Page 72 of Samuel

“Hank,” Evie’s voice shook, pulling him out of his rage. “I think… would it be okay if we went to sit down?”

“Yeah, I understand what’s happening here. I’ll make sure our newest visitor to Bell Ridge gets a real nice tour of our law enforcement facilities before he returns back to where he came from.”

“Don’t you need a statement from us? From Evie?”

“I’ll get it later, Sam.” Hank leaned in, never loosening his hold on the prick’s arms. “Make sure she’s okay. Looks like she could be in shock.”

He nodded, grabbing Evie’s hand as he walked back towards the front of the bar.

“Please, Sam. Let’s just go back to our friends. I don’t want to ruin the night.”

His hand slid down to the small of her back as he spun the both of them around. “Let’s go.”

Sam led her through the bar, but he didn’t stop at their table. When Evie passed, Abby and Grace looked at her with concern, but Daisy’s eyes drifted down to her hand in Sam’s and gave her a little smile.

“Where are we going?”

“To that booth over there.” Sam nodded his head in the direction of a table near the corner of the bar. It was a ways away from their friends, but seemed quieter than the rest of the bar.

He waited for her to scoot over on the bench seat before sliding in. Sam’s chest heaved as he laced his fingersthrough hers.

“Are you okay?” she asked, searching his face to try and decipher all the emotions running through him.

“Jesus, Evie. I should be asking you that. He was all over you. I should have been paying better attention. I’m sorry.”

“I can handle myself, Sam. You don’t have to feel responsible for me.”

“Yes, I fucking do. You aren’t here as some stranger, or even as my friend. You’re here as my woman. And I’m trying to get my heart to calm down because the second I saw him crowding you… putting his hands on you, I thought I was going to beat him to death. And I would have happily done it to make sure you were safe.”

“What can I do to help?”

Evie moved so that their hips were touching as she laid her head down on his shoulder. She felt his chest rise as he took a deep breath.

“This is helping.”

“Thanks for coming to my rescue. What he said about me…”

“Don’t even think about that for another second, Bluebell. There wasn’t a single thing that he said that’s worth another thought.”

“Why did you say that about me? About Jellybean?” she whispered.

“Say what?”

“That I was the mother of your baby. That Jellybean was yours?”

“Because I… I want that to be the truth. It’s what we’re walking towards, isn’t it? I’m not just dating you to get in your sexy maternity shorts. I want it all with you. The family. The future. Everything.”

Her eyes moved down to his lips, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to pounce on him like a possessive kitten.

She froze as Jellybean pressed out, her belly turning into a tight mountain of baby butt and feet.

“Ouch.” Evie breathed out slowly as she massaged the overstretched skin, willing her daughter to move to a comfortable position.

“Can I?” His hand hovered over her belly.

“Of course.”

“I meant what I said. I’m so fucking attracted to you.”

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