Roman hesitated. “But you’re getting on a plane to Miami tonight?”
Shrugging, Sam tried to seem more confident than he felt. “It’s home. I…I’m planning on taking some time, surfing, laying on the beach.” He tried to convince himself that it was a good plan, the right plan. “I need to find a place.”
Roman nodded and lifted an eyebrow. “Why don’t you stay here for a few days?”
“What?” Sam hadn’t been expecting this offer.
The side of Roman’s lip turned up. “I could use a friend to help out.”
Even though Sam wanted to say yes, his mind flashed to Tiffany and how vulnerable he’d felt that morning in the diner. He shook his head. “I would like that, but I don’t think it would work out right now.”
“Why?” Roman asked, sounding hurt.
Sam paused. “Look, I appreciate the invitation, but—”
Roman cut him off. “You have nothing to do right now. You’re just waiting on the contract, right?”
He wanted to fire back that it was Roman’s fault he was waiting because he should still be the starting quarterback for the Destroyers, but it wasn’t Roman’s fault.
It was his fault. He knew that. There was no one to be angry with except himself, so he said nothing.
Roman’s face softened. “Look, just stay.”
Sam let out a puff and thought of Tiffany. “I’ve already insulted your friends.”
“What?”
Sam looked at his hands, picked at his nails for a second and then looked back up at Roman. “I kind of told Tiffany she was making a mistake not taking a job with a band that offered her the lead singer role, and it…well, it blew up this morning at the diner. I swear all the old men and Lou wanted to kick my trash when I left.” He shrugged. “I’m amazed there’s not an article about it in the Enquirer already.”
The side of Roman’s jaw clutched tighter. “Wow, leave it to you to tick everyone off in less than two days.”
“Right,” Sam said with no energy behind it.
“Dang, Dumont.” Roman laughed, turning and walking out of the kitchen. He laughed some more then turned back. “Cancel your flight. You’re staying, even if it’s just to apologize to Tiffany, and believe me, you’re going to have to grovel to get back into her good graces.”
“I’m not apologizing.”
“What?” Roman’s tired gaze turned hard.
Sam sighed. “She threw the fact I had an affair with your wife in my face.”
The line of Roman’s jaw flexed.
Sam squeezed his eyes together for a second then turned away from Roman. “I’m just going to go.”
Roman let out a low, boiling chuckle. “Oh, no, you’re not getting off that easy, bro.”
18
Tiffany didn’t like the way her hand shook a little bit as she pushed the doorbell to Roman’s house.
“Well, it was sure nice of them to cook us dinner, wasn’t it?” Tiffany’s mother chatted beside her.
When Tiffany had received a text from Sam asking that she come to dinner at Roman’s house, she’d ignored it. What Tiffany hadn’t expected was that Roman would text her mother and extend a formal invitation and insist that they just bring themselves.
What in the heck was Sam Dumont still doing in Wolfe Creek?
No, she wasn’t angry that Sam had stayed. What did she care? He was nothing to her. Barring the fact he was a rude jerk this morning at the diner, she could care less about him. It didn’t matter that she’d thrown his past in his face—he deserved it.
Granted, she couldn’t get that memory of them surfing together out of her head all day. And dang it all if the memory of his abs hadn’t haunted her along with the scar above the right side of his lip. So she was attracted to him, so what? Who cared? She’d written off all men. She could have handled him if he was just attractive, but he was pushy too. He described it as trying to be ‘helpful,’ but what gave him the right to tell her what was best for her? How dare he? She’d gotten enough pushiness from Brett, and she wasn’t about to be bulldozed again.
Though Brett would probably say that she had a will of steel. Yeah, she wanted to wait to have sex until she was married. Why was that so irrational? Why did people act like she was some amazing mythical creature because she was a virgin? She didn’t do it to make a statement; she did it because she felt like God wanted her to wait to do that with someone that she was married to. She was glad she hadn’t compromised on that part of her life. With all the other things she’d compromised on—not going to college, putting off her career—at least she still had that. If Sam Dumont thought he could swoop in and tell her what she needed in her life, well…he couldn’t.
Roman swung the door back and immediately pulled her and then her mother into a quick embrace before shooing them in. “You guys saved my bacon. Thank you, thank you!”
The smell of steaks grilling was in the air, and she also smelled something like fresh bread.
“Oh, Roman, you know me and my Tiffany live to help out our neighbors and friends.” She walked with Roman into the main area.
Tiffany surveyed the scene, looking for the enemy.
19
Sam felt like he was going for a last second Hail Mary to win the game. This was his chance to do something big. Something that would change the tide. Nervously, he watched from the kitchen as Tiffany walked into the living room with Roman and her mother. Maddy sat next to him in the high chair. He was just finishing feeding her some peas that she’d been spitting back at him for the last five bites. Cleverly, he’d put on the pink apron that hung next to the kitchen light, so he wouldn’t get sprayed.
Roman had helped him come up with the perfect apology. He hoped Tiffany would go for it. He knew if she did, it would be because Roman had worked a lot of persuading into it.
Tiffany walked in and the butterflies fluttering around his stomach made him feel like a junior high kid again. It unnerved him how often he felt like that young, vulnerable kid when she was around. She wore dark jeans with bling on her back pockets, a sea-green fitted shirt, and black clogs. Her blonde hair hung long down her back, but when she turned, he noticed she looked like a princess with it braided around the crown of her head.
Need. Desire. Want. All of it greater than anything he’d ever experienced filled him. How had this woman put a spell on him that made him want to go to her and drag her into his arms and make her his forever?
Her face didn’t change when she saw him. Disinterested. Cool. Aloof. But then she cocked one eyebrow.
Swallowing, he stood and pulled off the pink apron. He smiled down at her. “Hey.”
Both of her eyebrows lifted, as she looked him up and down. “Oh, I thought you might be over dressed with the boots.” She shrugged. “But I guess you’re not staying here. You’re going out?” she asked it lightly, but he sensed an edge of anger in the words.
“That’s right.” Roman cut in, turning from a conversation with her mother. He grinned and put his arm around Tiffany’s shoulders. “I talked it over with Katie, and we have something special planned for tonight. So I’m hoping you’ll let Sam take you.” He shrugged, and Sam saw the look Roman gave women when he was trying to get what he wanted. “Katie and I really appreciate how you stepped in so quickly. We hope you have fun tonight.”
Tiffany’s face scrunched up suspiciously. “What are you doing, Roman?” She hedged. “Mama and I came for dinner.”
Tiffany’s mother settled herself on the couch, seemingly unfazed by all of it. Sam knew that Roman had told her. “When someone wants to thank you, you just need to say yes, sweetie.”