He exhaled. She was tempting. Oh, so tempting. He’d locked the doors, but he didn’t trust Sam not to break in. “It’s Sam. But I can send him away.”
Her eyes widened, all trace of seduction gone. “He’s here?”
“I’ve locked the doors, but—”
“Hey, lovebirds! Let me in!”
Her mouth sagged. Then she pushed him away. “Go! Go fend him off. I’m not dressed.”
Dan eyed her appreciatively as she slipped from the bed and dragged on clothes. “I can lock this door, too—”
“Go!”
He laughed, and pulled on shorts and a tee, then descended the stairs, and opened the front door. “Sam?”
“Finally!” Sam clasped him in a bear hug. Pounded him on the back. “Good to see you, bro.”
“You too.” Even though Sam smelled like a brewery. His red-rimmed eyes looked like he’d slept at one too.
“I wasn’t sure you were here. Then I started wondering if maybe you and Sarah were getting your frisky on and couldn’t hear me.”
Dan’s cheeks burned.
Sam laughed. “Ha! So I was right. Where is she?”
“She’ll be down soon. She was asleep.”
Sam instantly looked contrite. “Oh, I didn’t mean to wake her. Mom told me she’d been unwell. How is she?”
“Doing better.”
“Good.” Sam’s head tilted. “But itisalmost ten.”
“Exactly. What are you doing here so early?”
Sam punched him in the arm. “You invited me, remember? So here I am. Hey, any chance for a coffee? The line at Suzy’s was insane, which is what I’ll be if I don’t get caffeinated soon.”
“You drive up from the city?”
“Yep.”
Dan eyed him. “You okay?”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Hey, here she is.” He swept Sarah up in a hug. “How’s my favorite sister-in-law?”
She smacked him, laughing. “Shh, you’re not supposed to say that out loud.”
“Circle of trust here,” Sam said, making a looping gesture between the three of them. “And at least Marguerite is nicer than her husband, who always acts like he has a stick up his—”
“Sam, play nice,” Sarah interrupted. “Now, how long are you here for?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
“What happened to your job?”
