Page 12 of Securing Samantha

CHAPTER NINE

Samantha pulled into the driveway. LJ excitedly unbuckled his seatbelt. “It’s snowing, Mom. Can I stay outside?”

“You can stay on the deck. Military men stay on the mountain to heal, and I don’t want you bothering anyone,” she reminded him. “When you come inside, we’ll make dinner and watch a movie.”

“Yes!” LJ air fisted at her proclamation. Normally they ate together at the kitchen table. Every now and again, she bent the rules and they ordered pizza and watched a movie. Tonight, she needed the mindless activity.

A bouquet of flowers and a note lay on the small front porch. Sweeping them into her arms, she unlocked the door as LJ ran by her.

“Get your hat, and keep your coat zipped,” she reminded him. She opened the trash and threw the flowers in the garbage. They arrived once a week from Kassie. She grabbed the chicken from the fridge and added seasonings while the oven reached temperature. She pulled out broccoli and began cutting it into chunks. Pulling out the rice, she washed it before adding it and the broccoli to the cooker. She set the chicken in the oven and went to change into comfortable pajamas.

She glanced onto the deck watching her son try to catch snowflakes with his tongue. He pulled out his airplane and it began to take off through the snowstorm. Samantha smiled as she heard the captain speaking and telling the passengers to buckle up. He always wanted to fly on a plane. She considered closing the shop and taking a trip with LJ. They needed a break.

She slipped off her jeans and top, threw the bra into the hamper, and grabbed a pair of soft blue pajamas from the pile. She twisted her hair into a messy bun before heading back to the kitchen. The sound of her phone ringing made her hurry to answer it before the call went to voicemail. She dug it out of her purse and hit the button.

“Hello,” she greeted.

“Hello, Samantha. It’s Joe.”

“Hey Joe. What’s up?”

“I heard back from my friend’s company. Frank retired, but his son, Bryan, runs the business now. I sent him the samples you gave me last month. He’s flying here next week and wants to set up a meeting.”

Samantha walked through the cabin and peeked out at her son before grabbing her schedule. She detested putting anything on the phone. She opened the calendar book and checked her appointments for the week.

“What day? My schedule’s open on Wednesday and Friday after closing,” she told him.

“He’s flying in Friday morning and spending the weekend. I’ll entertain him until you’re done,” Joe volunteered.

“Great. Did he say what products interested him?” she inquired.

“He seems impressed with everything. It sounds promising for a contract. I have an attorney who handles this type of stuff. If you decide you like the terms, don’t sign anything until we have him go over any details.”

“I appreciate it, Joe. Thank you. Tell Maddie I said hello,” she stood in place and did a happy dance.

“Do you have more of the cream for dry feet? Maddie asked if I’d pick it up when I came in town tomorrow,” he asked.

“I whipped up a batch this morning. My appointments run back-to-back, but I’ll leave a jar with Becky at the counter,” she told him.

“Sounds great. Thank you. See you then.” Joe disconnected the call. She checked the chicken one more time. Then went back to the calendar to write the date in. She raised her head, noticing the silence. She frowned and headed to the back of the house to see what her son got into.

Whiskey pulled into the driveway and sat in his truck. Claire called Leo and it took them over an hour to calm him down. The pain and confusion on his wife’s face stayed fresh in his mind. He caused it. His hands gripped the top of the steering wheel, and he laid his head down on them in frustration, trying to see her point of view. She said they were happy. His mind floated back in time.

He held her in his arms as they danced in the small kitchen. The early morning rays of sunshine poured through the window, landing on Samantha’s hair. God, he loved the sight of the thick mass and the calming lavender scent from her homemade shampoo. She lovingly stroked his cheek.

“I love you, Sunshine,” he whispered.

“I love you, Liam. No matter where you go, remember I’ll always shine when you’re with me. When you’re away I’ll burn the brightest, lighting the way for you to come home to me.” She smiled at him, making him feel like the king of the world.

The sound of a child’s voice broke his train of thought. Opening the truck door, he scanned the area. A little boy ran with his arm high to the sky making the sounds of an airplane.

“Saint, get the team in position,” the boy’s voice deepened as he got closer to Whiskey.

“Yeah, Boss,” he imitated a southern drawl attempting to sound like Saint. Whiskey chuckled.

“Doc, we’re hit.” The airplane took a nosedive and sailed through the air, landing behind his truck.

“Oh man.” The disappointment from the kid made Whiskey walk in his direction.

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