Sam climbed into bed next to Gwenyth, wishing like he didn’t know what that they didn’t have to go back to Tampa tomorrow. He wanted Gwen to himself for just a wee bit more before being obliged to return to reality.
But Sam also realized, however reluctantly, that their honeymoon would have to wait. The senatorial election was in two days and Gwen would want to be there for Harry. Hell, Sam wanted to be there for Harry too. He was, after all, a part of the family now. That thought gave him so much pleasure it was almost painful.
Sam turned on his side and hoisted himself up on his elbow. He smiled at the sexy picture Gwenyth made. His wife was lying on her back, her lips parted ever so slightly in deep slumber. Her hair was wild and cascading over the satiny pillows, and her arms were thrown over her head, thrusting her breasts upward in invitation. Her large nipples were erect, presumably from the chill in the air-conditioned room.
Sam splayed his fingers at Gwen’s plumped up breasts and took turns rolling her hard nipples between his thumb and forefinger. He made no attempt at waking her, merely devoured the sight of her beautiful face and naked body as he lazily stroked the hard nubs that now belonged to him.
Feeling fully content for the first time in his life, Sam lowered his face onto his wife’s chest and relaxed. Within minutes, he was sound asleep.
After thirty-one years, Sam had finally come home.
Chapter 14
“Son, I oughta take a switch to your backside. Did it ever occur to you that I might wanna walk my baby girl down the aisle?”
Gwenyth shoveled a spoonful of Verlene’s chili into her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. The idea of Granddad—almost seventy-three and as skinny as a rail to boot—taking a switch to Sam’s derriere was too funny to contemplate. She cast a quick glance at her husband, bedeviling him with a dimpled grin.
Sam winked at his wife, then turned in his seat at the dining room table to face Granddad Willy. “I’m sorry ‘bout that,” he reiterated for what was probably the fifth time since dinner had begun. “Maybe we can have a ceremony here before we leave for Boston.”
Gwenyth’s spoon dropped, leaving a clanking sound in its wake. She hadn’t considered the fact that Sam was obligated to the New England Crusaders for another four years when she’d married him. Good grief. She had Jones & Jones to consider. She could hardly just pick up and trail behind her new husband.
Feeling overwhelmed with uncertainty as to what she should do, she threw a wild glance at Verlene and Harry. “Sam, I can’t move to Boston. My work is here. Work that I love, by the way.”
Sam’s spoonful of chili stopped halfway between the bowl and his mouth. “I know that, honey. I’ve only got four years left of ball playin’.” He implored her with his blue eyes. “Surely we can reach some sort of compromise until then?”
Verlene reached across the table and patted Gwenyth affectionately on the hand. “Of course you can. Y’all can live in Boston during the playing season and here the rest of the year. Jones & Jones can manage that for a few years, sugar.” Verlene elegantly shrugged her shoulders. “Besides, it hardly matters where you’re based out of. You fly to your assignments anyway.”
Gwenyth nodded. That much was true. She turned to Sam and questioned him further. “Okay, so we live in Boston from April to September for the next four years.”
“October if the Crusaders go to the World Series,” Harry interjected hopefully.
Gwenyth waved away her brother’s comment. “What about spring training, Sam? Doesn’t that take up another couple of months?”
Sam shook his head in the affirmative as he spooned a bite of chili into his mouth. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the hot, spicy stuff. Verlene was one of the best cooks on the entire planet as far as he was concerned. “Yes it does, but it’s nothin’ to worry over. Harvey Ansley, the Crusaders’ owner, is movin’ our training camp to St. Petersburg.”
Willy picked up his bottle of beer and regarded his new grandson-in-law. “I read ‘bout that in the papers.” He waggled his eyebrows at Gwenyth. “That’s only twenty or so minutes from here by the interstate.”
Gwenyth nodded, appeased. She glanced at her husband and smiled. “I’ve never been to Boston before. I suppose there’s a lot of sightseeing to do there.”
Sam reached for another slice of Granddad Willy’s homemade bread before responding. “Definitely. A lot of old Revolutionary War stuff, pretty neat.”
“I’ll have to come visit,” Harry added. He gave Sam a thoughtful look. “I’ve never ventured that far to the north either, but American History was always one of my favorite subjects in high school.”
Sam grinned. “I remember.”
Gwenyth grew quiet as she sat back and watched Sam interact with his new family. It was like magic, what their short marriage had already done for him. He wasn’t remaining aloof, holding back that small, wary part of himself any longer. Sam was behaving as though he’d finally accepted the fact that he belonged somewhere.
And he did, Gwenyth realized. Sam belonged here, with her. He always had. It might have taken an eleven-year separation for them to figure it out, but destiny, she mused, had a funny way about it.
* * * * *
Gwenyth knocked on the door to her brother’s office in his campaign headquarters before peeking around it to make certain he was alone. “Hi Harry. Monique said you weren’t with anyone. May I come in?”
Harry had been bent over a stack of papers, reading the victory speech he hoped to deliver tomorrow night when his head shot up at the sound of Gwenyth’s voice. “Gwen!” He set the papers on top of the desk and stood up. “Come on in. Shut the door behind you.”
Gwenyth did a quick study of her brother’s office as she made her way toward the desk. The mix of Victorian and modern designs gave the room a classy, elegant feel that managed to remain affable and fun-loving at the same time. Whoever designed the office couldn’t have done a better job of complimenting Harry’s personality. “I know you’re busy with the election tomorrow. I promise to only stay a minute.”
Harry waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Where’s my new brother-in-law?”
