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Authors: Denise Hunter
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pregnancy.
She hadn’t even let him kiss her, yet she’d slept with someone else that summer. Someone who hadn’t loved her like he had, someone without the guts to stick around and help raise his daughter.
He felt her rejection all over again. Surely Sam hadn’t been in love with someone else that summer. He’d have known it. But the alternative hardly made him feel better.
Sam leaned back on her hands, her chin raised, her face set. She was an enigma. She’d been his soul mate, a mystery to the rest of the world, and yet he always had his finger on her heart’s pulse. But that last summer, everything had changed. Was it his words of love or Bailey’s death or her pregnancy? He wasn’t sure what had taken Sam away from him, but as he looked at her now, vulnerable even with her false pride, he realized he wanted her back enough to risk everything.
Sam watched Caden play in the water but didn’t see a thing. Beside her, she could feel the realization sinking into Landon. Though she sat still as the lighthouse behind them, her heart hammered.
She was about to jump up and go for a swim when he spoke. “I’m sure Caden will come around. She seems well adjusted.”
He was letting Sam off the hook, and they both knew it. She leaned back on her elbows and crossed her legs at the ankles. He would ask who Caden’s father was eventually, but she was relieved to let it slide for the moment.
They talked about a lot of nothing and chuckled about the old times. She dipped in just enough to wet her legs, but the chill in the water kept her from wading in any farther. Caden begged Landon to come into the water, but he hadn’t worn his trunks. Sam wondered why he didn’t wade in as she did. When they were kids, he’d been in the water constantly.
Sam lay on the blanket until the warm air dried her skin. The sun had set by the time Caden came toward them, shivering, and she realized they hadn’t brought a towel. They packed up, and Sam shook the sand from their blanket and wrapped it around Caden. Landon drove them home and parked in his drive, then walked them back to their house, carrying the cooler.
Max ran ahead with Caden, who left him on the porch in favor of a warm bath. By the time she and Landon reached the door, Max was lying down, his head resting on his paws.
“Caden wore him out,” Landon said, setting the cooler down.
“I think the feeling’s mutual.” She opened the door and set the sack inside. In the background, she heard water running into the tub. She turned.
Landon was closer than she realized. The lamplight from the living room washed over his face. He had bits of sand in his hair, and before she could reason with herself, she ruffled his hair, letting the grains fall to the floor. The strands were soft against her fingers, and she imagined them trailing down several inches, touching the roughness of his jawline.
He stilled, and she slowly drew her hand away. His eyes darkened as they homed in on hers.
“I had a nice time tonight,” he said.
They were date words, but she didn’t mind. Mainly because she didn’t have a straight thought in her head. His eyes always told her so much, and now they were saying things she hadn’t heard in so long. Things her barren soul soaked up like a withered plant.
“Me too.”
He lifted his hand, and her skin tingled in anticipation.
“Mom, where’s my shampoo?” Caden’s voice was a deluge of cold water.
“Under the sink,” Sam called over her shoulder.
The bathroom door snapped shut.
Sam turned back to Landon. “Well, thanks for taking us tonight,” she said.
“Thanks for inviting me along.” Landon straightened, letting the screen door close. “Good night.”
Sam shut the door and leaned against it. She pictured the way Landon had looked at her. Her breaths fell heavily, and her mouth had gone dry. She let herself imagine what might have happened if Caden hadn’t broken the spell. Landon had wanted to kiss her, and the
She hadn’t even let him kiss her, yet she’d slept with someone else that summer. Someone who hadn’t loved her like he had, someone without the guts to stick around and help raise his daughter.
He felt her rejection all over again. Surely Sam hadn’t been in love with someone else that summer. He’d have known it. But the alternative hardly made him feel better.
Sam leaned back on her hands, her chin raised, her face set. She was an enigma. She’d been his soul mate, a mystery to the rest of the world, and yet he always had his finger on her heart’s pulse. But that last summer, everything had changed. Was it his words of love or Bailey’s death or her pregnancy? He wasn’t sure what had taken Sam away from him, but as he looked at her now, vulnerable even with her false pride, he realized he wanted her back enough to risk everything.
Sam watched Caden play in the water but didn’t see a thing. Beside her, she could feel the realization sinking into Landon. Though she sat still as the lighthouse behind them, her heart hammered.
She was about to jump up and go for a swim when he spoke. “I’m sure Caden will come around. She seems well adjusted.”
He was letting Sam off the hook, and they both knew it. She leaned back on her elbows and crossed her legs at the ankles. He would ask who Caden’s father was eventually, but she was relieved to let it slide for the moment.
They talked about a lot of nothing and chuckled about the old times. She dipped in just enough to wet her legs, but the chill in the water kept her from wading in any farther. Caden begged Landon to come into the water, but he hadn’t worn his trunks. Sam wondered why he didn’t wade in as she did. When they were kids, he’d been in the water constantly.
Sam lay on the blanket until the warm air dried her skin. The sun had set by the time Caden came toward them, shivering, and she realized they hadn’t brought a towel. They packed up, and Sam shook the sand from their blanket and wrapped it around Caden. Landon drove them home and parked in his drive, then walked them back to their house, carrying the cooler.
Max ran ahead with Caden, who left him on the porch in favor of a warm bath. By the time she and Landon reached the door, Max was lying down, his head resting on his paws.
“Caden wore him out,” Landon said, setting the cooler down.
“I think the feeling’s mutual.” She opened the door and set the sack inside. In the background, she heard water running into the tub. She turned.
Landon was closer than she realized. The lamplight from the living room washed over his face. He had bits of sand in his hair, and before she could reason with herself, she ruffled his hair, letting the grains fall to the floor. The strands were soft against her fingers, and she imagined them trailing down several inches, touching the roughness of his jawline.
He stilled, and she slowly drew her hand away. His eyes darkened as they homed in on hers.
“I had a nice time tonight,” he said.
They were date words, but she didn’t mind. Mainly because she didn’t have a straight thought in her head. His eyes always told her so much, and now they were saying things she hadn’t heard in so long. Things her barren soul soaked up like a withered plant.
“Me too.”
He lifted his hand, and her skin tingled in anticipation.
“Mom, where’s my shampoo?” Caden’s voice was a deluge of cold water.
“Under the sink,” Sam called over her shoulder.
The bathroom door snapped shut.
Sam turned back to Landon. “Well, thanks for taking us tonight,” she said.
“Thanks for inviting me along.” Landon straightened, letting the screen door close. “Good night.”
Sam shut the door and leaned against it. She pictured the way Landon had looked at her. Her breaths fell heavily, and her mouth had gone dry. She let herself imagine what might have happened if Caden hadn’t broken the spell. Landon had wanted to kiss her, and the
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