The Best Man Read online

  Samuel handed me my own packing sheet, and we retrieved boxes from below the counter. Together, we moved around the small space, getting reaccustomed to their storage system, while packing the items on our lists into the boxes. It was nice and comfortable working alongside Samuel. I stole glances at him occasionally. When he caught me watching him once, he smirked.

  “What?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

  “It’s nice to see you so relaxed,” I said. I busied myself by searching for another item on my list and spoke around the shelves between us.

  “It feels good to help the community,” Samuel explained. “I like being home.”

  “Do you still consider this home, then?” I asked. Samuel dropped a can into his box and then turned to look at me with exasperation.

  “Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?” His arm rested across his box while he waited for my reasoning.

  “You seemed hell-bent on getting as far away from here as possible.” I shrugged. “New York? I mean, you can’t get much farther away from Astoria than that.”

  “You’re right.” Samuel nodded. “I was young. And I spent my whole life living in small towns. I wanted to experience more, and I wanted to study law at an Ivy League school. New York is amazing. I’m glad I went.”

  “And now?” I asked.

  “Now...I miss this place.” Samuel looked around. His eyes went back down to his list, and he checked a few items off before moving past me to reach something on a high shelf. I tried not to stare at the sliver of his stomach that showed when his shirt pulled up. “What about you?” Samuel lowered his arm with a can in hand and contemplated me. He tossed the tin between his palms while he looked into my eyes. “You went to Florida. That’s pretty far removed from good old Astoria too.”

  I turned away from him and moved back to my list. “I didn’t really want to leave,” I said. “I couldn’t let Dad spend his retirement money on my schooling. Going to school in Florida was a more affordable option, considering the art program I was accepted into. I lived with Nan and Gramps, so I had free room and board. My scholarship nearly paid my full tuition. So, that’s what I did.”

  “Ah...that explains it.” Samuel moved up beside me again. “You still fit in here.”

  “If that is your way of calling me ‘small-town’...” I rounded on him with a frown in place and my hands on my hips. Samuel didn’t step back, but a sweet smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

  “Why does ‘small-town’ have to be an insult?” Samuel reached a hand out and lightly pulled the hem of the flannel shirt that was tied around my waist. “I’ve missed this small town.”

  I swallowed hard and stepped backward. Samuel was doing that thing again. He was unintentionally making me think all the wrong things and have all the wrong reactions. I needed some space to clear my head. His hand dropped, and the edge of my shirt tickled the skin on my leg when it drifted back into place.

  “Almost done here?” Samuel’s voice had lowered to a quiet, husky sound.

  “Almost.” I licked my lips and moved away. “I just have one more thing on my list.”

  Samuel nodded and began to tape his box closed. I felt jittery when I moved away and pushed the stepladder over near the shelves. I could see the box of gauze pads that I needed to complete my list on the top shelf. Unfortunately, Samuel had me a bit distracted, and I moved a little too hastily as I stood on my tiptoes on the top of the stepladder, reaching above my head for the medical supply.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and didn’t even have time to squeal when I felt the ladder tilt under my feet. I expected to feel pain after landing on the floor, but instead, I felt the breath knocked out of me as I was caught in a vise-grip hold in Samuel’s warm arms. I opened my frightened eyes to see his face inches from my own. My arms were around his shoulders, and I was completely crushed against his chest.

  “Uh...” Yeah. I wasn’t exactly articulate at the moment.

  “Easy there,” Samuel murmured. My heart was surely beating hard enough for him to feel it through the thin T-shirt I wore.

  “My hero?” I offered in a small voice as a joke. Samuel tossed back his head and laughed while he lowered me to the floor. His arms hesitated to release me right away. I knew he was trying to make sure I was steady on my feet so I wouldn’t fall again. But when his eyes met mine, his features took on such an intense sort of expression, it was easy for me to imagine the way he held me was less casual than it actually was. His hands lingered just a moment too long; his fingers tightening on my hips ever so slightly...

  “Are you kids done in here?” Miss Clarie smiled from the door with two glasses of lemonade in her hands. Samuel quickly stepped away and went to retrieve the offered drinks.

  “Almost,” I said over my shoulder. I took a couple minutes to compose myself while I put the gauze in my box and taped it closed. After I labeled my offering for distribution, I turned and found Samuel leaning against the wall, waiting for me. He gave me a smile while I took the drink from his hand. “Thanks,” I said.

  “Anytime, Emelia.” I had a feeling he wasn’t only talking about the lemonade.

  With cool drinks in hand, we walked into the quiet church hallway and followed the sound of chattering voices until we found the women who were working around the large quilting frame. Smiles and light voices lilted above the care-worn fabric that was stretched across the homemade wooden structure. Deft and callused fingertips pushed shiny silver needles in and out of the patches that would someday make a blanket to be gifted to a member of our armed services. There was something magical about how the different and aged pieces were being assembled together to create something new and beautiful.

  Samuel and I were greeted pleasantly, and we chatted while sharing smiles and memories of days past. We finished our drinks and enjoyed the comfort of a remembered history. Any of our previous awkwardness dissipated, only to be replaced by that warm glow you feel when you find your way back home.

  Samuel excused himself to place our glasses in the church kitchen. When he returned to the room, I could tell he was ready to say our goodbyes. We bid the ladies a good day and then walked in silence back out to my father’s truck. Once inside the cab, I started the vehicle and turned to take us home.

  “Andy called a little while ago,” Samuel said.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “While I was putting our glasses away.”

  “Is he on his way home?” I asked. Samuel shook his head.

  “He’s staying over one more night.”

  “That’s nice.” I smiled.

  “He wants me to drive to Seattle,” Samuel continued. “I mean, I know I’ll meet Lily during my graduation party. However, they seem to think it will be nicer to get to know one another without me having to divide my attention between guests.”

  “They’re right.” I nodded. “You should go. Lily is tons of fun. You’ll love her.”

  “Come with me.”

  I almost drove off the road, but I managed to straighten the steering wheel. “Damn dog,” I muttered, pretending to look for the road hazard that caused my reaction in the rearview mirror.

  “I mean it. Come to Seattle with me,” Samuel repeated. “It would certainly make the drive more interesting. And, you said it yourself. Being the third wheel is awkward. Save me from sharing such an unfortunate situation.” I looked over at Samuel, and he playfully batted his eyelashes in such a completely comedic way that I couldn’t help but giggle. He switched our roles and was playing a caricature of a damsel in distress.

  “You are absurd,” I chided.

  “Will you come?”

  I stared at the road ahead for a moment while I contemplated his offer. It was pointless. I knew I wouldn’t refuse him. “Yeah,” I sighed. “I’ll go with you.”

  “Wonderful!” Samuel rocked back in his seat and happily hit the side of his fist on his thigh. I grinned at his enthusiasm.

  “I need a shower. I feel sweaty and gross,” I told him. He turned to look
at me, and I shifted in my seat. I was a mess from lifting boxes.

  “Has anyone ever told you that you make ‘sweaty and gross’ look good?” he asked.

  I turned to look at him with wide eyes and saw the playful look on his face. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Dalton,” I laughed. “But you can ease up. I already agreed to go with you.”

  “I just wanted to buy a little insurance...make sure you didn’t change your mind,” he laughed. At our houses, we agreed to meet back up in an hour.

  I quickly took a shower, changed clothes, and began to pack an overnight bag. Knowing Lily, she’d want to go out, and I would need something less casual to wear than the almost four-hour car ride would call for. As I tossed a summer dress into my bag, I hummed happily and wondered if Samuel would like it. My hands hesitated for a moment, and my fingers clenched on the soft cotton when I realized the path my thoughts had begun to travel down. Sometime during my rush to get ready, I had already started to feel that excited buzz...anticipation...almost as though I were preparing for a date.

  It was Samuel’s fault. He shouldn’t have been so friendly and fun to spend time with all morning. The familiarity of the old and welcome chore, the warmth of the summer sun, and the tartness of the lemonade...Heck, every sweet smile Samuel shared with me had somehow triggered a nostalgia that carried me back to my younger years. It was the only explanation I had for feeling giddy about getting to spend even more time with Samuel today.

  I made a mental note to myself to be careful. I could enjoy my evening and Samuel’s pleasant company. I just had to be sure that I recognized it all for what it was. I needed to keep things in the proper perspective. I called Dad down at the station to tell him where I would be, and then I slung my bag over my shoulder with only minutes to spare. Samuel was walking out his front door at the same time.

  I admired his worn jeans and soft-looking V-neck T-shirt from a distance as he tossed his bag into the back seat. He turned and slid a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. “You ready?” he asked.

  Oh boy, was I ever. With a new and determined swing to my step, I decided to stop overanalyzing things and just enjoy myself with the disarmingly attractive man who held the car door open with a crooked smile on his face.

  “Yep.” I smiled. I put my own bag next to his and then moved around to the passenger’s side of his car and got in. My own sunglasses were in place, the windows were down, and the music was turned up. It was going to be a great day for a road trip.

  If I worried at all about running out of things to talk about on the drive, I needn’t have. Samuel was engaging and funny while he shared stories from school and asked me to elaborate on some of my own.

  “Speaking of school...” I finally interrupted the joking. “I’m surprised you’re taking a day off when you could be sneaking off to study for the bar.” Samuel glanced over at me, and I laughed. “Andy told me. And don’t think I didn’t see that big binder of notes in the back seat.”

  “I haven’t been studying that much.” Samuel shook his head. “I have to take a refresher course this fall. The next testing in Tacoma is in February.”

  His words surprised me, and I bit my lip. “Tacoma?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I...didn’t realize you were studying for the Washington State Bar Exam,” I finally explained my confusion.

  “I thought I explained earlier that I’m coming home.” Samuel glanced over to me and then back to the road.

  “You said you missed home. I didn’t know you were moving back,” I said.

  “Oh. Well...yeah. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I’d like to stay close to my family. Andy and Lily will be staying in the Seattle area. So...”

  “I guess I figured you would end up being some big-city lawyer on the East Coast,” I admitted. Samuel frowned and twisted his hands on the steering wheel.

  “You aren’t the only one,” he said quietly. Before I could ask him to elaborate, he shook his head again and continued. His voice was calm and very serious. “I spent so much time getting through law school. I buried myself in studies and lost touch with friends and family. I don’t want to continue on that route with my career. I don’t want to work eighty hours a week and never see my family. And for that matter, I’d like my children to have a yard...with grass in it. And neighbors next door to play with...” He turned and smiled at me with his final statement. I couldn’t help but smile back. “I want to provide a comfortable home, but I don’t need to be rich and work in some corporate high-rise. I can help people with my career and be happy with more important things.”

  “I envy you,” I told him. “You have it all figured out.”

  “Well...my dad has made for great inspiration.”

  “How so?”

  “He was the best up-and-coming chef in Austin, before we moved here. He worked for a fancy five-star restaurant in the city. Learned under a Michelin Star chef.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” Samuel grinned. “But he had to practically live at the restaurant to make it to where he was in his career. Because my father’s work schedule was so demanding, my mom was basically living like a single mother. He’d missed all Andy’s and my important milestones, like first steps and first words...first day of school. His marriage was falling apart, and he wasn’t around to watch his kids grow up. That’s when Dad decided to get his own place. A place where he could make his own hours and be the father he wanted to be. So, he walked away from an amazing career and started over here. He could have been one of the greats...”

  “He is one of the greats,” I insisted.

  “I think so too,” Samuel agreed. “What he went through inspires me to be sure my priorities are in order when I make these kinds of choices.”

  I didn’t know why his words made me feel like crying, but I turned to stare out the window so my emotions wouldn’t be so clearly seen on my face. “I admire you for knowing what you want,” I said quietly. “You’ll have it all, Samuel. I just know it.”

  “And what about you, Emelia? What do you want?” he asked.

  “I just want to be happy.” I shrugged. “As far as work goes...who knows? I can work from almost anywhere. At one time, I planned to travel a while after college, but I don’t know about that now.”

  “Since your traveling buddy is getting married, huh?” Samuel moved his arm over to nudge my shoulder.

  “I’m gonna have to let him go,” I sighed. “Everything is already changing. I can feel it.”

  “Not all changes are bad,” Samuel pointed out, offering a soft smile. He reached over to playfully tug the end of my ponytail. The gesture seemed almost flirtatious, and it made my cheeks feel warm.

  “You’re right,” I agreed, nodding. “Some changes are really, really good.”

  For the next hour, we shared stories about school and sang along to the radio. After stopping for gas and drinks, Samuel allowed me to bring the study guide into the front seat. I was incredibly impressed that the same man I had just laughed nonstop with could also describe in great detail his understanding of the substantive law and could answer hundreds of questions concerning the rules of professional responsibility and ethics. I lost count of how many flashcards I prompted him from. Samuel listened intently and explained the notes he had meticulously typed out. I smiled. I should have known he would excel in anything he set his mind to. His sense of humor and his intelligence made for a lethally sexy combination. I was falling into dangerous territory with my thoughts, and I knew it. But somehow, I couldn’t be bothered to care. Every laugh, every smile, every casual touch drew me right back under his spell.

  As we neared the ferry that would take us to the city, Samuel took off his sunglasses and tucked them into his visor before rubbing his fingers across his brow bone.

  “Enough for the day?” I asked.

  “Yes, please.” Samuel smiled politely. “And thank you.”

  “No problem.” I tucked the last set of cards into his carefully organized b
inder and placed it in the back seat once again.

  Before long, Samuel asked me to navigate until he pulled up into the designated parking area beside Lily’s apartment building. “You know something?” Samuel grinned over at me. “When we aren’t fighting, I think we make a pretty good team.”

  “Too bad we’re so damn good at fighting, huh?” I laughed. We both got out of the car, stretching our bodies before Samuel grabbed both of our bags and led the way up the stairs to Lily’s apartment, with my direction.

  Andy opened the door quickly when Samuel rang the bell, and in a flurry of greetings, he almost didn’t see me standing behind his brother’s much larger frame.

  “I hope you don’t mind, I brought a date.” Samuel smiled and moved to the side. I blushed when he used the word, even though I knew he was teasing. Andy grinned and pulled me inside.

  “Lil? Em is here too!”

  I heard Lily squeal from inside the apartment as Andy ushered us in. I was wrapped in a tight hug immediately. “Emmy!” Lily exclaimed. “Andy didn’t tell me that you were coming!”

  “He didn’t know,” I laughed and extracted myself from her embrace. “Samuel just asked me to keep him company on the drive.”

  “Excellent idea, man,” Andy announced, hitting him in the shoulder. “Lil, this is my brother, Samuel. Sammy? This is my Lily.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” Samuel greeted her politely and pushed his hand forward. Lily ignored his formality and stood up on tiptoes to pull him down for an eager hug.

  “Screw the handshakes. We’re going to be related soon,” she giggled. I laughed too. Lily was a perfect match for Andy in every way. Wide blue eyes fringed with dark lashes looked bright in her porcelain pale face framed by dark hair. She almost reminded me of a hand-painted china doll. Yet despite a beauty that should have been intimidating, she had an aura that seemed to put people naturally at ease around her. Unless you were on her bad side, you couldn’t help but fall in love with Lily. I could see Samuel’s shoulders relax immediately, and he smiled widely over at his brother while Andy moved to put his arms around Lily’s waist.