“I will not. And you will not tell your brothers, especially Jesse. He’s already all up in my business, getting in the way. You know nice Mr. Chester?”
“The organ guy.” He played the organ at Miss Leona’s church.
“Yes, honey. The organ guy. He asked me out to a nice lunch. Jesse got puffed up. You know how he does—”
“I do.” His brother didn’t have a temper, exactly, but he had a temper. It didn’t help that he was six-foot-seven and built like warehouse, forget a barn. He kept his temper in check most of the time, but while Zach, Lilah and Corie took care of Miss Leona’s day to day needs, Jesse had knighted himself his grandmother’s protector. Trying to save her from any and all elderly would-be grifters looking to swindle her out of her money and her heart. But Mr. Chester was far from the type. He was a sweet old man who had always been kind to their family. Too bad Jesse had ruined his chances.
“Okay, so this new guy slid in while Jesse was swimming laps or something.”
“Why do you have to make me sound all common? Slid in. Please.”
“Well, you won’t give me details and you’re being all covert. I have to assume he’s being covert too.”
“No one is sliding in anything. I’m just trying to keep most of my grandchildren out of my business. But if you must know, he’s a widower. He’s a nice man. He still works. He has one grown daughter who is doing very well for herself.”
Sam was pretty out of the loop when it came to the happenings of the over-eighty set. She could have been talking about anyone. “Well, you let me know if it starts getting serious. I want to talk to the young chap.”
“Mhmm. I take it you’re sleeping over here tonight.”
“I didn’t want to wake Jesse up and the rest of the dogs. Do you want me to wait up for Lilah and Corie?”
“No, baby. You go on to bed. You can stay in the Sunshine room. It’s all made up for Evie, but I’m gonna stick to my word and let her sleep over there when she gets here tomorrow.”
“How kind of you,” Sam laughed as he came back around the island. “Don’t worry, they’ll be married soon enough. Good night, Grandma.”
She sucked her teeth. “Miss Leona.” It was what everyone called her, all three of her sons and all of their children. Except Sam. Lilah may have been the baby, but Sam got away with more.
“You know I can’t call you that. It’s so impersonal. So cold,” he teased. His grandma rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers against her cheek. He gave her a light kiss and a hug, then headed down the hall toward the guest rooms.
Talking to his grandmother put a smile back on his face. It also made him look forward to seeing Amanda again. They couldn’t spend the night together, but it would be nice to text her before he knocked out. Say goodnight, tell her how much he enjoyed being with her for the short time they had. Maybe tomorrow, he’d remember to get her number.
Chapter 8
Amanda felt strange. It was the only way to describe the uneasy feeling that had been following her all day. She’d tried to get some good, restful sleep. It was the most responsible thing to do in a nice hotel room, and the bed in room twelve was freaking divine. Perfect mattress, warm blankets and feather pillows to die for. She could’ve taken a two-week vacation on the bed in room twelve. Too bad Dru had been blowing up her phone on and off until two a.m. Amanda should have expected it. Yes, she had her weekends off, but Dru had geographical anxiety when it came to Amanda, especially when Kaidence was busy. It hadn’t helped that Dru had been drinking. Still, Amanda had answered her calls and replied to her texts until it was clear Dru had fallen asleep. She’d passed out herself and woken up to the ascending twinkling of her alarm. She’d slept soundly, but she’d needed at least four more hours.
She’d pulled herself together and made her way over to the Copper Canteen for the ladies’ breakfast with the bridal party. That’s when things had started going downhill. Helene’s cousin Oni had to go and bring up Sam. Helene and Robyn kept their word and their mouths shut about what they knew about Amanda and her unique situation with a certain actor. They didn’t stay on him too long as a topic of conversation, but for seven or so minutes nearly every woman in attendance, including Helene’s mother, presented their opinions on Sam’s devastatingly good looks, his Oscar win, and his single status, testing all of Amanda’s limits.
More than one member of the bridal party had made it clear Sam could get it before they’d moved on to the all-important topic of who had done bridesmaid number two’s eyebrows. Before the weekend was out, one of these single ladies was going to take a crack at Sam Pleasant. Amanda just smiled and laughed along with the conversation, ignoring the glance Helene passed her way. She understood. Sam was gorgeous. He was famous. He was available. Who wouldn’t want to get with him?
Of course, Amanda hadn’t breathed a word about the night they’d spent together or their abbreviated dessert break, but it had been a special kind of awful listening to them talk about a person she had to admit she had some pretty confusing feelings for. And she definitely wasn’t jealous. It wouldn’t make sense for her to be jealous. She and Sam weren’t a thing, and whatever had happened between them was, by definition, a secret. But still, an odd pang pinched at her neck every time another woman mentioned his name.
And that seemed to be the theme for the day: glee for the happy couple and their beautiful
