Heaven and Hell (54 page)

Memphis was nosing around on the deck for
the first time out without a lot of company to keep her occupied.
It was a test. But as Sam said she’d do, she was enjoying the space
but staying close. I was keeping an eye on her in case she got a
wild hair and wandered.

It was late afternoon and Maris was in the
kitchen starting dinner. Luci was helping her. Celeste was at the
bar keeping them company. And Sam and Hap had gone to the store to
pick up some things Maris needed and more booze.

That morning, after Maris and I chatted for
awhile over coffee, breakfast and Hap’s resumed loud snoring, Luci
and Celeste showed. They did it with Luci’s flashy, red Corvette
stuffed to the gills with beach paraphernalia, as in, stuffed so
full her trunk wasn’t shut. Coolers filled with drinks, sandwiches
and snacks, bags filled with beach towels and a variety of suntan
lotion, chairs and umbrellas.

Maris and I got changed and we carted all of
Luci’s stuff down the wooded walkway that led to the beach that Sam
and his neighbor shared. Hap, wearing a pair of cutoff jeans as
trunks and proving he was indeed made entirely of muscle from jaw
to toes, joined us a half an hour later. That was to say, he joined
us by arriving then collapsing facedown on a beach towel Luci laid
out for him then he again passed out.

Sam joined us an hour after that wearing a
loose-fitting tank that to my delight he immediately took off and
loose-fitting trunks he left on.

Hap resurfaced, ate four of the sandwiches
Luci and Celeste brought and somewhat revived. This included him
jogging to Sam’s house and bringing back a football. Sam and Hap
played catch while I watched with no small amount of fascination.
This was mainly because Sam wasn’t so much playing catch as
existing with movement. I found it stunning – throwing, catching,
running, reaching, it was all so fluid and graceful, it seemed
natural. Not practiced. It wasn’t like a dance. It was like
breathing.

Except breathing beautifully.

Watching him, I wished my Dad was there. Dad
would love to play catch with Sam. Sam was definitely Sam to Dad,
heck, to my entire family. But there were times he was Sampson
Cooper and this was one of those times and Dad would get something
huge from that.

Then Luci joined them and essentially played
run after the ball you dropped which only Luci could make cute and
seem like fun. Which she did.

Not long after, Sam came to me, yanked me to
my feet and we played two on two beach football, a game I didn’t
know existed. I was teamed with Hap which I found a surprise until
I realized it was because, if I was on an opposing team, Sam could
tackle me. Which he did.

A lot.

Hap and I, by the way, lost. This Hap did
good-naturedly but then again, he probably knew we had no shot.

It was a blast and it was then I wished Kyle
and Gitte were with us because three on three would be an even
bigger blast.

Maris and Celeste chatted in between
cheering us and indifferently reading their eBooks.

We gave up on the game and Luci and I
frolicked in the ocean for awhile, Sam and Hap joining us therefore
the frolicking became horsing around. Then, exhausted (or at least
Luci and I were), we dragged ourselves out of the surf, collapsed
on our towels, laid out and soaked up some rays.

Early afternoon we packed it in which was to
say the women hoofed it to the house while Hap and Sam carted up
all our stuff. Luci and Celeste went back to Luci’s place for
showers while Maris and I did the same at Sam’s, Sam hitting the
shower after me. The women returned looking prepared to sweep into
a slightly casual Cordon Bleu restaurant and Maris emerged from her
room much the same. So it was lucky for me I chose a pair of dark
green, tailored, cuffed short-shorts and a kickass melon-colored
tee that was sleeveless and had awesome drapey bits crossed tight
at the neckline as well as light makeup, light perfume and a touch
of cool-as-hell jewelry I’d picked up at a boutique in Paris.

The day was fun and clearly Sam nor Maris
were going to spoil it for anyone by holding ill-will about that
morning. It was like it didn’t happen. Sam was Sam, Maris was who I
was getting to know was Maris and that was it.

But now, sitting on Sam’s deck with a moment
of solitude and a glass of chilled white wine, try as I might, it
was creeping back on me.

What Maris said was true. Sam was a
professional football player. Then Sam joined the Army and became a
freaking Ranger.

But now what did Sam do?

I had no idea except he said he was in Italy
on business, business he never explained. And, thinking back on it,
he had a lot of phone calls. Not only when we were in Indiana but
also when we were on Crete and even when we were on our trip to
view
La Scapigliata
.

And most of these he walked away from me to
take.

When someone was out there maybe then
definitely out to kill me, I didn’t think about it. Sam had a
mission. Sam had a focus.

Now, there was nothing.

And Maris was right. Sam was not that kind
of man.

So what did he do?

I could not imagine Sam was a guy who worked
out, frolicked at the beach, hung at Skippy’s and followed his
girlfriend around.

What I didn’t know was what was next, not
only for me but for him.

What I knew from his conversation with his
mother that morning was that whatever was next, or, indeed,
currently happening with Sam, he wasn’t going to share it with me.
I had not been spending much time trying but I hadn’t really broken
through. Now I knew my small victories were not small.

They were puny.

“Do you wish to have some time alone,
ma
belle
?” I heard, I turned my head and tipped it back to see
Celeste wearing fabulous sunglasses and holding her own glass of
wine standing beside me.

“Absolutely not, not while you’re here to
spend my time with,” I told her, she smiled then she moved to drag
a chair beside me. When she settled, I said, “I love it that you’re
here.”

“I do as well, my Kia, and not only because
I get to spend time with you and Sam but also because Thomas
received his next assignment and he’s in
Lago di Como
dealing with packers and movers and I am not. I fear, as much as I
have done it, I have never grown to like it. But I am fortunate
that my husband loves me so he doesn’t mind me flying over an ocean
to avoid it.”

I turned my head to look at her. “Where are
you moving?”

She looked at me and answered, “London.”

Drat. That wasn’t Chicago or even New
York.

As much as I wished she was moving closer, I
still smiled and remarked, “Well, I’ve never been there so a new
place to visit.”

“
Oui,
” she murmured on a small
returned smile but it died as she turned her head to look over her
shoulder then back at me. “We must talk quickly in case Luci joins
us.”

Oh man.

“Why?” I whispered.

She tipped her head to the side and I knew
she was thinking.

Then she stated, “It is odd…” She trailed
off then quickly went on, “You and I, we have discussed it. I sense
your anxiety. And Maris’s, Hap’s, Sam’s… but,
ma chérie
,
since our return yesterday, something has changed.”

I twisted my torso to her and leaned in.
“What?”

She twisted to me and also leaned in. “You
and Sam.”

I blinked. Then I repeated, “What?”

“She watches you both when you’re focused on
each other. At first, I thought this was wistful, as it would be.
Then the pain started to be more visible. I think watching your
relationship blossom with Sam reminds her even more acutely of what
she has lost.”

“That’s not good,” I muttered, not wanting
to be the cause of even deeper pain for Luci.

“No it isn’t,” Celeste agreed. “But it’s
more.”

Oh man!

“What?” I prompted, leaning deeper into
her.

“Our flight, our travel from the airport,
getting settled in her home she shared with her husband and also I
noticed a time this morning… she retreats. But this morning, it was
different. Kia,
ma belle,
it alarmed me.”

Shit!

“Why?”

She shook her head but answered, “Such
despair. Not hidden. I do not think her being in the house she
shared with Travis is a good thing. She was much livelier in Italy.
She was, of course, hiding grief but now…” she trailed off
again.

“Do you know if her father spoke to her?” I
asked.

“She mentioned several times since you and
Sam departed Italy that she’s had lunch or dinner with her mother
and father. But she did not share much about it.”

Hmm.

I looked through my sunglasses directly into
Celeste’s and asked quietly, “Do you have any ideas?”

Celeste nodded. “I think the time has come
that the ones she loves stop dancing around this and confront her
directly. You and I spoke briefly about your friend Missy and yes,
I do agree with your assessment, it is much the same. However, it
is also very different. Missy found something to turn her attention
to, her fitness and her career. Luciana does not even have these
types of anchors. Our Luci is drifting.”

Drifting.

Drifting.

That was what Maris said Sam was doing.

Travis Gordon was gone and the two people
closest to him that he left behind were drifting.

Oh God.

“Kia?” Celeste called and I looked at her.
“What are you thinking?”

I had a decision to make and I had very
little time.

So I made it.

Celeste wasn’t going to blab what I said to
anyone but Thomas who I instinctively knew would share it no
further. Celeste was safe to share with and Celeste was worldly
wise.

Celeste could help.

“I’m in love with Sam,” I blurted and
watched her lips curve up.

“This is not news,
ma chérie,
” she
told me.

It wasn’t?

Oh God.

Was I that obvious?

I felt my brows go up. “It isn’t?”

“If you’re trying to hide it then I must
admit I am very surprised and therefore, I hate to tell you this,
my darling Kia, you are failing at your endeavor.”

Great.

She smiled big at me and finished,
“Spectacularly.”

Fabulous.

“Well, um… I don’t know if I’m actually
trying to hide it so much as…” I hesitated, not knowing how to
explain it then I decided to tell her just that. “I don’t know what
to say, how to explain it. I’m in love with him and I know he cares
a lot about me. He’s great.
It’s
great, what we have, but
something is missing.”

“And what do you think is missing?”

“He’s keeping something from me.”

Even with her sunglasses on, she didn’t hide
her surprise.

“You’re surprised,” I noted.

“Indeed,” she murmured. “That is not to say
that I do not think Sampson Cooper is a man who has secrets. This
is obvious,
ma chérie.
It is to say that I’m surprised that,
like you have with him, he has not shared his with you.”

“I am too,” I muttered.

“This is causing problems,” she deduced.

“Not exactly,” I replied. “Like I said,
things are great,
he’s
great and I’m in love with him. I
told you what was happening with me and he sorted that. It’s all
done. It’s all good. Except it’s, well…
not
.”

She reached out a hand and curled her
fingers around my forearm, whispering, “Patience, my Kia.”

“But –” I started, she shook her head so I
stopped.

“Always,” she whispered then leaned in even
further, “
always
, when you earn the secrets of someone worth
knowing that deeply, you will feel rewarded when he eventually
offers you these treasures. So, my darling,
patience.
You
will earn them, I have no fear. He will give them to you and when
he does, they will feel like the gift they are.”

Right. That was good advice.

I was on the right track.

I just needed to be patient.

I nodded.

Celeste squeezed my arm, let me go and
leaned back, continuing with her advice, “Just keep doing what
you’re doing. I will say that it is obvious that you are in love
with him and, my Kia, it is equally obvious that he is the same
with you.”

I felt my heart clutch and breathed,
“Really?”

She smiled at me. “Kia, that man adores
you.”

Oh God. I hoped so.

“Patience,” I whispered, hoping with
everything I had, hell, everything I
was
, that Celeste was
right.

“Indeed,
ma chérie,
” she whispered
back.

We both heard the door open, we both twisted
our necks to look between the seats and we both saw Sam sauntering
our way. After his shower, he put on a pair of exceptionally and,
no other way to describe them,
deliciously
faded jeans and
another long sleeves rolled up, button up the front, lightweight
shirt. This one a green so light it was nearly white.

He looked beautiful.

I smiled at him.

He smiled back.

Yep. Beautiful.

Then he made it to us, bent deep at the
waist and touched his mouth to my upturned lips.

When he pulled back he asked, “Am I
interrupting girl time?”

“Absolutely not,” Celeste answered then
rose, murmuring, “but I need to powder my nose.”

Powder my nose.
Totally, Celeste was
so cool.

She slid a small smile between the both of
us and moved to the house.

Sam moved to the railing.

I left my wineglass on the arm of the chair
and moved to Sam. He delayed a nanosecond before his arm slid
around me and he pulled me into his body.

“Walkin’ out, you two seemed intense. Is
everything all right with Celeste?” he asked.