Running Errands

          Bright sunlight shone through the sliding glass doors from the balcony of my apartment, waking me from my sleep.  I sat up the lonely queen size bed made for two and looked around the quiet depressing room as I took a deep breath and memories plagued my thoughts as I blinked a couple of times to wake up.  It had been a couple of years since I lost everything…. At least a part of me was gone.  The ghost still filling the room with sadness from the few pictures I had of her.  Christy, I miss you more and more as the days go on, why did you have to leave me so soon?

          I stood up and walked over to the long black dresser I had let her pick out when she was a live.  I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of any of her things because of the fact that if I did then I would have felt like I was telling her good bye for good and that was something I wouldn’t aloud myself.  I opened the drawer and pulled out a grey tank top which I had cut the sleeves off because of the fact it was old and the sleeves had been falling apart anyways and slid it over my head and slid my arms in it.

          Riiing…. Riiing…. Riiing.  I walked over to my cordless phone which sat on the little round end table next to my bed and looked at the caller id.  It read: Williams Ron.  I figured that it was either Ron or his wife Annastia who everyone calls Annie for short.  I had a feeling it was Annastia because she had kept reminding me that her sister was supposed to be arriving from America and she wouldn’t leave me alone about it for nothing.  I hit the talk button and placed the phone up to my ear.  “Hello?” I asked.

          “Hey, Louis,” Annastia’s soft kind voice spoke over the phone.

          I knew it.

          “Um…. Look I was wondering if you could go to the airport this afternoon to pick my sister up….”

          “Why?  I thought Ron was going to do that?”

          “Yea but he had to rush to work for a meeting and I’m kind of busy with Lainie right now…. Please?”

          I rolled my eyes.  I knew what she was hoping for but it wasn’t going to happen.  “I don’t know, Annie,” I replied.

          “Come on, please?  It’ll do you both some good and she’s single.”

          “I don’t care if she’s single.”

          “Louis, please?”

          I sighed.  “Your sister?  She’s the one who was your maid of honor at the wedding right?”

          “Yea.”

          “Fine but all I’m doing is picking her up from the airport and dropping her off…. Nothing more than that…. I don’t need a relationship right now…. Christy would---”

          “It’s been a couple of years, Louis…. She would want you to move on,” Annie’s voice had dropped to a sad sympathetic tone.  “I know how much you love her but she’s gone now and you should start to move on with your life…. It’s not your fault she’s gone and I know that you’re never fully going to get over her but you need to move on.”

          I sighed because I didn’t want to argue with Annie.  She was a good friend and meant well.  “I’m going to pick up your sister and drop her off…. That’s all…. I’m not going to try to get to know her and fall in love even though that’s what you want.”

          I heard Annie’s breath as she sighed.  “Okay.  Thank you, Louis.”

          “Sure.”

          “Which airport do I need to go to?”

 

          I climbed into my small black Renault Clio with dark tinted windows and placed the car into the ignition as I started the engine.  The car was my baby.  When I first laid eyes on her at the dealership, I knew she was meant for me and no one else.  She had one door on each side and a small backseat but the only way to actually get to the backseat was by pushing on of the two seats forward into the dash board.  Her black metal skin shined through the sun and with the air conditioning didn’t let the heat in as easily.

          Working on cars was a hobby of mine and when I was going to the university, I had an engineering job to help me pay off the loans before they grew and ruined my life for good.  I knew which cars were best to have and which were the worst to have and when I had found mine I knew it would be worth it.

          Now, let’s get this over with.

 

          I stood holding a sign in my hand, waiting and watching for Samantha Moore the one woman I could care less to see.  I had remembered her from the wedding.  She was kind of clumsy in her high heels she had been wearing and I had to catch her as we walked down the aisle after Annie and Ron left the building.  As I waited I had placed dark sunglasses over my eyes even though I was getting disturbing looks from other people as they had walked past.  I could have cared less.  It wasn’t the place I wanted to be.

          I looked over and noticed a woman with dark brown almost black hair tied in a ponytail as she worked her way searching for someone.  I recognized her at first glance.  Damn, it’s worse than I thought…. She’s even more beautiful now than she was then, I thought to myself.  I wasn’t going to let her know that though.

          She had looked around for a few more moments until she finally spotted me.  Clearly, she hadn’t seemed to recognize me which made me feel good at the moment.  I watched her as she made her way over to me.

“I’m Samantha Moore,” she told me.

I surveyed her with my eyes, remembering her beautiful pale skin and dark brown eyes which made me feel lost and hopeless.  I took a moment and nodded.  “I’m Louis Matthews,” I replied.

“I have some luggage that I need to get before leaving.”

“Whatever.”  I knew it was rude but I wasn’t going to break my barriers for some woman who I had met once before.  It was pointless to me and her beauty hadn’t meant that much to me.

“I’ll be back,” she replied and I could tell by her tone that she had acted like she hadn’t noticed my tone.

 “Okay.”  I knew it was obvious that I didn’t want to be there but I didn’t care.

She didn’t respond, instead she turned around and left.

 

          I waited for Samantha to return with her luggage which had seem to take a little while.  What is she doing?  How much luggage does this woman have?  I mean seriously…. It shouldn’t take this damn long to grab luggage.

          A heavy set dark skinned man walked over to me.  He had black curly hair and dark brown eyes.  He seemed to be a tourist with an open blue American button up shirt with flowers and a white tank top underneath.  His shorts were long and dark brown with a black fanny pack?

          What kind of man wears a fanny pack?

          A black camera with a match black strap was hanging around his neck.

          Tourists are strange.

          “Excuse me, sir,” the man’s low deep voice asked as he approached me, “me and my wife….”

          Good he has a wife…. Good sign…. I hope….

          “Were wondering can you tell us where the nearest hotel is from here?”

          I nodded.  “If you go three miles,” I began as I pointed in the directions for them, “down the main road you should be able to spot a nice little inn on the corner…. Mind you, you must make a right when you leave from here and just keep going straight for three miles and you will find it.”

          “Thank you, sir…. And don’t let my wife hear you talk because she has a thing for accents, especially British accents,” the man joked as he began to walk away.

          I kind of smiled and sighed as I watched him  leave with a woman who was about twice his size.  One ugly looking woman, I thought.  I normally don’t judge by looks but she had to have been the ugliest looking woman in the world.  I guessed that was what people meant when they said love was blind.

          I looked around some more when I spotted this odd looking guy who had seemed kind of suspicious to me.  He was skinny with dark colored skin almost making him look like an Indian.  His face had seemed as if his cheeks were being sucked in from the inside of his mouth.  I knew something was off about him but I had no clue what.

          “Okay.  I’m ready to go now,” Samantha’s voice had broken my train of thought which had kind of ticked me off.  I looked at her and noticed she had three other bags of luggage with aside from the one she had when she first found me.

          “Took you long enough.”  I snatched the luggage out of her hands and began to walk out of the building.  I didn’t bother to ask her what had taken so long because I was just ready to leave finally.

 

          We arrived at my car and I knew she was probably thinking some kind of ridiculous thought about me.  I dropped her luggage on the ground, kind of throwing them down.

          I watched as her mouth dropped with anger.  “Be careful with those they have some breakable things that are important to me.”

          I looked at her and shook my head.  I was shooting her the dirtiest look imaginable.  “Important….” I kind of laughed, snottily.  “Whatever.”  I unlocked the trunk of my car and lifted the back.  I picked up the woman’s luggage and tossed them into the trunk one by one.  I didn’t care if there were breakables or not so I just tossed them in careless because they were probably pointless anyway.

          She just shook her head out of anger.  I watched as she went to reach for the handle on the driver’s side of the car…. My side of the car.

          “What are you doing?” I asked as I closed the trunk and locked it.

          “I’m getting into the car.”

          “That’s the driver’s side…. The passenger side is on the right.”  I didn’t have to look to know that she shot a dirty look at me.  I didn’t want an American woman trying to take over my car.  I had no clue what she was thinking but I didn’t care.  It was my car.

Samantha slid down on the black leather seat of the car as I climbed into it and lightly closed the door.  Samantha, on the other hand, slammed it which ticked me off.

          “Don’t slam the door.”

          “Too late.”

          “Stupid damn American,” I muttered under my breath.

          “Excuse me?” Samantha asked, I knew she was kind of ticked off and insulted but I didn’t care.

“Nothing.”  I placed the key into the ignition and cranked the car.

The air conditioner had popped on and slowly cool air began to fill the little car.  It was quiet for a while.  The cool air had filled a long, awkward silence which I didn’t mind.  Neither of us had bothered to say a word to one another.

 

The silence didn’t bother me even though we had been driving for a few hours.  The only thing that bothered me had been the woman who I didn’t exactly want in my car.  “Can we listen to the radio?” Samantha asked, breaking through the peaceful silence.

“Nope,” I replied, trying to not sound rude but making it clear that I wasn’t in a talking mood either.

“Why not?”

“I just don’t want to listen to the radio.”

I watched with part of my left eye as her eyes narrowed and she glanced over at me.  “How come you’re so rude?”

“That’s none of your damn business.”

I knew she wanted to yell at me but she managed to keep herself calm as she bit her bottom lip.  “I’m just trying to start a conversation.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk.”

“I can tell.”

I could feel relief inside of me as she decided to turn her attention out of the window.  I kept my eyes on the road because I didn’t want to look at her or have a conversation with her.  I didn’t want her to break my shield I was hiding behind.  “So, Louis….”

          “I told you already…. I don’t want to talk.”

          “Well, it’s quiet and I’m going crazy just seating in silence.”

“Well, I don’t care.”

She shook her head.  “Why can’t you just at least pretend to be nice to me?”

“Nope.”  Like I was going to let that happen.

 

          I pulled up to the silver gate which was held up by dark red brick walls on both sides of the gate.  I rolled down my side window and stuck my right arm out.  I pressed a button on the security system to alert the security guards I had arrived.

          “Yes?” Heather’s voice come over the intercom.  Her voice was kind of raspy as if she caught a cold but it didn’t sound too bad.

          “Heather, it’s Louis.  I’m here at the front gate with the American girl.”

“Okay.”  With that said, the silver gate opened from the middle, splitting it in half.

When the gates had opened completely, I drove in slowly.

I kind of noticed that Samantha had turned around to watch as the gate closed behind us.  “Annie and Ron live here?” she asked as her attention had moved back toward the beautiful dark brown mansion.  I could tell by her tone that she was amazed.

“Yep.”  I was use to the place so of course there was no enthusiasm in my voice.

“That’s so crazy.  The last time I was here they were still living in that little, tiny apartment.”

I sighed as I placed the car in park.  Once I stepped out of the car, Lainie had run out to greet me.  She was a cute little 4 year old with blonde hair and a smile that could light up a dark room.  “Uncle Louis,” she said as her little arms wrapped around my knees.

“Hey there, little girl,” I replied with a smile.

Lainie’s hazel eyes looked over at Samantha and she stared at the woman with curiosity that could only come from a child.

Samantha couldn’t hold in her smile either.  “I’m your Auntie Samantha,” she replied.

“Oooohhhhh.”  Lainie titled as her mind took in the words and the new person who spoke them.  Children, what else could be said?  “You’re mummy’s sister?”

Samantha nodded.

“You don’t look like my mummy…. My daddy’s brothers and sisters look like him but you don’t look like my mummy…. That’s strange.”

I looked at Samantha as I thought about Lainie’s words.  Her smile had grown and Lainie was right about her.  She didn’t look close to Annie.  It was hard to believe that they could even be related.  I mean Samantha had dark brown almost black hair while Annie had blonde hair.  They both were beautiful women but the relation between them was as if they weren’t even related.

“Time to eat, Lainie,” Annie said as she worked her way out of the door and stepped onto the porch with three or four steps.  “Oh, Samantha.”  She hurried over to Samantha and gave her a hug.  “I’m so glad that you’re finally here.  Now we can catch up on everything in the past few years.”

I watched as Samantha nodded.

“Thank you for picking her up for me, Louis.”  Annie hadn’t taken long to break out of the hug as she turned her attention over toward me.  “You’re welcome to stay and hang out if you want.”

I kind of smiled at her invite.  Now that I was there, I figured that I could spend some time with Annie and Lainie and wait for Ron to get home so we could hang out.  “Sure.  Let me bring your sister’s things to her room.  Want to show me the way, Lainie?”  

“Yea.”  Lainie waited as I grabbed all of Samantha’s bags out of the trunk and close it.  Once I was done, she lead me into the mansion.

 

          I had always enjoyed Lainie’s company.  The child was a joy to be around and even though she wasn’t related to me by blood I felt that she was like a niece to me and I would do anything to keep her safe.  At times, she felt as if she were my child which made me imagine what it would have been like if Christy and I could have shared our joy of having a child if the cancer hadn’t taken her away from me so early.

          “Uncle Louis,” Lainie spoke as she opened the door a deceit size bedroom, “this is where Auntie Samantha is going to be staying….”

          I looked around the room.  It was about the size of my room in my apartment which wasn’t bad.  “Nice choice, Lainie.  Did you help your mum decorate?”

          I watched Lainie nod with wide smile growing on her face.

Dinner Plans

          I placed Sam’s luggage on the ground, figuring that she wouldn’t want me going through her things anyway.  Lainie stood in the room, watching me with her wide hazel eyes.  “Did you go to work today, Uncle Louis?”

          I kind of laughed as I shook my head.  “I wouldn’t be here right now if I had,” I answered as I walked over to Lainie and patted her blonde head.

          “Didn’t your mum tell you that it was time to eat?”

          Lainie nodded with a smile.  “Come with me, Uncle Louis.”

          “Okay.”

          Lainie grabbed my hand and I let her drag me out of the room, downstairs and into the kitchen where Gloria, Walter, and Fredrick were in the process of cleaning up dishes from lunch and breakfast.

          “Can I get my lunch please?” Lainie asked, politely.

          “Why of course, Elaina,” Gloria spoke with a smile.  She was an older woman and was of the working class.  She pulled out a sandwich which sat on a plate and placed it on the counter.

          “I can’t reach,” Lainie said as she tried to reach for the plate.

          “I’ll get it,” I replied as I grabbed the plate and smiled at the three cooks.

          “So good to see you, Louis,” Gloria told me with a simple smile.

          “Same to you, Gloria.”

 

       I lead Lainie into the dining room and placed the plate on the table.  Lainie quickly climbed into the chair and without hesitation began devouring the sandwich.

          “Don’t eat too fast now or you’ll get the hiccups,” I warned her.

          She looked up at me with a full little mouth stuffed with food and smiled.

          “Hey, Lainie, would you want to go to the park today?  Maybe we can see that guy dressed up like Charlie Chaplin again.”

          She swallowed the sandwich as her eyes moved up to look at me.  “Yea,” she answered with awe.

          I smiled and shook my head.  “Alright, I’m going to go let your mum know.  Okay?”

          She nodded.

 

          “Who?  Every guy I seem to meet seems to be a total….” Samantha had begun stating as I stuck my head into the room.

          “Hey, Annie, is it okay if I take Lainie to the park?” I asked.

          Even though my eyes weren’t looking in Samantha’s direction, I knew she had rolled her eyes.  If she only knew what had been going on in my mind, she would have thought twice.

          “Sure…. Um, Louis, why don’t you take Sam with you?  I’m sure that she would love to get out and do something to get fresh air…. She was stuck on that plane for hours anyway,” Annie replied.

          “Annie,” I heard Samantha kind of whisper, almost sounding agitated.

          I gave Annie a look that meant that I didn’t want Samantha around.

          “Please?”

          “I don’t---”

          Annie shot a look at me which told me that I really had no choice but to offer or she would kill me if I hadn’t.

          “Okay,” I muttered under my breath.  “Samantha,” I spoke with agitation in my voice but I tried my best to speak kindly and without acting snotty toward the woman, “would you like to go to the park with me and Lainie?”

          “No,” Samantha replied.  “I’ve had a long flight and I would like to stay here and relax…. Maybe tomorrow or something.”

          I turned my attention back toward Annie.  That had kind of aggravated me.  “See she doesn’t even want to go.”

          “Well it’s just a nice gesture…. Now thank you.”

          “Okay.”  I left because I didn’t want to have to be stuck with Samantha again.  She hadn’t even thanked me for the ride.  At least, I was pretty sure she hadn’t thanked me for the ride.

 

          I walked into the dining room and noticed that Lainie had sat in front of an empty plate.  “Your mum said it was alright, ready to go, kiddo?” I asked.

          Lainie looked up at me and I watched as a wide smile grew on her sweet little face.  “Yea.”

          “Okay come on then.”

          I watched as Lainie jumped from her chair and walked over to me by that time Kathleen a sweet kind hearted woman walked in and picked up Lainie’s empty plate.  “Good afternoon, Louis,” she spoke as she started to leave the room.

          “Good afternoon, Kathleen,” I replied with a smile.  “How are you today?”

          “I’m fine and yourself?”

          “I’m doing alright.”

          “You remind me of my son…. You’re so handsome and such a sweet boy.”

          I smiled at Kathleen’s compliment.

          “It’s always good to see you.”

          “Thanks, Kathleen.  It’s good to see you too.”

          The maid smiled as she left the room.

          “Come on, Lainie.”

 

          Lainie held onto my hand as she dragged me all over the place until we found the Chaplin impersonator.  The guy was dressed as the tramp from the black bowler hat to the baggy black pants and big shoes.  He even wore the little black mustache above his upper lip.  He managed to keep himself from laughing or speaking as if we were watching a silent movie from the 1920’s.  He wasn’t the same impersonator we had seen before but he seemed to act more like Chaplin had rather than the other impersonator.  It was as if he was possessed with Chaplin’s ghost.   “Go up to him, Lainie,” I told her.  “Go tell him hi.”

          She looked up at me for a moment considering the suggesting then smiled.  “Okay.”  I felt her grip get loose as she released my hand from hers.  She ran over to the guy and looked up at him.  “Are you the real Charlie Chaplin?” she asked with awe.

          The mime looked down and smiled as he locked eyes with her.  He quickly shook his head as he pulled out a balloon.  He blew it up and then drew Chaplin’s face on it which included his hat, mustache, and bow tie.  He showed the balloon to Lainie and stared at it in awe.  He had handed it to her after a couple of failed attempts due to the fact that it wasn’t tied.

          “Wow,” she whispered with amazement in her tone.

          I had to admit that it was pretty cool to watch as well.  I felt as if I was watching an old black and white silent movie like The Kid or The Cirrus a couple of Chaplin’s old films.  Nothing like the classics, I thought as Lainie worked her way back over to me.

          “Uncle Louis, did you see that?” she asked with a slight smile on her face.

          I looked down, smiled and nodded.  “Amazing huh?”

          “Yea.”  Lainie grabbed my hand and turned to face the man again.  “Just like in the movies.”

          I nodded again as we continued to watch the man.  I looked up into the bright blue sky with bright white clouds.  I took a moment to enjoy the lovely scenery when I spotted the same suspicious man from the airport.  I narrowed my eyes as I watched him walk around, searching for someone or something.  “Lainie,” I spoke in a tone that wouldn’t alarm the child, “I think your father might be home by now…. Do you want to go home to see him?”

          Lainie looked up at me with her hazel eyes, thinking.  “Yea.”

          Good, I thought as I sighed with relief.  If that man had been dangerous for any reason, I wouldn’t have wanted Lainie to be in danger.  “Okay then let’s go back to your home.”

 

          I drove for a little while until I arrived at the mansion.  “Heather, it’s Louis and Lainie,” I said over the intercom.

          “Okay,” Heather’s voice replied.

          I waited for the gate to open all the way before driving, like I had earlier during the day when Samantha was with me.  I placed the car in park and climbed out then I let Lainie out of the backseat.  “Okay.”  I looked over in the driveway and noticed Ron’s small family size car was sitting there.  I knew it, I smiled as I thought.  “Go ahead inside Lainie,” I told the child as I looked around.  “I’ll meet you inside.”

          “Okay, Uncle Louis.”

          I waited for Lainie to vanish inside as I looked around the mansion.  I have a bad feeling.  Something had felt off but I didn’t know what and I figured that I need a moment because I didn’t want to worry anyone, especially any of the women.  I need to talk to Ron because something is wrong.

 

          I walked into the hallway and wondered around as I listened to the voices coming from the living room.  I followed them until I was close enough to hear the conversation on the other side of the wall.  I held the balloon which the impersonator had given to Lainie.

          “Really?” Ron asked as I stepped closer toward the entrance.

          “And he acted like him too…. Just like in those movies that you and mummy let me watch….” Lainie’s laughter and excitement filled the room as I stopped at the door.  “He blew up a balloon and drew Charlie Chaplin’s face on it…. With the mustache and the hat and bow tie….”

          I stood smiling at Lainie’s muffed but extremely worded sentences.  “She enjoyed it…. I enjoyed it…. It was almost as if Chaplin himself came back to life just to perform for everyone in the crowd.  I’d go back to see the act again,” I replied as I glanced at Samantha for a quick moment then turned my attention toward Ron and Annie.

          “Louis, Sam would probably love to see…. Why don’t you bring her sometime while she’s here?” Annie asked, suggesting that we make it a date.

          I noticed as Samantha dropped her mouth and stared at her sister with disbelief.

          I had to admit that I was as dumbfounded as Samantha was at the thought.  My eyes had moved from Samantha to Annie.  “I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” I replied with a hint of shock and confusion.  I turned my gaze back toward Samantha with a bit of pain in my thoughts.  “I don’t want to waste time with an American girl.”  I knew the coldness and hurtful tone was uncalled for but I didn’t want Samantha to think that I would give up my time for her.  I mean I did find her to be beautiful and her dark brown eyes revealed the beautiful soul inside of her but I couldn’t bring myself to let my guard down with love.  I didn’t have any time for that.  The best thing for me was to make her hate me and never want to see me in her life again.  It was the best thing for both of us.

          “Louis,” Ron had replied, “that was rude of you.”

          I turned my attention to Ron and sighed.  “I’m sorry.”

          Ron shook his head slightly.  “Don’t apologize to me.”

          I made a face as I looked back at Samantha.  “Sorry,” I spoke, kind of rudely.

          Samantha eyed me up and down.  I knew she was angry.  My plan for making her hate me was working.  “Fine.  I’ll accept but that was very uncalled for you freaking jerk,” she replied.

          I deserved that, I thought.

          “Hey, Sam, Elaina is right here,” Annie replied as she gestured toward the child whose wide eyes just started at Samantha with shock and looked like she had wanted to cry.

          “I’m sorry, Lainie,” Samantha told the child as she looked at Lainie.

          “Lainie, why don’t you go ahead and wash up for dinner?” Annie asked, kneeling down beside Lainie.

          Lainie nodded.  “Okay, mummy.”  She left the room, leaving all of us adults alone.

          “That was uncalled for from the both of you,” Ron replied.  “In front of the child?” he asked, obviously he was angry.  “Come on at least go outside or something.”

          Samantha and I each looked away from Ron and Annie, keeping avoiding each other’s gaze as well.  Neither of us spoke; talking wouldn’t have helped our case one bit.

          “Sorry, guys,” Samantha spoke after a little while.

          “Sorry,” I replied as I continued to stare away from the others.

          Willow, the young blonde maid, walked into the room.  She was dressed in her usual attire was a black dress which fell to her knees and it puffed outward at the bottom.  She had actually dated my brother Isaac while they were still in high school then dumped him for a soccer player.  When I found out that she was working for Ron and Annie, I knew karma had smacked her in the face and it was time times worse than what she had done to my brother.  She looked around the room and I could tell that she knew something horrible had just taken place.  “Dinner’s ready,” she spoke awkwardly and slowly worked her way out of the room afraid that something worse would happen.

          Ron sighed.  “Please, you two, let’s get through this meal and if either of you have anything rude or snotty to say to each other then go outside.  I don’t want Elaina to have to hear you two argue.  Got it?”

          Samantha and I both nodded in agreement.  That meant that we were going to have to be on our best behavior.

 

          The dining room was silent with awkwardness floating around.  The long table kept me separated from Samantha, and because of the fact she was across from me, I kept my eyes down.  I just stared at the table, keeping any idea of eye contact out of my mind.

          I figured that Ron and Annie were too busy staring into each other’s eyes out of love to even notice that I was kind of being disrespectful in a way.

          Now Lainie had kind of surprised me because usually she would sit next to me but she had decided to sit next to Samantha instead.  I listened as she asked Samantha questions to get to know her better which wasn’t a problem with me seeing that by blood Samantha was her aunty were as I was considered to be her uncle because I had known her father since we were kids and we grew up like brothers.  “What’s it like in America?” her little voice asked with curiosity.

          “Well, it’s…. It’s nothing like this….” Samantha had begun.

          “I’ll bet,” I muttered under my breath.

          I didn’t have to look up to know that Samantha had shot me a dirty look but then quickly changed her mind.  “It depends on who you ask…. For me it’s busy…. I work and then I get home, take my dog for his afternoon walk…. Then I---”

          “You have a dog?” Lainie’s little voice asked as amazement arrived in her tone.

          “Yea…. He’s a big dog too.”

          “What kind is he?”

          “He’s a German Shepherd….”

          “You got him from Germany?”

          “No….” Samantha kind of laughed as she spoke.  “He’s from America…. His breed of dog is…. It’s kind of hard to explain…. But if you ever would come to America, I’ll let you meet him….”

          “What’s his name?”

          “His name is Bruno.”

          “Wow.”

          Willow and Kathleen had walked into the room, pushing silver carts of food.  Willow had walked past Ron and laid a plate of food in front of Samantha and another plate with smaller portions of the food in front of Lainie and then worked her way over to Annie and placed another plate down in front of her while Kathleen placed food in front of Ron and then another plate of food in front of me.

          The honey glazed ham smell sweet and delicious.  My mouth watered just thinking about it.  Even the peas and mash potatoes looked tasty.  I couldn’t wait to eat.

          “Thank you,” I heard Samantha tell Willow.

          “No problem,” Willow replied as she left the room.

          “Uncle Louis, can you say the prayer please?” Lainie asked with wide eyes as she looked over at me.

          I smiled at Lainie and nodded.  “Everyone, bow your heads and close your eyes.”

          I waited for a few moments to give everyone time to do as I said.

          “Dear Heavenly Father,” I prayed out loud, “thank you for this meal which the cooks had prepared for us and I pray please reach down and bless it so it will fill us up.  Lord, thank you for letting Samantha have a good and safe trip here on the plane and thank you for giving us this moment to share and to be here with one another as well.  Thank you for everything in Jesus name, amen.”

          I felt Samantha kind of glance over at me with surprise.

          I felt that praying for her safe trip would be for Lainie’s benefit although I was kind of glad myself that the woman had landed safely.  I just wasn’t going to let her know that part.

          Lainie stuck her fork into one of the little pieces of cut up ham and placed it into her mouth.  She did try her hardest to chew with her mouth close but it wasn’t working for her.

          Samantha kind of smiled as she held up a napkin.  “Watch and learn,” she told Lainie.  She took a sharp knife and cut a piece of ham off for herself as she kept it on the fork and took a bite.  I couldn’t help but watch as she placed the napkin over her mouth as she began chewing.  It was a lady like thing to teach to such a small child.

          Lainie smiled as she copied what Samantha had done with the napkin.

          “Nice trick,” I said as I smiled at Lainie.  Keep it up kid.”

          Lainie placed the napkin on the table and smiled at me then went back to eating.

          I began to eat and enjoy my meal as well.

 

          Once Samantha and Lainie left the room, I pushed my empty plate closer to the vase which sat on the table and leaned back in the chair.  I was too full to try to move one bit.

          Ron and Annie were still at the table, still working on their plates as they made goo-goo eyes at each other.  Honestly, I had felt kind of awkward and kind of like the third wheel, seeing that Samantha and Lainie were out of the room.

          Now this is really awkward, I thought as my eyes shot back and forth between the couple.

          “So, Louis, was that part in your prayer about Sam having a safe trip all for Lainie’s sake?” Annie asked.

          I shook my head.

          “Or are you glad that she had a safe trip?”

          “Annie, leave him alone,” Ron kind of hissed.

          “Oh come on,” she wasn’t going to give up, “you heard him…. You can’t tell me that---”

          “That’s between him and God…. Not you…. Louis, don’t listen to her…. She just wants to play match maker which is what I was telling Sam earlier today….”

          “Annie, do you think I really care if your sister had a safe trip or not?” I asked.  “I only said it for Lainie….” I didn’t want to talk about Samantha, especially with cupid sitting in the room.  “I was only being nice,” I partly lied but I figured that Annie would never find out anyway.

          “See, Annie,” Ron replied with a tone which meant ‘I told you so.’

          Annie shook her head with a disapproving look on her face.  “I’m not buying it, Louis.  I kind of think that you are trying to push my sister away but it isn’t working for you.”

          We could have gone on about the subject all night.  I doubted that Annie was ever going to actually be willing to give up one bit.

          “She’s not my type,” I simply replied.

          I watched as Annie’s left eye brow raised.  “Oh really?”

          “Yea.  She’s not a girl I want or need in my life.”

          “And who would be that girl?”

          “Good question…. Christy was….”

          I watched as both Ron and Annie frowned at my words.

          “She was my wife….”

          “She’s dead,” Annie replied with sympathy in her tone.  “And if you decide to join her then you’re going to have to deal with us because we will not let you kill yourself to be with her….”

          “Annie,” I replied, softly.  “I don’t plan on killing myself…. I was just saying that she was the girl I needed in my life…. I know she’s gone but neither of you understand the pain of losing the one person you were willing to share the rest of your life with…. You two have each other and I’m happy for both of you but I’m not ready for another relationship.”  I stood up.  “Thank you both for having me over…. I’m going to go wash up.”  I left the room.

 

          Ron walked with me as I headed out of the door and toward my car.  “Look, Ron, I wasn’t going to say anything in front of the women but when I arrived here today from bringing Lainie to the park I had this bad feeling…. I looked around but I didn’t see anything which seem out of place but I still had a bad feeling about something,” I explained.

          Ron nodded.  “Thanks for the heads up; I’ll be on the lookout then.”

          “Okay.  If anything does go wrong, call to let me know because I don’t want anything to happen to any of you.”

          Ron nodded again as we walked over to my car.  “Alright, man…. Oh and I’m sorry about Annie,” he said as he kind of laughed.  “She just doesn’t want to see you or Sam to end up alone.  She means well although she could lighten up.”

          I laughed as I thought about that and shook my head.

          “I am kind of curious though…. What do you think about Sam?  Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell Annie…. It’ll be our secret.”

          I kind of smiled.  “Honestly, she is kind of cute,” I admitted.  “When I saw her at the airport, I couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she was…. She was more beautiful today than when I met her at your wedding…. Don’t say anything…. I’m not looking for a relationship right now and I don’t want Annie using that against me.”

          “Don’t worry, man…. I told you it’s our secret…. No one else has to know…. Especially Annie.”  He laughed.  “You know you could be a little nicer to Sam though.”

          “I know but that makes it harder because I feel like if I get to know her then nothing could turn into something and….” I debated if I should continue my thought or not.

          “Christy isn’t it?”

          I nodded.  “I know she’s gone but…. I’m worried…. If I move on then that means that I lose her…. She was the first girl I have ever loved and then not even six months of marriage goes by and I lose her to cancer….”

          “Just because you move on doesn’t mean you’re going to lose her…. She’s still going to be there in your mind and your heart…. She wouldn’t want you to give up your life because she can’t be here for you anymore…. It’s been a couple of years…. Time heals wounds.... You don’t need to be alone for the rest of your life.”

          I leaned against my car as I listened to Ron speak.  He kind of sounded like the pastor at the church I went to the way he spoke although he wasn’t preaching.  I looked up at the window and noticed Annie and Samantha in the window, chatting.  I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Ron.  “What do you think they’re talking about?” I asked as I nodded toward the girls.

          Ron turned around and looked up.  He kind of laughed as he shook his head.  “Probably having a similar conversation like we’re having,” he replied as he turned his attention back toward me.  “Although, Sam’s situation is far different from yours.”

          “Really now?”

          “Yea…. She meets jerks and with the way you’ve treated her so far you’re probably number one on that list.”

          “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

          Ron kind of laughed.  “Try to lighten up on her when you see her…. She might start throwing darts at you if you’re not careful.”  He laughed.

          “She doesn’t seem that cruel….”

          Ron raised an eyebrow as he looked at me.  “After how you treated her?  I wouldn’t be surprised if she had.”

          “Yea yea.”  I opened the door to my car and began to climb in.  “Well thanks again, man.  I better be on my way home.”

          “See ya.”

          I climbed into the car and cranked the engine.  I pulled out of the driveway and began heading home.  Samantha…. Sam…. I kind of smiled as her name popped into my mind.

The Call

          I tossed and turned on my bed as I began to slowly wake up.  The sunlight was my wakeup call and was telling me that I shouldn’t have slept in.  I sat up on my bed and looked around.  “Good morning, Louis,” I told myself as I shook my head.  I worked the laziness out of my body as I began to stand up and stretch.  I heard my bones crack as stretched my arms and legs.  I had even cracked my neck and back while I was at it.  Okay.  Okay.

          I made my way out of the bedroom and into the small but prefect sized kitchen and stopped at the coffee maker.  I had prepared a couple of cups of coffee and decided to wait.  I walked over to the living room wireless phone and picked it up.  I dialed my boss’s number and waited for someone to answer.

          “Hello,” a women’s voice came on and I couldn’t help but smile.

          “Paula, is George around by any chance?”

          “Yea…. Hold on…. Let me get him.”

          “Thanks.”

          “No problem, Louis.”

          I waited for a few moments until I heard George on the other end.

          “Hello?” the man asked.

          “Look, George, this vacation is boring can I please come back to work?”

          “Let me think…. No you are not a loud to come back to work for another week and I will not a loud you to try to letting you come back early,” I heard the man laugh as he spoke although he was serious.

          “Come on, George…. I’m bored…. I need to do something.”

          “Louis, look you’re a good guy and a hard worker…. You deserve this break and if that means that I have to fire you for a week for you to have a break then I will do it…. I’m serious I will do it.”

          I kind of laughed as I shook my head.  “Then what am I supposed to do for this week?”

          “Um…. Something fun…. Go out…. Have fun…. Oh and did Ron’s sister-in-law arrive yet?”

          “Yea actually she arrived yesterday…. I had to go pick her up from the airport.”

          “Same one his wife is trying set you up with?”

          “Yep…. Same one….”

          “Give her a chance and go out with her while she’s here….”

          “No…. You know why I can’t do that….”

          George grew quiet for a moment.  I could hear him breathing from the other end.  “You can’t live your life without taking chances…. Christy wouldn’t want you to do that to yourself….”

          “You agree with Ron and his wife too then?”

          “Yes I do.”

          I took a deep breath and sighed.  I wanted to know what it was about everyone disagreeing with me.  I had my reasons but they kept disregarding them.  Why were they doing that?  Why didn’t they seem to take in my feelings for consideration?

          “Look Paula and I are trying to have a little alone time before I go to work so I’m going to go ahead and let you go…. And please consider what everyone else is trying to tell you before you abandon ship…. Okay?”

          I sighed.  “I’ll try.”

          “Okay.  Bye.”

          “Bye.”  Beep.  I placed the phone on the hook and fell onto the soft thin black couch in the room.  It was another decoration Christy had picked which I couldn’t seem to throw out.  Any happy memories I shared with her, I didn’t want to throw them out and destroy them.

 

          I walked into a small little shop and looked around.  It was filled with books on the shelves and a few toys along with DVD’s and Blue-Rays.  I walked over to the shelves and began searching through the books.  I wasn’t looking for anything in particular; I just had to do something.

          “Do you need any help, sir?” a voice asked from behind me.  I turned to find a teenage girl about sixteen standing at the front desk.  She had red curly hair and wore a green outfit with a small shiny black name tag pinned over her shoulder.

          “No thank you.  I’m just looking,” I replied.

          “Okay well tell me if you need any assistance,” she said with a small smile rolling out on her face.

          I returned the smile as I watched her turn her attention toward the opened magazine she had been reading.  I sighed and began searching through the books again.  I looked around and slowly started to remember the times I would bring Christy into the same small store.  I closed my eyes as I let a memory play in my mind.

          Christy was so beautiful.  She had blonde hair which fell to her shoulders and always was placed in different styles.  Even after she bought the wigs, I would have done anything for her; my angel.  One day we had walked into the store, she had on a blonde wig which had waves like the ocean tide flowing with curves.  She wore a beautiful blue dress decorated with flowers which had seemed to match her changing blue and green eye colors.  She wore slim but perfectly fitted sandals.  She wasn’t completely curvy but with her small skinny body the curves where visible.  “Come, Louis,” her soft calming voice spoke as she led me down an aisle.

          “I’m coming…. I’m coming,” I repeated with a laugh.

          She finally stopped at a book which sat on an empty shelf all alone.  “This is the book I told you about…. The one that talks about the evil queen who once ruled Europe…. Of course, it is completely fiction but my book club was talking about starting to read it.”

          I smiled as I watched her face light up with joy.  “Well, do you want it?” I asked.

          She looked at me as she bit her lip, afraid of answering the question.

          “Well?”

          She took a deep breath and sighed.  “You don’t have to get it for me.”

          “I don’t mind.”

          “Are you sure?”

          “Yes.”

          She took another deep breath.  She picked up the book and flipped it over and her face grew with worry as she read the back.

          “What is it?”

          “It’s really expensive.”

          “Let me see.”

          She handed me the book and I read the price which to me wasn’t all that bad.  I handed her the book back and smiled.

          “Don’t worry about it…. I’ll buy it.”

          “But---”

          “Christy, I don’t mind.  I want to do this for you…. Think of it as an early birthday present.”

          “Really?”

          I nodded.

          I watched as a smile grew on her face.  “Thank you, Louis.”  She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

          “Are you okay, sir?” the young cashier asked as I opened my eyes and realized that I was sitting on the ground.

          I stood up and looked at the teenager.  “I’m fine…. Just having a flashback.”

          “Oh…. Do you want to talk about it?”

          Talk about it?  Why do girls like talking so much? I thought as I sighed.  “No,” I replied, politely.

          “Oh…. Okay.”

          I had to get out of there as soon as possible.

 

          I hurried back to my apartment and closed the front door, locking it.  I didn’t want any guest and I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.  I needed to be alone; away from the world.  I walked into my room and fell onto the bed.  It was one of those days and it didn’t seem like it would get any worse.  Lord, please help me to get through the rest of today without any more painful memories, I prayed as I sat up on my bed and looked around.  I wasn’t good with letting my feelings out and there was no way that I’d ever let anyone see me in pain.  I felt that if I slipped up the world would see through me and everything that I’d hide from them would come out in the open.  My pain about Christy’s death was number one on my list and I wasn’t ready to give in to them.  I wasn’t ready to move on.  Sam…. I want Sam…. I shook my head as I thought about her; why was she in my thoughts?  I made it clear I didn’t want her in life so why did her name pop into my head?

 

          Time had passed and I was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling, wondering what was going on with me?  I was too young to have a middle life crisis so I knew that wasn’t it.  The silence filled the room and I decided to play some soft music to help my thoughts.  I climbed out of bed and went through my CDs until I found the classic music.  It was the one CD I would play when my thoughts were plaguing me in my mind.  I opened the case and placed it into my small little radio and pressed play.  I placed the CD on repeat all so I could continue to listen to it even when it was over.

          I walked over and lay back on my bed and slowly closed my eyes as the music filled the room with soft soothing sounds.  This is peaceful.  I sighed as I kept my eyes closed.  I wonder what Sam’s doing right now? I opened my eyes as I shot up on the bed, ticked off at myself.  Don’t let her get in, man.  You must keep pushing her out of your life.  You don’t need her.  Why are you thinking about her?  For some reason, my thoughts weren’t finished.

          I stood up and walked over to the radio, shutting it off and left the room.  Let’s try watching some Television.  I walked into my living room and sat on the couch as I picked up the television remote and flipped through the channels.  Like usual, nothing good was on so I wound up turning it off anyways and again I was in silence.  I can’t go back to work for this week…. I am so damn bored.

          Riiing…. Riiing…. Riiing…. I picked up the phone and answered it.  “Hey, Louis, what’s up?”

          “Bored…. What about you, Thomas?”

          “Nothing much…. Me and the other firemen were going to go fishing…. You want to come?”

          “No…. I’m going to hang around here…. I have a lot on my mind right now.”

          “Oh it’s one of those kinds of days?”

          “Yep,” I replied.

          “Okay well if you change your mind just give us a call and we’ll let you know where we’re at.”

          I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me.  “Alright.”

          “Well, I’m going to go ahead and let you go then.”

          “Alright…. Bye.”

          “Bye.”

          I didn’t bother to hang the phone up so I just pressed the off button then fell against the back of the couch as the phone slid out of my hand and onto the couch cushion.  I’m the worse man alive.

 

          At noon I walked into the kitchen and fixed me a sandwich so I could have something in my stomach.  The silence wasn’t so bad; it was the thoughts which had been attracted to the silence which were driving me insane.  Either Christy would be on my mind or some reason Sam would be up there as if her spirit was trying to distract me or something.  Christy I could see but Sam…. Sam…. She wasn’t someone I wanted in my life so why was I thinking about her?  Annie, why did you want me to meet your sister? I thought as I finished spreading mayonnaise on the second slice of bread.

          Knock, knock, knock.

          No one’s home, I thought to myself.

          “Hey, Louis, it’s your landlord…. Look we’re getting the resident together for a party and your more than welcome to join if you want,” the old man’s friendly voice spoke through the door.

          I sighed.

          “Are ya there?”

          I thought about answering the door but I didn’t think it was a good idea.

          “Hello?”

          The man wasn’t going to leave so I decided that I should just be nice and let the man in.  I placed the second slice of bread down the counter and walked over toward the door.  I took a deep breath and opened it with a smile.  “Sorry, Oliver…. I was busy.”

          “Oh that’s not a problem,” the man smiled as he spoke.  “We’re going to have a party and you’re invited to come.”

          “No…. I’m not having a good day….”

          “Oh come on…. It’ll be fun and my cute little granddaughter will be there…. She’s about your age and single too….”

          I kind of pinched the upper part of my nose as I sighed.  “I’m not looking to meet women right now…. I’m sure your granddaughter is lovely and any guy would be lucky to have her but for me right now…. It’s not a good time….”

          Oliver gave me a sympathetic look, which had seemed to be everyone’s favorite thing to do.  “It’s about time you move on…. Christy would understand.”

          Seriously, how many more times will I have to hear those words?  Why does everyone have to talk to me like I don’t have much time left?  “I’ll find someone, Oliver…. But right now the best thing for me to do is have time for myself…. Thanks for the invitation though.”

          Oliver took a deep breath and sighed.  “Alright if that’s how you feel…. Can’t force you to do what you don’t want to do.”

          I nodded as I watched Oliver turn around and walk off.  I closed the door and stood there for a moment.

 

          I looked at the color changing sky as I stared out of the window in my room.  The color was beautiful for the afternoon and the sight was unbelievable to see.  Lord, no man made artwork can compare to how lovely the scenery you have created for us…. It’s simply amazing.

          I decided to walk over to the bed and sit down as I looked around the empty room.  I could hear voices from downstairs which I had figured were from the party Oliver had invited me to but I didn’t have it in me to go stop by even for a moment.  It’s better for me to be alone than to be around all of those people…. Most of them have dates or are married and will try to hook me up with girls…. Most of the women around her are indecent with the way they dress and act around men…. I want a woman who’s modest and keeps herself covered up…. Those are the beautiful women.

          I figured that if I were to find another woman she’d have to be decent.  I wouldn’t care about her past just as long as she wasn’t trampy or someone who only caused trouble purposely…. Meaning she would go out and hit on every man she saw or thought that she’d have to give herself to them because that’s what they wanted.  I shook my head at the thought.  If a girl had to do that for men, then those men were boys instead of men and it didn’t matter their age.  If a man couldn’t treat a girl with respect, then he wasn’t a real man.  That was how I was raised.  My father would let me and my brothers know that if we showed a women disrespect at any age then we weren’t men.  My father was a wise man which was why my mother was always proud of him.

          I probably should have treated Sam better yesterday and just found some way to tell her that I wasn’t looking for a relationship but this is a lot easier than letting my guard down.

          Riiing…. Riiing…. Riiing…. I picked up the phone next to my bed and placed it to my ear without checking the caller id.  “Hello?”

          “Hey, Lou,” Carmen’s voice said; I had a good feeling that she was smiling.

          I rolled my eyes.  “Don’t call me that…. You know I hate that.”

          “I know,” Carmen replied as she laughed.  “I have some exciting news to tell you.”

          I sighed.  “Really?  What?”

          “I’m pregnant.”

          “Wow…. Congratulations, Carmen…. And tell Eric that I told him congratulations as well.”  I couldn’t help but smile at my sister’s news.

          “I will…. But don’t tell anyone yet…. We’re not exactly trying to tell a lot of people because of the two miscarriages before….”

          “I understand, and Carmen…. I’m sure this one will be a good one…. Third times the charm.”  I laughed.

          “Shut up.”

          “No seriously…. I’m happy for you two…. How far along are you?”

          “Not that far along yet…. Oh and I said don’t tell anyone…. I mostly meant mom and dad…. I don’t want them to get too excited like the last couple of times…. I felt so horrible….”

          “Carmen, they know you didn’t mean to do that…. It wasn’t your fault things like that happen.”

          “Yea I know but still.”

          “Don’t think negatively…. It’s not going to be like the last two times so don’t worry…. Nine or ten months from now you’ll have your little bundle of joy and God will keep the child safe from harm…. Got it?”

          “Okay…. Thanks for cheering me up, Louis…. I kind of needed that.”

          “That’s what I’m here for.”

          Beep.

          “Hey, Carmen, can you hold on for a minute?  I’m getting another call.”

          “Okay…. Sure.”

          I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at the caller id.  Ron?  No wait it’s probably Annie trying to plan a double date.  I shook my head as I pressed a button which had brought me to the other line.  “Look, Annie---”

          “Louis,” Ron’s voice sounded out of breath and frightened.

          I felt myself jump into alert mode.  “What’s going?”

          “I don’t know…. Three people just broke into the house…. I don’t know if they know that Annie and I are here or not but they’re going through our things and destroying the house…. What do we do?”

          “Get out of there as soon as possible…. Wait…. Is Samantha and Lainie there as well?”

          “No they went out to the park for the day…. I actually don’t know if they have returned or not….”

          I took a deep breath and sighed.  “Okay…. You and Annie need to leave as soon as possible…. And don’t worry about Lainie and Samantha…. I’ll pick them up myself…. You two need to leave…. Call me as soon as you’re both out of the house and let me know where to find you two…. But make sure you go to the police station and report this…. Got it?”

          “Of course…. Please….”

          “Not right now…. You and your wife can’t stay on the phone too long just in case they catch you two…. Everything will be fine.”

          “Thanks, man.”

          I listened as the phone call ended and I could hear Carmen on the other end breathing.  “Carmen….”

          “What’s wrong?”

          “Look I have to go…. I’ll talk to you later….”

          “Okay…. Bye.”

          “Bye.”  I didn’t want to hang up on my sister in such a hurry but knowing that my friends were in trouble I couldn’t take my time.

 

          I began to stuff a black suitcase with clothes raging from shirts and pants…. Boxers and socks…. I didn’t know where I was heading until Ron called or for how long I was going to be gone but it was my job and I’ve done it too many times before with strangers who needed protection.  I knew if I could do it for the clients so to speak then I needed to do it for Ron and his family as well.  Riiing…. Riiing…. Riiing…. I picked up the phone without hesitation.  “Ron?”

          “I did what you told me to do…. The police know and now Annie and I are on the road to our safe house in police vans…. I’m going to tell Sam that we were in witness protection…. Louis, before you hang up…. Please keep in mind that Elaina will be with both you and Sam so please don’t cause any trouble in front of her…. No arguing or rude remarks…. Got it?”

          “Yea…. I’ll keep my thoughts to myself and I’ll keep the girls safe.”

          “Good.  I’m going to tell Sam the same because…. I know that you two have been butting heads but Elaina’s there and I don’t want to find out that the two of you have done nothing but argue….”

          “I understand…. I’m going to go pick up the girls now.”

          “Alright…. And, Louis…. Be careful, man.”

          I kind of laughed.  “I will.”

 

          I drove for what felt like ever as I made my way to Ron’s house.  Thoughts flying through my mind as I worried about what could have happened.  Lord, who would want to do that to Ron and Annie?  Why would they want to do that?  Lord, please let Samantha and Lainie be safe.  I shook my head as I stopped and waited for the light to change.  I picked up my mobile phone called George.

          “Hello,” the man said as his voice popped onto the phone.

          “Look, George, Ron and Annie’s house was broken into today…. I’m on my way to pick up Ron’s sister-in-law and Lainie…. I figured that this would be a job for us and I don’t think I’ll be coming in next week….”

          “You’re going to do this job?”

          “Yea…. I know I’m on vacation but Ron and Annie are friends and Ron called for my help…. I have to help them somehow…. And I don’t want anyone else to do this job because they’re my friends and practically family….”

          “Alright…. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, you know that right?”

          I kind of smiled at the thought.  “I’ve heard that before…. Look, I’ve got to go.”

          “Alright…. Be careful.”

          “Don’t worry.”  I hung and placed the phone in my pocket as I looked up and watched the red light change to green.  Good.  I stepped on the gas puddle and sped through the street.

 

          I stopped at the gate and placed my car in park, shutting the engine off and removed my keys.  I climbed out of the car and the bad feeling from the day before had returned.  I really hope that Lainie and Sam are okay.  I quickly moved over to the gate and noticed that it had been pushed open so I just slipped in and hurried toward the mansion.

 

          Once I was inside, I could see the obvious damage the men had done as I looked around.  I hoped that Sam and Lainie hadn’t been around at all while the men were there.  “SAMANTHA!  LAINIE!” I shouted as I worked my way inside and over toward the stairs.  I waited a few moments then walked back over toward the entrance and stood facing the inside of the house as I waited for them to answer or to make an appearance.

          It wasn’t long later when Samantha and Lainie had walked into the room.  I crossed my arms and watched them.  “Lainie, go and get your things we have to hurry…. Okay?”

          “Okay.”  Lainie darted in the direction of her room.

          Sam worked her way down stairs and walked over to me.  Our eyes didn’t leave each other’s as she grew closer toward me.  “Look, I told Ron that I was going to be nice to you around Lainie so you better be nice too.”  She sounded like some lame cartoon character from one of those stupid kid shows.

          “Around Lainie…. It’s different now that we’re alone…. Now go and get your damn stuff…. We don’t have all day.”

          I watched as steam filled her beautiful face.  “I was just---”

          “Go…. You’re in danger, got it?  I don’t have time to play the knight in shining armor…. Believe me I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t promised my best friend that I’d come to get you…. They only reason I even agreed to come is for Lainie…. Now hurry up we don’t have much time.”

          “You’re a jerk.”  She began walking up the stairs and toward her room.

          “By the way, don’t grab everything you have…. You only need a few things…. You can always get new clothes and stuff later.”

          I watched as she balled her fist up as anger began to brew inside of her.  “Fine,” she spoke with frustration.

 

          Lainie was finished and I had her wait in the car as I had to go get Sam.  The woman had taken forever and it was starting to bug me.  I didn’t have time to wait.  I hurried up to Sam’s room and right as she was about to zip up the black duffle bag I grabbed her hand and watched as she began to open her mouth to let out what I would assume as a death defying scream.

          “It’s just me,” I spoke with reassurance in my tone so I wouldn’t make things worse for her, “Lainie’s already in the car.  We’ve been here long enough now hurry.”

          “Let me zip up my bag first.”

          I grabbed the bag and quickly zipped it.  “There it’s zipped.  Now come on,” I said as I grabbed her left hand which felt gentle with a little bit of warmth and dragged her out of the room as soon as possible.

Flirtation & Jealousy

          I knew the drive was going to take quite a few days but it wasn’t going to be horrible…. Of course I had hoped that Sam wouldn’t try talking to break the silence.  If either of the two girls were going to have my attention, it was going to be Lainie.  The child might have been inquisitive but she was adorable and deserved the attention.

          Sam, on the other hand, was about my age and was like every other annoying woman.  Although I’ll have to admit that I kind of enjoyed ticking her off.  It was childish but fun.  I felt like a little boy then I realized that I wasn’t just torching her.  Crap, I thought.

          I found it to be kind of ironic because I had told Ron that I had to work that day but only so I didn’t have to worry about Annie trying to work out a date with me and Sam.  It had been a few days earlier because I knew Annie was going to want to see Sam the first day she arrived after that was her sister but the day after I had a feeling she was going to try to set a date so I told Ron that I didn’t have to work the day she was arriving but I had to work the following day.  I knew it wasn’t right to lie to my best friend but what else was I supposed to do?  The irony was that I wound up working anyways to help them out…. Strange how that had happened?

          “Where are we going?” Sam’s voice broke through the silence.

          “It’s pointless telling you because you wouldn’t know where we’re heading anyways, dumb broad,” I spoke the last two words under my breath so Lainie didn’t couldn’t hear me or Sam would barely be able to hear me.

          “Lainie’s right there,” Sam whispered in a harsh tone trying to keep her voice down.

          I glanced in the mirror to see that Lainie had falling asleep.  “But she’s sleeping.”

          I watched Sam shake her head with part of my eye as she stared at me.  “Why did you have to come huh?”

          “Because Ron called me no one else…. That’s something that you should ask him…. I think it’s because of your sister trying to play matchmaker…. She’s so damn stubborn….” I kind of had to let out a laugh although I didn’t want to mention to Sam about how I told Ron to call just in case the night before anyways.  “But she’s a sweet woman….” I sighed.  “She’s perfect for Ron.”

          “How come you’re so nice to everyone else but me?”

          “I don’t want to talk now.”  I ignored Sam’s question.  I had a feeling she was going to ask that sooner or later.

          “Why won’t you answer me?”

          “I told you that I don’t want to talk now.”

          “I can’t believe that Annie would want me to end up with someone like you.”

          I looked at Sam for a moment then turned my attention back toward the road.  “I don’t know why anyone would even want to be with you.”

          I could see with the part of my left eye as Sam dropped her mouth, insulted.

 

          I pulled into a park lot of a small dinner.  I figured that the two girls were most likely starving and need something in their stomachs to help them relax after the events of the past few hours.  I wasn’t all that hungry but I was okay with getting some kind of snack or close to a snack.  “Hungry?” I asked.

          “Yea,” Sam answered.

          I parked into an empty parking space.

          Sam unbuckled and turned toward Lainie.  As she looked at the child I watched a smile grow on her face.  She had a beautiful smile but of course I wasn’t going to let her know that.  She placed her left hand on Lainie’s shoulder as she kind of shook her.  “Lainie,” she whispered, “wake up.  We’re going to get some dinner.”

          Lainie’s eyes opened as she began blinking and looked around a little bit.

          I pushed my seat forward and unbuckled Lainie.  I picked her up because I had a feeling she was going to be kind of falling after waking up.

          Sam climbed out of the car and closed the door as I kind of had to use my back as a hand or an arm to close my door so I wouldn’t drop Lainie.  I carried the child into the store.  I felt Sam watching as I walked with Lainie.

 

          We stood in line waiting for the family of five to get a table and then for the group of business men and women who had seen to be together for some kind of business dinner or something along that line.  I figured it was going to be a little while before there was a table for us to head to.  “Why don’t you sit down?  I’ll place Lainie next to you so that way you two don’t have to stand in line as long,” I told Sam.

          She nodded.  “Okay.”  She walked over to the small brown wall connected bench and I placed Lainie next to her.

          I hurried back in line before someone took my place and I had to wait even longer.  Every now and then I would glance toward Lainie and Sam to make sure they were alright.  As I thought about it I realized the less I knew about the situation from earlier.  I had no clue if Sam and Lainie knew anything about the men who broke in or if they had been lucky enough to arrive safely home without being in the same house as the men who had broken in.  I probably should have let Sam tell me what she knew about the break in if she knew anything but had ignored her.  Louis, you idiot, I thought to myself.

          “Next please,” the waitress behind the podium had said.

          I noticed the family had already walked toward their seats and the business men and women took the place of the family as they walked up to the waitress.  I waited as she took down their information then had the group follow her out of the room we were in.

          I waited at the podium for someone to arrive.  He placed my arm on the podium as I waited.

          “I’m hungry,” I barely heard Lainie’s little voice speak.

          “We’ll be eating soon,” Sam reassured the child.  “Uncle Louis has brought us to a nice little restaurant.”

          “Next please,” the new waitress said as she arrived at the podium.

          “Come on, Sam and Lainie,” I said as I turned to face them, gesturing for them to come.

          “Okay, Lainie, time to go eat,” Sam said as she stood up helping Lainie to her feet.

          I turned my attention back toward the waitress as she smiled.

          “Three in your party, sir?”

          “Yes, ma’am,” I answered.

          “Okay.”  She wrote it down in a pad and then turned her attention back toward us.  “Follow me this way please.”

          We followed her into the back and walked over to a small table.  Sam had Lainie sit in the middle of her and window as I sat down across from them.

          “Can I get you drinks?” the waitress asked.

          “Chocolate milk please,” Lainie answered without hesitation.

          “Chocolate milk for me too please,” Sam agreed.

          “Okay.  Two chocolate milks,” the waitress repeated as she wrote down their order.  “And what about you, sir?” she asked me in a kind of flirtatious tone.

          I could care less.  I wasn’t one to flirt just to flirt.

          Sam kind of smiled as she shook her head.  I kind of wanted to know what made her do that but decided not to ask.

          “Water,” I answered, ignoring the waitress’s tone.

          “Okay.  One water,” she repeated as she wrote it down.  “Anything else, cutie?  For you it could on the house.”

          “Nope,” I replied, trying not to be rude.

          “Okay then.  Well, I’ll be back with your drinks and to get your orders.”  She finally walked away.

          “I need to go to the restroom,” Lainie said.

          “Okay.  Here I’ll go with you,” Sam replied as she stood up and let Lainie work her way out of the booth.

          “I’ll wait till you two get back to order…. I’m sure by then the waitress will be back with our drinks,” I told the two girls.

          “Okay.  Come on, Lainie.”

          I just stared into space as the girls walked away.  I turned my head toward the window and stared out of it.  Pain was working its way into my heart as I thought about Christy and even Sam.  Why is this happening? I thought as I looked around the dinner.

          The flirty waitress walked back over to the table, carrying a tray of three cups.  Two cups were filled with chocolate milk while the other was filled with water.  “Here you go, sir.  Your drinks,” she spoke with a flashy smile on her face as she placed the cups on the table.

          “Thanks.”

          “So that woman…. She isn’t like your girlfriend or anything is she because I would hate myself if she was.”

          I sighed and looked down at the table.  Clearly, it didn’t matter if Sam was around or not in order to flirt with me so her words were empty as she spoke them.

          “Well,” she replied as she wrote something down on a piece of paper and then slid the same slip of paper over to me, “that’s my number in just in case.”

          I didn’t let the waitress watch as I shook my head briefly.

          “So are you ready to order?”

          “Not yet; I’m waiting on the child and lady to return before ordering.”

          “Oh…. Of course.”  The waitress walked away and I took the slip of paper in my hand and crumpled it.

          I didn’t want that woman’s number.  She was somewhere in her early thirties and I preferred woman about my age or a little younger.  I took the crumpled slip of paper and threw it in the closest trash can.  Yea right, like I’m going to call you.

          I walked back over to the table and sat down.  I stayed seated as Lainie and Sam finally walked out from the restroom.

          Lainie hurried and sat down in the seat as she slid over to the window so Sam could sit next to her.

          “The waitress should be coming back soon to take our order so….”

          “Yea yea,” Sam replied.  “Do you know what you’re getting?”

          “Of course,” I replied, kind of rudely.  I felt that Sam was kind of rude in her words.

          “I was just asking.”

          “I don’t care if you were just asking,” I replied, kind of agitated.

          Lainie’s eyes moved back and forth between Sam and me.

“Sorry, Lainie, but your uncle is being very rude,” Sam told the child.

          “And your auntie is being very annoying,” I replied as I held the glass of water to my lips and then took a sip.

          “My mummy always says that if a boy is mean to you that usually means that he likes you,” Lainie spoke.

          I couldn’t believe the words which came from the child’s mouth and I spit my water out on Sam on accident.

          Sam dropped her mouth from disbelief but I didn’t know if it was what Lainie had said or if she thought I had done that on purpose.

          I may have been a jerk but I wouldn’t spit on a woman no matter how I felt about her.  “Sorry about that,” I told Sam as I turned my attention toward the child.  “Look, Lainie, I don’t like her…. I’m just putting up with her, there’s a difference.”

          Lainie’s hazel eyes just stared at me but she didn’t speak again.

          Sam picked up a few napkins to clean my spit from her clothes.  “That’s more for boys around your age…. Men are different,” she replied as she eyed me down with hatred and anger.  She looked at Lainie with a smile which kind of worried me in a way.  “Men have to be trained.”

          I was the one filled with anger because of Sam’s words.  How low was that?  She practically kicked me below the belt with her words…. Men have to be trained?  Why did women think like that?  As if we were dogs who needed to learn new tricks or how to control ourselves…. That’s all men were to women who believed that crap.

          “But that’s something that I’ll have to teach you when you’re older.”  Sam picked up her menu and flipped through it as she searched for something on the menu.

          Eventually the waitress walked back over to our table.  “Have you decided what you wanted?”

          “I’ll have a few kiwi burgers,” I replied.

          “Are you sure?” the waitress asked, still flirting with me.  “I think an attractive man such as yourself should eat more than that….”

          “Why are you flirting with a man whose here with another woman?” I asked, kind of biting off the woman’s head in a way.  I didn’t mean to it just happened and I kind of snapped.

          Sam dropped her mouth in disbelief.

          The waitress couldn’t take her eyes off of me either.  She was just as surprised as Sam was and her eyes had grew wide.

          “What?  Are you some kind of---?”

          I felt Sam kick my shin before I could finish the rest of the question.

          Lainie continued to stare with wide eyes and tears as well.

          I took a deep breath and turned my attention toward the waitress.  “I’m sorry…. I’m just having a hard time right now,” I explained as I apologized.  I felt kind of horrible for what I had said and needed to make up for it.

          The waitress turned her attention over toward Sam.  “What about you, Miss?

          “I would like to try some bacon na-an?  I’m sorry…. I’m visiting from America and I don’t know how to pronounce some of these words.”

          “Well, let me see….”

          I watched as Sam pointed to what she had picked and the waitress nodded as she wrote it down.  Once the waitress finished, she smiled at Lainie.  “And what would you like?”

          “Mac ‘n’ cheese,” Lainie replied.

          I watched as Sam smiled.  Her smile was a beautiful sight to see but I wouldn’t tell her that.  I didn’t want her to know how I was weak inside.

          “Okay, I’ll be back with your orders.” 

 

          Once we were finished with dinner, we just sat around the table to give time for our digestive systems to work as the waitress walked by, placing the bill on the table as she scooped up the dirty dishes.  Sam started to grab for the bill but I stopped her.  “Whether I like you or not,” I told her, “a woman shouldn’t have to pay for the meal.”  I was the kind of man who didn’t feel right letting a woman pay for food or anything if I were around.  It wasn’t that I felt threated that women worked and earned money; it was just the fact that as a gentleman, it was a polite gesture.  I examined the bill with my eyes as I slowly nodded.  The total had been what I was expecting of course.  “Why don’t you two go out to the car?  I’ll pay for the meal.”

          “Okay,” Sam replied with a nod.

          I stood up as the girls headed out of the door and placed a tip on the table.  I worked my way over to the podium and pulled out my wallet.  Once I was at the podium, I pulled out my money and counted the amount which had been on the bill and waited for the waitress to arrive.

          Once she was there, she smiled, politely but this time didn’t try to act flirty toward me like she had earlier that night.  “Hope you enjoyed your meal, sir.”

          I nodded as I handed her the money and left.

 

          “But they want you to be safe…. Me and your uncle aren’t going to let anything happen to you and they know it,” I heard Sam tell Lainie as I was heading out of the building and over toward the car.

          I looked around wearily as I kept walking.  I didn’t know what it was but something felt worse than it had while we were still at the mansion.  “We need to go…. I have a bad feeling.”

          Sam nodded as she helped Lainie into the car.

          I worked my way into the front seat.  We had to get out of there.

 

          It had been about an hour or a little over an hour when we left the dinner.  I kept driving but my eyes were growing tired.  I had to shake my head to keep myself from falling asleep.  I had been driving for most of the day and it hadn’t really done me any good.

          “Pull over and let me drive,” Sam told me, worry was in her tone.

          “No.”  I figured that she didn’t need to be driving after the day’s events.  It was clear to me that she was a nervous wreck and didn’t need to be driving either.

          “You’re falling asleep…. You’ve been driving almost all day…. You need a break.

          “I’m fine….”

          “If you don’t let me drive, then at least pull into a hotel for the night so you can get a good night sleep…. Do it for Lainie’s sake.”

          I moved my eyes into the rearview mirror for a moment then nodded.  Lainie’s life was in my hands; Sam’s life was in my hands.  I couldn’t get us killed because of my stupidity so I agreed.  “I’ll pull into a hotel for the night, but first thing tomorrow we have to leave.”

          “Okay.”

 

          I found a little inn which seemed like a nice place and especially for only one night.  It wasn’t a bad choice and about the only place I could really find with vacant rooms.  I placed the car into park in an empty parking place right in front of the building.

          “Is this where we’re staying?” Lainie’s tired voice asked.

          Sam looked at her and nodded.

          “I want the both of you to go inside with me…. I don’t trust this neighborhood.”

          Sam nodded.  She opened the door and climbed out of the car.

          Once I was out of the car, I pushed my seat forward for Lainie.  I picked the child up and let her rest her head on my shoulder.  I checked to make sure that both doors on the car were locked before we went inside.

 

          We walked into the small lobby of the hotel and I wondered over to the front desk of the room.  I didn’t bother to look around because all I wanted to do was get a room and then go to bed.  No one was at the desk so I hit the small silver bell, trying to see if I could get anyone’s attention who worked there.  “I’m going to get two separate rooms.  One for the two of you and one for myself,” I told Sam as we waited for someone to arrive.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for an unmarried man and woman to share a room together…. Besides, you have the child to look after…. I have to make sure that the both of you are safe…. So I’m going to get four keys for the rooms…. You’ll have your room key and my room key and vise-versa…. Just in case for any reason there’s danger…. Got it?”

          Sam nodded.

          “Okay good.”

          A moment later, a man who was wearing an outfit that a tourist would wear walked out of another room.  He had to be about in his late twenties and seemed to be a ladies man.  “Ooo,” I heard Sam say.

          I raised an eyebrow as I looked over at her only to notice how she couldn’t take her eyes off of the man.

          “What?  I’m not a loud to look?” she whispered to me.

          “I didn’t say anything,” I replied, defending myself.  It did make me kind of jealous to know that she was checking out another man but I knew I couldn’t say anything about it.

          “Sorry I was kind of busy,” the man replied as he slightly smiled at Sam, flirtatiously.

          I couldn’t help notice how she blushed at his words.

          Who is this guy anyways?  James Bond? I thought as I felt the jealousy grow.  I raised an eyebrow again.

          “How may I help you today?”

          “I would like two rooms please,” I told the man.

          “Two rooms?  You two aren’t a couple or something?”  The guy kind of sounded relieved.

          “No,” Sam answered.  “He’s kind of---”

          She was going to play those games so I decided that I had to interrupt.  “It’s a long story.  Two rooms for the night.”  I didn’t know if Sam or the hotel worker could hear the jealousy but I tried my best to hide it.

          “Okay then.”

          “You think I’ll be seeing your little friend again?” the guy asked me.

          Those words went right through me; it was almost as if someone had taken a dagger and pierced my heart.  “Nope, she’s not from around here and I don’t think you’d want her anyways….” I looked at Sam then back to the man.  “She’s too disrespectful and she believes that men should be fed to the sharks.”

          Sam dropped her mouth.  I knew she was angry but I didn’t care.

          “Ouch.”  The guy handed the keys for the rooms to me.  “You guys have rooms five a and b…. They’re both upstairs to the right and right next to each other.  You shouldn’t miss them.”

          “Alright.”  I dug into my pocket and pulled out my wallet.

          “That’s a hundred pounds please.”

          I nodded as I pulled out the money and handed it to the guy.  It actually was pretty cheap but I figured it was for one night anyways.

 

          I handed a key to Sam for her to know which room she was going to be in before handing the other one for my room to her.  “You two take five a…. I’ll be in five b.”

          I watched as she nodded and rolled her eyes.  Yea, she was ticked off.

          “What?”

          “Why did you have to tell that guy all that stuff that isn’t true about me?”

          I just shrugged.

          Sam slid the key to the room for her and Lainie and opened it.  She walked in and I followed her.  “That was so frustrating…. Do you realize that he---?”

          “Not your type.”

          She stared at me with confusion.  “How do you know if he’s not my type?  How do you even know what my type is?”

          “Ssshhh,” I told her as I laid Lainie down on the bed.  I removed her shoes and stocks and placed her under the covers.  I managed not to wake her up as I did so.  I stood up and turned toward Sam.  “I’ll be right back to get your bags so that way tomorrow you two can change and freshen up and then I’m going to my room where you’re not welcomed.”  I felt her eyes on me as I left the room.  I closed the door behind me, silently.

 

          I lied down on the bed and let myself drift off into a deep sleep so I could be refreshed when I woke up to leave the next morning.

          Christy sat on the bed next to me with her beautiful smile lighting up her lovely face.  She laid a hand on my cheek.  “You can move on you know.”

          “What?” I asked as I sat up on the bed and grabbed her hand.  Tears filled my eyes.

          She just kept smiling.  “I’m not here anymore…. Samantha…. She is…. Give her a chance…. You’ve suffered enough and for nothing…. It’s not your fault…. We both knew what would happen…. I love you and I know you still love me but I also know that you need someone who is there for you now that I can’t be….”

          “But, Christy---”

          She kissed me, but when she pulled away from me, she wasn’t Christy anymore.

          “Sam?” I asked confused.

          Etetet…. I smacked the alarm clock as I looked at the time and sighed.  Time to wake up.

 

          “Wake up, Sam…. Time to go,” I told Sam to wake her up.

          She sat up and looked around as she rubbed her eyes.  “Can’t I sleep a little longer?” her question made her sound like a child.

          “No, we can’t stay here.”

          She looked around and I watched as she began to go into panic mode.  “Lainie?  Where is she?  Did someone---?”

          “Ssshhh,” I replied as I placed a finger over my mouth to help her relax.  “She’s okay.  She’s in the bathroom getting ready to leave.  The kid’s fine.”

          Sam took a deep breath and sighed.

          I stood over the bed and looked her up and down; she looked like a mess.  Her hair was all over the place and falling out of the bun she apparently had placed it in the night before and she was trying to wake up.  I had to admit that she looked kind of cute like that.

          “What?” she asked, kind of grumpily.

          “You’re not a morning person, are you?”

          “No I’m not.”

          “Okay well after we leave we’ll stop and get some coffee…. We should eat something because it’s going to be a long drive.”

The Wrong Thing to Say

          I pulled out of the little restaurant we had spent the last half hour at for breakfast.  All three of us had our drinks though so on the road we could have something for our thirst before we stopped again.  I already planned on it being another long day on the road.

          “Can we listen to music, Uncle Louis?” Lainie’s little voice asked from the backseat.

          “Yea,” I answered as I used my free hand to play with the radio until I found the children’s station while I kept the other hand on the steering wheel.

          I felt Sam glaring at me.

          I looked at her and noticed how she had an eyebrow raised with anger.  “I have a soft spot for kids.”

          “I can tell,” she replied as she moved her attention outside of the car.

          We were leaving the town now which I wasn’t planning on returning to on the way back home.

 

          It was pretty much silent as far as any conversation between Sam and I went.  The only one who was really having any fun was Lainie as she sang along to the song which played on the radio.

          “Having fun, Lainie?”  Sam asked.

          I could only assume that Lainie had nodded because I kept my eyes on the road and wanted to keep on track.  We didn’t need to get into any accidents, especially out on the interstate where the accidents were a thousand times worse.

 

          Hours had went by and Lainie was in the backseat sleeping.  I turned off the radio so it did bother her.  The only sound was from her breathing.

          “What do you do?  I mean working wise?” Sam finally asked, breaking the silence.

          “None of your business,” I responded.

          I knew she was shooting a dirty look at me.

          “I didn’t mean it like that,” I told her.  “It’s just the job I have is top secret…. Nothing that you need to know about.”

          “Top secret?  Like FBI or something?”

          “Something along that line,” I answered.  I glanced back at Lainie for a moment.  She was so peaceful.  “There’s a reason Ron chose me to come to protect you and Lainie…. Although your sister is probably hoping for something to happen between us which I don’t understand why…. I’m happier alone.  I don’t need a woman right.  That would just give me someone else to worry about…. I don’t need that not with the job I have.”

          I had a feeling that Sam was interested in what I told her.  I didn’t know if it was what I was saying or how I was saying them but I knew somehow she was interested.

          “What about you?  What do you do as far as work goes?” I asked, kind of repeating her words.

          “I’m a writer,” she replied.

          “Of course you are,” I kind of laughed as I spoke.

          “What’s so funny about that?”

          “Nothing…. Nothing,” I replied.  It was kind of interesting learning about Sam.  I mean she was a writer…. I wondered what kind of writer but didn’t want to ask.

 

          I continued to drive as the day slowly began changing.  I was determined to get Sam and Lainie to Ron’s safe house in time that I had made sure to fill the gas tank up at the last gas station we had stopped at and I gave the girls’ time to go to the restroom and do what they needed to do before we left.  Now that we were on the road, I didn’t want to stop again.

          It hadn’t taken Lainie long to fall asleep again once we had loaded back up to drive before leaving the gas station.  Sam, on the other hand, had tried to offer to drive but I still hadn’t felt like she should.  I wasn’t trying to be a jerk about it; it was just after everything that had happened I felt that she was a nervous wreck and it would take her a little while before she would get the security she needed.

          Sam kept her attention out of the window as I drive.

          I couldn’t help but notice the cloudy grey sky as I drove.  It was obvious a rain cloud.  Luckily, we weren’t heading for a park.

          Sam sighed as she laid her head back on the chair.  “Do these seats recline?” she asked.

          “Yea the nob for the seat is on the bottom left kind of under the chair,” I replied as I kept my eyes glued to the road ahead.

          I had a feeling that she was going to fall asleep which in a way was a good thing but at the same time kind of depressing.

 

         I pulled into an inn and parked into an open space in front of the main office.  I unbuckled and turned my attention to Sam who looked peaceful and beautiful as she slept.  I didn’t want to bother her but I had to.  “Sam, wake up,” I said, softly in a sweet tone.

          I watched as her eyes slowly opened.  She began to unbuckle as I was already out of the car and helping Lainie.

          “We’re going to go ahead and get the rooms so we can put our stuff up and then go get something to eat…. But dress up nicely, I want to go somewhere nice not a little dinner like last night,” I told Sam.

          “Okay.”

          “Oh and you can wear red if you have any skirts or dresses just not any other colors.”

          “I don’t have any skirts or dresses with me,” Sam replied as she watched Lainie run to the sidewalk.  “Why?”

          “Because my wife never liked red so she never wore it,” the words slid out of my mouth before I realized it.

          I watched as her expressions changed from confused to frustrated a few times.  “You’re married?” she asked, in confusion.

          “Not anymore,” I answered.

          “What happened?  Did you leave her?  Did she leave you?  I would so understand if she left you.”

          Her questions infuriated me.  She had no clue what she was talking about.  I looked at her with anger and confusion.  She jumped to conclusions without getting the whole story.  “No one left anyone…. At least, not the way you would believe.”

          “That’s none of your damn business.”  I left Sam and walked over to Lainie.  I grabbed the child’s hand as I opened the glass door.  If you only knew, Sam.  If you only knew.

          Sam rushed over to us and made sure that I didn’t leave her.  I knew what she was thinking or so I could figure out what she was thinking but she didn’t know me.  She didn’t know what I was going through.

          An overweight balding middle age man stood at the front desk as we walked over toward him.  He had to be in his forties from what I could tell and seem to be a nice fellow.  “How may I help you?” the man asked.  His tone was welcoming and I obviously didn’t have to worry about Sam flirting with this man like she had the night before.  The other younger guy bugged me but this man had seemed better than that.

          “Two rooms please…. One for the lady and the child and one for me….” I knew how to talk to people without ticking them off unless of course it was Sam but that was for an entirely different reason.

          “You two aren’t together?” the man asked with confusion.  I figured that he either thought we were married or unmarried but together and enjoyed sharing a room like most unmarried couples of our age.

          “No,” I answered, “we’re not together.  Just kind of here to keep the woman and the child out of danger for a couple of friends.”

          “Oh,” the man responded with a slight nod.  “Got trouble with an ex-boyfriend or husband or something?” he asked as he turned his attention toward Sam.

          “No,” she answered, obviously not quite sure how to respond.

          The man nodded.  “Okay.  Do you want the rooms closer together so just in case something happens?”

          “Yes please,” I replied.

          “Okay then.  Let me see what I can find here….” The man turned his attention to the wall of small silver hooks where a few key chains hung.  He grabbed two keys from the wall which sat next to one another.  He looked at them to make sure they were close together.  He walked back over to us and gave both sets of keys to me.  “Rooms A 2 and A 3…. Oh and don’t tell the other guest because I don’t want them to freak out but all of the doorknobs are the same kind so pretty much all of the keys can unlock any of the doors…. Just in case for some reason the two girls need to go to your room or you need to go into their room for any reason.”

          I exchanged a worry look with Sam.  I took the keys but knowing that it wasn’t safe probably wasn’t a good idea.  “How much is that?”

          “Forty-five pounds each.”

          I nodded as I pulled my wallet out of my pocket.  I counted the money then handed it to the clerk.  The man took the money and recounted it and handed me back some change and I watched as he wrote some information down then he looked at me and smiled.

          “The rooms are just around the corner to the left.  Hope you enjoy your stay.”

          “Yea I’ll enjoy it,” I muttered, kind of regretting the decision.

 

          I had the girls follow me back to the car and we climbed in.  Sam let Lainie sit in her lap because I was only driving a short distance anyway.  “We’ve got to be careful tonight,” I explained to Sam.

          She nodded in agreement.

          “If anything happens tonight, I want you and Lainie to come to my room.  I don’t care if a car alarm goes off.  I need to know that you two are safe.  Got it?”

          She nodded again.

          “Now remember we’re going somewhere nice to eat so dress nicely and clean up a little,” I reminded both girls as I placed the car in park.

          “Can I wear my butterfly dress?” Lainie’s little sweet voice asked.

          I couldn’t resist a smile as I looked at her.  “Did you pack it?”

          “Yea,” she replied with a smile and a hint of excitement.

          I nodded.  “Then you can wear it.”

          “Yay.”

          We climbed out of the car and started for the rooms.  I handed Sam the key for her and Lainie’s room.

          “I’ll meet you two at your room when I’m ready.  I would say lock the door but after what that guy said it would be pointless.  I’ll knock three times to let you know that it’s me.”

          “Okay,” Sam replied as she headed into her room with Lainie.

          I went ahead and went into my room as well.

 

          It didn’t take me too long to get ready.  I wore a formal pair of black dress pants well almost formal and my white button up short sleeve shirt which was deceit and one of my shirts I usually wore to church.  I took my comb and watched in the mirror as I combed my hair off to the side.  “You look handsome,” I could hear Christy whisper in my ear as I closed my eyes.

          In a way I felt as if I was about to cheat on her.  Thinking about her made the pain come back a thousand times stronger and worse than I could have ever imagine.  It’s not cheating; Christy gone now and besides this isn’t a date…. Lainie’s going to be there for crying out loud…. Lainie…. Thank goodness for that child because if it was just Sam, I don’t know what I’d do.

 

          I stood outside of the girls’ room waiting for the right moment to knock.  I felt strange in a way but at the same time it was the least I could do.  I figured that they needed to do something after yesterday and besides after spending hours in the car again it was nice to give all three of us a break.  I finally took my knuckles and knocked three times.  I waited for Sam to let me in but for some reason she wasn’t opening the door.  I grew frustrated because of it.  “Sam, it’s me…. Open up.”

          The door opened and Sam stood there.  “Sorry about that---”

          “Kept me waiting?” I asked.  I looked at Sam up and down as I raised an eye brown.  She looked beautiful.  She wore nice dark blue jeans and a nice matching modest top.  I didn’t want to take my eyes off of her.  “Lainie getting ready?” I asked quickly before something stupid spilled out of my mouth.

          “Yea she’s in the bathroom,” Sam answered as she moved out of the way so I could walk into the room.  She closed the door after I was in.  “You look…. Nice,” she said.

          “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I told her.

          I could tell by her expression that she was amazed that I hadn’t said anything rude toward her.  “Thank you.  So can you tell me about your wife?”

          “Not a subject I like to talk about.”

          “Why not?”

          “Because I don’t want to talk about it.”  I looked at Sam as anger and sadness grew bottled up inside of me.  I wasn’t trying to be rude toward Sam but I wasn’t ready to tell her about Christy.  It wasn’t the right time or place.  Someday you’ll know the truth but not yet, Sam.

          Lainie walked out of the restroom.  She walked over to a bed and sat down, sliding her feet into a pair of sandals as she looked up at me.  “I’m ready to go.”

          “Okay.  Come on,” I told her as I held out my hand toward her.

 

          The restaurant was almost fancy.  It had a buffet which meant that all I really had to pay for was the three of us to eat and our drinks.  It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t the smallest place I’ve been too.  There wasn’t a long line for us to wait in so I had the girls stay close to me.  I liked the place; it was clean and deceit.  We were seated within seconds after arriving and paying for the three meals.

          The young waiter had to be about seventeen.  He had either just graduated from high school or had another year.  He was extremely helpful and brought our drinks over to us as quickly as he could.  I wasn’t jealous of the boy because I had a feeling Sam hadn’t found him to be to her taste.  It might have been because of the fact that he was younger than us.  “I’ll be back if I have to refill any of your drinks or if you need help with anything.”

          “Thank you, Mr. Waiter,” Lainie said as she smiling, kind of flirty for a young child really.

          Sam let out a small laugh.

          “No problem,” the boy replied as he smiled at Lainie.  Clearly, he had no idea what was going on in the child’s young mind.  He left.

          “You have a crush, Lainie?” Sam asked.

          Lainie kind of turned red at Sam’s question.

          “I think he’s kind of too old for you though.  Why don’t you go ahead and get your plate?”

          Lainie left as soon as Sam reminded her why we were there in the first place.

          “What is it with women and older men?” I asked as I looked at Sam, raising an eyebrow.

          “Hey if they’re cute then they’re cute…. I have a lot of celeb crushes who are older than me.”

          I kept my raised eyebrow.  “Really?  Like who?”

          “Oh…. Johnny Depp…. Robert Downey Jr.…. Charlie Chaplin….”

          “Wow…. You’re going way back into time there aren’t you….” I kind of laughed.

          “Chaplin was a very attractive man even with that little mustache.  Besides I’m sure you have your share of female celebs who you like.”

          “Of course but none of them are as old as the little tramp himself was.”

          Sam kind of smiled as she shook her head.  “Well, I’m hungry…. I’m going to go join Lainie at the buffet,” she said as she stood up.

          I watched as she began walking away when she lost her balance and almost fell face first into the ground but I quickly grabbed her arm before she had time to touch the ground with her face.  “Wow,” I replied as I pulled her closer to me.  “Just like when we first met.”

          I watched as her expression turned into a confused look.  I knew she hadn’t remembered me and her look proved my point.

          I raised an eyebrow as I locked eyes with her.  “You don’t remember?”

          “A couple of days ago?” she asked.

          “No…. Annie and Ron’s wedding…. You were the maid of honor and I was the best man…. We were walking down the aisle after them and you tripped because of your high heels but I caught you before you could hit the ground….”

          Her mouth opened at the memory.  Somehow she had forgotten.  “That was you?”

          “Yea,” I answered kind of laughing.

          We continued to walk toward the buffet as the memory strolled into my mind.  Annie wore a white wedding gown which made her attractive woman there of course because the bride was supposed to be the most beautiful woman at a wedding or something along that line.  It had been a little before I met Christy so I was a bachelor at the time.

          Ron wasn’t dressed differently from us other men so he didn’t stand out.  All of us other men were happy for him, glad that he had found the woman who made him happy.

          When Ron and Annie began leaving, they had clasped their arms together and waved to the crowd on both sides of the room.  Sam and I followed along.  We walked down the aisle as Sam lost her balance because of her shoes.  I quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her stand up.  She was beautiful.  She wore a long light purple dress and her hair in a bun while her high heels had seemed to be a disaster for her to walk in.

          “First day on your new feet?” I asked, smiling.

          She locked eyes with as she kind of blushed.  The blush had made her even more beautiful.  I figured she probably hadn’t recognized me because my hair had been longer than it was now.  She was embarrassed by the fact she had almost fell but I continued to smile to let her know it was alright.  “I guess you can say that,” she answered.  “I’m not big on high heels or dresses for that matter.”

          “Here…. I’ll help you.”  I helped her out of the room as we smiled at the crowd.

          I continued to walk with Sam to the buffet.

          I could tell she was confused by the names as she grabbed a plate and went to reach for anything.

          “Need any help with the names?” I asked.

          “No,” she answered.  “I know what I’m going to do.”

          “Okay.”

          I watched as she reached for what she thought was a sandwich when I grabbed her arm.

          “Do you like sea food?”

          “No,” she replied.

          “Then you won’t like that.”

          “Okay.  Then what will I like?”

          I took a moment to look around then turned my attention back toward Sam.  “Give me your plate.”

          She handed the plate over to me, confused.

          I began grabbing all kinds of food.  Food I figured Sam would actually like to try even if it didn’t seem to be appetizing.

          “Aren’t you going to eat anything?” I heard Lainie asking Sam.

          “Yea but your uncle is working on getting our plates because I don’t know what I would like.”

          “Oh…. Uncle Louis knows food.  Sometimes when he’s not working he signs up to be a food critic….”

          “Really?”

          “Yea.  He does it at random times for the newspaper company.”

          “Wow…. I didn’t know that.”

          “Can we go sit down?  It’s probably going to be a little while knowing Uncle Louis.”

          “Yea but hold on.”

          By the time the girls had finished their conversation, I had moved on to a few tables down, still in ear shot but examining the food.  I began to ignore everyone else around me as I debated on what Sam would like to try and even picking up food for myself.

          “Me and Lainie are going to sit down okay,” I heard Sam’s voice right next to my ear as she spoke.

          “Yea that’s fine go sit down.  I’ll be there in a minute.”  I felt Sam back away as I continued to block everyone else.

          “I’m sorry,” I heard Sam telling someone.

          I didn’t really hear the other person’s reply but Sam had moved back over toward me.

          “Louis,” she whispered, her tone revealed fear and panic.

          I looked at her and the fear in her eyes told me something wasn’t right.  “What’s wrong?”

          “That…. Uh…. I….” Her words weren’t coming out as she spoke or tried to speak.  She pointed to an odd man.  “That guy…. He was the cab driver who drove me and Lainie back to the mansion…. He’s very strange and creepy.”

          I eyed the man but his back was facing us so I couldn’t see his face but I felt I something was off about him.  “I’ll talk to the waiter about giving us something for the food…. We need to get out of here.  We need to get to Lainie fast.”

          Sam nodded.

          I took both of the plates and Sam followed me as I walked back to the table where Lainie had been sitting.  She was in the process of eating as she looked up at us and smiled.  “Hey.”

          “Lainie, we need to leave,” I told the child.

          “But I’m eating.”  The tone in her voice was filled with disappointment but I didn’t want us to stay any longer than we had too.

          “Lainie, look,” I said as I dropped down on both knees, “this is an emergency.  We need to leave, now.  I’ll talk to the waiter about getting us bags.”

          “How are you going to do that?  This is a buffet they don’t do doggy bags,” Sam asked with confusion in her tone.

          “They will if they know that we need to leave.”  I had done my job enough to know what I could do compared to what I couldn’t do.  I found the waiter and motioned for him.

          “Yes?” he asked.

          “Look we’re in trouble and we need to leave.  There’s this man here who’s kind of odd in a horrifying way and I need to get these two out of here as soon as possible so please can you give us bags for our food so we can leave.  It’s an emergency.”

          The boy nodded and left.  It wasn’t long later when he returned, carrying the containers for us to fill with food.

          “Thank you.”  I took the containers and without taking time to separate the food, I just stuffed it into the them because we had to leave.  Once I had finished, we left as soon as we could.

The Threat

          I sat in Sam and Lainie’s room as we finished off our meals.  My eyes kept looking out of the window, watching for that strange man from the restaurant.  I didn’t want to leave the girls alone, knowing that man could be out there, waiting.  “I’m probably going to stay in here with you tonight,” I told Sam as I kept my eyes watching out of the window.

          “We’ll be fine,” Sam replied.

          I raised an eyebrow as I locked eyes with Sam’s beautiful dark brown eyes.  “That guy could have followed us back here…. Are you really that stupid?”

          “I’m not stupid,” she shot back.  “I just think that you’ll probably get better sleep tonight if you were in your room…. I don’t think that you’ll get any sleep in here.  Besides, I can defend us if needed to.”

          I continued to stare at Sam with a raised brow.  “I won’t get any sleep, knowing that guy is out there.  I have to protect you and Lainie at all costs…. I’m not going to leave you two alone knowing that guy could break in here and do things….”  I decided to stop myself for Lainie’s sake.  I knew Sam would understand what I meant but Lainie didn’t need to hear any words that a young child shouldn’t know or hear.

          “Look we both know what could happen but we have to risk it,” Sam replied.  She had no idea how arrogant her words made her sound.  It was obvious to me that she had no clue how dangerous the situation was.

          “Risk it?” I shook my head at the thought.  “You have no idea what I have to deal with…. If something happens to you or Lainie, how am I supposed to tell Ron?”

          She turned her gaze toward the table.  Her expression told me that she knew I was right.  She kept her mouth closed for a few moments.

          “How would I be able to tell Ron that I listened to you because you wanted to risk it?  I wouldn’t be able to do…. I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye if something happened.”

          Sam sighed.  “I understand that but come on do you really want to deal with me for the night?”

          I looked away; I couldn’t tell her the feelings I was starting to get for her and how that would be a reason for me to stay.  “I just don’t want anything to happen to Lainie….” I let the sentence trail off because I wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

          Sam looked at me.  “Please just this time?”

          I took a deep breath and turned my eyes back toward Sam.  “Alright…. Just this time but if anything happens, your accountable…. Got it?”

          She nodded.

 

          I sat on the bed.  The horrible thoughts surfing through my mind as I thought about what would happen.  I looked out of the window and pulled out my phone and checked for any miss calls or messages.  I was checking to see if Annie or Ron had left me any messages as I played with the phone.  Nothing, I thought as I sighed.  I climbed off of the bed and over to the window.  I noticed Sam still had a dim light on from the refection of the window reflecting on the paved road.  At least the girls are safe as of right now.

 

          I watched as the dim light vanished off of the paved ground and not long later I noticed a dark finger of a man appear out of the depths and walk over toward the girls’ room.  I felt my heart drop as the finger disappeared.

          “Oh no,” I whispered as I sank back in the down so the man didn’t see me.  Damn, Sam…. This is what I was trying to tell you about.  Lord, please keep the girls safe.

 

          I sunk out of my room and quickly over to my car.  I unlocked the passenger side and opened up the dash board, pulling out a small black pistol and a pair of handcuffs.  I didn’t know if I was going to have to use the gun but the handcuffs were a sure thing.  I placed the gun into my back pocket, hiding it under my shirt and placed the handcuffs in my front right pocket.  Time to go in.

 

          “Get off of her,” I demanded as I stepped foot in the doorway.  My fear grew as I noticed the man was onto of Sam and the scene ticked me off even more.

          I heard the man mutter something to Sam but his words were hushed and hard to understand.

          The anger inside of me grew as I ran over to the bed.  “I said, ‘Get off of her,’” I told him as I knocked him off of Sam and we fought rolling onto the ground.  “Sam, get Lainie and go into the main office.”

          “But---”

          “No buts,” I replied as my fist sucked punched the man’s jaw.

          I didn’t see Sam but I had a feeling she with Lainie as I continued to punch the man.  When I lifted my fist for another punch, I had recognized him from the park and the airport.  “You,” I spoke in a harsh tone.

          “Your girlfriend’s pretty cute…. I would like to have her for myself.”  He laughed evilly.

          That had ticked me off even more, knowing the evil thoughts running through the man’s mind.

          “I don’t ever want to hear you disrespect her like that again,” I replied as I punched his stomach.

          “Disrespect…. What kind of man are you?”

          “A real man…. Unlike you…. You’re just a scared little boy,” I told him as I placed the handcuffs around his wrists and stood up.

          I pulled out my phone and called George.  “Hey, I have this guy who just tried to have his way with Annie’s sister here under arrest.”

          “Okay, I’ll send guys out…. Don’t worry we can find your location.”

          “Good.”

 

          I waited in the hotel room until a few other members from George’s crew walked in.  “Hey, Louis,” a woman said as she walked.

          “Heather,” I replied.  “Why weren’t you at Ron’s the other day for the security?”

          She closed her eyes, the regret was there.  “If I had known…”

          “If you had known…. You and the crew should---”

          “I know and I feel horrible already…. Don’t blame me…. Now go and make sure that Annie’s sister and Lainie are fine.”  Heather was like a sister to me and the tone she was using reminded me of Carmen when she didn’t want to talk about her mistakes.

          “Okay.”  I stood up and placed a hand over my lip.  The blood was still wet and dripping from my bottom lip.

          “I’ll come back for your girlfriend,” the evil man laughed as another co-worker pulled him to his feet.

          “And I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen….”

          “Girlfriend?” Heather asked with a smile.

          “It’s just how he talks,” I replied.  “He noticed Sam with me a few times and thinks that we’re together…. Look I need to go.”

          “Of course and, Louis, I hope that she helps you to move on from Christy…. It’s about time.”

          I shook my head and left the room as soon as possible.

 

          I worked my way into the main hall of the hotel.  I knew I was covered with bruises and sweat from the fight.  I even tasted my own blood flowing from my lip and into my mouth.  I walked over to Sam and held out my hand.  “Key?” I asked.

          She reached into her pocket of her sweat pants and pulled out the key and handed them to me.  Her eyes looked away from me, feeling guilty.

          I took the key and worked my way over to the desk where the inn keeper stood.  “We’re going to check out.”

          “Okay.”  Any questions he may have had he kept to himself and just took both keys.  “Do you want your money back, sir?”

          I shook my head, tiredly.  “No keep it….” I managed to get out as I tried to keep the little breath I had left.  “Look can we take the back way trouble seemed to follow us tonight and I believe that going out the front would be a bad idea…. I’m leaving my car behind do you know of any car dealerships around here?”

          “Yea…. Let me write down the address for you but you’ll have to wait till morning cause they’re closed now….”

          I nodded.  “We just need to leave as soon as possible.

          “There’s another hotel a few miles away from here…. I could drive you three there and even pay for you three to stay there seeing that your stay here wasn’t exactly the best stay here.”

          I thought about it for a moment but quickly shook my head against it.  “No I don’t think staying at any hotels would be the best choice to do right now.”

          “Okay well have a safe trip wherever you’re going then.”

          I nodded and then turned my attention toward Lainie and Sam.  I eyed Sam with anger but I was even angrier at myself than her.  I walked over to them and picked Lainie up than lightly touched Sam’s shoulder.  “Are you okay, Sam?  Did he hurt you?  Did he touch any places that a man shouldn’t touch without permission?”

          “No…. He was going to try when you came in.”

          “Good…. Now come on.  Thanks to you,” I spoke rudely with anger, “we can’t stay at any hotels for a while.”

 

          Sam followed behind as I carried Lainie out into the street, staying on the side walk.  I was worn out and angry.  I couldn’t believe what would have happened and it would have been my fault.  “I can’t believe I listened to you,” I finally spoke.  “I had a feeling something like this would happen but I let you convince me otherwise.”  I knew that Sam didn’t deserve all of the guilt but it just felt easier.

          She didn’t respond as a few cars drive past us.

          “Do you realize the danger you put Lainie into tonight?”

          She continued to stay quiet as I spoke.

          “You’re lucky that I was there to save you….” My voice shook with fear and hurt as I spoke.  The anger was slowly wearing off.  “You could have defended the both of you?  Yea right…. He broke in and could have hurt you and Lainie…. You’re arrogance could have cost you and Lainie’s lives…. Do you even realize that?” he asked, shaking his head.  “If I didn’t come in when I did, he could have had the both of you killed.  That’s what I get…. Next time you do as I say and no arguing…. No disagreeing with me.”

          Sam kind of nodded.

          “You said that guy was the taxicab driver who drove you two back to the mansion yesterday?”

          “Yea,” she spoke weakly.

          “Did he give you an eerie feeling then too?”

          “Yea but I had no choice then…. He didn’t do anything.”

          I looked at Sam with a shocked expression.  Her words were arrogant.  I couldn’t believe why she would even have considered that.  “And you still got into the taxi then?”

          “Yes….”

          “What if he had done something then?” I asked as anger grew inside of me again.  “Do you realize how stupid that is?  If you have a feeling about someone don’t be stupid enough to climb into a car with them…. Taxi driver or not…. That’s peer stupidity…. You should know better than that…. You’re about twenty-two right?”

          “Yea,” she replied as she kind of nodded.

          I shook my head with disbelief.  “You are the most arrogant person I have ever met…. I can’t wait till you go back to America that’s where you belong.”  I didn’t really mean what I said I was just ticked off and tired.

          “I made a mistake okay,” she shot back.  “I know what could have happened…. I wasn’t thinking okay…. People make mistakes…. I’m only human,” she replied as she started crying.  “You can leave me alone because right now I don’t care…. I know that I have put Lainie in danger unknowingly…. I’m sorry…. I made a mistake and I don’t need you to keep pointing it out to me…. Telling me that I’m stupid that just makes me feel so much worse right now…. I don’t need that right now.”

          I sighed and shook my head.  “I’m sorry but if you had listened to me instead of tried to convince me that you two were safe then that wouldn’t have happened.”

          “And I understand that but with you practically yelling at me doesn’t help what I’m feeling…. That guy was going to try to do something very bad to me before you came and I knew that I was wrong that I didn’t listen to you.  I thought that I had that under control but I didn’t…. At least, Lainie’s okay right?  Isn’t it her who you really care about?  Because if it had been just me you probably wouldn’t have even come in there---”

          Those words from her made me feel worse.  She had no clue what she was talking about.  “You don’t know that,” I said harshly.  “You don’t know me so don’t act like you do…. You don’t know what I’ve been through…. You don’t know what I would do just to make sure that you stay out of danger…. What I’d do to keep you safe as much as Lainie?”  I wasn’t going to spill my feelings out toward Sam but she needed to know that I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.  “I wasn’t just worried about her…. I was worried about you too but you don’t seem to notice that.”

          I could tell by Sam shutting up that my words had surprised her.

 

          “What time is it?” I asked as I slowly woke, keeping Lainie in my arms as I leaned forward and tried to keep Lainie from waking up.  We had slept in the park.

          “I’m guessing morning.  If I had a watch, I’d check the time but I don’t,” Sam replied.

          “Oh well.  Man, I have to get a new car now.”  I looked at Sam and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.  She was a sight to see even with her hair as a mess.

          “What?”

          “Nothing,” I answered as I shook my head.  “Let’s get breakfast and some coffee then see if I could get a new car.”

          “Okay.”

          I stood up and picked up Lainie in my arms and carried her.

          Sam followed and we found our way to a small coffee shop.  We walked in and worked our way over to the counter.

          “How may I help you today?” the eighteen year old guy asked with a pleasant smile on his face.

          “We’re here for food and coffee,” I answered as I kind of laughed at the kid’s question.

          Sam shook her head.

          “Of course,” the teenager answered as he laughed.  “What would you like to order?”

          Sam looked up at the menu.  I could tell by her surprised look that what she was reading was recognizable.  “Can I get a bagel and some bacon?” she asked.

          “Of course, of course,” the kid replied.  “To drink?”

          “French vanilla coffee please.”

          “Sure.  For you, sir?”

          “An omelet with everything in it with black coffee.”

          “Okay and what about the child for when she wakes up?”

          I smiled as I looked down at Lainie who hadn’t bothered to open her eyes.  “Waffles and chocolate milk.”

          “Okay.  You’re total will be….” The kid typed the prices into the cash register and then checked the price.  “Twenty pounds please.”

          “Okay can you hold on for a moment?  I need to place the child in a seat before I can reach for my wallet.”

          “Oh of course.”

          Sam followed me over to a small booth which sat next to a window and I sat Lainie down then turned my attention toward Sam.  “Can you sit with her while I pay for the food and drinks?”

          “Yea,” she answered with a nod.

          I walked back over to the counter as I pulled out my wallet and counted the amount which the teenager had told me.  “Sorry about that,” I told the kid as I handed him the money.

          “Not a problem, sir.”  He took the money and counted it then handed the change back to me.  “It will be a little while.”

          “That’s not a problem.”

          “Your girlfriend is pretty cute…. Not trying to sound disrespectful, sir, but well she is….”

          I glanced over at Sam and kind of smiled as I turned my attention back toward the teenager.  “She is pretty cute, huh?” I asked, not completely telling the truth.

 

          Thirty minutes later and I carried a tray with the food over to the table.  “Who’s hungry?”

          “I am,” Lainie replied.

          Sam and I shared a smiled at Lainie’s two cute little words.  We knew she would speak up.  I placed the tray on the table and began handing out the food and drinks.  We all kept our mouths closed about the night before even though it was still there in our minds.  I didn’t want to talk about it with Lainie around, knowing that what she had witnessed was something a four year old shouldn’t have even seen in the first place.  I knew that I needed to find out what the man had done to Sam or tried to do before I arrived but knew that it wasn’t the time or place to bring it up.

          “So can you tell me where we’re going yet?” Sam asked as she took a half of her bagel and smothered butter and cream cheese all over it.

          “Still not information that you need to know,” I answered.

          She gave me a dirty look, which I had expected.  It was long overdue and I needed something to keep her mind distracted.  I figured that turning back into a jerk would keep her angry at me rather than keep her mind on that odd guy.  “Okay.”

 

          We had found our way over to the car dealership and I let Sam and Lainie sit back and relax as I bargained with the car salesman.  The car I picked out wasn’t anything like my first baby but it was better than nothing and a little bit bigger with four doors.  Two doors up front and two in back.

          “Five hundred pounds,” the guy told me.

          I looked at the car and opened the door to check out the interior.  “Five hundred for a car that fits a family of four or five?” I asked.  Even though I knew a lot about cars, the car I was checking out was a new model and one I wasn’t quite familiar with.

          “Yea,” the man replied.

          I rolled my tongue around in my mouth as I thought about the price.  “Any problems with the car?”

          “No,” the man answered almost unsure.  “The men who dropped it off from the car company places all brands of cars here and they check to make sure the work before we sell them so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

          I kind of shrugged as I looked at the vehicle and closed the door.  “So five hundred?” I asked again to make sure.

          The man nodded and smiled.  “Five hundred…. And I’m sure your wife and child will be like your choice too, sir.”

          “Wife and child?” I asked then I realized that he was talking about Sam and Lainie.  “Oh we’re not married and the child belongs to the woman’s sister.”

          “Oh,” the man replied with obvious embarrassment.

          “It’s alright,” I told him.  “I can see how you could get that conclusion.”  I kind of smiled.  “Actually, I’m not dating the lady either although I am kind of starting to gain feelings for her,” I admitted to the stranger.

          “Ah…. Well, I hope everything works out for you, buddy.  Now come on and let’s sign some papers.”

          Of course, act like a friend just to sucker me into actually buying the damn car, I thought as I shook my head.  That’s how all friendships start out…. Of course.  “Wait…. I need to test drive it first.”

          “Oh yea…. I’m sorry I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”  The car salesman handed me the keys to the car and we climbed in.  I felt that Sam and Lainie were safe because of the fact that the place was crawling with customers and workers.  Not only that but also I knew that it wasn’t going to take me long for a test drive.

          Once I placed the car in gear, the car salesman told me where to drive and explained different features the car had for different reasoning.  I listened as I drove and nodded as he explained everything I needed to know.

 

          After arriving back to the dealership, I signed the papers I needed to fill out and paid for the car then went to get the girls.  I walked over to Sam and Lainie and took a seat.  “I just got back from test driving the car and I already made a deal…. The car’s a keeper.”

          “That was fast,” Sam said.

          “We can go now.”  I had the girls follow me out into the parking lot and over toward the new car.

 

          We were back on track as I drove for a while like the last couple of days.  I wasn’t planning on stopping at a hotel after what had taken place the night before but I was planning on stopping for the night.  I heading toward my sister’s house and I knew she wouldn’t mind especially after I would explain to her the situation.  “Look I’m going to stop some where’s tonight,” I explained to Sam, letting her know what was going to happen before she jumped to more conclusions.  “It’s someone I know personally because I think that stopping at hotels or rest stops might be a bad idea especially after the scene with that driver last night.  I figured it’s the only way we could know that we’re safe and Lainie knows the person as well so that works out for her as well.”  I sighed because the words I was preparing to say next were going to be a lot.  “I’m sorry for yelling at you last night…. That was my fault as well as yours…. I knew better than to leave the two of you alone but I did it and I feel horrible for it….”

          “And I’m sorry for yelling as well,” Sam interrupted.

          “No you had a right…. I was giving you all the credit for the trouble knowing that it happened because of me as well.”

          I didn’t look at Sam but I felt her eyes lock onto me with surprise.

          “We were both to blame.”

          “Do we need to call the police or something?” she asked.

          “No…. I did my job last night….” Before I could finish my thought she interrupted again.

          “You’re a cop?”

          “Not exactly…. Look my job is top secret like I told you before…. You’ll probably find out sooner or later but for now it’s nothing that concerns you…. Got it?” I wasn’t trying to sound rude if I had I just didn’t know how else to explain my career choice.

          Sam just nodded and then looked around, including staring out of the window.  

          I continued to keep my eyes on the road as I drove.  It was later on in the day but it wasn’t exactly evening yet so I had a few hours to go which wasn’t bad considering the fact that it would be a few hours before arriving at my sister’s house anyways.

 

          Eight o’clock rolled around and the dark blue sky had hid the road but I placed the headlights and taillights on as I continued to drive.  I drove past the streets and houses until I arrived at the dirt road which was kind of hidden as I turned my blinker on and took the left onto the road.

          Lainie was sleeping in the back seat and Sam was looking around to figure out where we were heading or admiring the view.

          Eventually I pulled up to the small wooden cabin and placed my new car into park.  Once I turned the engine off, Sam and I climbed out.  I opened the back door and unbuckled Lainie as I wrapped my arms under her little fragile body to carry her as I closed the doors then made my way up the steps.

          Sam followed as she continued to look around.

          I knocked on the door as I waited.

          When the door finally opened, Carmen my one and only sister stepped outside.  “Louis?  What are you doing here at this hour?” she asked, confused.

          “Long story, Carmen,” I answered.

          “You have Lainie with you for the night?” she asked as her gaze moved down to the sleeping child.

          “Something like that,” I replied.

          Her eyes moved over toward Sam which seem to confuse her even more.  “Who’s that?”

          “You know Ron’s wife Annastia?”

          “Yea.”

          “That’s her sister Samantha.”

          “Oh.  Hello, I’m Carmen, Louis’s older sister.”

          “Hello,” Sam replied.

          “Look, Carmen, we need a place to stay…. The mansion was broken into…. Ron and Annastia have to go into witness protection because they were the only two there and the men who broke in are most likely after them…. I told Ron that I was going to keep an eye on Lainie and Annastia’s sister.  I was wondering if for the night we could stay here?”

          “Of course…. You can always stay here, you know that, Lou.”

          Sam kind of laughed as I cringed at the name.  It was the worse name in the world.

          “You know I hate that,” I told Carmen, working my way into the house.

          Carmen just laughed.  I heard her whisper something to Sam but I didn’t know what it was about although I had a good feeling it was about me.

          Sam just laughed at whatever Carmen had told her.

Staying Up With Sam

          I kept Lainie in my arms as I looked around the hallway which always appeared to be the same boring thing every time with all of the same damn pictures hanging up in the same places.  “You and Eric need to do some rearranging.  This place always looks the same can’t you two fix it up some?” I asked as I continued looking down the hallway.

          “I like it the way it is,” Carmen answered as she kind of laughed.

          I kind of snorted out a laugh as well.  “Where is your dare ol’ hubby anyways?”

          “He went fishing for the weekend with our brothers.  Can you believe that?  They ask Eric to go fishing with them all of the time but they never ask me to do anything.”  Carmen let a small smile grow on her face.

          “Well, I hate to say it sis but that’s because you’re boring,” I replied as a joke.

          “If you weren’t carrying that child, I would smack you upside the head right now.”

          I couldn’t hold in the laughter.  “Where can we sleep?”

          Carmen thought for a moment as she surveyed the area.  “Well, right now I only have two rooms that are opened at the moment and I’m not going to aloud an unmarried couple to sleep together.”

          “I figured that,” I agreed as I looked around as well.

          “That’s okay,” Sam threw in.  “I could sleep with Lainie…. I don’t mind.”

          Carmen smiled.  “That’s great.”  She started up the staircase.  “Follow me.”

          We followed Carmen as we worked our way along the steps and followed her into the hallway of the second floor.  She made her first stop at a closed door and opened it.  As she entered the room she hit the light switch.

“Samantha, you and Lainie can have this room,” she told Sam.

“Okay.  This is a nice little room,” Sam replied as she took the room in.

          “Thank you.  And Louis, you have the room you always stay in while you’re here.  Okay?”

          “That works for me.”  I walked over to the bed and laid Lainie down.  I went ahead and covered her up seeing that her shoes where missing from the night before.  I made sure that I placed her head on a pillow as well.  “Night, kiddo.”  I leaned down and kissed the child’s small little forehead and then turned my attention toward the two women.  “You don’t have to go to bed yet, I just figured that she needs to sleep.  I’m going to be downstairs in the kitchen.”  I walked out of the room, leaving Sam and Carmen alone.

 

          I took a glass from a cabinet and filled it up with water.  Once the glass was full I walked over and sat down as I drank a little bit.

          Carmen walked into the kitchen followed by Sam.

          “Hello, there girls,” I told them.

          “So tell me is there anything that I need to worry about as far as those masked men finding us?” Carmen asked as she moved over to the table and sat down then offered a chair to Sam.

          “I’m pretty sure that you’re fine.  I had to leave my car at the hotel last night because of this who Sam had informed me about seeming off to her.  He had followed us and when I was out of the girls’ room he snuck in….”

          “Oh my,” the concern in Carmen’s voice revealed itself as she spoke.  She moved her attention toward Sam with worried eyes.  “That must have been scary.

          Sam nodded.

          “Before he could actually get away with doing anything I rushed into the room and wound up fighting him while I had Sam and Lainie leave the room to go into the main office.  It was a long night, Carmen.”

          “I’ll bet…. Did you have a chance to grab your things?”

          “Nope…. We hurried out of there just in case.”

          Carmen rolled her shoulders as if something touched her spine in a creepy fashion.  “Why don’t you guys stay here for a couple of more days?”

          I really didn’t like the suggestion.  I made a face which revealed my thoughts.  “I don’t know.”

          “Why not?”

          “Because I promised Ron that I was going to bring Sam and Lainie---”

          “Look I’m sure Ron will understand…. He knows me well enough that unless he wants me to find him and kick his butt I will…. He would want to know that Lainie’s safe right?”

          I nodded.

          “Okay well stay here for a couple of days and if I have to I’ll call Eric to come home early to help you keep an eye on Lainie…. Besides you three can go and get new clothes to bring for the trip wherever you’re heading and besides I’m bored without anyone to talk to seeing that Eric’s out of the house…. It’s just me, the dog, and the cat…. Although the cat’s pregnant….”

          “Again?”

          “Yea,” Carmen replied.  “We need to bring her to get fixed and I keep telling Eric that he needs to do it but he won’t because he feels that a cat is a woman’s pet and needs to be taken care of by a woman….”

          “He kind of has a point,” I spoke the words before I had a chance to think.

          “You agree with him?”

          My eyes grew because I knew I was in trouble by Carmen’s question.  “I mean…. You’re right…. A cat’s a cat…. It can belong…. I’ll be right back.”  I stood up and hurried out of the room before I said anything else that would throw me into a dog house.

 

          I placed a new tank top on to finish changing as I looked around my dim lit room which Carmen had let me fix up for myself after Christy had past.  She wouldn’t exactly let me leave while I was in mourning because she didn’t want to worry about me.  I didn’t understand why.  I wasn’t the kind of person who would try to comment suicide.  Those thoughts weren’t in my mind.  I walked over and sat down on my bed and looked over at the picture of Christy I had sitting on my nightstand.  She was lovely…. One of the most beautiful women I had ever met.  Christy, how come out of all of the people in the world I had to protect, you were the one I couldn’t help?  I feel like I could have done something to at least try to save you but I couldn’t.  I should have done something or have tried to save you in some way…. I let you down.  The one person who meant everything to me and I lost you to the one enemy I can’t protect anyone from.  I’m so sorry.

          I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out at the dark velvet almost black starry sky.  It was peaceful and then the thought popped into my mind.

          That taxicab driver how did he know anyways?  How could he have found us?  Was he following us since we left the airport?  Something about him wasn’t right then…. After last night…. Last night…. Something’s wrong; really wrong.  I tried to figure out how he had even known to follow us in the first place and how odd it was that he was the same guy who had drove Sam and Lainie back to the mansion the same day of the break in.  I had the scenarios playing in my mind.  It can’t be a coincidence…. Lord, is there some connection to him and the break in that I’m not seeing yet?

 

          I worked my way downstairs and into the living room for a moment.  I looked around as I hit the light switch and noticed Imhotep was on the floor staring at me for a moment, trying to consider if he was too lazy to get up or not.

          “Hello there boy,” I told the oversized puppy as he stood up and walked over to me, sniffing around to make sure I wasn’t messing with other dogs while I was gone.  “Don’t worry boy…. When I’m friends with a dog, I’m commented…. I won’t go behind your back with another mutt.”

          He looked up at me as his mouth fell open slightly and the tip of his pink tongue hung out.

          “How are Carmen and Eric treating you?” I asked as I kind of laughed as if he could answer.

          He just stared with interest with his big black eyes.

          “It’s good to see you too, Imhotep,” I told him as I patted the top of his head.  I turned toward the hall and switched the light off.  I knew Carmen would kill me if I left it on, running up the light bill.

 

          I walked back toward the kitchen where I heard the two girls chatting about me.

          Carmen sighed as she took a deep breath.  “He’s not afraid to love…. That’s not his problem…. He’s afraid of what he could lose if he loves…. It’s not---”

          I cleared my throat to let them know I was there as I eyed Carmen with anger.  I loved my sister but sometimes she didn’t know when to stop talking.

          She whispered something to Sam then stood up and started to head out of the door.  “I’m going to go ahead and get ready for bed.  You’re extra change of clothes you left here, Louis?”

          “Yep,” I answered as I felt Sam’s gaze as she looked over at me.

          “Oh, Samantha, I don’t know if you could fit in any of my clothes but I might have some clothes you could wear including night clothes so that way you don’t have to be stuck in the same outfit.  I’ll bring some down when I get back.”

          “Oh thank you…. That sounds great,” Sam replied.

          Carmen quickly hurried out of the room and I worked my way over to the table and picked up the glass of water I had earlier.  “Want anything to drink?  Carmen won’t care.”

          “Water please.”

          “Okay.”  I finished the sip I had left and then turned my attention toward the facet and refilled it.  Once I had a full glass, I turned the facet off and opened the door to the cabinet which was filled with a variety of cups and glasses and pulled out another glass cup.  I repeated the action with the facet then closed the cabinet door as I picked up my glass and walked over to the table.  I took a seat as I handed the new glass to Sam and then took a sip out of my glass.

          “Thank you.”

          “Sure.”

          “Your sister seems nice.”

          “Yea, she’s a people person…. If it were up to her, this place would most likely be filled with homeless people or orphans or possibly both.”

          “Wow.”

          “Yep.  Her husband don’t want that to happen…. Not that he hates people just this isn’t a big place…. It’d be different if they lived in like a mansion like what Ron and Annie live in but they don’t…. Not only that but she’s pregnant…. Don’t tell her I said anything though…. They’re not trying to be too excited about it….”

          “Why not?  A pregnancy that’s great---”

          “Not when they had two miscarriages already…. They’re happy about it but at the same time weary because they know that they could lose it again and they don’t want to have to go through that.”

          “Oh…. That makes since.”

          I nodded, taking another sip from my glass.  I noticed that Sam stared at me as if she was waiting for me to do or say something to entice her or something.  It was kind of bugging me that she wouldn’t look away.  Her expression made me think that she was under some sort of spell or something.  “What?” I asked.

          She shook head as she snapped back into the real world.  “Nothing.”

          I raised an eyebrow knowing that she was lying and locked eyes with her.  I was kind of confused but knew that it was time for another shield.  “Look I’m not the talkative type so if you have questions then keep them to your damn self,” I told her with a rude tone.

          She dropped her mouth in anger and the next thing I knew she picked up her glass and threw water on me as Carmen entered the room.  “Just when I thought that you were a good guy you go and say that with that rude tone of yours again,” she retorted as she stood up and slammed her hands onto the table.

          I deserved that, I thought but at the same time, Sam was kind of hot when she was angry.

          “Well it looks like you two are getting a long,” Carmen replied as she kind of smiled with the tone which meant her words were fake.

          She took a deep breath and turned her attention toward Carmen.  “I’m sorry but your brother was just being a jerk.”

          “Don’t worry about it…. He deserved it.”

          “Hey?” I asked as I threw my arms up.  It was as if they forgot that I was even in the room.

          “Don’t look at me…. I heard what you said…. That was very rude…. I agree with Samantha.”

          “Thank you,” Sam replied.

          “No problem.”  Carmen walked over to Sam and handed a pair of clothes to her.  They both ignored me as I stood up.  “I went ahead and just grabbed a t-shirt and sweat pants for you for tonight and then tomorrow you can help me go through my old clothes that don’t fit me anymore and see if you can wear them.”

          Sam nodded.

          “Why does Eric have to be gone this weekend?  I don’t want to be stuck in a house full of girls.”  I removed my shirt because I thought that it was going to be pointless wearing a wet shirt for the night.

          “Sorry, it just didn’t work out that way but if you guys are still here Sunday then you won’t be the only guy here…. Unless you count Imhotep….” Carmen shook her head as she spoke.  “Eric loves that American movie the Mummy and had to name our dog after the mummy….” She let out a small laugh she was trying to hold in.  “I thought it was a stupid name for a dog especially because we’re not from Egypt but he wouldn’t give up so now we have Imhotep.”

          “I’m not counting the dog,” I answered as I shook my head.  I took my shirt and used it as a towel to dry my face seeing that I wasn’t wearing it anymore.  “I’m going to go ahead to bed and no talking about me when I leave the room, Carmen.”

          Carmen smiled as I began to leave the room.  “Don’t worry…. I’ll be good.”

 

          I turned out the light and laid in the bed as I stared into the darkness.  I sighed and closed my eyes.  It was peaceful.   I was tired but I couldn’t fall asleep.  My thoughts flew all over the place.  The one thought that continued to bother me was the thought of the man who had managed to sneak into the girls’ hotel room.  What if I hadn’t been there?  What if he had his chance and had his way with Sam?  Possibly with Lainie…. Seems like a sick man anyways and after last night…. I closed my eyes and shook my head slightly.  The thought that any man could even consider to do horrible things to a woman or a child was no man.

          Sam sat in front of me at a small dinner table and smiled.  “This is nice of you.”

          “Yea nice….” I replied but I couldn’t help but smile in return.  “Look, Sam…. You need to know that my first wife was a huge part of my life and I lost her.”

          “To what?”

          I turned my gaze out of a window with sadness.  “To cancer….”

          “Oh…. I’m sorry about that.”

          I sighed as I looked back over at her.  “It’s kind of why I’ve been a jerk to you…. I mean I shouldn’t have been anyways but I have and I feel horrible…. I’m sorry.”

          “That’s why he’s been blocking you out of his life,” Christy had appeared out of nowhere and pulled up a chair.  “I’m Christy…. I want you two to have a good long and happy life together.”  She looked at me with tears of joy instead of sadness.  “It’s time you move on and I think she’s prefect for you.”

          “But---”

          “I’m gone now…. You don’t need me anymore…. Sam on the other hand can actually be there for you unlike me.”  Christy moved her attention over toward Sam.  “I think you two will be great together…. Please don’t break his heart.”

          “I won’t,” Sam replied with a small delightful smile.

          “Good…. I must go now,” Christy replied as she vanished.

          I sat up and looked around as I felt tears fill my eyes.  Damn, I’m a guy this isn’t supposed to happen to me, I thought as I began wiping away the tears.  I couldn’t go back to sleep after that.  I didn’t want to go back to sleep, knowing that I could see Christy or Sam or both.  It bugged me.  My thoughts where roaming around in my mind playing with my emotions…. Toying with my dreams…. Why couldn’t everything stay the way they were before Sam arrived?  It was worse knowing that I was going to be stuck with her for a few more days but then again I was kind of starting to like the idea.  Lord, why is Sam in my thoughts and my dreams?  Why am I thinking about her when all I want to do is push her away?  Please somehow help me to see what’s going on…. To understand what my heart’s trying to tell me.

          I stood up and worked my way over to the dresser in the dark room with only the moonlight to show me the way.  I don’t want to be happy with Sam because I don’t want to lose her like I’ve lost Christy…. I wasn’t able to protect Christy from harm and I don’t want that same thing to happen to Sam…. I’m a horrible, horrible man.  Pushing Sam out was easy but letting her in that was trouble.  I was falling for her but I was trying too hard to let my emotions get the best of me.  I wasn’t ready for love again…. At least I didn’t think I was.  Can’t sleep…. Too much trouble from sleeping and then I have to get up…. Wait no Carmen’s making me stay here…. Damn…. There’s something up her sleeve but what is it?

          I looked around the room, trying to place everything in my mind before I worked my way over to the bed when I heard a noise.  It sounded like---

          “Louis!” Sam’s voice boomed into my ear from the next room and without taking another moment I hurried out of my room and into Sam and Lainie’s room.  Sam sat up in the bed, shaken and worried.

          My heart had dropped and I feared the worse.  I checked around the room but everything was normal.

          Lainie woke up and just stared at Sam with confusion.

          “What’s wrong, Sam?” I asked.

          “I’m sorry,” she answered as she realized it was only a nightmare.  “I had a nightmare.  You guys can go back to bed.  I’m sorry.”

          “It’s not a problem…. Nightmares happen in this kind of situation.”  I shook my head and walked over to the bed as I sat don’t next to Sam.  “Don’t feel bad.”

          “Who’s in here?  What’s going on?” Carmen asked as she rushed into the room with a wooden baseball bat ready to beat the crap out of anyone who was dangerous.  She worked her way around the room and checked both the window and the closet.

          I sighed as I stared at my dear lovable sister.  “Everything’s fine, Carmen, Sam just had a night mare.”

          “Oh….” Carmen replied with a sigh as relief took over and she looked over at us, kind of smiling.

          I realized what Carmen had running through her mind and jumped to my feet and slowly backed away from the bed.  I couldn’t help but notice as Sam blushed.

          “What was the bad dream about?” Lainie asked with her eyes still locked onto Sam.

          “Nothing that concerns you…. Just go back to sleep…. Okay,” Sam whispered to the child.

          Lainie nodded as she laid back and fell asleep again.

          Sam turned her attention toward Carmen.  “I’m sorry you came rushing in here for nothing and I’m really sorry for waking the both of you up.”

          “I already told you, Sam, it’s not a problem,” I answered.

          “Yea, you had a nightmare and after what the three of you been through it’s not surprising so don’t be sorry,” Carmen agreed.

          Sam nodded.  “Can I have some coffee or something?  I don’t think that I’ll be able to go back to sleep for the rest of the night.”

          “Of course…. How many cups do you want?”

          “One will be fine, thank you.”

          “I’ll fix it,” I replied.  “Carmen, go ahead and go back to bed.  I’ll stay up with Sam.”

          Carmen raised an eyebrow as she looked at me and a worrisome grin grew on her face.  “Okay.”

 

          I had Sam relax on the couch in the living room.  I figured that I’d stay up with her so she wouldn’t fill alone, especially having a nightmare.  There was no telling the dream she had but I knew she didn’t need to be alone.  I had the lamp on which brought some dim light but it was better than nothing.  I hurried out of the room and into the kitchen where the coffee had finished brewing.  I walked over to the cabinet with the cups, opened it, and pulled out two coffee mugs.  I placed the mugs on the counter as I closed the door to the cabinet and walked over to the coffee pot and fix the coffee the way I figured Sam would want hers.

 

          I walked back into the living room, holding the two cups of hot coffee and sat next to Sam as I handed her the cup of coffee she would want.

          “Thank you,” she whispered.  Her voice was soft and had lost the fear from the dream.

          “No problem.”  I sat my cup of coffee down on the coffee table to cool down for a couple of moments.  “Tell me about your dream…. What happened?” I figured it would help her to talk about it even though I wasn’t exactly a talker.

          “That taxi driver was in it,” she answered as she leaned forward with the cup in both hands as she took a sip.

          I figured it was best to let her talk so I kept my mouth shut as I listened.

          “He went to go kiss me but I turned my head away as soon as possible afraid of what he might do…. He got angry at me…. I woke up before he could do anything else though.”

          “You’re safe here.”

          Sam’s eyes locked with mine and I wanted so badly to kiss her but decided that it wasn’t the right moment.  I watched as she looked away but I didn’t know if it was because of me or if something else was bothering her.  “I know,” she responded as tears began to work their way down her cheeks.

          “What’s wrong now?” I asked with concern in my tone.

          “It’s just what if he comes back…. What if he kidnaps me or Lainie or something?”

          I wrapped my arms around Sam to let her know that everything was going to be alright.  I knew that he wouldn’t come back because where my coworkers were bringing him but Sam didn’t and she needed someone to comfort her.  I held her close to my chest tightly and then I lifted my head and rested it on top of hers.  That was my way of letting her know that I’d do anything to keep her safe.  “I won’t let him do that,” I told her.  “I won’t let him take Lainie…. Or you.”

          Sam didn’t respond.  She just sat there in silence.  I had no clue what was going on in her mind.

          “You don’t have to worry…. No one will take you…. Or hurt you…. So you don’t have to cry…. God brought you here for a reason and I know that He’s not going to let anything happen to you.”  I gently kissed her forehead because it was the only thing to do.  I didn’t want to go any further than that.  If we were to kiss, it’d have to be at a better time than that.

          “Thank you for that,” she barely spoke.  “I needed that reassurance…. It’s just after everything that happened recently…. I don’t know how to handle it.”  Her eyes locked with mine again.

          My thoughts were filled with fear and sadness at losing her but I wasn’t quite ready to let her know that.  “You’ve never had to deal with this situation before…. I have experience because my job is to protect innocent lives for reasons such as these…. I was angry at you when you had naively believed that you and Lainie were safe at the hotel when I knew you weren’t…. That wasn’t your fault because you never knew that stuff was possible…. I mean you knew it but you never had to go through it so of course naively you thought that you were fine…. I should have stayed in the room or at least on the other side of the door to keep the man out but I didn’t…. We’re both at fault for that but I should have most of the blame…. I would have never forgiven myself if I didn’t get to you and Lainie in time.”  I looked down at Sam for a brief moment.  “How far did that guy get anyways before I came?”

          Sam’s muscles tensed up as I asked the question which meant that something almost happened or did happen.  That was either a good thing or a bad thing.  “He tried to kiss me at first then he placed his hand on my thigh and was going to slide his hand up under my shirt but you came in as his fingers where just moving under my shirt,” she answered as she kind of showed me.

          I sighed, sort of relieved.  “He shouldn’t have been able to even try that…. If I had known what he had managed to do then I would have killed him.”  I pulled away from Sam as I turned my attention toward the blank television screen.  Anger began to build up inside of me as I thought of how horrible that man was.  “No man would even have that thought…. Not a real man…. A real man is more respectable to a woman….. That guy was a creep…. He’s the kind of man who wouldn’t even think twice before harming a woman…. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

          I felt Sam’s gaze on me as I kept my attention toward the television.

Letting Sam In

          I looked at Sam as she placed the cup on the table and curled up.  She shook as if she was sitting one ice.  “I’ll go get a blanket.  I’ll be right back.”

          She nodded as I left the room.  It hadn’t taken me long to grab the blanket and return into the living room and wrapped the blanket around her and myself.  I pulled her closer so she could rest her head on my shoulder and my body heat helped keep her warm.  “Thank you,” she said as she kind of yawned.  I noticed her eyes were closed and figured it wouldn’t be long before she was sleeping.  A few moments later she was breathing slightly and I figured she was lost in dreamland.  She was so beautiful and I loved watching her sleep.

          “Good night, Sam,” I whispered and let myself get lost in the land of dreams as well.

 

 

          My eyes slowly opened as I realized that I was on the couch covered up and I figured that I must have fallen asleep talking to Sam.  I noticed that our coffee cups we had used were gone and figured that Carmen probably…. Oh no, Carmen’s going to have a lot of comments and questions now.  I stood up and stretched my arms and legs in the process of waking up.  I have nothing to explain…. I was just helping Sam.  She needed it.  That is all.  Knowing Carmen, she was going to read in between the lines with something that wasn’t even there to begin with so I had to explain myself to no one.

 

 

          I worked my way into the kitchen, stretching and released a yawn as I opened my mouth slightly.  “Good morning, ladies,” I spoke to the three girls and sat down at the table next to the youngest of them.

          Sam didn’t look at me and I was wondering if it had to deal with the night before.  I let my eyes work their way around the room so she wouldn’t realize that I was staring at her.

          “Good morning, Uncle Louis,” Lainie told me.  “I helped Auntie Carmen with the pancakes.”

          I couldn’t resist a smile.  “Well, then I bet they’re extra special then, huh?”

          “Yep,” Lainie answered, returning the biggest smile she ever had.

          “She did a good job too.”  My sister had laid a plate of about four or five pancakes in front of me.

          “I’ll bet.”  I moved my eyes over toward Sam then quickly moved them back toward the plate.  Awkwardness began to stir inside as I thought about the night before.  My emotions were beginning to fight each other as I was losing the battle to make Sam hate me.  I was beginning to want to show more than what I was originally showing the woman.  My thoughts and feelings were troubling me.

          “I’m going to go shopping today, Samantha, would you like to come with me?” Carman asked as she took the seat next to Sam.  “You could pick out some outfits if you want and we could chat.”

          “No,” Sam answered, “I think I’m going to hang around here for today.  I’d like to kind of get use to everything here…. If you don’t mind.”

          “Of course not….”

          “Can I go with you, Auntie Carmen?” Lainie asked, excitedly.

          “Of course and I’ll get you a new pair of shoes because you don’t have any here and you didn’t bring any with you, did you?”

          Lainie sighed.  “I had some with me but we had to leave the hotel and I didn’t grab my shoes in time,” she replied with disappointment.

          “Aww.  Why don’t you go ahead and get ready?  I think Sara left some clothes here the last time that she was here and there should be a pair of her sandals in the closet which should fit you…. Okay?”

          “Okay,” Lainie replied, nodding and jumping out of her seat.  She scurried out of the room in a hurry.

          “So….” Carmen’s voice began after she was sure that Lainie was no longer in earshot as she turned her attention toward Sam and me with an evil grin on her face.  “Did you two have a nice night together?”

          “What?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Carmen.

          “You two were cuddled up together this morning….” Her grin grew.  “You can ask Samantha…. She practically had to pull herself away from your grip.”

          Sam began blushing as I kind of covered my face with my right hand.

          “It’s okay, you two,” Carmen continued.  “I remember when I fell in love with Eric and those sweet nights we would spend talking about nothing and laughing…. You two looked so cute together and so sweet….”

          “It’s not like that, Carmen,” I tried to speak, “I was just---”

          An eyebrow raised on Carmen’s curious face as she looked at the two of us.  “I know what I saw, Lou….”

          “Don’t call me that,” I told her with more embarrassment than anything.

          Carmen just laughed.  “So cute and so sweet….” She let out a sigh and stood up as she worked her way out of the room.  “Well, my fun’s done for now…. I’ll be back though.”

          Sam and I just stayed where we were in a long and embarrassing awkward silence.  I took a moment to sigh and worked up the courage to face Sam.  “I’m sorry about my sister.”

          Sam kind of smiled.  “It seems that we have something in common.”

          I kind of nodded as I thought about how Annie would have done the same thing then I began to search the room with my eyes, thinking of something we could do or even talk about.  “Why did you call my name last night anyways?”

          I watched as Sam turned her head away from my attention.  I think she was blushing but I wasn’t quite sure.  “I don’t know…. I guess maybe because you’re the only one I know here and Annie or Ron aren’t here,” she answered.

          I nodded at her words.  “That makes sense,” I agreed.

          She bit her bottom lip.

          “Look…. I’m going to my room for a little while….” I took a moment to swallow then turned my attention back toward Sam.  “I have some things to think about.”

          “Okay.”

          “If you need me, my room is upstairs, the first room on the right…. Right next to the room you and Lainie are staying in…. You can watch TV in the living room…. They have tons of movies you can look through in the drawers of the entertainment center…. Pretty much whatever you want to do you can…. Just stay out of trouble, alright?  I don’t feel like fighting off anymore taxicab drivers.”  I smiled while Sam laughed.

 

 

          I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.  I figured that I could try to take a nap but I couldn’t sleep for nothing so I just stared up at the white rugged ceiling.  Memories played in my mind as I thought about Christy and wondered if I was going to start losing her memory the more I felt myself falling for Sam.  They were two completely different people but the thought of losing one was horrible.  I had lost Christy to an inhuman enemy which wasn’t easily defeated where as I had to protect Sam from evil men who needed to be stopped before it was too late.  I sat up on my bed and shook my head.  Lord, why am I always the one dealing with these kinds of problems?  I lost Christy to cancer and now I have to protect Sam from men.  Please be with me as I do my job and please keep me from falling into the devil’s trap.  I stood up and walked over to the dresser and opened it.  I picked up a picture I had of Christy.

          I smiled as I remembered the day when the picture had been taken.  I closed my eyes as the memory played.  “Stand right there,” I told Christy, laughing as I watched her shake her head.

          “No, Louis,” she replied with a shy laugh.

          “Come on.”

          “No.”

          “Please?  For me?” I asked with pleading eyes as I held the camera in my hands.

          I watched as she sighed in surrender.  “Fine.”  She smiled as she walked over to the tree and stood there smiling waiting for me to snap the picture.

          “Good,” I told her as I looked into the screen of the digital camera and hit the button.  Once I took the picture I smiled as I watched it turn into a video.  “That wasn’t so bad now was it?”

          Christy smiled as she shook head.  She looked so beautiful even with the wig on.  I smiled as I watched her walk over toward me.  “So what’s next?” she asked.

          I lifted my head as I thought for a moment.  “I was thinking that maybe we could walk over to that little restaurant that’s only two streets away.  If you’re up to it?”

          “Yea that sounds nice.”

          I took Christy’s small delicate left hand in my right and lead her down a path as we worked our way toward the restaurant.  I kept her on the side of the street with the buildings as I was closer toward the road as we walked.

          “Is that her?  Your wife?” Sam’s voice asked, bringing me back to the present.

          I sighed and nodded as I kind of held my head up toward her.

          “She’s beautiful….”

          “She was even more beautiful without the wig on….”

          “What happened to her?”

          “She had childhood cancer,” I answered, “it wasn’t leukemia…. But it was another deadly cancer…. No one thought she would make it to twenty but she did…. We weren’t even married for about six months when she lost her battle….”  I felt Sam turn her attention toward me as tears began to fill my eyes.  “I would have loved her even more if she was alive today but she’s gone now….”

          I could tell that Sam was regretting some of her words from before.

          “We were eighteen when we met….” I continued.  “I was twenty when we got married and she was about to turn twenty…. A few weeks after her twentieth birthday she had past…. I couldn’t believe it…. I was by her bedside every day and night until she was finally gone…. When she was alive and when she was well, I would tell her that she was beautiful and I didn’t see the point in her wearing the wig…. It only hid her true beauty but she wouldn’t listen…. She felt better with it on…. Of course, she was still beautiful but I felt she was hiding what I seen…. She was modest and that was one thing that I loved about her was her modesty…. When she died, I felt as if my heart was ripped out…. It’s my job to protect people but I couldn’t protect her from that nonhuman enemy…. Carmen was partly right about me…. I’m not afraid to fall in love…. I’m afraid of what I could lose if I love…. That’s only part of it though…. The other part is that I’m afraid that if I fall in love again then I’m going to replace her…. And when I replace her, I’ll lose her forever…. Like she was never there…. I don’t expect you to understand what I’m going through…. That’s why when Annie wanted us to hit it off because she was hoping that something would happen between us I acted like a jerk and I’m sorry I had to put you through that…. It’s just I don’t want to lose Christy again but for good….”

          I watched as Sam shook her head.  “I need to apologize too…. I mean if I had known what you had gone through then I wouldn’t have acted the way I did toward you.  I’d be lying if I said that I understand what you’ve been through but I don’t…. Even though I don’t understand, I would have let you have your time…. And I’m sure that your wife would want you to move on…. She wouldn’t want you to live life alone and miserable…. She’d want you to be happy…. To find someone else who will make you happy…. I’m sure that’s what she would want…. And when you do find that someone who you do fall in love with that she wouldn’t replace your first wife…. No one could replace her…. You’d love them both the same but in different ways….”  Sam’s attention moved from me to the floor as I watched tears fall from her eyes and slid down her the curves of her cheek bones.  “That’s just something that you’ll have to figure out yourself.”

          I grabbed Sam’s hand and lifted up her chin to lock eyes with her.  “Sam,” I said gently, “thank you for that.”

          I waited for her to respond but she just stared at me as if confused.

          “You know you’re beautiful?”

          Sam’s cheeks turned into a light shade of red as she blushed and then grew brighter.

          I wanted to kiss her, wondering if it’d be right or not.  “I deserved everything that you said to me from the day I picked you up at the airport,” I admitted then kind of smiled.  “I’m actually not as bad as I seem.”

          A smile kind of grew on Sam’s face in return.  “I figured that…. See you can be nice and sweet when you want to be.”

          I began to lean in to kiss Sam but quickly stopped myself and I moved away from her.  “I’m sorry…. I can’t do that…. At least not yet.”

          Sam kind of bit my lip.  I wished I had known what she was thinking.  “The night we left the hotel and we were arguing…. You told me that you were worried about me just as much as Lainie…. What did you mean by that?”

          I couldn’t help but smile at her question and let it dangle in the air for a moment.  “You’ll have to find out.”

          Ruff…. Ruff…. Ruff…. Ruff….

          “Imhotep?  Want to go meet the mutt?”

          “Sure.”

          I grabbed Sam’s hand and dragged her behind me as I hurried downstairs and opened a door which let the giant Doberman pitcher race out into the room.  He began to jump at me when his attention quickly darted over to Sam and he worked his way over to her trying to find out if she was a threat or not.  “It’s okay, boy, this is Samantha, she’s a friend and she’s going to be staying here with me for a little while…. You have nothing to worry about.”

          Imhotep quickly turned his attention back toward me as if he was making sure I was telling him the truth.  Once his attention was back on Sam, his mouth opened in what appeared to be a smile on the dog’s face as his tongue fell out of his mouth and a few rows of pointed teeth and his canines were visible.

          “You’re a big boy, aren’t you?” Sam asked as she smiled at the dog.

          Ruff.

 

 

          Carmen walked into the house carrying bags of groceries with Lainie trailing behind her with smaller bags a few hours later.  “Did you two have fun shopping?” I asked as Sam and I walked into the room.  Sam followed behind me.

          “Yea, I got a new pair of sandals with the Disney Princesses on them,” Lainie answered and she had to show Sam and I her new pair of shoes.

          “Cool,” I spoke with a nod as I looked at the little girl sandals.  “Did you get anything else?”

          “Yea, Auntie Carmen brought me a couple of new outfits too.”

          I nodded again, adding a smile.  “That’s awesome.”

          “I’m going to go try on my outfits.”  Lainie quickly hurried up the stairs and we listened as the door closed behind her.  With all the excitement, she had kind of slammed the door, not meaning to.  “Sorry!” we head her call.

          All three of us adults laughed.

          “So what did you two do while we were gone?” Carmen asked with a raised eyebrow.

          “I watched a movie and then we just pretty much talked after that,” Sam replied.

          Carmen nodded as her eyes moved from Sam to me.  “What about?”

          “Just getting to know each other,” I answered, “apologizing for our behavior toward each other…. That’s about all.”

          Carmen waited for one of us to tell her that something had happened.  I knew her too well.  It was the questions that she wasn’t asking that worried me.

          “What?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

          “Did anything else happen that you two aren’t telling me about?”

          Sam bit her bottom lip.

          “No,” I quickly replied.  “Do you think something might have happened?”

          “I don’t know…. Maybe I mean anything can happen….” A smile kind of grew on my sister’s face.  “You two really didn’t do anything else that I should know about?”

          “Are you implying something?”

          “No I’m just saying….”

          I shook my head.  “Nothing happened…. Why are you so nosey all of the time?”

          The smile on Carmen’s mouth grew.  “I like being nosey…. Besides it’s boring when there’s nothing interesting to talk about.”

          “Okay.  I’m going to go take a shower,” I told the two girls as I headed up the stairs, leaving them alone.  I was done answering questions.

                                                          *****

          I felt kind of bad for leaving Sam alone with Carmen, knowing she was defenseless but I needed a shower.  I turned on the water and let it heat up as I looked into the mirror.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of my reflection.  I hadn’t shaved in the past couple of days but to my surprise there wasn’t any evidence.  That’s good for now.

 

 

          I walked out of the bathroom, feeling fresh and clean after the shower.  He walked into my room and picked up my mobile phone and checked the messages.  No one had called so I took that as a good sign.  I sighed as I sat on my bed for a few minutes and looked around the room.  It was boring with nothing else to do.

          “Uncle Louis?” Lainie’s little voice asked.

          I looked over and smiled at the child while she stood in the doorway.  “Yes?”

          “I’m bored,” she sighed.  “Can I sit with you?”

          My smile grew and I nodded.  “It’s boring in here too just so you know.”

          She walked over and jumped onto the bed, sitting next to me.  “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” she asked.

          I kind of laughed.  “Men don’t have to wear shirts,” I replied.

          She laughed and shook her head.  The next thing I knew her little arms were wrapped around my waist and she rested her head on my side.  She sighed.  “I miss my mummy and daddy.”

          “I know and I’m sure they miss you too.”

          She looked up at me.  “Do you think that my Auntie Samantha is cute?”

          The question caught me off guard while I just stared at the child, confused.  “Um…. I uh…. Um…. Why don’t you go pick out a movie?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

          I could tell by Lainie’s expression that she wasn’t having that.  “Answer the question, Uncle Louis.”

          “Now that’s kind of demanding, don’t you think, little girl?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

          “You’re not answering my question, Uncle Louis,” she kind of sang.

          I couldn’t help but laugh.  “You know what I think?  I think you’re being nosy.”  I grabbed the child and began tickling her sides.

          “Uncle Louis,” she laughed, “stop…. Stop it.”

          “Stop what?  I’m not doing anything.”

          The four year old laughed nonstop while I continued to tickle her.

          “This is what you get for trying to be nosy,” I told her.

          Imhotep hurried into the room and began barking at me to leave the child alone.

          “What?  You want a piece of me too?” I asked the over grown puppy.

          The dog playful growled out me till I finally released Lainie.  Once Lainie was free and out of the way, dog jumped on my bed and went to attack but I moved out of the way.

          “Imhotep, stop,” I told the dog.

          He quickly obeyed while he sat on my bed, eyeing me.

          “Good boy.  Look I just had a bath today as a matter of fact not too long ago and I would like it if you’d leave me alone, seeing that you must likely haven’t been bathed for days.”

          The dog stared at me with his beady black eyes then barked.

          I tried to keep a straight face while had a stare down with the mutt.  “I’m telling you, Imhotep, you are not like the character from the movie.”

          He tilted his head as if he were trying to figure out what I meant.

          “He can’t understand you, Uncle Louis,” Lainie laughed while she fell backwards on my bed.

          “Of course he can; watch.  Imhotep, I want you to give Lainie a big wet kiss.”

          The dog looked down at Lainie then sure enough released his tone and licked the side of Lainie’s face, making her laugh even harder.

          “I told ya,” I replied with a laugh.  I turned toward my dresser and opened it and then grabbed a grey tank top.  “You see, Lainie, I’m a dog whisperer.”

          “A dog whistler?  What is that?”

          I laughed and shook my head.  “A dog whisperer,” I corrected.  “I can communicate with a dog.  Watch…. Imhotep, leave the room.”

          Imhotep sat up then quickly jumped off of the bed and ran out of the room.

          “See?” I asked the child.  I held my tank top in my hands.  “Look, I’m going to head downstairs and hang out with Auntie Samantha and Auntie Carmen okay?”

           Lainie nodded and climbed down from the bed.  She walked over to me and looked up at me.  “Before you go to hang out with them, can you put a movie in for me please?” she asked.

          I nodded and followed Lainie out of my room and into the room that she and Sam were sharing.  “Okay what movie?”

          “Tangled.”

          “Okay.”

 

 

          I worked my way into the kitchen while I placed the tank top on which matched my pants.  My hair was kind of damp from the shower but not extremely wet.  I locked eyes with Sam and kind of smiled at her, quickly before my sister had noticed the exchanged.

          “Thanks for not wanting to help with the groceries, bro,” Carmen spoke while she glanced over at me.

          “Sorry but after a couple of nights without showering it was about time.  You know I hate going so long without cleaning myself up.  My five o’clock shadow would have been growing soon and I wanted to stop that from happening.”

          “Of course…. Of course…. Or is there another reason for that?” she asked.  “More like another person actually?”

          I sighed and stared at Carmen, knowing her thought process was running the cords in her mind.  “No assumptions…. There’s nothing going on.”  My eyes locked with Sam’s again, this time kind letting her have some kind of reassurance.

          I noticed while she kind of smiled.

          Riiing…. Riiing…. Riiing…. My mobile phone began ringing and I had to pull it out of my pocket and hit talk.  I quickly placed the phone to my ear.  “Hello?”

          “Louis,” George’s voice came on over the phone, his tone gave off some kind of alert which let me know that whatever he had to say was important.

          “This is….”

          “The mansion’s on fire.”

          “What?”

“Someone set the mansion on fire,” he repeated.  “You need to get over here fast.”

“But---”

“Louis, I have a bad feeling about this.  You need to come now.”

“I’ll be on my way.”  I quickly hit the end button on the phone and slide the phone back into my pocket.

          “What was that about?” Carmen asked, concerned.

          “Are Ron and Annie okay?” Sam asked, whispering but panicked.

          “They’re fine,” I told Sam, trying to reassure her.

          “Then what’s wrong?  Who were you just talking to?”

          “My boss…. Someone set the mansion on fire.”

          Sam’s mouth dropped.

          “That’s horrible,” Carmen responded.  “Ron worked so hard for that place…. Who would do such a terrible thing?”

          “I’m assuming the people who broke in…. Carmen, I have to go…. Keep an eye on Lainie and Sam---”

          “I want to go with you,” Sam interrupted.

          “It’s too dangerous and I don’t have time to argue.”

          “But I want to go…. I want to see if I can find out any new information….”

          “It’s information that doesn’t concern you,” I told her, worried about what could happen to her if I had brought her.

          “Please let me go with you?” she begged.

          I sighed.  I didn’t have time.  “Fine but we need to leave as soon as possible.”

          She nodded, letting me know she understood.

 

 

 

 

When Things Change

          I cranked the car while Sam was working with the seatbelt.  Once I knew she was buckled up, I worked my way out of the driveway and then stepped on the pebble and let the car speed through the street.  “There’s no way that we’re going to make to the mansion before it’s completely burnt down,” Sam spoke with uncertainty in her voice.

          “Yes we are,” I answered, watching the road.

          “How?  It took us a couple of days to get here there’s no possible---”

          “I know some shortcuts that’ll get us to the mansion about less than an hour…. Besides it’s a big house, there’s no way it’s going to be completely damaged by the flames before we arrive…. Believe me I know what I’m doing.”

          “Why didn’t we take the shortcuts to here then?”

          “Because I knew there was a good chance that we were being followed…. Remember your taxicab driver who followed us back to the hotel?”

          Sam didn’t respond.  I took that as a way of her letting me know she was thinking.  I didn’t know what she was thinking about but I had a good feeling that it had to deal with the fire.

          I had a feeling the fire had been caused by one of the guys who broken in but I wasn’t going to tell Sam that.  At least not right away.  She didn’t need to know my thoughts yet.

 

 

          Within less than an hour we had arrived at the almost burst into flames mansion.  Sam kept her eyes on the mansion while she stepped out of the car.  I grabbed her hand, keeping her close just in case.  I led her over to a few of the firemen who had surrounded a fire truck.  They were grabbing the equipment they needed to put out the monstrous fire.  “Any ideas what happened, Thomas?” I asked one of my good friends who was preparing to head into the house of flames.

          “We’re assuming that it’s an arsonist.  We found foot prints of what appeared to be boots of some kind standing over by the tree,” the man answered.  “Do you know if Annie and Ron might have been home or anyone else like a maid or one of the cooks?”

          “Annie and Ron are in witness protection right now,” I explained.  “As for the maids or cooks….”  I shrugged and shook my head.  “I’m not sure….”

          “Annie and Ron are in witness protection?  Why?  What happened?”

          “Someone broke into their house about three or four days ago.  Annie and Ron were chased out of the house when it happened.  Lainie’s with Carmen right now and Annie’s sister,” I spoke while I gestured toward Sam, “wanted to come to see what any of us could find out?”

          “Hello.”  Thomas kind of nodded toward the American woman but then quickly moved his attention back toward me.  “We’re in bit of a hurry and right now kind of shorthanded.  Do you think you can help?”

          “Yea.”

          “Okay then suit up as soon as possible…. And thanks, man.”  Thomas headed over to the truck and picked up a hose.

          I began to head toward the big red fire truck when I felt someone grab my hand.  “Please don’t do this?” Sam’s voice begged.

          I turned my attention toward the woman whose beautiful dark brown eyes were beginning to fill up with tears.  “It’s okay, Sam.  I’ll be fine.”

          “But you could get hurt.”

          “Sam, I’ve done this before believe me…. I know what I’m doing….”

          “I don’t---”

          “Sam, I know how to handle this kind of situation.  I’ll be right back…. Just stay here and close to the fire truck…. I know these guys they’ll make sure that you’re safe and nothing will happen to me…. I’ll be back.”  I hurried off into the cabin of the truck before Sam could try to say to try and stop me.  I removed my shoes and quickly began suiting up.

          “There’s a person on the second floor!” I heard one of the fire fighters shout.

          Within seconds I jumped out of the truck wearing the yellow fire proof outfit and shoes.  I slid the helmet with a perfect clear plastic mask around my head and made sure it was tight then pulled down the mask while I ran past Sam.

          I hurried into the burning building.  There was no way I was going to let whoever was inside down.  I had to get him or her out of there whether or not they were part of the break in.

 

 

          “Hello?!” I called through the house as pieces of the building began falling.  I dodged the structure while I wondered through the house.  “Hello?!” I called again.  The staircase had almost clasped when I noticed a woman, trying to work her way through the building.  It wasn’t till I got close, I realized that the woman was Kathleen.

          She looked up at me and kind of smiled. It was a sad but hopeful smile.

          “It’s okay, Kathleen,” I told the woman.

          “Louis,” she said while tears filled her kind hearted eyes.

          “I’m here.  I’m going to get you out of here,” I told her while I picked her up the way a man would hold his bride on their wedding day.  “I’m---”

          The building began to burst and I had to get out of there.  I tightened my hold around the woman, pushing her head into my shoulder so the smoke wouldn’t get to her.  I hurried out of the building before the whole building finally clasped.  While I moved closer toward the firefighters, paramedics came over and took Kathleen from me, placing her on a stretcher.  “We got her,” one of the men told me.

          I nodded then hurried over to Sam.

          The woman had her hands burying her face.  I didn’t know what she had watched but I knew it must have been horrifying.  I carefully grabbed her shoulders so I wouldn’t startle her.  She began to break down into more tears and hadn’t bothered to look at me.  “Sam, it’s okay,” I spoke with reassurance.

          I watched while she slowly moved her hands from her face while she locked her beautiful sad and angry brown eyes with me.  “Why would you do that?  Why would you run into a building that was on fire?  Why would you put yourself into that kind of danger?” she continued to cry with tears streaming down her beautiful cheeks.  “Why would you do something that stupid?”

          I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug while I let her hide her face in my shoulders.  “It’s okay…. I was wearing protective gear….”

          “That doesn’t matter…. I thought you were going to die because…. Because….”

          “Sam,” I began while I used my pointer finger to lift up her chin, “I’m here now…. I’m safe…. There’s nothing for you to worry about….”

          “But…. But…. You could have---”

          It was time.  I kissed the woman before she could continue.  It was the best thing I had ever done.  The feeling from the kiss was one of the best I had ever had.  There were no words to describe the feeling but it was wonderful and I wondered why I had put it off the last couple of times.  Once I pulled away from her, she was lost in what I assume was surprise and amazement.  Her eyes stared with surprise at me.  “Better?” I asked.

          She nodded.  I assumed the kiss took her breath away.

          I grabbed her hands and kind of smiled.  “Sorry about that…. I’ve kind of been waiting for the right moment….”

          I watched while she kind of began to blush and then return the smile.  “I’ve been wondering when you were going to actually go through with it.”

          “We need to go out on a date…. This isn’t exactly romantic.”

          She kind of laughed.  “It might not be romantic but at the moment you have a job to do….”

          My mind jumped back to the person who had wound up in the mansion.  “Kathleen?  I have to find out if she’s okay.”  I grabbed Sam’s hand and led her around to the other side of the fire truck where the ambulance sat with the two back doors wide open.

          Kathleen was still on the stretcher and kind of smiled at us.  It wasn’t hard to tell she was in pain and she was covered with ash and burnt marks.  Her clothes revealed how she was trapped in the mansion during the fire.  “Hello, there Samantha right?”

          Sam nodded.

          The woman kept a smile, despite the fact she was in pain.  “Louis, thank you for saving me.”

          “No problem,” I replied with a soft tone.

          Her smile grew when she noticed our hands were together.  “You two make a cute couple…. I’m sure that Annie will be proud to see that.”

          Sam kind of smiled but the tears began filling her eyes.

          “Well, now I guess I’ll be going home soon.  It’s about that time for me anyways.”

          “Ron and Annie would want to see you first though,” I spoke with encouragement.  “Not only that but Lainie will need you around…. She loves you like a grandmother….”

          The maid sighed, locking eyes with me.  “I know but my time is up.  They’ll understand and Lainie will too one day.  Samantha, it was good meeting you and a joy helping you find your room.”

          Sam nodded while the tears fell from her beautiful eyes.

          I removed my hand from her and wrapped my arm around her.  I knew she needed comfort more than anything at that moment.

          The two paramedics carried the stretcher and fixed it to where they could get it into the ambulance.  Once the driver was in the vehicle and the doors were shut and locked, the small ambulance sped off.  E-er-e-er-e-er….

          The building was smoke black from the fire and damp from the water the firemen had shot the fire down with.  The place my best friend and his wife called their home had been destroyed.  “What are Annie and Ron going to say?” Sam asked, staring at what use to be a beautiful mansion.

          “There’s no telling.  Come on, I have to go talk to my boss.  You can meet him.”

          Sam kind of nodded and we locked hands again.  I led her toward the path where the mansion had been before the fire broke it.  “Are you a fireman?” she asked.

          I shook my head.  “No but if I’m around and they need help then I will.”  I brought her toward a bunch of cars.  A few of them were cop cars which appeared to be similar.  The small black cars and even a few of the minivans pretty much were the same.

          My boss, George, a tall man with brown hair worked his way over to us.  He was about fifty-five.  The grey in his hair wasn’t exactly noticeable but it was there.  “Louis, good to see you,” he spoke while he stopped in front of us.

          I nodded.  “Good to see you too, sir.  How are Annie and Ron?”

          “They’re good.  We already have them waiting for you, Lainie, and Annie’s sister.”  His gaze moved over to Sam and smiled.  “Why hello, miss?  Who might this be?”

          “Believe it or not this is Annie’s sister, Samantha.”

          “Samantha?” he asked, nodding.  “That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful young lady.”

          “Thank you, sir,” Sam replied.

          “So are you two together?”

          I looked at Sam for a moment, letting a smile grow on my face then I turned my attention back toward my boss.  “I believe so or we’d look pretty strange holding hands.”

          George chuckled.  “That’s true.  You better hold on to her, Louis, because I might steal her from you,” he joked.  I knew he was nothing to worry about.  For one he was happily married and two he flirted with women out of a joking manner, unless of course the woman was his wife.

          “I’m not planning on that happening, sir.”

          “Good then.”

          “Sam, this is George Mann my boss.”

          “It’s nice to meet you,” Sam told George.

          “Nice to meet you too,” the man replied.  “Now, back to business,” George wasn’t one to joke around too much when it came to the job and quickly returned to his serious manner while he spoke, “we’re assuming that whoever broke in is the cause of this.”

          I nodded.  He said what had been on my mind when he had called to tell me about the fire.  “I agreed.  Thomas told me that they found foot prints around here somewhere making them believe that it was arsonist.”

          Then George nodded.  “That’s why we believe that whoever it was to set the fire had to deal with the break in.  Oh and that taxicab driver you told us about well we did a background check on him and it turns out that he rapes and murders young women and children as well.  We’ve been searching for him for a few years now and thanks to you we’ve finally found him.”

          “Yea if I hadn’t been there then Sam wouldn’t be here right now because that guy was in her hotel room.”

          The man’s attention moved from me to Sam with saddened eyes with a dark grim spark in them.  “I’m so sorry that you’re vacation isn’t turning out to be a nice one…. And that must have been scary for that guy to have found his way into your room.”

          “Yea but it does add a little excitement in a way,” Sam agreed.

          George nodded again.  “That’s true too.  Well, do you want to see what we’ve found so far because I’d hate that you had to drive all of this way for nothing?”

          “Of course,” I answered.

 

 

          George led us to a tree and he pointed at the tracks which sat on the ground.  There were footprints in the grass and dirt, telling us that someone had been there and stood there for a little while.  “We had a feeling that whoever was here wanted to make sure that the mansion wouldn’t last too long and of course by the time the fire trucks arrived, the ambulance arrived, and we all arrived the person was already gone.  Oh I heard someone say that there was a person in the mansion during the fire earlier.  Do you two know who it could have been?”

          “It was Kathleen,” I replied, saddened by the thought.  “I rushed in as soon as I heard that someone was trapped inside.  They had to rush her off to the hospital.”

          George nodded.  “Of course.

          “Was there anything else that I needed to know?”

          “Oh I forgot…. That taxicab driver he came clean when we were interrogating him he had admitted that he was the driver of the break in.

          I noticed Sam tense up with fear while something horrible had popped into her mind.

          “Sam, are you alright?” I asked.

          She looked at me and then moved a little closer to me.  “Just the thought about the taxicab driver being here is creepy.”

          I sighed and light kissed her left temple, letting her know there was nothing to worry about.  “You’re safe with me,” I whispered into her ear.

          She nodded.

 

 

          By the time we returned to Carmen’s cabin it was late.  Sam sat in the car, keeping her eyes on the dashboard while I worked my way out of the car and closed the door.  I moved to the other side and opened the door for Sam while she unbuckled herself.  “Come on out,” I whispered.

          She slowly climbed out of the car, thinking.

          When she was away from the car, I closed the door and grabbed her hand, leading her to up the steps.  “I’m used to seeing that kind of stuff happening all of the time.”  I opened the door quietly so just in case I wouldn’t wake up anyone, assuming Carmen and Lainie had been sleeping.  A light from the living room living room had been the only mean of light.  I closed the door silently and locked it.  “Go into the living room, I’m sure that Carmen’s in there waiting for us.  She worries about me when she knows what I have to go through during the day.  Her husband actually is one of my colleagues so she kind of worries a lot about him too.  I’m going to get some water.  Want anything?”

          Sam nodded.  “I’ll have some water too please.”

          “Okay.”  I nodded, letting my hand release Sam’s and we both head in different directions.

 

 

          I walked into the kitchen, switching on the light, and walked over to the cabinet.  I opened the cabinet and pulled out to a couple of cups.  I sighed while I let the scene of the mansion play in my mind.  Now where are Annie and Ron going to live?  And what about Kathleen?  What’s going to happen to that sweet kind hearted woman?  She can’t die.  She can’t leave them yet.  I shook my head at the thought.  I placed a cup under the facet and turned the nob which let the water spill out.  Once the cup was filled, I turned off the facet and repeated the action with the other cup.  I turned off the facet after the second cup was filled with water.  I picked up both cups and slowly worked my way out of the room, turning off the light while I walked passed it.

 

 

          I stopped in the hallway near the opening of the living room and listened to Carmen and Sam.

          “Imhotep,” I heard Carmen’s voice speak, “leave her alone…. I’m sure she doesn’t want you to bother her.”

          I didn’t know what was going on but I smiled when I heard Sam kind of laugh.

          “Sorry about him,” my sister spoke again.

          “It’s okay, my dog’s like this too.  I’m used to it,” Sam replied.  “Does that feel good?” I assumed she was speaking to the dog.

          I sighed and worked my way into the room and handed a cup to Sam.

          “Thank you,” Sam told me.

          “No problem,” I replied.

          Carmen began to stand up, trying not to wake Lainie up.  I noticed the child was asleep in her lap.

          “I’ll take her,” I told Carmen, placing the cup on the table and walked over to her.  I carefully pick up Lainie and began to head out of the room.

          “Thank you,” Carmen told me.

          “Not a problem, sis.”  With that I was out of the room and worked my way upstairs.  I made my way into Sam and Lainie’s room and carefully placed Lainie on the bed.

          “Uncle Louis?” her sleepy little voice asked.

          “Ssshhh.”

          “Where did---?” she had fallen back to sleep before she could finish her question.

 

 

          “Now changing the subject…. Did something happen between you two while you were gone?” I heard Carmen asked.

          Here we go.  Poor Sam, I left her all alone.  I wondered into the room before Sam could answer.  “Not talking about me, are ya?” I asked, trying not to let the two girls know that I heard the question.

          “It depends,” Carmen replied, kind of laughing.

          “That’s nothing to worry about,” I spoke with sarcasm.  I took a seat in between the two women which the overgrown puppy didn’t seem to like.  Imhotep jumped up and sat in between Sam and I, moving his weight on Sam while he watched me, closely.  I stared at the mutt with disbelief.  “What’s that for?”

          The two girls began laughing.  “Apparently, he doesn’t trust you,” Sam spoke while she tried to stop laughing.

          “Apparently…. Look, Imhotep, buddy…. I know your name is from a movie and that the character was an immortal but that won’t keep me from pushing you off of the couch,” I told the dog as if he really understood.

          Ruff….

          “Really?” I sighed, taking a moment to think.  “Look I’m not trying to take over your territory but I think you’re confused.”  I pointed toward Sam.  “She just met you and I’ve known you for a few years now…. About three years to be exact so how could you just come and disrespect me like that?” I asked, laughing.

          The dog stuck his tongue out as if he were telling me that he was in charge.

          “I don’t think so.”  I grabbed the dog’s collar and pulled him down to the floor.

          The dog’s eyes stared at me with suspicion.  Sam covered her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly while Carmen laughed silently.

          “Don’t give me that look…. I won and you lost…. Better luck next time, brother.”

          Imhotep continued to sit on the floor, staring at me.  Eventually he grew bored and stood up, making his way over to a dark corner and curled up into a ball.

          I smiled; keeping my eyes on the mutt then turned my attention toward Sam.  “Did you tell Carmen yet?” I asked with half a smirk on my face.

          Sam shook my head.

          “Tell me what?” Carmen asked, raising an eyebrow.

          “She’s your sister,” Sam whispered, kind of smiling.

          “Okay then.”  I kind of laughed, taking her hand and raised it for Carmen.

          After a moment of figuring it out a smile grew on my dear sister’s face.  “Awe…. You two are together?”

          Neither Sam nor I responded right away.  We smiled at each other then I turned my attention toward Carmen.  “Kind of…. We’re working on it…. You think we could stay here for a couple of more nights?  I want to take Sam out on a real date…. Get to know her some more….”

          “We kissed,” Sam blurted out before I could finish my sentence.

          I looked at the woman with both of eyebrows kind of narrowed but wore a smile on my face.  “I wasn’t going to tell her that part.”

          “Awe…. You two kissed?  That’s so sweet…. Wait till Annie finds out she’s going to be so excited…. Samantha, I have to take you shopping tomorrow…. So that way you can get a few nice outfits, especially one perfect for your date…. And Louis, Eric will be home tomorrow so you two can hang out…. Actually, change of plans, I’ll have Eric make sure that you’re ready to go out on your date with Samantha….”

          I shook my head, kind of laughing.  I had a feeling she would sound like a school girl at the news.  “If it was up to Carmen, we’d be getting married at the end of this week.”

          “Be glad Annie’s not here…. She’ll have a field day,” Sam replied.

          I nodded.

          “Why don’t we all go to bed?  Samantha, we need to get up early tomorrow so that way I can bring you to the store and we can shop….” Carmen went on.

          “I’m not really one for fashion,” Sam began.

          “That’s okay,” Carmen quickly replied.  “I’ll help you find something nice to wear.  Now, be up and ready by ten…. Can you do that?”

          “I think so,” Sam answered, kind of nodding.

          “Good, good…. And Louis, when you’re out on your date, pick up some flowers for her or something nice….”

          “Carmen, I’ve dated before you don’t need to tell me what to do and how to do it,” I answered.

          “I know but it’s been so long…. I mean this is your first real date since….” Carmen stopped herself from ruining the happy moment.  “It’s just been a couple of years you that’s all.”

          “Well,” I replied, standing up and pulling Sam to her feet, and then looked down at Carmen, “I’m not going to mess this up besides I didn’t say that our date was going to be tomorrow anyways so why….”

          “You might not have,” Carmen replied, standing up, “but I’m telling you two…. Actually, I’m making you two go out on a date tomorrow besides after everything that’s happened you two need time to yourselves and I think tomorrow will be perfect and don’t worry about Lainie I’ll keep an eye on her and I know that when Eric comes home that he’ll visit with her.”

          I sighed.  “If you insist….”  I began dragging Sam out of the room.

          “And no sharing a bed you two until you’re married.”  Carmen laughed.

          “You don’t have to worry about that.”  I laughed in return.

          Sam smiled and shook her head while we left the room.

 

 

          I stopped at the door to Sam and Lainie’s room.

          “You walked right past your door,” Sam told me.

          I kind of laughed.  “But that would have been rude of me; I wanted to walk you to your room…. If Carmen said anything that might have embarrassed you I’m sorry….”

          “No,” she replied, shaking her head.  “She’s a lot like Annie…. As a matter of fact I could imagine that same situation going on when we tell Annie.”

          I smiled and kind of nodded in agreement.  “Well, we better go to bed before Carmen kills both of us tomorrow for not getting any sleep.”

          “Okay.”

          “Oh and,” I began while I grabbed both of her hands and held them up to my face, “if you have any nightmares tonight, don’t be afraid to come to my room and wake me up…. I’ll stay up with you like last night so you can talk.”

          Sam nodded.  Her hands were soft and warm.  I didn’t want to release them but I knew that I would have to eventually.

“Good night.”  I lightly kissed her forehead.

          “Good night,” she whispered then walked into the room.

          I stood there a few moments then headed to my room.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.11.2013

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