Chapter Eighteen
“I’m telling you both, it was amazing.” Sam was back in the city with Jordan and Dallis.
After the recent events with Alex, she needed someone to talk to.
The two of them were eager to hear the details, so she drove up to the city for the day.
They met at the same diner down the street from Jordan’s apartment.
Sam was also happy for the break. After Sunday dinner, she avoided all thoughts of Alex and their moments together by spending the next few days immersing herself in work on the house.
She had plenty to keep her busy. Brad and his crew had come by to finish the roof, and she even pitched in when one of Brad’s guys got sick and couldn’t make it.
Once the roof was finished, she’d painted the trim on the outside sills and doors.
She also hauled in five more loads of donations.
Her mother’s room was primed and painted.
She reflected on all she had accomplished with their help over the past several weeks.
Overall, she felt like things were in a good place.
All that remained was to clean the garage, then she’d be ready to put the house on the market—her ultimate goal all along.
Get in. Do what she needed to do. Get out.
But now it felt like everything had changed, and Alex was a huge piece of that—but she wasn’t the only one.
Sam had also reconnected with old friends, building those relationships back up.
She forgot how comfortable home could feel.
She forgot how different she felt in Hicksville.
Now just thinking about selling the house made her panic.
She knew that once she put it on the market, there was no reason to prolong her stay.
Except for Alex. She had no doubt now about her feelings for her.
She knew she had never truly stopped loving her and was very close to falling in love with her all again.
But could they have a future? Alex’s family was in Hicksville, but it had always seemed like staying there was temporary for her.
Sam had built a career, but not really a life, in Boston.
Would Alex come to Boston? Was Sam ready to be a second mother to Sophie?
She was still trying to figure all of that out, which was why she was having lunch with Jordan and Dallis.
Sam had just spent the last twenty minutes filling them in on the events of the past few days—the hurried kiss outside the bar, Alex showing up at her house the next morning, and finally, what had happened on the swing after Sunday dinner.
Sam’s face flushed as she shared the details, but Dallis and Jordan said they needed more context.
Or maybe they were messing with her. Knowing Jordan, it was probably the latter.
“I can’t believe Nadine Weaver baked you another pie.”
Sam kicked him under the table. “I can’t believe you’re still stuck on Nadine Weaver and the pie!” She was trying not to let her exasperation show. “What about all the other things I just told you?”
“I heard you.” He forked a bite of his salad. “And we’ll get to that.” He stole a fry from Sam’s plate and popped it into his mouth. “But this is Nadine Weaver we’re talking about. I’ve never heard of anyone doing such an about-face like that.”
“She seems to genuinely care about Alex’s happiness.” Sam shrugged. “She told me that I make Alex happy, and that’s enough for her.”
“Well, I think that’s amazing,” Dallis chimed in.
“Coming from a strict Catholic community myself, I’ve seen how something like this can tear a family apart.
I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count.
” She took a bite of her burger and chewed.
“People can change, Jordan. Look what happened with Ciara’s family. ”
“Hmm, I guess,” Jordan conceded. “But I’d have to see it to believe it.”
“I also spoke to Emily. At Easton’s.” Sam frowned. “I kind of took what she said as a warning. Or at least a proceed with caution.”
“Emily said what, now?” Jordan reached for more fries.
Sam scowled at him. “Why don’t you just get your own fries instead of eating all of mine?”
“Because this way I can at least pretend to be sticking to this ridiculous diet my trainer put me on.” He shrugged. “Besides, you’re not going to eat them anyway.”
“So back to Emily…” Dallis said, steering them back on track. “What was the warning?”
Sam sighed. “She said that Alex was devastated when I left, and that I needed to think about what I was doing with her.” Sam shrugged and looked up at the two of them.
“So that’s why you were acting so strangely?”
Sam nodded. “I panicked and didn’t know what to do,” she whispered. “I still don’t. I mean, I know how I feel. But what about all the other stuff? Like work. I’m waiting to hear about this promotion…”
“Let’s not put the cart before the horse.” Dallis reached across the table and patted Sam’s hand reassuringly. “You’ve figured out the hard part,” she said. “Now you know how you feel about her. The rest will figure itself out.”
Sam thought about it for a minute. Maybe they could do this, maybe they could make it work. If Alex felt the same way about her as Sam did, then they could figure out the logistics. Right?
“And if you don’t figure it out.” Jordan pointed another fry at her. “Now you know that both Nadine and Emily will be after you.” He popped the fry in his mouth and chewed. “If that’s not an incentive to get it right this time, then I don’t know what is.”
“Funny, Jordan. I can always rely on you to make me feel better.” Sam looked up from where she was pushing her food around her plate. “Actually, Nadine still wants to see you. To make amends.”
Jordan shook his head. “No way in hell.”
“Come on, Jordan.” Dallis leaned in from the seat next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. “Why not give her a chance?”
Jordan scowled and stole another fry. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before answering. “Fine,” he said grudgingly. “I’ll do it. But only if she makes me a pie.”
He reached out for another fry, but Sam slapped his hand away. “Really?”
He tried for the fry again. “Anything for you, Sam. Well, you and pie.” He grinned. “And not necessarily in that order.”
Sam reached out and captured the hand trying to poach her food. “Thank you, Jordan.” She met his eyes from across the booth. “That means the world to me.”
He squeezed her hand, then quickly reached his other hand out to grab a whole fistful of her fries this time. “But at the first sign of the old Nadine, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”
“Okay, so back to the real issue.” Dallis was again keeping them on track. She pushed her plate back and leaned forward, rubbing her hands gleefully. “Tell us about this date you’re having.”
“Thank you, Dallis.” Sam dropped her fork and pushed her plate away, glaring at Jordan. “At least someone here knows how to stay on track.”
Jordan just shrugged at the criticism and pulled Sam’s plate closer to him so he could dig into the fries.
“What are the details?” Dallis asked.
“Alex is planning the date this time.” Sam grimaced. “And all I know is it won’t be at Easton’s. Every single interaction we’ve had there has ended badly.”
“Well, there was that one kiss…” Jordan pointed at her with a fry.
“You know what I mean.” Sam rolled her eyes.
“So, you have no idea where you’re going?” Dallis tried again.
Sam shook her head.
“What?” Jordan tilted his head at her. “I know that look. What’s going on in that big brain of yours, Samantha Martin?”
Sam took several deep breaths, trying to gather her thoughts.
She looked helplessly around the diner, anywhere but at Jordan and Dallis.
She knew that once she voiced what she was thinking out loud, it would feel all too real.
She didn’t even understand her own thoughts on the subject.
What was she trying to accomplish by listening to the others?
“Sam?” Dallis gently prompted. “It’s okay. We’re here to help you.”
Sam looked from Dallis to Jordan, and then back again.
“Fine!” She burst out. “So, after this date…then what? I already know how I feel about Alex—that she’s the one that got away.
Or, rather, the one who went away, so she could live some life that was mostly a lie.
But now she’s back. And it feels like we never left.
And I feel like I never want her to leave again, or for me to leave her.
What if this date goes well? Because I know it will.
And I know that everything after the date will go well, because”—she paused briefly for air—“because the kisses…God, the kisses…and her skin…and the way her body feels.” Sam looked dreamily into the distance and shook her head.
“I can’t stop thinking about it. And about her.
And about how perfect and right it feels.
But I don’t know what’s next. What do I—”
“Stop!” Jordan interrupted. “Sam. You’re spiraling…again.”
“Totally,” Dallis agreed. “Don’t overthink it. No one ever knows what’s going to happen next.”
“Just take it one day at a time,” Jordan suggested.
“One day at a time?” Sam nearly screeched. “But I’m almost done with the house! The clock is ticking. I don’t have time for—”
“Stop!” Dallis and Jordan said simultaneously.
Sam stilled, caught off guard by the two of them interrupting.
Dallis and Jordan shared a look before Dallis gestured for him to speak.
He reached across the table and put his hand over Sam’s.
“Look, here’s what you’re going to do.” His tone was firm, and Sam had to imagine that this was what he sounded like with his students.
“You’re going to go on this date with Alex.
You’re going to see how the date goes. And then we’ll see where we go from there.
” He pulled his hand away, leaned back, and folded his arms across his chest. “That’s all you can do. ”