did not come easily.
She had only been around Joseph a few times, each generally ending in irritation. And yet, tonight, there was something so real and vulnerable as he stood outside, wanting to make sure she was safe and going so far as to explain what she’d overheard in the bar. Rolling to her back, she rested her arm over her forehead and sighed.
There was something about him that reminded her of a skittish animal. No doubt he was an enigma, and for a moment, as she stood at the door staring into his eyes, taking in all the manly beauty, she’d wondered what it would be like to solve the puzzle of him. But then he’d leave. At least he’d been honest about being a rolling stone.
Curling on her side, she drew her knees up and felt her eyes grow heavy as she listened to the steady breathing of the dog… and wondered why Joseph’s honesty didn’t make her feel any better.
Samantha pulled up to Colt’s house, parking her truck next to a multitude of other vehicles. She might have paid more attention to the fact that the other vehicles were much nicer than her truck, but her gaze was stuck on her windshield, peering out at the massive house. “Jeez, my whole camper would probably fit in his guest bathroom!”
Climbing from the truck, she smoothed her hands over her skirt before leaning in to grab her purse and the gift bag sitting on the passenger seat. Colt’s wife, Carrie, a waitress in a local diner who seemed to know everyone, was hosting a group baby shower. Staring up at the house, she could now see why Carrie made the offer. She was not only a sweetheart but they definitely had the room. A number of their friends were all pregnant, expecting within the next couple of months, and none wanted anyone to break the bank trying to host individual showers.
Walking inside, she was immediately greeted by familiar faces and wide smiles. The living room flowed into a wide dining room, and just behind was a massive kitchen. Some of the women from the American Legion Auxiliary had provided the food, and the concept was unique. The guests only had to bring one baby gift, place it on a table, and Carrie placed a numbered sticker onto the gift.
When it was time for opening the presents, the five pregnant women were given a number, and they opened the gifts designated for that number. If one of them received a gift they already had, fun trading began. While standing to the side, nibbling the delicious food from her plate, Samantha watched as baby clothes, bedding, diapers, wraps, teething rings, stuffed animals, and a multitude of other gifts began spilling out in piles around each expectant friend.
A sigh escaped her lips as she watched the activities. She wanted what the other women had… husbands that adored them, babies on the way, families in the making. Somehow, it always seemed like there was something else that needed to happen first. Four years of college, another four years of vet med school, another three years of the Army. Now, with two years as a civilian veterinarian under her belt, she was ready for the next big adventure. To love someone and be loved. But when? And with who?
As the gift exchange came to a close, she slipped around to the kitchen and noticed two of her friends, Ginny and Belle, moving toward the back door leading to the patio. Deciding that a breath of fresh air would be perfect, she joined them. There, they found another friend, Hannah, enjoying the lighted patio as well. Ginny was a Baytown police officer. Belle was a nurse, married to one of Colt’s detectives, and Hannah was the police chief of the small local town of Easton, who’d carried a secret torch for another local police chief.
The four women settled onto the thick, comfortable cushions of the patio furniture. Samantha leaned her head back, admiring the way Carrie had strung lights around the patio and some of the trees, casting a fairy-like glow over the area. For a few minutes, the other three women chatted about being in law enforcement or dating someone in law enforcement.
Belle sighed. “I imagine it’s hard being in any relationship nowadays.”
Samantha’s lack-of-relationship frustration spilled out, and she dragged her hands through her hair. “Hear, hear. It’s hard to find time… hard to find the right person… hard to… to… oh, just everything.”