Sammy grinned when Sam said “my son.” When they got to the elevator, Sam put him down. “I know you’re too big to carry,” he said. “I just didn’t want anyone messing with you again, okay?”
“I didn’t mind,” Sammy said softly. “I never had a daddy carry me before. You’re way taller than Mama. I can see a lot more up this high.”
Sam’s heart twisted at the poignancy of the remark
then he laid a hand on Sammy’s head and grinned. “Glad I could be of help.”
“Is Mama still okay?” Sammy asked, as Sam pushed the button for the second floor.
“She’s more than all right,” Sam said. “She’s awake and talking a lot. They even moved her to a room all her own. We can’t be loud, but we can talk to her for a bit and then I know she’ll have to take another nap, okay?”
“Yeah. I have to take naps when I’m sick, too. You get well faster. Did you know that?”
Sam nodded. “Today, I’m learning all kinds of things, including just how smart you really are.”
Sammy beamed, then looked at Pete and giggled.
Kate knew the boys well enough to know that when they giggled in such a conspiratorial fashion, she needed to know why.
“What’s so funny?” Kate asked.
“Sammy’s dad said hell a whole bunch of times. Hell is a bad word. We’re not allowed to say bad words,” Pete said.
Sam rolled his eyes, then looked at Kate. “Sorry.”
“You’ll learn,” she muttered. “When they’re not eating you out of house and home, they turn into parrots.”
Sam laughed out loud. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to begin this new job. Being Sammy’s father was going to take practice—a whole lot of practice—but he would prevail. His biggest challenge was going to be Libby. He’d hurt her so bad and in so many ways he didn’t even want to count. He’d broken more than her heart. He’d broken faith and trust and everything it takes to make a relationship work. But he was going to fix that, too, if she’d let him.
A few moments later, they got off the elevator and headed for Libby’s room. Sammy started talking as soon as they entered.
“Mama! Mama! You’re awake. I’m so glad to see you. Are you still sleepy? Can you stay awake long enough to talk back to me today?”
Libby was sitting up, waiting for Sam to arrive with Kate and the boys. Relieved that they were all in one piece, she grinned and then patted the side of her bed. “Sit here for a minute, honey. Mama needs a big hug.”
Sam lifted him up. “Hug easy,” he said.
Sammy nodded. “I love you, Mama,” he whispered.
“I love you, too, little man.”
Sammy patted her shoulder, then when Libby leaned back against the pillows, he began telling her about what happened.
“Mama, there was a whole bunch of people downstairs shouting at us and taking pictures and it was crazy, and someone grabbed my arm and pulled me out from behind Grandma Kate and she couldn’t make them get back, and Charlie was holding on to me and Pete so we would be safe and then Daddy came. He made them shut the hell up and—”
Sam rolled his eyes and mouthed the word
sorry
to Libby. It was all she could do not to laugh.
“…then he told them he was a jackass and—”
Libby looked at Sam, then laughed out loud. Sammy kept talking without missing a beat.
“…and said he loved you forever and that if it hadn’t been for me, you and Daddy would still be lost. And he called me a hero. He did, Mama. He said I was a hero for finding him. Do you think I’m a hero, Mama?”
Libby didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I know you’re a hero,” she said. “You’ve always been my hero.” She patted his knee, which seemed to be the signal for Sammy’s story to continue.
“Then he told them to leave or get rested and they didn’t
run fast enough and Chief Fite got ’em first. Right, Daddy?”
“Pretty much,” Sam said.
“I’ve got something to add,” Kate said. “Libby, you don’t know how grateful I am that you’re awake. I love you like a daughter and have been half out of my mind with worry.”
She hugged Libby quickly, then looked at Sam before continuing.
“I might have had reservations before, and I don’t know where you two are with fixing what’s between you, but after today, I say go for it. When I saw him pushing his way through that crowd to get to us, I knew it was going to be all right. And while I’m sure you’ll be seeing what he said on the evening news for at least a week, I’ll tell you right now he said all the right things.” Then she patted Sam’s arm and gathered up her grandsons. “I’m going to leave you three to visit on your own. Charlie…Pete…tell Libby goodbye. We’ll visit longer when she’s feeling better.”
“’Bye, Libby,” they echoed, and hurried out the door.
“Better take the back exit,” Sam said. “Just in case there are some stragglers.”
“Oh Lord…you’re right,” Kate said, and hustled out the door to catch up with the boys.
Sam slid an arm across Sammy’s back, then took Libby’s hand with his other so that they were all connected.
“I have something to say to both of you, and it needs to be said now before another moment passes. I’m so sorry for not being a part of your lives and I hope you’ll give me a chance to belong. Sammy, I love your mother very much, and I’ve already said you are my hero. But you don’t really know me, and that’s my fault.”
“Yeah,” Sammy said. “But I’m learning.”
Sam sighed. “I’m learning, too. Like I won’t be saying bad words around you anymore because they’re not okay.”
Sammy shrugged. “I already knew that. If you’d asked, I could have told you myself.”
Libby arched an eyebrow, then smiled as she leaned against the pillow and closed her eyes.
“Looks like your Mama is pretty tired,” Sam said. “Maybe we’d better go.”
“Are you gonna eat supper with us again?” Sammy asked.
“Yes, Kate invited me. Maybe I could bring dessert.”
“She loves the pineapple cheesecake from Bryan’s Bakery,” Libby offered.
“I’ll show you where it is,” Sammy offered.
“Sounds like a deal,” Sam said, then leaned over and kissed Libby, this time on the lips. It was brief and gentle, but Libby heard the catch in his breath just the same.
“One day when you’re both ready, my mom would like to meet her grandson.”
Sammy grinned. It was obvious that he liked the idea of having a grandmother, too.
“It’s going to be a while before I can take a trip, but she can come anytime she wants,” Libby said.
“I’ll get us both a room at the motel,” Sam said. “You don’t know it, but I’ve been staying in your house. Sammy graciously offered it the day I arrived.”
Shock rolled through Libby like thunder. Knowing Sam had been sleeping in her bed shifted everything to a level she wasn’t ready to consider.
“Don’t worry,” Sam said. “When you get to come home, I’ll be in the motel. I wouldn’t assume anything else.”
Libby nodded.
“You’re not mad, are you, Mama?” Sammy asked. “He isn’t making any messes. I checked.”
Libby sighed. For a child, life was so simple. It was all about messes, the kind that can be swept up with a broom.
“No, I’m not mad. It was a kind thing to do. Thank you for thinking of it.”
Sammy beamed.
Sam must have guessed she was rattled because he said, “It’s okay, Libby. I understand. I just didn’t have the heart to turn him down.”
She looked at Sammy, then ruffled his hair in a loving gesture. “I know. He’s like his daddy…quite a charmer.”
Sammy beamed. “Mama! You never said that to me before!”
“I know, Sammy. I’ll try to do better, too.”
“So, son…let’s go find that bakery before all the pineapple cheesecakes are sold.”
Sam winked at Libby, then took Sammy by the hand and out the door they went.
A fresh wave of guilt washed over Libby again as she watched her little boy trying to emulate his father’s stride. She and Sam had made so many mistakes. Hopefully, they had the rest of their lives to correct them. Then she closed her eyes, letting the weariness envelop her.
One week later
L
IBBY STOOD
on the porch, waving goodbye to Sammy as Kate and the boys headed to school, then winced slightly as she turned too quickly. Her ribs were healing. The doctor had even given his permission for her to resume light duties around the house. Except for the occasional headache, and a myriad of fading bruises and healing cuts, she felt blessed to be alive. And, to her growing surprise, Sam had been a rock. He’d come every day to the house after Sammy left for school and had helped her with everything—from washing her hair, doing her laundry and even changing the sheets on their beds. This morning, he was coming to get her grocery list to do their shopping. She wanted to believe this run of good will would last, but the hurt he’d caused her before had cut deep and left scars. She heard the sincerity in his voice, and acknowledged his efforts on her behalf, but trust, once broken, grew slowly again.
As she closed the door behind her, she paused in the living room, looking at all the things she’d gathered around her over the past eight years, remembering how drab and empty this little house had been when she’d first moved in, and how, month by month, she’d turned the house into a home. Her roots ran deep in Azalea. She
wasn’t sure how Sam’s reappearance in their lives was going to impact the future, but she wasn’t making any rash decisions.
With a sigh, she combed her fingers through her hair, then headed for the kitchen to finish the grocery list. She refilled her coffee, and as she did, thought how wonderful it was just to be able to pour herself another cup. After what she’d survived, it was nothing short of a miracle. She would never take the simple things in life for granted again.
A few minutes later, she was still working on the list when she heard a knock at the front door. Before she could get up, she heard Sam’s voice.
“It’s me. Okay if I come in?”
The sound of his voice was enough to set her pulse racing, which made her somewhat irked at herself. Slow and steady, Libby. Remember.
“I’m in the kitchen,” she shouted, then looked toward the doorway, anticipating his appearance. She could hear his footsteps, quick and sure, and remembered how that used to quicken her heart. He was smiling as he walked in wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a pair of old cowboy boots that were mud-brown and slightly rundown at the heels. He looked good enough to eat.
“Good morning, honey,” he said. “You’re looking great. How do you feel? Did you sleep good last night? Are you and Sammy managing okay on your own at night?”
Libby smiled. “Hi. Thanks. Good. Yes and yes.”
Sam chuckled. “Okay…so that was probably one question too many. Got the list ready?”
“Just about,” Libby said. “Would you please check and see how much toilet paper is left in the bathroom cabinet? I can’t remember and your legs are longer than mine.”
“You bet,” Sam said, and turned on a dime. He was back in moments. “Only two rolls. Better add it to the list.”
Libby sighed, unaware that the worry of her financial situation was showing on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Sam said, as he slid into a chair beside her.
“Hmm? Oh. Nothing,” Libby said.
He ran his finger along the frown line between her eyebrows. “That frown isn’t nothing.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know how long it’s going to be before I can go back to work. And I don’t know why I’m even thinking about it yet because I don’t have a car to drive to get there. So much to take care of and I’m so not up to it.”
Sam laid his hand over hers, then gave it a squeeze.
“Look at me,” he said softly.
Libby sighed, then met his gaze, fearing that his dark brown eyes, so very like her son’s, saw too much.
“What?”
“I didn’t just show up here in Azalea for the hell of it, Libby. I know how much you love Sammy. I know that you would do anything for him and gladly. But you no longer bear the burden of being a single parent. Now I’m here, too, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“But your job—”
“Is all over the place and ready any time I want to go back to it. I don’t do a nine-to-five at the same office every day, remember?”
She nodded.
“And just so you know, I checked with Chief Fite a couple of days ago regarding the trucker who hit you. He walked away without a scratch. Did you know that?”
Libby shook her head. Truthfully, she’d been so busy trying to readjust to everything else, that she hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on the accident.
“Well, he did. He was ticketed for running a red light.
His company is liable for what he did to you. Chief Fite had already started checking into this for you…but I picked up where he left off. The company is paying for all your medical bills. You’re also getting a new car out of the deal and…they’re more than willing to talk cash settlement with you.”
Libby’s lips parted in shock. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. But…and this is just a suggestion because it’s totally your call. If it were me, I’d hire a lawyer. You need a go-between to make sure what they offer is fair. It’s going to be a long time before you’re physically able to work at a job all day. And they have to compensate you for lost wages and pain and suffering. God knows you’ve had it. Thanks to Sammy, the whole world knew what happened to you, so it’s not like the company can deny their culpability.”
Libby leaned back in the chair, taken aback by the news. “I was worried about running out of money to pay rent and buy groceries.”
Sam sighed. “Libby. You aren’t hearing me. You will never have to worry about money again. I’m here. Whether you want me back in your life or not is your call. But you will always be in mine…you and Sammy…and I take care of what’s mine.”
Libby’s vision blurred. She took a slow breath, trying to calm her thoughts, and choked on a sob, instead.
“Oh, Sam,” she said softly, then covered her face with her hands.
“Libby…baby,” Sam whispered, pulling her to her feet and into his arms. “You’ve been strong for Sammy a long, long time. Let me be strong for you. Lean on me, baby. Let me help both of you.”
Libby shuddered. “I don’t know if…I’m trying to believe—”
Sam put his fingers across her lips, silencing her before she could finish. “I know I have to earn your trust again. All I ask is for the chance. I’m not asking you for more than you’re willing to give, okay? What I’m offering is no more than you and Sammy deserve. I’m not trying to buy my way back in your life.”
“Thanks. You’ve been amazing, and I’m so grateful. You didn’t know Sammy before, but you have no idea what an impact you’ve made in his life. He even carries himself differently. You’ve made him feel important in a way I never could, no matter how hard I’ve tried. All his life he’s been a child without a father. I knew it bothered him, but I had no idea how deeply much until this happened,” Libby said.
Sam rubbed his chin against the side of her face. “And I will be paying for being a jerk to you for the rest of my life because of what I’ve missed in Sammy’s life. He is such a super kid.”
“Thanks,” Libby said, reaching for the tissues on the shelf behind her. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then took a deep breath and looked him square in the face. “Then…since you’re offering, I’m adding ice cream to the grocery list. Sammy loves it and I only buy it for special occasions.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. Just once and softly, then he backed off.
“I was wondering…would you like to go with me to the supermarket?”
Still rattled by his kiss, it took her a few moments to focus. “Um…yes, actually I would,” she said.
“I thought maybe you would like to get out of the house for a bit.”
“That would be great,” Libby said. “Just give me a couple of minutes.”
“You already look good to me,” Sam said, eyeing the black slacks and pink knit top she had on.
Libby stuck out a foot. It was bare.
“Oh. Right. Shoes. I’ll wait here.”
A few minutes later they were on their way to the supermarket.
As they headed downtown, Sam had no idea he was following the same path that Libby had the day she’d had the wreck, or that they were coming up to the intersection where the wreck had occurred and where she’d nearly died.
Libby’s heart started pounding when Sam stopped at the red light, just as she had. She heard Sam talking, but she couldn’t focus on the words for staring at the light. When it turned green, she automatically leaned back, as if bracing herself for impact.
Sam sensed something was wrong when she hadn’t answer his last three questions. As soon as he braked, he’d turned and looked at her. Curiosity turned to shock when he saw the expression on her face.
“Libby! What’s wrong?”
“Drive, just drive,” Libby said. It wasn’t until they’d driven through the intersection that she began to relax again. “Oh my God,” she whispered, and then leaned back and closed her eyes.
Sam quickly pulled over to the curb and parked. “Honey…what’s wrong? Are you sick? Do you want to go home?”
“No. No. I’m okay. It’s just…” She shuddered, then made herself look up. “I had no idea that would happen. That’s the intersection where I had the wreck.”
Sam’s eyes widened, then he looked back over his shoulder, imagining her trapped in the car, as he knew she’d been, with the fear of fire and explosion increas
ing with every minute the EMTs worked, trying to free her from the mass of twisted metal. He sighed, then slid his hand beneath her hair.
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
Libby shook off her panic. “You don’t need to apologize,” she said. “I mean…I live here in Azalea. It’s not like I could bypass this intersection for the rest of my life. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. But with time, you will be,” he promised.
“Right. So…let’s get those groceries, okay?”
A few minutes later, they reached the parking lot of the local supermarket. Sam parked, then circled the car to help Libby out. They were halfway across the parking lot when someone called Libby’s name.
“Libby! Libby!”
Libby turned around just as Guy Porter jumped out of his pickup truck and came running toward her. Before she knew what was happening, he’d thrown his arms around her shoulders and hugged her, then exuberantly kissed both her cheeks.
“Lord, have mercy, girl. The last time I came through Azalea, you were still in a coma in intensive care. I just got back into town yesterday. I was going to give you a call later to see if I could come over.”
Libby felt herself getting nervous all over again, wondering how Sam was going to react to meeting the only man she’d ever dated in Azalea.
“It’s good to see you, Guy,” she said, then turned to introduce him to Sam. “Sam, this is Guy Porter. He owns Porter Trucking on the south edge of Azalea. His mother, Mildred Porter, was Sammy’s first grade teacher.” To her surprise, Sam’s reaction was easygoing and friendly.
“Great to meet you,” he said. “And, my thanks to your mother for helping educate Sammy.”
Guy grinned. “Yep. Mom has been teaching so long, some of the kids coming through her class are third generation.”
“Wow,” Sam said. “Talk about dedication.”
Guy laughed. “Yeah…that and the fact that some girls marry young around here.” Then he winked at Libby. “Unfortunately, none of us single guys could ever talk Libby into taking that step. Now I see why.”
Sam glanced at Libby and caught a look on her face that he read as fear. For a few moments he couldn’t understand why, and then it hit him. Even though Sam had lost all claims to her affections, she must be remembering the jealous fit he’d had during their relationship, and was afraid of how he’d react when being confronted by someone who was obviously an old boyfriend.
“No one ever accused Libby of being stupid,” Sam said. “After the way I behaved, she probably didn’t have the guts to trust another man.” He glanced at Libby again. “Maybe one of these days I will have earned her trust again.”
Libby couldn’t believe it! Not only had Sam’s reaction been unexpected, his genuine friendliness toward Guy was the last thing she would have predicted. Then Guy decided to leave and Sam was the first one to say goodbye.
“It was great to meet you,” Sam said.
“Yeah. You, too,” Guy said. “Sammy is a great kid. The best of luck to the both of you.” Then he nodded at Sam, winked at Libby, got back in his truck and drove away.
Sam squeezed Libby’s hand. “You still okay to walk around for a bit?”
“Yes.”
Sam smiled, cupped her elbow, and together, they entered the store. The brief reunion between Libby and Guy was relived over and over throughout the store as Sam and Libby continued to shop. Everyone was elated to see her out and about, and curious about the famous “absent” father. While the news clip of his confrontation with the reporters had been shown almost as many times as Sammy’s video had been viewed on YouTube, everyone still wanted a personal introduction. By the time they’d finished shopping, Libby was exhausted.
“I’m sorry,” Libby said, as they finally left the parking lot and headed home. “I had no idea that would be so…so…”
“Trying?”
She nodded.
“No big deal,” he said. “I’ve already had my share of incidents here. This was just the first time I’d had them with you.”
Libby’s eyes widened. “For real? Have people been rude to you?”
He grinned. “No. They just made sure I knew they were on your side.”
“Oh. I had no idea.”
“You have a lot of good friends in this town. I’m really proud of you, Libby. You have made a good life here for you and Sammy. I hope you’ll let me share it…in any way you choose.”
“You already are,” she said, but didn’t elaborate.
Sam sighed, then reminded himself to be patient. She’d already given him more access than he deserved. He kept reminding himself—slow and steady, slow and steady.
S
AM HAD STAYED
around the house with Libby all day, putting away groceries, fixing their lunch, taking a walk
around the block with her in the afternoon. It was almost time for school to be out, which meant that Kate would come by soon dropping Sammy off.