pointed to the chalkboard hanging on the far wall. “That’s the menu.”
“Oh.” Thankfully she straightened to study it, giving Sam some room to breathe.
After they placed their orders, the waitress returned with their drinks in record time. Chase and Matt each had a beer, while Rachel opted for iced tea and Savannah settled for a glass of cheap red wine. Sam had requested a cola, and he figured he was going to catch hell for it.
Chase was the first to notice. “Why aren’t you drinking tonight, Mac?”
“Because I had a beer before you showed up and that’s my limit.”
“Since when?” Matt asked.
“Since I had a kid.”
Savannah looked more amazed than anyone. “I’m impressed.”
At least he’d done something to impress her, not that he gave a damn what she thought of him. “People tend to change as they get older and have more responsibility.”
She rimmed her fingertip around the wineglass and looked away. “I suppose they do.”
Matt surveyed the group and shook his head. “Man, does this bring back some good memories, having us all back together again.”
Rachel hid a yawn behind her hand. “I still remember all those weekends we spent at Potter’s Pond.”
Matt chuckled. “I remember when Savannah and Sam got caught parking at the pond by that idiotic deputy. What was his name, Chase?”
Chase scowled. “Gordon. I never understood why my dad hired him. Not only was he a screwup, he had that brownnosing son named Brady.”
Savannah rubbed her forehead as if the recollection had brought about a serious headache. “Ah, yes, Brady. He told everyone at school Sam and I were ‘doing it’ that night when we weren’t doing all that much.”
Sam had been glad they hadn’t been doing much more, otherwise he would’ve been in worse trouble.
“Didn’t the two of you get grounded after your folks got wind of it?” Rachel asked.
“For a week,” Sam admitted before Savannah had the chance.
But the punishment hadn’t stopped him from seeing her. He’d prefer not to remember the details, but he did. Late at night, he’d sneaked out of his back door and right into her bedroom window. The thrill of getting caught had only stoked their ongoing fire. He’d never forgotten those nights, all the more reason to steer clear of her now.
Matt draped his arm around his wife. “We can’t forget the time we sent Rachel into the field house on the guise that the coach needed to see her about the cheerleading squad—”
“Shut up, Matthew,” Rachel snapped. “That wasn’t the least bit funny, walking in on all those half-naked guys in the locker room. I’m still angry.”
“Angry because she didn’t have a camera,” Savannah chimed in, causing a loud outburst of laughter.
The stories kept flowing while Sam stayed stuck on the memories involving his and Savannah’s former time together. He’d never had a relationship that intense before, or since. But when she left, he’d begun to realize that he’d never been more to Savannah than a temporary diversion and a teacher when it came to sex. She’d only intended to hang around town long enough for the ink to dry on her high school diploma. If he’d only been able to see back then what he knew now, he would’ve saved himself a lot of sleepless nights and second-guessing.
When the conversation and laughter quieted, Savannah sighed. “I just wish Jess could’ve been here.”
Rachel folded her hands atop the table. “I tried to convince her to come but she made up some excuse about Danny’s baseball game and that Dalton was too busy to pick him up.”
Chase looked as if he’d eaten something sour. “He’s probably too busy screwing around with some gullible woman.”
Savannah leaned forward. “You mean he’s cheating on her?”
For Jess’s sake, Sam felt the need to set the record straight in spite of his suspicions. “No one’s confirmed anything yet, and I hope like hell Jess’s boy doesn’t get wind of the rumors. He’s got enough troubles having Dalton as his dad.”
Rachel scooted closer to the table. “Speaking of that very thing…” She took Matt’s hand into hers and added, “We have some news.”
Matt looked to Sam as if he might bolt. “Yeah, we do.”
Sam stared down Chase, letting him know he was about to be twenty dollars richer, before he stated, “You’re going to be parents.”
Rachel’s mouth opened for a minute before she snapped it shut and swatted her husband’s arm. “I thought we were going to wait to tell everyone together, Matthew.”
Matt raised his hands above his head, like he was set to surrender. “I swear I didn’t say a thing, Rachel.”
“He didn’t have to,” Sam said. “I went through all the symptoms with Darlene. No drinking, sick in the morning, yawning every five minutes.”
Savannah stood, rounded the table and hugged Rachel. “I’m so thrilled for the two of you.”
In the meantime, Chase pulled out his wallet and handed over a twenty to Sam. “You win.”
Matt didn’t look too pleased. “You two were betting on my wife?”
Sam leaned back and grinned. “Yep. Chase didn’t think you had it in you after thirteen years of marriage.”
Chase chuckled. “Hell, I didn’t think anyone had sex after thirteen years of marriage.”
Once again, the group joined together in laughter, including Savannah. Sam had forgotten how much he liked her laugh. He’d always been able to make her laugh, even during some fairly rocky times. He’d also been good at making her cry, like he had that day in the diner. Right or wrong, at the time he’d figured she’d deserved it. He’d wanted her to feel as bad as he had, punish her for leaving him behind. But the past was long since dead and buried and didn’t deserve a resurrection. Once he left this hellhole, and Savannah, he swore not to give it—or her—a second thought.
After the food arrived, Sam tried to focus on the conversation but found himself watching Savannah eat her measly salad. He’d taught her to kiss, and she’d taken to his instructions pretty damn well. She’d been a willing student, even if she had made him work for the ultimate reward for almost two years. And if he didn’t keep his mind on the present and his eyes to himself, he could forget using a poker face to hide his fascination with her mouth, especially if she caught him with his guard down.
But as the talk once more turned to old times, Savannah seemed more relaxed around Sam, so much so she started to lean toward him whenever he tried to speak above the din. And when no one was paying him any mind, he’d inch his chair away from her. If he moved clear across the room, that wouldn’t be far enough away. He’d still know she was there, and he’d still be tempted to return
