A/N: Sorry about the mixup with the chapters, I'm not sure how that happened! First it posted the wrong chapter entirely, and then somehow it posted a very old draft, the skeleton draft (I write the bones of it, sort of almost in shorthand, then go back and fill in). I have had about three different pieces of this chapter deleted over the last few days. Argh. I'll happily blame my naughty cats, who have a knack for walking on my computer at the wrong moment, but in truth it was probably somehow user error. The correct chapter 3 is below; I can assure you if you think you've already read this chapter (when it was briefly posted) that this one is much different. I had to basically re-write it, so I apologize it took some time to repost! It might be helpful to listen to the song "Check Yes or No" by George Strait.
Upon their arrival back at the lodge, a young blonde girl ran up to Tony. "Mr. Micelli, there's another message for you at the desk," she said.
Tony's cheeks colored. "Oh, I uh, I probably ought to go take care of that. Will you excuse me for a moment Angela?"
"Of course, Tony." Angela replied cordially. Somehow it was easier to be pleasant about the whole thing with Kathleen over a thousand miles away.
"Mrs. Micelli, Sam and the rest of the family have a table in the Canteen. I can show you the way," the girl said. "Sam told me you're in advertising. I'm Melody, by the way," she chattered amiably.
"Oh, I'm not - I'm actually not Mrs. Micelli, or Sam's mother, I'm Angela, Tony's...well, Tony's friend," she finished awkwardly as Melody led her to the Lodge's canteen. "Sam's...well, friend. You can call me Angela, or Ms. Bower," she added.
Melody looked at her with surprise. "Oh! I apologize, Ms. Bower. Samantha mentioned that her parents were here, so I just assumed you were her mother..."
"Don't worry another second about it Melody, it happens all the time. In fact it's happened several times just today," Angela reassured her.
"So who is Sam's mother? Is it the redheaded woman at the table?" Melody now appeared incredibly confused.
"No, no, it's probably me she was referring to. Tony and I just aren't involved. It's – well, it's a little complicated," she smiled, hoping that would suffice. "Oh hello Mother, hello sweethearts. Jonathan, did you enjoy your dinner by the pool?"
"Barbecue, a virgin daiquiri and a view of the ladies – what's not to like?" Jonathan quipped. "Plus I avoided food poisoning by not going to Sam's. A win all around," he added.
Sam feigned indignation. "Hey, I'll have you know I won the chili cook-off a few weeks ago! And you better not embarrass me, Squirt. No hitting on the clientele," Sam said, wagging her finger in Jonathan's face.
From seemingly out of nowhere, Tony appeared in between them, agitated. "All right, all right, break it up, what, you're back together for two minutes and you two are already at each other's throats?" he huffed.
Angela's brow furrowed at his renewed tension. "Everything all right, Tony?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Everything's just dandy," Tony said as he sat down.
As the waitress left with their dinner orders, an older gentleman approached the table. He had piercing blue eyes and wore a tailored, upscale version of a pearlsnap shirt, jeans, and a devastating smile. His olive skin and silver hair gave him a debonair Cary Grant look – Just Mother's type, Angela thought.
"I don't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Sloane Carmichael, the owner of this ranch. I just wanted to tell you how impressed we are with Samantha - she quickly became a favorite of our regular guests and we are thrilled she's considering staying on," Mr. Carmichael said. "She's a very special young lady."
Tony extended a hand, "Oh, well Mr. Carmichael, that she is, that she is. We are very proud of her," Tony said.
Mr. Carmichael looked at Angela. "Samantha tells me you're in advertising. It's very apparent the apple didn't fall far from the tree. She came up with several new strategies to fill our classes. Attendance went up across the board. We're very impressed with your daughter," he smiled.
Angela blushed awkwardly. "Oh well, that's not surprising at all, she's always been very creative, but I'm not exactly –"
His eyes met Mona's. "And you must be Samantha's sister," he winked at her. Oh dear.
"Uh, Mr. Carmichael, this is Mona Robinson," Samantha said.
Mona extended her hand demurely. "Lovely to meet you Mr. Carmichael," she said, smiling sweetly. "Yes, I'm Samantha's slightly older sister," she winked.
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, kissing her hand. "Would you like to dance, Ms. Robinson?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Mona said. The table watched as he whisked her onto the dance floor.
"Well, I guess we won't be seein' her the rest of the evening," Tony said.
"Sam, did you tell him I was your mother?" Angela queried gently.
Sam's face scrunched into a sheepish grimace. "Well, sort of. It was just less complicated to say my parents were here. I didn't know how to explain –" her hand waved wildly between her father and Angela – whatever this is."
"Not for nothin' Sam but you've been explaining this" – he gestured between them all –"for years. It shouldn't be too hard."
"Right, that's true. I just, I don't know, the whole family came all the way out here," she said. "And *I* know why, but –"
"What's she supposed to say, Tony? It's pretty complicated," Jonathan said, scooping a chip into his mouth.
"Pshaw. it's not that complicated you guys."
"Oh, okay, so instead I should have said, 'My dad's boss, who I live with, came all this way with my father, because she's kind of like my mom, but they're not together or anything, they're just really close friends, and actually my Dad has a new girlfriend, but they haven't been dating all that long so she didn't come. But he did bring his boss' mother and her son, because they're like family to me. I mean...it's a lot for bystanders to digest in passing, Dad."
Angela smiled at Sam, covering her hand with hers and giving it a squeeze. "She has a point, Tony." Angela had long wondered if they were doing the right thing; so much of their hesitancy surrounding becoming involved had been due to the children. Deep down they both worried it would confuse them; boundaries were important. But this situation was confusing too, and at this point, when they were so bonded as a family unit, it was almost more difficult than being together in any manner. For a moment she imagined she was here as Tony's wife, or girlfriend. What would be different about that situation from what they were currently doing? Where you slept, her mind supplied.
Matt appeared at the table, interrupting her thoughts. "Samantha gave birth," he announced.
Tony collapsed to the table with a pitiful groan. "Wouldja please rename that horse?"
"How are they doing?" Sam asked.
"Just fine, she had a healthy baby colt. We're naming him Tony in your honor, sir."
"I'm honored," Tony growled.
"Would you all like to meet him? Jonathan, I'd be happy to show you the stables." The more Angela saw of Matt, the more she liked him. He had a self-confident, easy demeanor about him. She could see why Sam was so drawn to him.
Jonathan hopped up. "Sure, I'd love to!"
"I think Tony and I have had our fill of horses today, Matt, but thanks. Maybe tomorrow," Angela said. Tony gave her a grateful smile.
"Aw, yeah, I'm pretty beat. But I'll be happy to come take a look at him tomorrow, Matt," Tony said.
Sam pushed back her chair and ruffled Jonathan's hair. "Come on, Squirt."
Tony stood up, smoothing his chest nervously. "Uh, Angela, would you uh, you like to dance?"
"Of course, Tony," she took his hand and they began a slow, steady shuffle to a George Strait song.
Tony swallowed and held her stiffly.
"Why so nervous, Cowboy? We dance all the time at home," Angela said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She loved how his eyes softened for her when she cut through his machismo. He relaxed, and pulled her in closer.
"You know, this song reminds me of that note I wrote you at camp," Tony said in her ear.
Angela's brow furrowed. "What note?"
"The one I wrote to Ingrid, the day after kissing rock."
"I didn't get any note."
He looked at her incredulously. "You didn't?"
She shook her head. "What did it say, Tony?"
"Aw, well, it's been a few years but I think it was something real smooth, along the lines of, You're the prettiest girl I ever kissed. Want to hang out in the City sometime? Check Yes or No...and then I put my phone number on the bottom."
Angela pulled back and looked at him, gobsmacked. "You didn't!"
He puffed out his chest proudly. "I did."
Angela looked at him, touched, and with an air of impressed high regard. "Pretty suave move for an eleven year-old."
"I know," he crowed with a chuckle. "I had it bad for Ingrid."
"I can't believe I didn't get the note," she lamented – mostly to herself, as if she was puzzling out in her mind what it all meant. "You never mentioned it before."
"Well, I kinda blocked it out of my mind until I heard this song. A man's first rejection is a touchy moment in his life," he teased.
She laughed, but then her expression grew wistful. "I would have called you," she said.
"I would have met you," he replied solemnly, pulling her back into him.
They danced like this in silence, letting the words of the song fill the silence that stretched between them.
Do you love me? Do you wanna be my friend?
And if you do
Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no
His voice returned to her ear, wobbly and devastated. "I'm real sorry, Angela. I'm sorry I made a mess of everything."
She said nothing for a moment, and instead pulled back and looked right into his eyes. "I know you are, Tony."
"If you only knew –"
She put a finger to his lips. "I do know."
"You do know," he repeated, uncertain what she meant.
"You were scared."
"I was. I was scared, Angela. We are so complicated," he whined. "Didja hear Sam? We make One Life to Live look like a fairly straightforward family dynamic. We had gotten so close, there was only one way we could go, but I really didn't know how we could move forward. And hey oh, I'm no cheater. Never," he said, and it seemed important to him that she really understand this. "But we weren't, you know, together. So I didn't even really think with Kathleen, until after. And since we're being so honest here, I'd be lying if I said it that in the moment, for once, was nice not having to think," he said.
"I know what you mean," she agreed simply.
"You do?" His demeanor changed and his eyebrows furrowed, "Hey yo, you do?"
She glared at him. "Oh, so only you're allowed to date other people? I have to sit at home while you go gallavanting with Miss Happy Homemaker?"
"No, no, you're right, of course you are; you can date whoever you want. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it. Because I knew what I really wanted, but I was so afraid of losing what we have. I realized it immediately afterward. I felt so guilty, Angela. All I could think about was you," he said.
"I believe you. But actions have consequences, Tony."
"I know they do, and I deserve every last one of them. But all I know is, I'm not scared now. I know what I want. I still don't know how I'm going to get it. But I'm willing to wait as long as it takes."
Angela stiffened in his arms, steeling herself for what she needed to say next. "But you're with Kathleen."
"But I –"
Angela's eyes glistened at him as the next song kicked on. "Tony," she said quietly, "I can't be that for you anymore. I can't be waiting in the wings when you've gone through your latest flavor of the month. I can't be your consolation prize," she said, surprised at the hurt that was simmering beneath the surface, "and I most definitely cannot be the other woman."
Tony looked like she'd kicked him, but his eyes were resigned as if he deserved it. "Hey yo, you are no one's consolation prize, Angela," he said. "You are first prize, the grand prize, the Nobel prize." He pulled her closer – boldly, she thought, given how she'd just spoken to him. "Why do you think I've had such a hard time figuring this thing out? How can a housekeeper from Brooklyn..." he trailed off, silenced by the unshed tears in Angela's eyes.
Angela said nothing; she couldn't. He gathered his courage, leaned in and whispered into her ear. "You are the most magnificent woman I'll ever know, and my greatest fear is that I'll never be worthy of you," he said into her ear as the song wound down. "I got scared. I know I hurt you. And I'm sorry, Angela. I'm so sorry."
Angela pulled back and smiled at him through her tears, trying to regain her composure. "Why don't we go back to our rooms, Tony. I'm feeling pretty tired."
"Yeah, yeah good idea. We gotta get some shuteye if we're going to go to battle in the morning."