Chapter 19 #2
He glanced at me and hesitated—I could see his meager pool of niceness drying up—but he nodded.
“We won’t waste any more of your time,” Mom said. “Enjoy the chili.”
We waved and left.
“Next time, give him a joint with the chili,” I said softly. “It’d put him in a better mood.”
Mom smirked and shook her head.
I had most of the leaves in Mr. Denkle’s front yard, which were, in fact, not from our tree, raked into a pile when Sam found me. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.
“Need help?” He already had a bag in his hands.
“Please.”
We worked together to load the bag. Then he stole the rake to clean up the rest.
The curtain moved, and I caught Mr. Denkle watching Sam.
It looked like he was talking to himself.
Probably because he didn’t know Sam. I debated whether or not to introduce him and decided against it.
Mom had been making his late wife’s chili for him for almost three years, and Mr. Denkle still didn’t like us much.
I doubted introducing Sam would change his opinion about being in his yard.
We finished collecting the leaves, and Sam shouldered the bag while I gave Mr. Denkle a little wave goodbye. He stopped talking and stared at me, his expression a little sad. Then the curtain closed again.
I thought of how I’d feel if something happened to Sam. Miserable. And I’d only known him a short while. How much would it hurt after knowing him for years?
“Why are you sad?” Sam asked, following me to our compost pile in the backyard.
“Thinking of Mr. Denkle missing his wife. I feel bad for him, but nothing we’ve tried seems to help.”
“Grief doesn’t go away. It stays. Some people are just better at living around it.”
“That’s even sadder.”
He surprised a squeal out of me by picking me up suddenly in a way that had a bit of a toss and catch to it. My arms went around his neck as he grinned at me.
“What was that?” I asked.
“A reminder to stay focused on what’s important?”
The way he said it was adorably unsure even as he continued to grin hopefully at me.
“And what’s important?”
“Us. This.”
He kissed me gently and set his forehead against mine.
“Can I hang out at your house until it’s time to leave?” he asked.
As if I’d ever say no.
Thankfully, Mom didn’t have a problem with him staying either. He helped with chores, then chilled in my room with me. We talked about my books. Which ones I’d read and liked, and why I was holding onto some of the ones I hadn’t liked.
It was so easy to be with Sam. No awkward silences. No searching for something to say. Just…natural.
We made two pans of caramel apple torte and headed out in Mom’s car. Sam rode up front and gave Mom directions while sharing more about his family—his aunt and uncle, his mom’s foundation work, and that his mom and dad were looking to purchase a place nearby.
“Was that the plan from the start, or because you’re claiming Clarity?” Mom asked.
“Because Clarity and I want to stay here,” he said without hesitation.
Mom glanced at me in the mirror.
“This is it,” Sam said.
His Mom was waiting for us outside when Mom pulled into the driveway. While we grabbed the dessert pans, Mom went to greet her.
“I’m Gabby Lawe,” I heard his mom say. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“Thank you for inviting me, and I’m sorry I shot your son.”
I almost dropped the dessert. Sam’s quick reflexes saved it.
Open-mouthed, I stared at my mom in horror.
Not Sam’s mom, though. She laughed.
“Well, he did break into your house and bite your daughter, so I think it was a little deserved. Thank you for only using buckshot.”
I looked at Sam and gave him my “what is happening” look. He winked at me. My brain melted a little, and he knew it, too, from the way he slowly smiled.
“We'd better get these two inside and distract Sam with some food.”
As soon as we made it through the door, it was like yesterday all over again. Food, conversation, games…lively in the best way. Until Sam’s mom said something that made me freeze.
“Sam said he and Clarity talked to you about the future. Are you okay with her moving in with him right after she graduates, or should they have a wedding first?”
I froze mid-card game domination and slowly turned to look at Mom.
Her gaze locked with mine. “That’s not far off now since she’s graduating early. Do you think we could pull off a wedding in about two months? I doubt Sam wants to wait longer than he has to.”
Sam side-hugged me. “They’re teasing you.”
“We’re enjoying her reaction,” Mom said, “But I think your mom’s serious about the wedding.”
“I know small towns,” she said. “People talk. Moving in together this quickly will draw attention. A wedding gives them a better reason than pregnancy or a bite.”
Gossip about pregnancy didn’t scare me. That truth would settle after nine months passed with no baby.
But the other one worried me. People either didn’t believe in werewolves, or, if they did, they feared them.
I wasn’t ashamed of what Sam was, but I didn’t want anyone targeting him either. Being shot once was enough.
If a wedding would keep suspicion down, I had no problem having one. Claiming made us official in his world. A wedding made us official in this one. And we could keep it small and cheap since I didn’t have a job yet.
The thought had me shooting to my feet and grabbing Sam’s hand.
“We need to take a quick walk. We’ll be right back.”
I practically dragged him out of the house.