of the sleepover. “He showed me the new stegosaurus he got to go with his other one.” He set his T-Rex on the table. “Can I get another dinosaur? My T-Rex is lonely.”

“You’ve got a million other dinosaurs.”

“Here you go, boys!” Candice dropped plates in front of both Jax and Lance. “Hot off the grill.”

“That was fast. Thanks,” Lance replied.

“Getcha anything else?”

“Blueberry syrup!” Jax said.

Candice pulled a jar from the pocket of her apron. “You didn’t think I would forget that, did you?” She set it down next to Jax’s plate and ruffled his hair.

“Thanks, Candy.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll come back to check on you in a bit.” She cast a sideways glance at Lance. “And talk to you.”

Lance rolled his eyes. Candice could ask all the questions she wanted—he wasn’t up for answering them.

“Dad,” Jax called out.

“Hmm?”

Jax stabbed his pancakes with his fork and stuffed a heap in his mouth. “The dinosaurs, Dad. Can I get another one?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. I already said you have others.”

“I know, but T-Rex doesn’t have a friend.”

“T-Rex doesn’t need a new friend. He can be friends with all the others.” Lance grabbed a piece of bacon and put it in his mouth.

“Every one of my dinosaurs has a friend like them and T-Rex doesn’t. Velociraptor has a velociraptor friend. Brontosaurus has a brontosaurus friend. T-Rex needs someone to play with. He can’t be alone all the time, Dad. Everyone needs a mate.”

Lance choked on the bacon. “What?”

Jax’s face grew serious. “Every dinosaur needs a mate. Another dinosaur to take care of them. To hunt together. To protect their eggs together. A mate.”

“Where did you learn that?”

Jax’s face saddened for a brief second. “On the Discovery Channel.”

Lance shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Jax was more perceptive than he’d like to admit. “Okay, we’ll get you another T-Rex.”

“Today?”

“Maybe.”

“Eat up, Jax,” Candice said as she strolled back over. She took a seat next to him and pretended to take a bite of his food. Jax jerked the plate away and giggled. “You’ve got that project in the back to finish up.”

“Can I finish it today?”

“That’s up to your dad.”

Jax turned to Lance. “Can I, Dad? Can I stay here and finish the project for Aunt Candy?”

“Eat all your breakfast first.”

Scoop by scoop, Jax inhaled his breakfast. “Can I go now?”

“Go ahead,” Lance replied.

Jax jumped up on the seat and bounded through the back door like a monkey on a mission. Lance eyed Candice carefully.

“Did you give him the sugar-free syrup?” he asked. Candice looked away. “Figured. Good thing you’re the one keeping an eye on him.” Lance finished off his plate. “What do you have him doing back there anyway?”

Candice lifted a brow. “It’s a surprise. And he needs the energy—I didn’t give him the wrong syrup on accident.”

“I figured.”

Candice propped her elbow on the table. “So, you gonna tell me
who
kept you busy last night? I’d be blind to not notice the twinkle in your eye.”

Lance grunted. “Twinkle?”

Candice waved her hand dramatically. “Yes, the twinkle. And the confident smirk.”

“You’re too observant.” He rose.

“Don’t you want some coffee?”

“Not if it comes with twenty questions.”

She rose and pinched the underside of his arm. “Jerk.”

He tugged on her apron. “Nosy.”

She smacked his arm. “Baby.”

“You’re the one who started the name calling.”

She gave him a gentle push. “I’m just a dear, loving sister who cares about the well-being of her brother.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

She laughed and cleared the table. “You want some help?” he asked.

“No, I’ve got it. Since you’re not going to give me any answers, you might as well run along.”

“If you didn’t ask so many questions, I would stay and chat awhile.” He wanted to laugh at the sarcastic look Candice shot him. “I’ll be back to pick up Jax this afternoon. We’re going to the park.”

“Sounds fun. I’ll make sure to give him lots of candy.”

“Please don’t.”

Candice straightened. “Maybe I won’t if you answer one question.”

His lip twitched. “One.”

“Who was it?”

Damn it. He should’ve seen that one coming. There was no harm in answering her, really. He just really didn’t want Candice to get worked up over something that might not work out. After all, Samantha was still partly tucked away in her cocoon.

“Who?” Candice repeated. “You know I’ve got a one-hundred-ounce jar of M&M’s in the back. It’s full.”

“You wouldn’t.”

She smiled wickedly and nodded. “I would.”

He had to give her props for her tactics. In the end, he would have told her anyway. He just wished he’d had more time to work through his own feelings before telling anyone.

“Samantha,” he finally replied.

She smiled again and gently smacked his cheek. “About time.”

“Love is, and will always be, unfamiliar pain…and beauty.”
~Unknown

S
AMANTHA
R
ACED
H
OME
, still in high spirits from a day of cleaning the antique shop, visiting Gram, and even thinking about Lance.

His truck was already in the driveway. She smiled and floated inside with long, confident strides. Jax bounded up the hallway.

“Samantha!” He ran toward her and knocked her back a step as his body slammed into hers. His arms wound around her waist, and when he looked up at her, she almost teared up. “Dad said we’re going to the park!”

She nodded and sucked in a breath. “Yeah, kiddo. We sure are.” She rubbed his head and pinched his cheek. He giggled and ran toward the living room where Lance was seated on the sofa…with pages from Samantha’s novel spread out in his hands.

“What are you doing?” Samantha asked.

He dropped the pages and rose. “Oh, I was just reading some of your work.”

“I don’t let anyone read my stories until they’re done.” And even then it was only her agent and publisher. She walked over to him and shuffled the papers back into neat piles. Irritation crept in.

“I’m sorry.” He reached down to help.

She shook her head. “It’s all right. You didn’t know.”

He laced his fingers with hers. “If it’s any consolation, I liked it. You’ve certainly got a way with words.”

She glanced at his remorseful, yet sinfully good-looking face. The irritation slithered right out of her body.

“On paper, anyway. Thank you. I’ve had a little trouble finishing this particular story. I’m not sure what the problem is.” She was still worried about finishing her book. She didn’t know if she had it in her. Something about it was…amiss. But when she looked again at Lance, the world disappeared.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’re smart.” He raised a brow. “And sexy.” She smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and placed a featherlight kiss on her cheek. “By the way, it’s good to see you.” Heat rushed to all the right places.

“You, too.”

Three words almost slipped from her lips. She closed her eyes and pretended it would be okay. Being in love wasn’t a death sentence. Well, it felt like one to her for two reasons. She didn’t know what he would say, and more importantly, she would never be able to give Lance what he needed. After Ryan, Samantha just wasn’t whole. No amount of love would fix that. She would let no man, not even one with Lance’s strength and determination, into her life permanently. She
couldn’t
. Another bad ending would certainly kill her.

But she’d already let Lance into her life, hadn’t she? Was she already set up for some kind of bad ending? She shook her head; she wouldn’t think about that. For now, she would enjoy the time she had, the things Lance had shown her. She’d savor the touches and caresses, no matter how much her heart would break when she left. It was better that way. She just hoped that Jax didn’t get attached to her like she already was to him. She cast another glance at Lance, and her heart twisted painfully in her chest.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You look like you’re concentrating on something.”

“No, I’m fine.” She faked a smile.

“Sam, you’re a terrible liar.” He brushed a stray hair out of her face. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m okay. Gram will get to come home soon.”

His expression lifted. Jax ran over and thrust out two T-Rexes for Samantha to see.

“Look what Dad got me today! Another T-Rex! Isn’t she cool?”

“She?”

“Yeah! I told Dad Mister T-Rex needed a mate. He was lonely. Now he’s not! He’s got someone to share everything with. A dinosaur just like him!” Jax wiggled both dinosaurs. “Everyone needs a mate.” Jax’s big eyes beamed at Samantha. “Do you have a mate, Samantha?”

Words caught in her throat. “Umm…no.”

“Dad doesn’t have one either. Do you want one?”

Samantha lost her breath. Speechless. Lance gripped her elbow.

“Jax,” he said, “let Sam get settled in and then we can go to dinner.”

“Aw, Dad.”

Lance’s hand fell away from Samantha’s arm. “Come on, we’ll go outside and play hide-n-seek.”

Jax’s face lit up like an over-decorated Christmas tree. “Okay!”

In a flash, Jax was out the door and Lance stood in front of Samantha, his hands on her shoulders. She still hadn’t taken a breath.

“Hey.” Lance gave her shoulders a shake. “You okay?”

She cleared the haze and blinked. “Yeah, sure. I’m sorry. It’s been an exhilarating day, to say the least.”

“I understand.” He dipped his head and kissed her. Softy. Slowly. Carefully. When he drew away, he looked just as puzzled as she probably did. “We’ll go wait outside. You can tell me more about Dorothy at dinner, okay?”

“Sure, I’ll just be minute.”

Samantha loosened up a little during dinner, but Lance
noticed her
uneasiness and the way her eyes didn’t quite meet his. It unsettled him. She’d talked and laughed with Jax, and hugged him and kissed him several times; that at least made Lance feel better. But he would’ve been blind not to notice the way she tensed when he gripped her hand or brushed her arm.

Something had her on edge, and he wanted to make it go away. The only time she’d actually smiled at him was when she’d told him the good news about Dorothy coming home in less than a week. It had broken the ice that had come over her since Jax had mentioned everyone needed a mate.

As they walked into the park, with Samantha and Jax several steps ahead, he remembered the look of panic on Samantha’s face. It was as though she’d caught herself in a nightmare. She obviously still had some things to work through. Lance didn’t know how much time he’d have left with her, but he was certain he was going to show her how much she meant to him, with words or without. He figured it would be the latter.

“Dad!” Jax spun around and looked at Lance. “Me and Samantha are going to play on the monkey bars.” Lance nodded, took a seat, and watched the two people he loved.

He wondered if Samantha would be ready to hear such words? No. It dug at his gut to know the woman he’d wanted for so long, the one he still wanted, wouldn’t want to hear how he actually felt. She’d been broken by so many things. Her ex-husbands. Her fast-paced life. Her stress and guilt. Her own anger. He wanted to be the one to help her put the pieces together and wanted to be the piece that completed her.

Samantha and Jax giggled as they climbed the bars. Jax did flips and twists, while Samantha tried and failed. Lance laughed at their attempts. Every once in a while Samantha would stop, look at her hands and rub them on her pants. Then she would tickle Jax. She looked natural, so perfect playing with him. It was so easy for her to open up to him and treat him as though she’d loved him for years.

Lance thought of the little girl Samantha had spoken about, the one she’d mothered and taken care of who had been taken from her in the divorce. He hated the man who put Samantha through that pain. Losing a child would be heart-wrenching and no doubt another reason Samantha was pulling away from him. He wouldn’t let her push him any further. The evening had stretched him to his limits already. Samantha would have to work out her issues. She’d promised him a chance, and he was going to make sure he received a fair one.

He rose and walked over to Samantha and Jax where they were playing tic-tac-toe in the sand beneath the monkey bars.

“You’re good at this,” Samantha said as she erased the game and drew in a new one. She wiped her hands on her jeans again.

“He catches on quick. Like his dad.” Lance bent down at Jax’s side and patted his shoulder. When Samantha’s eyes met his, the humor and playfulness disappeared. Lance managed a thin smile.

“Dad, I’ve beat Samantha five times.”

“I know. I’ve been watching you.”

“Wanna play?” Jax handed Lance a stick.

“One game, then we’ve got to run. It’s going to be dark soon and you need a bath.”

Jax’s face contorted. “Dad!”

Lance chuckled. “Don’t
Dad
, me. Boys need baths.”

“Yuck.”

When Samantha laughed, Lance’s breath whooshed out of his lungs. She had the aura of an angel and didn’t even know it. When he looked at her, she cast her eyes away.

“Come on,” he said to Jax. “We’ll play another day. I’ll beat you then.”

“No you won’t. I’m good.”

“Not as good as me.” Lance got to his feet and pulled Jax up. Jax dusted the sand off his jeans. Lance held his hand out for Samantha, who hesitated briefly before taking hold. He drew her up and toward him. Her hand splayed out across his chest, keeping distance between them. He looked at her hand, then her. “You can’t hide from me forever.”

Her eyebrows rose. “I’m not—”

“Later,” he said. He turned, Jax at his side, and walked to his truck.

The ride back to Samantha’s was quiet. Once there, Samantha slid out of the seat, said her goodbyes, and rushed into the house. Lance shook his head in disappointment as he pulled out of the driveway. He would make her see it was worth a try, that
they
were worth a try. He didn’t know what she was hiding from, but he was going to find out.

“Dad!” Jax ran out of the bathroom, clad in his dino-jammies, T-Rex in hand. “I forgot his mate! She’s at Samantha’s.”

Lance set down his coffee and unfolded himself from the kitchen stool. “It’s okay, we can get it tomorrow.”

“No! He needs his mate. He can’t sleep without her.”

Lance rubbed his face, a headache beginning behind his eyes. “He’ll be fine for one night, Jax. Put him with the other ones.”

“Dad!”

“Don’t argue. It’s nine o’clock—your bedtime. It’s too late tonight. We’ll go over first thing in the morning.”

Jax’s expression sank into a frown. “Promise?”

“Promise.” Lance walked over and hugged him. “I love you.”

After tucking Jax in and convincing him that Mrs. T-Rex would be fine for the night, Lance went back into the kitchen to finish his coffee and clear his head.

Samantha sat in front of the blank screen of her laptop, her fingers aching to type. She groaned. Why was finishing this story so difficult? Why couldn’t she put together the words she needed to write? What was so hard about getting her hero and heroine together for that happily-ever-after? She blew out a rough breath. Maybe she should start writing women’s fiction; then she wouldn’t have to worry about the happily-ever-after. She could leave her heroine in a state of semi-happiness, wanting what was just out of reach, needing something more than she could give, understanding that things don’t always work out the way they should.

That sounded like her life, which made her think of Lance. She hated the gloomy look on Lance’s face when she’d hurried out of the truck and into her house, and it hurt to know that she’d put that expression there. She was stupid and naïve. After Jax had mentioned a mate, she’d frozen up like a woolly mammoth during the ice age. Lance wasn’t looking for a mate. Was he? And she certainly wasn’t looking for one. A good time, sure, but not a mate. Ryan had soured her on that for life.