Friday Night Brides (29 page)

“Sean!” she instantly squealed as she parked and climbed out of the car. He had mentioned he wouldn’t be home until the end of May and that was still a few weeks away but…who else would it be? He probably just wanted to throw her off so he could surprise her.

Grabbing her purse, she closed the car door and practically ran up the front steps of the house. Sean still had a key so no doubt he was inside already. She let herself in, dropped her things in the doorway, and went looking for him.

No sign of him in the living room.

No sign of him in the kitchen.

Tricia was about to turn and walk up the stairs to look in his room when she caught sight of him through the French doors that led out to the deck. For a minute, all she could do was stop and stare. He was here, really and truly here. He looked bigger, taller, like he had filled out from all his time in construction. His brown hair looked kissed by the sun but could definitely use a trim, she thought with a smile.

With a contented sigh, she decided she’d be the one to surprise him by sneaking up on him. He may have heard the car, but it wasn’t enough to make him come inside to investigate. Toeing off her shoes, she tiptoed through the kitchen and over to the doors. He looked completely at peace, although that could have something to do with the yard. Steph had been a whiz with the landscaping and gardening and she had really created something special back here.

An oasis.

At least that’s what Tricia thought of it. With the Koi pond and lush foliage, it was something out of a magazine. And it was hers now – sort of. Tricia was certain that after all of the horrors Sean had witnessed in the last several years, this space must really seem like a little bit of heaven to him. It almost seemed a shame to disturb him but…she needed to. She needed to hug him, to see his face and make sure he was real.

In her best stealth mode, she quietly walked through the open doors and out onto the deck and didn’t stop until she was directly behind him. He was standing on the edge of the deck looking down at the fish. Part of her wanted to be playful and yell “Gotcha!” but the softer side – the side that was just so happy to have him home – won out. Reaching out, Tricia simply wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his back.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here,” she said softly as she squeezed. He cleared his throat and Tricia stiffened and pulled away before taking a step back.

“Hey, Tricia.”

Apparently someone wanted to surprise her, but it wasn’t Sean.

It was Ryan.

****

He had heard the car pull up.

He had known he’d have to see her.

But being touched by Tricia? Um, yeah. That wasn’t something he’d counted on.

Slowly he turned around and faced her. And smiled. Everything about Tricia Patterson was familiar and yet looking at her right now, different. From the copper-colored hair to her green eyes, she was the girl he remembered. But taking in the rest of her? Well, she wasn’t a girl any more. She had most definitely blossomed into a woman.

About Samantha Chase

New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40’s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, blogging, playing way too0 many games of Scrabble on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina. For more information visit her website at
www.chasing-romance.com
.

Other Books by Samantha Chase

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