Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity (Meet Your Match, book 3) (2 page)

Sam smiled as the crystals caught the light of the setting sun and refracted the rays into sparkling patterns across her dashboard. She
was
lucky. She had the world’s coolest parents, wonderful friends, a fresh-off-the-press college degree, and a to-die-for job offer from
the
Jason Brecken Design firm in Manhattan. Her world felt like sunshine and bubbles and happy dances.

Leaving her car squished to the brim with everything from clothes, laundry baskets, fluffy pillows, books, picture frames, and her very large portfolio, she jogged up the walkway and burst inside, more than ready for her summer of fun to begin.

“Surprise! Your brilliant, amazing, and talented daughter is officially home,” she called out. “Who’s excited?”

A drab, hugless silence greeted her, along with the faint scent of vanilla from an elusive plug-in.

Sam’s smile wilted. Where was everyone? Where were the yummy smells of Chicken Milano that her mother made every time she came home? Where were the hugs, the laughter, Kajsa and Adi’s excited chants of “Sam’s home! Sam’s home! Hooray!”

Some welcome home this was. Had her mom gotten the days mixed up? Impossible. Becky Kinsey never forgot anything—especially when it came to her only daughter. The barren feeling in the house gave empty nesting a whole new meaning.

Sam dropped her purse on the counter and pulled open the fridge, making a face at the moldy cheese and rotten tomatoes that sat on the shelf in front of her. What was going on? Had her parents taken a vacation without telling her? No, they’d never do that… Would they?

She hunted through her purse for her phone and slumped down on a barstool, tapping out a quick text to her mom.

Where are you?

Her fingers drummed against the counter as she waited for a response. Who forgot their only child was moving home from college? Granted, they’d officially celebrated her graduation four weeks ago, on the actual day she’d walked across the stage, but Sam hadn’t followed everyone home then. She’d stayed to work for three more weeks at the admissions office, then stayed an additional week to train her replacement. But now she was officially home for the summer. Surely this warranted another celebration. At the very least a welcome-home hug and some ice cream.

Sam stared at her phone, willing it to chime and vibrate with an answer. After a few minutes of waiting, she tried calling. A few rings later, a recording of her mother’s voice sounded in her ear, so Sam ended the call and tried her father. It went straight to voicemail. She shoved her phone back in her purse and shook her head. They’d probably gone out for dinner and a movie or something.

Wow.

Out the back window, the trees had become dark shadows against the graying skies. Sam sighed. She should probably unload her car and get settled before it got too dark. If her parents didn’t call back soon, she’d order a pizza and invite Kajsa and Adi over to share it with her. At least they had a good reason for not being here to welcome her home. They now lived ten minutes away and were protected by the naivety of youth. Her parents, on the other hand, had no excuse. Neither did Kevin, Emma, Noah, or Cassie. They were all in big trouble.

Returning to the front porch, Sam’s gaze wandered across the street. The lights were on at the Grantham’s and a breath of smoke hovered above the roofline. When Sam drew in a deep breath, the faint scent of a barbeque teased her stomach. Kevin was grilling something that smelled way better than pizza. Hopefully, they’d made extra.

Leaving her things in her car, Sam jogged across the street and walked through the gate on the side of the house that led to the backyard. She sniffed the air and smiled. Barbeque chicken—one of her favorites. A flurry of voices sounded, followed by the slam of the back door. Sam rounded the corner to find a smoking grill and an empty patio. She knocked on the door before poking her head inside.

“Emma? Kevin?”

Lights came on, and everyone shouted in attempted-unison. “Welcome home!”

Kevin and Emma juggled their almost one-year-old twins, Noah’s arm was slung around Cassie’s shoulders, and Adi and Kajsa shoved a balloon bouquet in Sam’s hands before throwing their arms around her waist. Over their heads, Sam’s father grinned and her mother shook her head with an expression of annoyed tolerance.

Sam’s smile returned. Now
this
was a proper welcome home.

“You were supposed to come in through the front door,” her mother said, gesturing behind her. “We had a sign and more balloons and everything ready to go. I should have known you’d follow your nose instead.”

Sam didn’t feel the least bit repentant. “I should have known you wouldn’t forget to throw me a welcome home party. You had me going for a few minutes.”

“Did you like the rotten tomatoes and moldy cheese?” said her mother. “I thought they were a nice touch.”

“They were. You had me thinking you’d gone on vacation without me.”

Everyone laughed and her father’s arms came around her. “That’s what you get for accepting a job in Manhattan. What kind of daughter moves across the country from her parents? It isn’t right, I tell you.”

“No, it isn’t.” Her mother moved to hug her next. “You’re lucky we planned a welcome home party at all. You don’t deserve it.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Sam said. “Think of all the fun we’ll have when you come to visit. Broadway shows, Times Square, the Empire State Building, hot dogs—”

“Maybe I
won’t
come,” said her mom.

“
I
will,” called out Emma.

“Me too,” added other voices.

Her mom glanced around the room. “You’re all a bunch of traitors. Just wait until your kids grow up and decide to spread their wings. It isn’t nearly as exciting for the parents.”

Noah gave her mother a sympathetic pat on the back before drawing Sam into a warm embrace. “You’re going to take New York by storm, but we’re going to miss you around here.”

“I’ll miss everyone too,” Sam murmured into his shoulder. “But my job doesn’t start until the fall, and we have the entire summer to hang out before then. This summer is going to rock.”

As she hugged everyone else and kissed the little twins on their cheeks, some of Sam’s good mood faltered. After this summer, how long would it be before she saw these little ones again? How much older would they look? Would their eyes grow large with fear when she held her arms out to them? Would she lose her place at the top of Adi and Kajsa’s Favorite People list? Would her parents grow accustomed to her absence and not miss her? Would the Granthams and Mackies become distant friends instead of family?

Sam craved the opportunities that would come with this job. She looked forward to walking the streets of New York, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, meeting new people, having interesting experiences, and learning what life was like outside of Colorado. But would it come at the cost of everything good and wonderful in her life now?

“Why the glum look?” Emma asked as she passed Maxwell off to Sam. The sweet, not-so-little guy was almost a year old, with large, gray eyes, thick eyelashes, and the pudgiest fingers and thighs ever seen on a baby. His hair was coming in lighter than his parents, and his cherub cheeks were as kissable as cheeks got.

Sam juggled him on her hip, amazed at how much more he weighed since the last time she’d held him. The kid was solid. “When I come back, he’s going to be walking all over the place, isn’t he?”

“Let’s hope he starts before you leave,” said Emma. “Crawling keeps them too close to the ground, and they find stuff my vacuum doesn’t, which goes straight in their mouths. I’m really hoping that being upright cures that problem.”

“You’re just building your little immune system, aren’t you, buddy?” Sam tickled Maxwell’s tummy, making him break into a grin. His chubby arms swished up and down, and his fingers snatched at Sam’s long, curly blonde hair, tugging it.

“Ouch.” She laughed as she untangled her hair from his fingers. “You little stinker.” She poked his belly again, and he giggled, making Sam fall in love with him all over again.

“You’d better not forget me,” she said quietly.

Emma put an arm around Sam and hugged her close. “The only thing he’s going to do is miss you, just like the rest of us. No one could ever forget you. You’ll be home for the holidays and we’ll call, text, and Skype all the time. So you go to New York and have the time of your life. We can’t wait to hear all about it.” She gave Sam’s arm a squeeze before breezing into the kitchen to finish laying out the food.

Sam looked around, catching Adi and Kajsa snitching from a bag of Doritos. She joined them, snagging a chip for herself, but couldn’t quite get it to her mouth before Maxwell’s fingers closed around it, crushing it into little pieces.

“You really are a stinker,” chided Sam as she captured his hand and cleaned it with a napkin before he could get it to his mouth.

Adi and Kajsa giggled.

“He tries to eat everything,” said Kajsa. “Dad calls him a human garbage disposal.”

As though trying to prove the nickname, Maxwell snagged her hair again and shoved his fist into his mouth. The girls giggled harder.

Sam swung Maxwell to her other hip, away from the food, and pulled her hair around to the side, trying to keep it out of his reach. “What’s on the agenda for tomorrow, girls? Sidewalk chalk bonanza? Our annual swimsuit fashion show through the sprinklers? A mud pie contest, which we’ll definitely need to keep away from Maxwell? Or we can always take the raft to the lake and work on our balance. What do you say?”

“The raft at the lake,” said Kajsa quickly.

Adi’s expression fell. “I have to pack.”

“Pack?” Sam tugged her hair away from Maxwell again. “For what?”

“Cassie and me are going to an Irish dance competition in Chicago.”

This was news to Sam. Bad news. “When?”

“Our plane leaves really early Sunday morning.”

“For how long?”

“Two weeks.”

“Two weeks!”

Adi nodded. “The competition is only for one of the weeks, but then we’re going to do some fun things before we come back, like go to a really cool museum and a water park and eat lots and lots of pizza.” Her eyes took on an excited sparkle the more she talked.

“That doesn’t sound nearly as fun as hanging out with me,” said Sam. “I’m going to miss you. Are you going too, Kajsa?”

“I can’t.” Her shoulder-length brown hair shook with her head. “I have to work.”

“She would
rather
work,” Adi added. “We invited her to come, but she didn’t want to.”

Sam frowned. “Are you even old enough for a job? You’re only ten.”

“Almost eleven. I help clean the stables at the McCoy ranch to pay for my riding lessons.”

“Since when?”

“Since I turned ten and a half. Dad said I was old enough to earn my keep.” She grinned. “Or at least my lessons.”

“Sheesh,” said Sam. “You have it rough. I didn’t have to start working for art lessons until you two moved in.” She glanced at Adi. “Let me guess. Cassie has you mop the dance floor and scrub the walls to pay for your lessons, right?”

“Sometimes.” She giggled. “But mostly I just help her with gear days.”

The girls were sounding way too responsible for the beginning of summer. Sam was almost afraid to ask. “Gear days?”

Cassie grabbed a chip before stealing Maxwell from Sam. She’d been smart enough to pull her strawberry blonde hair back into a bun, so Maxwell latched onto the collar of her shirt instead. “It’s a store I hold twice a year for people to sell their too-small shoes and dresses to people who can’t afford to buy new. Adi’s the best helper ever.”

Sam nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”

“The parents appreciate it,” Cassie said, tickling Maxwell’s tummy. “And speaking of jobs, Noah and I have a favor to ask you.”

“Shoot.” Sam popped a carrot in her mouth, appreciating that she could do it without adorable, pudgy little fingers getting in the way.

“As Adi probably told you already, we’re headed out of town for two weeks, and Noah is in the middle of a big project at work. I’m hoping you won’t mind hanging out with Kajsa while we’re gone and making sure she gets to her job and riding lessons.”

This wasn’t exactly how Sam pictured her first two weeks of summer. She wanted to spend time with the girls, not wave goodbye to Adi and be Kajsa’s chauffeur. But what else could she do? They were growing up whether she liked it or not.

“I would like nothing better than to taxi you around, Kajsa,” Sam said. “But only if you promise to make some time for me after lessons and work.”

“I’m usually only there for about four hours a day,” Kajsa said.

Four hours!
How far away was this ranch anyway? Was Sam supposed to hang out at the ranch and wait?

Cassie must have read her thoughts because she placed her hand on Sam’s arm. “Don’t worry. The ranch is only about a thirty minute drive from here. All you have to do is drop Kajsa off and pick her up when she’s done. My aunt Jane is really good to call or text when Kasja’s close to finishing up.”

That sounds doable
, Sam thought. “All right. Consider me your personal chauffeur for the next two weeks. I think I’m going to need to buy one of those cool-looking caps to make it legit.”

Cassie laughed. “Thanks, Sam. I owe you big-time for this.”

“Let the girls come with me to the lake tomorrow, and we’ll call it even.”

“Deal,” said Cassie. “I’ll gladly get all the cleaning and packing done so the girls can spend the day with you before we leave.”

“Oh, and Noah has to help me unload my car as well,” Sam teased.

“We’ll all help,” promised Cassie. “Just as soon as we’ve finished eating.”

With that settled, Sam glanced around the room, hunting for Georgia. When she spied Maxwell’s smaller twin sister in her mother’s arms, she moved to steal her away. With any luck, Georgia would have better manners than her brother.