“Instead of going out again, why don’t we throw something on the grill?” Gemma suggested. “That’s what Josh and I had planned. I’ve got a couple of chicken breasts marinating. It would be no problem to stop at home before I head back to the office and toss a few more in.”
Her mother beamed. “That sounds perfect. Samantha, what about you?”
She had so much to do, including finishing the alterations for Margaret’s dress. A responsible business owner would refuse, citing her heavy workload.
On the other hand, she had to eat. How much extra time would she pick up, eating by herself in front of the TV? She could work after dinner. Altering a dress wasn’t nearly the job she thought she would be facing, starting from nothing.
Anyway, she had worked terribly hard on the gown for Gemma and wanted to celebrate a job well done. She deserved at least that, didn’t she?
“I think I can make dinner work tonight,” she said.
“Perfect.” Margaret beamed. “Shall we do it at our cottage? Last night we had a lovely view of the sunset over the mountains and I expect tonight will be the same.”
“We can do it at my place,” Gemma said. “Same view, with a little more space. Plus Josh knows how to work my barbecue grill and I doubt Father can say the same.”
“That works. But I’ll take care of dessert and all the sides,” Margaret insisted. “Should we say seven?”
“Yes. That should be great,” Sam said. It would give her just enough time to go home and check on the puppies before she left again for dinner with them.
Before Margaret could respond, the bell on her front door chimed and a moment later Ian walked inside, his hair messed a little by the breeze.
She wanted to smooth it down, straighten his collar, then mess it all up again with a kiss.
“Ian, darling. Tell me you don’t have dinner plans,” Margaret ordered. “We’re planning a dinner party to celebrate the fabulous dress Samantha has created for your sister. You and the children must be there.”
“Must we?” he said faintly.
“What Mother means is you’re invited to dinner,” Gemma said with a grin. “I’ll have Josh grill chicken and would love to have you and the children and Mrs. Gilbert join us.”
“Well, in that case, of course.”
He didn’t look at Samantha but she somehow sensed his attention, anyway.
Margaret looked pleased. “Do you know Gemma’s address?” she asked her. “I can write it for you.”
“I know where it is,” she said, declining to point out that Haven Point was small enough that she knew where nearly everybody lived.
“Great. We’ll see you there, then. Or better still, you should ride with Ian and the children, since you live just next door. I don’t see the point in taking two cars.”
“Think of the environment,” Gemma said, a teasing look in her eye as she looked at her brother.
He frowned at her. “Right. The environment. I guess that seals it. What time is dinner?”
“Seven.”
“Shall I pick you up at 6:45?” he asked Sam.
“That would be good. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said solemnly.
She was becoming more enmeshed in his life with every passing day, Sam thought after they left and her store was quiet again. First with the children and Ian, now with his mother.
She liked them all so much. She liked being part of something, even though she had to remind herself it wouldn’t last.
Except for Gemma, the Summerhills would only be here a few more weeks. She had to keep that in mind. Her relationship with all of them was temporary, as fleeting as the Haven Point summers. Ian and his family would return to England when the wedding was over, leaving her alone with only her memories.
How on earth would she go back to her solitary life when they left?
CHAPTER TEN
AS IAN WAITED on Samantha’s doorstep for her to answer Thomas’s vigorous ringing of the bell, he felt ridiculously tongue-tied.
“Do you think she forgot we were coming?” Thomas asked anxiously.
“You only rang the bell fifteen seconds ago, son. You have to give her time to answer.”
“I hope she didn’t forget. I like Miss Fremont.”
So did Ian. Entirely too much. That must be why he had butterflies jumping inside him as he waited for her to open the door. He couldn’t say that, of course. He didn’t even want to admit it to himself.
A moment later, the door opened and Sam stood there.
“Hello.” She smiled, looking as fresh and lovely as a summer day. He wasn’t the kind of guy who usually paid attention to things like clothing but he couldn’t help noticing she had changed her clothes from work and now wore a turquoise sundress and carried a navy jumper over her arm. Her messy bun of earlier in the day looked softer somehow, more enticing. He again wanted to pull the whole thing free.
More than that, he wanted fiercely to step forward and kiss her. The urge was an actual ache in his chest. Only his children’s presence stopped him. What a relief that they were there to keep him from making that mistake again, he told himself, but wasn’t quite sure he believed it.
“Hello,” he answered, feeling as if his thoughts and words were as slippery as fish out of water.
“It’s very kind of you all to give me a ride.”
“It’s no trouble,” Amelia assured her, as if the eight-year-old would be doing the driving.
“It’s really not,” Ian had to agree. “It’s not as if we had to go far out of our way.”
“We didn’t have to go out of our way at all,” Thomas said. “You’re just next door. How are the puppies? Are they in their room?”
She gave him a soft, warm smile that didn’t help Ian’s turmoil. “Yes. Safe and sound for the evening.”
“They were silly this morning when we played with them,”
