At least Macy was there, keeping Tyler busy and as far from Nicole as possible, something Sam appreciated even if her reasons appeared more self-serving. There was a clear attraction between Tyler and Macy, and if Tyler wasn’t still pushing for a reconciliation with Nicole, Sam would say they were destined to hook up. Tyler and Macy as a couple would only help Sam’s cause.
Of course it would be better if Sam helped his own. As a cop and now a detective, he’
d been trained to notice the little things, the twitches in someone’s face, the shift in their expression. And the other morning, he’d caught the disappointment in Nicole’s face when he expressed his relief that Tyler had bought the show Sam had put on for his benefit. Though Sam wanted nothing more than to draw her into his arms and reassure her, his own conflicting emotions kept him from doing so. Giving her the wrong impression of what he was capable of would hurt her even more. So his bad mood had begun.
And it permeated the entire weekend.
While he was at Nicole’s, he helped with the heavy lifting and tried to be his cheerful self, but she had erected her own walls of protection and had a round robin of people helping her around the house. After a while, he wondered if she’d even notice if he hadn’t come by at all. He’d have realized it, though, and missed her.
On his last trip, he ran into his sister on Nicole’s driveway.
“Hey!” Erin gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Where are you off to?” she asked.
“Interview at the station,” he said.
“How’s it going in there?” Erin tipped her head toward the house.
Sam shrugged. “Looks like Nicole is settling in and everything’s getting unpacked. She sure has enough help to make sure it’ll all get done quickly.”
“Well, that’s good. Moves can be tough. Especially when you do it twice in a short time.”
“I guess. See you tomorrow night at Mom’s.” Sunday night dinner at the Marsden house was a mandatory affair. He turned to go.
“Whoa. Get back here,” his sister said.
He tapped on his wristwatch. “Gotta be somewhere.”
“It’ll wait five minutes. It’s not like they can start without you.”
“Oh, but they can.”
“Sam, stop being obstinate. What’s going on? What’s wrong with you? You’re a grumpy, miserable human, which is more like Mike when he couldn’t make decisions about Cara, than you. So what gives?”
He shook his head. “There are things a guy doesn’t discuss with his sister.”
“You’re kidding. You screwed things up with Nicole already?”
Unable to meet her gaze, he shrugged. “I didn’t do anything.” He was just conflicted because he knew Nicole wasn’t completely satisfied with things between them, and he wasn’t sure how much he was willing to give in order to change things.
“Maybe you should discuss these things with your sister. Then you wouldn’t make colossal mistakes.”
He rolled his eyes. “Because you and Cole did so well in the beginning? Besides, I told you, I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just complicated.”
A wide smile took hold. “If ending up like me and Cole is your final destination, then you go ahead and screw up now as much as you want.”
He growled at her in a way he hadn’t since they were kids. When she was little, she’d run screaming.
Now? She merely laughed.
“What was that for?” she asked.
“You nailed the issue on the head. I don’t want to end up in a serious relationship.”
“And she does?” Erin studied him with her perceptive hazel eyes, so like his own.
“I didn’t think so when we started. Now I’m not so sure.”
“Huh.” Erin sighed. “Well, then, here’s what you should do.”