Sam eyes the kitchen hatch, where Win has returned to cooking, but keeps looking our way.
“I’d like to be the judge of that.” Sam gets up. “I’m going to?—”
I grip his wrist and yank him back down into his seat. “Leave him alone.”
I shoot a quick glance at the hatch. Win is staring at the hand I have on Sam’s shoulder, and from his frown, he’s not happy about it.
I immediately release Sam, who, to my relief, doesn’t take advantage to slip away. He leans back in his seat and crosses his arms. “Your parents were worried, Rose.”
“No, my mom isn’t. Mydadsare worried,” I correct him. “And they didn’t need to send you here to check on us.”
His eyes dip to my throat, and I hastily cover Murph’s claiming bite. “He’s my scent match, Sam,” I say, a touch defensively. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine, and so is Ben. Win would never hurt either of us.”
“You’ve been in this town five minutes, Rose.”
“Two weeks,” I correct him.
“And you said you were on a road trip.”
I look away. “Yeah.”
“And you lied about it. Which you never do.”
Guilt twists in my belly, and I fiddle with a sugar canister. “I know. I just wasn’t ready to tell anyone about Murph, Win, and Joel. My dads would push me to end the road trip and comehome, and you would charge over here, assuming the worst. Just like you’re doing now.”
“And not because they talked you into lying?”
My eyes snap up to meet his. “God, Sam. No one made me lie about anything. No one is keeping me in Rios. I am not a hostage here. I have a scent match, and that changes things. Ben is happy to stay.” I almost tell him about Ben wanting us to buy the farmhouse, but I figure that would only make him more paranoid.
“And the other two men?”
“I trust them,” I say softly. “Joel was the firefighter who showed Ben around the firehouse. Win wouldn’t hurt me or Ben. He came with me to the doctor when my morning sickness stopped, and I thought something was wrong.”
His expression turns blank. “Morning sickness?”
Shit.
I wince. “My parents didn’t tell you that part.”
Sounds like they told him about me living with Murph, Win, and Joel, but not about the pregnancy. I’m not sure why my dads left that out. Maybe they thought I would want to tell Sam myself that he’s going to be an uncle again.
“No, they didn’t tell me that part.” He leans toward me. “You’re pregnant?”
I nod. “It’s why I stopped here with Ben in the first place. I was sick and needed a bathroom.”
He whistles low. “And instead you find your scent match.”
I give him a wobbly smile. “Please don’t say you’re mad that I kept quiet about it.”
He’s out of his booth and pulling me into a hug before I can finish my sentence. “I’m not mad about it. Shit. I’m happy for you, Rose. That’s great news. I get to be a cool uncle again.”
“You were never the cool uncle, Sam,” I say, smiling as I hug him back.
“Hush. You’re ruining my moment,” he mutters, making me laugh.
He’s grinning when he pulls away. “So does that mean you’re staying here?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, letting him hear my confusion. “I slept with Murph, and Ben is talking about buying a house and schools. Everything is happening so fast, and I keep thinking I’m betraying Simon’s memory by letting myself be happy. Maybe Ben would do better in Memphis with his grandparents or in upstate New York with your parents. Am I being selfish for wanting to stay here?”
