Boston. Landon tossed her a look, but she turned to load up her brush.
“You could make good memories here. You and Caden.” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “All the memories aren’t bad. We had good times.”
In her desperation to escape her house, the outdoors and Landon’s house had been her sanctuary. He’d been her refuge, her comfort, her safety.
Then he’d left.
“Selling is the right thing. Once we get it fixed up, it’ll bring a pretty penny.” Then she and Caden could go back to Boston and wait for the sale. When the money came in, Caden’s future would be secure.
Landon dropped the subject, and they finished painting in silence. After setting the chairs in the sun to dry, they put the first coat of gray on the small shed. When the wind blew the door shut, they discovered it locked automatically, so they propped it open with a rock. Afterward, Landon secured the wobbly porch railing while she worked on the flower beds.
Sam was tilling the soil when she heard a friendly voice call out. She turned and watched Melanie jog up the drive, cute in her baby-blue shorts set.
“Wow, the house is looking fabulous, Samantha.” She wiped a dot of perspiration from her forehead, her breathing labored.
“I didn’t realize you lived nearby.” Sam set the cultivator against the porch rail and pulled off her gloves.
“Yeah, not quite a mile away.” Melanie put her hands on her slim hips. “You’ve come a long way in a short time.”
“You haven’t seen the inside. I haven’t done a thing in there.”
“Hi, Landon.” Melanie smiled, all dimples.
“Hi there. How’s Taffy’s ear?” Landon asked.
“Oh, just fine. Those drops you gave her are doing the trick.” She turned to Sam. “Hey, Samantha, I was wondering if Caden would like to come over sometime. Amber loves to have friends over, and I was thinking Caden might like a change of scenery now and then.”
“I’m sure she’d like that. Just give us a call when you’re ready.”
“Great.” Melanie backed away. “Well, I’d better get back to it before I lose my energy. See ya.”
Sam watched her go, her blond ponytail swinging rhythmically. Melanie would be an easy woman to dislike if she weren’t so nice.
Sam put her gloves back on.
“Is Melanie your Realtor?” Landon took the cultivator and picked up where she’d left off.
Sam grabbed the hoe and began defining the edges of the bed. “Yeah.”
“She’ll do a good job. She handles a lot of properties around here.”
They worked in silence for a while, and Sam couldn’t help but think about Melanie and Landon and how suited they were to one another. She was pert and blond, and he was tall and dark. She was a warm, likable person, and he deserved someone like her. Sam wondered if they’d ever gone out.
They spent the afternoon putting another coat of paint on the house, and by suppertime,
she wanted nothing more than a soft bed. Though Landon invited them over, she turned him down, only to receive a pout from Caden. Landon seemed to have won her daughter over quickly enough, and Sam wondered if Caden was starved for male attention. Would spending time with Landon be good for Caden, or would it only hurt her when they left the island?
That night Sam lay awake, the night sounds seeping through the walls. Beside her, Caden softly snored, and Sam envied her peace. She’d lain in this bed a thousand times staring up at the dark ceiling, feeling so alone she had to pinch herself to make sure she was here at all. She remembered the first time she experienced that feeling.
It was the morning her mom left, after Sam watched the ripples from her boat wash to shore. She walked barefoot back up the pier and through the damp grass, then curled up in the chair. The chill from the early morning air pebbled her skin, but she didn’t move.
Time stood still.
It was barely light when Emmett hollered her name from the back porch, the sound of it echoing across the
“You could make good memories here. You and Caden.” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “All the memories aren’t bad. We had good times.”
In her desperation to escape her house, the outdoors and Landon’s house had been her sanctuary. He’d been her refuge, her comfort, her safety.
Then he’d left.
“Selling is the right thing. Once we get it fixed up, it’ll bring a pretty penny.” Then she and Caden could go back to Boston and wait for the sale. When the money came in, Caden’s future would be secure.
Landon dropped the subject, and they finished painting in silence. After setting the chairs in the sun to dry, they put the first coat of gray on the small shed. When the wind blew the door shut, they discovered it locked automatically, so they propped it open with a rock. Afterward, Landon secured the wobbly porch railing while she worked on the flower beds.
Sam was tilling the soil when she heard a friendly voice call out. She turned and watched Melanie jog up the drive, cute in her baby-blue shorts set.
“Wow, the house is looking fabulous, Samantha.” She wiped a dot of perspiration from her forehead, her breathing labored.
“I didn’t realize you lived nearby.” Sam set the cultivator against the porch rail and pulled off her gloves.
“Yeah, not quite a mile away.” Melanie put her hands on her slim hips. “You’ve come a long way in a short time.”
“You haven’t seen the inside. I haven’t done a thing in there.”
“Hi, Landon.” Melanie smiled, all dimples.
“Hi there. How’s Taffy’s ear?” Landon asked.
“Oh, just fine. Those drops you gave her are doing the trick.” She turned to Sam. “Hey, Samantha, I was wondering if Caden would like to come over sometime. Amber loves to have friends over, and I was thinking Caden might like a change of scenery now and then.”
“I’m sure she’d like that. Just give us a call when you’re ready.”
“Great.” Melanie backed away. “Well, I’d better get back to it before I lose my energy. See ya.”
Sam watched her go, her blond ponytail swinging rhythmically. Melanie would be an easy woman to dislike if she weren’t so nice.
Sam put her gloves back on.
“Is Melanie your Realtor?” Landon took the cultivator and picked up where she’d left off.
Sam grabbed the hoe and began defining the edges of the bed. “Yeah.”
“She’ll do a good job. She handles a lot of properties around here.”
They worked in silence for a while, and Sam couldn’t help but think about Melanie and Landon and how suited they were to one another. She was pert and blond, and he was tall and dark. She was a warm, likable person, and he deserved someone like her. Sam wondered if they’d ever gone out.
They spent the afternoon putting another coat of paint on the house, and by suppertime,
she wanted nothing more than a soft bed. Though Landon invited them over, she turned him down, only to receive a pout from Caden. Landon seemed to have won her daughter over quickly enough, and Sam wondered if Caden was starved for male attention. Would spending time with Landon be good for Caden, or would it only hurt her when they left the island?
That night Sam lay awake, the night sounds seeping through the walls. Beside her, Caden softly snored, and Sam envied her peace. She’d lain in this bed a thousand times staring up at the dark ceiling, feeling so alone she had to pinch herself to make sure she was here at all. She remembered the first time she experienced that feeling.
It was the morning her mom left, after Sam watched the ripples from her boat wash to shore. She walked barefoot back up the pier and through the damp grass, then curled up in the chair. The chill from the early morning air pebbled her skin, but she didn’t move.
Time stood still.
It was barely light when Emmett hollered her name from the back porch, the sound of it echoing across the
Similar Books
