Safe at Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  It was amazing how much time he’d spent with her, and yet, he still didn’t know anything about her. Was her mysteriousness part of the attraction? But, he knew it was more than that. At night, he thought of her. During the day, he came up with reasons to ask her questions about the house, even though he already knew the answers.

  “I was thinking,” at the sound of her voice, Spencer came out of his daydream, “maybe I should have some people over for dinner. Nothing fancy. I’m not a good cook. In fact, that’s a gross understatement.” She laughed. “I was thinking of getting a grill. Of course, I might need a little help with that, too.” She dropped her sheepish gaze to her drink.

  “That sounds like a good idea. Every self-respecting person needs one. I may not be a whiz in the kitchen, but I can hold my own when it comes to the grill. I could man it while you did the rest, if you like.” Spencer liked the idea for two reasons: one, he got to use a new grill, and two, he was guaranteed a chance to see her again in the near future without having to come up with a lame excuse.

  “Thanks. If you did the grilling, I could definitely handle the rest. I mean it won’t be anything big. Just Jake, Ann, Alex, Earl and Betsy, and you. It’ll be a nice way to show off your handy work.”

  “How about next weekend after Alex’s game?”

  “That would be nice. That way Earl and Betsy wouldn’t get in too late. Early to bed and early to rise, as they say.”

  He laughed. “They’ve been living by that particular motto for two decades.”

  He waved goodbye as he pulled out of her driveway and watched her in his rearview until her image blurred and slipped away. He was already counting down the days until the following weekend.

  The next week came and went. The tourists were starting to appear, a few little groups at a time. Sam stayed steadily busy. When she wasn’t at the store, she was at home making preparations for the weekend. She was nervous at the thought of having everyone over. They were all thrilled when she called and invited them for a cookout and offered to bring a little something. There was really no reason to be nervous, but she was anyway. It had been a very long time since she’d hosted any kind of get together.

  Sam was explaining the shipping procedures to a nice lady from North Carolina when the store’s chime rang to announce the arrival of a new customer. With a glance at the door, her face heated when she saw Spencer. He removed his hat and grinned at her.

  He couldn’t get over how comfortable she seemed to be after only a couple of weeks. And, Mary already loved her. The women at the local Baptist church had also given their approval. It just so happened every one of them had conveniently needed a new doodad in the past week, but that was part of the charm of a small town.

  Spencer knew he was a few minutes early, but he had stayed away as long as possible. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Usually it was the pretty blond in the tight jeans with the flirtatious smile that caught his eye, at least for a little while, but this time things were different. He’d missed Sam’s company. He hadn’t realized how much until at the end of his workday, he wasn’t sitting on her porch drinking lemonade and looking out over the garden. It wasn’t necessarily the conversations, but the comfort of being with her without saying a word. Lord knew they rarely spoke of anything of much importance, but the time they spent together had become the highlight of his day.

  It sounded lame in his head, made him seem as if he hadn’t had a life before she had waltzed into town, but that wasn’t the case. He had enough friends and plenty to do to keep him occupied, but every time he was with one of his buddies at the local bar talking baseball, somewhere in the back of his mind he was wondering what Sam was doing.

  Was she curled up on her couch with a book? Or, was she eating a microwave dinner and watching the local news? He wanted to know, and it annoyed him almost as much as it intrigued him.

  “Hey.” Sam slipped up beside him as he studied a yard statue. “Would you like a tour?”

  Her scent filled the air and set off a wave of desire within him. She wore a blend of lavender and something else feminine. He had no idea what. To him it was just Sam. “Maybe next time. This isn’t my first time in here.”

  “Okay, well let me grab my bag and say goodnight to Mary. Then we can go buy a grill.” She was gone again as quickly as she had appeared, sending the air swirling around him and leaving a void in her absence.

  When she reemerged from the back, she was smiling. He held the door open and allowed her to pass. He raised his hand to place it on her lower back and then dropped it back by his side. She was friendly, but he’d noticed how she kept her distance and avoided being touched. He turned and waved to Mary, and he didn’t miss the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  Chapter 8

  “Please, tell me that’s everything,” Spencer glanced over his shoulder from his position by the grill. “You know this is just a small get together, right?”

  Panting, Sam made her way out of the back door for the hundredth time, balancing a large bowl filled with chips and smaller one with dip, “Well, I wasn’t sure what everyone liked.”

  “You have enough food here to feed a small army. Relax.”

  They both turned at the sound of car doors and chatter.

  “Hey guys,” Spencer called out.

  Jake’s crew had arrived and by the looks of it, they were now going to have enough food for two armies. Jake and Ann appeared in the backyard, each carrying a covered dish.

  “The house looks great,” Ann resembled a bobblehead doll as she took in all the changes.

  “Looks like Sam hired a crew who knew what they were doing after she got rid of you, Spence.” Jake threw an arm around his brother’s shoulders and admired the shiny new silver grill.

  “Very funny.” Spencer shook his brother’s arm off. “She would only have to hire someone else if you’d been the one with the hammer.”

  Earl and Betsy wandered into the back yard with their old hound, Boomer, in tow. Alex squealed with delight and the pair ran off to terrorize squirrels.

  “Not long now, Alex, lunch will be ready shortly,” Ann called from the porch.

  Hugs were exchanged and everyone caught up, as the food kept coming. Getting the grill had been a wonderful idea. Spencer was right, he was marvelous with it. The barbeque ribs he made were perfection.

  After licking her fingers clean, Sam pushed her chair back and sighed. She was stuffed and from the looks of it, everyone else felt the same way. She sat back and listened to everyone trade stories the way old friends do, but she didn’t feel excluded. If anything, she felt relaxed and comfortable.

  She drifted in and out of the conversation and watched Alex zoom back and forth across the yard with Boomer in hot pursuit. Based on the maimed Frisbee Alex was carrying, it was one of Boomer’s favorite toys. Ann was asking Betsy how her daughter was doing out in Arizona and the guys were discussing the Braves and their chances at a comeback. She saw Earl begin to nod off and turned her face toward the yard to hide her giggle. It made her happy everyone felt at home here.

  Butterflies floated by on the way to the flower bed. There was a light breeze and few clouds. In the distance, she could hear the low rumble of a tractor. She felt as if she could spend a hundred weekends just like this. Then it hit her. Everyone around her had done this their whole lives. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do this with one’s family?

  Her insides churned. Would she ever have a family? She’d always wanted children. She and Tyler had planned on having two. It was part of their five year plan, but she’d learned the hard way that plans change. She hadn’t thought of a future with children in a long time. Even though she knew it wasn’t possible, she still felt a sense of longing when she looked at Alex running and then giggling while Boomer licked his face. Betsy reached over and squeezed her hand, pulling her attention away from Alex.

  “It’s so quiet at the hotel these days. I mean, we still have the tourists, but they’re with their own famil
ies and always in a hurry. That’s one reason why we love having Sam over to eat with us every Sunday.” Betsy gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing her.

  “I’d better get started with cleanup.” Sam rose and began clearing dishes.

  “Drop it, missy,” Betsy ordered.

  Startled, Sam almost dropped the few plates she had gathered.

  “You did all the planning and work, so you’re not allowed to clean.” Betsy wagged a finger at her and pushed herself out of the chair.

  “I really don’t mind. You’re my guest. Keep visiting, please.”

  “No, ma’am. We can visit while we wash up. That goes for you too, Spencer. You did all the grillin’.”

  “What about me?” Jake whined as Betsy breezed past him with the armful of plates she’d just plucked out of Sam’s arms.

  “You get to help clean up, too.” Betsy sounded like a mother hen.

  Despite being overruled, Sam smiled and accepted defeat. She descended the porch steps and wrestled the drool covered Frisbee away from Boomer.

  “Aw, come on, Jake,” Spencer bumped his brother’s shoulder with his own. “Cleaning the grill is manly.”

  “I would’ve offered to do the cooking if I’d known it would’ve gotten me out of clean-up duty.” Jake hung his head and dragged his feet as he made his way to the grill.

  “Always a step behind, huh, big brother?”

  Jake glanced over his shoulder and leaned in close to Spencer. “Did you know Sam ate dinner with Earl and Betsy on Sundays?”

  “No,” Spencer said. He tried to act unaffected, but his smile faded.

  “Well, they seem to enjoy her company.”

  Spencer had picked up on that little fact, too. He couldn’t explain why it bothered him to hear about the Sunday night dinners except it made him realize he didn’t really know anything about Sam. Sure, he’d asked casual questions, but her answers were always vague. And, he had also noticed the sadness that crept into her eyes when he delved too deep into her personal life. He usually dropped the questions or let her change the subject without any difficulty. He didn’t want to do anything to cause her pain.

  Spencer shrugged off his brother’s words and descended the steps to join the trio playing in the grass. While he and Sam tormented Alex with a game of keep away, he was well aware of the eyes observing from the kitchen window. He knew Ann liked Sam and he knew she wanted him to find a girl and settle down. He wasn’t sure if Sam was the one or not, but she was the only one who had his attention.

  Spencer ruffled Alex’s hair while Sam grabbed the Frisbee out of one of the flower bushes. Her movements were graceful and she was athletic. He was curious whether she’d ever played a sport or if she liked them. He opened his mouth to ask, but as he did, she turned. The sun was behind her and she almost seemed to glow. She met his eyes and smiled while she tucked a loose curl behind her ear. Seeing her relaxed with flushed cheeks, in a sundress which brushed her thighs and her hair in a braid down her back, he’d never seen someone look more beautiful.

  He broke his gaze and looked to Alex before putting his hands up to receive the Frisbee. Any more moments like that and he feared Ann’s wishes would become his dreams.

  Sam waved as she watched Spencer’s truck pull out of the drive. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. It had been the perfect lazy afternoon and it painted a beautiful picture of what life could be like. A little boy’s laughter, the occasional bark of a dog, endless chatter between friends, and to top it off, the kitchen was already clean. That was a part of southern hospitality she could get used to.

  As she leaned on her porch railing, her mind wandered back to her life with Tyler. It had been busy. There had always been somewhere to go or something to do. He would have gone crazy sitting on the back porch all afternoon. Even though she’d never pictured herself as the kind of person who enjoyed the quiet life, she was quickly realizing it suited her just fine.

  A cloud moved across the sky and blotted out the sun. Her smile fell and her chest tightened. Tyler would never get to have a lazy afternoon with friends again, or try his hand at manning the grill while their friends sat visiting. Why couldn’t she have a single happy thought about him without the bad flooding in at the same time?

  Damn the bastard who’d taken him away from her. With a crack, Sam’s fist made contact with the railing. It stung, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. She pulled her hand back and headed inside.

  Every happy memory was tainted with her last image of him lying in a pool of his own blood, his beautiful blue eyes staring blankly up at her.

  Would the pain ever subside? Would she ever just be able to smile at the thought of her time with him? Theirs had been such a wonderful relationship. A whirlwind from the time it had started. But, it had ended just as suddenly.

  Chapter 9

  The week passed as usual, with a nice steady flow of customers. As Sam dusted the shelves in the back of the store, the chime sounded. A man and woman appearing to be in their late sixties walked in and began to rummage around. She bided her time before offering help, as the man nodded to his wife about this or that. They didn’t say much to one another, but their actions spoke volumes. The wife bumped him with her elbow when he made a face at her after she pointed to a floral vase. The husband placed his hand on her lower back to guide her around the store. They laughed over a shared memory.

  What would it be like to be with someone for so long? Someone who knows everything about you. Someone that has been with you through all the different celebrations and trials of your life.

  Shaking her head and bringing herself back to reality, she finished up what she was doing and headed back to the register. The chime rang again and when she looked up, she was surprised to see Spencer. He held a big basket in one hand and a blanket in his other hand as he strolled toward her.

  “Hey there,” he drawled.

  She grinned in response to his guilty smile. She imagined it was the same one he’d worn when he’d been up to no good as a boy. “Hey, what’s all this?”

  “If you’ll let me take you to lunch, I’ll show you.”

  Stunned and a little nervous, Sam smiled at him. “Okay, just give me one minute.” She stepped into the back to find Mary. Her stomach was a knot of nerves and excitement since she hadn’t seen him in almost a week.

  “Mary?”

  “Hello, dear. Is everything okay? You look a little flushed,” Mary asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

  Sam’s hand flew to her face. “Oh, I’m fine. I was just going to take lunch, if it’s okay with you.” Sam lowered her hand and tried to steady her nerves.

  “Of course it is. I lose track of the time when I’m in the back lost in all the boxes. For some reason, inventory has that effect on me.” She brushed off her lap and followed Sam back to the front of the store. Mary walked with a slight hitch from where she’d broken her knee years ago. Peering toward the door, Mary turned to Sam, “I didn’t realize you had a nice looking man waiting for you.”

  “It was a surprise to me, too.” Sam’s gaze traveled to Spencer and her cheeks heated again.

  Mary grabbed the stool and pulled it up to the counter next to the register. With a smile on her face, she reached for her phone.

  Sam slung her purse over her shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Mary shooed her toward the door and returned her attention to the phone. “Hey Betsy, you’re never going to believe this.”

  Sam paused a moment and then kept going. Surely, Mary wasn’t talking about her. There was nothing in her life now worth gossiping about. She stepped up next to Spencer and let him lead the way.

  Spencer rocked back on his heels and gave himself a mental pat on the back. He loved seeing Sam’s eyes widen in surprise at his unannounced visit.

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see. It’s not far. I know you have to get back to work.” Spencer held the door open and let her pas
s.

  They walked around the buildings and down the long porch that ran the length of the store on the corner. When they reached the little courtyard behind the shops, Spencer jogged down the steps and walked over to the big oak tree. “This is it.”

  “Oh.” Sam looked around a little confused.

  “Help me spread the blanket out. I figured the oak gives the perfect amount of shade and I know you like the outdoors,” he paused as she simply stood there frozen. “What’s wrong? Haven’t you ever been on a picnic before?” he asked.

  “Not in a really long time.” She joined him on the open patch of grass and took one corner of the blanket he held out to her. “I must’ve been eleven the last time I did this. My grandmother took me to a little park near her house.”

  That was the first time she’d ever told him something about her family. Encouraged, but not wanting to bring attention to her lapse in cautiousness, he motioned for her to sit and reached for the basket.

  “Get ready to taste the best barbeque in all of Georgia.”

  “Even better than your ribs?” she teased.

  “Well, this is pulled pork,” he held up two sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, “so luckily for Mac, who owns Mac’s Barbeque, we can’t compare the two. I wouldn’t want to put him out of business, him being an old family friend and all.”

  “I haven’t had pulled pork in a long time, either, but it smells great.”

  “What do you mean you haven’t had barbeque in a long time?” Spencer’s head jerked back.

  “It’s not as popular up North.” She offered a guilty shrug.

  “Not as popular,” he repeated slowly in disbelief, and then he grabbed his chest and fell over to his side. “I think you wounded my heart.”