Page 21 of Lush Curves

Would he be gosh-darn-thrilled to hear about her work? Waitressing full-time in a diner was hands-down one of the least-glamorous jobs going, beaten out possibly by washing dishes full-time in a diner. What would Doctor ‘Saving Lives Every Damn Day’ Sam Innis be able to relate to, precisely?

Should she talk about her kids? Sam didn’t have kids, she knew, so she was pretty sure that he’d have zero interest in hearing about the joys and perils of parenthood. Maybe she could ask him if he wanted kids, but if he said ‘no’ then that conversation would be over good and quick.

Maybe she could talk about the state of the world? But she was pretty uninformed about most things – she read the news, naturally, though she barely understood so much of what was going on recently – and she knew that talking about religion and politics was always a bad idea. So that was out.

She didn’t travel, she didn’t know anything about art, she didn’t have time to read long, complicated books that challenged societal norms and sexual boundaries. So… what was left?

Nothing but searing honesty, she supposed. She took a fortifying gulp of wine, dove in with reckless abandon.

“My life is pretty boring,” she said. “Just work and seeing my kids when they have time for me around their lives. Laundry, grocery shopping, bad TV. Nothing to write home about.”

Sam smiled at her, so damn gorgeous in the dim light. “I somehow really doubt that.”

“No, no, it’s true. I’m not even remotely interesting.” She picked up her chopsticks and scowled at them, then set them down and picked up her fork to eat her slippery noodles. “I’d much rather talk aboutyou.”

“Me, huh?”

“Yeah.” She shovelled the food into her mouth, paused, stared at her plate. “Wow. These noodles areincredible.”

“They’re my favorites.” He used his chopsticks to pluck some up, and she almost sighed at his grace.God, his hands. “So… what do you want to know about me?”

“Maybe about where you come from?” she said, already knowing it all: Sam was undoubtedly from a wealthy, educated family, maybe even a family of doctors, maybe four generations’ worth. He’d lived in a big house with a massive backyard and a swimming pool. He’d gone to the best private schools, probably on scholarship, not that his parents hadn’t had the cash lying around. Vacations every year, to Swiss mountains and Spanish beaches. In short, his early life had been the polar opposite of how she’d had to raise her own kids, scraping and saving, living paycheck to paycheck, going without meals herself to make sure the kids ate, holding on until she was able to get her free daily meal at the diner, helplessly watching Billy drink away money that should have gone to keeping the lights and heat on. “Maybe tell me a bit about your childhood?”

“Oh, sure.” Sam drank some green tea and it suddenly came to her that he’d barely touched his wine. Then again, he’d picked her up and driven them to the restaurant, so he was clearly being a responsible chauffeur, even as she got carelessly and casually squiffy. “Well… let’s see. My parents died in a car accident when I was twelve years old, and then it was just me and my brother, Vic. He was nineteen when they died, and he fought to have the right and responsibility to raise me. Went to court and everything. Didn’t back down, didn’t give up on me and on us.”

“Are you serious?” Annie was stunned; she hadn’t seen any ofthiscoming. “You – your parents – oh, Sam, my God. I’m so, so sorry. What happened? Did your brother win in court?”

“Yes, and to this day, I still can’t believe it. But he dropped out of college, gave up his football scholarship to Texas U, found a job and an apartment that he could afford. Made sure that I was clothed and fed, checked my homework every night, kicked my ass when I messed around. Vic just set aside his own life, all his dreams and wants and aspirations, and focused totally on me and my present and future. He gave up the luxury of mourning our parents and got on with it all, but he made damn sure that I had someone to talk to.” Sam blinked at the tea cup in his hand. “He was badly hurt in the accident, and he was in a lot of pain for a long time, but he never complained. Not once.”

“He was hurt?” Annie said. “Vic was in the accident with your parents?”

“We both were,” Sam said, so softly that Annie barely heard him over the crowded restaurant. “Me and Vic. It was Christmas, and he was home from college for the break. We were coming back from picking him up at the airport. We hit some black ice and spun out, went over the mountain edge and rolled down a hill, until we crashed into the bottom of a ravine.”

“Oh,no.” All Annie could think about was Sarah and Noah experiencing such a traumatic event. “Oh, that’s so awful.”

“It was worse for Vic, believe me. He managed to get me out of the wreck and carry me out of harm’s way, then he went back for our parents, who were unconscious. The car was on fire by then, and he got burned… all over his hands and arms and face. He fought hard, though, he didn’t want to stop trying to save their lives, but he couldn’t get them out of their seatbelts. He got dragged away by some passing motorists, in the end, dragged away kicking and screaming and fighting them, and it took five full-grown men to do it. They got him clear just before the car exploded. If those people hadn’t forced him away from our parents, then I’d have lost my whole family that night.”

Annie stared at Sam, wondering just how the hell he’d gone from that horrible thing thathadto have scarred and damaged him in ways that she couldn’t evenbeginto imagine, to the successful, compassionate, amazing man that he was now.

“How –” she began, hesitated. “How did you become a doctor?”

“Vic.” Sam sighed. “He – well. When I told him that I wanted to be a doctor – like the doctors who saved most of the skin on his face and hands and arms, who took such good care of him – he made it his life’s mission to make it happen. He paid for college, and then for medical school. Paid the whole damn shot, so I never had to work, not even for groceries. He paid for my whole ride.”

“How?” Annie shook her head. “How did he managethat?”

Sam looked uncertain. “Well… he made some pretty major sacrifices.”

“Such as?” Annie asked, imagining that Vic had sold his car, sold his blood, sold his parents’ belongings. She adopted a joking tone. “Did he start selling drugs?”

“Well…” Now Sam looked actually shifty, and Annie looked at him sharply. “Well…”

“Didhe?” she said, aghast. “Was Vic a drug dealer?”

“Have you ever heard of the Road Devils, Annie?”

“The Road Devils? You mean – themotorcycle club?”

“Yes.”

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