Page 50 of Love Everlasting

Chase nodded slowly, hands parked on his hips. “Jasmine, right? Jack mentioned you’ve been interested in her for years now.”

Sam issued a good-natured grunt. “Yeah, especially after Jack stole her away from me.” He nodded toward Lacey and Jack heading their way along with Shannon and Cat. “But the gods smiled on me when Lacey came along, knocking Jack out of the picture for good, so thanks to Shan’s sound advice, I’m almost home free.”

“God,” Chase said with a faint smile.

Sam paused. “Excuse me?”

“God smiled on you, singular, not plural,” Chase said with a friendly cuff of Sam’s shoulder. “And I’ll be happy to help anyway I can, Sam, so if you ever need to talk, just give me a call.”

“Thanks.” I think. Sam quickly turned his attention to Jack. “It was a great evening, Jack, so thanks for inviting me.”

“Which time?” Jack said with a grin, arm slung loosely over Lacey’s shoulder. “Seriously, I’m glad you came, Ham—it’s nice to compete against you again.”

“Uh, he was on your team, Jack, remember?” Lacey pinched Jack’s waist.

“Don’t kid yourself, Lace. Ham is a die-hard competitor in everything he does, whether striving to be the best on a team or owning the best candy jar in the office.”

Sam shrugged, offering a humble flash of teeth. “Can I help it if everybody likes Reese’s miniatures better than Tootsie Roll Pops?”

“Yes,” Jack said, flicking the back of Sam’s head as he passed by. “Knowing you, you probably researched it to death. Come on, Lace. After the week I had, I’m about ready to drop, and I prefer it be in a bed rather than on a gym floor.” He flopped a hand in the air on their way out the door. “So long, everyone.”

Goodnights rang out across the gym as people slowly filtered out, leaving Sam and Chase to pull up the rear with Cat and Shannon. “Hey, Shan,” Sam said while Chase locked up, “you and Cat feel like some ice cream?”

Cat exchanged glances with Shannon before she executed a perfect yawn. “Sorry, Sam, but I’m bushed, too, and I’m on early shift at camp tomorrow, so I need to head home. Rain check?”

“Sure thing,” Sam said with an understanding smile, feeling a little guilty to be so relieved over having her sister to himself. He looped an arm to Shannon’s waist and gave her a squeeze. “Looks like it’s just you and me, Angel Eyes. Unless, of course, the Rev wants to tag along?” He glanced at Chase, who had just approached, praying he would say no.

“Where to?” Chase asked, giving Sam a strange feeling when the Rev exchanged looks with Shannon.

“I’m taking Shannon to get ice cream, if you’re interested.”

“Actually, Sam …” Shannon’s voice lowered to a whisper as she turned away from Chase to address Sam with a pretty blush in her cheeks. “Chase and I were planning to go to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar …”

“But you’re welcome to join us if you want,” Chase said quickly, the glance between him and Shannon like a blow to Sam’s chest. Not to mention his ego.

Lulu’s Chocolate Bar? The premiere date-night dessert venue in Savannah? The one he’d taken umpteen women to before he’d taken them “home”—his, not theirs?

“Absolutely,” Shannon said in a rush, the gentle hand she laid on his arm burning right through along with the acid in his gut. “They have great ice cream, or so I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, they do,” he whispered, too stunned to even render a smile. Shannon? On a date? Sam grappled with what to say, how to act, the freeze in his brain as powerful as anything Lulu’s could offer. But … she gave up dating—isn’t that what she’d told him once?

As if reading his mind, she inched closer to Chase, the concern in her eyes making him feel like a heel. “I don’t usually date, as you know, Sam, but when Chase tempted me with Lulu’s …” She gave the Rev that sweet awkward smile that Sam absolutely loved, probably trying to lighten an embarrassing situation, then turned back to Sam with an uneasy shrug of her shoulders. “I figured I better take the opportunity because I’ve always wanted to go.”

I would have taken you ... Sam cleared his throat, taking a step back with a palm in the air. “Hey, no worries, Shan. I need to head home anyway, but you’re going to love it, I promise.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join us, Sam?” Grating her lip, Shannon offered a worried smile, her kind and nurturing nature obviously kicking in full force.

“Naw.” He took a few more steps back, anxious to distance himself. “You two go and have a great time, and I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” Offering a wave, he made a beeline for his car.

“Sam?” Shannon’s voice practically bled regret.

“Yeah?” He spun around with a strained smile, hands buried in his pockets.

“How about I treat you to Lulu’s next week, to celebrate the progress you’ve made with Jazz?”

Jazz. The woman he loved and hoped to marry. He sucked in a sharp breath, then slowly expelled it again, wondering why the thought suddenly left him as cold as the ice cream at Lulu’s.

“Sounds good,” he said with another wave, his smile sad over the tenderness so innate in Shannon O’Bryen. A rare woman who worked diligently to spare people’s feelings and tried so hard to make everyone happy. He slammed his car door, gunning the engine as if to vent, barely aware when the Vette squealed out of the lot.