Lucky Like Us

chapter Twenty-Five

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Sunday, 3:30 P.M.

SAM’S MIND LOCKED him into the dream again. Elizabeth, under the car with him, the knife in her hand. The shot rang out and everything went black, but he still heard her scream. The echo reverberated all around him, but this time it was different. Instead of just a scream, she screamed his name. He woke up with a start to find his niece, Lily, standing beside the bed, her eyes wide with fright.

Should have known that flimsy lock wouldn’t stop Jack.

“Uncle Sam, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

“I’m okay. Just a bad dream.” He rubbed his gritty eyes, trying to scrub away the nightmare. “What are you doing in here, honey? Where is everyone?”

Sam glanced at the clock. He’d slept the day away. The headache pounding in his head and the sour taste in his mouth told him it was the whiskey’s fault.

“Aunt Jenna says it’s time to get up. You’re supposed to have dinner with Elizabeth.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Lily wore a frown on her angel face. “I feel bad you’re so sad,” she said, breaking his heart. He hated putting that look on her face.

Sam tried for a smile when he pressed her little nose like a button, letting her know in a small way he appreciated the sympathy.

“I thought you were going home today.”

“We’re leaving in an hour. Cameron took the jet somewhere, so we have to wait for them to get the plane ready again.”

“You like flying on Jenna’s plane?”

The kids loved it. Who wouldn’t? It was a nice jet. Jenna tried to keep things normal for the family and the kids, but when you had money like Jenna, there were some things you couldn’t give up. They made life easier and more convenient. Like having your own jet and avoiding flying commercially with four small children.

“It’s a lot of fun. I get to watch the pilot fly the plane. Why are you sleeping in your clothes and shoes?”

Sam had managed to get from the chair to the bed, but apparently he’d forgotten to take off his clothes and boots. “I guess I forgot to change clothes, honey.”

“It’s time to get up now. Everyone wants to say goodbye. You have to go see your friend.”

“I’m not going to see her.”

“That’s not nice, Uncle Sam. She’s sick, and you should go and see her.”

Assertive as any adult, but she was just a little bitty angel. “I don’t want to,” he grumbled.

“Why are you being mean? We came to see you when you were in the hospital. You have to go see her.”

“I don’t think she’ll want to see me.”

“Why? You’re nice when you aren’t grumpy, like now.”

“Grumpy, huh.” So everyone had sent the six-year-old to make him go see Elizabeth and stop wallowing.

“She’s probably scared. I bet the doctors have given her a dozen shots by now. She’d probably feel better if you were there with her. I don’t like to get shots, but it’s better when Mommy is with me.”

“Elizabeth is really sick. I don’t think my being there will help her. Besides, her family is with her. She doesn’t need me.”

“Everyone needs a friend,” she said, a little sage advisor in the making. “Why don’t you want to go? Don’t you like her anymore?” Lily put her chin on her hands on top of the bed, her big blue eyes staring at him.

“I like her. I like her a lot.” He didn’t want to think about that. It was futile. She’d go back to her life, and he’d go back to his. If she ever woke up.

“What do you like about her? Is it just that she’s pretty? Mommy says just because someone is pretty it doesn’t mean they’re a good person. Tom, at school, said he liked Mary more than me because she’s pretty, but I think she’s mean. She’s always saying mean things to people.”

“I think you’re the prettiest girl there ever was and Tom is blind if he can’t see that.” He gave her hair a tug and smiled. The kid didn’t buy it. “Elizabeth is pretty, but there’s a lot more to her. She’s got a great sense of humor, she’s nice, she’s smart, and she’s got great strength. She’s pretty on the outside and on the inside where it counts. Like you, honey.”

“Then don’t be mean to her. Go see her and tell her you think her insides are pretty.”

Sam held back a laugh at her wording.

“Girls like it when you say nice things to them.”

Dating lessons from a peanut. “Did Aunt Jenna tell you not to leave here until I said I’d go see Elizabeth?” Sam was very suspicious of the little angel. Relentless, he had no doubt someone had put her up to it.

Lily smiled broadly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The tone was very reminiscent of her mother’s, his sister.

“I’ll bet you don’t. Go on now. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“And you’ll go see her?”

“Yes. Okay? I give up. I’m going.” Sam sighed and sat up on the edge of the bed. Grabbing his niece, he hugged her fiercely.

Lily wrinkled her nose. “You need a bath. You smell really, really bad.”

“Thanks. Get out, so I can take a shower. I’ll be out in a while to say goodbye to all of you.” Lily headed for the door as Jack and Caleb came in. “Are you two the next wave of assault? Figured you’d soften me up by sending the kid in first?”

“That was Summer and Jenna’s idea,” Caleb said smiling. “We’re supposed to drag your ass out of bed if Lily couldn’t get you to get up on your own.”

Jack took in the nearly empty bottle of whiskey sitting on the table next to Sam’s chair and reading lamp. He gave his brother a once-over and determined Sam was hung over and looking like he’d had a hard night. Bloodshot eyes, wrinkled clothes. Sam rubbed at his temples, probably to ease the pounding headache. He deserved a little pain for his stupidity.

“It’s not fair sending that little angel in here. I can’t say no to her.”

“Neither can I,” Caleb admitted about his daughter. “I wanted to send the three boys in to attack you. I think in your condition, they could take you.”

“You’re probably right. Fine, I’m up. I’ll hit the shower and go to the hospital. Call off your wives. I swear, I don’t need one of my own with your two harassing me all the time. Can’t you all leave me alone for a little while?”

“Looks to me like when we leave you alone you self-destruct. What’s with the bottle of whiskey? It’s not like you to drown away your sorrows.” Sam wasn’t acting like himself and it worried Jack. He nodded to Caleb to give Sam and him time alone together.

“Nothing is with the bottle. I got carried away. I’ve had a hard couple weeks, and now that I have some time off, I thought I’d let loose.”

“Let loose,” Jack said sarcastically. “You locked yourself in a room and drank yourself into oblivion—alone. Your family came to help you get through this rough time, and you’ve either ignored us or snapped at us. I think maybe you’re right about Elizabeth; you should stay away from her. She’s turning you into a drunk and an a*shole. I’d rather you go back to being irritable. You’ll be cleared to work on Tuesday, get back to what you do best and forget about her. Tyler can finish the case. You’re better off without her.”

Sam grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt, held firmly, and got in his face. “Forget about her. Hell no. I can’t forget about her. She’s almost died twice because of me, and you want me to go back to work and forget what happened. You think I’m better off without her. Look at me. I’m still half drunk from last night because I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s my every thought and . . . shit.”

He was falling for her. She consumed his life. The only time he’d been happy since the shooting was when she woke up and they’d talked. Like an old friend to him already, he’d told her more about his life than he’d ever told another person. He released Jack, shoving him away, and tried to breathe, taking in deep gulps of air.

“Exactly. Now, get your sorry ass down to the hospital. Have dinner with her family and spend some time with her. Talk to her like before, let her know you’re there for her. It’ll do you some good too. Oh, and lay off the sauce,” Jack ordered.

Sam dropped back onto the bed and put his face in his hands. Jack might think it funny, but it just hit him right between the eyes what the rest of the family already knew. He was falling for Elizabeth, and falling hard. Maybe they could build something good together. Then again, they had to get past everything happening now. Jack knew what it was like to fall in love when you were in the middle of a hurricane. He must have experienced the same when he met, fell in love with, and married Jenna. Their lives had been in such chaos, but they found each other, and eventually worked their way through the turmoil together. Maybe he and Elizabeth could do the same. God, he hoped so.

“Shit.” Somehow she’d worked her way past his head and into his heart without him ever seeing her coming. He glanced at Jack’s knowing smile.

“You already said that. Get cleaned up and say goodbye to the family. The kids will miss you. Summer and Caleb will be happy to be away from you for a while.” Jack slapped Sam on the back. “It’s not that bad. You’ll live.”

“Not without her. She’s got to wake up and be all right. I couldn’t take it if she . . .” He left the sentence unfinished because he couldn’t speak his worst fear. That he’d never get the chance to see if there could really be something between them.

“You know what I find interesting? The only time she woke up and talked to anyone, it was for you. Go see her. Make her wake up. I have a feeling she’ll do it for you.”

Sam stood and headed for the bathroom, anxious to get to the hospital now. Maybe Jack was right and she’d wake up for him again. Then maybe she’d finally get out of the hospital, and he could take her on a proper date. Holding hands in the hospital when she was half unconscious didn’t count.

He wanted more, a hell of a lot more.