Page 32 of Love Everlasting

Sam chuckled. “Please don’t—I need them if I’m going to win Jazz back.”

“To crawl on your knees?” Jack said with a lazy grin.

“Surprisingly, no.” Sam took a drink of his Red Bull, a feeling of peace settling despite the caffeine he was pumping into his body. He smiled. “Your sister is teaching me a whole new tact,” he said with a leisurely scratch of curls at the nape of his neck, his smile easing into a grin, “and unlike my methods before, begging is not part of the routine.”

“Good to hear, Ham. Women like a man in control, especially a woman like Jazz.”

Sam issued a grunt. “Yeah, well I’ve always been the one in control in relationships until Jazz dumped me.”

“And the two-timing co-ed,” Jack reminded him gently, almost making Sam sorry he’d opened up about the woman he’d fallen hard for in college, the one he’d hoped to marry. His smile disappeared into a thin line as he recalled how over the moon he’d been when he put his ring on Amber’s finger, pledging his love forever. Only forever turned out to be till every Friday night rolled around when she went clubbing with her friends, screwing Sam over with a revolving door of other men.

Including a married professor.

A heavy blast of air blustered from Sam’s lips. “Don’t remind me.”

“So, what’s Shannon’s plan?” Jack studied him with frank interest, his faith in his sister obvious by the affection in his tone.

Sam sank back into his chair, resting his head on the back like Jack while giving him a faint smile. “I swear your sister should be a counselor, Jack. Not only has she taught me how to be a friend to Jasmine” —he paused to give Jack a knowing look with a crook of a smile— “and only a friend, but she’s helping me to build my self-respect in ways I never dreamed I could. She’s pretty much whittled away the player in me to not only reveal a guy women can trust, but a guy I can trust too.” His smile bottomed out. “Of course being your sister, she also gets her licks in with not-too-subtle references to God that annoy me to no end.”

Jack’s chuckle bounced off the office walls. “That’s my girl. I’ll tell you what, Sam, she’s definitely something special.”

“Yes, she is,” Sam said quietly, thinking how much fuller, deeper, and more peaceful his life was since he met Shannon. He glanced up to lock gazes with Jack, the sobriety in his tone a promise he intended to keep. “She’s rapidly becoming my best friend, Jack, and you have my word—I will never hurt her.”

“I believe you, Sam.” Jack’s chest inflated with a deep swell of air before he expelled it in one long, arduous sigh. “At least not intentionally, but I gotta tell you, bro, I’m more than a little concerned about that killer charm of yours. I’ve seen too many women fall under your spell, Dr. Love, and I just want to make sure Shan doesn’t become another victim.”

Victim. Sam winced, pretty sure he deserved that. He tossed out a grin, hoping to counter Jack’s underlying message with humor. “Are you kidding? When it comes to Shannon, I’m the victim here, and don’t make me take my shirt off to prove it. Besides,” he said with a hoist of his Red Bull, “it took weeks before she’d even give me the time of day, and she still won’t go anywhere without a lot of people around. Trust me—I literally had to bribe her in the first place, to even break through her defenses.”

“Yeah, ‘break through her defenses.’ That’s what I’m worried about, Ham, because I learned first-hand in residency that nobody breaches a girl’s defenses quite like you.” Jack rose, stretching his arms back with the Red Bull in his hand and a wry smile on his lips. “So I hope you don’t mind, old buddy, but I plan to put the third degree to my little sister just to make sure she’s not falling for your charm.”

“She’s not,” Sam said too quickly, suddenly remembering the passion in Shannon’s kiss when she melted in his arms. A kiss that had enough return heat to convince Sam she wanted more as much as he did. “But it doesn’t matter, Jack—I would never risk hurting Shannon or my friendship with her.”

“I’m afraid it does matter, Sam, because if I sense she has even the slightest bit of attraction to you, I’m going to ask you to back off and leave her alone. Which shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you if you get back with Jazz. Because take it from personal experience—that woman isn’t going to want Shannon around, friend or no.” Jack paused. “Agreed?”

Sam’s throat constricted, the thought of Shannon out of his life not settling all that well. “Agreed,” he said quietly, hoping it didn’t come to that.

“Good. Then thanks for the Red Bull, man. I was dragging before I came in here, but this fired me right back up.”

“I doubt it was the Red Bull,” Sam said with a jag of a smile. “You were seeing red way before that.”

Jack grinned. “Yeah, I was, but I feel a whole lot better now.” He took a drink and sat on the edge of Sam’s desk, assessing Sam with compassion in his eyes. “So … you and Jazz—things are looking up?”

“Yep, and all because of your amazing sister, coaching me every step of the way.”

“Cool.” Jack nodded, a tender smile shadowing his lips for a woman Sam supposed was as great a sister as she was a friend. He stood. “Well, I gotta go before Shan’s ‘amazing’ sister-in-law disowns me.”

Sam laughed, slanting back with a casual fold of arms. “Yeah, right. The woman’s so out of orbit for you, she’s over the moon.”

Jack ambled to the door, lobbing a grin over his shoulder. “Yeah, I know. Just like Jazz will be once you lock her down.”

“Thanks, man.” Sam opened his computer, Jack’s reassurance leaving a warm feeling in his chest. “Appreciate it.”

“See you tomorrow,” Jack called, turning halfway with a sudden notch between his brows. “Oh … almost forgot.” He strolled around to Sam’s side of the desk with his Red Bull to apparently throw it away. But before Sam could take it, Jack dribbled the dregs over Sam’s head.

“Are you crazy?” Sam vaulted to his feet with a growl, snatching the can from Jack’s hand while he grilled him with a glare. “What the devil was that for?” he shouted, amber liquid dribbling off his nose onto one of his favorite ties.

Hands in his pockets, Jack strolled to the door with a satisfied chuckle, glancing back while he fisted the knob. “That, old buddy,” he said with a smile a whole lot dryer than Sam’s tie, “is for kissing my sister.”

Chapter Eighteen