Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle (28 page)

“Hi, honey.” She stepped aside to let her in and waved at Melanie as she backed out of the drive. “Watch the floor; it’s wet over there.”

Sam pushed the door shut. “Did you thank Mrs. Walker?”

“Yeah.” Caden wrinkled up her nose. “Shooweee! It stinks in here.”

“I have the windows open, but it’s not doing much good.”

She waved her hand under her nose. “I’m going outside.”

“Change first,” Sam said.

Caden disappeared into the bedroom, climbing over the sofa to get to the dresser.

A few minutes later she appeared in the doorway wearing her khaki shorts and Red Sox T-shirt. The sun had added a few new freckles on her nose, and her skin had darkened a shade. Like Sam, she’d never been one to burn.

“Did you have fun?” Sam asked.

“Yep. The surf side is sweet.” She yawned. “I’m tired all of a sudden.”

“It’s the sun.” Sam remembered the times Landon’s mom took them to the other side of the island. The waves weren’t huge, but to a kid with a Boogie Board, it was like a liquid amusement park. When she’d come home, she’d always been beat.

“I guess watching TV is out of the question.” Caden stared at the TV pushed into the corner of their room.

“For now.” Sam set the roller down. “When this dries, I’ll need your help moving the bedroom furniture so I can do those floors.” Even with the two of them, they’d have to take the drawers from the dresser and chest to lift them.

Caden plopped on her bed and stretched out. “We can’t move this heavy stuff.”

“Sure we can. You’re a strong gymnast, right?”

“What about your ankle?”

“It hasn’t stopped me so far.” Sam gestured to the furniture she’d moved into the bedroom. Caden needn’t know it took her over an hour to do it.

“Just have Landon do it.” Caden clasped her hands behind her head and closed her eyes.

Sam knew she had to tell Caden something. Landon had been around constantly, and she would notice his absence sooner or later. She leaned against the door frame. “Listen, honey, Landon is busy. I don’t think he’ll be coming over anymore.”

Caden turned her head toward Sam. “Why not?”

How much should she say?
As little as possible, if you’re smart
. “He has a job, honey. We can’t just expect him to drop his life and come to our rescue. Besides, we can do this. The two of us, what do you say?” She injected some enthusiasm as if it were some wild adventure and not boring house maintenance.

Sam knew Caden wasn’t buying it when she sat up slowly and dangled her feet over the edge of the bed. “Landon said he was on vacation. He said he’d be here all week.”

Sam hadn’t counted on that. She guessed Landon and Caden had talked plenty while they worked together. “Things changed. His plans changed, so now it’s just us. Don’t worry—we can do it.”

Caden cocked her head. “Something happened while I was gone, didn’t it?”

The girl was far too perceptive for an eleven-year-old. Sam should have known. But this was grown-up stuff—and none of her business. Sam crossed her arms and spoke firmly. “We’ll be finishing up the house alone, Caden. That’s all you need to know.” She turned to go.

“What did you do?” Her daughter’s voice was accusing.

Sam turned. “This is none of your business, missy, and I’ll thank you not to use that tone with me.”

“You chased him away, didn’t you?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why? He’s the nicest man ever!”

Sam stared at Caden, her thoughts whirling. When had her daughter grown so attached to Landon? Was it because he was her uncle? Having a relative was a novelty for Caden. A
male relative. Had Caden begun to think of him as a father figure? Sam remembered the way they danced together a couple of days ago and realized Landon had slipped into her daughter’s affections the same way he’d slipped into hers. Sam’s heart bottomed out.

“Amber’s dad calls her princess.” Caden swiped at the corners of her eyes. “I want a dad who calls me princess too.”

If only it were so simple. “Amber’s parents are divorced. Her dad doesn’t even live with her.” And sometimes it was better having no dad at all than a bad one. She wanted to tell Caden what Emmett had called her. Princess didn’t come close.

“Well, at least she
has
a dad. I don’t have anybody.”

The words struck their target. “You have me.” Sam was her mom, and she was committed to Caden. It was more than she had as a girl.

If Sam had hoped for an apology, she was disappointed. Instead, Caden glared at her.

Sam’s head pounded, and she rubbed her temples. It was going to be a long four days.

Twenty-eight

L
andon walked along the cobblestone sidewalks down Main Street, pulling back on Max’s leash. Summer people and tourists meandered down the walk, pointing in windows and crowding into shops. They smiled and laughed, seemingly at peace. Meanwhile, his own thoughts spun like a whirlpool.

He’d gone back to work the past three days, trying to stay busy, keep his mind off Sam. He ran errands in the evenings, arriving home late and tired. Now, as the sun sank low on the horizon, he was out of reasons not to go home.

Sam.

He could almost feel his blood pressure building at the thought of her. He’d lain awake each night thinking about what she’d said. There was so much to take in, starting with Caden. Bailey’s daughter. His niece.

His dad had a granddaughter he didn’t know about, and his mom—would things have been different if she’d known? Would knowledge of Bailey’s daughter have been enough to live for?

Her health declined rapidly after his brother’s death. Bailey had been so much like his father, and his mother doted on him. Landon knew she loved him too, but there was a special connection between his mother and Bailey. When he died, something in his mother died as well. Bailey’s death ushered in the end of their family as he’d known it.

And Sam was responsible.

The thought hit him fresh, and his heart squeezed as if a muzzle had clamped tightly around it. Why hadn’t she told him all those years ago? She let them wonder for two days. Two unbearable days.

Hearing the truth had been hard enough without realizing why Sam told him to begin with. It didn’t escape him that Sam had done it to push him away. She’d done everything in her power to deny her feelings, and when that failed, she broke his heart. First with her betrayal with Bailey, then with the truth about his death.

He hoped she was happy now. Alone and happy.

Max barked, and he rushed forward, pulling the leash taut.

Landon followed Max’s line of vision. Scott stood beside his tour van, talking to a middle-aged woman dressed in clothes better suited to a teenager. He slowed his steps, wishing he could sneak away, but Max was already at Scott’s side.

Max nuzzled Scott’s hand, and he looked down. “Hey, Max.” He petted the dog and looked at Landon. “Hey, Max’s owner.” He answered the tourist’s question, then turned to Landon when she walked away.

“How’s it going?” Landon asked.

“Great. Business is booming.” Scott set his brochures inside the van. “I thought you were helping Sam this week.”

He didn’t want to talk about Sam, especially not with Scott. Maybe the guy had been right about Sam all along. Maybe Landon was just a fool. He shrugged. “Not anymore. I went back to work. It’s busy right now with the summer people and their pets.”

Scott glanced at Landon before rubbing Max behind the ears. “Listen, I have an hour before my next tour. Want to grab dinner at the Even Keel?”

Landon looked away. He’d been hoping to let his friendship with Scott die. They’d grown too far apart. “Not tonight. I’ve got to get home. The yard needs mowing.”

“Come on. It can wait ’til tomorrow. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Did he really want to go home where he might see Sam or Caden in the yard?

“All right,” Landon said.
Just keep the conversation neutral, Reed.
Work. Weather. Women.

No, not women.

They walked down the sidewalk and crossed the street at the café. Landon tied up Max at the bike stand several feet from a young golden retriever on a pink leash. He petted both dogs before entering the restaurant.

The café, a tourist and islander favorite, was crowded and noisy. He and Scott followed the hostess, squeezing through the closely spaced tables to a spot in the corner. The smell of grilled steak and seafood mingled in the air, making Landon’s stomach rumble. He realized he’d skipped lunch.

They ordered without need of the menu, then settled back in their chairs and talked for a while. When the conversation wound down, Landon watched a toddler at a table across the room throw her cup on the floor. Her mom bent to retrieve it, then the toddler threw it again.

He thought about Caden and how much he’d missed of her life. She was eleven now, and Landon’s dad had never met her at all. Why hadn’t Sam told them about the pregnancy?

He’d lain awake for three nights wondering about so many things. When had she discovered the pregnancy? Is that why she left the island? How had she supported herself and Caden at eighteen with no education and no support? Why hadn’t she told him and his parents? Didn’t she know they would have helped her?

All these years, and he still couldn’t get into Sam’s head and figure out what made her tick. He’d thought he knew her, but he was wrong.

“Are you going to spill it or just sit there staring into space?” Scott asked over the music and rumble of chatter.

Landon pulled his gaze to Scott’s. His friend had known him too long to be fooled. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” He wouldn’t have even come if Scott wasn’t so adamant.

The server brought their food, and Landon was relieved to have a distraction. He ate quietly, hardly tasting his steak. When he finished, he set his napkin in his plate and finished his soda.

“Sam’s giving you fits, isn’t she?”

Landon pushed his drink back and gave him a hard look. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

Scott shrugged. “All right, all right.” He adjusted his sunglasses on top of his head. “I was going to say if you want to talk about her, I’ll try my best to be impartial.” He held up his right hand as if swearing an oath.

Yeah, right. Scott had long since lost his objectivity regarding Sam.

“I’m serious.” Scott leaned his elbows on the table. “Who else are you going to talk to?”

Truth be told, Landon did feel like a bottle of soda that had been shaken vigorously. He was afraid his top might pop off if he didn’t do something soon. “I have friends.”

“Not friends who know your history.”

He was right, though Landon hated to admit it. It was impossible to describe what he and Sam had together, what they’d always had. Scott had been around for all of it, and he knew everything—except how bad her childhood was. She’d never told anyone at school when her mom left or how Emmett treated her. She seemed almost ashamed, and he knew, even as a kid, she
would have throttled him if he told anyone.

But he wasn’t in the mood to hear Scott cut Sam down. Especially when he felt like cutting her down himself. He’d never been so angry at her.

“I don’t think so,” Landon said. Some things had to be worked out alone. Even if it meant going home and exploding.

Scott shrugged. “Well, she’s leaving soon anyway. This weekend, right?”

Landon glared at him.

“What? My point is, whatever she’s done, she’ll be gone soon. Then you can start getting your life back to normal.”

Would things ever be normal again? As angry as he was, love didn’t just disintegrate. Besides, he had a niece, and his dad had a granddaughter. Was he just supposed to pretend he didn’t know? “You don’t understand.”

“That’s because you won’t talk to me.” Scott looked at him with his intense blue eyes. “You’re hurting, man. And mad. I saw it the minute I spotted you. And even though Sam isn’t high on my list of favorite people, I want to help.”

Landon thought he saw sincerity in Scott’s expression. But this was a heavy load to drop. His own shock was still present and accounted for. Bailey had been Scott’s friend too, though they weren’t as close as he and Scott. How much more animosity would Scott have toward Sam if Landon told him?

Then again, with Sam leaving in a couple of days, what would it matter? Before Landon could change his mind, he spoke. “Sam told me something a few nights ago. Something that happened that summer before I left for college.” He took a deep breath, stalling.

Scott waited patiently, studying Landon’s face.

“Remember the night of my going-away party? At the yacht club?”

Scott’s eyes shadowed. “The night Bailey . . .”

“Yeah.” It wasn’t a night any of them was likely to forget. “Well . . .” He struggled for the words. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything at all.

“Go on.” Scott’s calm words urged him on.

Landon cleared his throat. “Sam was upset with me. She’d been distant ever since I told her how I felt about her. She was upset about my leaving, though she never admitted it.”

“I remember.”