“What he doesn’t say is that he was my teacher when I was in high school. During my senior year, he taught history, boring history,” she said with a laugh.
“Not boring, you just didn’t pay attention,” he replied into her hair.
His touch and teasing made her smile. The man had a way of knowing when she needed him and was there for her. Sam, who could make her laugh or cry at a word. Sam, who was going to be sleeping next to her in the next few hours. Sam, who was stealing her heart a little at a time.
“So, how long have you been together now? How did it happen?” Della asked with interest, bringing her back and making her realize she had no idea how to answer.
CHAPTER11
Feeling Natalie stiffenin his arms, Sam answered for her. “Last year, at this time, Natalie almost got married but took off before the ceremony. I caught her in the parking lot and took her home. We’ve been together ever since.”
It was the truth after all, just a different time. Even as he said the words, he realized that they had been together ever since the wedding. Before that, they hadn’t seen each other in years, and now he didn’t know how he was going to go back to not having her around.
“How romantic.” Della looked at the two of them.
“It is. We’re on a sort of honeymoon now.” Sam took advantage of the situation and kissed Natalie’s temple.
The conversation went back to his teaching and history, something Max also enjoyed. He told them a little about Birch Cove’s past, including about the Conners and how they had come to own half the town once.
All the while, Natalie seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. If she was even listening, he didn’t know. But when Della said her name, she jumped a little, and he tightened his hold on her, hoping the other couple hadn’t noticed.
“Beckett?”
“What? I was daydreaming, I guess. Sorry,” Natalie mumbled.
“I was just saying I was sorry about Molly asking about the scars. She’s very precocious,” Della explained of her youngest child.
“That’s okay, I usually get Lilly’s reaction to them. Most kids find my scars scary, some adults also. I try to keep them covered.” Natalie touched her leg that Molly had touched without seeming to notice it.
“Was the accident bad?” Max asked from the kitchen.
Sam took over because Natalie shouldn’t have to. “Yes, Beckett barely survived it, and others didn’t.”
Della and Max seemed to have noticed that Natalie had gone pale and let the subject fall as the girls ran into the room, fighting about something and further breaking up the conversation.
Once Max was finished making the chicken dish, he was making sure they all gathered around the table to eat. Sam looked around the table. The girls were eating without the complaining, which wasn’t expected. Max and Della were sitting side-by-side, and at one point, Max leaned over and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek that made her giggle.
With the meal done and the dishes put in the dishwasher, Sam and Natalie excused themselves and went back to the B&B across the road. Sam knew the night had to come to an end but was sad when it did. Natalie had become relaxed with the couple and their children—she was able to be herself. He knew she was enjoying herself and learning more and more about her mother. Della had talked about her three sisters and their families a little, two of which lived within a few miles of Della. Some about her youth growing up in town, too.
When Della had said she had skipped grades in school to graduate early, he was reminded of how bored Natalie used to be in school. The younger woman must have inherited her brains from Della. When Natalie talked about sports, Della had admitted she was no good at them, so that must have come from her father.
Once he had shut the door behind them at the B&B, she started talking about their day. She was giddy with excitement over her new knowledge of her mother and for what she had learned about herself. To Sam, it seemed she had learned more in the last few hours than the twenty-four years prior. Enjoying the chatter, he just let her ramble on, recapping events he was right beside her for.
When they had made it to their bedroom, she suddenly became quiet, and the single bed was all he could think about suddenly. That and all the things that they could do in that bed that they shouldn’t do.
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” Sam picked up his suitcase.
“No, I will. You’ve done so much for me to sleep on the floor. I will.” She dug through her bag, but whether she was actually looking for something or avoiding looking at him he didn’t know.
“So, you think your back would be fine sleeping on the hard floor?” He looked at her back, mostly because it was facing him.
“I’ll survive.” She continued digging through her bag, not looking up.
“No, you’ll be in pain. And maybe in pain tomorrow also. I will sleep on the floor.” He headed out the door to the bathroom, not letting her argue anymore.
As he brushed his teeth, he tried hard to put her back in the category of student, but he couldn’t. She was no longer that girl in the back row of senior history. She was Natalie now. And it was Natalie with whom he wanted to share a bed. But he was determined not to let anything happen on this trip. Her emotions were stretched to the limit as it was, and she didn’t need him confusing her more.
Changing into the basketball shorts and T-shirt he had brought, he headed out to the bedroom. Dropping his bag on the ground near the door, he saw she was sitting on the bed, but she had changed into the short shorts and the tank top she had worn on the deck. In the light of the room, he was able to see the scar that came out of the top of her tank top between her breasts, but it was the breasts that had his full attention. They were clearly visible beneath the tight tank top. He could almost feel them in his hands as her nipples suddenly became visible under the thin material.