Page 90 of Tell Me Again
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Everyone bunch together and sayno shenanigans.” Sam snapped a few more pictures of Grace and her friends as the parents on either side of her laughed and the teens made faces.
The tradition at Grace’s junior high was for groups to take pre-dance photos at a nearby state park. The early evening weather was as perfect as it had been the night of Kendall’s wedding two weeks ago, the air finally holding the touch of heat that said summer wasn’t far behind. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountain peak that towered in the distance, and the sky was a cotton candy kaleidoscope of pink and purple clouds.
From Sam’s totally unbiased opinion, Grace was the most beautiful of the group of four girls standing in front of the stone wall that bordered the park. Sam had been thrilled to help Grace with her hair and makeup that afternoon.
Watching her niece get ready had been one of the sweetest moments in Sam’s life, even more so when Trevor was rendered speechless as he saw his daughter dressed up for her first school dance. A wide smile had broken across his face and he’d actually swiped at the corners of his eyes. “Allergies,” he’d muttered, but both Sam and Grace knew better.
A thin braid wound around the crown of the girl’s head and the rest of her blond hair was fashioned into a loose bun at the nape of her neck. The dress they’d eventually chosen was elegant but still youthful: a floral-patterned bright blue Carolina Herrera gown with a dainty A-line silhouette and a sheer overlay.
After a few more photos of the girls, their dates came to stand by each of them. The boy who was Grace’s date, Jackson, started to put his arm around her shoulder then glanced at a space behind Sam’s right ear and quickly lowered it back to his side.
Sam didn’t have to look behind her to know Trevor was standing there. She could feel the intimidating dad vibes rolling off him like the pounding surf.
“You’re scaring the poor kid,” she whispered out of the side of her mouth.
“Good,” he answered. “He’s lucky I didn’t bring my knife collection to sharpen while we’re here.”
She whirled around. “You have a knife collection?”
“No,” he said with a shrug. “But I’m thinking of starting one.”
Sam wondered if her life might have been different if she’d had a dad like Trevor. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love the father you are to her.” These open displays of affection were new, and they still felt awkward and a little silly.
But Trevor only tucked her against his side, draping his arm over her shoulder the same way Jackson had tried with Grace moments earlier.
The kids climbed onto the bus driven by the father of one of the girls. The logo for an outdoor adventure company was emblazoned across the side, and Sam thought about how lucky Grace was that Trevor had built such an amazing life for the two of them. How lucky she was to be a part of it.
They waved and stood with the other parents for a few minutes before heading to Trevor’s truck. Grace was spending the night at a girlfriend’s house after the dance, so Trevor and Sam had the evening to themselves.
It was only the second real date they’d had, since most of their time together was either stolen moments or spent as a trio with Grace.
They drove to Denver for a dinner reservation at one of Sam’s favorite restaurants in Lower Downtown. She’d thought about taking him to Not Your Mama’s, Ben’s restaurant in the Highland neighborhood, but they’d already eaten there several times with Grace, and Sam wanted tonight to be just the two of them.
After an intimate dinner, they went to her house. It was the first time he was staying the night. The first time any man had been in her bedroom.
She’d worked so hard to make this house a home, but now she was aware of the absence of people she loved in it. She still hadn’t said those three words out loud to Trevor. Every time she opened her mouth, they caught in her throat. It would come eventually, she reasoned. In the meantime, she made sure her actions told him what she wanted him to know.
They made love twice before falling asleep in her bed, Trevor’s body curled around hers, the heat from his skin warming every inch of her.
At some point during the night, she heard Frank pad into the room and felt his rough tongue on her toes. The dog had a habit of climbing into bed with her in the wee hours. Many mornings she’d wake up to find him flipped on his back, sprawled across the king-size bed. Tonight he gave a couple of mournful whines then left to find new real estate on the couch or in the guest bedroom.
Sam drifted back to sleep, her heart filled with so much joy at the changes in her life and a budding hope that it might always be this way.
