Love in the Falls (12 page)

Driving into the hospital parking lot, Camden saw Drake about to get into his truck. She flagged him down.

“Hey there,” Drake said with a smile.

“Hi. Are you leaving already?”

“Yep. Gotta get the house ready for Sam to come home. They are releasing him later today. Rebecca is leaving on a late flight tonight, so she will be coming to the house to help me for awhile too. She just left,” he said.

“Gotcha. So, I will bring Sam home later then?”

“That will work fine. I can’t believe he is coming home. Thank God…” Drake said as he put his hands together in a prayer position and looked to the skies.

“Yes, thank you, God. It was a scary time, for sure.”

“You know he has strong feelings for you, right?”

“He hasn’t told me that, Drake.”

“Well, I know him. Rebecca and I talked about it this morning. He gives everything he has to those he loves. Please keep that in mind, okay?”

“Look, Sam is the nicest person I have ever met. I would never do anything to hurt him intentionally. Okay?” Camden said smiling as she touched Drake’s arm.

“Okay. I will see you later today…” he said as he climbed into the big truck. Camden walked toward the hospital.

When she came around the corner, she could see Sam sitting in his wheelchair looking out the window toward the mountains. She quietly walked in and put her hands on his shoulders from behind.

“Hi there…” she whispered leaning down into his right ear.

“Hello…” he said as he grabbed her head from behind him and swung her around to his lap. She was surprised at how much strength he had gotten back, and it made her quiver in places she wasn’t used to quivering.

With his hand still planted on the base of her head, he pulled her close to his mouth and kissed her. She ran her fingers through his wavy hair and returned his kiss with an energy that surprised her.

When they came up for air, he was smiling and looking into her eyes.

“Welcome back,” he said in a husky Southern voice.

“That was a great welcome back,” she said as she pressed her forehead to his.

“I’m going home.”

“Can I still come with you?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. Camden smiled. Here was a man who needed and wanted her, and it felt like she had won the lottery.

“Good,” she said.

“I remembered something last night,” he said as he leaned back.

“What?”

“Telling you good morning before the hike. I didn’t remember it before, but I do now.”

“That’s great.”

“Your friend, Natalie, has a loud laugh” he said with a grin.

“Yes, she does. That’s why you noticed us in the first place.”

“Nope.”

“What do you mean?” Camden asked.

“I noticed YOU as soon as I pulled into the parking lot,” he said.

“But you were on a date with Jenny.”

“So? I think I already pointed out that Jenny was not my type. I was just doing that for Drake. He kept bugging me about dating, so I agreed to go out with her. But, when I saw you from across the parking lot in that green sweater… Wow…”

Camden could feel the heat of embarrassment rising up to her face. No man had ever talked to her the way he did.

“You know what it was, Camden?” he asked as he pushed her hair behind her ear with his right hand.

“What?” she asked quietly.

“Fate.”

“Fate?”

“Yes, ma’m. Fate led me to you. And now I am taking you home with me for safe keeping,” he said as he brushed his nose and lips against her neck and up to her ear. She almost came undone when she felt his hot breath on her earlobe.

“Excuse me?” Camden stood up quickly to see a young nurse standing in the doorway. She turned Sam’s wheelchair around.

“Yes?” Sam said.

“Your discharge papers are ready, Mr. Steele,” the young woman said. Camden turned toward the window trying not to laugh at the uncomfortable situation. Sam signed everything, and the nurse told him the doctor would come by one more time to give him his instructions for continuing therapy.

“Wow, that was embarrassing,” Camden said once the nurse left.

“Embarrassing? Why?”

“I felt like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar,” she said laughing.

“Well, you can put you hand in my cookie jar any time you’d like, Miss Lane,” he said pulling her hand so that she was on his lap again.

“You really like putting me on your lap, don’t you?” she said.

“Hey, you started it!” he said poking her in the side with his fingers.

After the doctor checked him out one final time and explained his physical therapy schedule, Sam was released. Camden wheeled him to her SUV and helped him up into his seat. Within thirty minutes, they were pulling into the long driveway of Steele Farms. Sam pointed out his favorite parts of the large property which spanned over one hundred acres.

“How long has your family owned this land, Sam?” Camden asked as she drove slowly up the gravel driveway.

“Four generations. It’s in my blood,” he said smiling over at her. “Some women have hated that about me. I can’t imagine ever leaving this place. It’s part of me…” he said looking out the window across the fields. As they got closer, a huge white Antebellum home appeared. Camden gasped at how large and ornate it was.

“Whose house is that? It looks like something out of ‘Gone With The Wind’…” she asked as she stopped the car to ogle it a bit more.

“That’s home,” he said grinning at her.

“That’s your house?” she asked with an even bigger grin.

“Yes, ma’m.”

Camden could not believe that Sam lived in such a beautiful home. It was more than she would have ever imagined when she heard that Sam owned a “farm”. She expected some chicken coops and the odd cow or two, but she had never even imagined this regal place. It was nicer and larger than her parents’ home.

“It was built in 1836,” he said softly as Camden turned off the car and stared at it. As she gazed at the house, he stared at her. Sam was just as much in awe of Camden as she was of his house.

The home was white with two stories. The porch spanned the entire front and sides of the home with its spindles and amazing brickwork. She could see a small terrace above the front door, and the stark white exterior was accented by jet black shutters on every window. There were steps leading up to the front door and dormers on the roof.

She could see white rocking chairs on the front porch where she imagined Sam would have his morning coffee. The home was surrounded by beautiful pecan and oak trees which gave shade to the property. Camden had never seen a home as stunning, and the fact that Sam lived there alone was astonishing to her.

“I had no idea…” she said softly.

“About what?” Sam asked with a smirk.

“That you would live in a place like this.”

“Where did you think I lived?” he asked, amused at her shock.

“I don’t know. I guess I thought…”

“That it would be some kind of redneck, country bumpkin farm?” he asked.

“Well…”

“It’s okay, Camden. We country folks are used to getting made fun of. But, we like nice stuff up here too,” he said.

“I don’t think you are a redneck or a country bumpkin, Sam. I just didn’t expect you to live here… alone.”

“Ah, I see. You thought I would have a small house or bachelor pad?”

“Yes. Do you live there all alone?”

“I do now. My Dad lived there until he passed. It was unexpected, so at least he got to pass away in the home that he loved. He was born here, and so was his father.”

“That is so cool. Do you rent it out for events or anything? Weddings?” As soon as she said it, she wanted to reel the words back in.

“No. It is my home, not a tourist spot. The only wedding that I want here is my own one day,” he said, shooting a knowing glance at Camden.

“Are you ready to show me the inside?” she said changing the subject.

“Absolutely.”

As Camden walked into the beautiful Antebellum home, she was astonished by the design. She had never been inside of a home so old before, and her eyes were overwhelmed by the sights. The curved staircase wound down into the foyer and met the period hardwood floors. She coughed, and it echoed for what seemed like thirty seconds.

Sam was behind her, walking with his new cane. Her eyes were drawn to the rooms on both sides of the foyer. One was the large formal dining room with its floor to ceiling windows, thick crown molding and pumpkin orange walls. The draperies alone were a sight to behold. Crystal dishes were on the table, and it was made of heavy, dark mahogany. Camden imagined that only royalty would sit at a table like this one. She didn’t speak as she continued to walk slowly around the home. Sam followed without saying a word, allowing her to absorb it all.

The room on the other side of the foyer was a formal living room. It had rich leather chairs on each side of the fireplace, facing it. The walls were a deep blue, and there were floor to ceiling book cases built into the walls. A chaise lounge was in the right corner with a beautiful throw blanket covering the back of it.

Camden didn’t know what to say. Looking up and down, left and right, she could not imagine Sam living in a place like this. With his well worn baseball caps and cowboy hats, his boots, his tight and faded jeans… how did he live HERE?

“I’ve never seen anything like this, Sam,” she said.

“Would you like to see your room? I had Drake and Rebecca set it up for you,” he said.

“You did? That was very sweet of you.” Camden smiled at him. She was glad to see him out of that wheelchair, but she also knew there was a long way to go from here. He needed to regain his strength on the left side. Therapists would start coming tomorrow to work with him, and she would start helping out at the store to keep things running. They had a lot to talk about.

“Your room is up there, on the second floor. We call it the Rose Room.”

“Why?”

Well, two reasons. For one, my grandmother Rose used it as her reading room for over fifty years until she got sick. Secondly, it has rose wallpaper. Hope you like flowers or else it can get pretty nauseating.”

“I love roses. My favorite flower, actually,” she said.

“Great. I don’t think I can do those stairs. Let’s take the elevator,” he said.

“Elevator? In this home?”

“Yes. My grandfather had it put in when my grandmother became sick with cancer. She couldn’t walk those stairs. It’s not a big elevator by any means, so we will have the squish in there,” he said winking.

The walked down the foyer entryway into a small corridor where there was a tiny elevator.

“You weren’t kidding. This thing is only big enough for a wheelchair, it seems,” she said.