Page 30 of Securing Samantha

I miss both of you.

She shut her phone off and left it on the table. She needed a break from Whiskey, Serenity Mountain, and her heart.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

On the second night of the trip, Bryan asked Samantha down for a nightcap at the bar of the hotel. Becky stayed with LJ, while she met the handsome man. The piano bar hummed quietly with conversation when she entered. He reserved a table for them toward the back. The area appeared dimly lit, and off to the side of the crowd, providing an intimate setting.

Bryan placed his hand on the lower part of her back as they weaved through the crowd.

“What did you think of the plant?” he asked as he casually rolled up the sleeves of his shirt showing his muscular forearms.

“The testing center and lab impressed me. I do have questions…”

He laughed. “I bet you have them in all those notes you kept placing on your phone. I’m surprised you didn’t bring it down here with you.”

She picked it up, ready to bring it with her when another text from Whiskey dinged through.

It’s Whiskey. I hope you’re having fun. Please send a picture.

She frowned. Kassie sent Whiskey photos of her and her son without her knowledge. She knew it wasn’t ill intended, but it reminded her of the raw feelings for her friend.

She scrolled through her phone finding one of LJ at the Central Park Zoo. She sent the text. The dots appeared and she caught herself waiting. She shook her head and reminded herself she didn’t ask for a divorce. He saw an attorney, filled out all the paperwork and paid to have her served. Joe referred her to a good attorney who surprisingly remained in her price range, and she amended the documents and sent them back to him. She left him the house, providing him with a good start. No matter what, she knew she and LJ planned to never grace the doors again.

She set the phone upside down on her dresser. She asked Becky to call the bar if she needed anything.

“No. Do I bother you asking all my questions?” she asked.

“Absolutely not. I want you to feel comfortable. When I met you in Serenity, I saw the hard work and research you put into your baby. I understand. My dad asked me if I wanted to work with him one day. When I said yes, he helped me pick out my college here in New York City. Then I worked part time two evenings during the week and every Saturday. Once I graduated, he gave me my first product to work on to get it ready for the market. Within six months, I built the entire project and kept it running. To this day, it’s still my baby. I go in and nurture it whenever I can,” Bryan told her.

“My dad always told me if I wanted it badly enough, I needed to be willing to put the work into it. I think our parents shared the same mindset,” she told him as she perused the wine list.

“If you don’t mind, my friend owns this place. He carries a special reserve for special guests, and I think you’ll enjoy it.” He waited for her to answer before taking the drink menu from her hand.

“Now I know the business Samantha O’Neil, tell me about the personal woman.” He motioned for a waiter and ordered their drinks.

“There’s not much to tell. I work the salon, and help Bear with drying the herbs and enhancing the formulas for my skincare. I spend most of my time with my son,” she answered.

“Isn’t his dad involved with him?” he asked.

“It’s a long story and complicated,” she explained.

“If you don’t feel like discussing it, we don’t have to. I’ve seen you checking your phone and frowning. Joe didn’t mention your husband when we talked. Frankly you surprised me when you mentioned the divorce. I don’t like to see you unhappy. I think you need a friend.” His hand reached across the table, and he softly stroked her hand with his thumb.

Samantha sighed. “My husband was presumed dead. I found out the day I gave birth to our son. I recently found out he’s alive.”

Bryan sat back in the chair, shocked. “Wow, I thought things like that only happened in books and movies.”

Samantha smiled. “It’s a difficult situation. Whiskey suffers from PTSD. We attended counseling and I got involved in support groups. We haven’t told LJ yet. To make a long story short, my husband doesn’t want me anymore and since we’ve started this trip, he’s texted asking about my son. He wants a relationship with him and as long as he doesn’t hurt LJ, I’ll support him maintaining the relationship for our son’s sake.”

“Samantha, I don’t know what to say,” he softly told her.

She looked down as the wine was placed on the table in front of them. She immediately took a sip. “I don’t either. When you offered the trip to New York, I jumped on it. I needed a change of scenery. When I return, he wants to take LJ with a mutual friend of ours and get to know him.”

“Come on. Your ex has no idea what he’s giving up. Let’s dance.” Bryan tugged her gently from her seat as they made their way to the small dance floor. He pulled her close and swayed to the music. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of a man’s arms around her. For a moment she imagined Whiskey holding her before she shoved him from her mind.

At the end of the night, he escorted her to her door and placed a kiss on her cheek before leaving her. The rest of the days flew by. During the day, he took them through museums, plays, and things to interest her son. At night they met at the bar for a drink and conversation. On their last day in New York, they spent the day sightseeing and a tired LJ conked out on the couch.

“Why don’t you have Becky order room service and I’ll take you out on the town?” Bryan suggested.

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