Sweeter Than Wine (17 page)

"Any day now, actually, I'm overdue. The doc
said I should walk more, so Sam gave me a good work out today."

"Good grief, you should have told me. I had
no idea…" Sam looked concerned and Lacey smiled at his sincere
apology.

"Sam, I called my mechanic and he towed your
car to his shop. Said it would be ready in a couple of days. I hope
you don't mind." Chayton asked as they all inhaled the hotdogs.

"I'd almost forgotten about it. Thank you."
Sam looked a little sheepish. "Hope it's nothing too serious."

"Well Doug is really good with cars, so he
should be able to tell you real quick what kind of problem you
have. And…he's reasonable."

Sam smiled, shook his head, and grabbed
Lacey's hand to squeeze it, "You guys have been so thoughtful I
can't get over it. This has definitely been very good for me,
coming here."

Kasie came closer, "Oh Sam, you don't know
how long I've wanted a brother…"

***

After making love well into the night, Sam
and Lacey were relaxed and feeling like part of the family when
they joined Kasie and Chayton. The house was already full of people
and Kasie pulled Sam and Lacey around the room introducing them to
friends and Tanka and Gina.

Sam studied Tanka a long while, "Wow, I can
sure tell the family resemblance there."

Tanka laughed, "It's our Indian blood I’m
sure…."

Gina came up to them quickly putting her arm
around her husband, "So, the two of you married?"

"Uh…no," Lacey explained. "Actually, we
haven't known each other long…we sorta of vacationed together."

"How interesting. Well, sometimes it doesn't
take long to see you are meant for each other." Gina's mouth
twitched and she smiled at her. "Tanka and I knew it almost
instantly too."

Lacey tried to smile but it fell a little
short. Could everyone see how in love she was with Sam? She hoped
not. Because she was nearly sure he didn't feel the same. Not that
his lovemaking wasn't spectacular, but she knew he was so
preoccupied being here and even though she wanted this for him, she
wanted to be important to him to, and it wouldn't happen here.

Gina must have sensed her unease and pulled
her aside.

"Look, I can see how it is. Sam's all tied up
in this family thing right now and not giving you an ounce of
attention really. But when things settle out, he'll see how
important you are to him. Why…even I noticed how he reaches for you
all the time, as though you are his lifeline. He'll see
it…eventually, just be patient with him till he does. Sometimes
they just don't know what hit them till it does…know what I mean?"
Gina chuckled.

"He's got a lot on his mind…." Her glum-face
faded slightly.

"Yes he does, and it's natural, but all of
this will settle out soon and he'll begin to see what really is
important."

"Which is?" Lacey asked with a twist of her
head.

"You of course, don't sweat it, I know about
these things. I used to tell fortunes too."

Lacey watched them but aware of her own
tensions, she tried to relax. Her vacation was nearly over and then
what?

She thought about Gina's words and shrugged.
She hoped she was right.

Tanka, Chayton and Sam were heavy into a
discussion about timber and the risk of fires an such and Lacey was
whisk away to help with the meal preparation.

Rosie showed up and Lacey knew it would only
be a matter of time before Sam pulled her off into a corner to
question her. She almost felt sorry for poor Rosie.

Kasie sat down after a short while and even
though she smiled almost the entire time, she would make short
little grimaces that alerted Lacey that the baby might not be as
far off as she thought.

***

"Rosie... could I talk to you for a minute?"
Sam asked as Tanka and Chayton had more guests arriving and needed
to greet them.

"Why sure darlin' what can I do for you?"
Rosie asked as he guided her away from everyone else.

"Rosie." Sam looked her in the eye, feeling
that contact was best at this point. "I feel as though I'm using
you, but I must know the answers. I want to talk to that doctor if
you can remember his name."

Rosie sized Sam up quickly, lifting a brow,
her voice a whisper. "I figured you would. Here," she pulled out a
piece of paper from her pocket of her skirt." I wrote the
information down, and I don't blame you a bit. You feel you owe
your Mom, don't you?"

"How'd you know?"

"Because I would, if I were you. And I'm
actually kind of glad you feel that way, Sam. Your mother was a
sweet little girl, who loved your father endlessly. She didn't
deserve to go out the way she did. She knew….somehow she knew you
weren't dead. I felt it then and I feel it now, Sam. She knew you
were not dead, but she couldn't convince anyone else of it." Rosie
swiped a tear from her cheek. "Not even me. The doctor had an
impeccable reputation no one would dispute that."

"Thank you, thank you so much for
understanding," Sam smiled into her face.

"What are you gonna do when you find
out?"

"I don't know. Maybe nothing, depending on
what I find. There's no way I can right this thing. No way I can
turn the clock back and make it all right. But there is a certain
satisfaction and peace with finding it."

"You're a lot like your mother. You don't
give up. Good for you. It is time someone found the truth and put
it straight." Rosie smiled. "Now come on, let's go join the
party.

***

Three days later, Sam was driving Lacey to
the airport to catch her flight home. The car filled with a
tension, like a rubber band being stretched too far and about to
pop. The silence engulfed them in their misery. The lingering
thoughts of the night before when they made love as though it would
be their last, nagged Sam. How could he let her go? They were made
for each other. Yet, it was so soon. How could they be so in love
in such a short time? Could you ask someone to marry, only knowing
them a week? It seemed out of place. Yet not to ask her seemed
wrong too.

Last night she allowed him every privilege
with her body, and his hunger for her was manifested in losing her.
She had opened herself to him in every way.

He had brought wine to their bed, and they
had sipped it, talking about things that didn't matter. Then he saw
a tear in her eye and he pulled her close. He kissed her until they
were both breathless. He felt the fast beat of her heart,
thundering at his ear when his lips touched her breasts and
caressed her there. She thrust herself up to him, offering herself
like a meal to be devoured, savored, and remembered forever.

He kissed the sweetness of her one last time
just this morning, as she lay naked in his arms. He'd taken her
several times through the night, and he still wanted more when they
woke.

In the kitchen, as he fixed her breakfast, he
couldn't stop himself; he laid her over the table and touched his
lips against the hot, moistness of her, tasting her, imprinting her
in his mind and soul.

In the shower they made love, remembering how
her beautiful body slid to the stall wall as he entered her and let
the shower pelt them as they made love once more.

They'd been like groping teenagers all
morning. Nevertheless, in the car now, a slender thread of tension
held them at bay. A few little words would keep her here Sam still
hesitated.

"You sure you gotta go right now Lacey?" Sam
asked his hand squeezing her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's time Sam. A few days, another
week, won't make a bit of difference. I have to get back to work,
and so do you. We've had a tremendous vacation, one I certainly
won't forget. But it's time to end it."

"I'm not sure I want to," Sam grimaced as he
clutched the steering wheel tighter.

"We're both adults. We knew all along that
this day would come. And you have things to resolve, and I have
work to do, it's as simple as that. Vacations can't last
forever."

Sam pulled over to the curb.

"I've never met a woman like you Lacey, ever.
You have such sense."

She could barely meet his eyes. Her heart was
breaking but she had to put on this front, as though she had so
much sense, when she didn't. Sam hadn't said he loved her. He was
realistic; he knew it was too soon. She'd been the one to say that.
Feel that. She knew what she risked and she was determined not to
regret this summer.

"Then remember me, I certainly will you," her
words sounded almost choked.

Before she could say another word, he pulled
her into his arms and kissed her hard as though branding himself to
her. She whimpered in her throat at the sweetness of the kiss.

She pulled his head down and let her tongue
sweep into is mouth. He groaned and pulled her tighter.

"Let's go," she suddenly gasped wrenching her
mouth from his as a tear slid down her cheek.

"This doesn't seem right, Lacey."

"It's right." She nodded as they pulled into
the parking lot.

In a rush she got out and came to his side of
the car, she smiled, "Remember me…"

Then she ran away.

He started to go after her; he got out of the
car, and then stood watching, as she never looked back.

He turned to get back in his car. A dark void
surrounded him. Loneliness like he never knew hit him. He glanced
up at the jet flying over him, this was all wrong. How could he let
her go? The loneliness of losing his father was bleak but this
seemed like part of him was missing, gone. He fought the urge to
get on a plane for Texas and fast.

So what if they had only known each other a
little over a week? What he felt, what he had shared with the woman
was once in a lifetime, and he knew it? Still, maybe time would
prove him right. Given time, if he still felt this way, he knew he
was right and he'd go after her.

Yet a gnawing fear took hold, What if she
married that Dean on the rebound?

No, if she loves me she'll wait for me!

Chapter Thirteen

With Lacey gone Sam was determined to talk
with the doctor that delivered him. He made an appointment and met
him at a retirement village.

It was an expensively lavish retirement home,
with a grand piano and bar at the entrance and a huge patio leading
off to a pool just outside.

Sam stopped at the desk to ask for
directions, and the lady pointed to the far table on the patio.

Sam saw the man who had once obviously been a
most capable doctor, stooped and in a wheelchair now, facing him
with a slight smile to his thin lips. His hair was thinning on top
and gray, he was a thin man, almost bony, with bushy eyebrows that
moved when he spoke. His gray piercing eyes stared at Sam with a
hooded glance.

"Dr Carrington?"

"That's right, you must be Sam McKay? I was
told you'd be here today."

The name sounded unfamiliar even to Sam.
"Yes, that's right."

"Come sit down, have lemonade, we'll talk."
The older man said as he raised his hand for service and the
waitress brought cold lemonade's to the small table with an
umbrella shading them from the sun. Sam sat down as the doctor
moved his chair to the table.

"Do you know why I’m here?"

"The very fact that you're here tells me.
Rosie called me and told me you were coming. She told me I better
fess up or I'd deal with her. I like that woman, such spirit. I
guess you've a lot of questions, and I'm glad you are here Sam.
It's time the truth came out. Naturally it's too late to do much
good, but at least I'll feel better when I've told you what
happened."

"That sounds almost ominous."

"I'm sure you've suspected all was not above
board, right?"

"Yeah, I suspected but I needed to know."

The doctor nodded.

"It is really. It was illegal what we did. It
was wrong, but it was done. However, I'm sure you've guessed that
you were switched at birth. Quite intentionally I might add. It
happens, and you are an unfortunate, you and your poor mother and
father."

Sam eyed the older man and studied him, he
could see where the man had once been quite handsome, but those
days were long gone. In addition, there was sadness within him, as
though he was eager to dispel it, he began the story.

"You must understand, this was a long time
ago," the doctor's hands shook as he reached for his lemonade.
"Remembering every detail of it would be impossible. Suffice it to
say, I delivered you, you were healthy, and your mother at the time
of your birth was too. She wasn't awake. So that in itself made the
task easier."

"What easier?" Sam questioned.

"I'm sure you want every detail son, but I
cannot give it all. I was only witness to some of it, but I know
what happened and I've kept quiet about it all my life, hoping that
someday I would get the chance, before I died to tell it all. It's
a great burden to carry something like this all your life."

"You've got the chance all right. You've
certainly got my attention."

The doctor eyed Sam, sipped his lemonade and
Sam waited with baited breath. His finger going over the top of his
glass as he listened.

"You won't like this story Sam. Its cold
hearted, but the truth. And it involves your own grandfather. You
see Sam, your grandfather despised your mother, oh, not your
mother, so much as the fact that she had no social standing in the
community. During those days, social standing was important if you
wanted to be someone. She was a poor girl. He was a powerful man
back then, very powerful, and he and your grandmother knew almost
everyone in this town. If a person could own a town, he did. He had
high aspirations for your father let me tell you. In addition, he
saw very little of that success, but if he had, I'm not sure he'd
appreciate it as such. You see your father was a very generous man,
most of the people on that mountain were helped by him."