For Their Child's Sake

Addiction stretched wide and enveloped so many people in its nasty web of lies, deceit and heartache. When he had gotten out of rehab and was trying to piece his life back together, Bill had been the only one who had seen the potential in Sam...the potential to regain the life he’d once had.

So Sam was sure as hell going to do everything he could to make Bill proud and pleased that he had hired him. If that meant working extra hours on vacation, then so be it. Because everything intertwined together...his work spilled over into his family and vice versa.

So when he was successful in one, he would certainly be successful in the other.

“How soon does he want to see the new plans?” Sam asked.

“Believe it or not, he is flexible on that. He wants the design to be perfect before we proceed. But I would like to give him something within the next two weeks if possible.”

Sam was already configuring the new layout and calculating how long it would take him to come up with something to show.

“Can you send me more specifics on what he wants the new space for and if he has any particular dimensions? Will this area need a door, windows? Why am I telling you this? You know what to send me.”

“I do.” Bill let out a chuckle. “And I’ll get right on the specs and get those to you. I wanted to talk to you over the phone instead of emailing to make sure you were on board. I didn’t want this to be too much on your plate.”

The front door to the beach house opened and closed followed by the giggling laughter of his daughter sliding on the floor with her new dog. The sounds were literally music to his ears.

A thick burn welled up in his throat as he heard those little noises that had once meant everything to him. There were so many things he’d taken for granted with his family, and every part of him wanted that life back. Not what he’d had...but something even better because he knew the potential was there.

Which meant he was going to have to work hard to provide for his family and show them he was a new man.

“Yes, I can have that done within two weeks.”

Tara came to stand on the other side of the island. She had pulled her hair up to stop it from blowing in the wind but the shorter back half had already fallen against her neck. He had an urge to swipe those strands away from her tanned skin. Instead, he gripped the phone as he met her gaze.

“Thanks for calling. I’ll be in touch.”

He disconnected and went about making dinner without answering the question in Tara’s eyes. They hadn’t talked much about their personal lives since they had been separated. He knew she wasn’t dating and he sure as hell had no interest in another woman. But they hadn’t even discussed jobs or what was going on in general, other than to talk about Marley. Even then, they’d tended to text.

Yes, they should’ve been discussing more. The fact he wanted her back was reason enough for him to be more open, but he’d been giving her space...and he’d been terrified she’d reject him.

Living together was slowly changing how they communicated and Sam found that he wanted to get to know his wife all over again. If that meant they had to start from the very beginning, then he was willing to put in the time.

If he’d learned anything from therapy sessions, it was that repairing his relationships wouldn’t be easy and it wouldn’t be quick. He’d simply have to be patient and willing to fight for everything he wanted.

Sam met Tara’s questioning gaze with a smile and turned to start dinner. He couldn’t think of anyone else he’d take this much time and effort with, but Tara was worth the wait. She was worth absolutely everything.

Chapter Twelve

“Can we have a family game night?” Marley asked.

Tara stretched her legs out on the sofa and clutched the throw pillow on her lap. Family game night had been such a staple in their house when Sam lived with them before his addiction. Even during his addiction, when he had good days they still managed to make family night a priority.

Across the room, Sam met her gaze over Marley’s head. He offered her the signature smile, the same one he had given her in the kitchen after the phone call with his boss.

That smile frightened her in ways she couldn’t fully comprehend. He looked as if his entire world was perfectly okay, like there was hope for something she had no clue about.