Page 19 of Securing Samantha
“Right now, Kassie remains the furthest person from my mind,” Samantha told her as she picked up LJ’s stray toys. Normally she called her son down to pick them up, but he still slept after a night of crying in her arms. At one point she joined him.
“Don’t be trying to pull the wool over my eyes. You women act as thick as thieves, and you miss ‘em. You need to rip the bandage off and have a good shouting match, clear your gullet and start again,” Edie advised.
Samantha sighed. “Edie, I don’t know what to do. Normally, I head to Leo or Kassie and hash everything out. Whiskey needs the team. I don’t want to slant their view of their teammate. Kassie hurt me. She knew all this time the man I loved stayed in those cabins. She’s visited my home and knows how much I missed him. Yet she kept him from me. He believes she walks on water. He’s married to me, and he seeks the comfort of other women. Claire, I understand. But Kassie?”
Edie shook her head. “Don’t be searching in dark places for answers. While I hold Miss Kassie in great esteem, she’s only human. We all make mistakes. I believe Kassie did what she did keeping your best interests in mind. She’s gone through a ton of trauma herself and likely knows how he feels. Other than trying to help your husband come back to you, I can’t find her guilty of anything else. Her world begins and ends with that doctor of hers and their little girl. Exactly like your world evolves around LJ and your Liam. I believe I’ve got a pecan pie to bake this afternoon and I’d appreciate it if you’d take it over to Dr. Chase. He got me an appointment to see a doctor in Seattle. I’ve put off my move because the specialist I needed didn’t take new patients. He pulled a couple of strings. Now, I can move here faster and help with Nugget.”
Samantha smiled. “I bet no one else can take the pie over, huh?”
“Well, I reckon Saint will try but it might be missing a big ol’ piece before it got there. Come on honey, have faith you and your friend can work it out. She looks poorly every time she places those flowers on the porch. Plus, I hear she’s going through some tough times herself.” Edie sat down in the chair and rocked.
“What’s wrong with Kassie? Did something happen with Em?” Samantha worried.
“Ya know, it slips my mind. I’m gettin’ old and my poor ol’ brain can’t keep as much stuff in it as it used to, Sugar. Why don’t you plan on asking her yourself while you’re there?” Edie’s eyes closed as if she drifted off. She didn’t fool Samantha one bit as she sent a smirk in her direction.
Samantha peeked in on LJ and decided to grab a shower before going into the shop. She gave Joe the paperwork to read and he promised to get back to her later today. Becky opened the store already and she needed to get there within the next two hours.
She dressed and watched as LJ sat outside next to Nugget as she made items out of snow. She explained to LJ how Miss Bryanna made whipped cream and they pretended to drink hot chocolate before LJ’s army men took them on a mission. She knelt next to him.
“I’ve got to go to the shop. Miss Edie said you can play with Nugget, or you can come with me,” she told him, knowing which one the five-year-old favored.
“I’ll stay here, Mom. I can’t play at the shop,” he reasoned.
“I’ll be back around dinner time, but you call me if you need me,” she assured him as she kissed him and then Nugget. “Listen to Miss Edie and do as she says,” she reminded him as she got into her car.
She parked her vehicle in front of her shop. She and Whiskey made an appointment to meet Claire at noon, then she planned to wait for Bryan to call. Her body hummed in anticipation when she thought about the deal and what it meant for her family. The money no longer presented any issues. If all went well, she’d have enough money to invest and put in LJ’s college fund. Bryan called a few times as they haggled over small items in the contract. She refused to haggle over quality. After all, he came to her because her products competed against some of the top brands. They carried the potential to become a competitor in the market. She got out of the car and headed into the shop.
“Hi, Becky,” she called out as she made her way to the register.
“Hi, Samantha. A man came in earlier and asked for you. I’ve never seen him before, he said he’d stop by this afternoon.”
“I’m waiting on some paperwork; it might be the currier. I have a meeting at noon today. Why don’t you plan on taking a longer break around eleven and I’ll hold down the shop until eleven fifty,” she told Becky. The young college student used her lunch time to study.
“Thanks.” Becky grabbed the rest of the jars and started stocking.
Her phone rang and she smiled as Bryan’s name appeared.
“Samantha O’Neil,” she answered.
“Hello, Samantha O’Neil. This is Bryan Jennings.”
“Are you calling to complain about the price of cold pressed oils again or haggle over the merits of steam distillation?” she teased.
“I called because I heard from your lawyer who refused to take no as an answer. I’m at your mercy,” Bryan pouted.
She giggled at his antics. “I somehow doubt it. Joe called. He’s sending the changes for me to review before I sign.”
“I wanted to see if you and LJ might want to come see our plant. I can arrange a flight for you on Thursday evening and we can take the weekend. New York’s full of activities this time of year and we might even take in a play. Not to mention the abundance of activities for kids.”
“I don’t know, Bryan.” Samantha bit her lip.
“Think about it. I thought you might like to see how we plan to produce your products and how it will work on my end. Who knows, you might come to love the Big Apple,” he coaxed.
“Give me some time to think about it,” she stated.
“No problem. I’ll let you get back to work. I need a break from your lawyer,” Bryan whined as he hung up. She giggled. She missed having lighthearted conversations with a man.
The rest of the morning flew by and before she knew it, Becky returned from lunch.