Luckily, probably startled by the commotion, some birds in the bushes at the other end of the garden raised their voices in strident complaint at the disturbance of their quiet evening. That grabbed Luther’s attention and he took off barking, leaving the two women in peace for the moment.
“Now,” Mary said with a sigh of relief at the temporary respite, “what’s on your mind?”
Sam snapped off a blade of grass and twirled it between index finger and thumb. Where to begin? She stared at the thin green leaf, almost as if it held the key to the mysteries of life, then she tossed it away. Might as well plunge in head first.
“Mom, what would you do if you found yourself falling for a man who could not let go of a past relationship?”
Mary’s eyes narrowed. “Are you talking about Frank Richards? I had a feeling he was fishing around but I warn you now, stay away from that man. He may tell you he’s divorced but he’s not. The nerve of him, flirting with women all around town when he knows-”
“Mom, it’s not Frank.” Sam cut in quickly. Once her mother got started it was a hell of a task to rein her in, especially when she had a notion stuck in her head. “It’s…a man.”
“Of course it’s a man, Sam.”
“I mean a real man, not a braggart like Frank Richards."
Mary nodded. “Keep going.”
“He’s…different from any man I’ve ever met. So powerful and yet so humble.”
Mary gave her a thoughtful look. “Interesting so far, but what’s this about a past relationship?”
Sam plucked another blade of grass and gave a deep sigh. “He lost his wife three years ago but you can see he’s never really said goodbye.”
“He’s a widower?”
“Mm-hmm.” Sam nodded, her mood solemn. “And it’s like he’s determined to play the part to the letter.” Slowly, she shook her head. "It’s strange but from the first day I met him I was drawn to him. He seemed strong and confident but then there was this air of sadness that made me feel I needed to be there for him.”
“Oh, Sam, forever intent on saving the world,” Mary tsked. “You know that was always your downfall, don’t you? Even with that slime, Garrick Sutherland the third.”
“Let’s not bring him up, Mom. He’s not worth discussing.” Sam dropped her eyes and plucked a third blade of grass. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Garrick had dumped her because she wasn’t good enough. Hmm – plumber or attorney-at-law, which to chose? His choice had been pretty easy and she’d found herself out of his life, thrown out on her butt, in the blink of an eye. The weird thing was, he’d known all along what she did for a living. She must have bewitched him somehow and it had taken him a while to realize he could do a whole lot better than her. The jerk.
And now that her mother had brought him up it pulled into sharp focus the question that had been nagging her all along. If she hadn’t been good enough for her ex-fiancé, how in the world would she have any hope with a man who could buy Garrick a hundred times over?
“I’m sorry, darling,” Mary said, breaking into her thoughts. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.” Then she touched Sam’s arm. “Sounds like this man made a big impact. So who is he?”
“Sorry, Mom, can’t tell you.” She was not about to give up that piece of information. “All I want to know is, do you think I’d be stupid to give him a hint of how I feel, or should I just leave it alone? I mean, if he’s still grieving-”
“No, dear, don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t back away. Your heart has spoken and whoever he is, it wants this man. I think you should give it a chance, let him know how you feel.” She shrugged. “You never know. It may just be what he needs. Maybe you’ll be doing him a favor.”
“You mean, I should tell him?” Sam frowned, not liking the idea very much.
“Sometimes actions speak louder than words, honey. There are a lot of ways to get your message across.”
Sam bit her lip, still doubtful.
Seeing her hesitation, Mary pushed harder. “Come on, Sam. Give yourself a chance. If he’s as good a man as you say he is then he might just be worth the effort. Remember,” she said with a lift of the eyebrows, “you’re not getting any younger. Before you know it you’ll be thirty-five and then forty. And what about children?”
“Mom, I don’t-”
“No, hear me out.” Mary put up her hand. “Just test the water. See how he feels about you. Nothing tried, nothing won.”
Sam heaved a sigh. “I know, it’s just…hard to compete with a beloved memory. And she was so beautiful…”
“I’m not saying it won’t be a challenge,” Mary stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back on her elbows, “but I’m sure you’re up to it. Coax him out of his shell. Use your womanly charms.”
“Are you saying I should seduce him?” Sam gave her a crooked smile.
“Yes,” Mary said with a devilish grin, “softly and sweetly. He won’t know what hit him.”
Sam laughed out loud. “Mom, you’re wicked.”
“Only when it matters,” Mary said as she joined in the laughter.
Sam relaxed and then she lay back in the grass, folded her arms behind her head, and stared up at the green canopy of leaves through which she could see patches of blue sky. Yes, she would take her mother's advice. It actually made sense.
And as she thought about it a plan began to form in her mind.
******
Long, blonde hair blowing in the wind, she reached out a hand and stroked his jaw as he angled the boat toward the shore. She had such soft hands. He never tired of her touch.
That day on the lake had been one of the happiest of his life, a celebration of his fifth book hitting the New York Times Best Seller List. Little did he know it would be his last with Jessica. That same evening tragedy struck, changing his life forever.