Page 97

“I’m right, and it might take some time for you to see it, but I’ll show you what you mean to me.” I shift her to my pillow and hop out of bed. “I’ll be right back, don’t you dare move this time.”

“I’m not having ridiculous cramps,” she calls to me while I’m taking care of the condom in the bathroom.

“I know, but we’re cuddling for a while.”

Sam is in the bed where I left her, except she’s under the covers. As I leave the bathroom, she lifts the edge of the sheet up for me to slip under. “I suppose I can stay put for cuddles with Tommy Landen.”

I tuck her against me, her head rests on my shoulder, arm drapes over my stomach, and her legs twist up with mine. As early as this may be in a relationship, I can see how this can feel and how this can be. I’ll fight to keep it, and everything just feels right.

“Will you stay tonight?” I ask,

“I would love to, Tommy,” she says through a yawn. “It’s a good thing my boyfriend wrote me a list of things to keep here so I’m ready at any time.”

“Good, then we can have breakfast together in the morning.”

She goes still against me.

“What?” I ask, trying to figure out how breakfast might have made her nervous.

“What do you all wear in the mornings?” she asks.

“Pants or shorts, sometimes shirts.”

She groans against my chest. “I didn’t pack a robe.”

“You don’t need to wear one,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

“I’m not going down in just my pajamas.”

“Then you can wear one of my shirts over your pajamas.” The image of her walking around in just my shirt has me getting hard again. Well, that, and the fact that Sam is naked and pressed against me in my bed.

“I suppose I could do that. And maybe I’ll wear your hat down to breakfast, too, just to avoid any questions your brothers might ask,” she says, tipping her face up at me with a sly look.

“That would explain everything that we just did without needing to say a thing.” Now I’m picturing Sam walking around in this house only in my shirt and hat.

“Perfect, then we have a plan for the morning.”

“And tonight, hang on.” I reach over to my bedside table and open the top drawer and pull out a handful of bars and snacks.

“You are an incredibly smart guy,” she says, shifting so we can kiss.

“More like a guy who’s in love with his girlfriend and wants to be able to keep her in his bed as long as possible.”

“That, too,” she says before her lips find mine.

Chapter 63: Sam

Months later - at the second annual dating auction fundraiser

I swear Chuck is up to something. There’s only one more person to announce for the auction, so things should be calm backstage.

They’re not.

Someone swears, it sounded like Bryant oddly enough, and there are muffled clanging sounds every now and then and a draft about every ten seconds. Jacksy likes to take breaks outside, but this is just getting silly. Tommy assured me that Chuck wasn’t up to any shenanigans, but I swear something is going on.

The applause dies down and I announce the final bachelorette of the evening for the group date, which includes a dinner of Jesse’s barbecue and desserts from Sarah, much to everyone’s delight.

“Our final lady likely needs no introduction, but just in case you haven’t met Mrs. Helena Fields, let me share a little about her.” Mrs. Fields, technically Ms. Fields, steps out from between the curtains with the grace of a dancer, even though she’s more than eighty years old. “Helena has been a citizen of Greenstone for her whole life and, she’d like me to point out, she has been single for more than two years, a new record.”