The Bartender's Daughter (14 page)

“
It has something to do with her ex. She dated Pat Winters for the last year or so. His parents are friends of my mother’s. I don’t know if Joanna chose him or if she went along with my mother’s insistence that they were a good match. Either way, he proposed at Christmastime and she accepted. Jake had been warning her for a while that he didn’t think Pat was the right guy for her. She didn’t want to hear it. About a month later, she surprised Pat at work with dinner when he was working late. It’s clichéd but he was caught with more than his hand up the secretary’s skirt.”

She gasped beside him.
“Oh no. Poor Joanna.”

Sam would have gone through the same feelings when her sister lied about their relationship. He remembered how broken Jo had been the night she pounded on his door, after driving the hour and a half from Boston. Knowing Sam went through the same thing killed him.

“Why does she blame Jake?”

“
He knew that Pat was cheating. She feels humiliated and anger seems to be her way of handling it. There’s more to the story but neither one is talking. I only know that Joanna barely speaks to him.”

A few minutes later and they were entering the bar. The dining room was half full, a better showing than all of last week. Sam looked up at him, a question in her eyes.

“Oldport Rams Club’s monthly meeting. I already spoke with Alan. He was setting up the tables when we left.”

Joanna lifted a tray of drinks over her head as she worked her way to a back table. As she handed them out, another waitress was taking orders.

Sam jumped in to help. He set himself up at the corner of the bar. The next hour, she, Joanna, and the other waitress worked the men from the Ram’s Club. All old enough to be their grandfathers but most acted like they were sailors out on shore leave. The ladies spent most of their time dodging innuendos and laughing at inappropriate jokes.

Lee kept one eye on the screen of his laptop and the other on Sam. He loved the way she hustled, delivering drinks and food while laughing and flirting casually with the older men. Moving from kitchen to bar to table seamlessly. He flashed to the cool, composed woman in the sexy white gown from the club to the energetic waitress in front of him. She was wrong. Sam was just as adept at fitting in with the crowd he grew up in as she was with the crowd he chose to be with.

As soon as the meeting ended and the dining room was empty and put back in order, Joanna sidled up to him. “What exactly are you thinking?”

“
That you’re a natural at tending bar but you’re also awesome working a table.” He smiled but she didn’t unbend from her stance.

Jo
’s hands landed on her hips just as she got that look in her eyes. The one that said she was about to become a major pain in his ass. “She’s only been back for a month.”

“
Joanna, we’re already married. Nothing’s changed.”

“
It was only a few days ago that she was cozied up to Dylan. How can you trust her?”

“
They’re friends.” He took his glasses off and put them down on the laptop, settling in for the conversation.

“
He wasn’t looking at her like she was just a friend.”

“
She’s not Pat.” He said it softly, afraid to point out the real source of her anger and fear.

“
No, because I didn’t marry the jerk. Jake’s right. Get her signature while her pride is on the line. You could lose everything. Your businesses. The house. The boat. The Jeep. It’s stupid to put all of that at risk.”

“
What happened to you? You sound like…” He stopped himself. Jo couldn’t be as jaded as their mother and sisters.

“
Maybe because they all have a point. Pat and I were going to sign a prenuptial agreement. Can you imagine if I had actually married him and then found him on the desk with that skank? At least, I would have kept my things.”

“
Did you ever think your willingness to keep that stuff separate had anything to do with why that relationship was never going to work? You were never in love with him. Did you ever feel like you couldn’t live without him? Did you ever wonder what you were going to do if you never saw him again? Sam is a part of me and I’m not giving her up. That’s the difference. If she left again and took half of my possessions, it wouldn’t be losing money that hurt the most.”

Joanna opened her mouth but closed it on an audible click.
“You love her that much?”

The look of absolute disbelief on her face made him laugh.
“That’s why most people get married.”

Chapter Fourteen

A roller coaster of a day found Sam searching the kitchen for Jo. She finally found her outside when the storage closet didn
’t turn her up. Joanna sat on a milk crate right outside the back door. She wore a poppy-covered dress and the sight of her sitting with her knees together gave the impression of a little girl playing in the dirt.

Joanna stood up as soon as
Sam stepped outside. “I’m coming back in.”

“
It’s okay. I wanted to talk.”

Sam worried her bottom lip and hoped she
’d find the right words. “I’m sorry. I know this is awkward and weird but I hope we can be friends.”

“
I don’t even know what I should say. Congratulations? Welcome to the family? Don’t cheat on my brother. He’s a good guy, he doesn’t deserve that.”

She blew out a breath and settled in for the talk.
“Did he tell you what happened before?”

“
Not really. Only that you left to live with Dylan and Serena.”

“
I did. I got scared. I never really thought he could love me the way I loved him.” She’d been so afraid to talk about Lee or the last two years, worried that once she did, she’d never stop feeling the pain of screwing up. “I was so crazy about him. I did everything I could to bag him, and then I had him and I couldn’t believe it.” She smiled at the memory of those late nights and the success of finally cornering him into kissing her. The thrill of getting her hands on him, the first spark of pleasure coursing through her. The way he held back, keeping his hands by his sides until he lost control and pulled her closer to him.

“
How did it go from that to getting married?” Joanna’s question stopped her from remembering the rest of that night.

“
We spent every minute we could together without tipping off anyone. I don’t know who brought up getting married first but it felt right. I knew my father would eventually be happy for us as soon as he saw how serious we were. I didn’t want to wait to get the rest of our lives started. We hid it for a month before I heard he was cheating on me.”

Even knowing the truth behind the situation, her heart trembled. She remembered rushing home, picking up the phone to call Lee, and not getting an answer.
“He was always so quiet about what he did when he wasn’t working or with me. I didn’t think there could be any other reason for his secrecy.”

“
That’s a lie. Lee would never cheat.” Joanna stood, knocking the crate back.

“
It was a lie but I believed it. I left that night, hoping he’d find me and tell me that the whole situation was a mistake. He never did. You have to understand. He’s so attractive, so compelling. Women were throwing themselves at him, and no one knew we were together. He’d flirt and smile, and I comforted myself with the knowledge that he spent every other moment with me. But I was jealous and insecure about why he never opened up to me about his past or his family. I was ready to believe that it wasn’t all real.”

“
So you ran off with Dylan?”

“
No. I moved in with my roommate from college, Dylan’s sister, Serena. I knew Dylan, became good friends with him, but I never cheated on your brother. Never. Not even when I believed the marriage was a mistake.”

“
How does he know you won’t just up and disappear again?”

She didn
’t have to think about her answer. “Because I’m not going to.”

She wouldn
’t be leaving Lee again. Her heart wouldn’t survive it.

Joanna
’s appraisal meant so much to her. She held her breath until Jo sighed and opened her arms. Sam walked into them.

“
Welcome to the family. I mean it. It’s nice to have another sister.”

It was everything Sam wanted and still she felt a pause at the mention of Lee
’s family. Was he ready this time to bring her into the other part of his life?

****

Another night on the cottage’s lumpy mattress and his back was screaming for his body conforming ultra-comfortable foam mattress at home. Sam rolled over and laid her head on his shoulder and he told his back to man up. He’d rather have Sam and a backache than an empty plush bed.

“
You’re not sleeping.” She said the words into his side.

“
No, but I’m enjoying having you cuddled up to me. Go back to sleep.”

She stretched and brought her leg over his.
“Can’t. I keep thinking about my sister. She left a message on my phone, thanking me for clearing out my room and taking those boxes she left. The Realtor put up the sign a few days ago. She really wants to dump the house as quickly as possible.”

“
Think she needs the money?

“
No, at least not for herself. She mentioned my father’s second mortgage and needing to make enough to cover bills. Actually, that was my plan to help with the renovations at the bar but it sounds like there won’t be anything left over from the sale.”

“
I told you, Sam. I’ve got it covered.”

“
I know. I just wish I could do more. Maria’s food is unbelievable and their menu will be an incredible asset to the bar. It’s a great plan.”

He smiled at the memory of Sam eating one of the Seafood Shack
’s messy lobster rolls. After dropping several pieces of lobster on her plate, her dress, and the ground, she gave in and ate it with a fork, moaning about how good it was the entire time.

“
I don’t have any money, Lee. I can’t change that overnight. I want to do it right though. We’ll find a way for the bar to pay you back on whatever you put into it. I can live off of my savings so I can go without a paycheck for a while.” Sam snuggled in closer, muffling the last of her words.

He stopped rubbing a hand down her back and pulled away.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like talking about our money as if they’re separate entities. We’re a married couple, living as a married couple. You understand the concept of what’s yours is mine, don’t you? It’s not my money going into the bar, it’s ours.”

“
No, it’s your money coming out of your accounts. I told you I don’t want your money and I meant it. If I take from you now, it’s only a matter of time before you’re wondering why I’m really with you. It’s the first thing you assumed when you thought I was with Dylan.”

He sat up, bumping her head
off his shoulder. “Things have changed. We can’t live in this cottage forever, Sam. If you don’t like my house, we’ll get something else, but I’m not going to spend the rest of our lives in this shack to prove a point.”

Sam arched back, using the sheet to cover her bare chest.
“I wasn’t trying to prove anything. I thought this place meant something to both of us. I’m sorry if I’m lowering you by making you live here.”

Hurt radiated from her. The cottage did mean a lot to him.
“That’s not what I meant. I hate when you act like the fact I have money is a bad thing. I may have started with more than most people but I’ve worked hard. I like turning around failing businesses. It’s a bonus that I can make a living off of it.”

“
I never said you didn’t work hard. I know you do.” She let go of the sheet with one hand and leaned into him. “I want to be an equal partner. I don’t want to feel like I don’t measure up or contribute equally.”

Lee drew her back down on his chest.
“Just wait. Once you’ve spent a few days moving furniture, cleaning, painting, and then moving everything back in, you’re going to wish you weren’t contributing so much. We’re equals, Sam. We’ll be equally tired and sore by the end of this.”

“
I’m good with a paint brush.” Her hands slid down and landed just above the sheet on his abdomen. “Actually, I’m good with my hands, in general.”

He covered her circling fingers before they could go any lower.
“You need to know something. The bar is important to me on many levels but if it ever comes between us, I will always choose you. This—” He put a hand to her beating heart. “—will always be my priority. I took a long time trying to find where I belong. I know it’s more than just about what I own or where I live.”

Sam propped herself up on her elbows and smiled before dropping down to kiss him. This time he didn
’t stop her hands from roaming over his body. For the first time that night, he didn’t curse the lumpy mattress, he didn’t think about it at all.

****

She pushed through the burning in her right shoulder to roll another stroke of white paint. She’d been painting for three hours now and looking at the bar, the crisp white and blue walls were signs of major progress. It made the pain worth it.

Lee was on the opposite side of the room. His khaki cargo shorts were covered with white paint but he seemed to be working at warp speed. What took her three hours to paint, he
’d done in one. All the while, he directed employees and took phone calls from contractors and vendors. He was amazing. From the little things to the big ones, he managed them all with a calm voice and an endless supply of energy.

Together they had mapped out exactly what they wanted for Ray
’s new look but it was Lee who sold it all to Maria. His enthusiasm and optimism for the place was contagious, and it carried them through the first day of cleaning and stripping the bar of every bit of its bar atmosphere.

She
’d worried that he’d pass the hard work on to others, throwing his money around to get the job done. Instead, he’d worked tirelessly beside their employees and friends. Even Jake had helped, to the delight of all of their female staff. She had to give him credit, he hadn’t let any of the flirting slow him down. He’d been just as driven as Lee to get the place ready for the reopening.

Joanna, on the other hand, was avoiding Jake. Sam was just as happy to stay away from him. His insistence on getting her to sign some kind of financial agreement still irked her. She quickly turned away from watching him as he headed toward them, a large bucket of white paint in hand.
“How are things going over here?”

Joanna kept painting while Sam took the opportunity to put her roller down and stretch her back.
“Good.”

“
Why don’t you take a break and I’ll take over here?”

Joanna stiffened but she didn
’t stop painting. Sam gave her one last look before nodding. She could use a few minutes with Lee. “Thanks.”

She found Lee on a ladder. He threw his whole body into painting. She watched the flex of his forearms and the muscles in his legs for a few minutes before he acknowledged her.
“Like the view?”

“
Absolutely.”

He stepped down and dropped the roller in the pan.
“How are you holding up? You haven’t taken a break.”

“
I’m good. Just anxious to get it finished.”

“
You need to eat something, Sam. You haven’t had anything since we left the cottage this morning.” He pointed to the spread of food they had ordered from a local diner.

“
I’m fine. Let me finish the wall and I’ll eat.” She smiled and went to turn away. He caught her before she had even made a step. He pulled her back into him.

His mouth was just an inch away from her ear, his arms around her middle.
“It’s break time.”

Images of the break she really wanted filtered through her mind. Sneaking away to have a quickie wasn
’t even possible but that didn’t stop her from imagining his hands spinning her around, his lips kissing hers.

He let his lips linger near her ear before dropping a kiss on her neck and letting her go. He pat
ted her on the butt and gestured to the table. “Jake’ll take care of the wall.”

“
You’re one to talk. You’ve been juggling at least two things at a time and I didn’t see you eat anything. Anyway, I don’t want anyone to think I’m slacking.”

“
I had a bagel for lunch while you were painting the ladies room. Sit down and eat.”

“
You’re bossy.”

“
Yep, I am. So listen to me.”

Her stomach rumbled. If she couldn
’t have Lee, at least she could have something to eat. “I’m only eating because I’m hungry.”

He smirked.
“Good.”

“
And anyway I can handle a few days of hard work.”

Joanna came stomping over.
“I need a break.” She pointed her finger at Lee. “Why don’t you help Lawyer Boy over there?”

Lee gave her one last look before turning to Joanna.
“Make sure she eats.” He walked off after pointing at the food one last time.

“
Your brother is a pain in the butt.”

“
Don’t I know it? Why is Jake here? Doesn’t he have something else to do besides flirting with every woman here?”