One Big Happy Family Page 19
“Stop seeing my sister.”
Her brother’s words weren’t really a surprise. In fact, Kevin had been expecting them. But expecting something was one thing. Seeing the words flung out in your face was another matter. For one of the few such times in his life, Kevin was at a loss for words.
Bobby leaned forward. “We’ve talked this over and—”
“I presume you mean you and Sam talked,” Kevin said quietly. So quietly that he wondered whether Bobby had heard him.
But the pink flooding into the big man’s cheeks indicated that he had heard. It also demonstrated that Sam’s brother had more than a shred of decency in him. But not necessarily too much more.
“Look.” Bobby’s voice took on the gruff tone of a man who knew that he’d backed himself into a corner. “Sam is our baby sister and—”
“And she always will be.”
Bobby’s lips went into a hard, straight line, telling Kevin that he was in no mood for a reasonable discussion. That was fine and dandy with Kevin. Conciliatory thoughts had fled, once he saw that her brothers were going behind her back.
“Look, I know you guys feel a need to watch out for her. But Sam can take care of herself.”
“In most cases, I’d say that was true,” Bobby replied. “But she’s never met anyone like you. You’re sophisticated. You’re smooth. You’re cool.”
The words were positive but Kevin knew Bobby wasn’t singing his praises.
“I mean, you’re older than her.” Bobby’s lips twitched in a grimace. “Hell, you’re older than all of us.”
“Is that against the law?”
They glared at each other, hard and uncompromisingly. Kevin said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Because deep down, Kevin had to admit that in a lot of ways he agreed with Bobby. And he would have come out and said so if he hadn’t remembered how Sam had often told him about her brothers and how they babied her. How they seemed to find it difficult to understand that she had more than one brain cell. And that bugged him now more than the fact that he was thirteen years older than her.
“I know you mean her no harm,” Bobby said. “And the difference between your ages might not seem like such a big deal right now. But in twenty-five years you’ll be retiring and Sam will just be getting her second wind.”
Bobby’s words brought back memories of Debbie and how young she’d been when she’d died. Kevin was tempted to ask Bobby where he got his twenty-five-year guarantee. Kevin would have paid anything for one.
“I know how old I am,” Kevin said quietly. “But don’t you think, since Sam’s an adult, who she goes out with is up to her and her alone?”
They stared stubbornly at each other and Bobby broke first. He looked off toward the painting on the wall to his left. Muscles rippled in his temples, indicating that Bobby was probably grinding his teeth in frustration. Well, that was tough. Kevin wasn’t exactly enjoying this little conversation, either.
Yes, he enjoyed Sam’s company. The way she grabbed at life as she raced along, like one of those people who won a keep-all-you-can-pick-up-in-five-minutes contest. It was enough to take at least ten years off his age, but Kevin was sure that it wasn’t a one-way street. He was sure that Sam enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers.
“Yes, Sam’s an adult.” Bobby shifted in his chair. “But she doesn’t always show a lot of common sense.”
So how many people did? Kevin almost laughed out loud. If Bobby had come in low-key and gentle, Kevin probably would have agreed with him. He most likely would have broken off with Sam. But the man coming at him the way he had, made Kevin dig his heels in; made him feel like maintaining a relationship with Sam just to spite her brothers.
“I think you ought to cut things off,” Bobby said. “And quick. Before you guys get in over your heads.”
Kevin almost laughed again. But he didn’t, for fear he would cry. Get out before they fell in over their heads. What would Bobby say if Kevin told him how far things had already gone? But that wasn’t something open for discussion. Certainly not when Sam wasn’t here.
He was more confused now than before.
A light tap sounded before Cindy opened the door. “You have your meeting in five minutes,” she said.
Kevin rose. Bobby was already standing.
“You know what’s right, Mr. Delaney. So just do it.” He turned to leave, then paused and looked back. “Or else we’ll talk again. And next time, I won’t come alone.”
Kevin and Cindy stared at Bobby’s broad back as he stormed through the lobby and out the glass doors. Kevin didn’t care a fig about the man’s threats. Bobby could bring his brothers and all his cousins, for all Kevin cared. The room could be filled to bursting with Scotts all telling him to break it off with Sam and it wouldn’t force his hand.
No, he knew he had to bring all this to a head with Sam—but because it was the only honorable thing to do. Not because her brothers were threatening him.
“What was that all about?” Cindy asked.
Kevin shook his head. “He wants me to play golf with them.”
“Golf?”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to do it.” He picked up his folder for the meeting. “You know how I hate that damn game.”
“So.” Sam put a forkful of trout in her mouth and chewed for a moment. But only a moment. She was too full of energy to slow down.
Kevin just watched her. He was at one of South Bend’s nicest restaurants, having a delicious dinner with a beautiful woman, but all he could think about was Bobby’s visit today. And how right Bobby was.
“There I was up to my elbows in muffin batter,” Sam was saying, waving her fork like a baton. “And the kitchen looked like a hurricane had passed through.”
But how could he give her up? She brought such life and joy to his life. Was he strong enough to deprive himself of all that?
She swallowed her food and made a face. “I had made one batch, but they had stuck to the pan and I couldn’t get them out.”
“So what happened?” Kevin asked, forcing his gloom away for the moment. “You go to the store and buy muffins for your guests?”
“No.” She looked sternly at him. “You weren’t listening, were you?”
“I was listening,” he replied. “You’re just a little hard to keep up with at times.”
“You’d better shape up.” She wagged a finger at him. “There’s going to be a test.”
He put his hand over her free hand, needing to touch her; to feel her closeness. “And if I fail?”
“I don’t think we should talk about it. Especially not while we’re eating.”
Another forkful of fish went into her mouth. Kevin wondered if she chewed any of her food. Obviously she’d never been a student of the chew-your-food-twenty-seven-times school.
“It would spoil your dinner.” She snatched her hand from his and reached for a roll. “Anyway, like I told you—a miracle happened.”
“Oh?.” He was having trouble following her story. Mainly because he was having trouble concentrating on anything but her smile and the glow in her eyes. He was like a man who knew he was going to die of thirst; he wanted to drink in all the water he could while it was still around.
Sam buttered her roll, then went on with her story. “Aunt Hattie came in.”
“She came to your rescue.”
“Very good.” She winked at him. “Now you’re firing on all cylinders.”
He smiled as he leaned back to watch her face, to bask in the pure joy that radiated from it. Sam had been excited ever since he’d picked her up this evening. And as their dinner progressed, she’d kept climbing higher and higher. The little alcove around their table seemed to sparkle and vibrate with her enthusiasm while the rest of the restaurant remained dark and gloomy.
“She going to take over the breakfast part of the bed-and-breakfast?” he asked.
“Yep. She wanted to do it just to help us out, but we were adamant about paying her. And her muffins are just great.”
“That takes a load off your shoulders.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t a lot of work, but I couldn’t find a recipe I really liked. And the store-bought ones seemed so ordinary.”
“Can’t have ordinary muffins, can we?”
“But there’s more,” she said, quickly dissolving into a grin. “She’s been talking about getting a job ever since Cassie and Jack got engaged. So Dad’s going to ask her if she’d like to do more than just the breakfasts at the inn. You know, help out in other ways, too.”
“That should work out well,” he said.
“It’d be great,” Sam said, as she polished off the last piece of fish on her plate. “The teenagers we hired are really for weekends, so it would be nice to have someone available at other times. And her hours can be flexible so she’ll still be able to help out with the twins and the baby, once it comes.”
Then, as she finished chewing, Sam neatly stacked her dishes to one side. She claimed it was a habit she’d picked up as a kid and, since she was still a kid at heart, couldn’t break it.
“I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She put her napkin on the table and stood. “So don’t do anything about dessert until I get back. I hear the sweets are just fabulous here.”
“And delicious, too,” he replied.
She punched him several times on the arm before hurrying off to the rest room, leaving Kevin sitting in a thick cloud of joy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to smother the doubt that wanted to take over his soul.
He really didn’t know what to do. When he was alone, there was no problem. He would fill himself full of altruisms and define an honorable course of action: which was to tell Sam that he enjoyed her company but he just wasn’t right for her.
But that sounded so pompous that he was sure Sam would just laugh in his face. And then they would both be laughing. And before he could blink twice, they would be hugging each other. Then they would kiss. And kiss some more.
Since that wouldn’t work, what could he do? The problem was, it felt so good to be with her. Even talking to Sam on the phone was like soaking himself in some magical hot spring. He came away rejuvenated and refreshed. A completely different man.
And it wasn’t just good for him. Sam enjoyed being with him also. He was sure of that. They enjoyed doing things together.
If her brothers had talked to Sam they would have been able to see that. But would it have made any difference to their opinion? Maybe, but more important, should it make any difference? After all, no matter how a person sliced it, he was still thirteen years older than her.
“Hey, big boy.”
Strong but gentle arms grabbed him from behind and wrapped themselves around his head and neck. He could feel the softness of her breasts on the top of his head.
“You didn’t have dessert without me, did you?”
“No, ma’am. I didn’t.”
“Good boy.” She patted him on the head before going around the table and sitting down. “You will be rewarded,” she said, signaling for the waitress.
He’d thought of discussing things with Sam tonight, but now he wasn’t so sure it was the right time. Hell, maybe he should just forget about having any discussion with her. After all, relationships had a tendency to take on a life of their own. They usually went where they were going, no matter what the people involved did.
And as much as he hated to admit it, this relationship of theirs wasn’t a permanent thing. It couldn’t be. They would have their fling and then they would get on with their lives. She would find somebody younger. Somebody her own age. There was no use being dramatic about it. Just go with the flow and accept what comes.
“Don’t plan anything for Sunday,” she said.
Lost in his own thoughts, Kevin was finding it hard to respond. “Next Sunday?”
“Your birthday. Remember?”
“Oh.” He shrugged. “I never do anything on my birthday.”
“Good.”
Suddenly her smile seemed a tad too bright. “Why? What are you planning?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Some people don’t like surprises,” he said.
“Only old poops don’t like surprises.”
He was about to point out that he was as near to an old poop as she’d ever dated, but the waitress had arrived with the dessert tray and Sam’s attention was seized. It appeared that, like it or not, he would have to have a talk with her about the wisdom of ignoring birthdays.
He watched as Sam’s face lit up with the joy of choosing a dessert. Then again, maybe not. She would probably just take him out to dinner or something. No big deal. Certainly, nothing that would turn into a tradition or involve anyone else.
Chapter Twelve
“I don’t care if it is my birthday,” Kevin said, waving his hand at the muffins, fruit salad and juices on the table. “The two of us will never eat all this food.”
“We don’t have to,” Sam replied.
“I should be slowing down on my eating as I get older,” he went on. “And eat healthier—”
He stopped in midsentence, looking blank as his eyes seemed to search his kitchen for Sam’s mysterious extra eaters. It took all her willpower and then some to restrain her impulse to laugh. She forced herself to settle for a small smile. The poor guy. He didn’t have a clue. It was great.
His gaze stopped when it reached the counter, and the bacon and eggs ready to cook. “You didn’t have to go through all this. If you wanted to have brunch, we could have gone to the Landing or Tippecanoe. They have great Sunday brunches.”
“I wanted it here,” she said, brushing his lips with hers as she went over to the cabinet to find a frying pan.
“But—”
There was a sound at the back door and they both turned in time to see it open. Stacy and Jon—they looked just like their pictures—rushed in.
“Surprise!” they shouted, grins covering their faces. “Happy birthday!”
There was a moment of silence as Kevin stood staring dumbly, like someone who’d wandered into the middle of the wrong century. Sam’s own life passed before her eyes in slow motion.
He had admitted that he and his children were only now starting to get comfortable with each other again. Would this little surprise of hers be too much for a possibly stillfragile relationship? It couldn’t be. It wouldn’t be.
“Daddy!” Stacy cried and flew into Kevin’s arms. A lump filled Sam’s throat as she fought tears.
His son settled for a more macho, “Hey, Dad,” as he walked forward to shake his father’s hand.
“What are you guys doing here?” Kevin demanded as he put his children out at arm’s length, a hand on each of their shoulders.
“Just passing through, man,” Jon said.
Sam shook her head. The kid was certainly his father’s son. The physical resemblance wasn’t especially strong, but their personalities were out of the same mold.
“We’re here for your birthday, Daddy.” Stacy reached over and pulled Sam into the group. “Your girlfriend invited us.”
Sam’s stomach immediately went into a knot. She and Kevin had been going together a few weeks now, but they hadn’t really formalized anything. No one had ever called them a couple before. She wondered, and worried, how Kevin would react to his daughter’s words.
“Aha!” Kevin exclaimed. “That’s what all this sneaking around was for.”
“I didn’t sneak around,” Sam insisted. “I just told you not to make any plans for today.”
“That doesn’t sound like sneaking around to me,” Jon agreed. “Sounds more like she gave you an order.”
“And he obeyed,” Sam said, causing the three of them to break into laughter while Kevin gazed at them with a rueful expression.
“Why are you guys picking on me?”
Kevin’s tone was gruff but Sam could see the sparkle in his eyes and the softness in his smile. He was happy. And his kids were happy. This was absolutely great. It couldn’t get any better,
“I can’t do that,” Stacy protested. “I promised you I’d help.”
“Hey,” Jon said. “I’m not going to sit alone with Dad. He’ll just grill me about my classes and how I’m doing in them.”
Everyone laughed except Kevin, who put some stern lines across his face. “And exactly how are you doing with your classes?” he asked.
“See?” Jon looked at Sam. “Now look what you did.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Sam grinned up at the kid who stood taller than she’d ever dreamed of being. “Maybe the real problem is that you haven’t, either.”
“Oh, dirty pool.” Jon looked at his sister. “Come on, let me stay and help.”
“No,” Stacy said. “Get out. Both of you. Go do some of that male-bonding junk people are always talking about.”
Stacy was definitely an older sister and Sam suddenly felt sorry for Jon. “You can all stay here,” she said. “Your father can relax and the two of you can help me.”
“I want to help, too,” Kevin said. “And since it’s my birthday, I can do what I want, right?”
“That’s silly,” Stacy replied. “Take it easy.”
“Jon and I can set the table and do that male-bonding stuff right here. Just like you said we’re supposed to.”
“I’m doing fine with my classes,” Jon said. “Honest, Dad.”
“Sam!” Stacy wailed.
For a moment Stacy sounded like one of Sam’s sisters, pleading a case with their mother. Sam was less than ten years older than the girl but she definitely felt of a different generation.
“It’s his birthday,” Sam reminded. “He can do what he wants. Even if it is something dumb like setting the table.”
Jon smiled while his sister groaned.
“Come on.” Stacy punched her brother on the shoulder. “Let’s go get the presents and the cake.”
Once his kids had stepped out, Kevin was over next to Sam, taking her in his arms. It was like coming home. Her heart was happy, and her smile was bright.