Page 72 of Securing Samantha

She followed him upstairs. He took her into the two rooms he hadn’t gotten around to painting. Then they visited LJ’s room. Surprised he already fixed a room for their son; her hand went to her mouth. She walked into the room painted in blue. Red stripes decorated the top of the wall and helicopters decorated the wall. Parachuting soldiers adorned the area as if they jumped from the vinyl decal helos. The top of the wall held glow in the dark stars. Her son’s dream room. His bed sat adorned with his favorite comforter from her old home. Shelves held a few toys and a wooden desk sat in the corner. Her fingers glided over the furniture as she took in the tiny details of Whiskey. He led her to his room. The four-poster bed with an intricate lover’s knot carved into the headboard stood out in the room. The quilt her mother-in-law presented to her on their wedding day graced the bed. The walls were painted a light lavender. Her heart thumped as she took in the details of the replica of the room they shared together at one time.

She moved to the side of the bed as she noticed the pictures. He set them on his bedside exactly how she placed them in her old home. She tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat as her eyes welled into tears. She quickly blinked them back. Whiskey didn’t speak as she picked up the familiar items as she walked through memory lane.

When she finished, she walked back down the stairs. Her original reason for coming slipped her mind. “Thank you for the tour. I’m running to the market before it closes to pick up some items for breakfast in the morning.” He slowly walked toward her. His eyes burned into hers. Her heart beat faster. She stepped back as he took her hand.

“We haven’t finished yet. I didn’t show you the best part,” he whispered.

His fingers caressed hers as he walked through the kitchen. He led her to the door by the Christmas tree. He opened it and slowly let her in. Samantha slowed her steps as she walked into the room. It took her breath away. Freshly painted walls of grayish blue sat against the backdrop of the woods. Two deer grazed in the yard like pets. The sun warmed the room with the rays peeking between the trees. At the top of the walls, Whiskey twined twigs into a design spanning the length of the room. More carved birds, pinecones, and acorns adorned the decoration. Three lavender chairs from her old shop sat facing the windows. A large white door broke up the wall. Stunned, she allowed Whiskey to slide back the door revealing a work bench with a shelf above it. Empty shelves decorated the opposite side. It suddenly dawned on her what he did. She turned to a quiet Whiskey.

“Why? Why would you do this?” Her heart began to speed up and she reached for the worktable. She saw the four-leaf clovers and the knots engraved on the top. She closed her eyes in disbelief.

She shook her head as she rushed past him to the kitchen.

“Why?” she cried. Tears streamed down her face.

Whiskey’s hand swiped his face and beard. “I dinna plan on showing you this today. I bought this home to find myself but the more I worked on it, I found you.” Whiskey walked toward her. He took both of her hands as she shook her head.

“I…don’t know what to say,” she stuttered.

“I pushed you away. I’ve no right to ask you for a second chance. I’m asking anyway.” He glanced over his shoulder on the fridge. “I attend three groups a week. I tried different therapies to decide which one I feel more comfortable with. Leo gave me a job running the office and working with the new recruits. I won’t go out in the field, but I’ll still be part of the team. I start a parenting class at the beginning of the year. LJ deserves a good da. You’ve done a great job with him,” he softly spoke as if afraid she’d bolt and run.

“What if I didn’t come and see this? You did this for me. You made this place for me, not even knowing if I’ll come back. Whiskey, what have you done?” she whispered. Her hand trembled as she let go of him and pushed the hair away from her face.

“I hoped, lass, you might think about coming home. I understand we hurt each other, but I can’t stop thinking about you. The love for you and my son brought me home. You’re the reason I hung on.”

She stared at him unable to speak.

“I can’t tell you how much I regret pushing you away. I was scared you’d see my weakness and think I couldn’t hold your heart securely in my soul. They stole my pride, my strength, my body and my mind, but I fought them for your heart and I won. Every day, I searched for the sunrise waiting for it to burn brighter to lead me home. Now, I’m here and I want to know if you’ll trust me to secure your heart once more. I want to be the flame that makes you shine again.”

She stepped back. She shook her head. “You divorced me. You said I suffocated you. I don’t want to hurt again.”

He stepped toward her, but she held up her hand.

“It killed me when Leo came and told me you died. I’m not comparing my pain to yours, but you weren’t the only one who suffered. I forced myself up every morning to care for the only piece of you I had left. I’m coming to terms with why you kept your reappearance a secret. You pushed me away and found comfort in a stranger’s arms. Why now?” She stepped backward. Her heart pounded in her ears. She sobbed as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I made mistakes. But I’m still asking. I love you,” he whispered.

“It’s not fair, Liam. I did the work. You didn’t want me,” she cried.

“It’s not fair, and I never stopped wanting you.” He leaned down. He gently swiped at the tears before his mouth hovered over hers. She gripped his shirt. He gently kissed her, and her mouth opened accepting him. His arms tightened around her as he pulled her closer.

“Sunshine, let me be the flame that brings you home.”

Her face crumpled as she felt her defenses breaking. She stepped back, grabbed her purse from the table and ran to the vehicle. Whiskey stood in the door and watched her back out of the driveway and out of his life.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Samantha pulled the truck into the garage. Chase and Kassie stayed out with the kids. She went to her bathroom and pressed a cold towel to her face. Images of Whiskey pressing a cold cloth to her face after the snowball fight entered her mind. Of him drying her feet and replacing her soddened socks. She closed her eyes and lay on the bed.

Her phone began to ring. Bryan’s name appeared and she rolled her eyes. Could the day get any worse?

“Hello.”

“Hi, beautiful. I got your text while I drove to the third house. At this rate, I might get done early,” he told her.

“Good, I can’t wait to get home.” She patted her face.

“Did something happen?” Bryan’s voice sounded tense.

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