Chapter 20
Ty
Sam's words caused an aching, stirring feeling inside me.
His voice was low and deep in his chest and the sound of it caused goosebumps and butterflies.
He had finally kissed me, and now I stretched across the little couch with my upper body comfortably resting on his lap.
It was a loveseat in a workshop, nothing fancy, and yet it felt like we were resting on clouds.
Even if it had been uncomfortable, I would never have noticed because I was with Sam.
We had been interrupted all night, and it was the first moment we were alone.
I could have been lying on nails and wouldn't have known.
I regretted the time we were apart. Hearing him say he had been waiting on me felt crushing and, at the same time, like winning the lottery.
This man could have any woman he wanted, and there he was, telling me he had waited for me.
How was this possible? I was overwhelmed with gratitude and anxious to show him how thankful I was.
I thought I might be in love with him. I couldn't help but doubt it because it seemed too good to be true, but I felt love in my heart. I knew I wouldn't say as much with my words, so instead I just kissed him again.
I stretched up and let my mouth touch his lightly at first. I felt glorious little gentle shockwaves at the feel of his lips on mine.
I was aching to be near him, and I wanted something deeper.
I pulled his bottom lip into my mouth, sucking on it.
Sam made a noise in his chest and gripped me tighter when I did that.
He understood that I wanted more, and he opened his mouth to me.
I had kissed him like this before. We had opened our mouths a little on camera, and then…
oh… yep… no… this was… different now… deeper than anything that happened in the series.
Our mouths opened, and Sam covered me with his kiss.
We connected passionately. I leaned into him, pressed into him, feeling like I could not get close enough.
We held each other so closely and fully, and we were so consumed by the kiss that it felt like my body was one with his.
The warmth, comfort, and relief were surreal.
I was out of my head with love and attraction for this man.
I had never experienced anything like it before.
I had never even kissed Jacob like this.
Sam was greedy and possessive and gentle and protective all at the same time.
He loved me, and somehow, I knew it from his kiss.
I thought I was in love with him before this ever happened, but now I would actually be heartbroken if I didn't marry him and we didn't live happily ever after.
We kissed and talked for I don't know how long. We made plans and fell madly in love on a loveseat in a dusty workshop.
It was two-thirty in the morning when we checked the clock the first time. Neither of us could bear to say goodnight. It was four o'clock when we looked at the time again, and an hour or so later, we were saying things like, "In five minutes, we'll go inside and get some sleep."
We knew Judd and Josh would be up before eight to go shooting.
I told him I might just skip that part and just go to breakfast since I might be a terrible aim while sleep-deprived.
He agreed, saying I should get some sleep.
He was already worried about me making the trip to and from Missoula the following day, and I promised him I'd be fine.
I don't know which one of us fell asleep first. I think the last thing that was said was something about 'getting up in a minute', and the next thing I knew, Sam was saying my name in a serious tone and at full volume.
"Trinity."
I was so out of it that I didn't realize it was Sam talking at first. I opened my eyes, feeling confused until I saw him there. I started to smile, but his face was serious.
"It's Judd, he's calling me." he picked up the phone and put it to his ear, and I blinked and tried to take it all in. I realized we had fallen asleep in the workshop. I shifted and looked around, wondering what time it was while Sam answered the phone.
"Hey, dude, yeah, I crashed on the couch, but I'm here. I'm ready when you are," Sam said. He paused while Judd said something. "That sounds good, I'll be there in a minute."
He hung up the phone and looked at me.
"He said Jen had breakfast casserole and coffee in the kitchen."
"How are we supposed to get back in there?" I asked with a worried expression.
"We'll tell the truth. Come on, we need to get back. I can't believe I let us fall asleep. I'm sorry about that." He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. He let his mouth stay there for a second, giving me a patient kiss. "Good morning, my sweet Ty."
"Good morning," I said. I grinned. "You called me Trinity to wake me up."
He smiled. "I had called you Ty three times before that."
My smile broadened. "I was dreaming." My eyes were locked with his.
I couldn't believe I had woken up next to him.
Yesterday might have been the best day of my entire life, which was crazy since I had been dreading it ever since my sister fell in love.
My morning locked in the fate of my eternal soul, and my evening locked in the fate of something else, something big with Sam.
I wasn't exactly sure what was happening between Sam and me, but I knew it was significant. My heart felt so full.
"You go in first," I said to him with a little smile and nudge of my chin.
This made him lean in and kiss my forehead again.
"See what's going on in there and text me to let me know," I added.
"I'd love to sneak through there and go to my bedroom without being caught.
The truth is all good and everything, but I really don't want to tell it to my dad.
I know nothing happened, but he might suspect the worst, and I really want him to like you. "
He nodded. "I understand that, and thank you. I want your dad to like me, too."
Sam hugged me before he left to go inside.
I watched him as he made his way out of the workshop, and I had to smile.
He was utterly irresistible, and I smiled that he could look so handsome in pajama pants and a jacket with almost no sleep.
Samuel Allison. The thought of his name made me imagine my own name there.
Ty Allison. My grin widened at the thought. It had a ring to it.
He disappeared through the door. I loved how he moved.
I felt tightness in my chest when I remembered last night—the way he kissed me and the way he held me.
We had talked a lot to each other in the past, but we had never been so open and candid as we were last night.
The walls were stripped, and I couldn’t help but feel all stirred up at the memories of our conversation.
Sam knew the real me, and he loved me. I was still waking up, but I had enough understanding to know how special last night was.
He and I had held onto each other with so much relief and love that I took a deep breath just thinking about it.
I closed my eyes and thanked God for yesterday.
I thanked Him for two amazing things happening, and I promised to look at my Bible once I made it to the bedroom.
I stared at my phone, waiting for Sam's text and absentmindedly checking my email. Within a minute, I had a text.
Sam:
There are people in the kitchen, but no one was near the back door. You should be able to sneak upstairs. Do you want me to wait here to watch out for you?
I texted him back, feeling suddenly nervous at the thought of going back inside and encountering someone. I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed because of being in love, but I was sleep-deprived and in a bit of a haze, also. I promised myself some coffee as a reward for braving the back door.
I texted Sam back.
Me:
Thanks, I'll be fine. You should go meet Judd. See you in a bit. Have fun shooting. Be careful, please.
I wanted to type the words 'I love you'. My thumbs hovered over the letters, and I considered it, but I just hit send without adding the extra letters.
He texted me back right away.
Sam:
Thanks and we will. ILYTY
I read the text and the letters attached, and I felt like I wanted to cry.
I typed.
Me:
ILYSAM
And I sent it back to him. My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, partly because of the text I had just sent and partly because of the task that lay ahead of me.
I left the workshop, pulling the door closed behind me and heading up the sidewalk toward the house. I was nervous, and I had to stifle a laugh as I jogged lightly through the cold air back to the house.
Sam had been right. There was action in the kitchen, but it had been easy for me to sneak in the back door and make it upstairs undetected. I made it there fine, but that didn't stop my heart from reacting like I was being chased in an action movie.
I sat on the end of the bed, smiling and catching my breath.
I wasn't sure how much sleep I had gotten.
I thought it was a few hours. It was plenty.
There was no way I was going back to sleep.
It was 8am now, and we were supposed to leave the ranch in an hour.
I would use this time to shower and get dressed.
I hopped in the shower.
It felt amazing to wash my face. I had my hair carefully pulled up so it wouldn't get wet, and I let the warm water hit my face and body.
There was just no way to keep Sam out of my mind.
I couldn't help but feel sweet and nostalgic at the thought of getting Jesus and Sam on the same day.
It might just very well have been the best day of my life.
The shower was exquisite. My heart was happy, and I was anxious to get on some fresh clothes and makeup so I could run downstairs and get some coffee.
I read that Psalm my sister showed me, and then I put on some jeans and a light blue sweater.
My hair was still pulled back, and I was in the middle of putting lotion on my face when I got a call.
I picked up my phone and saw that it was my sister.
"Hello?" I said, holding the phone to my ear.
"Where are you?" she said.
"I'm getting dressed. Where are you?"
"I'm here," she said. "I came shooting with you, and you're not here. Henry needed to help his dad this morning, so I came back up here with him. I thought you were coming shooting. I came out here to hang out with you."
"Oh, I was, but I slept in. They weren't going to Missoula till nine, so I just told them I'd pick them up on our way out. Are you with Sam and Judd right now?"
"Yes. And I'm going with you to Missoula because Henry's helping here. Do you have room for me?"
"Yes. Of course. I'm taking that SUV Dad rented. I'll probably let Judd or Sam drive it."
"Speaking of Sam… when are you coming out here? Just come now."
"Why is that speaking of Sam?"
"I don't know," she said, though I could tell she was lying. "I just want you to come out here with us. Come on. How long is it gonna take you to get dressed?"
"Ten minutes," I said. "Then I'm grabbing a cup of coffee, and I'll be there. Are you back where the trailers were?"
"Yes, farther than that… at the edge of the property. They shoot way back here so they don't scare the animals. Can you bring me a cup of coffee when you come? And if you can hold it, can you also grab a bite of Miss Jen's casserole?"
"Yes," I said, smiling and shaking my head.
Ten minutes was not enough time for me to get dressed, and now I had items to gather. I honestly didn't mind. I loved life.
It was twenty minutes later when I pulled up to the place where they were all standing and having target practice. I parked near Josh's truck, and I saw my sister heading toward me, walking fast. I got out of the truck, and she yelled at me and waved.
"Do you have my casserole?" she yelled.
"Yes!"
"I want to eat it in the car! Stay there! I’m coming to you!"
Josh, Sam, Henry, and Judd had all heard us and glanced our way, but Amelia was the only one who came over.
"I'll sit in the passenger's seat," she said as she came closer.
I went back and opened the driver's door.
"Can you turn it back on so I can get warm?"
Amelia sat down in the seat across from me. The heater revved to life, and music began playing low on the speakers. It felt nice in there.
"Where's Henry? It's your honeymoon."
"Oh, he wanted to stay with me. He offered. But his dad and Mr. Mitchell are slammed this time of year. We're amazing. He's amazing. I'll see him tonight. What in the world, though, Trinity? What did you do to Sam?"
"What? What do you mean?" I asked, glancing at Sam through the windshield and feeling happy that he looked normal.
"Look at you," she said, teasing me. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know. What did Sam say?" She was eating a bite of the casserole I had brought her, and I took a sip of my coffee. "What did he say?" I asked again.
"The first thing out of his mouth when he saw me this morning was, 'I love your sister, Amelia'."
I gasped audibly when she said that. "No, it wasn't!"
"Yes, it was. It surely was."
"What did you say?" I asked, glancing out of the windshield at the guys.
"I laughed because I thought he was just joking or being lighthearted or whatever, but then he put his hand on my arm, and he looked me in the eyes, and he was like…
" she moved. She leaned across the console, her hand on my arm, her face coming closer to mine.
"No, Amelia, I really love her. Like real love.
I'm just telling you right now, I'm in love.
I'll do everything in my power to be with your sister…
" She pulled back. "It was something like that.
He said it better than me. He was so sure of himself and handsome, and he just came up and told me he loves you straight to my face! "
She was laughing by the end of her sentence, and it made me laugh too. I was giddy and so in love.
"What happened with you two?" she said, leveling her gaze at me in wonder. "I saw you sitting with him when we were playing Mario Kart."
"Yeah, no, I mean yes, but, we…. we… it wasn't just Mario Kart. We talked for hours. We were together after everyone else went to bed. We were just up and talking or whatever."
"Did you kiss him?" she asked. And my face contorted into a goofy smile.
"You did?"
I nodded, and she squealed and started slapping at me. "Are you in love?" she said, gawking.
I nodded still, and she covered her mouth, hitting me more excitedly.
"Are you really?" she asked, stopping. Her eyes widened, and her face became more serious as she waited for my answer.
I nodded seriously this time because I knew it was the truth. "I am really."