Page 68 of Theirs to Treasure

Sam pulled back the covers and got her settled. “Let me go get one from my room. I’ll be right back.”

She frowned, knowing she wanted to ask something but was having trouble plucking the question from the fog inside her brain. He placed a kiss on her forehead and left the room. Josie rested against the pillows, and when he finally got back, she had figured out her question.

“Why aren’t your clothes in one of the dressers? Chance has his clothes in that one.” Josie indicated the dresser to the right side of hers.

“I guess for the same reason you didn’t tell us you were going to Florida, or that you were sick,” Sam said slowly. “Let’s call it out. Chance is already in the deep end, but you and I are in the shallow end.” Sam helped Josie into his T-shirt, and she absorbed what he was saying. She looked down at her hands. “Hey, look at me, Baby. I didn’t say that to make you feel bad. I’m just not sure about this whole relationship with the three of us working. You and Chance make sense to me. There’s not a doubt in my head that you two could live happily ever after. But I have my doubts about adding me to the picture.” Sam’s voice trailed off.

“Can you come here?” She patted the spot beside her on the bed. Sam sat down with a wary look on his face.

Josie opened her mouth to talk, but her throat was thick with tears.

“Hey. What’s wrong? You feeling worse?” Sam cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Doesn’t feel like your fever has spiked.”

She shook her head and her curls whirled around them both. “No, it’s not that,” she choked out. “I can’t believe you don’t realize how much I adore you. Sam, I came alive when you walked into my life. I never realized how dark everything was until you brought in the sun. You, Sam, you make me feel cherished. But that’s not the reason I will forever hold you in my heart.”

Josie leaned forward and brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead so she could see his scar. She brushed her thumb against it. “I love you for the brave, loyal, and loving man that you are. To Chance, to Betty and Butch, and to Leif, but most of all to me.”

He drew in a deep breath. Before he could say something, she covered his lips with her hand. “Wait, I’m not done. You said I was in the shallow end. You’re wrong. I love you. I love Chance. I want a relationship between the three of us to work with my whole heart. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have gone to Florida. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that I made you think I didn’t love you.”

Sam’s stare seemed to go on forever.

“Ah God, Josie,” he choked out. “I don’t want you to ever, not ever, think that you haven’t crawled into my heart and taken residence. Because you have. I love you, Woman. That shallow end of the pool? God, I have my head up my ass.”

“Does that mean you’re moving your clothes?”

Once again, his eyes glittered, but this time she saw that it was definitely with tears.

“Baby. Tell me,” she begged.

“Every time I see you. Every time I picture a future for us. I keep seeing Rhonda and Nathan and Leroy. I can’t get them out of my head. Rhonda was engaged to be married. Did I tell you that?”

Josie’s shoulders slumped. It wasn’t the scars on the outside, it was the much deeper scars on the inside.

“No, you never told me about Rhonda,” she answered.

“Just know I love you. Fuck, I even love Chance—”

“Hey, I never signed up for you loving, loving me,” Chance chimed in as he brought in a tray. “I mean, yeah, I brought up the ménage thing, but I thought—”

“Go fuck yourself, Reynolds,” Sam said without heat.

Josie snickered at their antics. Once again, Chance had managed to diffuse an emotionally turbulent situation. Was it any wonder that she wanted to fight for this relationship?

“I brought you breakfast Josie, you need to eat, and I want to hear about the trip to Florida.” Chance sat down right beside Josie, picked up the spoon, and handed it to her.

Josie hesitated. There was so much more she wanted to say to Sam. But, what could she say?

This time Sam sighed. “He’s right, you need to eat.”

Josie took a reluctant bite of her oatmeal. As soon as she swallowed, she realized just how hungry she was, and started to really eat.

“So, Florida,” Chance prompted. “Why did you think it was necessary to fly out there in the first place? They’re going to be out here in three weeks.”

Josie set down her spoon and took a sip of juice, trying to get her thoughts together. “I’ve raised them. Becca can normally roll with things, but Sarah needs a little more time to get information and think it over. She never does well when she feels like something has been sprung on her.”

“So why not tell them over Skype?” Sam asked.

“If there was fall-out, I wanted to be there for a couple of days. Like I said, Sarah takes time to process things.”