He was glad she was coming with him to the wedding. She would be a good distraction, and he even had a prayer of actually enjoying the event. He might even enjoy getting his arms around her on the dance floor.
Whoa there. While a summer flirtation held plenty of appeal, he wasn’t ready to dip his toes back into the dating pool. Amanda—to say nothing of Tag—had wrecked his heart. He wasn’t ready to trust another woman just yet.
However, he’d spent a good deal of today remembering what it had felt like to have Sadie cuddled up to him. He hadn’t liedwhen he said he wanted her to get some rest. But also... he’d liked the slight weight of her against his shoulder. The softness of her pressed against his side. He had trouble concentrating on the end of the movie.
Even now, that shirt slipping from her shoulder again, his fingers itched to touch her skin. Was it as soft as it looked? What would she say? How would she react?
Sadie’s phone vibrated with an incoming call, and he shook his thoughts away.
“It’s my mom.”
“Feel free to take it.”
“I’ll call her later.”
As she pocketed her phone, a faint knock sounded. Sadie tilted her head, listening. “Is someone at the door?” Before he could answer she got up to check just as the knock sounded again.
Sadie peered through the sidelight. “Um, there’s someone at your door. Do you know a tall teenage girl with dark brown hair? I think she’s wearing a soccer shirt.”
Hayley.He tossed his napkin on his plate and headed for the door. Once there he peeked through the sidelight and sighed. “It’s my sister. Give me a minute.”
After Sadie retreated he opened the door. Hayley, still in her soccer uniform, was returning to her old Saturn.
He scowled. “How’d you find me?”
Her gaping mouth was quickly replaced with a frown. “Wow, thanks for that hardy welcome. And I guess I didn’t exactly find you since I had the wrong address, and what’s with all the facial hair?” She hopped up the stoop steps. “Well, are you going to invite me in or what?”
He continued to block the doorway.
“Jeez, when did you become so rude?”
“Hi,” Sadie said over his shoulder. “Hi there. You must be Sam’s sister.”
He expelled a long breath as his sister’s eyes toggled between them, taking on anaha!expression he didn’t like. Especially when she pinned him with a very arrogantgotchalook.
“I’m Sadie and this is Rio. Step aside, Sam, and let her in. Would you like to stay for dinner? We’re having shrimp scampi and we just started.”
“We’re almost finished,” he added.
“Why, I’d love to.” Hayley seemed downright triumphant as she edged past him and introduced herself to Sadie.
They followed Sadie into the dining room, where Hayley caught sight of the setup and whispered, “Well, how cozy.”
His withering glare didn’t seem to faze her.
Sadie grabbed another place setting while he took a seat at the table, a sense of dread creeping over him.
Fifteen minutes later Sam’s peaceful vibes were long gone. He sat back against his chair while Hayley and Sadie chatted like they’d known each other for years. Hayley was the picture of a gracious guest, complimenting Sadie on the food and asking for seconds. She bloomed under Sadie’s attention. Especially when she discovered Sadie was a schoolteacher. That topic went on for another ten minutes while Sam waited for the other shoe to drop.
Why was he so tense? Was he worried Hayley would bring uphis former relationship with Amanda? Or that she’d say something else to embarrass him? And why did Sadie’s opinion matter so much?
“—and he totally saved the man’s life.”
Sam tuned back in to find the other two staring at him. One with a smug grin, the other with a look of wonder.
“What?” he asked.
“You saved a man’s life when you were there mowing his lawn? That is so amazing.”
