I'm double-updating since you have been so amazingly patient. I'm sorry. I've been really sick, and then things happened, but I am still here, just slow. Also, don't forget to Vote for Amber! She is up for CMT performance of the year! You get ten votes per email, so go nuts! Let's get our girl a win!

Sam helped Mercedes into his truck, then hopped in and started down the street. This date needed a reset; he knew the perfect place to do it. That's why they parked in front of a Barbecue food truck within five minutes.

Helping her out of his truck, Sam pulled her close to him and smiled. "Mercedes, let me introduce you to Azimo and Dave; they make the best Barbecue you will ever taste. Guys, this is the beautiful and lovely Mercedes, who, despite my issues, gladly decided to date me."

The men smiled. "You pulled that? How?" Azimo smirked.

"God loves me; what can I say," Sam said, smirking.

Dave raised an eyebrow. "And she knows…"

"That I am a whore, yes, and she wants me still."

"She can speak for herself," Mercedes said, and Dave beamed.

"Oh, I like her," Dave said, smiling. "What can I get you?"

Sam pretended to check the menu. "Hmmm, I am not sure…"

"That's a damn lie; you get the same things every time you come here," Azimo said, rolling his eyes.

Mercedes ignored the men and looked at the menu herself. "I need to figure out if you are any good. I wanna taste your sauce."

"Honey, it's all about the meat here." Dave defended.

"Sauce makes or breaks the meat. If you don't know that, should you really be making Barbeque?"

Dave side-eyed her. "I don't know if I like you anymore." He reached behind him and handed her a rib covered in sauce. "Taste it and give me your expertise then."

She took it and didn't bother hiding the moan that left her lips from the burst of flavors. "Okay, this is pure love right here. The meat and sauce are perfectly balanced, and you put your foot in this!"

Dave smiled. "Okay, I like her again."

Sam laughed. "Can we get your big platter with…"

Mercedes smiled. "Mac and Cheese, Hushpuppies, Corn and…"

"Greens…trust me, they are fire," Sam said.

Azimo laughed. "I taught him that."

"Add two cheerwines to that and put it on my tab."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Cheerwine? What is that?"

"Oh honey, you haven't lived, have you?" Dave laughed.

Mercedes rolled her eyes, pulling out her wallet. Dave waved her off. "Did you not hear Sam say to put it on his tab? We got this."

Mercedes pulled out a twenty. "Tips don't count on his tab." She smiled.

Dave and Azimo looked at each other and then back to Sam. "Yeah, she's a keeper. We will get this ready for you ASAP."

Sam pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck as they rocked to the music playing in the background. A few people were sitting at the makeshift tables in front of the food truck, while others were laughing and getting ice cream from the truck next to them.

"Why, Mr. Evans, you seem to be very loving right now," Mercedes said, leaning against him.

"Tonight is finally going the way I wanted it to. It was supposed to be all about us."

Mercedes wrapped his arms around her, holding him tighter. "It is all about us, Sam; let go of what happened in the restaurant and be here with me in this moment."

Sam stared down at her. "I will…but I need to know, after all that, why are you still here?"

Mercedes sighed. "We all have a past, Sam. We can't control what we did back then; we can just be better. You are better than you were; that's all that matters."

"You have got to be the strongest woman I know."

Mercedes shrugged. "It didn't happen overnight. Life is hard, and being a single mother at 17 wasn't a picnic. We all have our stuff, Sam."

"We never really talked about what happened…why Cam's dad isn't around, but Mike is?"

Mercedes sighed as she leaned against Sam. He held her as they rocked to the soft music and the sound of the rustling wind. "Aiden was…supposed to be the love of my life. But he and his parents saw Cam as a complication that needed to be fixed. Mike is the only one who saw him as a gift. So I stayed in contact with Mike during my pregnancy, and when I finally went into labor, he and Aiden both came to the hospital."

"Aiden was there?"

Mercedes nodded. "I didn't tell anyone because it was… it was not a good conversation. Mike made him come up to the room, and he took one look at Cam and said no, he wasn't going to do this. Then walked away. That was it."

Sam frowned. "I'm sorry. That's why I am always careful; I knew I didn't want to be in a situation that wouldn't last."

Mercedes leaned against Sam as she sighed. "I don't regret my son; I never could, but I regret not giving him a father."

Sam lifted Mercedes's face so he could look at her. "No. That's not on you; that's on him. He missed out. Cam is amazing."

Mercedes stood on her tippy toes, kissing Sam softly. "You are really great with him."

"That's because you raised an amazing son."

Mercedes stared at him for a minute. "You do understand that we are a packaged deal…I know you don't want kids."

Sam stopped her with a kiss. "I didn't want a child from a random hookup. I want you, I want Cameron, I want it all."

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his shoulder, kissing him deeply.

"Food's ready!" Azimo said, and Sam sighed, breaking the kiss. He nipped her lips before pulling away from her so he could grab the food.

"Thanks, man."

"So where are you taking her? You know the lake is perfect for something like this," Azimo said, handing him the food.

Sam smiled. "That was the plan." Grabbing the bag and drinks, Sam led Mercedes to his truck, and they silently drove to Lovers Lake Point. It was on the other side of his farm but still as beautiful, and it wouldn't mean either of them had to go home.

Though the ride was quiet, it was comfortable. The both of them were in a state of wondering where the future for them would go.

As he backed to the lake, he smiled. "Stay here for just a minute."

Mercedes nodded as Sam exited. She stared down at her phone before she shot off a text.

MJ: this date has pissed me off to no end. I swear. But it seems to be turning around.

QF: What happened?

SL: Who we taking out first?"

JH: Let her talk first, then we can kick ass later.

SL: I swear I need to get friends who act first.

MJ: Yeah, well, I almost lost it… We went to the restaurant where apparently Harmony was the hostess, then the bitch not only put us in the worst spot there but also preceded to talk about a threesome with Sam and the manager, Penny.

QF: You're joking.

MJ: Nope, then some old heifer Holly comes, and it's just…every time he's okay, every time we are good, another woman pops up.

SL: Are you rethinking things?

MJ: No, of course not. I really like him, and I don't judge him at all, but these skanks are pissing me off. I want to slap them. Slap the taste and fake boobs right off them.

SL: This! This is right here!

JH: LOL!

QF: Don't let them ruin your night.

MJ: I'm not, oop he's coming back, text y'all later.

Mercedes put her phone away and smiled as Sam opened the door for her. She stepped out of the truck, let Sam take her hand, and followed him to the bed of his truck.

Sam had laid out a blanket and the food; everything looked perfect.

She smiled, staring at him. "This is…perfect."

Sam pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. "You are perfect."

Helping her up to the truck bed, Mercedes grabbed the food and smiled as she opened it for them both. Sam moved to sit next to her as they began to eat and talk.

"This is the date I thought I would go on with you," Mercedes said as she lay with him under the stars.

Sam smiled, kissing the top of her forehead. "Oh? That's good to hear because the whole getting dressed up thing isn't my scene. I like that I get to show you the real me. And that you like it. Most women here don't care to learn about me."

"Can I ask…"

Sam lifted her chin to his. "Ask me anything."

"Why did you sleep with all those women?"

Sam sighed deeply.

"You don't have to answer." She said softly.

"No, I figured we would talk about it…at first, it was all I knew. My grandfather was a great man, but when it came to women, the more, the better. At first, it was just getting them to do things for me, but as I got older, I thought maybe my dad had it right, and I could find my love."

She linked her fingers with his. "So what happened?"

"I met this girl, and I thought she liked me; I was grieving and needed something, but she used me for sex, then told all her friends I took her virginity and was the best. So they came to me, and soon I just hooked up because it seemed it was all I was good for."

"I hate that those women used you like that; you deserve to be loved, Sam."

"But we are the complete opposite, you know? I have had a lot of sex with a lot of women, I mean A lot. But you, it's been me and Aiden I…you deserve better than all that."

Mercedes moved closer to him and kissed him, "Sam, I deserve you."

Sam leaned in to kiss her. "For what it's worth, I never kissed them, I never gave them any indication of more, but with you, I just… I needed more with you…"

"See, now I am torn."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

She sat up. "Because a part of me wants to have you, all of you, right here and right now. And another part of me doesn't; I want to show you that you are more than sex."

Sam pulled her close to him, making her straddle him. "You have already shown me everything I need to know. You have already given me more than anyone ever has."

Mercedes nodded, leaning down and kissing him slowly. Sam's hands ran up her body, pulling her against him. "Now. I need you now."

Flipping them over, Sam hovered over her, moving his hands up her dress as she removed her jacket. Sam pulled his off quickly before running his tongue down her throat as his fingers traced the outline of her panties.

He let his finger roam over her clit a few times as she thrust to meet his fingers.

"Ugh, I swear you are such a tease." She whimpered.

Sam smirked. "You are cocky; this is my way of making sure we both know who is in charge here. Now if you wanna cum, you are going to have to say those sexy magic words."

Mercedes arched into his fingers, whimpering. "Please….please, daddy, make me cum!" She yelped.

Sam smirked, moving his finger faster as she kissed her hungrily. Crying out against his lips, Sam smiled, removing his hands and unbuttoning his jeans quickly.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around him as he pushed deep inside of her. "Sam!"

"God, I love being inside of you. No one has ever felt as good as you…" He turned her face towards his. "Open your eye please."

Mercedes opened her eyes, and Sam used his free hand to caress her cheek. "You are the best…no other women could ever compare."

Mercedes nodded. "I know Sam…I feel it too," she said, taking his lips back in hers. This was the moment they both realized that this was the start of something real for both of them.

As Sam parked in front of Mercedes's place, he hopped out and opened her door for her, pulling her close and kissing her as he did. "This was the best date I have ever been on."

Mercedes beamed. "Isn't this the first date?"

"Tomatoes, Tamatoes." He laughed.

Mercedes wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "You should come inside."

"If I come inside, I am not gonna want to leave."

Mercedes nipped his bottom lip. "Good."

"Ahem."

Mercedes frowned as she heard someone clear their throat.

Sam looked towards Mercedes's doorstep and finally noticed a man standing on her stoop.

"You have a visitor," he said softly. "He bruh, it's late. Are you lost?"

Mercedes turned and froze.

"No, I am actually here… um, hey, Mercy."

"Aiden." She breathed.