Hidden Barriers (39 page)
I have a plan. It isn’t a very good plan, but it’s still a plan nonetheless. With Sam at her derby event south of Boston today, it gives me time to finally sit down and hash out all the specifics with the whole family. I used the excuse that I was ordered into work for another trooper in order to avoid being caught and having my cover blown with Sam. That gave me a reason to miss her bout. Her family arrived a few days ago. Drew took Courtney down to watch her event, leaving me with the people I need to back me on my big plan—her parents.
Over the course of the last several months, Sam’s parents have learned just how much I love their daughter and would give my life for her. Until now, we have never really had a chance to sit down face-to-face and get to really know each other. So, today both of our families are headed into town for lunch to discuss where the police are with the investigation of finding Stone. Having her family here for a while has at least given me a sense of relief. I know she’ll spend plenty of time with them while they are in town. I think she was getting tired of all the same faces around her anyway.
There is more to the report than I describe to Sam’s parents to avoid any further worry at this point. I explain that someone did call the local police station with an anonymous tip at the beginning of the week. According to Nick, the tip they received was from a male who stated he passed someone fitting the description from the police bulletin a few days ago. I couldn’t tell them the person who called the station said they saw him walking on Oxford Street, only a block away from Sam’s house. Given Sam’s reaction the past few times we talked about Stone’s whereabouts, I can tell you there isn’t a chance in hell I am ever going to tell her he may be lurking in the shadows around her neighborhood.
As we finish our lunch at the Italian restaurant down the street from Vines, Sam’s parents express how proud they are of Sam’s success at the wine bar and Drew’s accomplishments in the Marine Corps while keeping up at the law firm. My mother, God bless her, attempts to start a conversation about Sam’s roller derby team. The expressions on Patrick and Corrine Daley’s faces speak for themselves. I know they aren’t one hundred percent on board with Sam’s derby lifestyle, but when they quickly change the subject, I know that conversation has been squashed.
I thought they would at least have joked about the silliness behind Sam’s version of fun. I have to bite my tongue and keep face since Sam’s parents are very nice people, and I don’t find fault with them wanting to make sure Sam stays safe. But, I’ve become irritable and mentally drained over the past few weeks just trying to be there for Sam. I’m fucking exhausted to say the least. It feels as though when I’m not working, I’m still working. I come home to either Sam’s place or my place to be with her and that’s great, but unless someone finds this jack-off ex-boyfriend of hers soon, I might seriously lose it.
After we leave the restaurant, I use the excuse I have to run back to the house for something, so it will be a little longer before we can meet everyone at Vines for drinks. Right now, I’m pretty sure Jeremy thinks I’ve completely lost my mind. He manages to keep my secret under wraps. After what he just pulled on Emily in Savannah, he knows better than to give me grief about my plan.
Everyone knows my plan, but only Jeremy, Nick and Cara know when it is going to happen. I need Cara in on the plan because she is going to have to cover at the bar in a few days when Courtney stops in to convince Sam to go to a cooking class with her. I did say it wasn’t a good plan.
Once we spot everyone in Vines, Jeremy heads over to take a seat next to Emily on the sofa. I head over to the end of the bar to make sure Cara is all set with everything. She goes through the strategy with me one more time as she pours me a beer. As she slides it across the bar to me, she asks, “So, can I see it?”
“See what, Cara?” I inquire.
“You know what, you dumb ass,” Cara states matter-of-factly as she huffs and crosses her arms in front of her chest.
“Cara, seriously, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I stand there, shaking my head at her and shrugging my shoulders as I grab my beer to head back to my family. Before turning to join in on their conversation, I look back at the scowling face staring back at me and wink at her.
I take my seat next to Jeremy as both sets of parents chat about each other’s plans for the summer. Jeremy nudges my shoulder, glancing up and lifting his chin to the bar. “Everything okay with her role in your big plan?” he whispers.
“Yeah, she’s just pissed ‘cuz I wouldn’t let her see it.” As I’m about to continue my conversation with Jeremy, I hear my mom tell Sam’s parents that Courtney will be spending the summer at a culinary arts school in Vermont. My eyes roam back to Jeremy. “Did you know about this?” I snap at him more than I probably should have. The look on Jeremy’s face tells me everyone knew except me.
Emily leans forward, clearly sensing my agitated state at being the last to know. “Josh, she didn’t want anyone to tell you. With everything going on with Sam, Court thought it would be better this way. She knew it would kill you to know she was leaving for the summer,” she says, trying to make me understand.
Jeremy grabs my shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “Yeah, man, we’ll all miss her, but face it, she’s spent way too long fixing things for us that it’s time she lives her own life.”
A gentle smile forms on Emily’s face, and I know Jeremy is right. It is finally time to let our little sister live her own life instead of fixing all of ours.
Everything is set up just as I have had planned for a week. Cara called about ten minutes ago and said Courtney and Sam are on their way, and Sam doesn’t suspect anything. Sam even called me to make sure I knew she was heading out with Court for a few hours. When I told her that was fine and I’d catch up with her tomorrow because I was heading out with Jeremy, she seemed a little saddened at the idea of not seeing me, but that will all change in a matter of minutes.
I look around at everything for perhaps the hundredth time, and it all appears in order. I grab the metal poker and stab the wood in the backyard fire pit, watching as the embers float into the dark night sky. Everyone else is inside, waiting for Court to get here with Sam.
Minutes pass until I see the headlights pull into the driveway of my parents’ house and hear the car doors shutting in the distance. Muffled voices get louder as I watch the lights turn on in the kitchen. Courtney and Sam make their way through the room until Courtney opens the back patio sliding door and pushes Sam through before shutting the door behind her.
My eyes stay glued to Sam’s as I continue to load marshmallows onto the twig in front of me. Her eyes finally adjust as she walks closer to where I’m sitting behind the fire. “Josh? What are you doing here? What’s going on? I thought you were going out with Jeremy,” she continues to question as she finally stops on the other side of the fire.
The flames cast a glow against her barely tanned skin. She’s dressed as though she were at work and not going to a cooking class with Court. Her brown hair is half pulled back away from her face, allowing her slim angled face to stand out. Sam walks over as my marshmallows begin to sizzle on the stick.
“Josh, what’s going on?” she asks as she sits next to me on the long bench. Grabbing another marshmallow from the bench next to me, I pull back the glowing marshmallows, blowing out the flame before turning to Sam again.
“You want a s’more?” I ask her with a straight face.
“Do I want a s’more?” She narrows her eyes at me. “Why are you making s’mores right now anyway?”
I shrug my shoulders and pull my lips into a straight line. “No idea. I just know you owe me a s’more coated body, so when I got here I thought I’d make a couple.”
“You are freaking me out and acting really weird. Fine, give me a freakin’ s’more if it will make you happy.” Sam sticks out her hand, waiting for me to hand her the supplies.
Reaching over to the opposite side of me and out of her sight, I grab the pre-made s’more and turn carefully with it in my hand. I stand to face her, taking a deep breath before dropping to one knee in front of her. Sam lets out a soft gasp before I pull out my flat open palm in front of her with the graham crackers, chocolate, and single marshmallow strategically placed. With enough of the fire light in front of me, the diamond placed in the middle of the marshmallow sparkles just right.
Sam’s fingers shake nervously as they hover over her parted lips. “Josh, what are you doing?” she quietly asks before reaching out to wrap her fingers around my free hand renting on her knee.
“Sam, for years I thought love wasn’t meant to be a part of my future, until you somehow crashed into my life when I needed someone the most. You made me realize people can change. That a future is attainable regardless of someone’s past. A person’s struggles and pain can make them stronger, even when they don’t realize it themselves. I don’t know when I fell in love with you, but I know from the moment I met you there was something about you that drew me to you. You might have been fighting me at the beginning, but I knew deep down inside this beautiful, strong, smart-mouthed woman was the loving, open and passionate person sitting before me right now. You might think I saved you, but the truth is you brought me back to life. I will go to the end of the Earth for you, Samantha Daley. I love you more than anything, and I want to spend the rest of my life doing that. I want to marry you, Sam. I want to have kids with you and grow old with you. I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow, or next month, or even next year. I’m asking you to someday be my wife, because I cannot see spending another day in my life without you in it. So, Samantha Daley, will you be my wife?”
How did I never suspect this from him? Yes, on the lake we vowed to each other that we would make a commitment to this relationship, but I never thought he would propose. My mind must have been so hung up on dealing with Stone lurking or the never-ending barrage of security that it slipped right past me.
“…will you be my wife?” Josh kneels, continuing to hold out the most beautiful braided three-stone engagement ring I’ve ever seen, and he couldn’t have gotten it any more right. I have always said the way to my heart isn’t with flowers; it is with candy. Josh started this relationship with a bag of candy, and sure as hell, if he didn’t figure it out and stuff that ring inside the s’more.