Page 40 of With You

Ms. Hebert huffed in annoyance in the background and the sound reminded me of her daughter. “Come on, man, you are scary. She also called you handsome, that should count for something.”

“I’ll bring her up.” The phone clicked but my relief was short lived. I hadn’t wanted to leave Sam alone to deal with that drama but I also didn’t want her mother’s opinion of me to be any worse than it already was.

I glanced down at myself and cringed when I realized I’d be seeing Sam’s mother again in old sweatpants and a tank top that was usually reserved for outside workouts. I hadn’t done laundry in a while and it was either this or a suit that I wore the one time I had to testify in court about one of our cases. Shit.

Three knocks on the door said that there was no time for me to change into the suit. I’d just have to win Sam’s mom over with my charm. I opened the door with a welcoming smile on my face and there stood a shorter, older version of Sam and an annoyed looking Gage shadowing her.

“I don’t know why you had to escort me all the way up here. It’s not like I couldn’t have found my daughter’s home by myself.” She pushed past me, arms full of grocery bags and went straight to the kitchen.

Sharing a look with Gage, I noticed he had a wheeled suitcase in one hand and the other arm was full of more grocery sacks. He held them out to me and I set the suitcase inside before I took the bags. Then Gage turned and left without another word.

Glancing down at the suitcase, alarm filled me at how large it was. Clearly Ms. Hebert wasn’t planning on a short visit. Taking a deep breath, I followed her to the kitchen and found her efficiently putting away the groceries she’d brought.

“Oh good, just set those here and I’ll get them put away. You don’t have to stay if you have somewhere you need to be. I’m here now.”

I bristled at the obvious attempt at a dismissal. Like hell, I’d be leaving. There was only one person who could order me away and she was currently snoring loud enough in the other room that I knew she had slept through the commotion of her mother’s arrival.

“All due respect, ma’am, but I promised Sam that I’d be here through her recovery and I always keep my word.”

She sighed, turning fully toward me and clasping her hands primly in front of her. “Monroe, can I call you that, dear?” I nodded. “Sam has explained to me your…situation, and while I appreciate that you probably care for my daughter, there is quite a difference between friends with benefits and being a caretaker for a loved one.”

Her words shredded my insides like razor blades. Friends with benefits? Is that what Sam had told her we were? Sam and her mom were close, Sam talked to her almost every day, when she couldn’t talk, she’d text. After being shot, Sam had assured her over the phone that she was fine and she didn’t need to make the trip down here, apparently her mother had felt differently.

Now, that same woman was telling me her daughter saw our relationship as nothing more than fuck buddies. I felt like an idiot, a complete fucking fool.

“Right,” I knocked twice on the counter next to me like it would tell me what to do. "I'll give you two some space, if you need anything, I'm just across the hall. And tell Sam—tell her she can call me, I guess.”

Ms. Hebert’s face had softened and I couldn’t stand the pitying look she was giving me. Like she could tell I was in love with her daughter, who didn’t feel the same way. I left the kitchen, stopping only to grab the few things I’d unpacked in Sam’s living room while she slept and shoved them into the backpack I’d brought.

Blindly, I crossed the hall and opened the door to my place, not bothering to turn on the lights even though it had turned dark outside. My bag dropped somewhere near the doorway and I searched the room for a hint of what I was supposed to do now. My eyes landed on the rumpled sheets of my bed. The last time I’d been in there was with Sam and I couldn’t stomach the thought of lying there now, alone.

My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day. I’d been waiting for Sam to let me know what she was hungry for, wanting to eat together. Pathetic. I went to my fridge and opened it finding only a rotten bag of salad and a full twelve-pack of beer. I grabbed two of the beers and went to my couch.

Déjà vu of the last time I’d hoped for more and been burned assailed me. And when I finished that first beer, I reached for the next, and another, and another.

24

SAM

The smell of fresh baked bread and savory spices brought me to consciousness.

I sat up in bed, a feat that was easier thanks to the mountains of pillows that Roe had piled around me. A smile tugged at my lips, he thought of everything. And now he was in my kitchen, cooking. The much-needed nap had refreshed me and I climbed out of the bed, excited to see him.

Upon leaving the hallway where my bedroom and bathroom were, the sound of feminine humming reached my ears and I stopped walking. “Roe?” I called out in confusion.

A clattering sounded and then Alice Hebert appeared around the corner in a panic. “Samantha!” I stepped back as she barreled into me, grunting in pain. “Oh, honey! I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?” My mom’s hands fluttered in the air around me and tears were streaking down her cheeks while she looked for the injuries that were hidden under my robe.

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

“My baby was shot! Like there was a chance in hell I wasn’t going to come and take care of you.” She wiped at her face and smiled brightly. “I made your favorite, honey, come to the kitchen and I’ll make you a bowl.”

I moved on autopilot, reeling from her sudden presence, and allowed her to gently push me onto one of the barstools at the counter where I normally ate all my meals. Her constant conversation as she banged pots and slammed cabinets had me flinching. Mom always felt the need to be moving, to make sure she took care of everything and though it was coming from a place of love, I found myself missing the quiet, soothing atmosphere that Roe had created for me.

I searched the kitchen and den, looking for signs of him until a steaming bowl of chicken and rice soup was placed in front of me with a plate that held a large chunk of bread and softened butter. The fragrant steam coming off the soup was like being wrapped in all the comforts of home. Dipping my spoon into the bowl, I scooped a generous helping and blew on the liquid until it was cool enough to eat. Humming in contentment, I shoveled more soup into my mouth before stopping to spread some butter on the bread.

“This is delicious, Mom. Thank you for making it, but you know you didn’t have to.”

“Psh, this meal got you through every illness, including that time you cracked a rib falling off Jenny Marshall’s trampoline in the third grade. I wasn’t going to jinx your recovery by not making it. Besides, there’s nothing but frozen meals and skinless chicken breast in your refrigerator. Don’t tell me you were planning on eating those awful protein bars you like, that is not a meal, Samantha Hebert.” She fisted her small hands on her hips and gave me the disapproving mother look.

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