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She tilted her head, watching him carefully.
“You’re going to be a mother in a few months, and everything’s going to change for you,” he continued. “I...I’ve been thinking about all of it, considering all the angles, and only one thing makes sense.” He drew in a breath. “I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t want to see you lose something precious to you. So I spoke to your father to get his blessing to ask you to marry me.”
Norma stared at him for a second, then she tugged her hand from his and covered her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, and his heart sank. She was angry, hurt, or shocked...whatever she was, it wasn’t pleased. It wasn’t happy or relieved. She didn’t love him, and that was okay. He didn’t love her in the way that he’d loved Susan. There was potential, though, right? Or at least he thought there was. Yet, Norma had started to cry.
“Look,” Sam said, his voice trembling. “I know I’m still in school. I talked to the housing department, and we can get on the waiting list for married housing. It would be small, but it would be ours. Or we could live with your parents if you’d like. It’s up to you—whatever you want.”
Tears coursed down her cheeks. Would she say something? Had he just decimated their friendship?
“I know I’m not David, and you’ll probably never feel for me what you did for him.” Sam offered up his last line of reasoning. “But we’re compatible and I think that’s a good start. Maybe down the road, we’ll fall in love with each other. I don’t think it would be too hard on my part.”
Norma lowered her hand and swiped at her cheeks. “Are you serious, Sam? You’d marry me? I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”
“I’d only be sorry if you left for Portland tomorrow,” he said, the truth vibrating through him. “If you stayed, then I’d honestly be the luckiest man in Seattle.”
She blinked several times, gazing at him, as if waiting for him to laugh and say he was joking about all of it. But he wasn’t joking. He’d never been so serious in all his life.
“I don’t want you to throw away your future on a mistake I made with another man,” she said in a stilted voice.
Sam felt those words right in his gut. The circumstances weren’t ideal, that he knew. “We all make mistakes,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we have to keep making them. Marry me, Norma. Love me or not. But don’t leave me.”
He had one more card to play. Sliding off the bench, he knelt on the floor, facing her. Then he pulled out the ring he’d stored in his pocket. It had been his grandmother’s ring, and he thought he’d be giving it to Susan one day. It symbolized family, love, devotion, and he wanted Norma to be the woman who wore it. Holding up the ring, he said, “Let’s share our future.”
Her gaze focused on the ring, then moved to his face. “I don’t want to let you down,” she whispered.
“You could never let me down,” he whispered back.
She leaned forward and took his face in her hands. “I already care about you, Sam Davis. I just didn’t want you to regret anything.”
He kissed her then. It was a tentative kiss, but it sent his heart galloping. Somewhere in the middle of their kissing, she agreed to marry him. And Sam felt the rightness of her words all the way to his soul.
1981
ANITA SCANNED THE FRONT ROOM that she’d vacuumed and dusted. There wasn’t much else to do in preparation for her guest unless she decided to completely redecorate. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, especially with her car repair bills. The Bug sat beneath the carport now, new starter installed, which had put a sizeable dent in her checkbook.
She’d been distracted most of the day and hadn’t made much progress on her newest commissioned art project. She’d had lunch with Phyllis—which was becoming a regular occurrence. Soon after lunch, she gave up on trying to concentrate, and instead baked cookies. Carly would be happy at least. Anita couldn’t remember the last time she’d had freshly baked cookies waiting for Carly after school. It was interesting how some traditions faded over time. One day, they were part of regular life, the next, they were a memory.
Anita crossed to the front window and stood where she could see the corner of the street. Wyatt should be arriving in the next few minutes. He hadn’t called, so she assumed there hadn’t been any work delays. Or Carly could arrive first. She had been walking home with her new friend Sara the past two days, and Anita couldn’t be happier for her. Moving on from Samantha and Evie had been a good choice. Not only for Carly’s school life, but their home life had been more peaceful.
A cherry-red Cadillac turned onto the street. It had to be Wyatt. She smoothed her hair. She’d brushed it into a low ponytail, not wanting to put too much effort into her appearance. Nerves thrummed through her as it was.
The car slowed and pulled alongside the curb. Anita stepped back, staying out of plain sight as Wyatt climbed out. He wore a button-down shirt, a dark tie, slacks...pretty much what she always saw him in. She wondered if he ever dressed down. Well, of course he did, but she was curious all the same.
Her heart rate began to skip as he walked along the sidewalk, then headed up the driveway. She moved into the kitchen, just standing there, waiting for him. She didn’t want to open the door mere seconds after he knocked. Anita exhaled, telling herself to calm down. She wasn’t a teenager. This wasn’t a date. They were two adults working together to help his grandpa. Besides, Carly would be walking in the door soon, and that would keep everyone grounded.
The knock on the door jolted through her. Anita scoffed at herself. There was no reason to be jumpy. She headed into the front room, and after a couple deep breaths, she opened the door.
“Hi,” she said.
Wyatt’s eyes crinkled at the corners with his smile. “How are you?”
“Fine, fine. Come in. How was work today?”
“I got in extra early, and things wrapped up quickly. So I was happy about that.” He glanced about her front room as she led the way to the kitchen.
“That sounds good.” The small talk was agonizing. “Well, have a seat. Carly should be here in a moment. I have pens and a notepad and the typewriter. There’s the phone and phone book. What else do we need?”
Wyatt moved toward the kitchen table, but he didn’t sit down. “Your garden looks amazing.”
