The Stranger In Room 205 (Hot off the Press! 1)

There was nothing left for Sam to say. He knew Dan was doing what he could, but it was damned frustrating to know something was going on and not be able to put an end to it.

Serena and Sam lingered in the garage after Marjorie went inside. The ride home had been a bit tense, Marjorie filling in the silence between Serena and Sam with a recap of the evening’s juiciest gossip. Neither of her listeners had made much comment.

After Marjorie excused herself with a claim of fatigue that was obviously a ruse to leave them alone, Serena turned to Sam. “I have to ask—do you want to get beaten up again?”

“Hardly.”

“Delbert Farley is the meanest, most obnoxious and aggressive man in this town. He’s been in jail several times. Two of my clients are pursuing legal damages against him because of his viciousness and destructiveness and—”

“He hits little kids,” Sam cut in, folding his arms across his chest. “At least one little kid. Zach. The boy’s terrified of him, and obviously for good reason.”

“I’m sure you meant well, but don’t you understand that interfering in domestic cases is dangerous? You could have been badly hurt. What if he’d hit you in the ribs? Or what if you’d fallen and hit your head? You might have made an incredibly fast recovery last time, but if you’d reinjured those—”

“What would you have had me do, Serena?” he interrupted to ask. “Stand there and watch him backhand that boy?”

“No, of course not. You could have done what Mother and I did—found Dan and let him handle the situation.”

“By the time I’d done that, Farley would have already hit the boy and

left.”

“It’s Dan’s job to deal with that sort of thing.”

“It’s everyone’s job,” Sam snapped. “When the parents won’t protect a child, someone else has to step in. When they don’t, the kid’s on his own—completely helpless, alone, trusting no one because he doesn’t know who he can trust.”

Serena was taken aback by the bitterness in Sam’s voice. The underlying hints of pain. Was he describing his own childhood? Was that why he was so reluctant to talk about his past? Was that why he had no family to turn to now? “Sam?”

His jaw tightened. “It just made me mad to see that jerk pushing Zach around.”

It abruptly occurred to her that she was criticizing him for doing something that had been very courageous and well-intentioned. Though the bruises from his injuries still hadn’t completely faded and the scar from his stitches was still livid against his forehead, he had risked personal injury to protect a small boy he didn’t even know. Would she really have admired him more if he had looked the other way?

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding up both hands in an apologetic gesture. “Of course you did the right thing. I was just worried that Delbert would hurt you, too.”

He seemed to relax a little at that. Uncrossing his arms, he reached out to touch her face. “You were worried about me?”

When she’d turned to see Sam in a confrontation with Delbert Farley, her heart had almost stopped. Everyone knew Delbert was someone to be avoided, especially when he was in a temper. He was mean and unpredictable, quick with his fists and unconcerned with consequences. He could have done serious damage to Sam before Serena had arrived with Dan. She’d worried the whole time.

“I really am capable of taking care of myself, you know,” Sam said.

“I don’t doubt that you are,” she replied, though she still remembered the way he’d looked when she’d found him. “But you aren’t fully recovered yet, no matter how much you pretend you’re no longer in any pain.”

He was standing very close to her, the back of his hand resting against her cheek. Finding herself suddenly lost in his eyes, she almost forgot what she’d been fussing about. Funny how she was beginning to think the garage was a romantic place. She’d been spending way too much time in here with Sam.

He seemed to somehow know what she was thinking. He glanced around the garage, then looked at her with a slightly rueful smile. “We really have to stop meeting like this.”

The bad cliché broke the spell she’d almost fallen into. She returned the smile with a faint one of her own. “You’re right.”

“Except for the episode with Farley, I enjoyed your Independence Day celebration. Thanks for including me with your friends.”

“I’m glad you had a good time. And there’s no such thing as too many friends.”

“Right. So…” He ran his knuckles lightly down the line of her jaw. “Good night, friend.”

She maintained her smile with an effort. “Good night, Sam.”

His gaze was on her mouth when his hand fell to his side. Neither of them made the first move away. And, suddenly, neither of them was smiling.

“Serena?” His voice was husky.