Here Comes the Bride (22 page)

His brow quirked.

“Don’t worry. My story won’t have anything to do with celebrities or reporters.”

He chuckled, and then waved the check in front of her face. “Last chance.”

She swatted the money away. It felt good to turn down that much money, mostly because she knew she would be okay. No matter what happened, she would be just fine. The last thing she was going to do was sink into a deep, dark depression like she had done after Ken left her for another woman.

Nope.

Life wasn’t easy.

Life liked to throw crazy obstacles in people’s way just to trip them up and see what they were made of.

Like many people, Sam tended to learn lessons the hard way. But for the first time in her life, she knew she could handle whatever life tossed her way.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dominic rushed up the stairs and charged into his sister’s house, letting the screen door slam shut behind him. He stopped when he saw Linda standing in the middle of the family room. “What’s wrong? Is it Winston?”

“Settle down,” Linda said. “The dogs are all fine.”

Sensing trouble, he strode through the room and walked into the kitchen.

“Beverly,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

She looked different today. She wore a plaid shirt and jeans. Her white, spanking new sneakers blinded him. He looked at his mom, but spoke to his sister. “What’s she doing here?” he asked for the second time.

“I invited her.”

His sister’s defiant tone reminded him painfully of Sam. He ached from missing her. “Why?”

“Because I’ve always wondered about my dad…
our
dad, and when I saw your mother in the paper, and all over the news, I figured the best way to find out about Dad would be through your mom.”

“You should have talked to me first.”

“You’re not the boss of me. What are you going to do, make a big stink, run off, and never talk to me again? Boo-hoo.”

“I should do just that.”

Linda sighed. “Sit down and let Beverly say what she needs to say. It’s time you let her talk.”

“I’ll stand.”

Other than Winston running in circles chasing his tail, the house was quiet.

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you and Sam,” his mother began, her voice sounding a little too fragile for his liking.

The blue in her plaid shirt made her eyes look bluer than the last time he’d seen her. For an older woman, she took good care of herself.

“I really liked Sam,” his mother said after a long pause. “She’s a good person.”

Linda nodded in agreement.

Dominic frowned. “Is that why you called me here, Linda? To tell me I messed up? Do you two nosy women think I don’t know that I blew it? I miss her. Every bone in my body aches from missing Sam Johnston, but it could never work.”

“Why not?” Linda wanted to know.

“Because we’re too much alike. Sam and I don’t trust each other. Maybe we never will. That woman would follow me every time I took the garbage out, and I’d be calling you, Linda, every time she was five minutes late from work. That’s not a healthy way to live.”

“She didn’t tell you about the abuse I endured, did she?” his mother asked.

“No, she didn’t. She decided to hand over the picture of you to the
LA Beat
and let them do the rest.”

“I never gave her the picture.”

“Then how did the paper get it?”

“A woman named Kate Garrison came to my apartment. She said she was Sam Johnston’s assistant. I had no reason not to believe her. She said the
LA Beat
was doing a very important story about your life and that the movie deals would be pouring in after they published the story. She also assured me they would get your permission before anything was published.”

“So it wasn’t Sam who gave them your picture?”

His mom shook her head.

He stared at her for a very long time. “Was that really Dad who did that to you?”

She nodded.

“He hit you all of the time?”

Her body stiffened. “Almost every day.”

“How come I don’t remember ever seeing your face bloodied or swollen?”

“He hit me in places other people couldn’t see. I wore a lot of scarves and sunglasses back then.”

“I do remember scarves and sunglasses. You were always covered up.”

“I never should have left you with your father.”

He shrugged. “Can’t change the past.”

“If I could do things over, I would have bundled you up and taken you away after the first time he struck me.”

Dominic didn’t like thinking about his father hitting his mother. He sucked in a breath. “You didn’t have any money. Hell, Dad hardly had enough change to keep food on the table. I’m sure you did the best you could at the time.”

“I could have done a hell of a lot better,” she said. “I should have done better. I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you. I’m so sorry.”

Linda left the room, but not before releasing a few guttural sobs. Linda rarely cried. Her childhood hadn’t been rainbows and gumdrops either. He wondered if Linda’s mother, Dad’s first wife, had been beaten to a pulp too.

He felt numb. He didn’t remember taking a seat across from his mom. Nor did he remember reaching out and taking her frail, cold-as-ice hands in his, but when he pulled himself back into the moment, he realized that’s exactly what he’d done.

He suddenly realized how badly he’d messed up by letting his past ruin any chance of happiness in his future. He should have gone to his mom and let her explain herself. Just because.

Yep, he’d blown it big time.

He’d been keeping himself too busy to give Sam much thought, hoping time would make him forget about her. It had been a little over a week now and he missed Sam more today than he had the first night he told her to leave.

“I really fucked everything up,” he announced.

“Stop it,” his mother said, squeezing his hands, unwilling to let go. “There’s still a chance if you go after her.”

“You think so?”

“I do.”

The room was quiet for a moment. Sitting here with his Mom felt surreal. “What about Dad?” he asked. “Do you think he’ll ever stop drinking?”

“I hope so.”

“Me, too,” he said with a nod before his gaze settled on watching her thumb rub against the top of his hand. He felt something bubble within. Whatever it was inside of him, it made a low rumble as it moved up through his body to his chest. “I should have talked to you when I saw you in the crowd,” he blurted.

“It wasn’t the right time.”

“It could have been the right time. I should have made it the right time.”

“You did the best you could,” she said, throwing his words right back at him. “You’re a good man.”

“I think everything might be okay,” he told her.

She nodded.

“I need to find Sam. I need to talk to her.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

She must have been telling the truth because she released his hand.

Dominic stood, still looking at his mom, glad she was here, hoping they would have more moments like this one. And that’s when he realized Sam was right. Having his mother back in his life could very well end up being a gift.

“Everything has happened so fast,” he told her. “My mind is spinning and I’ve been questioning these unfamiliar emotions I’m feeling inside.” He white-knuckled the back of the chair. “As a mom,” he said thoughtfully, “you know, as
my
mom, do you think Sam’s the right woman for me?”

His mother tilted her head just so, smiling all the while. “You know the answer to that, Dominic, but they do say that mothers know best so I’m going to tell you with one hundred percent certainty that not only is Sam the right woman for you, she’s the
only
woman for you.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“How do I look?” Sam asked Shakespeare.

“Meow.”

Sam had showered, curled her hair, and dabbed on some mascara and lipstick. Her entire family was on their way to her apartment. She’d never had her family for dinner. Two months ago, she never would have allowed them into her apartment all at once, if at all.

But today she was excited to see them.

The table was set. There wasn’t enough room for everyone. Her brothers would have to sit on the couch and use the coffee table.

Taylor and Kevin didn’t think she could cook. She’d show them. After her day making everything from lobster bisque to chicken tacos, she had no doubt she would surprise the pants right off them. After tonight, if any one of her family members ever said she couldn’t cook, she would have this night, this dinner to rub their noses in.

Her parents were the first to arrive. As beautiful as ever, her mother beamed with happiness, but her father looked stiff. Taylor, Kevin, and Emma arrived next and that’s when she pulled her father aside. “Is something wrong, Dad? You don’t look right.”

He rubbed the bald spot at the back of his head. “I’m nervous, okay?”

It was true. He was perspiring. “Is this your first date since we talked?”

He nodded. “This is it. She said no to all the other plans I came up with…musicals and even a damn opera. But when I asked her to join me for dinner at our daughter’s apartment, she said yes. And now I don’t know what to do, don’t know how to act. Look at her, would you? She’s gorgeous. Could have any man she wanted. She doesn’t have a nervous bone in her body. What’s happened to her?”

“She’s finally grown up, Dad. For the first time in her life, she doesn’t need you. You know it and she knows it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m really glad we had this talk, Samantha.”

Sam laughed. “Me too, Dad. You might not realize it, but if you do this right, if you treat Mom like the wonderful, beautiful woman that she is, you’ll be the one who reaps the benefits.”

“What are you, a therapist now?”

There was a rap tap tap on the door, but since everyone had already arrived, Sam had no idea who she would find on the other side.

Her last guess stood there, looking overdressed in a fitted suit and tie. For just a moment, she’d let herself hope she would find Dominic standing there.

“Hello, Ken.”

She hadn’t asked Dominic to the party, but still, it was just a fleeting thought.

Sam looked over her shoulder at her family, wondering who told Ken about her private dinner party. They all gave her innocent looks, letting Sam know they had nothing to do with Ken’s sudden appearance.

He cleared his throat. “Can I come in?”

“My family is here,” Sam told him, “and I can’t remember the last time, if ever, they’ve all gathered at my place.”

“I won’t be long,” he promised.

“Mom, Dad,” Ken said as he stepped through the door like a Las Vegas entertainer. “Kevin, Taylor, and Emma. I have something I’d like to say and it involves all of you.”

Emma pushed past her dad and uncle so she could get a front row look at whatever was going down.

“Samantha,” Ken said, turning back around so he and Sam were face to face, his eyes peering into hers as he reached out and took her hand in his. “We’ve known each other for years now.”

She wondered if he had any idea how many years, but she remained silent.

“We’ve both made mistakes and we’re stronger because of them. You’ve changed and I like what I see.”

For the life of her, she had no idea what she’d ever seen in the man. She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp but he held tight.

“I’m ready to take a chance again,” Ken told her, excitement making his eyes twinkle. “I’m ready to put my heart on the line.”

“I’m only fourteen, but I’m pretty sure that’s from a Barry Manilow song,” Emma said.

Taylor nodded proudly at his daughter’s perceptiveness.

Ken fell to one knee.

Sam gasped. “Oh, for goodness’ sakes, Ken, get up.”

He let go of her hand, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a diamond ring. “Marry me, Sam. Make me the happiest man in the world.”

Sam finally succeeded in yanking Ken to his feet. He was such a childish, clueless little boy; she could only wrap her arms around him and pat him on the back.

Emma held out her arms. “Is this a joke?”

“Is that a yes?” Ken asked Sam.

“No,” Sam answered with a pitiful look on her face. “It’s a definite no, but thanks for asking…
again
.”

Taylor walked over and slapped Ken on the back. “Sorry, bro.”

***

After sitting way too long in his truck, one of the few things that hadn’t been taken from him, Dominic forced himself to climb out and shut the door.

Despite everything that had happened over the past ten days, movie deals were still pouring in. According to Ben and Tom, hundreds of emails were coming in daily. His fans understood hardship and they were ready to stand one hundred percent by his side. Ben tried to talk Dominic into taking out a loan and keeping the house and the fancy cars, but Dominic was finished pretending to be someone he wasn’t. Acting was his passion, but all the rest, the fancy parties and media blitz, was not a game he was willing to play any longer. For the first time in his life, he was close to having it all. He had ten acres and a house he was working hard to make into a home. He liked the simplicity of living in a smaller house without all the bells and whistles, a place where the dogs could run free. But he was still missing the main ingredient to his ultimate happiness: Sam Johnston.

He finally knew what it felt like to love someone and he didn’t want to live without her. He knew that now. Sure, she could be insecure at times, even a little nosy, but she’d had good reason.

When it came to talking to his mother without telling him, he knew Sam’s heart had been in the right place. He never should have asked Sam to leave and yet he’d needed the time apart to figure things out. At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

He’d never been to Sam’s apartment before.

He followed the pathway. The building was blue and green, sort of artsy looking. The grounds were well kept: healthy palm trees and lots of manicured greenery with tiny white flowers. He inhaled jasmine and honeysuckle, liked the way the sun felt on his shoulders.