Page 38 of Love Everlasting

Along with my girl.

But Sam wasn’t one to hold a grudge, especially against Jack, a good friend he flat-out liked and respected more than most men he knew. And like Shannon so wisely pointed out, it was Jack’s involvement with Jasmine after Sam blew it that forced Sam to finally see the error of his ways—never a bad thing.

Love seeketh not its own.

It does not behave itself unseemly.

Jack’s mom, Tess, leaned forward with a bright smile. “So, Sam, good luck tonight.”

“Gee, thanks, Mom,” Jack said in a mock wounded tone. “Appreciate the support.”

Affection glowed in Tess O’Bryen’s face. “Aw, sweetheart, you’ll always be a winner to me.”

A low chuckle rolled from the lips of Jack’s cousin, Matt Ball. “Yeah, the Mommy’s Boy Award.”

Jack grinned, finger-shooting a crumb at Matt from his half-eaten roll. “Better than being a loser, Ball.”

“You’re a winner to me, too, Jack,” Cat piped up, a bit of the devil gleaming in blue eyes so like Shannon’s and yet so different. “Except at shrimping and crabbing, of course, where I will always be queen.”

“‘Queen of Crabbing?’” Cat’s date said with a lift of sandy brows, a laid-back guy who turned out to be Jack’s pastor and best friend as well as a friend of the family. He chewed his salad in a leisurely manner, broad shoulders and hard-chiseled features more reminiscent of a bodyguard than a minister. He tweaked the back of Cat’s neck with a lazy smile. “Now there’s a crown that fits with all the crabbing you do at volleyball whenever you lose.”

Jack grinned, finger-shooting another crumb at Cat. “Or when I decimate her in fishing tournaments.”

“Or when it’s her week for dishes,” Shannon volunteered with a flutter of lashes, her love for her sister evident from the sparkle of tease in her eyes.

Cat’s jaw sagged in an open-mouthed smile, the spark of trouble in her gaze leaving no doubt as to which twin was the handful. “Even you, Shan?” she said with a true flair for drama, hand splayed to the bodice of a red dress that hinted at far more cleavage than Shannon ever displayed. “I’m wounded—you’re supposed to defend me to the bitter end.”

“I do, Catfish,” Shannon said with a sweet look of sincerity as only she could. “When Jack says you’re a big, fat pain, I tell him straight out that you are not fat.”

Sam laughed along with the others, soaking up the playful banter of family like a parched wasteland thirsting for rain. Jack was one of the luckiest guys around, in Sam’s opinion, with the incredible family and friends that he had. But at least Sam was gaining ground with Shannon as his friend.

And soon, God willing, Jasmine as his wife.

His mind stilled despite the chatter and clink of silverware. God willing? The random thought caught him by surprise, making him uneasy over the notion that Shannon might be making more headway than he thought. Shaking the feeling off, he zeroed in on Lacey’s dad, the notorious Dr. Snark of Memorial, of whom he and every other intern had steered clear. “Congratulations, Dr. Carmichael,” he said across the table, “for your nomination as Physician Philanthropist of the Year. That’s quite an honor, sir.”

Memorial’s chief cardiac surgeon and Shannon’s neighbor glanced up with a polite smile, his manner far more amenable than his cranky reputation warranted. But according to Jack, Ben Carmichael was a new man with a newfound faith, something that totally intrigued Sam in light of his own recent overhaul at Shannon’s hand.

Taking a drink of his water, Dr. Carmichael assessed Sam through hazel eyes that held a humility he hadn’t expected. “It is, Sam, and please, call me Ben. But I have to admit, for a man who seldom gave of himself philanthropically until the last year, the idea of an award makes me more than a little uncomfortable.”

“Oh, poo,” Tess O’Bryen said, giving her neighbor’s arm a quick squeeze. “Ben’s given of his time and services to the less fortunate for years now, Sam, culminating in an eight-month medical mission leave this last year.” She launched into a thorough rundown of Dr. Carmichael’s achievements that quickly caught the ear of Chase Griffin, whose questions prompted a conversation on the other side of the table.

Shannon leaned close to Sam. “Mom claims they’re just neighbors and friends,” she whispered, “but Cat and I think there’s more to it than that, thus the staunch defense.”

“Interesting.” Sam observed the body language between Tess and Ben, the idea of Jack’s mother involved with Lacey’s father intriguing, to say the least.

By the time dessert had been served and awards had been won—including Rookie Pediatrician to Wilson and Physician Philanthropist to Ben—Sam was like one of the family. Seldom had he felt so included and at peace as he did sitting next to Shannon, thriving on being part of the camaraderie they all shared. So much so, he’d almost forgotten about Jazz after the dancing began, enjoying a private moment with Shannon while everyone at their table was out on the dance floor.

“Uh-oh, target approaching at nine o’clock.” Shannon’s soft alert congealed the last of Sam’s English trifle in his throat, forcing it down along with a sudden knot of nerves.

Pretending not to notice Jasmine heading their way, Sam hooked a casual arm over Shannon’s shoulder, bending close to whisper in her ear. “Do you have any idea just how much I appreciate you, Angel Eyes?”

When her cheeks bloomed bright red, he laughed out loud, massaging her shoulder before pressing a soft kiss to her head.

“Hey, Sam.”

He and Shannon glanced up, his arm around Shannon’s shoulder the stabilizer he needed. Especially with the luscious Jasmine Augustine mere inches away in a clingy dress that sapped all moisture from his mouth. “Hey, Jazz.” Sam rose, working hard at nonchalance as he fought the urge to tell her she was a knockout, which were always the first words off his tongue whenever he saw her dressed up. He gave Shannon’s shoulder a squeeze. “You know Jack’s sister Shannon, right?”

“Sure. Hey, Shannon—great dress.”