“Ah shit. You mean you’re not going to make it hard for him? This is a big bet for Asher and me—you have to, Samantha,” she wailed.
“What’s the bet?”
“It’s how we’re going to spend an entire weekend. He wants to go camping, I want a five-star hotel.”
“I thought you liked camping?” Samantha was confused.
“Over a five-star hotel? You’ve got to be kidding me. I camped for years with my family, I want luxury. I know he’ll bring an air mattress, but I would prefer a king-sized bed for what I have planned.”
“TMI.”
“So, you have to play hard-to-get. Promise me.”
“I think you’re so wrong in the head about this, that neither of you are going to win the bet.” Which was too bad, because she really would have liked to have spent some more time with Ezio.
“Fine. If you’re not going to give me that pleasure, at least give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to block Kevin’s number.”
Sam giggled.
“You don’t need to do it. But you can watch me as I do it. Yep, he was over the top when he said he wanted to come visit me.” Sam snagged her phone off the coffee table and called up Kevin’s contact information, then blocked his number.
“How do you feel?” Eden wanted to know.
“Better. Much better.”
4
It was a Virginia number that she didn’t recognize but it didn’t matter, because Ezio identified himself on the text.
Hi Samantha, it’s Ezio Stark. I hear you’re settling into life here in Virginia. I was wondering if I could take you to dinner this weekend.
Sam’s hand felt slick as she looked at the message. She tried not to let her insecurity screw things up. Eden wouldn’t lie to her. Ezio was really interested, and God knew she was.
Walking to the kitchen with her phone, she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and thought about her schedule. It was getting pretty hot and heavy with work, but she’d sure as heck would make time for dinner with this man.
She blushed at the term ‘hot and heavy.’
Really? I shouldn’t be thinking that in the same sentence as Ezio.
The man got under her skin. Not just the outside package, but the few things she’d gleaned during their conversation at the diner she’d really liked. A lot.
Courage, Brooks.
That would be great. Saturday would be best, if that would work out okay with you.
Her phone rang. She gulped in air and pressed accept.
“Hi,” she smiled into the receiver.
“Hi,” Ezio said in that smoky voice of his. Again with the shivers. “I figured it would be easier to call for the specifics. Plus, it would be nice to hear your voice again.”
“You, too. I mean, it’s good to hear your voice too, Ezio. How have you been?” Sam winced since according to Eden he couldn’t tell her anything about his job.
“Pretty good. I had a little time off and got to spend time with my family. They’re up in New York, so I don’t see them often enough, at least according to them.”
“Oh yeah, I remember. Aren’t you the oldest of five brothers and sisters?”
“Six,” he corrected.
“Do you all manage to get together?”
“Most of them still live pretty close to where we grew up, so when possible, yeah, we all get together.”
Sam remembered thinking it was odd that he came from such a large family, when he kept his cards so close to his chest. She’d thought he’d be more outgoing. Maybe it was a SEAL thing. But there had been that guy Cullen at the party, and God knew he’d been more than outgoing…
“Samantha?”
Darn it, she hadn’t been paying attention. “I’m here. So, what time on Saturday?”
“I’m thinking if I pick you up at six, we can make a seven o’clock reservation near the water. How does that sound?”
“Good,” she gave him her address.
“I look forward to hearing all about your new life in Virginia.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“I bet you’ll think it’s boring.”
“That’s for me to decide.” Still that smoky sound that wrapped around her. Add that to his green eyes, and Sam remembered why she’d been so disappointed they’d stopped communicating. “I’ll see you on Saturday.
5
“Toni, it can’t be that bad.”
Toni looked around her glass office as if someone were lurking. “It is. It really is,” her friend assured her. “My brother has fallen off the wagon hard. His wife has kicked him out, and he’s sleeping on his friend Greg’s sofa.”
“Okay,” Sam said slowly. It sounded sad, not bad. “I don’t remember Phil being like that in Boise when we were growing up. Heck, even in high school he didn’t drink at parties.”
“It started after he lost his job a few years ago, then he lost his confidence, and he started drinking. He got re-employed, but he still uses alcohol as a crutch. Right now, he’s using it like a freaking wheelchair.”
“So, what’s so bad?”
“The problem is that his good friend Greg is a gambler, and he’s been taking Phil to the casinos with him. Phil gets blind drunk and he’s bleeding himself dry.”
“Does his wife know?”
“I told her yesterday. She just put a hold on all of their accounts, but it was too late, he’d already taken out a second mortgage on their house.”
“Shit.” Sam clapped her hand over her mouth, hating it when she actually swore.
“What’s worse is she’s pregnant with their second kid, and it’s a rough pregnancy. The way Sharon and I figure it, that’s what sent him off the rails again.”
Samantha might have a kind heart, but she didn’t have much sympathy for Phil. He needed to be there for his wife, not spiraling back into drinking and then taking
