“Nothing. Just––”
“Just what?”
“I’m worried that what happened today isn’t going to stick. That things will go back to the way they were with my family. My sisters, Candy, in particular.”
“It’ll take work, but I think if you really want it, it’ll stick.”
“Mm, hm.” I heard his words, but what if it takes more than merely working at it. It’ll take all of us to make that happen not just my willpower.
“I can feel how tense you are.” He kisses me. “What say we take your mind off your worries for a bit.”
“Hmm.” I tap my finger against my lip. “How do you propose we do that?” I smile up at him.
“Propose.” He smirks. “Now that’s a good word.”
“Sam?” I feel my face heat.
“Soon, baby girl. Soon.” And then he kisses me deeply. Passionately. With love. As a matter of fact, he even says it. “Love you so much, honey.”
“I love you, too, Sam.”
We don’t say any more. Instead, we show each other.
You know … with sex.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Time Heals … Some Wounds
We’ve been living together for three months now. Henry Miller has adapted to the new digs easily. The only issue is the backyard. There’s way too much space for him to roam, so I’ve got to keep him on a leash with me when we’re outside. I’m sure he’d be okay wandering around, but he’d have more than squirrels and birds to contend with in the forest. No. I’d rather be safe than so very sorry and sad if something happened to my Henry. It’s fine. He’s used to the leash now. It’s just long enough for him to jump up onto the deck railing and survey his kingdom. There’s also a tree close enough filled with angry squirrels to keep him occupied for weeks.
As for living with Sam Griffin…? In a word, it’s fun. It’s also challenging, frustrating, and sexy as hell. We are in agreement about a couple of things. One, I’m not the tidiest being on the planet. And two, Sam Griffin is. But, like all new things, we are adapting. Example. When I leave my dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, Sam puts them in the hamper. And when I make a snack in the kitchen as I edit at the kitchen table (some things will never change), he cleans it up. That is, if he isn’t at work.
But I do things for him, too. It’s give and take, right? I do his laundry, which I know he appreciates. Because he tells me so. I’m also still doing most of the cooking, and not only because I enjoy it. I love to see his face when he gets home and smells whatever I’m cooking. The first thing he says is, “I’m starving.” Then he grabs me and kisses me, making me believe he’s hungry formeand not whatever is in the crock pot. A little secret? Nine times out of ten, Iamthe thing he’s hungry for.
Wink.
Sam has his annoying quirks, too. His constant need to have things picked up aside, he likes to spend a great deal of time in his garage workshop. He turned the third garage bay into a woodworking shop, and I feel like he’s out there way more than he’s inside with me. When I try to visit him there, he stops working and frowns at me, saying things like, “What?” or “Can I help you?” To say it’s a little hurtful is an understatement.
In his defense, he says he’s got to focus so he doesn’t cut off a finger.
I like his fingers.
A lot.
I get it. When I’m engrossed in a book, I don’t like to be disturbed either.
He’s fun to have around, though, and I’m not just talking about the sex. Speaking of that, the sex … let me just say, it’s amazing. He can’t seem to keep his hands off me, and if I were to guess, I’d say we’ve done it in every room of the house. My favorite was that night we did it in the screened-in porch right after we got one of those cool outdoor daybeds. We christened that thing. Twice.
Aside from the sex, Sam is open to trying new things. He’s watched a couple of my all-time favorite movies that would be dubbed chick flicks by other men, but he watched and laughed right along with me. I’ve done the same for him, having watched a war movie I hope to never see again, along with one about race cars and two mafia movies.
It’s been great. Wonderful.
We even had a housewarming party. The first party I’ve ever hosted with a significant other. He invited a few old friends, the guys from his crew, their wives and girlfriends, and our families. I was happy to see Jesse again after the whole thing before. He brought a girl with him. Her name was Kerrigan, and from what I gathered, the pair are best friends––have been for years. It was obvious to me that Kerrigan had eyes only for Jesse. Sadly, it didn’t appear that Jesse felt the same.
But maybe that will change. Because sometimes life throws you curve balls…
Mom and Dad came, along with several of my nieces and nephews. Brittney brought Dash, which made Sam a little nervous. Me, too, if I’m being honest. There was a lot that could have gone wrong with Dash and a deck two stories off the ground and a big lake. It could have been due to the fact he turned five or because it was cold outside, but Dash visited without incident.
