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Samantha tilted her head back and laughed. Laughing freely felt amazing. She needed it after everything she had gone through.
“He’s out of town working. And I wouldn’t ditch you for sex. I never get to see you as it is.”
“You should, though. Specifically, because you never have time. Don’t waste time being upright when you can be on your back forgetting your own name.”
Once again, Samantha found herself laughing. “I must be really tired because your crazy advice makes sense. I’m glad we did this.”
“Same. I really needed this, too. You look about ready to drop, and you didn’t even finish your wine. How long is he going to be out of town? Maybe we can do Sunday brunch next week,” Meka suggested.
She wasn’t a hundred percent sure when he was getting back. Clingy was not her usual style. Even when things had been good during her marriage, she’d craved her own space. When Bryce told her he would be out of town for a few weeks, it took everything in her not to ask if he could get out of it. Things were new. She knew they didn’t need to be around each other constantly.
“Brunch sounds amazing. Hopefully, I won’t be dead on my feet if I sleep in.”
She placed a few bills on the table, then linked arms with Meka as they left the bar. It was a much-needed night out with her friend. She tended to spiral when tired, and Meka’s perspective helped ground her.
Bryce hated being out of town. He downplayed things for Samantha, but he was miserable. Sleep didn’t come easy in a strange bed. The only thing that made his situation any better was Asher. Instead of booking a hotel, he was able to find a pet-friendly townhouse. Things also didn’t seem quite as dismal since Delaware was within driving distance of his house, and Samantha. Three hours was too long to commute but close enough to get home if he had to.
He opened the door to find Asher waiting patiently on the other side. He had crated him the first few days, but Asher did fine roaming free. The dog sat with his tail wagging so hard his body shook.
“Hey, boy. Up up,” he said, patting his thigh.
Asher put his front paws on Bryce’s thigh and licked his face when he leaned down. Bryce knew it wasn’t the best habit to teach, but he didn’t care. Asher only jumped up when invited. He had better manners than plenty of adults, including the property owner’s daughter. She seemed to find any excuse to touch Bryce, and it was beyond old. He and Samantha hadn’t put an official label on what they were, but he would be pissed if any other man had his hands on her. Especially someone she had a history with.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, so he pulled it out as he made his way to the small living room. Samantha’s name showed across the screen as if she had heard him thinking about her.
“Hey you,” he answered.
“Hey. How’s the beach?”
“Cold. And too far away. How are rehearsals?”
“Long. And too far away,” she answered with a long sigh.
He sat down on the couch and the dog hopped up next to him. “Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’m just tired. And I haven’t been feeling great. Probably the fast food I ate for breakfast since I was running late. You know I haven’t really been eating junk food all that much.”
He noticed how tired she’d been. The rehearsal schedule had to be a big change from working in a bookstore. “Need me to come take care of you?”
“Don’t tease me. There’s nothing I want more, but I’d rather you just do whatever you need to do so you can come back for good. You won’t be back this weekend by any chance, will you?”
It was Bryce’s turn to sigh. Things were moving more slowly than he’d hoped. It was beginning to look like it would be several weeks before the job was at the point where he could walk away and only return to check on things. Aside from missing Samantha, he hated the idea of being around that woman for any extra time. He probably should have told Samantha that he was unexpectedly working around someone he briefly dated, but it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have from so far away.
“Not for good. I am thinking about coming back for the weekend, though. Nothing has been going right, so I’m not sure how long before I can come back for more than a day or so.”
“That isn’t very reassuring.” She paused for a bit, and he could hear rustling in the background. “It’s not for good. I know it will all work out.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “Are you trying to reassure yourself or me? And are you in bed?”
He relaxed a little when her chuckle came through loud and clear. “Myself, I think. And yes, I’m in bed. I told you I was tired.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s not even eight o’clock yet.”
“Don’t judge me.”
“I would never,” he responded, slightly offended. “Get some sleep, hun. Call me when you’re on your way to rehearsal in the morning.”
Bryce didn’t move after they said their goodbyes and got off the phone. He really did hate being away from her. And he needed to come up with a solution for the Lizzy situation. He had taken the job before he even met Samantha, but he had no idea it would put him in such close proximity to Lizzy. She had nothing to do with any of Mr. Martin’s other properties. Had he known, he definitely would have turned down the job.
