It Happened One Night by Sharon Sala

Author:Sharon Sala [Sala, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460397169
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2002-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 5

Something began to change between Sam and Harley after the barbecue. For Harley, it had been her baptism of fire and one that she’d survived quite nicely. When she realized that Sam’s friends and co-workers had not judged her harshly for the manner in which they met and married, she quit judging herself. She began to see Sam, not as a mistake, but as her friend and husband. On the days when he was home, there were times when she forgot that she hadn’t known him all her life. Occasionally, she was reminded of the strangeness of her situation, but even then was leaning toward the theory that marrying Sam was the best mistake she’d ever made. He was a tender lover and a fair and just husband. But it was the day she broke down in tears after a phone call from her mother that she learned Sam also considered himself her guardian angel.

She was in the bathroom washing her face and blowing her nose when Sam found her.

“Junie! What’s wrong, honey? Are you sick?”

Harley took one look at the sympathy on his face and burst into tears all over again.

“No,” she sobbed, burying her nose against his chest as he took her in his arms.

When Harley cried, Sam got physically sick. It was a phenomenon he had yet to get used to. His stomach was churning as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Then talk to me, darlin’. Why are you crying?”

“Mama,” Harley mumbled.

Sam frowned. “You’re missing your mama?”

Harley shook her head and pulled back.

“No! Nothing like that,” she said. “She called and—”

Her chin quivered again and she shook her head, unable to finish. But Sam saw enough to read between the lines.

“Your mother made you cry?”

Harley sighed and then nodded.

“What the hell did she say?”

Harley shrugged. “That I’ve embarrassed her forever...that her reputation is ruined.”

“Bull.”

Harley’s tears ceased. In all the time she’d known Sam Clay, she’d never heard him curse. And when he handed her a washcloth and told her to wash her face, she was so stunned by the anger in his voice that she did as she’d been told. While she was washing her face, Sam stalked out of the bathroom and headed toward the living room.

His hands were shaking in anger as he dug through the desk drawer for the number to Dewey Beaumont’s home. He found it and dialed, punching in the numbers with short, angry jerks, unaware that Harley had followed him into the room. Two rings later, Harley’s father answered the phone.

“Hello, Dewey, this is Sam. Is Marcie there?”

The delight in Dewey’s voice was obvious.

“Sam! Great to hear from you, son. How are things in Oklahoma?”

“They’re fine, thank you. At least they were until a short while ago when your wife called and made your daughter cry.”

There was a brief moment of silence and then Sam heard Dewey curse beneath his breath.

“I’d like to speak with Marcie if she’s home,” Sam said.

“She’ll be right here,” Dewey said. “And for what it’s worth, when you get through with her, I’ll be batting cleanup, if you know what I mean.

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