Page 42 of Love Everlasting

For good.

“Well, that’s a crying shame, Teach, because you’ve got a real knack.”

I know—falling for the wrong guys.

“I mean, if you’d told me two months ago that Jazz would hint at breaking up with Mr. Wonderful to come back to me” —he melted her with a crooked grin— “which is a first, by the way, since I’m the one who asked her to come back the last two times—I would have said you’re nuts. And yet, here I am, the ‘good friend’ she says she can trust and rely on, getting positive vibes from the woman I love.” He unleashed a soft exhale of air, the sound pure contentment. “She told me tonight she thinks she made a mistake dating the intern and wanted to know what I thought she should do.”

Shannon’s breath hitched in her throat. “What’d you tell her?” she whispered, half hoping he hadn’t taken her advice to play it straight with integrity rather than swooping in for the kill.

Both his smile and tone were steady and calm. “Told her what you told me, Teach—that choosing a person to love for life is huge and one of the most important decisions she’ll ever make. Said she needed to think about it long and hard, weighing his love for her against his love for himself. And that she needed to make darn sure it was a love that could weather life’s storms and fickle feelings.” He looked her way, a deep and serious respect glowing in his eyes. “Unconditional love, Shannon, like you taught me, where we sacrifice our needs for the sake of the person we care about, establishing a rock-solid love we can count on no matter what.”

“A love everlasting,” she whispered, the kind of love her soul had ached for with Eric. And the kind of love that was only rooted in faith.

“Yep.” A twinkle lit in his eyes as he slapped on the blinker again when they approached her exit. “And then I quoted one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.” He glanced her way to deliver a wink. “I said ‘a love worth having is a love worth praying for,’ so she needed to do that too.”

Tears stung at the back of Shannon’s lids.

“So, you see, Teach, you taught me about the kind of forever love I never even knew existed or had even seen before, and I’m pretty sure Jazz hasn’t either.” His chest rose and fell in a satisfied sigh. “Till now.” Voice husky, he grazed her arm again. “I owe you my life, Shannon, in more ways than one, and I wish there was something I could do to express how grateful I am.”

She angled toward him, displacing his fingers. “Just be happy, Sam,” she whispered, unable to thwart the sheen of tears in her eyes, “that’s all the thanks I need.”

“Hey …” He reached to caress the side of her face with his thumb, dark brows pinched with concern. “What’s wrong? This doesn’t change anything between us, I promise. We’ll always be friends, kiddo, so why the saltwater?”

Because … we’ll always be friends.

She quickly swiped at her eyes, relieved when he pulled into her driveway where the darkness could hide the heat in her cheeks. “I guess I’m just worried about my mom,” she said quietly, grateful it was the truth even if it wasn’t all of it. She took the tissue he pulled out of his console. “Cat said Mom left early because she didn’t feel well, asking Chase to give her a lift home since Jack drove his two-seater. But she’s not answering her cell, so I suspect she forgot to recharge the battery again.” Shannon dabbed at her eyes, a semblance of a smile resurfacing. “She calls herself a space cadet, which certainly fits when it comes to her phone.” Drawing in a deep breath, Shannon released it again in a wavering sigh. “But Ben left right after that, promising to check on her, so hopefully she’s okay.”

“Yeah.” Sam turned the car off and shifted to face her, reaching across to twine his fingers through hers. “Probably just a headache from the band—it was pretty loud tonight. Which is fine for us wild clubber types, but not for normal people.” He squeezed her hand, his voice suddenly as serious as his eyes. “I treasure your friendship, Shannon,” he said quietly, grazing her knuckles with his thumb, “and oddly enough, your prayers.” He sagged back into his seat, breaking the clasp of their hands. “Because God knows I’m going to need a boatload to say no to Jazz if we get back together.” He cut loose with a grunt. “Especially if I propose, which given this new morality kink you’ve introduced into my life, should be rather soon.”

“It’ll be worth it, Sam, I promise.”

He assessed her beneath dark lashes. “Well, you’ve never lied to me yet, Angel Eyes, so I’m putting my money on you.” He jagged a brow. “Unless, of course, gambling is off-limits in your world too?”

“No comment.” A smile twitched on her lips as she gathered her purse and shawl.

He stilled her with a hand to her arm, the tenderness in his eyes warming her from the inside out. “As God is my witness, Shan, I’ve never met anyone as wholesome as you, not to mention a woman with such a pure heart.”

She shook her head, blood broiling her cheeks. “Nobody has a ‘pure heart,’ Sam, least of all me.”

“I don’t buy it. Believe me, I’ve dated my fair share of liberated women, and after just months knowing you, I’m pretty sure you rank right at the top of the purity scale. And I’ll even bet that moron you dated gave you plenty of grief for your commitment to stay pure, didn’t he?”

“He did,” she said quietly, too ashamed to admit that she’d failed in that commitment, at least not to this man she was hoping to nudge toward morality.

“See? That’s what I mean—you’re an anomaly in today’s society—untainted and pure.”

Her pulse stuttered along with her words. “Oh, Sam, no—”

“Strangely enough,” he continued, cutting her off with a wink, “despite my proclivity for wild women, I’ve always been a sucker for ‘pure,’ so who knows?” One edge of his mouth crooked as he opened his door. “I just might like celibacy till marriage more than I think.”

Shannon’s heart pounded as he circled the car to open her door. Tell him.

He grinned. “And then again, maybe not, because it sure isn’t going to be easy. But the way I figure it, Teach, is if you can do it, I can too.” He helped her out and gave her a quick hug before walking her to the door. “And if all this works out the way I hope and Jazz and I do tie the knot someday, Jack may be my ‘best man,’ Shan, but when it comes to counselor and best friend? You’ll always be my ‘best woman.’”

She blinked.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. Thanks for being my date tonight. It sure didn’t hurt for Jazz to see me dancing with a hot babe and having fun, good friend or no.”

He gave a wave on the way to his car, and she returned a half-hearted one of her own. She watched until his brake lights disappeared down the street before she slipped into the house, a cramp in her heart.