The Bartender's Daughter (19 page)

“
Take off your apron and I’ll distract them. Sneak into the office and they’ll see you coming out of there. It would make sense for you to be here working, right?” Sam put her hand out for the offending piece of fabric and stuffed it on the shelf just before she stood.

The Stone clan and their secrets were going to be the end of her. She didn
’t think about what she would say or how she would act. She walked directly to Lee and his mother and sisters and smiled at each one of them. Her glance only slightly slowing as it passed Melissa.

“
Welcome to Ray’s Seafood Shack. It’s wonderful to see you here, Mrs. Stone. Melissa.”

Lee
’s mother’s gaze narrowed in on Sam, making her shoulders twitch. She turned to Lee, hoping he would break a little of the tension by introducing her to his sisters. He looked from his mother to her and at his hesitation, she took the initiative and hoped Joanna would be making her entrance at any moment. She turned to the two women and put on her best barkeep smile. “I’m Sam. Lee’s…”

She was about to say business partner but two things stopped her. Joanna walked up to the table and Lee
’s hand landed on her shoulder.

“
Janice, Miranda, this is Sam. My wife.”

Her breath caught. She felt the room spin while she tried not to gape at him. It wasn
’t working. He tightened his grip and turned his bright smile on her. While she struggled for words and an understanding of what he had just done, Lee’s mother stood.

She waited for the woman to walk away or to stomp her delicately clad foot and demand answers. Instead she leaned in and gave Sam a stiff hug. Her cheek barely passed her own as she air kissed her.
“It’s lovely to meet my not-so-new daughter-in-law.”

Sam pursed her lips, kissing the air by her mother-in-law
’s cheek while she eyed Joanna’s astonished face. Lee released her only to slide his grip to her waist. He brought her up against his side while his sisters gave identical forced smiles.

Sam almost forgot Lee
’s supposed fiancée, but now she stood and leaned in to hug Lee. “Congratulations.”

He squeezed Sam before letting go to wrap his arms around the other woman. He stepped away quickly and replaced his hand on her waist. It was all going too fast for Sam. Moments ago, she thought her non-traditional marriage was over
, and now her husband was making introductions and they were receiving good wishes on their future. A future she didn’t think was even possible.

Melissa gave an awkward kiss to her cheek before sitting back down.

“Of course, we’ll have to have a party. Leland has taken away the opportunity for me to plan a wedding, but I absolutely will not miss out on an event to welcome you to our family.” Meredith Stone looked every bit the family matriarch.

Beside her, Lee tensed.
“Mother, I don’t think—”

Joanna jumped in before he could finish whatever he was about to say and linked her arm with Sam
’s. “I think Lee and Sam will be too busy with Ray’s. Maybe after the summer? We can plan it around Columbus Day weekend. A chance for everyone to come back after the season.”

Lee
’s mother seemed mollified by Joanna’s suggestion, and she sat back down on the edge of her seat. The women all looked expectantly around at each other, waiting for something, and it took Sam a second before she realized she had an out from the conversation. “I’ll just grab menus.” She bit down on her tongue to stop herself from asking Joanna to get their drink orders. That wouldn’t do. “Uhh, Lee, do you want to get drinks for everybody?”

She didn
’t wait for him to move, she pulled a few menus from the hostess station and returned to hand them out. She ignored the wild beating of her heart as she headed back into the kitchen to order bowls of chowder for their special guests.

He did it. She was no longer a secret. From the conversation, she knew he had told them earlier about their relationship, had maybe even related how long they had been married. She needed the words from him, had to know that he wanted to get past their problems to the future they dreamed of. But he didn
’t come.

She stepped out of the kitchen and let the door swing shut behind her before warm hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a hard chest.

Cha
pter Nineteen

They walked to the office in silence. He kept his arm around her side, kept her close, because after days of worrying she would run, he wasn
’t letting her go. He felt the eyes of his female relatives on him the entire time. As soon as the door clicked behind him, he spun Sam around and pulled her up for a kiss.

He threw every shred of worry and desperation into that kiss. Weeks ago they were in the same position, Sam against the door, his hands gripping her, his body aching for hers. Then he thought he could possess her and let her go. Now he knew there was no letting go for him. No way to move on from the devastation her abandonment would leave this time.

“You told them about me.” Sam pulled back and looked into his eyes.

He wanted to kiss her more but he forced himself to step back.
“I did. I told them everything.”

“
Everything?”

“
I told them that I met this amazing girl. That I fell in love with her and got her to marry me because I couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. That I screwed it all up because I thought I could keep her without sharing every part of my life with her and lost her because of it.”

He couldn
’t keep his distance, not when her green eyes softened and she bit down on her bottom lip. He reached out his hand and guided her to the couch. He sat beside her when she dropped down to the worn cushions. “I told them that I was lucky enough to have a second chance, that she came back and I thought everything would be okay again. But I screwed up and in a big way. And that I needed their help to fix it.”

She didn
’t answer while tears shimmered in her eyes. Her fingers entwined with his but just as she opened her mouth, a knock at the door had them both turning.

Joanna
’s head popped in. She gave him an apologetic look before focusing on Sam. “Things are starting to pick up out here and you have visitors, Sam. I’ll let them know you’ll be right out.” She shut the door without waiting for a response.

Sam wiped her eyes.
“Lee —”

“
I’m not going anywhere. We have a few more hours.”

He could do this. They had a business to run and his family sitting right outside the door. He stood up and rolled out a hand to help her up.

They walked out holding hands. He hadn’t paid much attention to Joanna’s mention of guests until he saw Serena and Dylan seated at a table adjacent to his mother’s. Dylan stood when his eyes locked with Sam’s. They dropped down to the hand she held and back up to Lee.

He squeezed her hand harder and then let it go. She gave him a smile before walking off to meet her friends. He continued on to his mother. She had surprised him and he was very grateful to her and his sisters.

Joanna stopped him before he could pass the bar. “You owe me.”

“
How did you manage it?”

She shrugged.
“After you left, I told them the truth. They were going to lose you again if they didn’t accept you as you were. We almost lost you after the accident. I don’t think any of us want to go through that again. I know I don’t.”

“
You wouldn’t lose me, Joanna.”

“
Maybe. You love her though and so we should, too. They had to give her a chance.”

He hugged his little sister,
“Thank you.”

“
Did it work?”

He wanted to say that everything was perfect but he wasn
’t sure. He gave her time with her friends but it didn’t stop him from wondering what she was saying to Dylan. If she was leaving her options open.

“
She doesn’t love him.” Joanna’s voice pulled his attention away from Sam.

“
No, she doesn’t, but he was there for her when I wasn’t.”

“
Did you tell her about the cottage?”

“
Not yet. Later.” His eyes went back to Sam.

His sister gave him a tap on the hand.
“Go.”

He didn
’t need any more urging than that. Unexpectedly, nerves slowed him down. He worried that even with that kiss he wouldn’t be able to win Sam back. He changed directions and headed back to the kitchen.

****

Samantha Pierce Stone was floating. Surely, her feet couldn’t be touching the ground when she felt like she was gliding across the empty barroom. They had done it. The newly launched Ray’s was going to be a success. She could see it in the diners’ eyes as they enjoyed the food, hear it in the flow of noisy conversation. The restaurant might never be a huge moneymaker, but it would survive and continue in her father’s memory.

And it was all because of Lee. He had done it. She hadn
’t spoken to him since they had left the office together. She was grateful he didn’t pull the caveman routine with Dylan again but she would have liked to have had him beside her. Maybe another touch or two while they worked.

She finished her last run into the kitchen and was happy to see that Maria ran a tight ship. The kitchen was scrubbed and ready for the next day. Since the kitchen closed before the bar, Maria had seen to it all and had already left for the night. There was nothing else she had to do for the business part of her life.

It was time to pony up and finish her earlier conversation with Lee. She was ready for it. Sam shut the lights off and pushed through the swinging door.

Lee was waiting on the other side. The main lights were off and shadows darkened his face. He kept his hands in his pockets and stepped back as the door shut behind her.

The squeak of the hinges was the only sound in the empty dining room until he spoke. “We did it.”

“
We did. I don’t know how to thank you but I owe you so much for making today a success.” She held herself back from reaching for him.

“
Sam, you don’t owe me anything. This was for me too. For us.” His hands stayed stubbornly by his side.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him. She wanted to kiss him but the two feet between them was too far. She patted the small pocket in her summer dress.
“I—”

“
Was it too late?”

“
No.” She couldn’t bear not touching him a moment longer, but she hesitated breaking the distance between them.

His eyes made a desperate plea.
“Sam, I’m going to do things that piss you off, but I will never cheat on you. Never. I will never do anything intentional to hurt you.” He finally slipped his hands out of his pockets when she stepped toward him. He rested one hand on her hip and looked down into her eyes.

“
I know.”

He ran his fingertips over her cheek. So close to him. So close to finally letting go.

He released her and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. She recognized it immediately.

“
That’s the paperwork for the cottage. You shouldn’t have that.”

His fingers tightened, crinkling the contract.
“I told you I’d make you angry. I couldn’t let you do it.”

She swallowed but the lump in her throat was unmovable.
“You bought it.”

“
Don’t cry. If you want me to sell it, I will. Just don’t cry, Sam.”

She looked up into the face of the man she loved. He wanted to give her the world and she was fighting to make her own way. She wanted so desperately for him to accept her as she was, to do it publicly with his family, and yet she was trying to change him. It was ridiculous.

“I don’t want you to sell it.” No, she wanted to keep it, keep him forever.

He stopped a tear from trailing down her face.
“Good because I don’t want to. I love that little place. Almost as much as I love this place but still not nearly as much as I love you.”

She
’d been waiting for this moment all night, ever since she asked Michelle to pull the small velvet box out of her luggage and deliver it to the bar. She pulled the platinum rings out of her pocket and reached for Lee’s left hand. She slid the new band on to his ring finger. “I think it’s about time you started wearing a wedding band again.”

Before she could put her own ring on, Lee was taking it from her and doing it himself. He fumbled getting it over her knuckle. Once it was on all the way, he reeled her in close
. His lips were firm, the kiss soft but needy. More than just a meeting of the lips, she felt his touch to her very center. Lee was her past and her future. He was her everything.

“
Forever, Sam. Money or no money. Bar or no bar. I want you forever.”

THE END