Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers by Emily Matthews (free novels .TXT) 📕

She was starving and almost cried when Sam texted he would bring breakfast. She met him at the door with a smile.

“Do you play racquetball with your brother every Saturday?” she asked around a mouthful of warm, buttery croissant.

“Whenever he’s available. His work schedule shifts around, so sometimes he works, and sometimes he’s sleeping because he worked the night before. We switch around the days and times to accommodate him.”

“It must be great to be so close,” she mused. “I missed out not having a sibling.”

“Meh, he’s all right,” Sam said with a grin.

“Well, hey, thanks for breakfast. I hate to push you out, but I’ve got a shopping date with Beckie to find a dress for the banquet next weekend.”

“I thought you hated in-person shopping,” he said.

“I do. But Beckie asked me to go, and I couldn’t say no.” She shrugged.

“That reminds me. Thanks for easing up at work. Phil mentioned you were semi-cordial at your last progress meeting with him.”

“Semi, huh? I’ll work to find a happy medium.” She laughed. “What are you doing today?”

“I’m flying to New York for a couple of days. A last-minute trip Phil set up. I have a couple of meetings on Monday, but I also need to get fitted for my tuxedo for Mitch’s wedding. And I can’t go to New York without a visit to my mom. She’s gonna do a Sunday dinner thing with everyone. Will you miss me?”

She leaned to kiss him. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight. “I wish I could stay a little longer, but I’ve got to get going too. Can I call you later?”

“Of course,” she replied as they walked to the door.

She gazed longingly at his backside as he walked to his car. Without turning around, he hollered, “Are you staring at my ass?”

She laughed out loud. “Nooooo,” she stammered before slamming the door. “It’s such a fine ass. How could I not?” she muttered to herself.

God, she hoped Wayne stayed in California after getting out. Things were going so great with Sam. She really didn’t want to have to take a break, or worse, break up altogether.

Annie came back that night exhausted and several hundred dollars lighter. She hadn’t intended to buy herself a new dress, but Beckie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and she’d gotten wrapped up in the whole shopping experience. They ate lunch at a trendy little café at the mall and then found shoes and jewelry on a second round.

Beckie’s mom hadn’t been feeling well, so Beckie picked out a dress for her. Buying something for her mother appeared to make Beckie happier than buying one for herself. She was such a sweet girl. Annie was trying slowly, and without Beckie knowing, to help her with her confidence issues. The dress Beckie had purchased would work wonders—she looked fabulous in it.

Annie missed Sam during the week but was glad for some time to get her house in order and make plans for Wayne’s potential arrival.

The one thing causing her problems was the security system she’d purchased. As promised, it had come right away, but she failed to realize she was now in charge of installing it. She’d called around to several security companies, but they wouldn’t take the liability of installing someone else’s product.

Then she tried handymen, but after talking to a few, ruled that out as well. One wanted an arm and a leg, and the others couldn’t schedule her for weeks. She wanted to get the system up and running as soon as possible.

Maybe Sam had someone he could recommend, and perhaps nudge, to help her quickly. She didn’t want to take advantage of their relationship, but he was also a friend, and friends helped each other out, right? She made a mental note to ask him next time she talked to him.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Wayne was getting antsy. After all that time in a jail cell, he should be used to confined spaces, but living in this car was beginning to take its toll.

He raised his arms to stretch and gagged at the smell. He’d have to clean up soon. Definitely before he talked to anyone.

It had taken him two weeks, but he’d finally tracked Annie down to Washington State. He was sitting in a borrowed hunk of junk car outside the Samatrix Bellevue office building hoping to catch a glimpse of her, just to confirm she was really here.

He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t been at the prison to pick him up after his release, but he’d held out a shred of hope that she might be at home waiting for him, ready to work things out. What else would she be doing? It wasn’t like she could think for herself.

When he showed up at their old house, he was met by a stranger who claimed she’d been renting the place for almost two years. Two years? That explained why his letters kept coming back. Where the hell had Annie gone?

He figured she must have gone back to her money-grubbing family, but when he went to her parent’s house to find and confront her, her mother had been adamant that Annie hadn’t moved back. He found that hard to believe and had wasted several days driving around between her various relatives’ houses hoping she’d turn up.

He couldn’t fathom why she’d run away. Or why she’d apparently done so and not told him. She needed him.

And if he was being honest, he needed her too. Or at least her money. If she really wanted a divorce, fine, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t getting some money out of it. Her attorney had sent the divorce paperwork several times, but each time, it went in the garbage. The last two envelopes he hadn’t even opened before throwing them away.

At one point, she’d offered him a hundred thousand dollars to sign the papers. He was thinking that might not be such a bad deal