Nicole shook her head at how Vicky tended to hang on to her optimism when it came to their parents, mostly because her mind ran toward the delusional. “We’ll see, I guess.”
“Oops! Gotta go. My time’s up. Bye!” her sister said, and disconnected the call.
Nicole prayed their parents would step up, but she had her doubts. Which meant Vicky would ask to visit Nicole for the day instead, and nobody in Serendipity would want to deal with that. Especially not the Marsdens.
She closed her eyes, thinking of Sam’s family. They’d been kind to her about her sister, but that was easy when Vicky was out of sight. Faced with her return? Nicole shuddered at the definite conflict inherent in that situation.
The ringing of her doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She glanced out the window by the door and smiled when she saw Sam in khaki pants and a collared shirt. He oozed male confidence and sex appeal, his scruffy hair untamed despite obvious efforts.
She let him in and he greeted her with a warm kiss on the mouth. His lips lingered and she sighed into him.
“Mmm, that’s nice,” she said, running her tongue over her lips.
She could be so happy here and she didn’t want her sister to ruin what she was building in Serendipity, she thought, then immediately felt guilty and selfish.
“Just nice?” Sam asked, his brows wrinkled.
“Very nice,” she amended, chiding herself to push thoughts of her sister and her problems out of her mind.
She had a hot man waiting for her and she wasn’t about to waste time thinking about things that might not happen. There was always the chance that her sister’s doctor wouldn’t allow her to come to Serendipity at all.
And if he did?
Nicole would stand by her twin. They were blood. She had no choice.
Sam narrowed his gaze. Nicole’s preoccupied tone set off warning signals that something was up. Especially since he didn’t think his kissing skills had gone south since he saw her last. She was barely paying attention when usually she couldn’t keep her hands to herself when they were alone.
“What’s wrong?” Although she’d definitely dressed for their date, looking hot and sexy, her mind was somewhere else.
And when she glanced at her phone before answering him, she confirmed his suspicions.
“I just spoke to my sister.”
He preferred not to think about her mentally ill twin, but as he’d told his brother, they were two different people. “Is everything okay?”
She rolled her shoulders and sighed. “Her doctor says she’s ready for a day visit, and she’s hoping my parents will let her come home.”
His gut cramped at the thought of her twin out and about in the world. “Why wouldn’t they?”
Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose. “You know what? Let’s not discuss my dysfunctional family.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging her tense muscles in the hopes of getting her to relax. “You can talk to me,” he said, meaning it.
She shook her head. “Nobody should have to handle my load but me. I appreciate it, though.” She shifted her gaze. “So where are we going for dinner?”
He ought to not just respect her need for privacy, but be happy with her unwillingness to share. The more distance they kept between them, the better. She was too easy to fall for. But it bothered him that she wouldn’t confide in him about her problems and feelings. Shit. No feelings. He shook his head and forced himself to take her cue and move on to the rest of the evening.
He’d made a reservation at a steak house about twenty-five minutes outside Serendipity. Once there, he’d requested a quiet table in the back, where he held her hand and plied her with good wine, and visibly she relaxed. The tightness in her expression eased and her eyes, which ha
d seemed so troubled earlier, were clearer and focused on him.
Their secluded table consisted of a booth in the back corner and let him sit beside her, not across the table. He could lean in and inhale her floral scent, watch her enjoy her meal, and shift positions so their thighs aligned and touched throughout the various courses.
They talked about nothing and everything and Sam learned how much they had in common, from enjoying all the new police procedural shows on television to the occasional raunchy comedy—which surprised him—to classic rock tunes. They differed on sports. She hated football, which only made him determined to teach her the workings of the game and change her mind this upcoming season.
Finally she placed her fork and knife down on her plate and let out a pleased sigh that went right to his groin. “The best steak ever,” she said.
“Worth the trip,” he agreed, for more reasons than the food. He’d do just about anything to keep the satisfied smile on her face, not to mention the way she looked at him, unable to take her eyes off him for a second. The feeling was more than mutual.