Explosion of Love (The Armstrongs Book 6) (9 page)

You need to go after her.
Patrick’s words had invaded his elusive sleep and his dreams. In the morning he woke up feeling absolutely whacked. He still wasn’t sure what was the right way to handle their fight, and tried to focus on the repair projects on his house while thinking it over again and again.

He checked his phone for text messages or missed calls every few minutes, and now  that it was getting late in the day and he hadn’t heard from her, an icy knot formed in his stomach.
What if I have lost her for good?

But between him and her lay roughly one thousand miles or a two-hour flight. The idea of having to fly had him like the proverbial rabbit fixating on the snake. His need to be with her won and he placed a call to the airlines and booked a flight to New York city first thing the next morning.

Early next morning he parked his truck in long-term parking, heading towards his departure gate with a sense of dread – dread of flying, but more of her reaction when she saw him.
What if she was serious about being done with us and sends me away?

He shook his head as the flight attendant called his row for boarding, and walked down to the plane to occupy his seat.
Guess it’s too late to back out now. Here goes nothing!

A moment later, an older couple sat down in the two seats next to him.

“Good morning,” the gentleman greeted him.

“Good morning,” Grant replied, watching as the man helped his wife get situated with a tender look of patience and love on his face. They must have been in in their sixties or seventies. The woman seated herself  in the middle, giving her husband the aisle seat with slightly more legroom. She padded her husband’s leg and then put her hand in his.

Then she turned towards Grant to greet him and as her husband dozed off, he found himself looking at pictures of her kids and grandkids.

“You must be very proud of them,” he commented.

“Oh, we are. Our kids were such a joy when they were younger, and now that they’re all married with kids of their own, it is our greatest pleasure to fly around the country visiting them all.” She giggled like a young girl when she told him about the latest pranks of one of her granddaughters.

Grant smiled, feeling a little envious.
I want that type of relationship. A woman I can love for the rest of my life. Have kids with. Grandkids to spoil. I want to sit together on a plane after fifty years of marriage…well, maybe not a plane. I want to sit on the porch of my beach house with Samantha fifty years from now.

He told himself that he could still have that. If not with Samantha, then with someone else.
Who are you kidding? It’s Sam or no one.

When he got off the plane, he hailed a cab to take him to her apartment. He ran up the steps three at a time, rushed up to her door and knocked, still not having any idea what he would say when she answered the door. It turned out that was just fine, because she didn’t open.

Grant’s motivation and energy faded away. He called her phone, but this time it was busy. Well, at least it wasn’t turned off and he could try again later.

On a whim, he had another taxi take him by her agency. It was impulsive, but so had coming here been.
Her agent might know where I can find her. After all, she’s probably working today.

When he arrived at the office building, he was in for an unpleasant surprise. He ran straight into Craig of all persons
. Must be my lucky day today.

He was still trying to decide on the best course of action, when Craig started across the tile and reached him. The man had a smirk on his face that Grant longed to wipe off. With his fist. Grant envisioned strangling that man and punching the life out of him for hurting Sam, but of course he didn’t.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and inhaled deeply to regain his self-control. 

“You’re here to console our tantrum-throwing crybaby?” Craig asked, showing his true colors and lack of compassion for a woman he’d pretended to be in love with.

“You’re lucky I don’t punch you in the face for that stunt you pulled on Samantha.  You don’t even deserve my fist in your stomach. Loser.”

Craig grinned at the threat. “That’s just jealousy talking because she chose me over you. You’re nothing but a manual laborer, a grunt.”

Craig’s insult wasn’t lost on Grant, and he fisted his hands at his sides.
I’m not just a grunt, you idiot. What I do is way beyond that and you very well know it. Isn’t it? Samantha doesn’t think I’m just a dumb grunt laborer, does she?

Grant held his tongue, his insecurities coming to the forefront of his thinking. Samantha was so much more successful than he was, and she earned a lot more money than he did. It didn’t matter to him.
But what if it matters to her? What if she can’t handle it?  You’ll never be able to offer her the glitzy lifestyle she’s used to.

His self-control wouldn’t last much longer; if he stuck around, his threat to punch Craig would no longer be just a threat.
And I don’t want to spend the night in the slammer because I taught some asshole a lesson. He’s not worth it.

Grant gave Craig a menacing look. “Stay away from Samantha, or I won’t be the only one coming to look you up.”

With these words, he turned on his heels. Craig would understand his veiled threat. That slime bag had met all of Samantha’s brothers, and had to know there was no love lost there. If they came looking for him, he’d be in a world of hurt.

Grant left the agency, no wiser than before. Searching for her in New York City was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Where to start? He decided to try her apartment again in a few hours, when she might be back from work.

Meanwhile he could use the time to buy a gift for his sister Allison. Her birthday was coming up, and he might as well get the task done while he was here. Like most men he hated shopping, but now it seemed a welcome pastime until he could try Sam’s apartment again.

He had to fly back to Chicago tonight, and his heart clenched at the thought of not getting a chance to speak with Samantha before then. He left her agency’s offices and stopped in the first store to his left, shaking his head as he perused the clothing on display. Even a man like him who had not the least interest for fashion perceived that these clothes would better fit his mother than his sister.

The shopkeeper approached him. “Can I help you?”

Grant looked uneasy as he asked, “I need to buy a gift for my youngest sister. This stuff doesn’t look like her at all.”

The shopkeeper laughed, “I would say not. This is designer clothing that mature women would wear. How old is your sister?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Does she like colorful, fun things? Trendy maybe? With an unusual edge?”

Grant sighed, relieved. “Exactly. Do you have anything like that?”

“No, but if you head up a few blocks, you’ll find a brand new boutique that just opened. I would imagine you’ll get the perfect gift for your sister there.” She showed him which direction and waved him off with a smile.

Grant found the shop with no problem. Once inside, he could see why the shopkeeper had sent him here.
This place is exactly the type of place Allison would shop in.

The walls were plastered with awesome t-shirts, a variety of colorful towels, and a bevy of beach stuff. There were bathing suits, fun sun hats, sunglasses, and little personal bottles of sunscreen that could be attached to a keychain or a backpack.

His glanced around the space, trying to get his mind focused on the task at hand. During the walk over, he’d become preoccupied with worries about Sam and himself once again. Was coming here a mistake? What was it going to take to make things right between them? Could they ever recover what appeared to be lost?

Samantha looked down at the new heels on her feet and instantly felt better. She walked around for a minute, admiring the way they looked in one of the floor-level mirrors.
God, they look so sexy and feminine.
She loved wearing high heels; it made her feel like a woman. Sexy. Wanted. She glanced at them in one of the mirrors again. Somehow they reminded her of Sandy Beach. And Grant.
If only he were here.

She was truly sorry for her behavior and wanted to apologize to him. She’d had plenty of time to think everything over, and now realized how stupid she’d been to get mad at him. After all, a true friend was one who called you on your weaknesses and told you when you were being stupid. A true friend would tell you like it really was, not just appease you with nice words that were lies.

She smiled as she thought about Grant. He would always put her needs before his. Even if it meant fighting with her, because she was too stubborn to admit that she had messed up.
Sure, Craig deceived me. But it was me who reacted like a drama queen. Nobody but myself is responsible for my temper tantrums.

Craig had put his need to keep her small and earn more money than her before her need to get that huge contract. Grant, in contrast, cared little about money or fame. He earned enough to live well and afford a certain amount of luxuries, like a beach house. He had never longed for status or measured his success by the size of his banking account.

She now realized that only a strong, self-confident man like him could handle a strong and successful woman like her. Grant wasn’t threatened by the fact Samantha earned more money than him, nor that in society circles, she was seen as being more successful.

No, Grant placed value on things that really mattered. Honesty. Integrity. Authenticity. Things that were in short supply in the fashion industry. Most of the people she worked with were shallow and only out for themselves. They changed their opinion like putting on a new overcoat. Grant, in contrast, was solid as a rock. If he had formed an opinion, he rarely if ever changed it.

She pulled out her cell phone and tried to call him. When it went straight to voicemail, she sighed and tucked it back into her purse. The salesgirl at the shoe shop waved her goodbye, still beaming with a joy.
I just made her day with that huge commission.

The thought of making another person happy warmed her insides, and she walked down the sidewalk with new confidence. Samantha’s eyes wandered around the shop windows as she strolled along without a destination in mind. When she came to a cute little boutique with t-shirts and beach paraphernalia in the window, she stopped and backed up.
Perhaps I could get Grant a gift for his house.
If he ever talks to me again.

She stepped inside the store, the bells attached to the front door tinkling her arrival. A display to her left caught her attention and she examined the beach towel tote bags more closely.

They came in six different colors and were like nothing Samantha had ever seen before. Folded up, they looked just like any other oversized tote bag – made of a bath towel. But they unfolded into a giant beach towel, with a colorful trim piece running along each long side, and the towel folded over on one end to make a pocket for a neck pillow.

It was such a cute and whimsical widget she had to purchase one in each color for Grant’s house.

“They would be perfect, wouldn’t they?”

Samantha whirled around, the sound of Grant’s voice startling her. He was there, standing behind her, and his smile deepened into laughter when he recognized her face. Her entire body ached with need and desire.
God, I missed him. How did he get here?

Afraid that he might disappear into thin air, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and have him swing her around like he’d done on so many occasions, but then her doubts crept in and she stayed where she was.

What if he wouldn’t forgive her, and had come here for another reason?
“Grant, I’m so sorry…I want to apologize…I tried to call you.”

“You did?” he asked, removing his phone from his pocket and scrolling through the phone log. He looked perplexed when her number showed up various times and then he shook his head at himself. “I accidentally put it on mute.”

“Grant, I am so sorry. I know that you were trying to help me, and I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did…”

He stopped her apology speech by pulling her into his arms, right there in the store, and sealed her lips with a kiss. The sound of someone clearing their voice from behind him made him release her. She looked over his shoulder to see an older woman staring at them both with disapproval written all over her face.

“Did you find something you wished to purchase?” the woman said.

Samantha blushed because of the nasty tone in the woman’s voice, but she was used to the brusque way New Yorkers talked to one another and didn’t let it faze her. That woman could disapprove all she wanted. Then she cleared her throat and answered, “Actually, yes. I did find something. I found the man I love.”

Samantha flung her arms back around Grant, a huge smile upon her face.

At the mention of love, the older woman’s scowl disappeared and she smiled at them both. “Congratulations! But might I suggest you take your little reunion somewhere more private. This is a family store.”

“Sorry,” Samantha said. “We’ll finish our purchases and keep the public displays of affection to a minimum.”

The older woman nodded her head and wandered off to help her other customers. Samantha turned back to Grant to see him watching her with a twinkle in his eyes.

“You found the man you love? And who would that be?”

Samantha boxed him in the biceps. “You are. And you know it.”

He was about to press her against his body with the happiest smile she’d ever seen, but she pushed her hands against his chest. “Not here. Or that woman will have us thrown out.”

“Okay, sweetie. But before we leave, I need you to help me pick out a gift for Allison’s birthday.”

“You came to the right person.“ She led him towards the part of the store that contained clothing. Samantha had seen the shop carried specialty brands, and she hoped to find Exuma. It was one of the trendy brands that everyone was raving about in New York. She’d modeled their newest line of beachwear and was thrilled when the pair of pants she had in mind was hanging right there on the rack.

“How about these?” she asked, pulling a pair of preppy pants from the rack in his sister’s size.

Grant looked at the colorful pants before asking, “People wear things like that?”

Samantha laughed at his look. “Trust me, these are all the rage. Allison will kiss your feet for buying her a pair of them.”

He took another look at the pants, with their big bold flower design, the low-rise gathered waist, and the light flowy fabric. Shaking his head, he said, “If you say so. Who am I to argue with a fashion model about what’s hot right now?”

“You aren’t to argue with me. Now, she needs sandals to go with the pants.” Samantha led the way back to the front of the store where a display held a variety of little strappy beach sandals. She chose a pair with a giant silver starfish covered in tiny silver beads on the top.

“What about these?”

Grant nodded.

“Do you know her size?” she asked.

“7.5 or 8. I guess.”

“We’ll take 8 – that’s my size as well, and in case they don’t fit, I can wear them.”

Grant looked at the sandals and then down to the heels on Sam’s feet. “You’d wear shoes without heels?”

Samantha laughed. “I would. Even I draw the line at wearing four-inch heels on the beach and in the sand. That’s a quick way to break an ankle. Now these – these are the perfect beach shoes. I love them and Allison will love them too.”

When Grant still didn’t look convinced, she sidled up to him, relishing the spark of excitement his nearness evoked and said, “Come on, Grant. Allison’s a twenty-two-year-old girl who loves colorful and fun things. She’ll adore your gifts.”

“Okay. Let’s get them.”

On their way to the cash register, Samantha stopped back by the beach towel display and selected one in each color.

“Why do we need six?” Grant asked.

“For when our siblings visit,” Samantha replied, piling the towels into his arms.

Grant grinned at her. “And here I thought our beach house would be a sibling-free zone.”

Samantha joined in his laughter. “As if we’d actually ever get away with that. It’s a great idea, but we both know it won’t fly with any of our siblings.”

Grant chuckled. “Tell me. It was a nice dream while it lasted.”

They paid for their purchases and then Grant took her hand in his as they strolled back towards Sam’s apartment. It was a few blocks away, but Sam didn’t mind the walk. Not with her current company. She was happier than she’d ever been. All because of the man by her side.