Stealing Second: Sam's Story: Book 4 in the Clarksonville Series (8 page)

“Bridget, no! Come back here,” Lynnie yelled.

Sam bolted away from Lisa as the three year old ran into the kitchen and grabbed Sam’s hand.

Lynnie hesitated at the threshold. “I’m sorry. She got away from me.”

Lisa nodded. “It’s okay, Lynnie.”

Bridget pulled Sam into the living room.

“That’s okay,” Lisa called sarcastically. “Lynnie and I will make lunch.”

“Sorry,” Sam called back over her shoulder as the three-year-old led her through the living room to the makeshift salon Lisa’s mother used to cut and style hair. During the summers, Lisa’s mother worked at a salon in Clarksonville while Lisa stayed home to look after the kids. Lisa’s father, her step-father to be more accurate, was a roofer by trade, and a general handyman during the winter months when roofing was out of season.

The Brown Family house was small, so small that Lisa shared one of the three bedrooms with Bridget, and Lynnie shared a room with her six-year-old brother Lawrence Jr.

“What’s up Bridget?” Sam sat down in one of the salon chairs. “Are you going to give me a haircut?” Sam kicked herself for even suggesting it, because Bridget’s eyes grew wide.

“Wet’s do your hair wike mine. We can be twins.”

Sam raised her eyebrows. Bridget’s hair was a mop of dark brown curls, but her mother, or more likely Lisa, had managed to pull the hair into two tiny pigtails. Sam knew there was no refusing the threeyear-old.

“Go for it, Sweetpea.” Sam took the hair band out of her hair. “Go get a clean brush from the drawer.” Bridget ran to the drawer, and Sam got the step stool Bridget used to reach her “customers.” Sam’s hair had often been used as amusement for the kids, but she didn’t mind since it had so far only involved washing or styling it in weird ways.

Several minutes later, Sam and Bridget emerged from the back salon. Lisa, Lynnie, and Lawrence Jr. cracked up when they saw the new style.

“What?” Sam put a hand to her hair. “What’s wrong with four pigtails?”

Lisa grimaced. “I especially like the one sticking straight up on top of your head.”

“Bridget’s special touch. Right, Sweetpea?”

Bridget giggled as Sam grabbed the three-year-old and twirled her around a few times. She plopped her into her booster seat at the kitchen table where chicken and stars soup and peanut butter sandwiches were laid out for lunch.

“I think you should keep those in when we go to William and Evelyn’s later,” Lisa said.

“I think that would be no.”

After lunch they cleaned up the dishes, and then settled in the living room to watch “Spy Kids 3,” a movie that Sam had brought over. Sam let Lisa think she’d already had the movie and was letting them borrow it, but truth be told, she’d bought it on the way over.

Sam’s heart swelled as Bridget climbed into her lap when the movie started. Lisa flashed Sam one of her melting smiles, and all was right with the world. Sam snuggled into the cushions and let her head fall back against the high-backed couch. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in weeks. She fought to keep her eyes open but knew it was futile. The filling lunch, the rainy day, Bridget in her lap, and Lisa nearby sent her to a warm and happy place. A place she hadn’t been in a while. She drifted off to sleep, not caring if she got teased about it later.

“I’m home,” a voice announced loudly. The front screen door banged shut.

Sam woke up and struggled to open her eyes. She looked toward the television screen only to find that it had been turned off. Bridget was nowhere to be seen, either. She sat up to see a grinning Lisa on the other side of the couch.

Sam stretched her arms up. “Mmm, did I fall asleep?”

Lisa nodded. “For three hours.”

Sam’s eyes grew wide. “Three?” She brushed several Lego blocks off her lap that had somehow ended up there, probably from Bridget. She shook her head to loosen up the cobwebs of her fuzzy mind. Something felt weird, but as she reached up to feel her head, she remembered Bridget’s hair makeover and the unglamorous pigtails sticking out all over her head.

“Samantha Rose,” Lisa’s mother said, “that is such a special look.” She chuckled and put her bag down by the front door. “The hair is a Bridget creation, I presume?”

Sam nodded and then yawned.

“Oh, my. Are we keeping you up?”

“Apparently.” Sam felt her cheeks get warm. She was a little embarrassed about letting her guard down so completely.

“And we have the pictures to prove it.” Lisa laughed and held up her father’s digital camera.

“Oh, no,” Sam cried and felt her pigtails again. By this time Lisa’s brother and sisters had come back into the living room. “C’mon, let me see.”

Lisa slid next to Sam on the couch, and everyone gathered around them. Lisa turned on the camera and selected view mode. The first picture that came up was of Sam and Bridget. Both of their mouths had fallen open in sleep.

“Oh, my God,” Sam said. “My black eye completes the picture. Yeesh.” She looked up at Lisa. “Do not, I repeat, do not post these on the internet.”

Lisa grinned mischievously. “Too late.”

Sam knew her face must have shown the horror she felt. Samantha Rose would never let herself be seen that way.

“Sam, Sam, Sam,” Lisa said quickly and put a hand on her arm. “I’m kidding, but Lynnie printed out a copy for your personal collection.”

Lynnie stepped forward and handed Sam a four-by-six inch copy of the photograph. She must have used the printer and paper that Sam had “loaned” their father.

“Thanks, Lynnie,” Sam said. A warm feeling spread across her chest. She wanted to bottle it to keep forever.

“Ahh, but there are more pictures.” Lisa scrolled to the next one.

Sam burst out laughing when she saw her body and head covered with Lego blocks. “How did I not wake up?”

“Lawrence Jr. was quiet for once.”

Sam faked a gasp. “Lawrence Jr., you did this to me? You’re the Lego maniac?”

His grin was so big it almost split his face.

“Ooh, I’ll get even with you, buddy. Watch out.” Sam wagged a finger at him.

“You were sleeping so hard,” Lisa continued, “I think the Clarksonville marching band could have come through here, and you wouldn’t have woken up.”

Lisa’s mother patted Sam gently on the shoulder. “I’m glad you feel comfortable here with this motley crew.”

Sam’s heart swelled again. This was a family. This was what family life should be, with silly brothers and sisters you could goof around with and caring parents who didn’t mind if you weren’t always perfect.

Lisa scrolled through the rest of the pictures and when she came to the last, Sam gasped. “What?” She touched above her lip. “You guys drew a mustache on me?”

The entire family laughed as Sam bolted off the couch, Lego blocks flying, and ran to the bathroom. Sam took one look at her ridiculous image in the mirror and giggled. She laughed so hard that she doubled over. The audience of Brown children giggling in the bathroom doorway made her laugh even harder.

When Sam finally caught her breath, she said. “You guys suck. I can’t believe you did this to me.” She reached out and grabbed for Bridget, but Bridget squealed and jumped out of Sam’s grasp.

Lisa blocked the doorway as if protecting her younger siblings now hiding behind her. “You almost woke up when Lynnie drew it on you.”

Sam gasped. “Lynnie did this to me?” She looked behind Lisa at the now-grinning Lynnie. “Sweet, shy, innocent Lynnie?” She lunged toward Lisa, who, at the last minute, moved to the side and let Sam through.

Lynnie squealed as she bolted away. Sam caught her easily and playfully tackled her in the living room. A tickle fest ensued, which naturally attracted Lawrence Jr. and Bridget who leaped on top of Sam.

After several minutes, Lisa’s mother cleared her throat. “Uh, you two had better get going. Aren’t you due at William’s in an hour?”

Sam sat up and caught her breath. “Yeah, I’d better do something about,” she gestured to her face and hair, “my new makeover.” She bugged out her eyes, and Lisa’s mother laughed.

“C’mon,” Lisa held out a hand to help her up. “You can use the bathroom first.”

“Thanks.” Sam got up. “You know what?”

“What?”

“That’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.”

Lisa looked at her questioningly.

Sam pointed to the kids who were still on the floor recovering. “Kids laughing.”

Lisa smiled so big it made Sam’s heart swell. She vowed to dedicate her life to making Lisa smile.

Samantha Rose Can't

SAM AND LISA cleaned up from their day of babysitting and jumped into Sam’s car to head to East Valley for dinner with Lisa’s bio-dad William and his wife Evelyn.

“You’re so good with them,” Lisa said taking Sam’s hand.

“Who? The three musketeers?”

“Mm hmm.”

“I like your family.”

“And I like you.” Lisa brought Sam’s hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. Sam had all she could do to concentrate on driving as Lisa kissed each knuckle in turn. Lisa turned Sam’s hand over and kissed the palm gently.

Sam sighed as delightful tingles ran through her. “Uh, Lisa?”

“Mm hmm?” Lisa kissed her way up Sam’s wrist.

“We’re going to crash.”

“Sorry.” Lisa stopped her trail of kisses and pulled Sam’s hand tight to her chest.

“Uh, not better.”

“Sorry.” Lisa grinned. She let both of their hands fall in between them on the center console—the same console that was the bane of their existence whenever they tried to get close.

They made a quick stop at Price Chopper and bought fresh cut flowers for their hosts. Forty-five minutes later they pulled into the driveway of William and Evelyn’s one-story Cape Cod house in East Valley.

“Your aunts are here already.” Sam gestured to the Honda Civic with Massachusetts plates in the driveway. One of the many bumper stickers on their car read, “COEXIST.” Different religious symbols made up the letters of the word. Another bumper sticker read, “BE CAREFUL WHO YOU HATE—it could be someone you love.” Sam pointed it out to Lisa. “I need to get that one for my parents.”

“C’mon, don’t be so pessimistic. You don’t know that they’ll hate you.”

“You’re right. Hate’s too strong a word. How about abhor, detest, loathe, revile?”

Lisa frowned. “That’s harsh, don’t you think?” The concerned look that passed over Lisa’s face made Sam regret she’d brought it up.

“I’m just kidding,” Sam said. But she wasn’t kidding. Lisa didn’t know Gerald and Mimi Payton. They would protect what was theirs at all costs. And that included Sam. To lighten the mood she added, “My parents aren’t that bad.” She plastered what she hoped looked like a genuine smile on her face and followed Lisa to the front door.

“Knock, knock,” Lisa said as she opened the door to her bio-dad’s house.

Evelyn, William’s wife of barely a month, greeted them. “Hello, girls. C’mon in. We’re glad you could make it.”

“Sorry we’re late,” Lisa gestured at Sam. “Someone had to remove her mustache.”

“Mustache?” William asked from behind his wife.

Sam rolled her eyes as she stepped inside. “Some little delinquents drew a mustache on me while I was vulnerable.”

“She made the mistake of falling asleep with the kids around,” Lisa added.

“Ho ho,” William said with a laugh. “Apparently that was not a wise thing to do.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Sam shot an accusing glance at Lisa, but Lisa looked up at the ceiling innocently as if she’d had nothing to do with it.

Lisa handed the bouquet of lilies to Evelyn. “Thanks for having us over.”

Evelyn lifted the flowers to her nose and breathed in the fresh fragrance. “Mmm, these are lovely, girls. Thank you.” She led them to the kitchen.

Traces of William’s bachelor days were obvious. His Buffalo Bills glasses sat on the counter, but Evelyn’s more feminine influences were also evident. White lace curtains covered the windows and flowers sat in a vase on the table. Both Evelyn and William were in their mid-thirties, and it was the first marriage for both of them. Lisa had always known she had a different father than her siblings and had finally gotten to meet him for the first time two months earlier. Her mother and William had been high school sweethearts, but when her mother found herself pregnant at the end of their senior year, William wasn’t quite ready to be a father and ended the relationship. Sam was glad he wanted Lisa back in his life, especially because William’s younger sister Fran was gay. Aunt Fran and her wife Margaret had become instant role models for Sam and Lisa.

Aunt Fran leaped from her seat when she saw them. She crushed them both with hugs. She was tall, like her brother, and had the same jet black hair. It wasn’t hard to see that Lisa got her height and dark hair from that branch of the family.

“It’s so nice to see my nieces.” Aunt Fran’s smile beamed. “And look at your tans. It must be all that softball.”

Aunt Margaret moved in for her hugs. “This one’d be outside playing ball all day, too, if we didn’t have a mortgage to pay. She plays in a women’s rec league during the summer.”

“That’s cool,” Lisa said. “It’s in the genes, I guess.”

“Hey, everybody,” William gestured toward the kitchen table set for six, “go sit down. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Can I help?” Lisa asked. Sam stood next to her ready to pitch in too.

“No, dears.” Evelyn waved them toward the table. “Go on and visit with your aunts.”

“If you’re sure.”

Evelyn nodded. “I’ve got the big guy here to help me.”

They laughed and sat at the kitchen table as instructed. Sam turned toward Aunt Fran. “So, what position do you play?”

“Shortstop.”

“Cool. I’m second base.” I think.

“Middle infielders rule!” Aunt Fran high-fived Sam across the table. “We’re coming to your tournament tomorrow.”

“You are?”

Both Aunt Fran and Aunt Margaret nodded.

“All of you?”

Evelyn and William added their own nods.

“Geez, a real family reunion,” Lisa said. “My folks, sisters, and brother are coming, too.”

“East Valley still plays at Sandstoner Fields, right?” The question was directed at Sam.