almost closed then headed to the living room.
Sam halted at the piano and ran her fingers lightly over the keys. "Remember how I hated piano lessons?" She turned to her mother. "I thought it more fun to clean stalls or work in the hay field with Dad." She laughed then picked up a picture of Julianna.
Her mom joined her at the piano, took the picture from her hand, wiped off imagined dust. "Julianna hated the outdoorsy stuff." She placed the picture in its spot and put her arm around Sam's shoulder. "I had problems getting her to stop practicing."
Her mom raised her head. "Was that a car?" She went to the window, looked out, then opened the door.
Sam turned to see Marcus walk in. A wave of longing washed over her. She turned back to the pictures and took a breath.
"Come on in, Marcus." Her mom closed the door behind him. "Emily is down for her nap but you're welcome to wait. Would you like something to drink, a snack?"
"Thanks, but I came to talk to Sam.”
Sam sighed, turned to face him. They might as well get it over with.
Mom looked from Marcus to Sam. "I'll go check on Emily and give you some privacy." She started across the room.
"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. We'll walk down to the gazebo and chat there." He opened the door gave Sam a look that meant business.
Sam sighed again, turned to her mom, and kissed her cheek. She glanced back at Marcus, then strode out the door. Marcus caught up with her at the bottom of the steps, placed a hand on her elbow, and turned her toward the gazebo.
They walked in silence, his hand warm on her arm. As they passed the old oak that shaded the majority of the yard, Sam stopped, went to the tree, and examined the trunk.
Marcus watched her a moment, then strolled over. He took her hand, led her to the barn side of the tree. "It is still there." He pointed to a faint heart with initials in it. "Remember how mad you were when you saw me carving on your tree?"
Sam smiled and traced the heart shape with her finger. "I almost decked you. Good thing you moved and I saw what you were really doing." She touched the number four that went with the ever. "That was a long time ago though. Things have changed."
"Have they changed that much, Sam?"
She shrugged and looked around. Marcus first kissed her at the gazebo, better not to go there. She strolled over to the split rail fence and leaned on the top rail. Gazing across the pasture of cows, she heard Marcus come up beside her. He stood next to her, his arm warm against hers. She took a deep breath, smelled the faint scent of his aftershave and the lingering aroma of the hay that had been baled last week.
Marcus let out a breath and cleared his throat. "I know you are Em's guardian now." He rested his arms on the top rail next to hers. "Brad told me about it when they set up their wills."
"And?" Sam looked at him then back across the pasture.
"And..., Brad and I were partners. He owned half of Keller Construction, now Em does. When they redid their wills not long ago, he set her half up in a trust until she’s twenty one." He turned to face her. "I need to know your plans for Em."
“I'm taking Em back with me on Thursday. I have to be at work Friday.” Sam shrugged. “We have a nursery; she can stay there while I work."
"No. You can't take her away." He gripped the rail, just what he was afraid of. "Your mother loves her. She would be lost in that house without Em. It’s going to be hard on her as it is without Jules and Brad."
"I don't have a choice." She looked up at him. "I can't stay here. I have a life in Dallas. Mom will adapt."
"Still thinking of yourself?" He grabbed her shoulders, forced her to turn and look at him. "You are not taking Em from here; she belongs with people who care about her, not with strangers. Jules wouldn't like it and I'm not going to let you."
She wrenched away from him. "You don't have any say in the matter."
"Brad and Jules made me her godfather. I don't take that lightly." He took a
Sam halted at the piano and ran her fingers lightly over the keys. "Remember how I hated piano lessons?" She turned to her mother. "I thought it more fun to clean stalls or work in the hay field with Dad." She laughed then picked up a picture of Julianna.
Her mom joined her at the piano, took the picture from her hand, wiped off imagined dust. "Julianna hated the outdoorsy stuff." She placed the picture in its spot and put her arm around Sam's shoulder. "I had problems getting her to stop practicing."
Her mom raised her head. "Was that a car?" She went to the window, looked out, then opened the door.
Sam turned to see Marcus walk in. A wave of longing washed over her. She turned back to the pictures and took a breath.
"Come on in, Marcus." Her mom closed the door behind him. "Emily is down for her nap but you're welcome to wait. Would you like something to drink, a snack?"
"Thanks, but I came to talk to Sam.”
Sam sighed, turned to face him. They might as well get it over with.
Mom looked from Marcus to Sam. "I'll go check on Emily and give you some privacy." She started across the room.
"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. We'll walk down to the gazebo and chat there." He opened the door gave Sam a look that meant business.
Sam sighed again, turned to her mom, and kissed her cheek. She glanced back at Marcus, then strode out the door. Marcus caught up with her at the bottom of the steps, placed a hand on her elbow, and turned her toward the gazebo.
They walked in silence, his hand warm on her arm. As they passed the old oak that shaded the majority of the yard, Sam stopped, went to the tree, and examined the trunk.
Marcus watched her a moment, then strolled over. He took her hand, led her to the barn side of the tree. "It is still there." He pointed to a faint heart with initials in it. "Remember how mad you were when you saw me carving on your tree?"
Sam smiled and traced the heart shape with her finger. "I almost decked you. Good thing you moved and I saw what you were really doing." She touched the number four that went with the ever. "That was a long time ago though. Things have changed."
"Have they changed that much, Sam?"
She shrugged and looked around. Marcus first kissed her at the gazebo, better not to go there. She strolled over to the split rail fence and leaned on the top rail. Gazing across the pasture of cows, she heard Marcus come up beside her. He stood next to her, his arm warm against hers. She took a deep breath, smelled the faint scent of his aftershave and the lingering aroma of the hay that had been baled last week.
Marcus let out a breath and cleared his throat. "I know you are Em's guardian now." He rested his arms on the top rail next to hers. "Brad told me about it when they set up their wills."
"And?" Sam looked at him then back across the pasture.
"And..., Brad and I were partners. He owned half of Keller Construction, now Em does. When they redid their wills not long ago, he set her half up in a trust until she’s twenty one." He turned to face her. "I need to know your plans for Em."
“I'm taking Em back with me on Thursday. I have to be at work Friday.” Sam shrugged. “We have a nursery; she can stay there while I work."
"No. You can't take her away." He gripped the rail, just what he was afraid of. "Your mother loves her. She would be lost in that house without Em. It’s going to be hard on her as it is without Jules and Brad."
"I don't have a choice." She looked up at him. "I can't stay here. I have a life in Dallas. Mom will adapt."
"Still thinking of yourself?" He grabbed her shoulders, forced her to turn and look at him. "You are not taking Em from here; she belongs with people who care about her, not with strangers. Jules wouldn't like it and I'm not going to let you."
She wrenched away from him. "You don't have any say in the matter."
"Brad and Jules made me her godfather. I don't take that lightly." He took a
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