6. Samantha
Chapter six
Samantha
As I stand outside, soaking in the wild beauty that surrounds me, I realize that I don’t miss Chicago one bit. The sun is shining, the air is clean and crisp, and the lake sparkles like a sheet of infinite diamonds. Even my crushing student loans and sudden lack of income feel a little more tolerable in this peaceful setting.
This.
This is what I missed.
This is what I needed.
I spent the night in the guesthouse. Before I drifted to sleep, my mind kept going to Stan on the dock. After he faked tripping and he made me scream, I chased him away, acting like I wouldn’t care if something bad happened to him.
But it was a lie.
“Stupid millionaire,” I curse as I rub my forehead where he flicked it with his finger.
My gaze shifts to the distance, and I see Lucas’s parents’ house. The smoke from their chimney is like a beacon, because just a few more blocks down from them is my parents’ house. I make a mental note to visit my uncle and aunt, and then report to my parents the moment they return.
Nevertheless, I can’t stand around without doing anything, so I decide to leave the guesthouse. The smart thing to do would be to have breakfast at Lucas’s, but thanks to Mr. Multimillionaire’s words last night, I feel like a burden. So I’ll eat out this morning, and maybe get groceries. Fortunately, the guesthouse has a kitchen with appliances, so I can make my own food.
***
Right now, I’m at Lizzy and Hank’s restaurant. I stare at the building and smile. This place started out as Lizzy’s dream, and now it’s turned out to be one of the best restaurants in Rose Haven.
It’s just past 7 a.m. I’m sure Hank is here by now, as Lizzy is usually more active at night.
“Oh my goodness! Sammie?” I hear a voice call.
I whip my head back to see Lizzy approaching me with open arms. I embrace the woman, almost melting in her arms.
“When did you come in? It’s not summer. Is everything okay? Oh, let me guess, you came to see your parents? Or Lucas?” The barrage of questions escapes her lips as she refuses to let go of my shoulders, like she’s scared I’ll disappear or something.
“I’ll answer your questions once I get some breakfast,” I tease.
“I’m so sorry, but it’s good to see you again,” she says with a warm smile. “Let’s go in. We just opened for the day, but I’ll give you a twenty percent discount and have Lucas or Stan pay for it.”
I chuckle. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“Never.”
As she serves me breakfast—a spread of hot fluffy pancakes with warm syrup, bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, and a cup of joe—we talk about the things I’ve missed out on since my last visit.
“So how long are you staying?” Lizzy asks, drawing the conversation to a close.
That’s another a question I’m not ready to answer. Thankfully, my silence is enough for my friend.
“Stay as long as you need, and drop by often,” she says with a warm smile and kisses my head. “Have to get things done.”
“Thank you, Lizzy,” I say softly .
She gives me a thumbs-up and disappears behind the kitchen.
I can’t stay idle. The sixteen thousand dollars in my account will disappear before I know it. I need a job. Who do I know in this town that would give me a hand?
Somehow, after the delicious breakfast and pleasant conversation, I find myself face-to-face with Stan again.
“If it isn’t the owner of the dock,” Stan announces as he watches me from his doorstep. He’s wearing a black dress shirt with sleeves folded neatly to his elbows, revealing strong, powerful arms. The matching black denim clings to his muscular frame, making it difficult for me to look away. His presence practically makes my mouth water. He looks a far cry from the awkward teenager I remember.
No, what am I doing? This is not what I came here for.
“That’s Miss Owner of the Docks, thank you very much.” I cross my arms and cock a hip out. I feel like a bratty teenager around him. It’s annoying that he’s always brought out this side of me.
Except, the way his eyes rake over my body feels nothing like when we were teenagers.
To my irritation, his face stays impassive while mine heats to an inferno.
“How can I help?” he says. I just dropped Ruth off at school, and I have a very tight schedule ahead,” he explains as he walks past me to open the door.
“I’ve come seeking compensation,” I answer. “You caused damage to my forehead, and I need money to pay for the medical expenses.”
Stan stares at me unfazed, and then a knowing smile forms. “Someone’s unemployed.”
“I am not… you are going to hire me.” I stomp my foot for added effect. “I have an MBA. I can be your assistant. Or whatever. Something? I’ll clean up the cobwebs. I’m an Excel wizard. Good—no great—with budgets. Or I can help with Ruth! Busy frowning and staring at your bank account balance? No problem! I’ll pick her up from school. I’m good with kids. And—”
“You can stop now,” he says as he opens the door. “I need an assistant. You have the job.”
That was very easy. “You’re going to hire me just like that?”
“Look, Queen of the Dock, I’m still your friend, and I can’t stand by without helping you out,” he explains. “Besides, I was going to ask for your help. For as long as you stay here, I mean.”
“Oh.”
“Besides, you know it’s hard for me to say no to you. So you shouldn’t be surprised if I agree so quickly,” he adds with a shrug.
That’s right. I’ve never heard Stan once refuse me, even when we were kids. I guess that’s what sets him apart from the rest.
My first real task of the day is picking up Ruth at her new school. I was expecting Stan to tell me to start working tomorrow, but he told me to join him at his office. Throughout the morning, I did nothing but look at his mess of a schedule and wonder how the gods of organization allowed him to get anything done.
I spent time sorting out his messy schedule and engaging in small back-and-forth with him. Before I knew it, it was the late afternoon and time to pick up Ruth. So here I am. Five minutes till the bell officially dismisses the students.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket. I pull it out to find George’s name flashing across the screen. With a heavy sigh, I swipe to answer. Maybe the warm sun on my face will make this conversation better.
“Hey. ”
“Babe, hi. How’s the family visit?” he asks, sounding totally distracted.
I know he’s probably at work right now, scanning emails or reviewing his formal invitation to the Old Boys Club. Something crunches into my ear, and I realize he’s chewing on something. It shouldn’t annoy me—everyone needs to eat—but the sound is like nails on a chalkboard.
“It’s going great,” I answer, forcing myself to ignore the chewing.
“Good. When are you coming home?”
“About that… I got a job here. Just temporary, of course, but I’m not sure I’m ready to come back yet.”
“I see,” he says, continuing his chewing. “It pays well?”
I haven’t discussed payment with Stan yet, but I say, “Yes.”
“Then it’s okay,” George says, as if I was waiting for his approval. “I still think you should have tried the city first than…whatever that town is called.”
“Rose Haven,” I say. “And I have the job now. It’s official.”
“Yeah.”
The constant silent stretches are making me wonder when we became so awkward with each other. “I need the space, too,” I add.
“Space?” George’s chewing stops. “Why?”
Why?
“You know what?” he says after I stay silent. “How about I come over and we talk about it?”
I don’t want him to. His aloofness is starting to really irk me. I want to end the relationship right there and now. But ending a relationship over the phone is always a dick move.
“Okay,” I say. “Come over this weekend?”
“Oh, not this weekend. I have to be at an event with the boss. Next week’s taken, too. Let’s do next month.”
What?
“Sure. Next month.” I force a grin.
“Alright. Take care.” He ends the call, and right on time, too, because the school bell just went off .
I’m pissed, and the sudden loud squealing of kids doesn’t help.
“Did I order an Uber?” Ruth’s voice reaches me. Just like her father, she’s dressed in all black and looks annoyed. I was watching for her in the group of kids streaming out of the school, but I guess she snuck up on me.
“You didn’t, but Stan did. Don’t forget to rate me five stars,” I tease.
“Yeah, yeah. Only if you make the ride pleasurable.” She rolls her eyes, but she’s just returning my teasing. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“No problems there, kiddo,” I salute and get into the car.
Who needs George, anyway? I’ll make the most of my stay in Rose Haven, and whenever he deigns to show up, I’ll give him the boot.
“Are you okay?” Ruth asks me during our drive home.
I just received a text from my parents that they are on their way back from vacation and will be in Rose Haven tomorrow. I thought I would have an extra week before facing them.
“Looks like my parents are back,” I explain.
“They live in Rose Haven?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I know I need to see them and tell them what’s happened. But what are they going to think when they see that their by-the-book daughter is out of a job and hiding out at her cousin’s place?
“Do you not want to see them?” Ruth asks.
“I do,” I sigh. “It’s just, there’s so much going on right now.”
“Like?”
I steal a glance at Ruth. I don’t know how much I should tell her. She’s eating the chips I brought for her, but holding my gaze. This girl is so frighteningly like her father that it’s driving me a little crazy. I know she’s only thirteen, but there’s a lot of maturity in her eyes and the way she speaks. Considering the issues her mom struggled with, it makes sense that she had to pick up herself by the boots.
I decide to go ahead and spill. “I lost my job in the city, my boyfriend is indifferent about our relationship, and… I don’t know, it’s just overwhelming. I don’t want my parents to pity me, but I don’t want them out of the loop, either.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
That’s the only thing you picked up from that? She is such a teenager.
“Well. Yeah, I think I do,” is my honest-to-earth reply, because I sure as hell don’t know if what’s happening between George and me is a relationship anymore.
Ruth snorts. “And yet you give my dad googly eyes?”
“I do not!” I defend myself so quickly that I may as well have just admitted the opposite.
“Sureeeee,” she drags out. “Tell you what? When you go to your parents’ tomorrow, I’ll go with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Old people love me, and I can help with your nerves,” she explains. “It’ll be fine.”
It’ll be fine. Her words of encouragement echo in my mind and offer surprising peace.
“I’ll take you up on that offer, Ruth,” I say.