She chuckled at that one. “Like I came out to the boondocks and found you?”
His frown softened. “Yeah. Just like that.” He leaned back on the rail and pulled her against him. “But seriously, Sam, I’m concerned about your safety. Would you give up your career…for me?”
“But…it’s part of who I am, Jake.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “No matter what, I need my independence. I can’t just sit in the house all day, twiddling my thumbs.”
He stroked her arm. “You’d be twiddling them with me.” When she sighed but didn’t respond he said, “Okay, let's compromise. You keep the decorating side of your career and I’ll make sure the rest of the time you’ll be so swamped with charity work you won’t have time to scratch your head. How does that sound?”
She peeped up at him. “And can I help you write your book?”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” he said quickly, and he looked like he meant it. “We’ll brainstorm together and churn out book after book. You’ll probably start writing books of your own. We’ll be a power team, pumping out thriller after thriller.”
Sam walked her fingers up his chest then reached up to stroke his neck. “Romance is what I want to write.”
“Whatever pleases the lady,” he said with a wink.
“And I’ll start,” she said, as she turned her face up for a kiss, “with our story.”
That settled, Sam decided to introduce Jake to her parents. She started with her dad.
“I knew it,” Alvin said and slapped his knee. He looked over at Meg. “Didn’t I tell you something was going to happen between those two?”
Sam put her hands on her hips. “Have you two been talking about me behind my back?”
“Yes, dear, as we always do.” Meg gave her an unapologetic grin.
“From that first day she came back to office with her face shining like the sun I knew she’d been bit by the bug. The love bug.” Her father’s laugh echoed in the tiny office.
“Anyway,” Sam said, with a sigh of exasperation, “I want you to meet him. When’s good for you two?”
“Bring him over Sunday afternoon,” Meg said, her face eager. “We’ll do a barbecue. I’m sure he’ll love that. He must have been so lonely stuck in that big old house all by himself.”
“He’s not going to be lonely anymore.” Alvin nudged Meg with his elbow and they both laughed.
Sam rolled her eyes then smiled and shook her head. She could only hope these two would be on their best behavior on Sunday. The last thing she needed was for Jake to think he was marrying into a family of loonies.
To Sam’s surprise and relief, Alvin and Meg took off their troublemaker hats and were the perfect hosts that Sunday evening. She could see Jake relax in their presence and at the end of the day when he kissed her goodnight he gave her his verdict. He loved them.
“Relax, Sam,” he said with a chuckle. “Your parents aren’t on trial here. I could see you watching their every move. But you forget,” he said as he pulled her close, “they’re not the ones who have to pass the test. I am.”
She chuckled then. “The results are in,” she said as she leaned against him. “You passed with flying colors.”
“Thank God.” He gave an exaggerated sigh of relief and they both laughed.
The following weekend they paid a visit to Mary who treated them to an elegant five course meal.
“Mom, you outdid yourself.” Sam couldn’t believe her mother had gone to so much trouble but she was grateful. She could see that Jake was impressed, not just with Mary’s culinary skills but also with her artistic talent. After dinner he visited the room she used as her art studio and admired painting after painting. Within half an hour he’d bought four of them and commissioned her to do a painting for placement over the mantelpiece in his living room.
At one point Sam pulled him aside. “You don’t have to do this, Jake, just because it’s my mom.”
“But I want to,” he said, pulling away from her to look at yet another painting, “not because she’s your mom but because she’s a really good artist. I want our home to be ready for when you move in,” he looked back at her then, “as my wife.”
That made Sam blush. That word – wife – always had the same effect on her. Whenever he said it her heart swelled with joy and pride till she felt she’d burst with happiness. Okay, so it was corny, but she couldn’t help how she felt. She could hardly wait until the day she walked down the aisle and finally became his.
The week that followed was so busy for Sam that she only got a chance to see Jake once. It was as if the universe had conspired to keep her away from him so she would miss him all the more. As if she wasn’t suffering enough already, anxiously awaiting her wedding. They’d decided on a spring wedding and it was only October. And although she would need the time to get everything organized the wait was sheer torture.
Still, even when they didn’t get to see each other they always spoke on the phone, sometimes as many as three or four times a day. Sam had never thought herself the sentimental type but something had happened to her. She was a new, softer Sam who couldn’t wait to hear from her man.
Next morning, very early in the morning, she did. But it was not the kind of phone call she was expecting. Jake was on the phone, but it was not the man who had called the night before to wish her a loving goodnight. No, this man was angry.
“How could you do this to me?” The voice on the other end of the line vibrated with a rage Sam didn’t know Jake possessed. “I trusted you and this is what you do to me?”
“What?” Sam’s heart leaped into her throat. What the hell was going on? "What did I do to you?”
“You’re asking me that?” he raged. “You know me by now, Sam. You know how important my privacy is. And you go and sell me out like that?”