“I’d love to try the s’mores pie. Thank you.”
“We’ll get that over to you.”
Amanda thanked Naomi one more time, then hung up the phone. She changed into her super-sexy sweats and a tank top featuring her favorite Adventure Time fan art. After she washed her face and pineappled her braids on top of her head, there was a knock on her door.
“Your s’mores pie for you, Miss McQueen,” she heard a young woman’s voice call out in a stage whisper. Amanda rushed across the room and opened the door. There was a girl close to her age wearing the signature white, green, and blue plaid shirt and carrying one of those warm skillet plates piled high with gooey goodness.
Behind her was Sam, with two flutes and a bottle of champagne.
Chapter 7
“Good evening, Miss McQueen. We have your super-delicious s’mores pie. Where would you like it?” The girl’s name tag said TAWNY.
Amanda glanced around and looked at the small coffee table between the love seat and the fireplace. “Um, right there is perfect. Thank you.” After she set the dessert skillet down on top of a small protective mat, she produced some spoons seemingly out of thin air.
“There you are. Enjoy,” Tawny said, her voice sweet and bright. Amanda slid her the bit of cash she had waiting in her palm and then stood by as Tawny left the room. Sam was still standing in the hallway.
“I thought you’d called it a night,” Amanda said, fighting a smile and failing miserably.
“Ah, no. My brother was heading back and I figured I’d go with him. Didn’t want to make it obvious that I was waiting for you.”
“Oh. Would you like to come in?”
“I would love to.” He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Closed her inside with him. Inside another hotel room with Sam Pleasant. How did this keep happening? He carefully set down the champagne bottle and glasses, then removed his hat. He nodded toward a set of oddly shaped hooks by the door.
“Do you mind?”
“If I say I don’t, that doesn’t mean we’re betrothed or anything, does it?”
“No, it just means I’m asking before I hang my hat any old place. Just trying to respect your space is all. Ma’am.” Amanda rolled her eyes at the entirely unnecessary twang he added at the end.
“Knock yourself out, Tex.”
Sam threw her a devastating wink and settled his white hat safely on the hook. He turned then and took her hand and led her over to the couch. They sat together, just enough space between them for Amanda to pull her knee up to the cushion. The huge scoops of ice cream were melting atop the warm pie, but Amanda couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. Sam draped his arm over the back of the couch and lightly brushed her shoulder.
“Did you enjoy the rest of your night?” he asked. For some reason she didn’t expect such a simple but sincere question. She expected more lines. More come-ons, more jokes. Instead she got that soft look in his eye. The same one she’d caught a glimpse of before they’d tumbled into his bed at the W.
“I tried.”
“That bad, huh?”
“No. I had a great time. The square dance was amazing. I haven’t been to one since Girl Scouts.”
“Oh, I bet you were the cookie champ.”
“No. One year I pooled all my resources to help this other girl win ’cause her parents were getting divorced? That made me feel like a winner.”
“I would say so,” Sam said, chuckling a bit.
“I just wish I’d had a proper pair of cowboy boots so I could have really gotten into the spirit. My wedges got the job done, but I would’ve really liked to have committed to the whole ranch aesthetic if I’d known it would be so involved.”
“Oh, you need some proper boots. Your feet haven’t truly lived without them,” he said gravely. She had a feeling he was right.
“I’ll add them to my footwear bucket list. So what’s next for you?” Amanda nudged his knee, then realized it was time to stop neglecting their dessert. She grabbed a spoon and dug in as Sam replied.
“I’m taking a little time off. I’ve been filming and traveling for the better part of two years. I’m exhausted. I missed my family too.”
“Must be nice to be home,” she said before she took another bite.
“It is.”
Just then Amanda heard her phone vibrate once on the bed.
“I missed seeing my brothers and my grandma.”
“I’m sure they are glad to have you back. Are you gonna get in on this? ’Cause I will eat the whole thing,” she said, going in for another spoonful. “This ice cream has angel tears in it or something.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have some, but first, a toast.”
“Oh, to what!”
“Hold on.” Sam grabbed the bottle of champagne and made quick work of the foil and the wire before he twisted the cork off into his palm with a light pop. “There’s no reason to send a cork flying.”
“I agree with you.”
Amanda watched his confident hands as he filled her glass and handed it to her.
“Here’s to us,” he said.
Amanda felt her eyebrow jump up. “To us?”
“To us. And the do-over story we have to tell our grandchildren.”
Laughter sputtered out of Amanda. “What?!”
“What? You want to tell them how you seduced and then robbed me on Oscar night?”
“I mean, yeah. It’s a better story than telling we met at a wedding. Sometimes you need to know that your grandma liked to steal.”
“Like I said, to us.”
Amanda rolled her eyes as she gently clinked her glass to his. She fought the urge to toss back the champagne and took a small sip. “You know, you’re going to feel real silly when you wake up Monday morning and realize I was just a figment of your imagination.”
“Oh really!”
“You know all this is too good to be true,” Amanda said, and she flipped an imaginary hunk of hair off her shoulder. Sam laughed in response, but his
