"I'm not sure…" I couldn't speak. This was too hard. It felt like we were stretching out the break up, and he was being too kind. It would be easier if he was cruel, so I could hate him and be glad he was dumping me, instead of wanting to kiss him. "I don't think I can do this, Sam. I'm sorry. If you just give me what you want to give me, maybe take a picture of the treasure and send it to me?"
Sam ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "You don't owe me anything, Jenna. I was the idiot who threw away everything we had in the worst possible way, and I can never make that up to you. I can never…" He looked away, then put his hands on his hips and faced me. "I can never take back the things I said or make it up to you, but I can give you this. A treasure hunt of gifts for you and for our son. You have every good reason to hate me, but please just take what I'm giving you. Promise me?"
I stared at him, so earnest and serious. He had said horrible things to me, and his words rang in my memory, like darts piercing my flesh over and over again.
He had no right to ask me for anything.
But for our baby I should be able to at least be amicable with the man, to take what he offered as payment for the pain he'd caused me, especially when they were things my son would want someday, like his great grandmother's journal.
A good mother would bear the pain for her child, but I was exhausted. I was scared of raising this child with a man who didn't want me and I was worn out from putting up boundaries with my mother, so I did the absolute most embarrassing thing I could have done.
I burst into tears.
Sam stared at me in complete shock. "No, Jenna. God, don't cry." He spun to May. "What the hell? You said this would work. You said she would like this."
May glared at Sam. "You said it would be a grand gesture, Sam, so where's the grand gesture? Are you just giving her all these things as a way of saying goodbye to her? I thought you were going to tell her you love her."
"I can't just tell her that." Sam was shouting now. "I broke her heart. I was a total asshole. She's never going to believe me if I just tell her I love her and that I lied when I said I didn't. What kind of idiot does that? What kind of idiot lies to the woman he loves, because he's afraid of getting picked on by little old ladies in town?"
"Some of those little old ladies are fierce," George Gregory said, joining the group. "Mabel Lee nearly took my head off when I got the last free doughnut at the grand opening of that new gift shop on Cranberry street."
I'd stopped crying now, because something Sam said had gotten through to me. "Sam?"
But he didn't hear me. He'd spun on George. "Think you could give us a few minutes? I'm trying to convince Jenna to take me back, and I doubt you're going to be on my side."
Cody walked up and put his arm around George's shoulders. "Guess you're just going to have to convince us, too. I prefer cash, but I'm open to checks or trades."
"I'll take one of your Nana's apple pies," George said. "With vegan cheese and butter, though."
Cody wrinkled his nose. "That's disgusting, man. Why would you want to ruin a perfectly good pie with that fake stuff? I thought you were all about only eating food from nature."
"Dessert doesn't count." May walked over and gave George a peck on the lips. He wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her in tight to his side.
"Sam," I tried again.
"Hey, man," Jared said. "I got the cat vaxxed. Soon's you finish up here, you should let him go."
Sam looked over at the caged bobcat, who glared back and hissed in dismay. "I thought we were going to tranq him before you jabbed him."
Jared shrugged. "He was watching y'all over here acting like idiots. I stuck him before he even knew I was behind him. It's better not to put him under if we can help it."
"Wow." Sam shook Jared's hand. "I really appreciate this."
"Glad to do it. You might consider firing into the air when he comes around again. Be better to teach him not to be quite so chill about humans."
"Will do," Sam said. "Is there anything I need to worry about with the vaccine? Should I watch him for a while, make sure he doesn't have a bad reac—"
"Sam," I shouted, finally tired of waiting my turn to talk to the man.
He stopped and took two steps toward me before he stopped himself. "Yeah, baby?"
"You love me?" My throat was tight, and tears streamed down my cheeks for a different reason entirely now.
He tilted his head to the side as if he was confused. "Of course I do. I wouldn't do all this unless I was totally fucking crazy in love with you. I just figured you needed time to adjust—"
A part of me was soaring, joy flooding me. Sam loved me. But then I remembered all the tears I'd cried over this man, all the pain he'd caused and anger overwhelmed me. "You lied to me? You lied to me and left me because of some idiots in town who didn't know the whole story?"
Sam took a step back and pride filled me at the worried look on his face. He should be worried. I was a damn mama bear, and I was pissed. "I was trying to protect you. I didn't want you to have to put up with anyone being rude to you because of me."