Page 35 of Love Everlasting

Mischief curled on his lips as he palmed the ball with one hand, his sideways glance offering a teasing dance of brows. “Apparently Jazz and Mr. Wrong are having issues, and she’s coming to me for advice.”

“Really?” Shannon’s heart sped up, a mix of pride and joy colliding with a hint of malaise. “What happened?”

He tossed the ball back and forth as they approached the gym, his smile suddenly ebbing along with the prior victory in his tone. “She showed up at my place last night crying,” he said quietly, “so we talked for a long while, deeper than we ever have before.” He opened the gym door for Shannon and followed her in, unleashing a heavy sigh as he put the ball away. “And I’ll tell you what, Shan—tore me up so much, I just wanted to swallow her up in my arms and make the hurt go away.” He fell in step beside her on the way to the parking lot. “So I asked her to stay for popcorn and a movie.”

Shannon skidded to a stop, several pebbles flying when she spun to face him. “You didn’t try and …” She fought the rise of a gulp, not really wanting to hear his answer.

His mouth tipped. “No, Teach. I did just what you told me, as difficult as it was. Comfort, coffee, and nothing else.” He opened her door and she slid in, waiting for him to get in on the other side. “And let me tell you,” he continued after he started the ignition, “the woman was all over me before the credits could even roll, almost pouting when I wouldn’t put out.” He gave her a wink before easing the Vette out of the lot. “Kinda felt like you, Shan.”

Shannon gaped at his profile in awe, hardly able to believe the playboy in Sam had turned away the woman he loved. “You mean you didn’t even kiss her?”

Strains of Keith Urban’s “But for the Grace of God” filtered through the car as a slow smile wended its way across his lips. “Sushi okay?” he asked, ignoring her question.

“No, sushi is not okay,” she said with a slap of his arm. “You know I don’t do slimy.”

He flashed a grin with a wiggle of dark brows. “Yeah, I do, remember?”

She whacked him again, face burning over his reference to the one and only pass he’d ever made. “I need real protein, Doc, not designer fish food, and you didn’t answer my question. Did you kiss her or not?”

“Nope.” With a smug smile, he got on the Harry S. Truman Parkway, and she knew he was taking her to Sandfly BBQ, one of her favorite obsessions.

After him, of course. Her smile bottomed out over a thought she had no business thinking. Buck up, O’Bryen—this is friendship, remember?

“I didn’t kiss her, Teach, but she sure kissed me.” He shot her a grin before accelerating to his usual breakneck speed on the highway.

Shannon’s jaw dropped, pretty sure her eyes were as round as his headlights. “Oh my goodness, Sam, what did you do?”

His broad shoulders lifted in a casual shrug, smile soft as the Vette ate up the miles. “I just pushed her gently away and told her I respected our friendship and her relationship with the boyfriend too much to mess either of them up. So she left.”

Shannon hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until it seeped through her lips. “Before the movie?”

“Yep.” He glanced her way, a definite gleam in his eyes. “But not before laying one on me at the door that almost made me cry before I pushed her away. I sent her home more than a little frustrated, I guarantee you, but she wasn’t alone. But it was all worth it, though, because I can sense a shift in her, you know? Like the winds are starting to blow my way.” He winked. “Shouldn’t be long now before she dumps the chump and we’re back together for good.”

Shannon drew in a deep breath, slowly releasing it again. “You so sure about that, Doc?” she said quietly, pretty certain it wasn’t going to be as easy as that.

He squinted at her as he exited the highway, a deep cleft at the bridge of his nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Think about it, Sam,” she said, voice soft to cushion the blow of what she was about to say. “She’s left you twice before, so what makes you think she’s gonna stay this time?”

“Hey, I’ve changed, haven’t I?” There was a thread of hurt in his tone.

Her smile was gentle. “Marginally, yes, but I suspect it’s only a temporary change to win her back, not deep-down change to convince her you’re the man for her.”

He pulled into the parking lot of Sandfly BBQ and jerked the hand brake up a little too forcefully, clearly frustrated. “Come on, Shan, have a little faith in me, will you?”

“I’d really like to, Sam,” she whispered, heart racing at the subject she was about to broach, one Sam didn’t cotton to, based on their many conversations. But deep down she knew it was time, and her friendship with him was worth nothing if she couldn’t supply him with the truth. She ducked her head to peek up with the deep affection God had so abundantly deposited into her heart. “In fact I’d like to have a whole lot of faith in you where it counts, Sam—deep down in your soul. Life-changing faith, like the kind we can only get from God.”

He hurled his car door open with a groan that made her smile, practically stomping around the vehicle to open her door as he always insisted on doing. “You’re going to ruin our BBQ if you keep this up—”

She held up a hand before she rose from the car, brows elevated in teacher mode. “No, wait—hear me out, please.” He extended his hand to assist as always, and she popped up, stepping aside to let him close the door. “Einstein said, ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ Which is what you’ll be doing, Sam—settling back in to the same old routine that didn’t satisfy her before.”

His jaw condensed as he steered her up the steps into the small but wide Streamliner railcar building, palm firm at the small of her back. “Okay, okay, so how do I change that?”

“You don’t, Sam—God does.” She slid into a booth and faced him with hands folded on the table, offering a grateful smile when the waitress delivered menus and took their drink order.

He shook his head as the waitress left, snatching up the menu to study it. “Oh no, Angel Eyes, we’re not going there.”

She waited till he laid it down again, then leaned in, her smile warm with affection. “Tell me, Sam—do you trust me?” she asked, tenderness lacing her tone.