Sammy's Story Read online

  “You’ll have to let me read what you’ve written so far! Is there romance in it?”

  He shook his head. “Not in sci-fi!”

  “There’s no point in writing a book with no romance. Trust me, you need romance. Add some!”

  He just laughed, snagging one of her cheese curds. “We’ll see.”

  Two

  Getting ready for her date that night was a struggle for Sammy. She had no idea what they were doing, so knowing what to wear was virtually impossible. She decided that dressing in western wear might be the best bet, given his history. She put on a pair of jeans, a button up shirt, and a pair of green cowgirl boots. She decided not to go nuts and top it off with her favorite hat, because that would seem like overkill.

  When Barry came to the door—exactly at seven—she smiled to see he’d worn very close to the same thing. “Hi!”

  Barry grinned. “Hi. You ready? Weather doesn’t look great, but I think we’re all right if we stick around Culpepper.” Truthfully, only an idiot would get out in the weather they were having if they didn’t need to, but for her, he’d be an idiot all day.

  “Sounds good to me. What are we eating?” He’d treated her to Bob’s for lunch, so she wasn’t sure what else he had up his sleeve.

  “I was thinking we could stop at the diner for supper and then go to the bar for some dancing.”

  Sammy bit her lip. She wasn’t a drinker and preferred not to be in the company of someone who drank—especially if they were driving. “I’m not really fond of alcohol.” She’d lost a friend to a drunk driving accident when she’d been in college for her RN, and she hated the idea of being around anyone drunk as a result.

  “I don’t drink at all. I saw too many accidents that were caused by alcohol when I was on the road. I just want to dance.”

  “But you won’t drink?” Sammy asked. She had to be certain. It was the line she’d drawn for herself—not drinking or dating anyone who drank—and she refused to lie to herself.

  “I won’t drink at all. Unless you consider a root beer a drink.”

  “I don’t.” She grinned at him, happy they were seeing eye to eye on the subject. She hopped into the passenger side of his truck and quickly buckled up. “I like your truck.”

  “Thanks. You like the snow plow on the front? I put that there just for our date.” He knew there was a good chance they’d be stuck somewhere, and if he could alleviate the hassle of it with a plow on the front, he sure would.

  “Oh, it’s lovely. Best thing I’ve ever seen!” And it was, because it meant they could get home, no matter how much snow fell that night.

  He grinned. “I don’t like to have to close my shop on snow days, so I made it so I can handle whatever snow falls all on my own.”

  “Very smart of you.”

  “I think so.” He grinned at her, noting she was watching him drive. “So what kind of schooling is involved in becoming a midwife?”

  “Well, I’m a CNM, certified nurse midwife. I did four years of college to become an RN, and then I did one year of nursing. Then another three years to get my masters in nursing with a concentration in midwifery. My sister and I really had the same goal, but we went about it in different ways. But we rely on each other when we need to.”

  “So if you’re delivering a baby and there’s a complication, she helps out?”

  “Yes! She’s done c-sections on my patients when medically necessary, and I assist in almost all her births. We work together a lot more than you’d think. Most midwives don’t have a doctor they work so closely with, but this works well for both of us.”

  Barry had never thought about a practice like that. “So if you get pregnant, does your sister deliver the baby?”

  Sammy laughed softly. “Well, since Tabby is due in a few weeks, and I’m delivering her baby, I would think so.”

  “Really?” He shook his head. “Interesting.” He parked the car in the parking lot of the diner, looking over at her. “I’m glad you agreed to come out with me tonight.”

  “Me too.” She grinned at him. “And not just because you love books like I do.”

  “Well, the book thing has to be the draw. I should have realized I should have a bigger romance section when I designed the layout for the store. The more romance, the more women, I would think.”

  “That makes a lot of sense,” she said with a grin. “Make it happen!”

  He laughed softly. “I’ll need your help to design it.”

  “Happy to do it! And we’ll design it right. There’ll be a section for time-travel romance. Another for marriage of convenience. Yet another for billionaire. And another for secret babies. Another for shifters. You’ll have the best romance bookstore in the whole country!”

  “Umm . . . is there still room for science fiction? I do love my science fiction.”

  She sighed. “I guess we can leave a tiny corner of the store open for sci-fi.”

  He shook his head, opening his door and getting out. He hurried around to help her down. “Careful. It’s slick over here.”

  “You must have seen me try to walk on ice before. I will do my best not to break myself on our date.”

  “That’s a relief!” he said with a grin.

  They stomped the snow from their feet as they entered the diner.

  “Two of you?” the hostess asked.

  “How are you doing, Maggie?” Sammy asked after Barry nodded in answer to Maggie’s question.

  “Tired! I hope you didn’t get your feelings hurt when I went to Tabby this time. After that emergency c-section last time, I just felt better starting out with an OB/GYN.” Maggie looked at her as if she was nervous of her answer.

  “Don’t even worry about it, Maggie. I’ll still be there for the birth, and you’ll be in great hands with my sister. All is good as long as your baby is born healthy.”

  Maggie smiled. “I’m so glad you see it that way. John and I debated and debated, but in the end, we want to have Tabby ready to take the baby.”

  “I understand that perfectly. My sister is always on call when I deliver for a reason.” Sammy slid into the booth.

  “Drinks?” Maggie asked, looking back and forth between them.

  “I want a Sprite.”

  “Root beer,” Barry said.

  As she walked away, Barry smiled. “You really did handle that well. I hope you know that.”

  “I did my best. I feel like having the best medical help you can when you deliver a baby is the right thing to do.”

  “I’m not going to ask a lot of questions about your work, because I really don’t want to know a lot about the birthing process. I’ve helped cows and horses but never humans.”

  “Where did you grow up?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Kind of all over. My parents divorced when I was young, and my mother remarried. A lot. It was kind of like the show Gypsy. There’s a song in there where they talk about their mother getting married. And married. And married. That’s what my life was like. Mom would remarry, and then I’d go to another state. I spent my high school years in western Wyoming, and I learned my love of bull riding there. But I’ve lived in New York City, Texas, California, and Idaho. Pretty much all over.”

  “Are you an only child?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, I have a half-brother who is five years younger than me. I keep trying to get him to move here and help me run my bookstore.”

  “What does he do?”

  “He’s a bull-rider. He went on the rodeo circuit just like I did. I hope he retires soon.” It was strange how much he worried about his brother when he was just doing the same thing he’d done.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Bart. My mother thought she was cute, naming us Barry and Bart. She’s a mess.”

  “Where is she now?”

  He shrugged. “California again was the last I heard. The longest she ever stayed anywhere was while I was in high school. I don’t miss that lifestyle.”

  “Bu
t it sounds like you kind of went into it when you were on the circuit. Am I misunderstanding?”

  He looked shocked for a moment. “I never really thought of that!” He’d chosen as his first job something that would make him continue the way of life he’d hated growing up.

  “People tend to return to the things that make them most comfortable. You are used to never knowing anyone for long and moving on. So that’s what you do.” She hoped he was there to stay.

  “I thought you were a midwife, not a psychologist.”

  She grinned. “There was a waiting list for nursing school, so I have a dual degree in nursing and psychology. Fun, huh?”

  Barry made a face. “I’m not so sure about that one!”

  She giggled. “Well, I like it!”

  “So tell me about the area. What do you like to do in the winter?”

  Sammy thought about it for a moment. “I love snowmobiling. I would spend every waking hour doing that. Well, if I could divide snowmobiling and reading by the fire, that would be good. I like to sled as well. I just kind of like winter, I guess. Except shoveling snow. We have a four-wheeler with a plow on the front for the clinic parking lot, but it’s not as much fun as it sounds.”

  He laughed. “I have been plowing my parking lot with my truck. Hopefully people will start coming in.”

  “Business is slow?” she asked, concerned.

  “A little. I’ve been told the spring and summer will bring in more people and they will buy books. We’ll see. I won’t give up, and going between customers gives me time to write.”

  “That’s right! Tell me about your book!”

  He shook his head. “I’m superstitious. I don’t want to talk about it until it’s completely done and edited. Then I’ll probably be begging you to read it and give me your opinion on it.”

  “I’m happy to do that. I love the idea of having a writer for a . . . friend.” She’d started to say boyfriend but thought better of it. They’d only known one another for a day and a half. Calling him a boyfriend this soon just might mess with his head.

  “Well, you’ve got one.” He grinned. “So you seem to always be around babies with your career. Do you want kids?”

  She smiled tentatively. “I want dozens of kids. Seriously. I’d have as many as I could. Of course, I’m thirty-three, and I need to start soon if I’m going to have any of them at all.”

  He frowned at that. “You need to find a man to marry quick then. Maybe I should hide under the table.” What he felt like doing was standing and saying he volunteered as tribute. He wasn’t sure how that would make her react, though.

  She laughed. “I promise, I’m not going to dig my claws into you and never let you go. I need to get to know a man before I see him as the father of my future imaginary children.”

  “That’s probably good news for me.” He leaned back as Maggie brought their drinks. “Do you know what you want?”

  Maggie laughed. “Even I know what she wants. This one is a creature of habit. She’s having the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.” She turned her attention to Barry. “You?”

  He shrugged. “That sounds good to me.”

  “You don’t have to get it just because I am. Take some time to look if you want.” Sammy felt like she’d forced him to eat what she liked for lunch. She didn’t want to do the same thing for supper.

  “No, it really sounds good.”

  Maggie nodded and hurried away.

  “So . . . I got you a Valentine’s gift . . .” he said.

  “How did you do that so quick? I didn’t get anything for you!” Sammy suddenly felt like a heel.

  Barry grinned. “Then I get to kiss you goodnight for my gift.”

  She frowned. “It sounds like you’ve thought this out a little too far . . .”

  “Maybe I have.” He reached over and covered her hand with his. “I think I already like you a lot. I want to know if there’s a chance it’ll go anywhere, and a goodnight kiss will tell me.” If they had half the chemistry between them he thought they did, then it was going to be fabulous.

  “I guess it will.” Sammy was only worried about kissing him because she was so attracted to him. She was afraid she’d melt into a puddle in his arms, and she had to work the next day.

  He pulled something from under the table, and she wondered how he’d gotten it there. She hadn’t seen him carry anything in from the car.

  “What is it?” she asked, frowning.

  “It’s your gift.” It was wrapped nicely with heart-covered wrapping paper.

  “Did you wrap this yourself?” she asked. She’d always been terrible at wrapping gifts, and admired anyone who could do a good job.

  “No way! I had the company I ordered it from wrap it.”

  “How did you get it so quick?”

  Barry frowned at her. “Some secrets shall never be revealed!”

  Sammy shook her head, loving his lighthearted sense of humor. The man was growing on her—like a fungus. She carefully opened the gift and pulled out a box of chocolate. Turning over the heart shaped box, she found the name of the company. “Frank’s Fudge? You got me Frank’s Fudge? And this is why I knew before I ever saw you that I’d fall in love with you. Frank’s Fudge is my favorite ever!”

  Barry grinned. “I hoped you’d like it!”

  “Did you get the Erin? Those are my absolute favorites. Milk chocolate, caramel, and sea salt. I can already taste them!”

  He nodded. “I did get the Erin. You seem to know Frank’s Fudge well.”

  “What you probably don’t know yet, because you’re new to town, is that Megan, Bob’s wife from Bob’s Burger Barn, has a sister who married Al Frank, the owner of Frank’s Fudge. Those of us who didn’t know the company before that sure know it now. We want to support Al and Erin, because we love Megan and Bob!”

  “You’re right. I didn’t know that. But I love that you do.” Barry would be constantly surprised by the people of this town and how much they knew about one another.

  Sammy hugged the heart-shaped box to her chest, and then stuffed it in her purse. “You’re definitely getting that good night kiss.”

  Barry grinned. “Only if you want to kiss me. I was kidding about that being your return gift for me. I’m glad you like the chocolate, though. I met Al a few years back, and once I’d tried his fudge, I knew I was going to eat only his chocolate forever.”

  “You have awfully good taste in chocolate, then.”

  Maggie brought their food then, sliding a plate in front of each of them. “If you need anything else, just yell.”

  “Thanks, Maggie. Go put your feet up!”

  “Don’t think I won’t!” Maggie hurried off toward the kitchen, making Sammy glad the diner wasn’t very busy.

  “I guess the weather kept most people at home tonight. Good. We have the whole place to ourselves. Maybe the bar will be the same.” Sammy looked at her supper and grinned. It was definitely her favorite thing the diner served.

  “Have you met the guy who runs it? Austin?”

  “Yeah, Austin is amazing. I love his wife, Dallas. I delivered her baby, come to think of it.”

  “Wait . . . Austin married Dallas? Two Texas cities?”

  Sammy nodded emphatically. “Yup. Craziness, huh? They were meant for each other before either of them even knew it.”

  “That’s really cool, actually.” He took a bite of his supper and smiled. “You choose food well. The next time we go out, you’re going to just have to tell me what I’m getting.”

  “Oh? Are we going out again?”

  “Well, unless you’re a terrible kisser. If you slobber all over me, then I’ll have to dump you.” Barry stabbed his fork into his Salisbury steak to punctuate what he was saying.

  She laughed. “I see where your priorities are!”

  “Do you have plans for the weekend?” he asked. Really, he wanted to know if she was seeing anyone else, but he didn’t want to come right out and ask.

&nb
sp; “Yeah, I’m throwing a baby shower for my sister. Should be fun. All the men are going to the bar and having a dart tournament. You should join them!”

  “When is this shower?” he asked, hating that she was going to be too busy to see him.

  “We’re doing it Saturday evening. From six to eight.” Sammy shrugged. “It seemed like it was the best time for everyone.”

  “All right. So you’re free Friday night and Sunday night?”

  She nodded. “Mostly. I do church on Sunday morning. Have you been to the church in town? Brother Anthony’s weddings are . . . phenomenal. And I have to decorate for the shower tomorrow night. We’re doing it at the clinic, and it’s going to be a lot of work.” She wished she’d had the foresight to ask some of the women in town to help decorate, but she was on her own.

  “How can a wedding be phenomenal? They’re all the same.”

  “Not Brother Anthony’s! Seriously, if you get invited to a wedding he’s presiding over, you have to go. It’s crazy how good they are.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t seem to be at the top of anyone’s wedding invitation list yet, but give me time!”

  They kept talking while they ate, discussing all the different people in town. “Have you been to the bakery yet?” Sammy asked. “I like to go every morning for the kolaches. I either run over there in the mornings to get them, or I have to do thirty minutes on my treadmill every night. The food is fattening, but so good!”

  “I haven’t. Is it here in town?” He was a fan of kolaches because of the time he’d spent in Texas.

  “Actually no. It’s off the Culpepper ranch.”

  “Ahh . . . that’s why I haven’t seen it. I’ve met the three Culpepper brothers, though.”

  “There are four!” Sammy said. “Karlan, Cooper, Kolby, and Chris.”

  “Oh, hmm . . . I think I’ve met Karlan, Cooper, and Kolby.”

  “Chris is married to Chastity.”

  “Why are there so many names like that around town? I mean the virtuous names. I’ve never seen anything like it.”