hour away,” Ben said. “And the answer is yes . What the hell is Harris going to do when he finds out this guy is staying in your guesthouse?”
Um, yeah, that had crossed her mind. “It’s only for a few days, until Lukas can make other arrangements.”
“Sam, don’t ruin a good thing. Harris is a good guy, but there’s only so much a good guy can take, you know what I mean? Lukas has already hurt you twice . Rushford brothers don’t treat repeat offenders very kindly.”
“I remember how angry Brad was the last time,” Sam said.
“And he doesn’t know the half of it, does he? Strike Three could unleash nuclear Armageddon.”
Sam winced, on the inside at least. When she was nineteen, her breakup with Lukas had come at a very bad time. Their brother Kevin had just died, and Brad and his now-wife Olivia were working out their own relationship and taking care of Kevin’s baby daughter.
Brad had always disliked Lukas. Even in Sam’s distress over their breakup, she hadn’t told Brad the complete truth about their relationship, that she and Lukas were a lot more intimate than she’d admitted. He would’ve had a cow, and things were already bad enough.
Sam shook her head. “Thanks, Brad .” His face showed her he didn’t miss the reference to their oldest brother, who surely must have done a happy dance the day Lukas left town for good. “I know what I’m doing.” No she didn’t, but it was too late. The offer stood and she wasn’t going to take it back.
Ben raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, fine. Just trying to save you some heartache. Excuse me for being a concerned big brother.” He paused. “What do you want me to tell Brad?”
“Don’t tell him, Ben. It’s none of his business. Or yours. I’m an adult now, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Then make sure you act like one.”
Sam watched him as he did a little fingers-to-forehead salute before he turned down the corridor. It was a curse being the youngest girl in a family of brothers. She wondered how old she would have to be before those guys would treat her like an equal. She was so tired of being the baby sister. Every part of her life was a field day, open to their speculation and scrutiny. And of course they always felt obligated to voice their opinions—rather loudly, in fact.
She always respected her brother’s standing as a physician in their community. That’s why she carefully looked around, making sure no one was in the corridor. “Ben,” she called. When he turned, she flipped him the bird and grinned before she pressed the metal handicapped wall button to open the double doors and make her way back to Lukas and Stevie.
CHAPTER 6
Sam told herself to drop the groceries off on top of the little counter of the guesthouse kitchen and leave. After all, she did not want to run into Lukas again. In fact, she’d gone out extra early to Gertie’s for groceries to avoid that. This was a simple act of kindness. For Stevie. She’d wanted Stevie to have breakfast. That was all.
Yet, like a girl in a slasher movie, she felt stupidly compelled to walk past the kitchen. There’s a monster loose and he’s killed everyone but I’ll be fine . She just wanted to reassure herself that Stevie was all right. She tiptoed past the comfy couches and the pretty stone fireplace in the little sitting room where brilliant shafts of sunlight streamed in, took in the fabulous clear blue view of Mirror Lake out all the front windows, and craned her neck around the doorway to the adjacent bedroom.
The door was ajar and she couldn’t resist peeking in. Stevie was sprawled out like a starfish on the big bed, that omnipresent ratty blanket balled up against his angelic little cheek. Long lashes swept down over those cheeks that could’ve been more filled out, but he slept soundly with gentle, even breathing. She blew out her own pent-up breath of relief. Okay, mission accomplished, don’t look around, don’t pass Go,
Um, yeah, that had crossed her mind. “It’s only for a few days, until Lukas can make other arrangements.”
“Sam, don’t ruin a good thing. Harris is a good guy, but there’s only so much a good guy can take, you know what I mean? Lukas has already hurt you twice . Rushford brothers don’t treat repeat offenders very kindly.”
“I remember how angry Brad was the last time,” Sam said.
“And he doesn’t know the half of it, does he? Strike Three could unleash nuclear Armageddon.”
Sam winced, on the inside at least. When she was nineteen, her breakup with Lukas had come at a very bad time. Their brother Kevin had just died, and Brad and his now-wife Olivia were working out their own relationship and taking care of Kevin’s baby daughter.
Brad had always disliked Lukas. Even in Sam’s distress over their breakup, she hadn’t told Brad the complete truth about their relationship, that she and Lukas were a lot more intimate than she’d admitted. He would’ve had a cow, and things were already bad enough.
Sam shook her head. “Thanks, Brad .” His face showed her he didn’t miss the reference to their oldest brother, who surely must have done a happy dance the day Lukas left town for good. “I know what I’m doing.” No she didn’t, but it was too late. The offer stood and she wasn’t going to take it back.
Ben raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, fine. Just trying to save you some heartache. Excuse me for being a concerned big brother.” He paused. “What do you want me to tell Brad?”
“Don’t tell him, Ben. It’s none of his business. Or yours. I’m an adult now, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Then make sure you act like one.”
Sam watched him as he did a little fingers-to-forehead salute before he turned down the corridor. It was a curse being the youngest girl in a family of brothers. She wondered how old she would have to be before those guys would treat her like an equal. She was so tired of being the baby sister. Every part of her life was a field day, open to their speculation and scrutiny. And of course they always felt obligated to voice their opinions—rather loudly, in fact.
She always respected her brother’s standing as a physician in their community. That’s why she carefully looked around, making sure no one was in the corridor. “Ben,” she called. When he turned, she flipped him the bird and grinned before she pressed the metal handicapped wall button to open the double doors and make her way back to Lukas and Stevie.
CHAPTER 6
Sam told herself to drop the groceries off on top of the little counter of the guesthouse kitchen and leave. After all, she did not want to run into Lukas again. In fact, she’d gone out extra early to Gertie’s for groceries to avoid that. This was a simple act of kindness. For Stevie. She’d wanted Stevie to have breakfast. That was all.
Yet, like a girl in a slasher movie, she felt stupidly compelled to walk past the kitchen. There’s a monster loose and he’s killed everyone but I’ll be fine . She just wanted to reassure herself that Stevie was all right. She tiptoed past the comfy couches and the pretty stone fireplace in the little sitting room where brilliant shafts of sunlight streamed in, took in the fabulous clear blue view of Mirror Lake out all the front windows, and craned her neck around the doorway to the adjacent bedroom.
The door was ajar and she couldn’t resist peeking in. Stevie was sprawled out like a starfish on the big bed, that omnipresent ratty blanket balled up against his angelic little cheek. Long lashes swept down over those cheeks that could’ve been more filled out, but he slept soundly with gentle, even breathing. She blew out her own pent-up breath of relief. Okay, mission accomplished, don’t look around, don’t pass Go,
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