drew a slow breath, gathering himself. “I’m sorry.”
Her shoulders drooped. “It’s not your fault. I was the pushy one.”
“I don’t mean that.”
Pete laughed. “No, he definitely doesn’t mean that.”
“Shut up, Pete.”
Still grinning, Pete said, “You should be thanking me, you know. I’m the one who got her there in the first place.”
Sam and Ariel turned to stare at him. “How’s that?” Sam demanded to know.
“Why, I got a new girlfriend, that’s how. I finally realized she was waiting for me to do that.”
Ariel’s brows shot up. “You knew?”
He snorted. “Everyone saw you two ogling each other.”
Gil and Belinda nodded.
“You fought it, Sam, I’ll give you that. But any time I brought her around, you watched her more than I did.”
“I did not.”
“Yes you did, Son,” Belinda told him. “The poor girl couldn’t blink without you noting it.”
Hesper laughed. “If it was anything like the way he looks at her now, I’m surprised she didn’t go up in flames.”
Exasperated, Sam rubbed his face, then suddenly stiffened. His hands dropped to his sides and he stared at Pete. “You saw her car that night. That’s what you meant about it being impossible to miss, even in the dark.”
“Of course I saw it.” Pete snorted. “Why do you think I told you all that stuff about her? Hell, I don’t gossip about women, especially women I love—as friends—so get rid of that evil look, all right? I just wanted you to know up front how she felt about you.”
Humiliated beyond all reason, Ariel tried to inch away, anxious to escape. Without looking at her, Sam caught her wrist and kept her at his side. “Then you came back here the next morning and pretended outrage, reading me the riot act like…”
“Like a brother who loves you, yeah. I was trying to make it easy for you to give up, you know, salvage your pride and all that. I figured you could blame me or something since I pretty much figured you hadn’t told her that you love her.” He elbowed Gil hard. “But Gil here showed up and everything got off track.”
Ariel cleared her throat. “Really, none of this is necessary. I don’t expect Sam to—”
Sam cast her a look. “Get used to it, honey. They’re all pushy as hell, but they’re part of the package.”
“They are?”
His eyes narrowed. “My house, my rules. Love me, love my family.”
Her heart started a furious pounding and she couldn’t get a breath. “But…”
Sam gave up with visible bad grace. “I didn’t want to involve you in my life, all right? I didn’t want you to be at risk for being around me and with me. I didn’t want you always worried and afraid.” He touched her cheek, and Ariel felt the gentleness, the uncertainty. “You’re so soft, Ariel. And so sweet. You aren’t cut out for my life.”
Belinda scowled. “What am I, chopped liver? I’m your mother and I’m certainly a part of your life. You don’t consider me sweet or soft?” The venomous glare she gave her son kept him silent.
Gil and Pete, however, snickered with good humor.
“And don’t forget your baby brother.” Pete put the back of his hand to his head in a gesture of emotional distress. “I’m traumatized nightly, thinking about all the risks you take. I believe you’ve stunted my growth.”
Since Pete was six-two, his claims were deliberately absurd.
Booth nodded vigorously in agreement. “Poor Hesper here can’t sleep at night, listening for young Sam, wanting to make sure he gets home safe and sound.” He harrumphed. “Don’t see him concerning himself with the likes of us though.”
The bulldog barked.
Sam said, “How I feel about Ariel is different, damn it.”
With the concise, no-nonsense tone he was known for, Gil said, “Then will you please tell her so? She looks to be in an agony of suspense.”
Sam took one look at her, nodded, then faced his family. “I need to sit down. Will you all just leave?” And then just
Her shoulders drooped. “It’s not your fault. I was the pushy one.”
“I don’t mean that.”
Pete laughed. “No, he definitely doesn’t mean that.”
“Shut up, Pete.”
Still grinning, Pete said, “You should be thanking me, you know. I’m the one who got her there in the first place.”
Sam and Ariel turned to stare at him. “How’s that?” Sam demanded to know.
“Why, I got a new girlfriend, that’s how. I finally realized she was waiting for me to do that.”
Ariel’s brows shot up. “You knew?”
He snorted. “Everyone saw you two ogling each other.”
Gil and Belinda nodded.
“You fought it, Sam, I’ll give you that. But any time I brought her around, you watched her more than I did.”
“I did not.”
“Yes you did, Son,” Belinda told him. “The poor girl couldn’t blink without you noting it.”
Hesper laughed. “If it was anything like the way he looks at her now, I’m surprised she didn’t go up in flames.”
Exasperated, Sam rubbed his face, then suddenly stiffened. His hands dropped to his sides and he stared at Pete. “You saw her car that night. That’s what you meant about it being impossible to miss, even in the dark.”
“Of course I saw it.” Pete snorted. “Why do you think I told you all that stuff about her? Hell, I don’t gossip about women, especially women I love—as friends—so get rid of that evil look, all right? I just wanted you to know up front how she felt about you.”
Humiliated beyond all reason, Ariel tried to inch away, anxious to escape. Without looking at her, Sam caught her wrist and kept her at his side. “Then you came back here the next morning and pretended outrage, reading me the riot act like…”
“Like a brother who loves you, yeah. I was trying to make it easy for you to give up, you know, salvage your pride and all that. I figured you could blame me or something since I pretty much figured you hadn’t told her that you love her.” He elbowed Gil hard. “But Gil here showed up and everything got off track.”
Ariel cleared her throat. “Really, none of this is necessary. I don’t expect Sam to—”
Sam cast her a look. “Get used to it, honey. They’re all pushy as hell, but they’re part of the package.”
“They are?”
His eyes narrowed. “My house, my rules. Love me, love my family.”
Her heart started a furious pounding and she couldn’t get a breath. “But…”
Sam gave up with visible bad grace. “I didn’t want to involve you in my life, all right? I didn’t want you to be at risk for being around me and with me. I didn’t want you always worried and afraid.” He touched her cheek, and Ariel felt the gentleness, the uncertainty. “You’re so soft, Ariel. And so sweet. You aren’t cut out for my life.”
Belinda scowled. “What am I, chopped liver? I’m your mother and I’m certainly a part of your life. You don’t consider me sweet or soft?” The venomous glare she gave her son kept him silent.
Gil and Pete, however, snickered with good humor.
“And don’t forget your baby brother.” Pete put the back of his hand to his head in a gesture of emotional distress. “I’m traumatized nightly, thinking about all the risks you take. I believe you’ve stunted my growth.”
Since Pete was six-two, his claims were deliberately absurd.
Booth nodded vigorously in agreement. “Poor Hesper here can’t sleep at night, listening for young Sam, wanting to make sure he gets home safe and sound.” He harrumphed. “Don’t see him concerning himself with the likes of us though.”
The bulldog barked.
Sam said, “How I feel about Ariel is different, damn it.”
With the concise, no-nonsense tone he was known for, Gil said, “Then will you please tell her so? She looks to be in an agony of suspense.”
Sam took one look at her, nodded, then faced his family. “I need to sit down. Will you all just leave?” And then just
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