Okay sorry if there was any confusion. Franny and Quinn are Cousins to Sam and his siblings through marriage. Judy and Mary are close friends who go closer when they became in laws. Marley is married to Simon, Mike to Quinn and I haven't picked who is married to Franny because I forgot to so let's say Biff Mcintosh aka Chace Crawford.

So this chapter is gonna be really short and it's just introducing Mercedes to the mix. Enjoy.

Mercedes Jones saw the troubled look on Sam's face and immediately excused herself from the group she had been chatting with.

"Sam? What's going on?"

Blowing out a breath he sighed, "Mary Evans is at it again."

Mercedes eyes jerked to Mary Evans standing across the room with her sister in law. The pleased expressions on their faces were a marked contrast to Sam's unhappy one. Mercedes felt her stomach clench. "You mean-"

"She won't be happy until there's a ball and chain around my neck." He said through gritted teeth.

"She loves you Sam," Mercedes said. It was the truth and the best she could come up with at the moment. She had thought she had more time.

"I know and that makes it worse." Sam said as he ran his hand through his hair. "She'll never give up because she wants each of her children to be happy. The problem is her idea of happiness doesn't match up with mines."

"Your brother is so happy, and so is Quinn and Franny." Mercedes said pointing out the sad truth.

"That just adds more fuel to the fire."

True and that makes things worse for me, Mercedes though, but she'd always knew that the odds were not in her favor. "Smile or people will think you are unhappy with the services here." she told him trying to tease him out of his unhappy mood.
The corners of his mouth twitched. "Next to my restaurant, this is the best place to have a party." She raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you keep trying to steal my executive chef?"

Sam somehow managed to look offended. "How dare you, would I do that to an old friend?"

"In a heartbeat." Mercedes answered without hesitation.

He laughed and it send goose bumps all over her body. He reached out and touched her hand. "You know me too well."

"Sammy dance with me." Eliza Jenkins asked. She was sleek, thin and wearing a barely there black mini cocktail dress that hugged her non curvy body. She fluttered her eyelashes as she ran her finger down his chest and Mercedes wondered how Eliza would look with every inch of her auburn hair on the floor. Then she shook that negative thought away. It wasn't Eliza's fault she was bold enough to speak up and go after what she wanted, whereas Mercedes didn't have the courage to do that.

Sam gave her a lopsided smile that caused the slim beauty to sigh with pleasure. "Let me take a rain-check on that. Right now Mercy and I are gonna show the people on the dance floor how it's done." Taking her hand he moved her to the dance floor. Eliza blinked a few times shaking her head, she couldn't believe she had been refused, and further more she couldn't believe he chose Mercedes in her place. Mercedes was having a hard time believing it as well. It wasn't because she didn't think she was beautiful, she knew she was, it was because she was thick and curvy and all the girl's Sam dated were model types, small figures, stylish clothing and always plastered in makeup and Mercedes was more natural. She didn't change for anyone and she was secure in who she was and what she looked like.

A teasing glint sparkled in Sam's eyes when he stopped in the middle of the dance floor. "Wait! You do remember how to dance, don't you Mercyme?"

Mercedes caught his playful mood and forgot about Eliza and every other woman in that room shooting her daggers. "Maybe."

"Let's see, shall we?" He said, and with no warning he pulled her into his arms, spinning her in fast circles before he caught her around the waist to sway and dip her to the beat of the music. He held her close and whispered against her ear. "So you didn't forget?"

Shivers moved up and down her spine as his warm breath caressed her ear. She would never forget any time she spent with Sam. "Well what can I say, I had a good teacher."

Twirling her away then back again, he stepped away and they danced around each other mimicking their actions. One by one other couples on the floor stopped to cheer them on. Sam caught Mercedes again pulling her close as they went halfway to the floor, wiggling all the way back up.

Hand in hand he swung her out onto the floor as if it was yesterday when they had last danced together instead of 11 years. Grinning at each other and out of breath they finished which her arms pressed against his chest and his wrapped around her waist tightly. Applause erupted from the crowd and they gave a few fun bows before laughing and leaving the dance floor.

"Let's get something to drink." Sam said with his arm still wrapped around her.

Mercedes fanned her flushed face, trying to keep her voice normal. "You should be with your other guests."

Sam shook his head, sending a gaze towards his mother. "I am sticking with you while my mom is watching."

Mercedes stopped abruptly and looked up at Sam. "So I'm safe?" She said trying not to sound angry. Then the eyes that haunted her dreams looked down to her, "You are the only woman I can be sure of. I can relax with you, have fun with you. You aren't after me."

But I want you more than all the others put together, she thought to herself, because she could never voice the words.

Apparently taking her silence for agreeing with him, Sam straightened, slinging his arms around her shoulder in a brotherly fashion, the same way he had done so many times in the past. "We're just friends, great friends. Best friends."

Mercedes swallowed, the knot in her throat getting bigger. Just friends, always just friends. He didn't see her as a desirable woman, and sadly he probably never would. At least she had his friendship and she cherished that. As they walked to the bar she tried to tell herself that, that was enough. That being just his friend was enough,not doing a great job at convincing herself,