Read Online McDonald_MM_GEN_Dec2013 by Donna McDonald - Free Book Online
Authors: Donna McDonald
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ducked her head a little as she tried to catch Joyce’s eyes. The woman wouldn’t look at her.
“Why do you ask, Joyce?”
“No reason really,” Joyce said, shrugging. “Sam told us he was dating and I just thought—well, I don’t know what I thought. He’s certainly under no obligation to bring his dates to us for approval. I guess I can only hope he’s dating women as nice as you.”
“Does his dating bother you?” Eve asked.
“Oh heavens no,” Joyce said quickly. “Sam is a wonderful man, and was a wonderful husband to Angeline. She gave him strict orders not to grieve long for her and to move on as soon as he could. Greg and I both want him to find someone. We just hope the woman doesn’t take him completely away from us. It would be like losing another child.”
Eve nodded. She got that. She really got that. Nathan had been showing up to court Megan for years. He was like Rick to her. She could only see her affection for Sam’s son deepening over time.
“You know, I’ve known Sam for over a decade. He’s never going to let anyone take him completely away from the people he cares about. Plus Nathan and Megan would never let him be with someone like that. And since I’m his friend, I would never let it happen either. So you can set that worry completely aside. If Sam gets caught up with some selfish dizzy-lizzy, there are lots of people to set him straight.”
Joyce laughed. “Dizzy-lizzy. That’s a good one. Do you still see your in-laws?”
Eve shook her head. “No, but it’s different in my case. They live in Arizona and not just across town. I call them a few times a year. Now and again I ship a grandchild out to visit for a few days. They’re good people, but I’m not as close to them as Sam is to you and Greg.”
“Sam has a large capacity to love,” Joyce said. “Any woman would be lucky to have him. And he loves to laugh. And tease . . . he’s a terrible tease.”
Eve laughed at how well that described him. “I definitely agree with you on all of that.”
“You know, your laugh sounds exactly the way it does on the radio,” Joyce said.
The comment made Eve laugh again. “Thank you—I guess. Is that a good thing?”
“Oh yes. You’re so much fun. Do you date at all? Sam said it’s been three years since your husband died and that you don’t go out with anyone. Now that I’ve met you, it’s seems more of a shame than when he told us about it.”
“Wow—Sam’s a regular little gossiping bee, isn’t he? Did he tell you the color of my underwear?”
Joyce laughed and winked. “Probably only because he hasn’t seen them. The man does love to brag, even if it’s mostly teasing.”
Eve thought about Sam stripping the sweatpants off her last night. She was pretty sure he’d seen her panties. But she’d absolutely kill him if he told Joyce or Greg about what happened.
A bell dinged in the kitchen, saving her from further awkward conversation, and maybe saying something revealing about her evolving relationship with Sam.
“Oh good. The turkey’s done,” Joyce said.
Eve laughed and felt great relief as she watched the older woman walk quickly away. Why had Sam told Angeline’s parents so much about her? To distract herself from thinking too long and too hard about it, she turned and surveyed the room. Her gaze landed on an antique buffet lined with at least thirty framed photos.
Walking over, she looked at each one, recognizing a beautiful young woman and a young Sam gradually aging with every new picture she saw. There were also some of Nathan looking very much like a younger Sam. She picked up a particularly beautiful picture showing an obviously proud man with his arms around his wife and his son.
Despite her growing romantic interest in Sam herself, she was not a bit jealous of his past. David had been like that with her and the kids. Neither she nor Sam had arrived where they were in their lives without their fair share of previous love and
“Why do you ask, Joyce?”
“No reason really,” Joyce said, shrugging. “Sam told us he was dating and I just thought—well, I don’t know what I thought. He’s certainly under no obligation to bring his dates to us for approval. I guess I can only hope he’s dating women as nice as you.”
“Does his dating bother you?” Eve asked.
“Oh heavens no,” Joyce said quickly. “Sam is a wonderful man, and was a wonderful husband to Angeline. She gave him strict orders not to grieve long for her and to move on as soon as he could. Greg and I both want him to find someone. We just hope the woman doesn’t take him completely away from us. It would be like losing another child.”
Eve nodded. She got that. She really got that. Nathan had been showing up to court Megan for years. He was like Rick to her. She could only see her affection for Sam’s son deepening over time.
“You know, I’ve known Sam for over a decade. He’s never going to let anyone take him completely away from the people he cares about. Plus Nathan and Megan would never let him be with someone like that. And since I’m his friend, I would never let it happen either. So you can set that worry completely aside. If Sam gets caught up with some selfish dizzy-lizzy, there are lots of people to set him straight.”
Joyce laughed. “Dizzy-lizzy. That’s a good one. Do you still see your in-laws?”
Eve shook her head. “No, but it’s different in my case. They live in Arizona and not just across town. I call them a few times a year. Now and again I ship a grandchild out to visit for a few days. They’re good people, but I’m not as close to them as Sam is to you and Greg.”
“Sam has a large capacity to love,” Joyce said. “Any woman would be lucky to have him. And he loves to laugh. And tease . . . he’s a terrible tease.”
Eve laughed at how well that described him. “I definitely agree with you on all of that.”
“You know, your laugh sounds exactly the way it does on the radio,” Joyce said.
The comment made Eve laugh again. “Thank you—I guess. Is that a good thing?”
“Oh yes. You’re so much fun. Do you date at all? Sam said it’s been three years since your husband died and that you don’t go out with anyone. Now that I’ve met you, it’s seems more of a shame than when he told us about it.”
“Wow—Sam’s a regular little gossiping bee, isn’t he? Did he tell you the color of my underwear?”
Joyce laughed and winked. “Probably only because he hasn’t seen them. The man does love to brag, even if it’s mostly teasing.”
Eve thought about Sam stripping the sweatpants off her last night. She was pretty sure he’d seen her panties. But she’d absolutely kill him if he told Joyce or Greg about what happened.
A bell dinged in the kitchen, saving her from further awkward conversation, and maybe saying something revealing about her evolving relationship with Sam.
“Oh good. The turkey’s done,” Joyce said.
Eve laughed and felt great relief as she watched the older woman walk quickly away. Why had Sam told Angeline’s parents so much about her? To distract herself from thinking too long and too hard about it, she turned and surveyed the room. Her gaze landed on an antique buffet lined with at least thirty framed photos.
Walking over, she looked at each one, recognizing a beautiful young woman and a young Sam gradually aging with every new picture she saw. There were also some of Nathan looking very much like a younger Sam. She picked up a particularly beautiful picture showing an obviously proud man with his arms around his wife and his son.
Despite her growing romantic interest in Sam herself, she was not a bit jealous of his past. David had been like that with her and the kids. Neither she nor Sam had arrived where they were in their lives without their fair share of previous love and
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