Autumn Getaway (Seasons of Love) (6 page)

Sam nodded. “I’d say so. I live in Chicago.”

“Ah. Yup, that counts.”

“Where do you live?”

“New York. Long Island.”

“Aha. Well, glad we both made the list, then.” He eyed her wine glass. “You already have a drink. I think I’ll get one too. Be right back, don't go away.”

She watched him make his way to the bar and chat amicably with the bartender. With a short glass of golden liquid in hand, Sam turned around and looked to Lydia, obviously intending to head back in her direction. Just then, Alec approached him and said something with a teasing grin. Sam immediately put his glass down and hugged him tightly. The two men clapped each other on the back, smiling.

“Good to see you,” she could hear Sam say to Alec, but she couldn’t make out what Alec said in response. The room was filling with people, the volume level was rising, and it was getting harder to make out separate conversations. She saw Sam glance at her meaningfully over Alec’s shoulder. She just smiled, gave a small wave, and left him to his friend, making her way towards what she’d seen earlier was a back door. An escape hatch. She pushed it open with her free hand and made her way outside.

It was chilly outside, bordering on being cold. Lydia inhaled the crisp air and could smell wood burning from somewhere close by, an incredible autumnal scent that she loved. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, careful not to spill the wine on herself. Exhaling a cloud of white steam, she tipped her chin up to look at the stars, and her breath caught in her throat. Without the lights of a big city nearby to interfere and take away from the darkness, she could make out a ton of sparkling stars overhead, brilliant and magnificent in their grandiosity. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been able to see so many stars so clearly…

Yes, actually, she could. It was the trip to Vermont she and Matt had taken over four years earlier, the trip to the cabin in the woods where she’d most likely gotten pregnant with Andy, since they’d made love every day and every night for the four days they spent there. She could remember how there, as now, the heavens had made her gasp from their astounding beauty as the stars sparkled, like millions of diamonds in an endless sea of black velvet.

She took a hard swallow of wine from her glass, almost a gulp. She hadn’t thought of that trip in a long time, and didn’t want to think of it now. She hadn’t thought of Matt as her husband, as someone she used to like and love, in long enough that it truly felt alien to do so now. And to remember having sex with him? She actually shuddered, and knew it wasn’t from the cold air around her. Matt had been pretty good in bed, but the thought of him touching her now only filled her with revulsion. The bitterness she tasted wasn't from her wine.

A frustrated grunt escaped her. She didn’t want to be those things, bitter and resentful. She had every right to be angry, and it was understandable that she was hurting; but she didn’t want to turn into that kind of woman… a brittle shell of her former self, even if she already felt that way at times. She would fight the good fight and not give Matt that power. She resolved, once again, that she would do it for her little boy, especially on the days she didn’t feel like doing it for herself. Andy deserved better than having a witch for a mommy. He’d already gotten a raw enough deal; she wasn’t going to add to it by becoming a stereotypical divorcee shrew.
Positive thoughts
, she chanted silently to herself, resolutely pushing Matt out of her mind as she stared up at the stars.
Positive thoughts…

“Sam was right, you
are
out here.” Melanie’s voice floated through the darkness, a few feet behind her.

Lydia turned. “Yup, I am.”

“It’s freezing out here, get inside!” Melanie commanded from the door.

Lydia crossed the ten paces to her friend. “Your wish is my command, Bridey Girl.”

Melanie ushered Lydia inside, closed the door behind them, and grasped Lydia’s free hand. “Ooh, your hand’s cold! We’re gonna start dinner, come sit with me.” She quickly scrutinized her friend’s face. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lydia assured her, giving Melanie’s hand a squeeze. “Just wanted some air. Come, starlet, I don’t want to keep you from your adoring public.”

Melanie chuckled and pulled Lydia along with her. In the short time she’d been outdoors, Lydia could see that all the guests had seated themselves at the two long tables, filling almost every chair. There were two empty seats in the center of the second table, flanked on either side by Ryan and Melanie’s mother. Melanie greeted her fiancée with a quick kiss as she sat down next to him. She leaned in her mother’s direction and said, “I found her.”

“So I see.” Pamela Dawson smiled as Lydia sat in the chair beside her. She reached over and squeezed Lydia’s hand. “Lydia, it's been so long! You look wonderful, dear. Really.”

Lydia knew that Pamela’s added “really” meant not that she looked good for her appearance, but for the fact that she was a woman newly divorced. She smiled tightly. “Thanks.”

“How long has it been since I saw you?” Pamela wondered aloud. “Maybe ten years?”

“At least,” Lydia nodded. She looked at Melanie’s mother. She had aged well, was still an attractive woman, even with the tiny lines around her eyes and mouth. “You look fantastic, Pamela.”

“You’re sweet to say that. How’s that gorgeous little boy of yours?” Pamela asked.

“He’s doing well, thanks.”

“How old is he now?”

“Three and a half,” Lydia answered. She hated small talk. It felt tedious, it bored her, it felt like wasted breath. She liked Melanie’s mother well enough, but suddenly felt it would be a long night. She reached for her glass of wine again, and as she did, let her eyes sweep along the table. People were drinking, chatting, laughing. She was sitting on Melanie’s “side” of the table, with Melanie’s parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. On the other end of the long table were Ryan’s parents, and other relatives of his that she didn’t know. She saw Alec, his wife Paige, and their children, and Alec’s parents sitting next to Ryan’s parents. She figured they were the Forrester clan that Melanie had told her about.

And then, her eyes met a pair of twinkling dark brown eyes that were already watching her. Sam sat on the other side of Paige, next to the kids, closer to them than Alec was. Once her eyes locked with his, the corner of his mouth turned up in an alluring half grin. To her surprise, she felt herself blush softly. She pressed her lips together, a self-conscious gesture, but couldn't hold back a return grin. Sam’s mouth widened into a full, radiant smile, and his stare intensified.

“Do you have any pictures, Lydia?” Pamela’s voice said next to her.

Jarred, Lydia turned back to her neighbor. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Do you have any pictures of your son to show me?” Pamela asked.

“Sure, hold on. Of course I do…” Lydia was very aware of Sam’s eyes on her from where he sat, could feel him staring as she dug through her small bag for her cell phone. Finding it, she turned it on and scrolled until she found the most recent and scrumptious picture she had. “Here’s Andy just last week, at the park.”

Pamela took the phone from Lydia to examine the picture more closely. “Oh my goodness, he’s a beautiful little boy!” she exclaimed in genuine delight.

Lydia's insides warmed with pride. “Yes, I think he is too. Thank you.”

Waiters moved around, took dinner orders, and topped off water glasses. Lydia made small talk with Pamela, Melanie, and some of the others around her; but every once in a while, she shyly stole a peek at Sam. Sometimes, he’d already been looking at her, and grinned sheepishly when caught; sometimes, he was talking to the children and unaware of her stolen glances. She watched as Paige brought small boxes of crayons and paper out of her bag and passed them out to her kids. Sam’s eyes lifted then, searching for Lydia’s. When he caught her gaze, he smiled at her, arched an eyebrow, and held up a crayon purposefully. She knew he was thinking of their earlier snippet of conversation in the garden, about how he hadn’t drawn in a long time. She smiled warmly back at him.

“Draw for me, Uncle Sam!” the little boy cried. “Draw me a rocket ship! Pleeease?”

Lydia swallowed some wine as comprehension dawned: Sam was Alec’s younger brother that Melanie had fleetingly mentioned, a Forrester, like family to Ryan. Ryan had grown up in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, with the Forresters; Sam lived in Chicago. “Ahhh,” Lydia murmured to herself. “Okay.”

“What is it?” Melanie asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Lydia said, brushing it off quickly. She nibbled at the roll on her plate. When she thought it was safe to do so, her eyes again traveled down the length of the table, resting on Sam’s handsome face. He was laughing with the children, whom she now understood were his nephew and nieces, and drawing laboriously as all three of them barraged him with loud instructions on what to draw and which colors to use. He was obviously completely at ease with the kids, very warm towards them. She watched him for a few minutes, her perception of him changing as she watched him interact with the children. He was great with them.

“He is kind of gorgeous, isn’t he?” Melanie whispered in Lydia’s ear.

Caught, Lydia blushed furiously and looked down at her wine glass. “Shhh.”

“I assume you were introduced already, since he was the one who told me where to find you when I was looking earlier,” Melanie said. Her look and tone alerted Lydia that she would be asking for more details. “So you know that's Sam Forrester.”

“Yes, I met him earlier today,” Lydia said casually. “My suitcase fell over in the lobby, and he picked it up for me.”

“Mm hmmm.” Melanie smirked. “Is that all?”

“And I talked to him outside this afternoon for a bit. He's nice.”

“Do go on,” Melanie prompted with a salacious drawl, her sky blue eyes sparkling.

“Knock it off, you,” Lydia said, circling the rim of her wine glass with her fingertip. She kept her eyes on the deep red of the Merlot as she waited for the heat to leave her cheeks.

Melanie snorted and went on. “I'd heard about him, of course—family tales—but I never met him before today. I liked him immediately. I thought he was going to be something of a smartass like his brother, since I know Alec, but, well, Sam’s a lot nicer. Just as sharp, but different… sweeter. Sam seems sweet. Alec… is not.” Melanie's eyebrows waggled and she lowered her voice further. “Sam’s single. That much I
do
know. So he’s single, good looking, and seems to be a really nice guy. You could do a hell of a lot worse. Hmm! This could be interesting… can I help?”

“No,” Lydia said in a low, tight voice. She shot Melanie a stern look. “Absolutely not.”

“Okay, okay. But if you want to find out anything about him, I really don’t know too much. I’d have to ask Ryan. You just let me know.…” Melanie smirked again, a wicked twinkle playing in her eyes. “He keeps looking over at you, now that I'm paying attention. Ooh, I like this. I could squee! This is cute.”

“Mel! I just got divorced, remember?” Lydia whispered hotly. “Like, two minutes ago?”

“I know. And?”

“And maybe I’m not looking to—to hook up right now.”

“Oh please. That’s probably
exactly
what you need right now!”

“Shut up, you.”

“What? You’re single, he’s single, no one’s breaking any laws,” Melanie went on. “And he's definitely a hottie. Even as an about-to-be bride hopelessly in love with my about-to-be groom, I can still appreciate a very sexy guy when I see one. And boy howdy is he.”

“Melanie. I love you. Now. Shut. Up.” Lydia took a hearty gulp of her wine, finishing the glass.

Giggling, Melanie leaned over and kissed the side of Lydia’s head, then turned back to talk to Ryan.

At the far end of the table, Paige stood up to take Zack to the bathroom.

“I wanna come too!” Cindy said with a petulant frown.

“Okay then, c’mon,” Paige said, holding out her other hand. Cindy jumped up from her seat to grab at her mother, leaving Sam alone with Hope. Sam finished the details on the rocket ship he was drawing; Hope watched him work with fascination, mesmerized.

Alec slid across the empty chairs to sit on Hope’s other side. “So, what, you couldn't shave for tonight?” he teased his younger brother. “Too much work for you?”

A wide grin spread on Sam's face, but he didn't even look up from his drawing as he shot back, “I'm on vacation, I get to take a break from some things. I'll be clean shaven for the wedding; don't worry,
Dad
.”

“See that you are, young man.” Alec chuckled. He cocked his head to examine the picture. “You still got it, bro. Fancy ship you got going there.”

“He’s the best artist in the world,” Hope crooned adoringly.

Sam grinned. “Aww, thanks sweetie.” He put down the orange crayon to reach for the black one, and began the lettering on the wing of the rocket.

“Having fun?” Alec teased, sipping from his nearly empty glass of scotch.

“Actually, I am,” Sam said. “I haven’t seen the kids in what, almost two months? Too long already. And as for drawing, I haven’t done any freestyle in a lot longer than that.”

“Especially with Crayola. A step up for you, huh Sammy?” Alec smirked.

“Shut up,” Sam said on a laugh.

“Yeah, shut up, Daddy,” Hope said.

“Hey. Watch yourself, young lady,” Alec said sharply to his daughter.

“Then don’t make fun of Uncle Sam,” Hope said, unafraid. Her little chin lifted in defiance. “He’s making this for
us
.”

“Hope, honey,” Sam said, not looking up as he concentrated on the line he was drawing, “I’ve been putting up with your dad and his big mouth for a
long
time. Don’t worry about his teasing me. It rolls right off me.”

“Pfft!” Alec grinned and knocked back the remainder of his drink.

“Here… we… go,” Sam said. He put the finishing touches on the picture, then gently pushed it towards his niece. “What do you think? Is this okay? Does this meet approval?”

“It’s
awesome
,” Hope breathed dramatically as she admired it. “Wait ‘til Zack and Cindy see this, they’re gonna
love
it!”