Worth the Risk (13 page)

They navigated the cold, sterile hallways that led to the elevator and took it to the third floor. Sam squeezed his hand tighter on the ride up and he squeezed right back.

“Thanks again for coming with me.”

“Sure.”

“I think I should warn you—my dad may seem overly sensitive. My aunt died in a car accident so it’s a real touchy subject. One that still holds a lot of pain for him.”

“I’m so sorry.” She paused. “But you said your mom’s going to be okay, right?”

“Yeah. My dad said it’s a few broken ribs and a fractured wrist. This is going to be horrible for her, though. She doesn’t like to sit still.”

“And there’s nothing you can do about broken ribs but rest.”

The elevator doors opened and he noted the direction of room 348 on the wall plaque. “I know. My poor mom. She’s going to be miserable. And if I know my dad, he’s going to keep her home for longer than necessary.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Not to her it won’t be. She doesn’t like anyone telling her what to do.”

“So that’s where you get it from?”

A small smile crossed his face. He appreciated the attempt to lighten the mood.

Dean led her past gurneys and IV stands and nurses hustling about, then rounded the corner leading to the right place. He noticed every occupied room had a visitor in it. Someone sitting or standing, an arm stretched across the bed or hand clasped reassuringly. The faces were young and old, but all wore looks of deep caring and love. Acutely aware of Samantha’s hand in his, a rush of emotion swept over him.

He loved Samantha. Had always loved her.

She triggered admiration and awe-inspiring hope in him. Hope that she’d share everything with him, would be there by his side on every adventure and ordinary day. She was his one in a million. The one to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground
and
to set him flying higher than he’d ever gone before.

He didn’t want just memories anymore. He wanted the real thing.

She tugged on his arm, bringing them to a stop.

“What is it?” The thoughts of love swirling inside his head subsided when he looked at her solicitous face. She had something serious on her mind.

“I need to…need to…”

Worry shot through him. He’d never known her to be at a loss for words. “You need to what?”

“I know I came all this way with you, but I’m sorry. I need to go.”

Searching her eyes, he saw fear and compassion, love and regret. Her gaze reached down inside him and plucked out his beating heart. She held it in her hands, the
thump, thump
at her disposal. His chest tightened. He wondered what she could possibly be talking about.

“Before we see my mom?”

“Before we see your dad.”

“My dad? Shit. You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ve been thinking so much about my mom that I completely forgot about business and the meeting in the morning. But look, it’s okay. I’ll give him a quick explanation.”

She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, looking ready to pass on some top-secret information to him. Huh? The ache in his heart doubled as he noticed every little thing about her. Taking both his hands in hers, she seemed to gather strength from their contact, but a wistful expression crossed her beautiful face. Something else was going on.

“I thought I could do this. Be here for you. But…”

“Dean!” His dad’s voice carried down the hallway on sound waves that easily rounded the corner.

Dean turned and took the few long strides necessary to greet his father. His dad wrapped his arms around his back and squeezed; the embrace lasted longer than any he’d received since that fateful day four years ago. A man of few words, Dean knew the gesture was his father’s way of saying he loved him.

“How are you holding up?” Pulling away from his father, Dean kept his hands on the old man’s shoulders, wanting to feel his answer as well as hear it.

“I’m doing okay. Thankfully, your mom’s going to be fine.”

“She’s a tough cookie.”

“You can say that again. She wants to go home already. Damn woman doesn’t know when to take it easy.”

Feeling the hunch in his father’s shoulders subside, Dean dropped his arms. “They’re not letting her go home, though, are they?”

“No. She’ll be here a few days. They want to be sure there’s no internal bleeding or injuries that haven’t shown up yet. Of course she’s spouting her mouth off about how strong she is and how well she knows her body, blah, blah, blah. Says there’s no way she’s got four broken ribs, only feels two.”

Dean’s mood couldn’t help but improve. His feisty mom did what she did best: drive his dad to adore her more. The love in his dad’s eyes when he talked about her was so evident that Dean smiled with pride. His parents’ marriage was a love story he wanted to emulate.

His
story, he realized, had started five years ago and resumed with a kiss Friday night. Samantha was his happily ever after.

“Sam? What are you doing here?”

Side stepping him, his dad moved toward Samantha. Dean looked over his shoulder and watched his dad accept her outstretched hand. He couldn’t see his father’s expression, but Samantha’s face radiated warmth and respect on top of the uncertainty Dean had noticed when she’d blinked a few extra times.

“Hello, Mr. Malloy. I’m sorry to hear about your wife.”

“It’s Bill, remember? And thank you. I thought after our phone call this afternoon I wouldn’t see you until tomorrow morning.”

Phone call?
For some reason, those two little words hit Dean like a ton of bricks. He watched his father and Samantha speak to each other like they’d been acquaintances far longer than one meeting, and he didn’t like it. He saw their lips moving but couldn’t hear their words. Anger—irrational, he knew, but present nonetheless—drowned out their voices.

“You two talked this afternoon?” he managed to say.
That
must have been the call she’d received while they were shopping. The news made him want to punch a hole in the wall. Sam had lied to him.

Bewilderment flooded Dean and he felt his stomach twist. Questions stormed his mind, littering his head with rubbish he didn’t know how to process.
Why didn’t Sam tell me the truth? Has Dad told her she got the job? Is he offering her something more?

His dad turned, Samantha at his side, an apologetic look on her face. Her eyes beckoned for him to understand, but he stood frozen. Confusion toiled with longing. He needed an explanation before he said or did anything more.

“We did,” his father said. “I had to clear something up.” He glanced back and forth from Samantha to Dean, scrutinizing them like he couldn’t decide what to say next. Silence stilled the air between them and the hum of a medical machine droned in the background. “I didn’t realize how well you two knew each other.”

“Oh, we don’t know each other
that
well,” Sam said, her voice passing off their relationship as mere acquaintances.

“Well, I need to get back to your mother,” his dad replied, stepping toward the room. He slapped Dean on the shoulder. “Come on in. She can’t wait to see you. She’s so upset dinner was ruined, and with your leaving tomorrow, we’ll have to make due bedside.” Pausing at the door, he looked over his shoulder. “Sam, why don’t you join us?”

“Oh, thank you, but I was just leaving.”

“I insist you come in and say hello first. If my wife finds out you stopped short in the hallway, she won’t be happy.”

Dean tried not to choke on his father’s invitation. He wanted to settle things with Sam privately before he saw his mom.

His dad gestured for them to follow with a sideways nod of his head.
Shit.

Samantha darted another apologetic glance at him. Her bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. “Just for a minute,” she said, then stepped around him.

“Dean!” his mom said, her eyes less bright than normal. Seeing her in a hospital bed pierced Dean’s heart with worry.

“Hey, Mom.” He wrapped her in a gentle embrace. She felt whole, thank God, and she squeezed him back with the same fierceness she always did.

When he stepped away, his mom’s eyes settled on Sam and Sam’s settled on hers. Damn if Dean didn’t think some weird female comprehension passed between them. Like an instant camaraderie that turned strangers into friends for life.

“This is Sam Bennett,” his dad said. “She works for Global Site Preservation.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Malloy. I’m so sorry about your accident.”

“Thank you.” She extended her left arm and squeezed Sam’s hand. “It’s nice of you to stop by. I’ve…” She glanced at Dean. “I’ve been hoping for more visitors.”

Dean closed his eyes in silent thanks that his mom left it at that. She knew about Samantha. He’d told her about their relationship after he’d gotten home that summer, and no doubt his astute mom realized this was the same Sam.

“There’s only so much Food Network television I can take,” his mom added, lifting her chin toward the television hanging on the wall.

He and Samantha looked up. “Oh, I love
Cupcake Wars
,” Samantha said.

“I do, too. But now I’m craving a chocolate cupcake with whipped cream frosting.” His mom smiled at Sam.

Sam smiled back. “Maybe we can sneak one in for you?”

We?
Dean clenched then unclenched his hands. If Sam’s goal was to confuse him, it was working.

“I would love—”

“You can have a cupcake when you get out of here,” his dad interrupted. “Inside a hospital, you eat hospital food.” He put his hand on his wife’s arm and looked at her tenderly. “It’s for the best.”

Sam watched his parents. Then she looked up at him. The connection lasted a few seconds, until his mom cleared her throat and said, “Dean, please help me out here and tell your father I cannot survive on hospital food.”

His mom’s plea put his focus back on her. “I think Dad might be right on this one, Mom.” Dean eyed the IV, then took in his mom’s pale complexion. She’d just been through a big trauma and probably shouldn’t be eating too much sugar.

She huffed. “Samantha, surely you can come to my rescue. I need someone on my side. I’m outnumbered with these two.”

“Umm…” Samantha made a panicked face.

“We girls have to stick together, you know.”

“True,” Samantha agreed, a small closed-mouth smile spreading across her face. “I don’t know what I’d do without my sister and mom. But maybe Bill can have a
box
of cupcakes waiting for you at home?”

“Done!” Dean’s dad grinned at Samantha.

Dean’s stomach knotted. It hurt to watch Sam’s charm and friendliness when he wasn’t sure if it was for his benefit or his dad’s.

His mom winked at Samantha. “A girl after my own heart.”

“Well, I really should be going now. I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Malloy.” Sam took slow steps backward. “Bill, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks for stopping in,” Dean’s mom said. “It was delightful meeting you.”

Dean followed Samantha out, the tension between his shoulder blades only slightly lessening now that they stood back in the hallway.

“Your mom is really—”

“We don’t know each other well, huh?” The words Samantha spoke before his father interrupted them still resonated.

“I’m sorry. But
you
didn’t say anything, so I had to say
something
. I didn’t want your father’s decision clouded by a relationship he thinks we might have. That could hurt both of us. I came to Idaho to get the Route 66 account and nothing more, Dean. I represent Global Site Preservation and unfortunately, I think I lost sight of that this weekend. Your father’s opinion of me matters whether I’m in his office or in a hospital room.”

Or in bed with me
. He hadn’t really expected her to share how she felt about him with his father, but hearing her declaration out loud still stung. “And what about the phone call?”

“What about it?” Remorse passed over her face as she took a step toward him.

He took one back.

“Does anything matter more to you than the job?” he asked.

Her eyes widened. “You’re asking
me
that?”

Maybe it was the stress of his mother’s accident. Maybe it wasn’t. But he didn’t want to remain in the same air space with her any longer.

“I should go.” He turned around.

“Dean, wait a minute.” Samantha grabbed his arm. “Please.”

Heat rushed through him at her touch, her fingertips eliciting desire that came from both his head and his heart. He looked into her eyes and wanted to lose himself in the tangle of her hotel sheets, lock the two of them away and forget that anything else in the world mattered.