Page 44 of The Hermit on the Hill

Sam grunted and put the truck in reverse to turn back down the driveway. The big cat raced back into the woods as soon as the truck moved.

"Clearly not rabid," I said.

We got to my mother's inn far too quickly. My instinct was to reach for Sam's hand, so I got out of the truck before I could do it. I needed to remember he wasn't mine to depend on.

Cars filled the parking lot, which meant the inn was hopping.

"I should have called first."

Sam put a hand on my back and gave me a small push toward the inn. "If she can't give you a few minutes, we'll come back when she can."

Together, we walked up the stairs. I stopped at the top, utterly frozen.

I couldn't do this. It had been an emotional day to cap off an eventful week. I couldn't face my mother without falling apart.

She'd say I was overly emotional and question my ability to make good choices. What if she insisted I move into the inn? Or tried to micromanage my life like she'd done to most of my siblings?

I glanced at Sam. He'd already kidnapped me. I mean, yeah, I'd gone willingly, but only after he'd lured me in with the treasure hunt. Moving in with him hadn't been a well-thought out decision. I hadn't even made my usual list of pros and cons.

If mom asked why I was living with him, what good reason could I offer?

Sam stepped into my line of sight and bent at the knees until he was on my level. He cupped my face in his hands. "You've got this. You are a capable woman who is doing the very best you can for your child. If your mother can't see that, it's her problem, not yours."

"But what—"

He pressed a finger over my lips, and I glared at him. How dare he?

"No buts. I'm a damn expert judge of character, and I judge viciously and often. If I say you are doing all the right things, I mean it. I'm not just trying to make you feel better."

I stared, dumbfounded, because I did feel better. I felt like I could do this.

He pulled his finger away. "You've got no sense of good nutrition, but you've got me for that."

His hand on my back, he urged me to the front door.

We found Mom in the kitchen kneading dough, probably for the next morning's breakfast pastries. My stomach rumbled. How could I be hungry again so soon after lunch?

"Mom, do you have a minute to talk?"

She turned to me, a bit of flour on her face. I could see the brush off coming, but then she registered Sam by my side and the serious expression on my face. "Of course. Can you give me five minutes to finish kneading the dough?"

"Sure."

"You can wait in my office. It's been a zoo today. I can't guarantee we won't be interrupted if we talk anywhere else."

"I can finish the dough for you," Mom's assistant Lexy said. "I've got nothing else to do at the moment."

"Thank you, Lexy."

Mom washed her hands and led us through the kitchen and to her office. The last time I'd seen it had been two years before. It had been a screened-in porch then, but now it looked modern and professional, with actual walls, a desk, and filing cabinets.

Mom took a seat behind the polished wood desk with a computer and a few files on it. Sam and I sat in the comfy mismatched armchairs in front of it. Aubrey worked for Mom, doing marketing for the inn, but she mostly worked from home.

"Mom, this is Sam Oakley."

"We've met." My mother's expression was as tight as her words. "I hope you two aren't here to try to convince me to sell again. As I've told your brothers and Aubrey, I'm fine to keep working."

"Of course you are." I forgot my announcement to worry about my mother. "Why wouldn't you be?"

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