Sam followed David into the last place she had ever thought she would accompany him, not daring to smile in case he changed his mind. There was something adorable about his choice of venue for their second date. Could she even think of it in those terms? She told herself she could. "Are you going to tell me what's in the bag?" While she assumed he had brought his own ball and pair of special bowling shoes, she enjoyed teasing him.
"Samantha, you are on a need to know basis. You'll find out when you need to know." David turned around and shot her a wink. She hadn't asked for a second date but he had seen the way she had been walking the walls ever since the DNA test. The doctor had told her and Alexis it may take weeks before the results came in. And if there was one thing Samantha wasn't, it was patient.
"I've never been bowling before." Sam told him as they headed for the shoe counter.
"Well then allow me to introduce you to the best fun money can buy." He motioned for the clerk to bring two pairs of shoes. "Two sets please. I need an eleven. Samantha?"
"Seven. Do you come here often?"
"I used to come more. These days I've been a little busy."
"Is that right? What's more important than bowling?" Sam wanted to know as she took the shoes offered to her.
Using his finger, he tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "I have no idea." He whispered to her.
"Are you ready to get beat by a girl?" Sam asked, running in no particular direction. She squealed when he caught her waist and yanked her backwards.
"You're awfully confident for someone who's never bowled before." David pointed out, pulling her closer to him.
"I have my own secret weapon." Sam informed him.
"Care to share?"
"Nope. You're just going to have to suffer in suspense. Now, are you going to show me how to play or what?"
"Well first thing, you have to know what lane we're assigned." David chuckled. "So you'll have to follow me."
"We can't just use whichever one we want?" Sam looked a little disappointed.
"No." He pointed to the only other patrons, a group of elderly men. "I think they might frown upon that. We've been assigned to lane seven."
"So how do we figure out who goes first? And where are the balls?"
Pointing to the rack of balls lining the back wall as he lead them toward their assigned lanes. "You pick out a ball here. And there are any number ways we can decide who goes first."
"Such as?" Sam wasn't sure what made a good bowling ball so she decided to go from big to small.
"Well there is a traditional method, you know ladies first or experience before newbie. But I can be persuaded to use a more non-traditional method."
"You can go first." Sam waved her hand permissively, carrying her chosen ball to lane seven.
"Learning from the best as always."
"Amazing you haven't choked on that ego long before now."
Walking past her as she placed her shoes on, he tussled her hair. "I haven't heard any complaints."
"Hmmph." Sam turned her face away from his touch.
"Watch and learn Samantha. Watch and learn." With a practiced air he sent the ball spinning down the alley, knocking down every pin.
"Showoff." Sam rolled her eyes.
"Your turn." He extended his hand to her.
Sam pulled her left arm back and threw the ball in what she hoped was the direction of the pins, her eyes half closed. There was a shriek and then a lot of grumbling and she realized that she had tossed the ball into a different lane. "Oops." She apologized, hurrying to extract her wayward ball from a very unpleasant looking gentleman. He just smiled and waved off her concern.
David tried to hold back his laughter. "Alright come here. Can't have you killing everyone in the place." Getting her ball from the ball return, he stepped behind her and placed the ball into her hands. Whispering into her ear, he smiled. "Now you have to open your eyes."
"Shut up. I don't want your help." Sam staved off his overbearing attempts.
"What you want and what you need are two different things." He teased, staying his ground. He ran his hand down her arms and held her wrist with his hand. "Now aim the ball with your hand towards where you want it to go."
"I did that." Sam grumbled.
"But you didn't focus. You rushed things when a good shot takes time to set up. Now focus on where you want the ball to go."
Sam pulled her hand back again, her hold on the ball steadier, and they watched in silence as it skidded down the lane and then inched toward the gutter. "No. No." Sam shook her head as if that would have some significance on where it ended up. One pin fell over but she assumed it was out of pity because the ball never touched it.
"Hey you did better." David pointed out. "Stick with me kid and you'll be throwing strikes in no time."
"I know." Sam made her way toward the plastic chairs and waited for him to take his turn.
"Are you pouting?" He asked over his shoulder as he tossed the ball down the lane, not paying attention to exactly what pins he hit. "Come on you didn't honestly think you would ace this the first time out did you?"
"Don't talk to me. I'm trying to concentrate."
"Oh sorry." Holding up his hands, he moved toward the chairs she just vacated. "Then I won't tell you to pull the ball back a little further before you release it."
"Hush. I can figure it out for myself." In a voice she knew he couldn't hear, she added, "I've been making it on my own my whole life. I can hit a few pins damn it."
Sitting back in his chair, he tried not to be a pig and admire the view. He'd let her do it her way a few more frames before he tried to step in again. As always she had to be stubborn before allowing him to help her in any way. But she wouldn't be Samantha if she made it easy on him. Nor would he be having so much fun.
"I feel you watching me. Watch the game." Sam instructed, releasing the ball.
"Hate to tell you this, but you are part of the game."
Sam was going to let him have it when a familiar buzzing interrupted her. "Your pager?" She assumed, her newfound glory at having knocked down all but one of the pins short-lived.
Glancing down, he noticed Cassidy's number flash across the screen. He bit back a groan. The younger officer had been bugging the hell out of him all week, trying every trick in the book to get out of his babysitting duty. Not going to happen. The commissioner had put him on the assignment and he was going to be the only one to take him off. He might be riding some goodwill with Mac and Alexis right now, but he wasn't a miracle worker. "It's nothing. If it's really important he'll call back."
The ball return spit out Sam's ball and she walked past David in slick satisfaction, her eyes on the one defiant pin. "She shoots...and she scores!" Sam all but jumped up at down at her victory.
"See, all you needed was a little practice."
Making her way over to him, she sat in his lap. "I hear that improves lots of things."
"That is the hot rumor."
*****
Taking a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair. This had gone on long enough. He had given her some time to calm down and now it was time to talk about this. She was too important to him to just let her walk away like she did. No, Ric shook his head.
Just letting her walk away would be the easy way, and a huge mistake. Yes he had screwed up royally. Twice. He shouldn't have kissed Kate in the first place and more to the point he should have been the one to tell Maxie. It was a toss up over which was probably the bigger transgression in Maxie's eyes. She had every right to be mad at either of those decisions and he knew it.
She could yell at him. Throw things at him. He deserved it. It had taken months to earn her trust, convince her he saw her as something more than just a conquest, that he valued her. And he did. It had taken him as much by surprise as it did her. He had been nothing but honest with her from day one and this was how he repaid her? Lying to her? Deceiving her with his ex-wife? He knew Maxie. It didn't matter that he regretted it. It was the fact it happened in the first place.
He shouldn't have waited. He should have chased her down the hallway that day in his office. Jammed the elevator and had the fight out right then and there. Letting her wait meant letting her get even angrier at him for not coming after her, the way he promised her he would. Damn it, why had he let her leave? Why had he listened to that stupid little voice that told him to give her some time to cool down? He was starting to think it was the same little voice that had led him to that stupid kiss.
Stepping out of his car, he drew a deep breath as he made his way up the walk. He didn't see any cars but hers in the driveway so he was fairly confident she was home alone. Or at least at any rate that her father wasn't home. Ric didn't doubt that if Maxie had told her father anything about their current issues, the other man would arrest him without a second thought and hem him up on a trumped up charge of trespassing. Raising his hand to knock, he closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer up that this might be able to be worked out.
She looked up from the book she was reading, a pair of reading glasses pinching the bridge of her nose. The knock startled her. Had Alexis or Mac forgotten something? Now that was unlikely. She had promised to look after Kristina while they honeymooned just as they had promised Robin they would be back in time for her wedding. "Just a second."
Hearing the muffled voice, Ric took it as a good sign. At least she wasn't checking the door with a shotgun before opening it. That had to be a good sign right?
She poked her head out and drew back. "May I help you?"
Ric blinked in confusion. Who was this? He didn't recognize her at all. Who was she and what was she doing in Maxie's house? "I'm sorry. I'm looking for Maxie."
"Who are you?"
"Ric. Ric Lansing. I could ask the same about you Miss...?"
"Ric, huh? Maxie isn't here." Georgie moved to close the door.
"When is she coming back?" Ric stuck his foot in the door to keep this mysterious woman from closing it fully. Maybe this was Georgie. He had heard she was back in town and it would make sense that Maxie would talk to her sister at least.
"I don't think that's any of your business. Please leave." Georgie ordered.
"No. I just want to talk to her. I want to apologize."
"You're a few days late, aren't you? Besides, I already told you, she's not here."
"I know I screwed up and I should have come that day. And fine she's not here. But she has to come home sometime. I'll wait."
"Unless you're planning on residing in your car, you aren't likely to catch her anytime soon."
"What are you talking about?"
"What are you doing here? You made it pretty clear what this was between you and my sister."
So he was right. This was Georgie. "It is between us, but I'm trying to make it right. I just want a chance to talk to her."
"That's too bad. Maybe we can pencil you in for a week from never. Does that work for you?"
"Look she doesn't want to talk to me here, that's fine. I can deal with that. But she can't hide forever. She does have to go to work still."
"Yes, she does and I have you to thank for that. You couldn't just leave her alone, could you? No. You just had to keep pushing and pushing until she finally gave in. And when she did, what did you do?"
"I screwed up. I don't deny that. I take full responsibility for that."
"You act like you forgot her birthday. Unless I heard the story wrong, I'm assuming you weren't under a hypnotic spell when you chose to cheat on my sister."
"Georgie. I'm not saying what I did was right. I'm not going to offer up any excuses or justifications. There aren't any. I know why Maxie is angry with me and I get it. She has every right to be. But doesn't she also deserve to know that some guys genuinely regret hurting her? Because I do. Every since the second it happened I regretted what I knew this would do to her. And I know you have nothing to base this on, but Maxie does. And that's all I want to tell her."
"Can you put that all down in writing?"
"Would you actually give it to her?"
"Of course not. I make it my business to protect my sister from scumbags."
"Isn't that up to your sister to decide?"
"My sister isn't here, is she? That means it's up to me."
"Look I get it. You hate me because I hurt your sister. I don't blame you. But know this. I'm not giving up on her. I told you I'll wait until she comes back because she deserves to hear this from me in person. So I'll just move my car down to the street and wait for her there."
"I don't hate you for what you did to my sister." Georgie corrected him. "I hate you for what that final shove did to her."
"What are you talking about?"
"Maxie isn't just running errands or at work."
"What does that mean exactly?"
"How many different ways can I say it? Maxie isn't here. Not here at home. Not down the block at Kelly's. Not in this state."
"She's gone?" Ric felt as if Georgie's words smacked him across the face. She had really left?
"Yeah. She's gone. She said there wasn't anything keeping her here. Look for yourself if you don't believe me." Georgie moved away from the door and nodded toward the stairs.
Ric shook his head and took a step back. "No. No. I believe you. She's gone."
"I've never seen anyone pack that fast. In the end, I guess I should thank you for breaking her heart. Now she's off doing something she loves and you can't sneak in behind her and steal it away." Georgie slammed the door in his face.
Ric stood staring at the door, which still shook with the power Georgie had exerted to close it. It was almost ironic, in a way. After all her talk about him being the one to walk away, she had been the one to do it. "Damn it Blondie. You just had to have the last word didn't you?" he whispered.