SAMANTHA: Never Say Never (The Powell's Book 2) Read online

  “I’ll shower in a bit. You’ve worn me out. What was that? Round three” she joshed.

  “I aim to please,” he smiled. “Rest. We’ll deal with the rest of the world later.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Samantha awoke the next morning to bright sunlight streaming through her bedroom windows. She could smell the strong brew of fresh coffee all the way in her room. Samantha stretched and yawned loudly. “Okay time to get up lazy bones,” she said to the empty room, and then frowned.

  Samantha’s eyes scanned her room. There was no sign of Adam. Maybe he’s still in the kitchen. She glanced over at the digital clock on her night table—it read nine-fifteen in the morning. “Oh goodness,” she needed to get up, take a shower, and change her bed sheets.

  “Time to get going. Shower first,” she said, pushing the covers back and swinging her feet over the bed. Naked, she stood up, stretched, and then turned to walk over to her dresser to take out clean undies, a tank top, and a pair of shorts. Samantha, quickly showered, dressed, and left her bedroom to go into the kitchen in search of Adam, and a cup of the delicious smelling coffee.

  “Adam!” Samantha called out as she made her way into the kitchen. She stopped in the middle of the room. Where is he? She thought.

  “Adam!” she called again. She then looked around the sitting area–he wasn’t there either. “Hm, maybe he’s out back?” Samantha took out a coffee cup, added milk and poured the dark liquid into her cup.

  “Heavenly,” she moaned as she took a sip. She turned and rested her hip against the center island, that’s when she noticed the white slip of paper. Samantha picked it up and read what was written on it.

  “I made you coffee. Hope you slept well,” the note said, and he’d added a little smiley face. “Will call you later on. Didn’t want to be around when big brother got there. Keep your phone on Samantha”. Samantha smiled at the note. “Good Ol’ Adam, always looking out for my wellbeing.”

  Samantha put her cup down, took out two pieces of wheat bread and put them into the toaster. After the toast had popped up, she buttered it, and then sat down at the kitchen island to eat and finish her coffee.

  Samantha’s mind went back over events of yesterday, and for the first time felt her first tremor of apprehension. What if Daniel discovered that she hadn’t aborted the baby? What would he do? By now she couldn’t back out of her farce. After the spectacle he made of himself on television yesterday, she was positive her family had all but guessed her secret.

  She should have known this day would come sooner or later—she was just grateful it was later.

  Samantha gritted her teeth. If only she knew what Daniel was up to! No, that show he put on yesterday wasn’t for her benefit—Daniel never did anything unless it was advantageous to him.

  She pondered in her mind just what he could be up to, other than sex, that is. Yes, Daniel loved sex and a lot of it. It had taken a while, but she’d come to realize that she was only one in a line of many. Still, she’d rather keep her distance from him. Samantha got up and refilled her coffee cup. Did she want him to have anything to do with Kayla? The answer was no; however, the time had come for her to face her demons. No need trying to save face now.

  Momentarily, her hands tightened around the heated mug, as she walked over to the counter and placed it on the island with a thud—her heart pounding heavily in her chest. “What the hell are you playing at Daniel?”

  The shrill of her landline grabbed her attention. Her brows lifted into a small frown, as she rushed over to the phone and picked it up.

  “Hello!” she called into the receiver.

  “Hey, Sam!”

  Samantha’s puckered brow deepened, as she tried to catch the voice on the other end of the phone.

  “Who is this?”

  Samantha could hear the grumbling of laughter through the receiver.

  “It’s me, Sam! Austin! You know, your cousin.”

  “Oh hell, no!” she cried. “Where are you?”

  “Oh, now I get a ‘where are you?’ I’m hurt that you didn’t know who I was. It hasn’t been that long.”

  Samantha’s lip curved into a smile. “Where are you, Austin?”

  “At Shane and Tracey’s. Declan is on his way over here too. I tried to call your cell but didn’t get an answer. Hop on over here, I have something I want to talk to you about.”

  “Austin, I don’t have time for your shenanigans, I have work to do, and a lot of it,” she kidded.

  “No, I’m serious. Get over here. I have something important to talk to you about.”

  “It’ll take me an hour and a half to get over to Shane and Tracey’s,” she said.

  “Well get a move on. See you when you get here,” he said and hung up.

  Samantha scowled down at the phone. “Goodbye to you too, Austin Powell.”

  Austin was like Declan in many ways, only a bit looser. She wondered what he had to discuss with her.

  “You’re never going to find out what he wants if you don’t get over there, Samantha,” she said out loud.

  Samantha brushed her hair into a ponytail, slipped on a pair of sandals, locked her house up, and left. In the car, she connected her iPhone’s Bluetooth and voice-dialed her parents. Her mom answered on the second ring.

  “Hi, Mommy, is Kayla around?”

  “Oh, hello, dear. Yes, she’s out back with your father. Hold on a second let me get her.

  “Thank you!”

  “You’re a little late with the call today. When you have time during the week, call me. We need to talk about that interesting interview of Daniel Ashby. Hold on let me go and get Kayla for you.”

  Samantha groaned deep in her throat. “Oh God!” her mother was a pit-bull when she sank her teeth into something. She knew that her mother was not going to let go of this thing with Daniel until Samantha came clean.

  She could hear her mother calling for Kayla. “Great, Samantha! Just great.”

  “Mommy! Mommy!” she heard Kayla’s happy shrills through the phone.

  Samantha’s lips instantly curved into a smile. “Hey, Baby! How are you?”

  “I good, Mommy! Pop Pop is taking me to the park!” she cried. She could hear the excitement in Kayla’s voice.

  “That sounds good! Mommy, miss you!” Samantha beamed, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. She did miss her baby. She’d never been away from Kayla for any extended period of time.

  “Bye-bye, Mommy!” Kayla shouted through the phone, and then all Samantha heard was silence.

  “Oh,” Samantha moped.

  “Hello, Sam, she’s excited to be going to the park. She’s having a blast. Don’t you worry about her,” her mother’s voice came through the line.

  “She sounds like she’s having a great time. Doesn’t sound as though she misses me at all,” Samantha sulked.

  “Cut that out, Samantha Powell. Kayla’s having a good time, and you know she loves you deeply. Your father is spoiling her rotten.”

  “And so is my mother, and auntie. I know she’s having fun. I just…I don’t know. I thought she’d miss me a little bit more than she does.”

  “Dear it’s only been a little over a week, and you call her every day. Sometimes twice a day.”

  “I know, I’m driving you and Daddy crazy.”

  “Well, since you said it…yes, you are,” her mother chortled.

  Samantha could practically see her mother’s smile through the phone.

  “Okay, I get the picture. Oh, yeah, Austin’s in town. Did you and Daddy know?”

  “No, I didn’t. I’m sure your father doesn’t know either. He would have said something to me if he did know. What’s he doing in the States?”

  “He lives in the U.S. Mommy. He just travels a lot.”

  “Oh yeah, he races things too,” her mother snorted.

  “Mommy, that was sooo unladylike,” Samantha teased.

  “Was it? Hm, I will be careful in the future, dear.”

  “Y
es, do,” Samantha, teased.

  “I have to go dear. I will talk to you soon. Give Austin my love.”

  “I will. Bye, Mommy.”

  Samantha turned onto the highway that would take her to Shane and Tracey’s house and pressed down on the accelerator.

  She loved her restored car. Samantha smiled, gave the pedal a little more gas, and was off in the wind. She hadn’t opened up on the highway in a while. It felt glorious.

  That was until she heard the blaring of the sirens. Looking in her review mirror, she saw the flashing red and blue lights and glowered. Was he signaling her to pull over? Yes, he was. Just how fast was she going? Samantha had automatically let up off of the gas pedal when she’d first heard the sirens.

  She slowed down further and pulled over to the side of the highway. The patrolman pulled up behind her, stepped out of his vehicle and walked over to her car; stopping at her driver’s side window.

  Samantha rolled her window halfway down and spoke through the open window.

  “Yes, Officer?” she asked, looking into his sun-streaked face—dark sunglasses covering his eyes.

  “License and registration, please,” he asked, his tone brisk.

  She took out the items and handed them to him.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, and turned and walked back to his police cruiser.

  Samantha waited. She would surely ask him why he pulled her over when he returned with her credentials.

  A few minutes later the officer came back to her car with a computer printed-paper and handed it to her.

  What the hell! Her eyes widening, as she looked at the two hundred and fifty dollar summons; and she had to appear in traffic court. Great! Just perfect!

  “I don’t know if you were trying to get to heaven or hell in this here car, but you were doing ninety in a fifty-five mph zone. What, you think you were flying an airplane or something. You could’ve killed someone going that fast. Slow it down.”

  Samantha doubted that since there were hardly any people on this stretch of the roadway.

  “Yes, sir,” she said sweetly. “I hadn’t realized I was going that fast.”

  “Nice car, but this is not a racetrack,” he said, remember that when you get back on the road, and then turned and walked back to his vehicle.

  Samantha put the ticket on the seat and pulled back onto the highway.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Samantha drove up to the iron gates of Shane and Tracey’s home. Today the gates were left open—she went on and up to the front of the house.

  “Declan’s here,” she said, turning off her car engine. She recognized his big black Yukon®. The rental had to be Austin’s. Samantha grabbed her things and got out of the car.

  The door swung open just as soon as she reached the steps. Before she could utter a word, Austin had her up in a big hug.

  “Whoa! Put me down, Austin!” Samantha squealed.

  “How are you, little cousin?” Austin cried.

  “I was fine until you almost made me toss my breakfast.”

  Austin looked good. His medium-dark skin, close-cropped hair and neatly trimmed beard—a little bit more than a five o’clock shadow, suited him well. His honey-colored eyes underneath long dark lashes only added to his appeal.

  “Where’s your mini-me?” he asked.

  “She’s spending time with Mommy and Daddy. They told me to give you their love. Where’s the rest of the crew?”

  “Shane and Declan are both in the media room driving Tracey crazy.”

  “Mostly, Declan, I bet,” Samantha said.

  “No, this time it’s both of them,” he chuckled. “Come on, let’s go on back.”

  Samantha followed him through the house. “So what’s so all-fired important that you needed me to flash over here. You know I got a ticket, trying to get here, right?”

  “No, I didn’t know that, and you probably got a ticket because you were speeding,” he chuckled.

  “Whatever, and will you please stop calling me little cousin. You’re only a few days older than me.”

  “A week, and I’m still older,” he corrected her.

  “Like I said, whatever. Did you ever finish your bike?”

  “Yes, it’s sweet too. I have to bring it down so you can take it out.”

  “No need. I have one,” she smirked.

  Samantha almost bumped into him when Austin suddenly stopped, and turned to look at her—his eyes wide. “You, finished it?”

  “Yes, I did. I’m working on a tamer one now. A BMW® vintage.”

  Austin whistled through his teeth. “I want to see it.”

  “Sure. You can help me with it,” she said.

  They made their way to the media room, where Tracey sat with her feet up, rubbing her belly. Declan and Shane were in a deep conversation about something; which had Shane scowling at Declan.

  “Samantha!” Tracey yelled.

  “Hello, Sissy!” Samantha cried, and rushed over to where Tracey sat, bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “How’s my niece or nephew doing today?”

  “We’re all doing good. Except for those two over there having a debate on what’s right for my heartburn,” Tracey scowled.

  “Hey, Shane—Dec,” she said, waving at them, before sitting down next to Tracey. “Soo, what am I here for?”

  “I want to race your next car for the Powell team,” Austin blurted out.

  “Nothing for nothing, but don’t you race motorcycles?” Samantha asked.

  “Yes, but there’s not much of a difference,” Austin said nonchalantly.

  “Not much. One has two wheels, and the other has four. Not much at all,” Samantha said sarcastically. “And, what does this have to do with me? Declan and Daddy are the brains behind the operation of the company.”

  “Well, Declan realizes he made a mistake in bringing on that Ashby dude, and I’m here to make it right,” Austin smiled, with his cocky grin.

  Trying to conceal the shaking of her hands, she turned to Declan.

  “You agreed to this?” she asked.

  “Yes, but contingent on him getting yours, Shane, and Tracey’s approval,” Declan responded. “Other than owning the car and having a spot on the circuit, I don’t know the first thing about stock-car racing.”

  “Glad you’re finally admitting that much,” Samantha said. “Still, what’s all of this to do with me?”

  “Everything!” Austin cried. “Not only do you build engines, you’ve crewed for Tracey. I want you to crew for me too.”

  “I’m not crewing anymore. I have a child, remember.”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?” Austin frowned. “You’re not racing, just crewing.”

  “No,” Samantha said. “Besides I’m still working on the car. It has to be tested and everything.”

  “What I want to know is, why would Daniel think he’d be our driver and that you’d be crewing for him in the first place?” Declan asked.

  “He sure didn’t get it from me,” Samantha said, her voice dripping with venom.

  “Well, he put it out there. Now we have to counteract without this getting messy,” Declan said.

  “I agree with Declan,” Shane said. “Ashby’s developed diarrhea of the mouth again. I think he just likes the sound of his own voice.”

  “Yes, but how does he know about the new car?” Samantha asked.

  “We did the press release about the new car before Tracey stopped racing; however, we also said that it’s still in the production stage. You know how journalists like to put their spin on everything. I’m assuming he’s just going with the flow of the press and believes the car is ready to race. Plus, you have to realize, that Daniel was a part of our team; he knows how the operation works.”

  “It won’t be ready for this year’s competitions. Those start in the next few months,” Samantha said, looking at Austin. “Shane’s agreed to do the test run.”

  “If we work together, do you think, it’ll be ready by October?” A
ustin asked.

  “No. Safety first. I don’t work like that. Plus, if you are going to race the car, there are rules and regulations that you have to adhere to before we can even get your name on the board, Austin.”

  “True,” Tracey said.

  “I can get his name on,” Shane said. “However, I agree with Samantha, Austin, you’re going to need some training, and that car will have to go through rigorous safety inspections. That takes time. I say let Ashby hang himself. We don’t have anything to prove; he does.”

  “So, are you all in agreement of me racing the car when it’s ready?” Austin asked.

  “I’m fine with it,” Samantha said.

  “So am I,” Shane added.

  “Me too,” Tracey commented.

  “Yes!” Austin shouted with a fist pump.

  “Maybe you can convince Chuck Master’s to crew for you. He’s talking about retiring, but I’m sure Shane can persuade him to stay on until you can find a replacement,” Samantha said.

  “So you’re not going to crew for me?” Austin frowned.

  Samantha could’ve laughed outright at Austin’s pained expression. He looked as if someone had stolen his favorite plaything.

  “No. I told you that. I don’t want my daughter anywhere near there. It’ll be too messy.”

  “Evidently, Daniel doesn’t know about Kayla. He was shocked when he heard that you had a child,” Declan sneered.

  “Wha—what…do you mean?” Austin hesitated.

  Silence filled the room.

  Samantha gave Austin a knowing look.

  “Eww, cuz, please tell me you were intoxicated, and he took advantage of you? Give me a reason to beat the hell out of that fool,” Austin barked.

  “You can’t go around getting into trouble. You know the circuit is family friendly. You don’t want to tarnish your name before you even get started,” Samantha chastised.

  “You let this happen?” Austin asked Declan, and Shane hooted with laughter.

  “Me! How’s this my fault?” Declan demanded. “As you can see, my sisters are good at keeping secrets from me.”

  “Oh, Declan, get over me and Shane,” Tracey barked.