Page 8 of Securing Samantha

Kassie tapped on the open door of his office.

“Hello, PITA.” Leo didn’t bother to look up as the beautiful woman walked in.

“Hey, Leo. Hi, Whiskey.” She sat in one of the chairs across the desk from his friend. She pointedly glanced at the chair next to her, indicating he take a seat.

“Whiskey, I’m in a bit of a pickle. Samantha’s not talking to me.” She frowned. “She’s struggling with living across the street from her house. The builders finished the fourth cabin and I want to move her and LJ there for a little while. Your cabin provides more seclusion than the others with the surrounding trees. They need a place where they can feel safe. I wanted to check in with you to ensure you’re comfortable with the situation. I’ve asked Leo to offer it as the team’s using the cabins. It won’t seem as if the suggestion comes from me,” her voice sounded sad.

“Kassie, you own the cabins, do what you feel works the best,” Whiskey stared down at his feet.

“No. This place provides a safe haven for everyone seeking peace. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with them across the way. Most importantly, I want them where we can keep an eye on them. Samantha refuses to see me. I know she’s struggling between the ordeal with James and discovering I hid you from her. I understand she’s angry, but I want to help,” she stated.

Leo moved from his desk to the filing cabinet. He winked at Kassie and headed for the door, closing it behind him.

“Whiskey, when I pushed Chase away he met me a few times alone. I felt adamant about not wanting to see him. Those visits helped me. At first I felt uncomfortable as if I might crawl out of my skin. I didn’t resemble the person I was on the mountain. I struggled between myself and who I pretended to be. I know you haven’t made any efforts to see Samantha alone. From a woman’s point of view, I know I’d feel hurt and confused if the man I loved refused to spend time with me. Maybe invite her for lunch or a cup of coffee? My captivity only lasted nine days. Yours went on for years. What got you through it? I thought of my sister, Emma, and Chase. The lost time with Maddie and Joe. If thinking of her and LJ pulled you through it, then tell her. Talk to her,” Kassie softly encouraged.

Whiskey swiped his chin. “I see what you’re saying. I’d end up saying or doing something stupid.”

Kassie shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. She’ll see an effort. She’s known about you for a few weeks now and I imagine she’s wondering where you stand. What happened? I know Claire asks all those pesky questions, but you’re husband and wife. You need couple time. Set up the parameters. Ask her for coffee for an hour. Or go for a walk around the cabin on the path. If you feel like talking, great. If not ask her about your son or the latest skin care product, and she’ll chat your ear off.”

“I don’t know, Kassie. What if I fuck it up?” he worriedly asked.

“Oh Whiskey. What if you don’t? When I questioned myself, Samantha gave me some sage advice. She said we can’t change the past; we can only move forward. We can take what we loved with us and build on it. Give it a shot,” she encouraged.

“Okay,” he agreed.

Kassie pulled something from her bag. “Leo gave each team member a phone. This will replace the one you lost. I preprogrammed all the important numbers for you.” She handed him the device. “Now click on this bubble.” She instructed him on how to text. “If you don’t necessarily want to talk, you can text us. Remember, we can’t hear your tone of voice, if you type it out, stay aware of how it can be read wrong. I do something with Emma you might find helpful. If Emma attends an outing or someplace and wants us to pick her up, she asks if we have ice cream at home. Then Chase or I will pick her up. You can make up a phrase and give it to the team or whoever you feel most comfortable with. Then if you need a break, you’ll type the phrase, and they’ll call and come get you.”

Whiskey let out a relieved breath. “Can I add you, Doc and the team?”

She nodded. “Whoever you wish. Make sure you give us the phrase.”

“I’ll ask for more bacon,” he smiled.

She giggled, “It figures, now text Samantha. I’ll check it before you send it.”

Whiskey paused a few minutes before tapping the message on the screen then erasing it. He tapped again and stopped. Deleting it again, he swiped his hand through his hair. He let out a sigh and tried again.

I have tea. Do you want to come over for an hour?

He shoved the phone back at Kassie. “How’s this?”

She smiled and nodded, “It’s a start.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sanantha did a double take when the message dinged through. A few seconds later another text popped through.

This is Whiskey.

She hesitated. They never spent time alone. Claire mediated their meetings. The resentment of how people guarded her husband from her flowed through her veins. Leo and the team showed up and asked her to move across the way in a cabin in the same subdivision Whiskey stayed. One glimpse out the window crumbled her resolve. Her old home stood empty and haunted by the memory. The town didn’t have a hotel and her weekend retreat ended all too fast for her peace. Edie, Saint’s mom, called and requested LJ for a playdate with Nugget. The team moved all their belongings. She wondered if he knew they planned to move her.

What time?

She watched the dots disappear and then reappear. They stopped all together and reappeared.

Fourteen hundred hours-Fifteen hundred hours. This is Whiskey.

She almost giggled. If he needed a time limit, she’d work with it.

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