Catching Sam: Book 2 of 5: The MacDonald Brothers by Emily Matthews (best mystery novels of all time TXT) 📗

“Don’t worry about it. Sam says he knows a great place near yours and already got me a spot there. It’s called Home Away from Home. They have all sorts of cool amenities—private rooms, on-call nurses, a pool, and a garden with walking trails. The food is even supposed to be good, but I’ll believe that when I taste it,” he muttered. “It sounds great. When I told him I didn’t like planes, he said he’d rent an RV and have a friend of his drive me up there. I won’t have to stop anywhere to go to the bathroom and can sleep or eat whenever I want. Can you believe that?”

“I can. That all sounds fantastic. I’m sure Sam found the best. He doesn’t half-ass things.”

“He kept insisting that I not worry about how much it costs or who’s going to pay for it, but I told him I’d pay my own way. He said that’d be fine and we could talk later about the payment arrangements. He talked like money was no object to him. Is he rich or something?”

Annie laughed out loud. “Pops. Have you never heard of Sam MacDonald? Co-founder of Samatrix?”

This time it was Pops who choked on his Coke. He narrowly avoided spitting it back out on the table. “That’s the Sam you’ve been seeing?” His eyes got wide. “Are you shitting me?”

“You met him. Didn’t he tell you his name?”

“Oh my God. It was him. I did recognize the name, but figured it must be some other fella with the same name because, I mean, why on God’s green earth would the billionaire Sam MacDonald be in my room offering me a chance to move? I hope I didn’t come off looking like an asshole. I was a little gruff with him at first. He probably thinks I’m a grumpy old man.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case. You’re too sweet for that,” she said.

He huffed. “So, he’s handsome, he’s rich, but how does he treat you, Anna Banana?”

She sighed. “That’s the bitch of it, Pops. He is amazing, and I know he likes me, but I don’t think he trusts me. I understand why—he’s been burned several times by other women—but I can’t be in a relationship without trust.”

“Well, he just needs to get to know you better. Then he’ll see, you’re different from other women. He just needs a little more time.”

“Maybe,” she hedged. “What should I do, Pops? I think I broke up with him the other night, but I’m not sure. I ran out before we could finish the conversation.”

“From what he told me, he’s sorry about what happened. Love makes men do dumb stuff sometimes, Anna. You ladies have to give us a break once in a while. He’ll do the same for you when you mess up, and that’s what love is all about—loving someone, flaws and all. Do you love him?”

“Yes. I do. He’s so different than I expected him to be. He’s kind and generous and, I have a feeling, fiercely loyal.”

“Sounds like a keeper.” Pops sucked barbecue sauce from his finger and then pointed the clean finger at her. “You should give him a chance. Or at least a phone call.”

“He told you I wasn’t calling him back?”

Pops gave a curt nod.

“Fine,” she said, and Pops smiled. “It looks like I’ve come a long way for nothing. Well, nothing but a nice dinner and some brilliant advice.”

“You’ll make the right decision, Anna Banana. Just follow your heart.”

Annie spent the night in a hotel near Ruby Garden. The next day, on her way out of town, she stopped by her parents’ house. It went as she expected—a lot of complaining and negativity. That was why she had to give herself so much space from them. They were toxic. In the past, she’d tried to share some of the stuff she’d learned about having a positive attitude and changing your mindset to change your life, but it was all lost on them. She’d also given them multiple books over the years, but they all sat in a corner gathering dust.

After listening to the life’s-not-fair show her parents always put on for her, she let them know Pops was moving to Bellevue, and that they were welcome to stay with her if they wanted to come visit him. It was an open invitation she knew they would never take her up on. If they didn’t visit when he was thirty minutes away, she didn’t hold out much hope they would when he was eight hundred miles away.

She walked away from the house, wondering how they went through life with no purpose. They had no goals, no ambition, seemingly no will to do anything but bitch and whine.

Her next stop was a florist. After tucking the pre-arranged, brightly colored assortment of roses, carnations, and lilies into the seatbelt next to her, she headed to the graveyard where her angel was buried.

She laid the flowers tenderly at the base of the headstone and sat down next to them. The July sun was brutal, beating down relentlessly, much like the guilt Annie nursed. The flowers would wilt within hours, but she didn’t care. Sweat running down her back and tears running down her cheeks, she apologized to her daughter for failing to protect her. She prayed for Avery’s soul and for her forgiveness.

The guilt and despair would live with Annie forever, but she would find a way to keep moving forward. She couldn’t change the past, and she knew it would do no good to live in it either.

On the drive home, she played Brody Robinson podcasts until she had her head back on straight. Between her parents’ negativity and her own berating for her part in Avery’s death, she had hit a low point. Pep talks from Brody had her refocused, feeling better, and ready to face Sam.

When she stopped for the night, she finally called him.

“Annie. It’s good to hear from you,” he said. “I was beginning to worry.