Tara

Tara Thornton smiled at her four month old daughter as they stood on the front porch of her cousin Lafayette’s home. She had accomplished quite a lot during her thirteen months away: getting her own apartment, completing a certificate in computer technology, beefing up her savings account, and just generally standing on her own two feet. But of all these things, her daughter Maya Adele (named in honor of Sookie’s and Jason’s grandmother Adele Stackhouse) was by far the one that she took the most pride in. From the first moment she’d held her baby girl in her arms she had resolved to be the best mother she could, and that was a resolution that she had no intention of ever breaking.

Her decision to take off from Bon Temps in the middle of night hadn’t exactly been planned. She had gone through a lot of fucked up shit in the previous weeks: Eggs’ death, the whole nightmare with Franklin, discovering the existence of werewolves, the revelation that her dear friend Jason was the one who’d shot Eggs. Sam Merlotte’s bombshell that he was a shape shifter had been the last straw. She needed to get away. Sam’s last words to her that morning were that she should go someplace new and reboot her life, so she had driven the nearly one hundred miles to Shreveport with only the money in her wallet and the clothes on her back. Lafayette brought her things two days later.

She’d quickly found work tending bar at one of the casinos in Bossier City, saving her tips and going to school part time. When she realized she was pregnant, she decided that working in a bar wasn’t the best environment for an expectant mother so she applied for and received a job in the library of the community college where she attended night classes. Not long after Maya’s birth, she had seen the posting for a full time library assistant at the Renard Parish branch of the community college and requested a transfer. She didn’t want to get anybody’s hopes up, so she had kept her plans for moving back under wraps until she knew the job was hers. Her transfer had been approved, so here she was back in Bon Temps, waiting to surprise Lafayette.

Lafayette

Lafayette was indeed surprised when he answered the door and saw Tara and Maya standing there.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Good to see you, hooka.”

Lafayette was dressed in jeans and a gold lamé t-shirt with one of his ubiquitous du-rags. He pulled Tara inside, enveloping her in a bear hug before holding her at arms length. She looked good: she had cut off her trademark micro-braids and now wore her hair in a fashionable chin length bob.

“New baby, new ‘do. You done good for yourself cuz, but I still ain’t forgave your ass for trading in my fabulous ride for that POS,” he said, referring to the used Ford Escape that she’d purchased when she realized that she something more practical than the convertible Lafayette had given her. He kissed her cheek and took Maya from her arms. “Now let me get a good look at Miss Thang here.”

Maya was a beautiful baby. Her skin was the color of light caramel and she had inherited her mother’s large brown eyes. Tara had combed her curly dark hair into two pony-puffs fastened with red and white barrettes. She was dressed in a matching red onesie with the words “Soul Sistah” emblazoned across the front in a wild 1970s-style rainbow font, a gift from Lafayette of course.

“Hey gorgeous,” he cooed at the infant as they settled on the couch. “I see you’ve embraced your Uncle LaLa’s sense of style.” He turned his attention back to Tara.

“You’re all packed up out there,” he said, referring to the U-Haul trailer hitched to Tara’s SUV. You moving back, or just passing through on your way to someplace else?”

“No, we’re here to stay” Tara said, taking Maya back and laying her across her lap. “I’ve transferred my job to the community college here in Bon Temps. Full time circulation clerk. Benefits and decent pay. I start in two weeks.”

Lafayette

“So you definitely back for good? No more running off in the middle of the night, then calling out of the blue two days later to say you moved to Shreveport?” Lafayette gave his cousin a pointed look.

Tara glanced at the floor. Lafayette and Sookie had visited her on numerous occasions during her time in Shreveport and even come to stay with her when Maya was born, but she knew they were both hurt that she’d just taken off without saying anything.

“I’m back here for good. I just needed a change of scenery to get my head together and sort things out. But I’m done running now. I want Maya to grow up around family,” she said softly.

 “And when you say ‘family,’ does that include her father?” Lafayette asked. Tara never had given him a straight answer about Maya’s paternity, but he had a hunch and wanted to see if he was correct.

She looked at the floor again. “I told you, things didn’t work out between us."

“I know that. But in town this size it’s gonna be impossible to avoid Sam Merlotte.”

Tara’s head snapped up. “How did you know?”

Lafayette smirked at her. “I wasn’t sure until now.”

 

 

Tara

Tara’s mind was racing. She hadn’t told anyone who Maya’s father was, not even her best friend Sookie. But somehow Lafayette had figured it out. And if he had, it probably wouldn’t be long before someone else did.

She had always intended to tell Sam about the baby…she really had. But the time had never seemed right. When she’d left Bon Temps, she’d been an emotional wreck. All she wanted was to find someplace quiet and to live a peaceful life, pretending that she’d never heard of vampires, maenads, werewolves, or shape-shifters. Plus she was still recovering from the devastation of Eggs’ death. She had been gone for nearly two months before realizing that her final fling with Sam had resulted in pregnancy.

By then, enough time had passed for her to understand that what she felt for Eggs wasn’t love, but a fantasy created by Maryann. She had been in love with the idea of Eggs rather than with the man himself. Poor Eggs had been under Maryann’s spell too, and an illusion was no foundation for a relationship.

Sam on the other hand had always accepted her, warts and all. Her feelings for him were…complicated. He was one of only four people in the world that she could always count on no matter what, and she cared for him deeply. He was a nurturing soul, so there was no doubt in her mind that he would make an excellent father.

“I fucked up. I should’ve told Sam about Maya months ago,” Tara said quietly as she stroked her daughter’s back. “He’s gonna be furious.”

Lafayette raised an eyebrow. “Ya think? Why’d you keep it a secret for so long anyway? You know that Sam would’ve taken care of y’all.”

“That’s just it. If I had told Sam that I was carrying his child, he would’ve driven straight to Shreveport, moved me back to Bon Temps, and totally taken over my life. Between Mama, Maryann, and Franklin, I’ve put up with enough of that shit to last me the rest of my days and then some. Besides, I wanted to tell him in person. This ain’t exactly the kind of news you deliver over the phone.” She gave her cousin a pleading look. “Lafayette, please promise me you won’t say anything.”

“I won’t say anything. You couldn’t pay me to get involved in this mess.” Lafayette glanced at Maya. “But you need to handle your business quick Tara Mae, before somebody else figures it out and he hears it from them. The older that girl gets the more she looks like her daddy. And you know it won’t be long before the old biddies in this town put two and two together and start gossiping.”

******

Tara

The move to Bon Temps went more smoothly than Tara anticipated. She had found a small duplex apartment that was quiet, affordable, and located in a decent area of town. Best of all, it was close to her new job and the daycare Maya would be attending. It needed some sprucing up, so the landlord had waived the security deposit since Tara was willing to do the painting and minor repairs herself. With the help of Lafayette, Jason, Jesus, and Sookie, the work was completed in a couple of days. She still needed a few finishing touches: kitchen curtains, a new bedspread, a baby monitor since Maya would now have her own room, and a few other odds and ends. So she, Sookie, and Maya were at Walmart when Sam Merlotte approached.

"Hey ladies," he said, giving Tara a hug and kiss on the cheek. "I heard you were back in Bon Temps. Sorry I didn't get a chance to see you sooner. Tommy just finished basic training and I was out of town for the graduation." He looked at the baby nestled in Sookie's arms. "And this must be Maya."

He held a finger out to Maya, who grasped it and gave him a huge, toothless smile. He laughed. "Mind if I hold her?" he asked Tara, who nodded.

"Let me get a good look at you." He lifted Maya high in the air, making her squeal with laughter. "Little lady, your pictures didn't do you justice." He looked at Tara. "She's beautiful, just like her mother."

"Thanks." Tara, watching Sam play with Maya, was struck by the resemblance between father and daughter: she had Sam's smile. Of course she'd noticed it before, but with the two of them side by side the resemblance was unmistakable. She hoped neither Sookie nor Sam saw it; luckily, both seemed totally oblivious.

"So, you coming back to work for me?" Sam asked, bouncing Maya on his shoulder.

"I have a job at the college" Tara replied, wishing that Sam would just shut up and be on his way.

"Well, the offer stands. If you ever decide you want to come back, just let me know."

"I will." Unfortunately for Tara, Sam was in no hurry to leave. He escorted them throughout the store, chatting incessantly and cradling Maya, who had drifted off to sleep, on his shoulder.

She nearly had a heart attack when they ran into Maxine Fortinberry.

"Tara! Nice to see you. Sookie, you didn't tell me Tara was back in town." She turned her attention to Sam. "Oh, what a lovely baby!" she exclaimed, trying to get a better look at Maya. "Is she yours, Sam? You been sowing wild oats?"

Sam smiled sheepishly. "No, ma'am. I wish I could take credit for this little beauty, but she's Tara's girl."

"Is that right?" Maxine turned back to Tara. "Nobody told me you had a baby. Is the father here with you?"

Before she could answer, Sookie piped up. "How's Hoyt? Are he and Jessica enjoying married life?"

Maxine began stammering and made some excuse to leave. After she waddled off, Sam chuckled and Tara smiled thanks at her friend.

"Actually, I gotta run myself," Sam said, handing Maya over to her mother. "Tara, don't be a stranger. And remember, your old job is always there if you want it."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Sookie

Sookie noticed that Tara seemed ill at ease in Sam's presence. She was surprised. Why would Tara feel uncomfortable around Sam Merlotte of all people? Was there bad blood between them? Was Sam one of the reasons Tara had high-tailed it out of town in the middle of the night? When they encountered Maxine Fortinberry she thought her friend would drop dead on the spot. Then again, Maxine had that effect on most people. When she began asking nosey questions about Maya's father, Sookie put a stop to it by asking after Hoyt, knowing that his vampire wife was a major bone of contention between mother and son. The question had the desired effect: Maxine had beat a hasty retreat.

<<That was close. If Big Mouth had figured out that Sam is Maya’s father  it would have been all over town before she made it through the checkout line.>>

Sookie hadn't meant to pick up on her friend's thoughts, but when Tara was stressed or highly emotional it was almost impossible not to.

Not wanting to make a scene in public, Sookie kept quiet as they completed their shopping. She even held her peace on the ride back to Tara's, waiting until they were in the apartment and Maya was in her crib before confronting her.

"So, when are you going to let him know?"

"When am I going to let who know what?" Tara asked, startled.

"Don't you play coy with me, Tara Mae Thornton. You know exactly what I'm talking about. When are you going to tell Sam that Maya is his daughter?" Sookie hissed. The baby sleeping in the next room was the only thing that kept her from shouting.

"What?" Tara cried, taken aback. "You been talking to Lafayette? I'm going KILL that man."

"Lafayette didn't tell me anything. You mean he knows and Sam doesn't?"

"If Lafayette didn't tell you, then how the hell did you find out?" Tara demanded. "You read my mind didn't you? How dare you…"

Sookie cut her off. "I wasn't trying to; it came screaming out of your head when Maxine asked about Maya's father. But that's not the point and you're not changing the subject. The point is that Maya is Sam's daughter and he has the right to be part of her life."

"Don't you think I know that? I'm going to tell him. I'm just waiting for the right time."

"The right time? Tara, Maya is four months old. Think of all the stuff he's already missed. You NEED to tell him."

"I know," Tara sighed. "And I promise I will."

"Soon?" Sookie asked.

"Soon."

Sam

It had been good seeing Tara after so long. She looked great…motherhood definitely agreed with her. He had been devastated when she left, although he worked hard not to show it. Even though he had been the one who encouraged her to "reboot" her life and make a fresh start, he had secretly hoped that she would decide to stay in Bon Temps and make that fresh start with him.

When he heard the news a few months later that she was expecting a baby, it felt like a kick in the gut. She had found someone else and moved on with her life. It was confirmation that whatever they had was officially done, and he had no choice but to accept it. He thought he was over her.

However, seeing Tara and Maya in the store today let him know that he was anything but over her.

*******

Tara

After the close call at Walmart and running into Sam around town on several occasions, Tara realized that she definitely needed to let him know about Maya. But who knew how he would react? Sure he seemed enamored with her now, but learning that he was her father would be a total game changer. Maybe he didn’t want children. Or maybe he had someone new in his life and Maya would be an unwanted complication. The thought of Sam with another woman rankled Tara on a level that she really didn’t care to acknowledge, mostly because doing so would mean accepting that she had feelings for him. That wasn’t something she cared to admit, even to herself. Still, Sam had the right to know of his daughter’s existence. So that evening after collecting Maya from daycare, she decided to tell him before she lost her nerve. She dialed his cell.

“Hey Sam, it’s Tara. Are you available this evening? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Sure,” he answered. “Why don’t you stop by the restaurant and we can talk in my office.”

Tara really needed to speak to him in private. “I prefer that we meet at your trailer.”

He chuckled. “Well that sounds ominous.” When Tara didn’t reply, he became worried. “Okay, meet you there in fifteen?”

Tara agreed and hung up. She took a deep breath. She could do this.

Sam

Sam was surprised to receive a phone call from Tara. He was even more surprised when she said that she needed to speak with him at his trailer. He’d tried to feel her out over the phone, but she refused to give him even a hint of what she wanted to discuss. What could have happened? Whatever it was, he resolved that he’d try to help her as much as he could. After letting his employees know that he’d be unavailable for a while, he headed back to his trailer.

When he arrived, Tara was waiting for him on his front porch with Maya on her knee. They both looked beautiful.

“Evening ladies,” Sam said as he approached. “You wanna sit out here or go inside?”

“I think we better go inside,” Tara said, not meeting his eye.

Sam let her into the trailer and cleared a place on the sofa for her to sit. After she declined his offer of something to drink, he made a joke about all the clutter, remembering how she’d always teased him about the state of his home. He felt himself growing concerned when she didn’t so much as crack a smile. He cleared a place for himself and waited to hear what she had to say. After a few moments of awkward silence, he couldn’t stand it any longer. “Okay Tara. What did you need to talk to me about?”

Tara

Tara had rehearsed this speech since discovering that she was pregnant, but now, sitting face to face with Sam, she was at a loss for words. She appreciated his attempt to make her relax by joking about his junky trailer, but she found herself unable to muster even a polite smile in return. When he asked point blank what she wanted to talk about, she began to tremble.

“Hey, it’s okay. You know you can tell me anything,” he said soothingly.

She kissed Maya’s forehead to steel herself. Best to just say the words and get this over with.

“Sam, you’re Maya’s father,” she blurted. She watched his face carefully for any sign of reaction, but he just sat there, totally silent. Not knowing what to do next, she began babbling.

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner; at first I didn’t even realize I was pregnant. Then I was so focused on getting my life together and being a good mother that everything else just fell by the wayside. I’m not asking you for anything, but you have the right to know about your daughter.”

When Sam remained silent, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She stood and gathered Maya’s things. “We’d better leave. Call me if you want to talk about this later.”

Sam caught her arm as she moved to walk past him. “Let’s talk about this now.”

 

“Sam, you’re Maya’s father.”

 

After lobbing that grenade, Tara had continued talking but Sam was so stunned that none of what she said registered at all. Maya was his daughter? His mind flashed back to that night in his trailer thirteen months ago; the night before Tara had taken off. Maya had to have been conceived then. But why hadn’t Tara said anything? When he’d heard of her pregnancy it had been months after she’d left. He’d assumed she had met someone new and moved on with her life. He had spent the last year damning the son of a bitch who had run off and left her alone, never imagining that the son of a bitch was actually him. Sam felt the air rush out of his lungs, and he wasn’t at all sure he’d be able to breathe more in.

He had a daughter. He was momentarily speechless, but quickly roused from his stupor when Tara made to leave.

“Let’s talk about this now,” he said catching her arm.

Tara felt a wave of anxiety ripple through her. This was every bit as difficult as she’d thought it would be. But at least Sam seemed to be more stunned than angry. In fact, he looked like a man who’d just been run over by a freight train. And she couldn’t blame him.

“I’m sorry this is such a shock,” she said, wincing at the inadequacy of the word.

“Shock?” he snorted, shaking his head. “That has to be the understatement of the year. Tara, how the hell could you keep a secret like this?”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” she said quietly. That wasn't quite the truth. She wanted to say because you would have taken over, but wisely, didn't.

“It would have been nice to have been given the chance to react!” Sam’s emotions were in turmoil, vacillating between joy, hurt, and anger. “Did you really think that I’d turn my back on the two of you? Your opinion of me must be pretty damned low!”

 “Of course not. But this is the first time we’ve really talked since I left,” Tara said.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I called to congratulate you after she was born, you could’ve–“

Tara remembered that phone call all too well. Sam had sounded so sweet and caring, and she’d wanted to tell him about Maya so badly it hurt. But she'd been afraid that he would have rushed to Shreveport and moved them back to Bon Temps that very night. And she hadn't been emotionally ready to return to Bon Temps just then.

“This isn’t the sort of thing you tell someone over the phone, Sam,” she said in her own defense.

“And this isn’t the sort of thing you keep secret for a goddamn year either!” he roared.

 Maya apparently didn’t care for her father’s tone of voice. She screwed up her face and began to wail loudly.

Sam quieted immediately and looked concerned. “What made her cry?” he asked.

“You did,” Tara replied darkly, stroking Maya’s back in an effort to calm her. “You scared her with your shouting.” Tara rocked the baby in her arms and cooed to her while Sam watched. Tara saw the guilty expression on his face and took pity on him. “It’s okay, Sam. She’s fine.”

He nodded, then walked over and used his finger to gently brush the tears from Maya’s chubby cheeks. “Yeah it’s okay, sweetie. Daddy’s sorry.”

Daddy. Sam couldn’t believe how easily he accepted the fact that he was a father. Maya smiled up at him and his heart melted. Having been abandoned by two sets of parents, Sam vowed to himself that he would always be there for her. Especially if…

He remembered Tara’s words on the day she left town and his blood ran cold.

“You left Bon Temps because you wanted to get away from everything supernatural. I’m a shifter and so are my mother and brother. Has it occurred to you that Maya could be one as well?”

“It has. And I’m perfectly okay with that,” Tara said, looking him straight in the eye.

“Are you?” Sam asked, returning her gaze. He knew what it was like to be alone and afraid, abandoned by family and dealing with shit no child should ever have to experience. Although it was less than an hour since he’d learned that Maya was his daughter, he already felt fiercely protective of her. He was determined that she would have a better childhood than his. If Tara wavered in the slightest, he would hire an attorney and challenge her for custody with no feelings of guilt whatsoever.

 “I said I’m okay with it,” she replied firmly. “Maya wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. She’s my baby and I love her unconditionally. I left town because I'd gone through so much hell in those past couple of months and I blamed it all on supernaturals. The truth is that some of the worst shit ever done to me has been done by my mama, and there’s nothing supernatural about her. And two of the best people I know happen to be a mind reader and a shapeshifter.”

Her words took some of the sting away, but they still didn’t change the fact that she hadn’t told him about his daughter. He should’ve been there to help. Sam collapsed onto the sofa.

“Damn it, Tara, I had the right to know,” he said wearily.

“Yeah, you did,” she agreed.

“I would have been there for you. Both of you.”

“I know, Sam.” Tara took a deep breath. “Look, I know I was wrong not to tell you sooner. I’m sorry, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. But right now we need to figure out a way to get along because this is no longer just about the two of us. We have Maya to consider now, and we need to decide where to go from here.”

“You’re right,” Sam said, standing again. “And where we go from here is the Renard Parish Courthouse.”

“For what?”

“We’re getting married.”

 ********

Tara looked at Sam like he’d just breathed fire and begun speaking in tongues. “We are NOT getting married,” she said emphatically.

“Oh yes we are,” Sam told her. “Just as soon as it can be arranged.”

“Sam, listen…” she began.

“There’s nothing to listen to,” he interrupted. He began pacing. Marriage was the best solution for everyone involved: Maya needed stability, and that meant being raised in a home with both parents, Tara needed protection and security, and he needed Tara and Maya. Sam had been trying to build a family for himself since the Merlotte’s abandoned him 20 years earlier. Now he had that family and he’d be damned if he was going to let them slip away.

“Here’s what’s going to happen: first thing tomorrow morning, we go to the courthouse and apply for a marriage license. Then you call your job and let them know you won’t be back. We’ll need to find a house, so I’ll take tomorrow off and start looking for a realtor.”

Tara stared at him in disbelief. What the hell century did he think this was? She liked her job and her independence, and she wasn’t about to give up either one. The old Tara would have cussed his ass out and gone on her merry way, but since Maya’s birth she was working hard not to be that angry, vulnerable person anymore.

“Sam, be reasonable. Let’s not try to fix one mistake by making an even bigger one,” she said calmly, proud of her self-control.

“So are you saying that Maya is a mistake, or that our relationship is a mistake?” Sam asked, hurt.

Tara hurried to apologize. “Sorry. Wrong choice of words. Maya is the best thing that ever happened to me. And you’re one of my closest friends. But that’s just it Sam: we’re friends, nothing more. We’ve never had an actual relationship. We were just friends with benefits.”

“Well I seem to recall wanting us to have a relationship, only you kept pulling away,” he retorted.

Tara couldn’t deny that. She wished things could have been different between her and Sam, but she’d been so severely damaged back then that she wasn’t ready to let anyone into her life. Hell, she wasn’t sure that she was ready to let anyone in her life now. But that was water under the bridge. It had no bearing on the current situation. “We don’t have anything to base a marriage on,” she said.

“We have a child together.”

“A child isn’t reason enough to get married.”

“It is as far as I’m concerned. I don’t see what the problem is,” Sam scoffed. People got married for lesser reasons all the time. He and Tara had Maya, they were good friends, and they cared about each other. They could build from there.

“The problem is,” Tara said, “that we’d be getting married for the wrong reason.”

Sam stopped pacing and glared at Tara. “Exactly what is wrong with wanting to give our daughter a decent, stable life? Don’t you want her to have that?”

Tara’s temper finally frayed. “Of course I want her to have that!” she snapped, lowering her voice when Maya seemed ready to start crying again. “But we don’t need to be married in order to give her a good life.”

Sam reached for Maya. She went to him eagerly and gurgled happily when he began bouncing her in his arms. Sam felt his chest constrict with emotion; it was obvious that Maya’s trust in him was absolute. She realized they were a family. Why couldn’t her mother do the same? He decided to try a different tack.

“Who takes care of Maya while you’re at work?” he asked. When they were married, Tara wouldn’t have to work and could spend more time with Maya. Surely she couldn’t object to that.

“Don’t you start, too,” Tara said defensively.

“Start what?”

“Mama’s been giving me a hard time because Maya’s in daycare. She wants me to pay her to babysit, as if I would ever trust her alone with my child.”

There went that idea. The last thing Sam wanted was to be seen as taking sides with Lettie Mae Thornton, so he went back to his original argument. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t want to get married? That I wouldn’t want to take care of you both?” he asked.

That was just it. Tara knew that Sam would react this way. It was a large part of the reason she hadn’t told him about Maya until now. All of her life she had been the puppet of other people, namely her mother. Lettie Mae pulled her strings, telling her what to do and how to do it, totally disregarding her wants and needs in the process. Well she was finally free from her mother, and she certainly wasn’t about to give anyone else that kind of control over her. Not even Sam. The new Tara was determined to make a good life for herself and her daughter, and she didn’t need a husband to do it.

Sam raised Maya high in the air, making her squeal. Tara smiled, “Looks like she’s a daddy’s girl already.”

He smiled back, looking hopeful. “Tara…”

Tara held up her hand before he could say anything more. “Sam, please. Don’t start the marriage thing again.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know if there is a nice, easy solution in our situation. I just wanted you to know about your daughter, and for her to have the chance to know her father.”

Sam knew how stubborn Tara could be, and that the worst thing he could do was push her. That would just cause her to dig her heels in even more. He decided to back off the marriage idea…for now. But there was no way she was keeping him away from Maya. “Just to be clear: I want you to know that I plan to take a very active role in her life.”

“I hoped you would, but it’s getting late, and it’s time for a certain little girl to get bathed, fed, and put to bed. Maya, tell Daddy good night,” she cooed, taking her back from Sam, who kissed her forehead. “Come by my place tomorrow evening at 7:00. We can work out a co-parenting arrangement then.”

Co-parenting? What the hell did that even mean? Sam thought it sounded like something Tara had picked up from a TV talk show; probably Dr. Phil. Maya needed a family, not ‘co-parents.’ However he didn’t want to end the evening on a sour note, so he just nodded. “Okay, 7:00 then. See you tomorrow.”

After Tara and Maya departed, Sam called the restaurant to let Terry know that he wouldn’t be back and that he would need to close up for the night. Then he went to his kitchen in search of his whiskey; it had been a hell of a day and he needed something to calm his nerves. He was pouring himself a glass when he thought of Maya…he was a family man now and he needed a more constructive way to channel his stress. He poured the whiskey down the sink, then stripped off his clothing and shifted to dog form. He would go for a run to clear his head.

**********

The next evening as Tara fed and bathed Maya in preparation for Sam’s visit, she thought about her conversation with him the night before. It had gone much better than she’d thought it would. Of course he’d been hurt that she hadn’t told him about Maya sooner, but at least he accepted his daughter and wished to be a part of her life.

His marriage proposal, on the other hand, was a different matter altogether. There was no way she could agree to marry him, knowing that he’d only proposed to her out of a sense of obligation. She and Sam were good friends and cared for each other, but the only reason they’d hooked up in the first place was because she’d been pining over Jason Stackhouse and he’d been in love with Sookie. Tara had grown enough to realize that her feelings for Jason were nothing more than a schoolgirl crush, but for all she knew Sam was still carrying a torch for Sookie. She didn’t want a husband who was in love with her best friend. In fact, she didn’t want a husband at all. She’d finally broken free from her mother and she wasn’t about to hand control of her life to anyone else. She was interrupted from her reverie by a knock at the door.

“Hey Tara,” Sam greeted her as he entered the apartment.

He was carrying a brown, floppy-eared stuffed dog and a large bouquet of flowers.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“These are for you,” he said, handing her the flowers, “and Cocoa here is for Maya. Where is my girl?”

Tara thanked Sam and led him to Maya’s bouncy seat next to the couch. Sam picked the little girl up and, speaking in a silly voice, introduced her to Cocoa, making her giggle.

Tara laughed. “You’ve won her over already.”

“I sure hope so,” Sam replied seriously.

He accepted her offer of iced tea. When she returned, he was walking around the living room with Maya in his arms, obviously inspecting her apartment.

“Nice place you got here, but you know you could have moved into one of my rentals.”

She’d known this was going to come up. “What’s wrong with this?”

“Nothing. It’s just…small,” he said.

“It’s large enough for me and the baby.” Tara said defensively. She felt a surge of irritation. She was proud of her place and the work she’d put into decorating it. Sam had no right to criticize.

“But my apartments are larger, and you wouldn’t have to pay anything,” he persisted.

“This place is more convenient to my job and Maya’s daycare. Look Sam, I don’t need anything from you. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of my daughter.”

 

Sam bristled at the words ‘my daughter,’ Maya was their daughter. He didn’t correct her, though. He’d come here to discuss his role in Maya’s life, not start a fight with Tara. “I never said you weren’t. It’s a really nice place.” He took a seat.

Tara knew Sam and knew that the matter wasn’t closed…far from it. Nonetheless, she appreciated his peace offering and accepted it. “So let’s talk about Maya.”

“Yeah, let’s. How often can I see her?”

“How often would you like to see her?” Tara asked.

“Everyday,” he replied, perfectly straight-faced.

“Sam…”

“This wouldn’t even be an issue if we were married,” he said matter-of-factly.

So much for peace offerings. “I thought we’d agreed not to discuss that again.”

“I never agreed to any such thing. Maya needs both of her parents.”

“She has both of her parents.”

“I mean together, Tara.”

Tara took a deep breath and tried to hold on to her temper. Fighting with Sam wasn’t going to accomplish anything, but she needed to let him know that marriage was definitely not on the table.

 “Sam, you did the honorable thing. You offered, and I appreciate it, but I don’t want a husband.”

“You don’t want a husband, or you don’t want me for a husband?” he asked.

“I don’t want to get married. Ever.”

“Why not?” he questioned.

“I’m not discussing this. We’re supposed to be discussing how often you can see Maya, and everyday isn’t feasible,” she snapped.

At least it seemed that Tara’s problem was with marriage in general, instead of some personal issue with him. That meant he still some chance of changing her mind. Or he hoped it did. Sam decided to back down.

“Okay. How about five days a week then?”

“How about three?”

“Fine. When can I come get her?”

“Why don’t you visit her at my place until you get used to taking care of her?”

Sam was doing his best to come to a reasonable compromise, but apparently Tara wanted to keep everything on her terms. “I’m not an idiot, Tara. Don’t you trust me to take care of our daughter?” he asked angrily.

“Of course I trust you. But how much do you know about babies? How many diapers have you changed? Do you have a crib or car seat? Do you know how to mix formula, or give her a bath?” Tara asked. “Besides, I’m not turning my child loose in that pigsty until after you’ve sterilized it.”

“Okay, whatever,” Sam muttered, vowing to hire someone to clean his trailer. He’d learn to care for Maya, and maybe the three of them spending time together would help convince Tara to make the arrangement permanent. “When can I visit?”

“What about Tuesday and Thursday evenings? You can come by at 6:00; I put her to bed at 8:30. I’ll teach you the basics, and you guys will have a couple of hours together.” Tara said.

“You said three days a week.”

“I was thinking Saturday mornings, 9:00 to noon.”

“I guess that’ll work,” he said, sounding a bit put out.

Sam had blustered in like pit bull, determined to take charge of everything. Now he looked like a whipped puppy. Tara decided to offer an olive branch of her own. “I’m taking Maya to see her new pediatrician in a couple of weeks. Would you like to come along and meet the doctor?”

He brightened as she’d known he would. “Sure, just let me know when.”

She gave him the date and time, and he agreed to meet her there. Then he handed her an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“Child support for Maya. I want to give you something for her every week. I hope it’s enough.”

Tara opened the envelope to find a check for a very generous sum. “It’s more than enough. Thanks, Sam.”

Maya had begun to squirm and rub her eyes. “Looks like someone is getting sleepy,” Tara said. “Let me go fix her bottle and you can put her to bed.”

Sam took Maya to her room and sat in the rocking chair. Tara gave him the feeding pillow and showed him how to position the baby.

“I’ll give you two some time alone,” she said.

Sam rocked slowly, looking into his daughter’s face. She looked back at him with huge brown eyes before reaching a tiny hand up to touch his cheek. He smiled, then began softly singing a lullaby.

Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away

When Tara returned a few minutes later, Maya was fast asleep in her crib with Sam standing over her. She went to join him.

“She’s so perfect,” he whispered.

Tara smiled. “She is. I never knew what love was until the minute they lay Maya in my arms.”

They watched the sleeping baby a few minutes longer before returning to the living room.

“I saw all the things in Maya’s room. Do I need to get all of that for my place?” Sam asked.

“For such a tiny person, she sure needs a lot of stuff,” Tara laughed. “But no, you only need to get the essentials. I’ll give you a list.”

“Actually, it might be better if you come along with me.”

Tara laughed again. “Okay Sam. We’ll go shopping after we take her to the doctor, how does that sound?”

Sam agreed and bid Tara good night. As he drove home, he vowed to himself that the three of them would be a family soon. He’d prove himself indispensable to Tara, and she’d have no choice but to realize that he was everything that she and their daughter needed.

*******

The next couple of weeks flew past with the three of them settling into a routine: Sam would come over two evenings a week, feed Maya dinner, play with her for a while, then read her a story and put her to bed. On Saturday mornings Tara would use Sam’s visitation time to catch up on her housework. The night Maya turned five months old, Sam had cooked a special meal and they’d all shared supper and celebrated. It felt like an actual family, something she had craved her entire life.

One part of Tara enjoyed the normalcy of it all. Having Sam there to help care for Maya was a tremendous help, and she loved the idea that Maya was forming bonds with her father that would last a lifetime. On the other hand, she felt that she was growing too dependent on Sam and that was something she definitely did not want. Thankfully he hadn’t brought up marriage again, but she knew the matter wasn’t settled. Sam wasn’t the sort of man who took no for an answer, and she knew the issue was never far from his mind. Well, she’d cross that bridge when they got there.

Right now they were sitting in a diner in Monroe, finishing lunch after taking Maya to see her pediatrician. The waitress had been playing with Maya every time she’d come over, and when she’d brought the check she complimented them on how cute and happy she was. When she left, Tara took the opportunity to pick on Sam.

“Maya did well at the doctor’s office today, which is more than I can say for you,” she teased. “I thought you were gonna slap the poor nurse when she gave her a shot.”

“She shouldn’t have made her cry,” he grumbled.

Tara laughed. “She has to get her immunizations, Sam. You don’t want her getting sick, do you?”

“Of course I don’t want her to get sick. I just don’t like to see her in pain.” He gave his daughter’s cheek an affectionate pinch. Maya gurgled at him as if she knew what he was thinking, and maybe she did. She was the brightest baby Sam had ever met, but then again he was biased; he hadn’t been around enough babies to make a fair comparison. He was looking forward to having her at his home, and even at Merlotte’s once she was older. He chuckled aloud.

“What’s so funny?” Tara asked.

“Thinking about you giving my trailer a white glove inspection. Does it meet your standards, General Thornton? Am I allowed to take my daughter to my home now?”

“I guess so,” Tara said, laughingly feigning reluctance. “Just as soon as we get you a crib and a few other necessities.”

“That’s next on the agenda, after we finish up here.” Sam smiled at Tara. He loved hanging out with her and Maya; it felt like a real family. He was enjoying this new side of Tara, too. She was so self-confident now, and that in turn made her more relaxed and happy. They needed to do this more often. Suddenly he had an idea. “Tara, what are you doing Saturday afternoon?”

“I don’t have anything special planned. Why?” she asked.

“The circus is in Shreveport this weekend. I was thinking that instead of my regular visit we could take Maya out there.”

“Maya is five months old. She won’t even know what she’s looking at.”

Sam wasn’t about to be deterred. “You’ll enjoy it, too. We can go the circus, visit the carnival afterwards, and have an early dinner at the new Mexican restaurant in Ruston.”

“I don’t know, Sam…”

“Come on, Tara. When was the last time you got out of the house and had fun?”

She thought for a moment. Sam had a point; lately all she did was go to work and take care of the baby. “Alright, let’s do it.”

“Great. I’ll pick you guys up at one.”

******

The weather on Saturday was beautiful, but as Tara suspected, Maya seemed unimpressed by the circus. Sam pointed out all the animals and explained the various acts to Maya over Tara’s laughing protests that she was too young to understand what he was talking about. At the carnival, it was obvious that Sam was having a blast. And honestly, so was she. In fact, she hadn’t had this much fun since she was a kid.

When they stopped to get soft drinks, they were surprised to hear someone calling their names. It was former Bon Temps Sheriff Bud Dearborn, who was there with his wife and grandchildren.

“Nice to see y’all. Y’all know my wife Shirley; these are our granddaughters Brenna and Jenna,” he said, indicating the woman by his side and the identical twins. “Tara, I heard you’d moved back to town. I apologize that I haven’t seen you sooner, but since I retired I spend most of my time on my farm.” He knelt in front of Maya’s stroller, where Brenna and Jenna were cooing over her. “Who’s this little cutie?”

“This is Maya…” Tara started.

“…our daughter.” Sam finished.

Both Bud and Shirley blinked in surprise but recovered quickly. “Well congratulations!” Bud said, smiling down at the baby. “She’s beautiful.”

“Thanks, we think so,” Sam answered proudly.

“Y’all make such a lovely family. When’s the wedding?” Shirley asked.

Tara glared at the amused expression on Sam’s face. She felt like smacking him, and she felt like telling Shirley Dearborn to mind her own business. But motherhood had mellowed Tara’s temper considerably, and she knew that Mrs. Dearborn didn’t mean any harm. She certainly wasn’t going to insult the woman in front of her grandchildren. “Um, we…” she stammered, trying to think of a graceful way to end this conversation.

“Now Shirley, don’t you start,” Bud said. He winked at Tara. “She just loves weddings…already got Brenna and Jenna’s planned out, even though they’re just six.”

“That’s…sweet,” Tara said.

“Well we promised the girls they could ride the ponies, so we’d better get to it. Y’all enjoy the rest of your day,” Bud said as they strolled off.

Sam really hadn’t planned to bring up marriage that day; he honestly just wanted the three of them to enjoy a fun outing. He’d half expected Tara to go nuclear after the encounter with Bud and Shirley, but she’d surprised him by taking it all in stride. Later, when one of the roaming photographers at the carnival asked they wanted their picture taken, Sam thought she would insist that they each be photographed separately with Maya. But Tara had surprised him yet again by grabbing his hand and pulling him into the frame. Maybe she was beginning to see that they really did belong together as a family. They definitely needed to do this more often.

They were on the Ferris wheel when Tara noticed the gleam in his eye. “I know what you’re thinking, and it won’t work,” she told him.

“I’m not thinking anything,” Sam said, trying to sound innocent.

“Uh huh,” Tara smirked at him. She should have guessed Sam was playing dirty when he’d come up with this “family outing” idea. “Did the man ever give up?” she thought, chuckling to herself. She would definitely have to stay on her guard from now on.

After riding the carousel, Tara noticed that Maya needed to be changed. She asked Sam to wait there while they went to the ladies room.

“Tara Mae?” She had Maya on the changing table when she heard someone call her name. She looked into the face of Thelma Washington, the woman who’d lived across the street from her and Lettie Mae when Tara was a little girl.

“Ms. Thelma,” Tara said flatly. This woman had made her life a living hell when she was growing up, blaming Tara for everything that went wrong in the neighborhood. She had even called the sheriff to accuse Tara of kicking in her door and stealing her television; it hadn’t mattered that Tara was only eight years old and in school when the robbery occurred. She’d constantly warned her children not to associate with “that trash.”

“That your baby?” she asked Tara.

“Yes, this is my daughter Maya.” Tara replied, not looking at her.

“It’s so nice to see that you keep her cleaner than Lettie Mae kept you. I have some old clothes that my grandbabies have outgrown. I was gonna throw them out, but I’ll drop them at your mama’s so…”

For an instant Tara literally saw red, then she lost it. “We don’t need your fucking hand me downs!”

Ms. Thelma actually had the nerve to pretend her feelings were hurt. “I was just trying to be nice.”

“Bitch, please. You don’t know the meaning of nice; you’re the same hateful ass heifer you’ve always been!” Tara didn’t wait to hear what she had to say next; she grabbed Maya and stormed out of the restroom.

******

“Take us home!” Tara demanded the instant she saw Sam.

Sam knew Tara well enough to know something had pissed her off, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what. The day had gone so well until now, but he couldn’t think of anything he’d done to cause the change in her demeanor.

“I thought we were going to dinner in Ruston,” he said.

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Tara what’s wrong? Did something happen?” he questioned.

“You know what, you go on to Ruston. We’ll take a cab home,” she didn’t want to discuss Ms. Thelma right now.

“From here? But that’s over ninety miles.”

“You think I can’t afford a fucking taxi ride?” Tara asked angrily.

“No, I just…” Sam started before deciding not to give her the fight she was obviously looking for. “Come on, let’s go.”

They made the drive back to Bon Temps in awkward silence. When they reached Tara’s apartment, she barely gave him time to cut the engine before she leapt out of his truck, grabbed the baby from her car seat, and made a beeline to the porch. Sam had to catch the front door to keep it from being shut in his face.

“What do you want, Sam?”

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Nope,” she said curtly, and began closing the door again.

Sam stopped it with his foot. “Can I at least tell Maya goodnight?”

She stood aside and allowed him inside. He spent a couple of minutes with Maya, then tried again with Tara.

“Tara, talk to me. Please.”

For an instant she considered telling him about Ms. Thelma before deciding against it. She wasn’t in the mood for pity…or charity…at the moment. “I’m just tired, that’s all.” Tara gave him a wan smile. “Thanks for taking Maya to the circus today.”

Sam drove back to his trailer, thoroughly confused. Something had obviously happened, but Tara refused to open up to him. He wouldn’t push her tonight, but he vowed to drop by the next day. They’d have a nice long chat, and he’d find out exactly what the problem was.

Chapter Nine: For Maya’s Sake

After arriving home, Sam sat in his truck for a moment still trying to figure out what had upset Tara. He was getting fed up with her shutting him out all the time. He thought about going inside, but in his current mood he knew that if he spent too much time alone he'd just end up brooding, maybe even drinking. So he drove to the restaurant instead; he could catch up on paperwork.

Lafayette was taking a cigarette break and chatting with Jessica when Sam arrived. He was startled to see him. “What you doing here, Bossman? Thought you took the day off.”

“Looks like I’m not the only one taking the day off,” Sam snapped as he stormed inside. “I don’t pay y’all to stand around doing nothing, so get back to work!”

“What was that all about?” Jessica asked Lafayette, confused.

“I’m not sure, but I got a pretty good idea.”

Sookie caught up with Lafayette as he headed to the kitchen. “Sam’s back,” she said in surprise. “I thought he was taking the day off to be with Maya.”

“I know. And he in a funky ass mood, too.”

“Something must’ve happened.”

“Ya think?” Lafayette asked facetiously.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

“Be careful Sook. He‘s royally pissed off!”

********

Sam was in his office looking at the picture taken at the carnival earlier that day when he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.” It was Sookie.

“I guess you heard me jump on Lafayette and Jessica and you’ve come to chew me out about it,” he said. “I promise I’ll apologize.”

“Actually, I’ve come to find out what’s really bothering you.”

“Now what makes you think that anything is really bothering me?” Sam asked testily.

“Because I know you.” She noticed the photo on Sam’s desk.  Tara stood holding Maya in one arm, her other hand grasping Sam’s. All three were smiling brightly. “Y’all look happy.”

“I thought we were,” he scoffed.

“Was there a problem today?”

“Apparently, but I don’t know what.”

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Sookie asked. Maybe she could figure out what went wrong.

“We spent the entire day together and everything was fine. Hell, it was Tara’s idea to take this picture. Then she went to change Maya and when she got back it was like somebody had flipped a switch. She was so pissed off she’d barely speak to me.”

“Did y’all run into anybody who might’ve said something that upset her?”

Sam thought for a moment. “Nope, just the Dearborns. Shirley made a crack about us getting married, but that was earlier and it didn’t seem to bother her.” He laughed bitterly. “Actually, that incident made me get my hopes up again. I thought Tara would see that we belong together as a family, but that woman has more attitude than common sense.”

Sookie stared at him incredulously. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

“You know exactly what I mean. Just look at this picture. If we were married, I’d be spending a quiet evening at home with my family and none of this other shit would be happening. But Tara is so damned stubborn…”

Sookie cut him off. “Sam, why exactly do you want Tara to marry you?”

“What the hell kind of question is that?” Sam asked.

“A very simple one.”

“Maya needs both of her parents.”

“And?” Sookie persisted.

“And what? It’s the right thing to do.”

 “Sam Merlotte, you wanna know what your problem is? You think you know what's right for everybody. Then when they don't agree, you get all self-righteous and start acting like you're the injured party!” Sookie shouted.

Sam was furious. “How the hell can you say a thing like that? I’m only trying to make a safe and secure home for my baby!”

“And what about Tara?”

“Tara too! What are you trying to imply?”

“I’m not implying anything Sam,” Sookie said, shaking her head in disgust. “You know what, I’m glad Tara refused your ass!”

“I don't fucking believe this!” Sam roared. “Are you turning her against me? I expected better from you of all people. That's not...”

“That's not what? Fair? I'll tell you what's not fair. The one thing I haven't heard you say during this entire conversation is that you love Tara. I know you love Maya, and it’s obvious that you’re in love with the idea of having a family, but you haven’t said a word about loving Tara. A loveless marriage wouldn't be fair to any of you.”

Sam opened his mouth to protest, but Sookie cut him off. “And if you do love Tara, then you know that she has enough on her plate without you constantly pressuring her to go along with your old-fashioned sense of morality! She’s had enough of people trying to control her life. Give her some space to breathe. If you love her, tell her that. If she’s falling in love with you, and I think she is, things will happen naturally. But you need to be sure of your feelings before you even think about marriage. Don’t just ask out of a sense of duty, Tara’s been hurt enough in her life, and she deserves better than that.”

Sam looked at the floor and said nothing.

But Sookie wasn’t finished yet.  “And just for the record, I didn't turn Tara against anything. She can think for herself, which is something you'd know if you ever climbed down off your high horse long enough to ask her what she wants.” She stormed out of the office and slammed the door, leaving Sam to think about what she’d said.

******

At the end of his shift, Lafayette fixed double helpings of jambalaya and banana pudding to go, then headed over to Tara’s apartment. As he’d suspected, she was still awake and dressed; she answered the door almost as soon as he knocked.

“Thought you might be hungry,” he said.

“How’d you know that I hadn’t eaten?” Tara asked.

Lafayette smirked at her. “Sam came back to work in a pissy mood, so I figured things must not have gone according to plan.” He looked around. “Miss Thang sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, cause me and you need to talk.”

Lafayette warmed the food and fixed plates for both of them. He waited until they’d started dessert to ask what had happened.

Tara set her fork down. “Remember Thelma Washington who used to live across the street from me and mama?”

Lafayette remembered. “Sho’ do. Is that old bitch still alive?”

“Yeah, I ran into her at the carnival today and she hasn’t changed one damn bit. First she started in on me and mama, then she asked if I wanted some of her granddaughter’s old hand-me-downs for Maya, like I can’t take care of my own baby.”

“I hope you cussed her ass out,” Lafayette said.

“I did.”

“That’s my girl. Don’t let her get to you Hookah, she ain’t half as high and mighty as she pretend to be. That oldest boy of hers is locked up in Angola so tight he’ll never see the light of day again.” Lafayette chuckled, expecting Tara to join him. Instead he was shocked to notice that she was crying.

He pulled her into his arms. “Hey, what’s wrong? I know this ain’t all cause of that Miss Thelma bitch. What’s really going on?”

“It just brought back all the old shit from when I was a little girl and how people treated me because of mama,” she answered, wiping her eyes.

“That shit is in the past. You done made something of yourself now; you shouldn’t care what other people think.” Lafayette said gently, stroking her back.

“I don’t give a damn what most people think about me. It’s Maya I’m worried about. I don’t want her to have to go through the same shit I did growing up.” Tara began crying again. “I’m thinking about moving to Baton Rouge to get away from all this.”

Lafayette was stunned. “What does Sam think of that idea?”

“I haven’t told him yet.”

“I can tell you right now he ain’t gonna like it. You can’t keep running every time things get rough, you know.”

“I know that, but…”

“You tell Sam what happened with Miss Thelma today?” Lafayette asked.

“No. I’m too ashamed. Sam knows all about mama, I don’t want to give him any more reasons to think badly of me.”

“Look at me Tara,” Lafayette said, grasping her chin. “You are not Lettie Mae, and you are not responsible for anything Lettie Mae did. You’ve turned your life around, you’re making a good living for yourself and your child, and I’m proud of you. You ain’t got nothing to be ashamed of. But you gonna have to start trusting people, starting with the father of your baby.”

“I can’t do it, Lafayette.” She looked down. “Sam is one of the few people whose opinion does matter to me.”

“Do you love him?”

She scoffed, “My feelings about Sam are all over the place. Sometimes I think I do love him, and sometimes I’m not sure I can love anybody except for Maya.”

“He’s a good man, Tara. At least give him a chance.”

“But he may not feel the same way about me. He’s always had a thing for Sookie; still does for all I know.” She laughed bitterly, “I’m not about to be his little consolation prize. That part of my life is over. It’s all or nothing now.”

“Well, if he got a thing for Sookie, he sho’ is hiding it good,” Lafayette said. “Whenever you and Maya around, he can’t keep his eyes off you.”

“You mean he can’t keep his eyes off Maya,” Tara corrected.

“I mean he can’t keep his eyes off of you,” Lafayette said firmly.

“Still, you know I don’t have the best track record when it comes to relationships. I’m sure I’ll find a way to mess it up.”

“I was the same way until I met Jesus. But I had to learn to stop shutting him out and give love a chance.”

“But I just got control of my life,” Tara protested. “I don’t want to give up my independence.”

“Now you just making up excuses,” Lafayette said. “Nobody expects you to give up your independence. And you seriously telling me you can’t handle Sam Merlotte if he try to take over?”

Tara laughed.

Lafayette tilted her chin once more so he could look her in the eye. “Talk to him, Baby Girl. Cause no matter what you decide your feelings for Sam are, y’all need to start communicating. For Maya’s sake if nothing else.”

The next morning Tara got up early and gave Lafayette a call.

“Can you babysit for me today? I really need to talk to Sam.”

“Sure thing Hookah,” Lafayette said. “What time you bringing Miss Thang over?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I haven’t called Sam yet. He may not want to see me.”

“All you can do is try. Call me back and let me know if you’ll be coming over.”

Tara hung up the phone and immediately dialed Sam. He seemed surprised to hear from her so early in the morning.

“Is everything okay?” he asked quickly.

“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to apologize for yesterday and find out if you have time to meet me for coffee this afternoon. We need to talk.”

He agreed to meet her at 12:30 at a coffee shop in Bastrop. She called Lafayette back, then steeled her nerves for her meeting with Sam.

Sam arrived ten minutes early, but Tara had still beaten him there. She waved him over.

“Where’s Maya?” he asked after they’d exchanged greetings and placed their orders.

“With Lafayette and Jesus. I thought we needed some time to talk alone.”

“This sounds ominous,” Sam said a little nervously, thinking back to the last time Tara had approached him like this. That was when she’d told him that he was Maya’s father. He hoped she didn’t have any other bombshells to drop.

“Not really. I just owe you an explanation for the way I acted yesterday, and I also need to apologize,” Tara said.

“You don’t need to apolo…” Sam started before Tara cut him off.

“Yes I do. When we were at the carnival I ran into an old neighbor who gave me all kinds of hell when I was growing up. She said some nasty things yesterday, and I took it out on you.” Tara looked Sam in the eye. “I had no right to do that, and I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I understand,” Sam said.

“When I was a kid, that woman blamed me for any and everything that went wrong in the neighborhood,” Tara continued. “Then yesterday she implied that I can’t take care of my baby.” She lowered her eyes. “I don’t want Maya to have to go through the same shit that I did. I seriously thought about packing up and moving to Baton Rouge.”

Tara noticed the panicked expression on Sam’s face and hastened to reassure him. “Don’t worry, we’re staying here. I can’t keep running from my problems for the rest of my life.”

“Well that’s good to know,” Sam said. “But why didn’t you tell me this yesterday? We could have talked about it.”

“I was too ashamed,” Tara answered.

“Ashamed of what? She was the one being a bitch; you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yeah, but you don’t know what it’s like, being rejected and feeling like you’re not good enough.”

“Oh I know alright,” Sam said quietly. “More than you think.”

“How?” Tara asked. “You’re a successful businessman. You’ve had your life in order for a long time.” She laughed ruefully. “I’m constantly trying to keep it together.”

“I may look like I have my life in order, but we all have our pasts. I wasn’t always a successful businessman,” Sam said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well you know that I’m adopted. You met Tommy and my biological parents,” he said.

“Yeah.”

“The Merlottes adopted me when I was a baby, and I had a relatively decent childhood. But when I was 15, I shifted for the first time. It was totally unexpected and I was terrified. I didn’t understand what was happening to me, and the Merlottes didn’t know anything about shape shifters, so they didn’t know what the hell was going on either.” He paused, visibly shaken by from the memory.

“Sam, you don’t have to tell me about whatever this is. I can see that it still hurts you.”

“No, I need to. I shifted into a dog right in front of their faces. They refused to talk about it. In fact, we all pretended it didn’t happen. But when I got back from school the next day, the entire house had been cleaned out except for the stuff in my room. There wasn’t even any food left in the fridge.”

 “Jesus. I’m so sorry Sam,” Tara said, taking his hand. “What happened?”

“I stayed in the house a few days, since I didn’t know what else to do. Then I ran. I quit school, left town, and made my in the world the best way I could. Which is a nice way of saying I was a crook. I was on the run for years, not only from the law but from myself.”

“Sam, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea.”

“Nobody does. You’re the first person I’ve ever told,” Sam said, not looking at her. “For years I felt like a freak.”

“Sam, look at me,” Tara said, squeezing his hand. He kept his eyes on the table. “Sam, please.” He finally met her gaze. “You’re not a freak; far from it.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling weakly.

“I mean it,” she said decisively, then a look of horror crossed her face. “Oh my god! I was such a bitch to you the day I left town. When I said those awful things to you it must’ve torn into your soul.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’d just been through a hellacious ordeal yourself. Besides, you were right; I should have told you that I was a shifter way before I did.”

“That still doesn’t excuse it. I’m sorry about what I said. I’ve never thought of you as a freak, and I’m glad you trusted me enough to tell me about this.”

 “You’re one of the few people in the world I feel like I can trust,” Sam said.

“I feel the same way about you.”

Sam smiled at her, then glanced at her hand which was still holding his. “Speaking of apologies, I still owe you one.”

“What for?” Tara asked, startled.

“For trying to pressure you into marrying me. I was so caught up thinking about what I wanted that I didn’t stop to consider your feelings. I’m sorry”

“You don’t have to apologize for that. I know you just wanted to do the right thing for Maya, and I can’t blame you after what you told me just now.” Tara scoffed. “Having shitty parents is great motivation to do a better job with your own children.”

“Still, it wasn’t fair to you.”

“Apology accepted.” She smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “Your old-fashioned sense of duty was kind of cute, though.”

“That wasn’t the only reason I asked, you know.”

Tara was taken aback. “What other reason did you have?”

“I wanted us to have a chance for something real. I never felt comfortable being ‘friends with benefits.’ I wanted for us to have an actual relationship and be a family,” he said.

“Well that’s sweet of you, but maybe it’ll be for the best if it doesn’t happen.”

“Why?”

“Different reasons.”

“Like what?” Sam persisted.

Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn’t good at these sorts of conversations, but since Sam had been so honest with her, she wouldn’t feel right being less than honest with him. “Like your feelings for Sookie, for one. She’s single again; maybe you have a chance with her now.”

Sam looked surprised. He hadn’t felt that way about Sookie for a while. “I won’t deny that I had romantic feelings for her at one time. But that was a long time ago, and it was just a crush. We went out a couple of times, but we never really connected on that level. She’s more like a sister to me now.”

“Are you sure? I seem to remember you had it for her pretty bad.”

“Sookie was unattainable, and I knew that.” He scoffed. “Hell, that was part of the attraction. We always want what we can’t have. Are you still in love with Jason Stackhouse?”

“No. I loved him for protecting me when we were kids, but on some level I always knew that romance wasn’t in the cards for us. I still love him, but like a brother.” Tara laughed in spite of herself. “Point taken.”

“Okay, what else you got?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sam, be serious.”

“I am being serious.”

“I told you before: I’m un-boyfriendable,” Tara said.

“There’s no such thing.”

“I don’t know how to be with anybody. I’m scared I’ll mess it up.”

 “We’re all scared, Tara, but we can’t let fear stop us from being happy and living our lives.” Sam squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to push you; just promise me you’ll think on it and let me know.”

Tara remembered her conversation with Lafayette the night before, then took a deep breath before squeezing Sam’s hand in return. “I don’t need to think on it. I’m willing to give us a chance.”

“Are you sure?” Sam asked, his tone a mixture of hope and disbelief. “I don’t want you to feel like I pressured you into anything.”

“I’m positive,” she said, looking him in the eye. “You’re right; I can’t let fear rule my life. We wouldn’t have Maya if I did. Just promise me we’ll take it slow at first. I want to do things right this time around.”

“It’s a deal.”

Tara leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Well I better go pick up our daughter. I want to make sure Lafayette hasn’t done anything weird like getting her a weave or a tattoo.”

Sam chuckled, “He’d better not.” They walked to their cars. “I’ll give you a call later.”

Tara suddenly had an idea. “Can you come over for dinner tonight? I know it’s short notice, so I’ll understand if you can’t make it.”

“I’ll always make time for my two girls.”

“Great. Come by at around 6:00.” She kissed him again, deeper than she had in the coffee shop. “See you then.” She hopped into her Escape and drove off.

Sam got into his truck and headed home, still thinking about that last kiss. Taking things slow was going to be a lot more difficult than he’d thought.

*********

 

Chapter Eleven: The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Him

As she picked Maya up from daycare, Tara thought back to dinner with Sam yesterday. It had been fun and very relaxed. After their heart-to-heart talk earlier that day, there was a newfound understanding between them that both enjoyed. They had laughed and joked, and for the first time neither of them was waiting for “other shoe to drop.” It was the most enjoyable evening she’d spent in Sam’s company. Well maybe not the most enjoyable, she thought with a blush as she recalled some of their previous evenings together. But they weren’t walking on eggshells around each other for once, and she felt this was a major turning-point for the two of them. In fact, she could hardly wait to see Sam again. On a whim, Tara decided to drop by the restaurant to surprise him.

Except for a few people at the bar, the place was mostly empty when she arrived. It was too early for dinner and there wasn’t much of a happy hour crowd this early in the week.

“Tara! Long time no see!” Arlene rushed over to give her a hug and kiss. “Hey Maya!” she squealed, pinching the baby’s cheek.

This enthusiastic greeting was definitely a surprise to Tara; she and Arlene had never really been close.

“Sam promoted me to assistant manager today so he could spend more time with the two of you!” Arlene gushed. “I got a raise, and I don’t have to wait tables anymore! I swear, y’all are the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Tara smiled. That explained her good mood. “Thanks Arlene. Where’s Sam?” she asked.

“He had to run over to the warehouse for something; he’ll be back in a minute. Why don’t y’all have a seat and I’ll get you something to drink.”

“Thanks, I’ll take lemonade.”

“Sure thing,” Arlene smiled, then turned and barked the order to one of the new waitresses. Tara bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Same old Arlene; she got a little bit of power and queened it over others.

“Hey Tara!” She glanced up to see Terry Bellefleur approaching. “I thought I heard your voice.” He scooped Maya out of her lap and blew a raspberry against her cheek, causing her to scream in delight. Then Holly came over to speak, and they got so caught up in their conversation that none of them noticed Sam’s arrival.

“Why isn’t anyone working?” he asked.

“Because you have visitors,” Terry said, turning towards Sam with a grin.

Sam was surprised to see Maya in Terry’s arms and Tara seated in the booth. As soon as she saw Sam, Maya began giggling and reaching for him.

“Maya, you’re leaving me for another man?” Terry asked as he handed her over. “I’m hurt.”

Tara laughed. “Don’t feel bad Terry. The minute she sees her daddy it’s like the rest of the world don’t exist.”

They all laughed. Sam leaned down and kissed Tara. “What’s up?” he asked.

“I didn’t feel like cooking tonight, so I decided to drop by for one of Terry’s monster cheeseburgers.”

Terry grinned. “With a side of onion rings?” he asked.

“You know how I like ‘em.”

“You want that for here or to go?”

“For here. And make it two,” Sam said.

“You got it,” Terry said as the little impromptu party broke up.

Once they were alone, Sam returned his attention to Tara. “Is there any other reason you came by? Is everything okay?” he asked, slightly concerned.

“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to see you.” She looked a little apprehensive. “That’s not a problem is it? I know you’re busy and I don’t want to get in the way.”

“No problem at all, I’m never too busy for my girls,” Sam hastened to reassure her. It made him feel on top of the world that Tara had made a special trip just to see him. He leaned in to kiss her, but was interrupted by a waitress bringing a high chair for Maya.

“Arlene said y’all are gonna need this.”

When the waitress left, Tara chuckled. “Arlene seems to be taking her new role as assistant manager very seriously.”

Sam smiled. “That was actually Sookie’s idea. I wanted to give the job to her, but it would have cut down on the time she spends in Shreveport with Eric.”

“Well Arlene is very dependable,” Tara admitted. “Just keep her on a short leash or you’ll have an employee mutiny on your hands.” They both laughed.

They’d just begun to eat when Jason Stackhouse came over to speak. “Is it okay if I take my niece over there with me?” He indicated the booth across the restaurant where he, Hoyt, and Crystal were sitting. “Crystal hasn’t seen her lately.”

Like 90% of the female population in Renard Parish, Maya was completely smitten with Jason. She bounced in her seat, clearly eager to go.

“You can take her Jason, but don’t feed her French fries. I have a hard enough time getting her to eat vegetables as it is,” Tara said sternly.

“French fries are made from potatoes, and a potato is a vegetable.”

“Jason!”

“Okay, okay.”

Dinner with Sam was very enjoyable. They didn’t get to talk much because of a steady stream of interruptions from people stopping by to speak, but they had fun, and Tara ended up staying later than she’d planned. She didn’t realize just how much later until she noticed Jessica at the table with Hoyt, Jason and Crystal. They were all laughing and trying to coax Hoyt into holding Maya.

“It’s easy. Just hold your arms like a basket. You won’t break her,” Jessica was saying as Tara and Sam approached.

“If it’s so easy you do it,” Hoyt snapped.

“I better not,” she said, glancing at Tara. Everyone knew she didn’t have much use for vampires.

“It’s okay, you can hold her,” Tara said, surprising them all. She was doing her best to overcome her prejudice against all things supernatural; after all, her own daughter might be one. Plus, she’d always secretly admired the young vampire’s spunk. Anyone who got Maxine Fortenberry so pissed off had to have something going for them.

Jessica carefully took the baby from Crystal and held her close, feeling the tiny heartbeat. For a moment she choked up; this was the one thing she could never give Hoyt, no matter how much she loved him. But she forced her tears back and smiled at Maya. “She’s beautiful, Tara.”

“Thanks,” Tara said, taking Maya back. She felt a brief moment of panic when she noticed a red stain on the side of Maya’s face, then her nose told her it was just ketchup. She glared at Jason, who at least had the grace to look sheepish.

“Well it’s past her bedtime so we better get going,” Tara announced. “It was nice seeing everybody.”

Sam walked her out amidst a chorus of goodnights and requests that she come back soon for another visit.

“Why don’t y’all spend the night at my trailer?” Sam asked once they got to her car. He hated to see them leave.

“It’s tempting, but we don’t have any clothes here and I have to go to work in the morning,” Tara said. She kissed him. “Maybe next time.”

Disappointed, Sam agreed. He kissed Maya goodnight, then gave Tara a much longer kiss. “Call and let me know y’all got home safe, okay?”

“I will,” she promised.

Sam watched her drive off. He stood there until he couldn’t see her car anymore, then he headed back inside. He went in through the kitchen, and was startled to find Terry in tears.

“I’m so happy for you!” he said, catching Sam in a bear-hug. “The three of y’all look so perfect together.”

“Thanks,” Sam said, patting his shoulder before moving to extricate himself.

“I’ll be happy to babysit when you and Tara need a night out.”

“Thanks man, but we don’t have many nights out. We have a baby you know.”

“Then how do you keep the romance alive?” Terry asked. “I always make sure to schedule date nights for just me and Arlene, no kids. Even if we just go get a cup of coffee, it’s our special time to be together and renew our relationship.”

Sam looked at Terry with new respect. “That’s a great idea,” he said, knowing he was in serious trouble if he was taking romantic advice from Terry Bellefleur.

“Thanks,” Terry said proudly. “Remember, if y’all need a babysitter just let me know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

When Tara called, Sam had already formulated a plan. “What are you doing Saturday night?”

“Nothing special, why?”

“Let’s go see a movie. We can have dinner afterward,” Sam said.

Tara laughed. “Thanks, but I don’t think Maya is ready for the movies yet. You know she gets fidgety if she has to sit still for too long.”

“I meant just the two of us.”

“That sounds like fun, but we need somebody to watch Maya. I hate to keep asking Sookie and Lafayette.”

“I think I have that covered. Remember LaWanda, the new waitress you met tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“I asked, and she said she’d be happy to babysit for us.”

Tara was hesitant. “Is she responsible? She looks really young.” Tara wasn’t sure she wanted to leave Maya alone with some high school kid.

“She’s very responsible, and she’s a student at the junior college,” Sam said. “Tell you what; I’ll ask her to drop by your office so you can get to know her a little better.”

Tara had lunch with LaWanda a couple of days later and came away extremely impressed. She was a soft-spoken young lady enrolled in the nursing program and even had a CPR certificate, Her fiancé was currently stationed in Afghanistan; they planned to marry as soon as his deployment was over.

She called Sam that afternoon. “I like her. I have no problem with her babysitting Maya.”

“Does this mean we have a date?”

“Yes it does.”

“See you Saturday night then.”

Tara hung up, feeling excited. She told herself to stop being so foolish; she had a baby with this man, after all. Still, this was going to be their first “real” date and she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. She deliberated for a moment, then called Lafayette for advice on what to wear. She wanted everything to be perfect.

 

 

********

They were seated in the dining room of a beautiful Italian restaurant right outside of town. Sam had decided to forego the movie and pull out all the stops for their date. He’d arrived bearing two dozen red roses and had taken extra care with his appearance that night. He was freshly shaven and had a new haircut. And to top things off he was wearing a suit, something Tara had never seen him in before. It was obvious that he’d gone to great lengths to make the evening memorable, and she truly appreciated it.

Just then the waiter appeared, interrupting her thoughts. “Sir, madam, are you ready to order?”

Tara quickly glanced over the menu. Everything looked delicious; she was going to have a hard time deciding.

“May I recommend the angel hair pasta with shrimp and scallops in tomato and basil pesto?”

“It sounds wonderful, I’ll have that.”

“And I’ll have the filet mignon with peppercorn sauce and rosemary potatoes,” Sam said. “And could you please have the sommelier select a bottle of your best Cabernet?”

“Of course sir. I will return shortly with your salads.”

Tara took in the view from the picture window and caught her breath. Moonlight poured down from a star-filled sky and sparkled across the surface of a small private lake. A pair of swans sailed past, while peacocks patrolled the elegantly manicured grounds. “This is amazing, Sam. Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome. I wanted our first date to be special,” he said.

She laughed. “It’s more than special; this place looks like something straight out of a fairy-tale. How’d you find it anyway? I’ve lived in this area my entire life and didn’t even know it existed.”

“One of my suppliers told me about it a while back. He said it was the ideal place to bring a special lady, but I’d never had anyone special enough to bring until now.”

She smiled. “Thanks Sam. I think you’re special, too.”

Sam smiled back and covered her hand with his own. “By the way, you look beautiful tonight.”

On Lafayette’s advice, Tara was wearing a strapless dress of dark fuchsia which perfectly complemented her mocha skin. Her handbag and shoes were of a lighter pink. “Thank you.”

He began caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, sending jolts of electricity sparking throughout her body. Tara was relieved when the waiter appeared with their salads, followed by the sommelier with the bottle of wine.  She watched as Sam took a sip and nodded his approval. After the sommelier had filled her glass and they were once again alone, Sam proposed a toast. “To the future; may we always be as happy as we are at this moment.”

Tara smiled and raised her glass, ”I’ll drink to that.” She took a sip and gave Sam another smile. “You seem to know a lot about wine.”

Sam laughed. “You mean for a good ol’ boy? I used to be a waiter at a country club in Houston. I made friends with the wine steward; he taught me a lot.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he said with a teasing wink.

“Such as?”

Before he could answer, they were interrupted again by the arrival of the main course.

When they were served and they waiter had gone, Sam continued. “So what did you want to know?” he asked, cutting into his steak.

Tara took a bite of her pasta and swallowed; It tasted divine. She thought for a moment. “What were you like as a kid?” she finally asked. “Were you a good student?”

“Pretty good, I guess. I made Bs mostly. Math was my favorite subject.”

“And did you play any sports?”

“Football for a little while.”

Tara gave him an appraising look. “Let me guess, wide receiver?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, a little surprised. “You like football?”

She laughed, “Are you kidding me? In Bon Temps football is practically a religion.”

“So who’s your team?”

“The Cowboys, who else?”

“Who else,” Sam agreed, chuckling.

They continued their meal in companionable silence for a few minutes, then Sam said “Your turn.”

“My turn for what?”

“To tell me something about you.”

Tara looked surprised. “You already know just about everything; there really isn’t much to tell.”

“Come on, there’s always something new to learn,” Sam said. Suddenly he had an idea. “Tell me about the day Maya was born.”

“Oh gosh,” Tara laughed, rolling her eyes. “Sook was staying with Eric, so it was just me and Lafayette at the apartment when my labor started. He actually changed clothes five times because he wanted to look perfect when Maya saw him the first time.”

Sam chuckled, “That sounds just like Lafayette.”

“Finally I had to tell him that if he didn’t hurry up, he’d have to deliver the baby on the living room floor. That freaked him out so much I had to call a cab to take us to the birthing center. Sookie and the midwife met us there. I was in labor about five hours, and Sookie held my hand the entire time. Lafayette did good up until Maya actually started coming out, then he fainted.”

“Fainted?”

“He hit that floor like a bag of wet cement, but if you ask him about it now he’ll deny it until his dying breath.”

They both laughed aloud, then Tara noticed the wistful expression on Sam’s face.

“I’m so sorry, Sam. I should have…”

She was interrupted by Sam gently placing a finger over her lips. “Shhh. What’s done is done. The important thing is that you’re both part of my life now.”

She smiled and he squeezed her hand. “Would you like to dance?” he asked to lighten the mood.

“I’d love to,” Tara said, widening her eyes in surprise. “I didn’t know you could dance,”

“Like I said earlier, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

“You sure got that right,” Tara thought as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Several couples were already up and dancing to the sounds of the jazz quartet playing on stage. Sam wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his body. As they began moving in time to the soft music, Tara felt a pleasant warmth suffusing her body and she recognized it as the beginnings of arousal. She loved being held by him this way. As she moved closer and lay her head on his shoulder, Tara recalled her promise to take things slow this time around. Well, she just might end up breaking that promise before the night was over, she thought to herself with a chuckle.

“What’s funny?” Sam asked, looking down at her.

“Just thinking about how this is almost perfect.”

“Almost?” he asked, raising a brow in amusement. “And just what would make things perfect?”

“This,” Tara placed a hand on the side of his face, and bringing it down to her own, kissed him softly on the lips.

Sam held back for one brief instant of shock before deepening the kiss. Tara felt a jolt of pure lust lance straight through her body. This time she was the one who pulled back.

“Maybe we should get out of here before we end up making a spectacle of ourselves,“ she said a little breathlessly.

“I agree. Just let me settle the check,” he said just as breathlessly, leading her back to their table.

Tara asked to have the remainder of their wine re-sealed while Sam paid for their meal. Then they waited for the valet to bring his truck around.  

“I had a wonderful time tonight Sam,” Tara said on the ride back. She squeezed his knee and allowed her hand to rest on his thigh. “I’ll show you how grateful I am when we get home.” She choked back a laugh when he stomped on the accelerator.

When they arrived at Tara’s apartment, LaWanda informed them that Maya was no trouble at all and had been asleep for hours. They both thanked her. Sam paid LaWanda and escorted her to her car while Tara went to check on the baby.

“How is she?” Sam asked from over her shoulder. He’d removed his jacket.

“Sleeping like an angel,” Tara replied. They crept out of Maya’s room and she closed the door carefully.

She went into the kitchen, feeling inexplicably awkward now that they were alone. “Want to finish off the wine?” she asked, trying to stall. She began rummaging through a cabinet in search of two glasses, but stopped when Sam gently caught her shoulder and turned her to face him.

“No. All I want is this.”

Sam closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips to hers. Tara welcomed the kiss and moaned softly in protest when he drew back.

"Listen, I know we promised to take things slow," he murmured, looking her in the eye.

"Sam…"

"Well tonight I plan to take things very slow."

Tara gave a throaty chuckle, then Sam bent close and kissed her again. She parted her lips to allow his tongue entry before wrapping her arms around his neck and molding her body to his. Tara shifted her hips and heard Sam growl from deep in his throat.

They both jumped at the sound of frantic knocking from the front door.

“Tara Mae! Open the door for mama, baby!”

 

********

“Shit! What does she want this time of night?” Tara exclaimed as she quickly pulled away from Sam. She heard him groan in frustration as she raced to answer the door before her mother woke either Maya or the neighbors. Lettie was inside before Tara barely cracked the door.

“Tara Mae, I need to talk to you baby…” she began, but broke off when Sam appeared from the kitchen and placed a protective hand on Tara’s shoulder.

“Evenin’ Ms. Thornton.”

“Evenin’.” She gave Tara a hard look. “I didn’t know you was…entertaining.”

Tara chose to ignore this. “Mama, why are you here so late? Is anything wrong?”

“Yeah. I need to talk to you baby,” Lettie said. “In private,” she added, glancing at Sam.

Tara felt Sam tighten his grip on her shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded her approval.

“I was just leaving,” he said grabbing his jacket. Tara saw him to the door.

“You going be okay with her?” he asked indicating Lettie Mae, who was inspecting Tara’s apartment, with a nod of his head.

“I’ll be fine,” Tara tried to reassure him.

“You sure?” he was obviously unconvinced.

“I’ll be fine,” she repeated. If her mother was here to cause trouble, she didn’t want Sam around to see it. Things had been going great between them; there was no need to remind him of the baggage she carried.

Sam eyed her for a moment longer before finally bending to kiss her forehead.

“Call me as soon as she leaves and let me know what happened. I don’t care how late it is.” He kissed her again. “Night Ms. Thornton,” he called on his way out.

Lettie Mae just nodded.  “You got a nice place here, baby. I’m proud of you.” she said as soon as Sam had left.

“Thanks.”

“Where my grandbaby?”

‘*She’s asleep, Mama; it’s the middle of the night. Speaking of which…”

“Let me peep in on her.”

Tara led her to the back bedroom where Maya slept.

“That’s my little precious sugar. It’s a shame I hardly get to see her.”

Tara sighed; they’d been over this before. “You see her when I take you to lunch on Sundays.” This was to prevent drama; Lettie was always on her best behavior in a cafeteria full of church members.

“Only twice a month. You should let me look after her while you’re at work. You could pay me…”

Tara’s temper finally gave way. “Mama, it’s after midnight. What’s the big emergency?” she snapped.

“My electric bill is past due,” Lettie Mae said sheepishly.

“And that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Tara asked.

“It’s $500. I was so worried I couldn’t sleep.”

“What!” Tara shouted, then lowered her voice to keep from waking the baby. “Mama, how the hell did it get so high?”

“These last few months been hard on your mama, baby girl. I been paying what I can, but now them people want all they money or they gon’ cut my lights off.” Lettie began to cry. “I hate askin’ you baby, but there ain’t nobody else I can go to.”

Tara put her arms around her mother. “Don’t cry; I’ll figure something out. Give me a few days and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks baby, I knew I could count on you.” Lettie kissed Tara and gave her a squeeze.

Tara hugged her back. “Now go home and try to get some rest so you can look nice at church tomorrow. I’ll meet you at one o’clock for lunch.”

“Alright baby,” Lettie said as Tara saw her out. She suddenly thought of something else. “Oh, can I get a few dollars for the collection plate?”

Tara went through her wallet. “All I have is a twenty.”

“That’ll do,” Lettie said, snatching the bill. “See you tomorrow, baby.”

When Tara called Sam afterward, she told him that Lettie Mae was up to her usual theatrics and everything was under control. She didn’t bother to mention the money because she knew that he’d insist on helping out and this wasn’t his problem. She would handle this on her own.

**********

Tuesday evening Tara was completely worn out. The last two days had been draining to say the least. She’d spent all of Sunday afternoon and most of the evening with Lettie Mae, who kept whining about her financial struggles until Tara finally gave in and took her shopping. Then on Monday the computers at the library crashed for no reason whatsoever and she was besieged by angry students and faculty who couldn’t conduct their research. On top of everything else, she still had to figure a way to pay her mother’s electricity bill without putting a major dent in her savings. The only thing that kept her sane was the thought of seeing Sam tonight when he came for his regular visit. Maybe they could put Maya to bed early and pick up where they left off on Saturday, she thought to herself with a little smile. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the front door.

“Daddy’s here early,” she said, picking Maya up from her high chair. She answered the door and was surprised to see her mother.

“Hey baby. Can I come in?”

Tara opened the door wider and stood back to allow her inside. Obviously she’d come for the money, and Tara would have to tell her she couldn’t afford the whole amount. She dreaded the drama that was sure to play out in the next few minutes. Well nothing to do now but tell her and hope for the best. “Let’s sit in the kitchen; I’m getting ready to make supper.”

Lettie took Maya and seated herself at the kitchen table.

“I hate to be a pest, but I really need the money to pay that bill.”

“I’m sorry Mama, but I’ve gone over my finances and there’s no way I can give you $500.”

“What! My lights gon’ get cut off at the end of the week!” Lettie shrieked. This startled Maya; she began whimpering and reached for Tara.

 “Stop hollering, you’re scaring the baby.” Tara took her daughter and stroked her back to soothe her. “I’ll call and ask if they’ll let me pay it off in installments.”

“I need to pay ‘em all they money!” Lettie screamed in near panic as Tara reached for the phone. “You must want my lights cut off!”

“If we explain your situation and show that we’re making an effort to pay maybe they’ll work with us,” Tara explained reasonably as she dialed the number for Renard Gas and Electric. After a brief conversation with a customer service rep, Tara hung up the phone and glared at her mother.

“According to them you only owe $82.58 and it’s not due for another ten days,” she said through clenched teeth.

“I musta made a mistake,” Lettie said quietly.

Tara wasn’t having any of it. “This wasn’t a mistake; you planned this out: coming to my house in the middle of the night acting all panicked so I wouldn’t ignore you. What the hell are you playing at!”

“I need money. It ain’t fair that you living high on the hog while I’m stuck in the same raggedy ass rent house and driving a wreck!”

“So you told a lie that could have put me in a bind just to be greedy?”

“I ain’t bein’ greedy; hell, I feel like I deserve something after all these years of doing without,” Lettie said. “Why you so broke anyway? Don’t Sam Merlotte give you money?”

“Sam pays child support to take care of his daughter, NOT you.”

“He don’t give you no extra?”

Tara shook her head in disbelief. “Listen to your self! You claim to be a Christian, but you haven’t changed one bit. Still trying to use people to get what you want.”

“Sometimes using people is the only way to get ahead in this world.” Lettie pointed at Maya. “Like that baby, she can be our ticket to the good life.”

“What!”

“Think about it girl; you got knocked up by one of the richest men in the parish. Tell him you want a house and the money to keep it up. And if he try to give you any trouble, get yourself a lawyer and take his ass to the cleaners. If you play your cards right we can make a good profit off of this.”

For a moment Tara just stared at her mother, too stunned to speak. “I can’t believe you just said that,” she finally managed.

“It’s the truth Tara Mae. You better get what you can while you can ‘fore he get tired of both of y’all and leave,”

“Sam’s not like that!” Tara shouted, finally losing her temper.

“All men are like that!” Lettie shot back. ”He gon’ leave and you ain’t gon’ have nobody left but me. I just hope you gettin’ something outta this for yourself. Please tell me you ain’t such a damn fool that you just let that man ride you all night without leavin’ nothing on the dresser in the morning.”

“Mama, get the hell out!” Tara screamed. Maya began to cry.

“You selfish little bitch! I done figured out a way to help us both out, but you too hung up on that man to use the sense God gave you!”

“I said leave!” Tara shouted, making Maya scream even louder.

“Alright goddammit!” Lettie shouted back, finally moving towards the door. But she couldn’t resist a parting shot.

“You done let that fancy life of yours go to your head. But mark my words, you gone end up the same as me: stuck with nothing but an ungrateful child and life full of regrets. You think you better than me?” Lettie sneered. “You ain’t shit. Never was, and never will be.”

Tara physically pushed her mother out door and slammed it so hard that two pictures fell off the wall, their frames shattering. She didn’t bother to clean it up. She sat on the couch, cradled Maya to her chest, and began weeping.

There was another knock at the door.

“Stay the hell away from here!” she yelled, snatching it open,

But instead of Lettie Mae, Sam stood on the front porch; a stunned expression on his face.

“Tara? Baby, what’s wrong?”

**********

Things had been pretty slow at the restaurant as was typical for early in the week. In fact the day had been downright dull, so Sam felt entirely comfortable leaving Arlene in charge for the rest of the evening and taking off early to spend time with Tara and Maya. He’d been looking forward to seeing them all day, especially Tara.  Sam smiled to himself, thinking about the last time they were together. Maybe he was being a bit presumptuous, but he’d brought along a change of clothing. If things went the way he hoped he’d be staying the night. After all, what were the odds of Lettie Mae interrupting them a second time?

He knocked and was startled by Tara’s shout when she opened the door.

“Stay the hell away from here!”

“Tara? Baby, what’s wrong?”

She blinked in surprise, obviously expecting someone else. Finally she stood aside to allow him in.

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked again. He was becoming faintly alarmed; Tara and Maya were both in tears, and there were broken picture frames on the living room floor. He wrapped an arm around Tara and guided her back to the couch.

“What happened?”

Tara took a deep breath. “It’s Mama,” she finally managed.

Sam felt a sudden surge of anger and fierce protectiveness. If that woman had dared hit either one of them… “Did she hurt you?”

“No. Not physically.”

Maya let out a pitiful wail; Tara tried to shush her, but she seemed to sense her mother’s emotional distress and continued to whimper.

“Here, let me have her.” Sam took the baby and, speaking softly to settle her down, headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of apple juice. He noticed a pot about to boil dry, so he shut the stove off and placed the pot in the sink. Next he brought Maya back to the living room, placed her in her swing, wiped her face, and gave her the bottle of juice. When he was sure she was settled, he went to the bathroom for aspirin and a damp washcloth, then fixed a glass of water and took them back to Tara, who accepted them gratefully.

“What did your mother do?” Sam asked, seating himself beside her and gathering her in his arms.

Tara sighed and leaned into his embrace, then finally opened up. “It started Saturday night; she came here asking for money to pay an overdue bill. Then she harassed me all day Sunday and Monday, crying about how her lights were about to get cut off. Today I finally told her I couldn’t afford to give her full amount and she went ape shit.”

“You know you could have come to me…”

“There was no bill, Sam; it was all a lie. When I confronted her she did what she always does: started calling me names and saying that I’ll end up just like her.” Tara was careful not to mention Lettie’s plan to use Maya as a meal ticket. She’d never tell Sam about that…ever. Some things were just too hurtful to repeat.

Sam stroked her back. “I hope you didn’t believe any of that.”

“I’ve been hearing it all my life. I thought I’d gotten past it, but Mama knows exactly how to push my buttons. I guess deep down part of me is still afraid that I will turn out like her; that I’ll damage Maya the same way she damaged me.” Tara pulled back and looked at Sam. “I want you to promise that if I ever start acting like Mama, you’ll take Maya away from me.”

“Tara, you’re not like…”

“No!” She was emphatic. “Take her away and never let me see her again.”

Sam was uncomfortable with this, but Tara was so upset he agreed just to calm her down. “Okay, I will.”

“I want your word, Sam. Promise me.”

“I promise,” Sam pulled Tara close to him again. “But I know it’ll never come to that. You’re an excellent mother, and you’re nothing like Lettie Mae.” He kissed her forehead. “And I’ll make you another promise: I’ll be here to protect for as you long as you let me.”

“Thanks Sam,” she said softly, then began to cry again.

Sam held Tara in his arms until she’d let it all out. Finally, she sat up and gave him a weak smile.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess. You were supposed to be having dinner and visiting with Maya, but you’ve been so busy dealing with my crap that you haven’t done either one.”

“There’s no need to apologize. We promised that we’d have each other’s back, and I’m happy to be here for you this evening,” Sam said. “Oh, and thank you, by the way.”

“For what? Blubbering all over you?”

“No, for trusting me enough to open up. I know that couldn’t have been easy for you.” Sam was thinking how far they’d come since that day at the circus.

Tara was surprised; not at Sam, but at herself. There had been a time when she would have torn his head off just for being in the near vicinity after she’d fought with her mother. Tonight she had accepted the comfort he offered without even thinking about it. Maybe she was getting better at this relationship stuff.

“I do trust you, Sam,” she said softly. Suddenly there was a loud screech from across the room.

“Sounds like somebody’s hungry,” Tara said with a chuckle.

Sam changed Maya’s diaper while Tara warmed baby food for her supper. Then he made omelets for the two of them while Tara gave Maya a bath and prepared her for bed. A thunderstorm had rumbled in while they were eating; it had turned into a torrential downpour by the time they had everything cleaned up and the baby settled in her crib.

“Well it’s getting late, I better get going,” Sam said.

“You can’t go out in this mess.” Tara had switched on the news; the storms had become severe and there were tornadoes in the area. “Why don’t you stay here tonight?”

“Are you sure?” Although Sam was delighted at the prospect, he knew the last thing Tara needed was sex while her emotions were so raw. That had never stopped them in the past, but he wanted to do things right this time around.

“I’m sure. It’s too dangerous for you to drive.” Almost on cue, a huge gust of wind shook the entire house and they heard a barrage of hailstones pinging off the roof. “Besides, I hate storms. I’ll feel safer with you here,” she added a little sheepishly.

“You mean to tell me the fearsome Tara Thornton is afraid of a bit of thunder and lightning?”

“I know it’s childish but I can’t help it,” she said, embarrassed.

“I’m just teasing you; Of course I’ll stay.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam undressed down to his shorts and lay in bed while Tara went into the bathroom to change clothes. She emerged wearing a T-shirt and long cotton sleep pants. She gave him an apologetic look.

“I hope you don’t mind, I’m just not in the mood for…”

“I understand,” he cut her off. He patted the space beside him. “Come on and get some sleep.”

Tara had barely lay down when a violent crack of thunder made the windows rattle, knocking the power out. Maya’s nursery monitor went silent, but they could hear her cries quite clearly without it.

“She’s definitely my daughter,” Tara said wryly, starting to get up.

“You stay there; I’ll go get her.”

Sam returned to the bedroom, rocking the baby and singing to her softly. Maya clung to her daddy, clearly upset by all the noise outside.

“I usually put her in bed with me when the weather’s bad,” Tara said.

“There’s room enough here for the three of us.” Sam lay Maya on his chest, Tara snuggled against his side and lay her head on his shoulder, placing one hand on Maya’s back. Both drifted off to sleep within minutes.

As Sam lay there in the dark he smiled to himself. This wasn’t the evening he had planned when he’d come over earlier, but it was nearly as satisfying. There would be time enough in the future for him and Tara to become lovers again, but right now he allowed himself to relish the role of father and protector.

**********

The next couple of days proved to be a challenge. The storms had knocked out electricity to three quarters of the parish. The power hadn’t been restored until Wednesday afternoon, so schools and most businesses were closed. Sam had immediately gone to check out the restaurant. Fortunately there was no major damage; just a lot of debris on the parking lot, and he’d had to replace all the perishable food per health department regulations. Even his trailer had made it through unscathed. The apartments were a different matter altogether. Shingles had been blown off, roofs had suffered hail damage, one porch had collapsed, and several trees had been struck by lightning. The clean up had kept him so busy that he’d had to forgo his regular Thursday visit with Tara and Maya. Every time he thought he’d taken care of one problem two more would crop up to take its place.

“I’m sorry, babe. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he’d said apologetically when he Tara on Friday evening. “I just have a few things to finish up tomorrow morning, then I’m taking the rest of the day off to spend with you. Anyplace special you want to go?”

Tara heard the fatigue in his voice. “I know you’re tired. Why don’t we take it easy tomorrow and stay in? I can rent a couple of movies and we can have a date night at home.”

“You sure? LaWanda’s available to babysit and I don’t mind going out.”

“You need to take it easy,” Tara said. “Besides, we can have just as much fun at home as we could going out. Maybe even more,” she added suggestively.

“Why Miss Thornton, are you propositioning me?” Sam asked in an exaggerated southern drawl.

“Maybe. You’ll have to be here to find out.”

“Well in that case it’s a date.”

Tara laughed. “That’s what I thought. ‘Night, babe.”

“Good night,”

Tara and Maya were up bright and early Saturday morning; she wanted to finish all her errands in plenty of time before Sam arrived that afternoon. She grabbed her to-do list and locked up the house. Tara had just strapped Maya into her car seat when her cell phone rang.

“Hello.”

*Tara? It’s Terry. I’m at the apartments…Sam’s been in an accident.”

For a moment Tara was so frozen with terror she couldn’t speak.

“Tara? You there?” Terry asked.

“I’m here,” she said, her voice quaking. “What happened?”

“Sam fell off a ladder. He’s got a bad cut on his head, but he’s alert and talking. I’ve already called 911, but I thought you’d want to know, too.”

“Thanks Terry, I’m on my way,” Tara hung up and sped over to the apartments, all the while praying that Sam wasn’t too badly injured.

When she arrived the ambulance was already there, but a crowd had gathered and she had to fight her way to the front. Finally she caught sight of Sam. The paramedics were working on him with Terry Bellefleur and a very frightened looking Coby and Lisa Fowler hovering nearby. Terry took Maya so Tara could kneel at Sam’s side. He seemed surprised to see her.

“Tara, what are you doing here?”

“I called her,” Terry said.

“Oh my God, what happened?” Tara asked, fighting back tears. Sam looked terrible: the hair at his left temple was matted with blood that trickled down his face to his collar.

“I was pruning trees when one of the limbs fell and knocked the ladder from under me.” Sam noticed the expression on her face and tried to comfort her. “I’m alright…it looks a lot worse than it is,” he said with a weak grin.

“I’m sorry ma’am but you need to move back,” one of the EMTs warned Tara.

“Hey man, that’s his family!” Terry snapped before she could reply.

“Okay, but I need you to stand out of the way so we can finish up and get him to the hospital.”

Tara nodded distractedly as she moved away and took Maya back from Terry, but she never took her eyes off Sam.

“What’s that for?” she cried out in sudden panic when she noticed him being fitted into a C spine collar.

“Don’t be alarmed,” one of the medics explained as they began strapping Sam to a backboard. “This is standard procedure whenever anyone takes a fall from this height. We like to stabilize the spine until we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Oh Jesus,” Tara moaned and finally started to cry. Sam wasn’t going to be paralyzed, was he? Terry placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Her phone rang; it was Lafayette.

“Tara, you sittin’ down, baby? I got something to tell you.”

“If it’s about Sam I’m here with him now,” she said.

“How is he?”

“I don’t know; he looks pretty banged up but we won’t know anything definite until he’s seen a doctor.”

One of the paramedics tapped her shoulder. “We’re taking him to the hospital now, Mrs. Merlotte. Did you want to ride with us?”

“No, I have the baby. I’ll be right behind you,” Tara told him, too distracted to notice the slip. She returned her attention to Lafayette. “I need to go; they’re taking Sam to the hospital.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Lafayette told her and rang off.

The drive to the hospital only took thirty minutes but it seemed like an eternity to Tara. She parked, grabbed Maya from her car seat, and practically ran into the building. Lafayette was already there; he must have given the engine of his sports car a real workout. They both headed straight for the desk.

“I’m looking for Sam Merlotte,” Tara told the clerk.

“Are you Tara?” She nodded. “He’s been asking for you; he’s in the third room on the right. You can go see him but the little one has to wait out here.”

“Go check on Sam, baby,” Lafayette said, taking Maya. “Me and Miss Thang’ll be okay till you get back.”

Tara made her way to the room the clerk had indicated. Sam was lying on a gurney, and she was surprised to see that he was alone with no one attending to him. He still wore the C spine collar, but his shirt had been cut off and now she could see a nasty-looking bruise on his left side that started at the middle of his chest disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. His left shoulder looked like a small melon. Sam’s eyes were closed and Tara couldn’t tell whether he was asleep or awake.

“Babe?” she said softly.

Sam opened his eyes and gave her a weak smile. “You came.”

“Of course I came,” Tara said, bending to kiss his forehead. She was careful to avoid the gash on his temple. “I just couldn’t ride in the ambulance because of Maya.”

“Where’s Maya now?” he asked.

“In the waiting room with Lafayette.” She took hold of his good hand. “Have you seen a doctor yet?”

“Briefly. She thinks I dislocated my shoulder and maybe fractured a couple of ribs. And I’m going to need stitches for this cut on my head.” He tried to make a joke. “I guess I don’t bounce.” He gave a weak laugh then checked himself, wincing sharply. Tara noticed instantly.

“Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Oh yeah. It even hurts to breathe.”

“Jesus. Have they given you anything for it?”

“Not yet.”

“Why the hell not?” Tara snapped, holding on to her temper with some difficulty. She was still ticked that no one had come in to check on Sam during the time she’d been there. What kind of hospital left a patient alone and in agony?

“They’re busy…”

“They could at least give you a freaking Tylenol! I’m going to find out what the hold up is.”

“Don’t…” Sam started, but she was already out the door. She reappeared a few minutes later accompanied by an orderly.

“Mr. Merlotte, I’m here to take you up to x-ray.”

“Can’t you give him anything for pain?” Tara asked as the orderly wheeled Sam into the hallway.

“I can’t, but I’ll check with the doctor.”

“Please do. Can I go with him for the x-rays?” They had paused outside a bank of elevators.

“Sorry ma’am, but it’s patients only. There’s no waiting area.”

“Okay, I’ll just wait down here.” The orderly nodded. She turned her attention back to Sam. “Send someone for me as soon as you get back.”

“You should probably go ahead and leave,” Sam protested. “I’m gonna be here a while.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re okay,” Tara said.

“But Tara…”

“But Tara nothing. I want to hear what the doctor has to say, plus you’re going to need a ride home. You might as well cut the macho crap because I’m staying right here,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Yes ma’am,” he said, secretly grateful that she’d chosen to stay with him.

The elevator finally chimed its arrival.

“See you soon,” Tara said, gently kissing Sam’s forehead before heading back to the ER waiting area.

“That your wife?” the orderly asked as he wheeled Sam into the elevator.

“Unfortunately no.”

“Well she sure acted like a wife. You should have heard her at the front desk, demanding to know why nobody was taking care of you.” He chuckled. “You better hold on to that one.”

Sam grinned despite his pain. “Believe me, I plan to.”

**********

It was nearly three hours before Tara saw Sam again, but he looked much better. He’d been cleaned up and was now dressed in a hospital gown and scrub pants. His head had been stitched and his left arm was fitted into an immobilizer. There was an IV in his arm and he appeared to be in a drug-induced fog; apparently he’d finally been given pain medication.

The doctor, a petite South Asian woman in her 40s, was going over his chart. She looked up and smiled when Tara entered.

“Ms. Thornton? Pleased to meet you. I’m Dr. Ayesha Qureshi,” she said extending her hand with a warm smile.

Tara shook her hand and took a seat in the proffered chair.

“I apologize for the long wait, but a major traffic accident came in and we were all rushed off our feet.” She seated herself and put on a pair of reading glasses.

“Since he listed you as the one to contact in case of an emergency, I assume you’ll be caring for him while he recovers?”

“That’s right.”

“Well he’s a little groggy because we had to sedate him to reduce that shoulder; and he’ll be that way for a few hours. Right now I’d like to go over a few things with you to ensure a complete recovery.” Dr. Qureshi looked at Sam. “He suffered a second-degree shoulder separation and three bruised ribs. I also had to put five sutures in his left temple, but thankfully there was no concussion.”

“Good lord,” Tara whispered.

“Actually his injuries are quite minor considering the height he fell from. But he’s going to be out of commission a while. He needs to keep that left arm completely immobile for three weeks, so no driving, operating heavy machinery, or anything else that requires both hands. And no strenuous activities like repetitive bending or heavy lifting for least two or three months.”

Sam, whom Tara had assumed was asleep, took exception to this. “I can’t be out of commission that long; I have businesses to run.” he protested.

“Sir, you’ll only injure yourself further if you don’t follow my orders.” Dr. Qureshi said severely.

“But…” Sam started, then a look from Tara cut him off.

“I’ll make sure he follows your orders to the letter,” Tara assured her.

Dr. Qureshi smiled. “He needs to schedule an MRI within the next week or so to check for any nerve or tissue damage, and a follow-up appointment with his doctor. The sedative I gave him should keep the pain at bay for the next few hours.” She handed Tara a couple of prescriptions. “He can take these for pain as needed so long as he doesn’t exceed four doses a day. The nurse will give you instructions on how to care for his shoulder and ribs.”

“Anything else I need to know?” Tara asked.

“No, I think that’s everything. If you follow the nurse’s instructions, make sure gets plenty of rest the first couple of days, and takes things easy for the next few weeks he should make a full recovery.”

*********

Tara drove cautiously on the way back from the hospital, taking special care to avoid any bumps or potholes that could aggravate Sam’s bruised ribs. Not that he would have noticed; he slept the entire ride back to his trailer. Watching him, Tara realized that he shouldn’t be left alone in this condition. So not bothering to wake him, she let herself in with his spare key and packed a week’s worth of clothing/ Next she drove straight to her apartment. Tara shook him awake and he blinked in surprise.

“This isn’t my trailer.” he said groggily.

“I brought you home with me. Come on, let’s get you inside.”

“Okay,” he mumbled as Tara helped him out of the car.

Lafayette, whom she had sent home earlier with the baby, opened the door. He took one look at Sam and winced. “Damn, Boss Man. Look like you got hit by a truck.”

“I feel like it, too.”

Jesus had also come over and he helped Tara get Sam into bed.

“Could you get his things out the car please?” Tara asked Lafayette.

“Sure thang, cuz.”

While Lafayette retrieved Sam’s belongings, Tara and Jesus tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

“You need anything?” Tara asked Sam once they had him settled.

“I’m fine,” he said, then immediately dozed off again.

“Whoa, that was fast. What’d they give him?” Jesus asked. Tara showed him the discharge papers. He read them and let out a whistle. “Strong stuff; I doubt he wakes up before morning.”

By this time Lafayette had returned. “Sam gonna be stayin’ with you?” he asked.

“Of course he is,” Tara called over her shoulder, going to check on Maya. “He can’t take care of himself while he’s like this.”

“That’s the truth,” Jesus said. “He’s going to need a lot of help until he can use his arm again.”

“Sam ain’t gonna like being so far from his restaurant,” Lafayette warned. “You know how he is: scared thangs will go to hell if he ain’t there to supervise.”

“Then he’ll just have to deal with it,” Tara said matter-of-factly. “Besides, everything is under control. I called Arlene from the hospital and she’s okay with running the restaurant for as long as it takes Sam to recover. Terry promised to look after the apartments, and I found a tree service to finish cutting down those limbs.”

“Go ‘head on with yo’ bad self! And you was worried about him taking over,” Lafayette said.

Tara shook her head. “I’m not taking over, I’m just taking care of Sam.”

“Uh huh. Call it what you want, but you is definitely in charge.” He laughed. “Come on, Boss Lady. I made dinner, and you needs yo’ strength if you gonna be buttin’ heads with Sam Merlotte.”

They ate the food that Lafayette had prepared, then he and Jesus cleaned the kitchen while Tara put Maya to bed and took a quick shower. Jesus looked in on Sam one last time before they left, but he never stirred.

“Thanks for everything guys,” Tara said, hugging them both as she saw them out.

“No problem; we’re family,” Jesus said, returning her hug. “Now you get some sleep. You’re going to have your hands full.”

Once they were gone Tara finally climbed into the bed beside Sam, careful not to jostle him. She immediately fell into an exhausted sleep. It had been one hell of a day.

***********

When Sam finally awakened early the next morning, he immediately realized that he wasn’t in his trailer. This room was bright and feminine, and Tara’s perfume scented the sheets. Thinking back to the day before, he vaguely remembered that she’d brought him to her place. He smelled coffee brewing and heard Maya’s giggles in the distance. They must be in the kitchen. Sam tried to get up but stopped dead in his tracks when a knifing sensation tore through his left side. He fell back onto the bed groaning in pain. Tara must have heard him; she was at his side in a flash, a worried expression on her face.

“You okay?” she asked. “What were you trying to do?”

“I need the bathroom.”

“Tara helped him out of bed the way Jesus had shown her and walked him to the bathroom. Sam stopped her at the door.

“I can handle it from here.”

Afterward, he slowly made his way to the kitchen. As soon as Maya saw her daddy, she babbled excitedly and raised her arms to be picked up.

“Sorry princess, Daddy can’t pick you up right now,” Sam said kissing her hand instead. He gingerly seated himself at the table where Tara had scrambled eggs, toast and a cup of hot coffee waiting for him.

 “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“My shoulder and side are throbbing like crazy.”

“I’ll get your pills, and when you’re done eating I’ll put some ice on your shoulder.”

After the pain medication kicked in and Sam was feeling a little better, he gave Tara a grateful look.

“Thanks for taking care of me. I don’t know how I would have managed without your help.”

Tara smiled. “No problem, babe.”

“Well I should probably head back home. Would you mind giving me a ride?”

Tara stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious? You can’t stay there by yourself.”

“But…”

“But nothing. Dr. Qureshi said you can’t move your arm for three weeks. That means you can’t drive, cook, or even dress yourself.”

“What am I supposed to do then?”

“Stay here with us.”

Now it was Sam’s turn to stare, hardly daring to believe what he’d just heard. While he was thrilled at the prospect of living in the same house with Tara and Maya for three weeks, he hoped she wasn’t just offering to let him stay out of some misguided sense of duty.

“Are you sure about this, Tara? I don’t want to be a burden.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure, and it would be more of a burden for me to come by your trailer every day.”

Sam was stunned into silence, surprised yet pleased that Tara was so committed to his care.

“In that case I’d love to stay here,” he finally managed to say.

“Great! Now I can be sure that you’re actually following the doctor’s orders,” Tara said, giving Sam a peck on the cheek. She lifted Maya from her high. “Now let’s get the two of you cleaned up; Arlene’s coming by to go over next week’s schedule.”

Arlene arrived later that morning along with Terry and the kids. She took one look at Sam and burst into tears.

“Oh Sam, what have you done to yourself?” she sobbed.

“I’ll be fine in a few weeks; it looks worse than it is.”

“You look a lot better than you did yesterday,” Terry said. “By the way, I followed Arlene here in your truck. It’s parked out front,” he said, handing over the keys.

Sam smiled. “Thanks, man.”

“Can me and Coby play with the baby?” Lisa asked Tara.

“Sure,” Tara settled them in a corner of the living room with Maya while Sam, Arlene, and Terry discussed the restaurant and apartments. It was obvious that Sam wasn’t feeling well, so they finished their business quickly and promised to call with regular updates.

After they left Tara made sandwiches for lunch, carrying them to the living room on a tray in order to spare Sam a trip to the kitchen. While they ate, she told him that she’d found a service to finish removing the damaged tree limbs at the apartments.

“Shit, Tara! What’d you do that for? I don’t need a service for something that simple!” Sam complained.

“Then what’s your plan? You obviously can’t get on a ladder anytime soon.”

“Do you know how much those services charge?”

“Not nearly as much as that trip to the emergency room,” Tara quipped.

Sam tried to think of a counter-argument, but couldn’t. “Alright, you win.”

After lunch, Tara was preparing Maya for her afternoon nap when she noticed that Sam was looking a bit pale. “It’s time for your medicine then you need to lay down yourself; you’re still not at 100%.”

To her surprise, Sam agreed without putting up a fight. “Okay, Maya and I can take a nap together.”

Tara helped Sam back to the bed and carefully laid Maya against his right side. Sam stroked her back with his good hand. Maya snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest patting him in return.  

“You keep doing this and she’ll be spoiled rotten,” Tara said with a smile.

“She’s supposed to be spoiled; she’s daddy’s little princess.”

Tara laughed and shook her head, but she was pleased that the two of them had formed such a close bond.

Within minutes, both father and daughter were asleep. Tara used the quiet time to catch up on chores. It was a good thing she did; that afternoon a steady parade of Sam’s friends and employees dropped by to check on him. Andy Bellefleur brought an ice chest full of frozen meals prepared by his grandmother; Tara wouldn’t have to worry about cooking for at least a week 

It was early evening when the last of their guests departed. After seeing the last person out, she collapsed on the sofa next to Sam.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,” she said. “Are you okay with calling it an early night?”

“More than okay,” Sam said. The day’s excitement had already taken its toll on Maya; she had conked out nearly an hour ago.

Tara gave Sam his pain medication and settled him into bed, making sure he was comfortable before climbing in beside him. She dozed off immediately.

Sam lay in the dark, preoccupied with thoughts of the woman who slept beside him. In the last 24 hours, she had taken better care of him than anyone else had in the last 20 years. She had stayed by his side, never wavering, anticipating his every need. It was at this moment that Sam realized he was head over heels in love with Tara. He wasn’t sure how she would react to that revelation so, terrified of scaring her away, he vowed to keep his feelings to himself. Sam sighed, wondering if he had made a mistake by agreeing to stay here. Because once he recovered and the time came for him to return to his trailer, he wasn’t sure that he’d have the strength to go.

*********

During his convalescence, Sam had plenty of time to think about his relationship with Tara. He’d always had strong feelings for her, but he’d come to understand that it had been infatuation rather than true love. Since the Merlotte’s had abandoned him 20 years earlier, he’d fantasized about having someone special in his life and building the perfect family. Like most fantasies, his didn’t include the stark realities of daily living. Since his injury, however, Sam realized that his feelings for Tara ran much deeper than even he thought possible. These last two weeks had opened his eyes to the fact that love meant much more than just romance and great sex; it also meant sticking together through good times and bad.

Since the accident Tara had done an excellent job of caring for him, even going so far as to take off work that first week so she could escort him to his doctor’s appointments. Furthermore, she’d organized the running of his businesses, managed her household, and taken care of a seven month-old baby, all while holding down a full-time job. She had stood by his side when a lesser person would have run. In short, Tara had proven herself to be a helpmate, a woman he knew he could count on through thick and thin. A woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Unfortunately Tara had told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested in marriage, and Sam wasn’t sure that he could change her mind. The thought left him disheartened; he wanted Tara as his wife and he wasn’t willing to settle for anything less.

Sam sighed and switched on the computer; he hoped that reading through his e-mails would be enough to distract him from this depressing line of thought. After sifting through dozens of junk messages, one from Arlene caught his eye. The bill from Auzenne’s Arbor Service had arrived and she wanted permission to pay it. When Sam saw the amount he nearly fell out of his chair.

“What the hell!” he shouted in disbelief. Tara had called three different companies and this was the most reasonable? Sam pecked out a reply to Arlene, instructing her not to pay anything until she heard from him. Then he stomped into the bedroom for a change of clothes and his car keys. He was going to drive over to the apartments so he could see for himself what had cost so damned much.

Sam soon discovered that dressing with one arm was not only impractical but nearly impossible. Sitting on the edge of the bed, it took what felt to him like forever just to remove his pajama pants and pull on a pair of jeans. He aggravated his bruised ribs in the process and had to remain still for several minutes while he waited for the pain to subside. Next, he removed the sling so he could change shirts. Sam did this without hesitation, rationalizing that it would only be off for a short while and he needed both hands free to drive. His shoulder began to throb almost immediately. Ignoring the pain, he grabbed a T-shirt and tried to pull it over his head. Big mistake. He felt a ‘pop’ in his shoulder which was quickly followed by the sensation that his whole arm was on fire. The pain nearly took his breath away. Sam gasped and it felt like someone had taken a butcher knife to his left side. He fell on the bed writhing in agony. When he was able to move again, Sam opened the nightstand drawer and frantically searched until he found the Tylenol Tara kept there. He considered taking one of his prescription painkillers but quickly rejected that idea. They made him drowsy, and he needed to remain alert to drive. He shook out three of the capsules and swallowed them dry. Shirt half on, he stretched out on the bed, desperately waiting for the medication to kick in.

*********

“Time to go home, pumpkin,” Tara cooed as she strapped Maya into her car seat. Her mind was on Sam during the entire drive home. She was thrilled with the close bond that he and Maya had forged during his stay. Maya had been a daddy’s girl since they’d met, but now they were closer than ever. They had an evening routine: Sam would greet them at the door, take Maya, and immediately head for “their” chair in the living room corner. He used Coco, the stuffed dog he’d brought on his first visit, to ask Maya all about her day, speaking in a goofy voice that made her squeal with delight. Tara enjoyed watching the two of them engaged in the silly ritual, pleased that he was taking such an active role in their daughter’s life. Tara also looked forward to the private time that she and Sam spent together. Sometimes they’d talk, debating current events for hours on end. Sometimes they’d watch television, and sometimes they’d simply sit, enjoying a companionable silence while she read and he worked on his computer. If Tara were to be totally honest with her self, she’d have to admit that she took great pleasure in having Sam with them every day. His presence was a comfort, and there would be a void in their lives once he moved back to his trailer.

“And what exactly does that mean?” Tara wondered as she pulled into the driveway. Gathering Maya and her bag, Tara pushed the thought aside until later. She wasn’t ready to deal with it right now.

Sam was startled by the sound of Tara’s car in the drive and immediately glanced at the clock; it read 5:07. He must have fallen asleep, because the last time he checked it was 1:15.

“Oh shit!” he said aloud, knowing that Tara would be furious if she ever found out he tried to drive himself to the apartments. Heedless of the pain in his left side, Sam moved to hide the evidence. He stuffed his sling into the nightstand drawer then kicked his pajamas under the bed. Next he lay down, pulling the sheet up to his chin just as he heard Tara’s key in the lock.

We’re home,” Tara announced, entering the apartment with Maya balanced on one hip. She frowned when there was no answer; Sam usually greeted them at the door.

“Babe?” she called out tentatively; still no answer. He was probably in the bathroom she decided. Unworried, she headed to her room to change clothes and was shocked to see Sam in bed, his face pale and drawn. She immediately rushed to his side.

“Sam what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he lied. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Don’t give me that. You’re in pain; I can see it all over your face.” She laid Maya on the bed next to him. “Why didn’t you take one of your pills?” Tara asked, opening the nightstand to retrieve them. The first thing she saw was his sling. She held it up, puzzled.

“Why aren’t you wearing this?” She glanced at Sam, who refused to meet her eye. Tara snatched back the covers to find him dressed in jeans and a partially-donned T-shirt.

“What the hell…” she started, then noticed his shoulder and arm. Both were red and swollen. “Oh my god! I’m calling the doctor.”

“Don’t do that!” he objected, but she was already speaking into the phone.

“Okay, we’re on our way now,” she said before hanging up. She returned her attention to Sam. “Dr. Qureshi is still in her office; the nurse said to bring you in immediately.

Sam thought about protesting, but the pain in his arm was excruciating. He sat quietly while Tara helped him into his shoes, but when she tried to pull the T-shirt down over his injured arm he cried out in agony. He stood and rushed to the bathroom, barely making it in time before he began retching.

Tara was right on his heels. “Oh Jesus Sam,” she said, knowing this had to be torture on his injured ribs. She wet a cloth and wiped his face.

“Can you make it to the car?” she asked when he seemed more stable. He nodded in reply, still unable to speak. They both heard a soft thud from the bedroom.

“The baby!” Tara cried; she’d left her alone on the bed in her rush to help Sam. She raced out of the bathroom in panic only to be met by a smiling Maya, calmly crawling down the hallway in search of her parents.

“Mommy’s so sorry.” Tara said, scooping her up and kissing her cheek. “Now let’s go take care of daddy.”

**********

Dr. Qureshi clucked her tongue as she examined Sam’s shoulder.

“You’re a very lucky man Mr. Merlotte. You pulled a muscle but didn’t dislocate your shoulder again.”

“Will he have to wear the sling longer?” Tara asked.

“No. He’ll be fine--provided he doesn’t take it off again,” the doctor said, giving Sam a hard look.

“Yes ma’am,” he said quietly.

Dr. Qureshi turned to face Tara. “I’ve given him something for the pain and swelling. He should rest comfortably tonight.”

“Thank you for agreeing to see us so late.”

“We really need to stop meeting like this.”

“I know. I’ll try to make sure he behaves himself from now on.”

“Good luck with that!” Dr. Qureshi said with a laugh. She paused to chuck Maya’s chin. “And who’s this little lady?”

“Our daughter,” Sam answered proudly.

“She’s a beauty. And I’m sure she wants her father in one piece. Remember that the next time you think of getting up to any more foolishness.”

***************

Tara was unusually quiet during the ride home. She hadn’t even asked why he’d removed the sling, something Sam found odd. Finally he couldn’t stand the silence any longer.

“I’m sorry Tara,” he said contritely.

“It’s okay.”

“Arlene sent me the invoice for the tree service today; I wanted to drive over and see what they did for that amount of money.” He waited a few beats for Tara to respond, expecting her to go ballistic. When she remained quiet he continued his explanation.

“I know it was stupid and I should’ve asked you to take me, but I got so upset when I saw the bill that I just couldn’t wait.”

Tara said nothing.

“Can you drive me over there this weekend?” he asked, desperate to break the silence.

“Mm hmm,” Tara replied distractedly.

“She must really be pissed,” Sam thought to himself as they pulled into the driveway. Tara Mae Thornton in a rage was a terrifying sight to behold, but he much preferred that to the silent treatment he was receiving now.

Tara pulled a sleeping Maya from her car seat and they all trooped into the house. She placed the baby in her crib and returned to Sam in the living room.

“You hungry?” she asked.

“A little bit.” In truth he was starved; he hadn’t eaten since breakfast but he wasn’t about to tell her that. Sam didn’t want to make her any angrier than she already was.

Tara fixed a couple of sandwiches and heated a can of soup. She served them to him with a glass of iced tea then headed out of the kitchen.

“Aren’t you going to join me?” Sam asked, surprised. They’d eaten supper together every night since he’d been there.

“Nah, I’m not really hungry. I’m going to take a shower.”

She was avoiding him.

“Tara, say something,” he pleaded.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Yell at me. Tell me what a damn fool I am. Just don’t freeze me out like this.”

Tara kissed his forehead and gave him a tired smile. “Babe, I’m not freezing you out, I’m exhausted. It’s been a long evening so I just want to get cleaned up and fall into bed.”

Sam immediately felt guilty. He had never thought of how severely his little escapade had disrupted their routine. Both she and the baby had missed their supper, and Maya had had to stay up way past her bedtime. To top everything off, Tara had to get up early and for work the next morning. Sam ate his meal in misery, feeling like the biggest jackass in the world.

Tara felt terrible for avoiding Sam, but she needed time alone with her thoughts. As the hot water sluiced over her body, she reflected on her feelings for him. She could no longer ignore the truth that she’d been denying for the last couple of weeks: she had fallen in love with him. She had no idea when or how it had happened, but seeing him this evening, helpless and in pain. had brought all her nurturing instincts to the forefront. Unfortunately, Tara had a 100% failure rate when it came to relationships, which was why her motto had always been “never get in too deep.” Now she was in way over her head, and the realization scared the hell out of her.

***********

Ten days after his relapse, Sam, Tara, and Maya were all in the kitchen. As Sam fed Maya strained chicken and carrots, he fought back feelings of guilt. He had been so excited about living with his family that he’d never considered how much extra work his being there caused. The sooner he went home, the better. Unfortunately he didn’t want to leave. Sam knew he was being selfish and that he’d have to do this quickly.

“I see the doctor tomorrow,” he announced.

Tara looked up from chopping vegetables, stunned. She had gone with Sam to every one of his appointments; why hadn’t he mentioned this one?

“What time do you see her? I can skip lunch and…”

“Don’t bother, I’ll get a taxi.”

“A taxi? There’s no need for that; it would be easier for me to drive you.”

“Easier for who?” Sam countered. “Look Tara, I appreciate everything you’ve done but there’s no need for you to wait on me hand and foot.”

“Okay,” she said, hurt. Sam had been acting distant and weird lately. Yesterday when she tried to help him wash his hair he’d snarled her out of the bathroom, insisting that he didn’t need to be coddled.

“Hopefully the doctor’ll let me out of this sling and I can finally go home,” he said, feeding Maya another spoon full of chicken.

So that was it, then. Sam felt smothered and wanted his space. Well she’d let him have it.

“Fine. I’ll give you my spare key so you can lock up.”

“Thanks,” Sam said, disappointed that she hadn’t made even a token protest. He resumed feeding Maya, his worst fear confirmed. He’d become a burden, and Tara wanted him out of her house.

The next day Dr. Qureshi did indeed tell Sam that he could remove his sling.

“But you still need to take it easy,” she warned. “Your ribs won’t be completely healed for another couple of months.”

Sam thanked her and caught a cab back to Tara’s apartment. He packed his things and loaded them into his truck. Next he dialed her cell; it would be easier for him to do this over the phone.

Tara saw the call from Sam and immediately answered. “Hey! What did the doctor say?”

“I’m out of the sling and she cleared me for light duties.”

“That’s great!”

“Yep. I’ve packed my stuff and I’m on my way to the trailer right now.”

“Oh.”

 I’ll bring your key back this weekend and pick up anything I might’ve forgotten.”

“Well shit,” Tara thought. She had hoped that Sam would at least stay for dinner. He must have wanted out more than she realized. Well if he could be cold then so could she.

“Fine; see you then,” Tara said brusquely and hung up. She looked around the library and, not seeing any patrons, hurried to the ladies room. She wanted to cry in private.

Sam held the phone to his ear for a long moment before finally putting it away. Tara’s tone of voice had convinced him that he’d made the right decision. Miserable, he took a final look around her apartment before locking up and heading to his truck.

When Sam arrived at his trailer he sat for a few minutes, trying to psych himself up enough to go inside. He couldn’t do it. So leaving his things in the truck, Sam entered the restaurant instead.  He was greeted by a chorus of cheers and ‘welcome backs.’

“Good to see you brother,” Terry said, giving him a hug. “I’m surprised Tara let you return to work so soon.”

“That’s my decision, not hers,” Sam snapped, irritated. He turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving a group of stunned employees in his wake.

When Sam entered his office, he barely recognized it. Arlene had cleaned and reorganized everything. None of his files were on his desk. How the hell was he supposed to find anything?

“Arlene!” he shouted.

She came scurrying in. “Yeah Sam?”

“Where are my files? I can’t find a goddamn thing in here!”

Arlene sat him at his desk and explained her color-coded filing system. He had to admit that it was much better than shuffling through stacks of loose papers, which had been his usual way of doing things. Grudgingly, he thanked her and began reviewing the last three weeks of paperwork.

When Lafayette arrived for his shift that evening, Sam’s mood hadn’t improved.

“Sound like bossman on the warpath,” he said to Arlene as they listened to Sam chew out one of the busboys for not working fast enough.

“He’s been like this all day,” Arlene said. “He practically tore my head off for straightening up his office. I swear that man is moodier than a pregnant woman. Good luck dealing with him tonight.”

Lafayette chuckled. “I got this.”

Just then Sam stormed past. “I don’t pay y’all to stand around talking; this ain’t a social club,” he snarled. “Either get to work or go home!”

“Have fun,” Arlene said as she left. Lafayette just shook his head. He knew something had happened between Sam and Tara; that’s what this was all about.

A couple of hours later Lafayette heard noises in the store room and went to check it out. He watched as Sam angrily stacked boxes.

“Don’t you think you oughtta take it easy?” Lafayette asked.

“Don’t you think you oughtta mind your own business?”

Lafayette leaned against the doorjamb and decided to get to the heart of the matter. “You know Tara would kick yo’ ass if she saw you.”

Sam scoffed. “Oh please; if anything she’s glad to be rid of me.”

“The hell she is,” Lafayette said, surprised. “Are we talking about the same woman that I spent my entire lunch hour on the phone with today, trying to console after a certain ungrateful muthafucka packed his shit and took off without so much as a by your leave?”

Sam froze in place and stared at Lafayette. “What?”

“You hurt her, man. She said you been in a shitty mood since the night she had to rush you back to the doctor. But for the life of her she can’t figure out why.” Lafayette gave Sam a questioning look. “Just what the hell is yo’ problem?”

“I thought I had overstayed my welcome. Tara has so much on her plate I figured she was was tired of me being there.”

“Did she ever say that?”

“No.”

“So you didn’t try to talk to her about it. You just assumed that she wanted you to leave.”

“She never asked me to stay!” Sam said in his own defense.

“If you treated her the way you been treatin’ folks around here today, I don’t blame her.”

Sam stared at the floor. “I’m a fool,” he said finally. He raised his eyes to meet Lafayette’s. “I guess I owe Tara an apology; do you think she’ll forgive me?”

“Don’t ask me, ask her.”

The kitchen bell rang, indicating an incoming order.

“Gotta go,” Lafayette said, rushing back to the grill. He was joined by Sam a few moments later.

“Lafayette, I’m going home. Would you mind closing for me?”

“No problem, bossman. Go take care of yo’ business.”

Tara sat on the couch, lost in thought. She’d already put Maya to bed and taken her own shower, but sleep eluded her. So she sat, alone, trying to make sense of the last week and a half. Maybe she had been wrong in bringing Sam home with her after his injury. Tara quickly rejected that thought. He had been fine up until the night she’d taken him back to the doctor. But what had changed?

“That was the night I realized I was in love with him,” she thought ruefully. Maybe Sam had sensed her feelings and pulled away. Tara shook her head, convinced she was right about her 100% failure rate when it came to relationships. She had hoped things would work out differently with Sam, but apparently that wasn’t to be the case. Tara sighed heavily and rose for bed; there was a meeting at work tomorrow and she needed her rest. She was startled by the sound of the front door unlocking.

“Sam?” She said, surprised. He was the last person she expected to see. “Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, I mean no. I mean I owe you an apology for acting so stupid the last few days,” Sam realized he was babbling and sighed. “I guess what I'm trying to say is...”

Tara went to him and placed two fingers over his lips. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she made her feelings known. “I love you, Sam,” she whispered. Standing on tiptoe, she touched her lips to his.

Sam eagerly returned the kiss before pulling back.

“I love you too. God, I’ve wanted to say that for so long, but I was afraid that I’d scare you away,” he whispered against her hair.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“”I love you so much,” Sam said, brushing a gentle kiss across her forehead. “I need you so much.”

Wordlessly, Tara took his hand and led him down the hall to the bedroom. Standing next to the bed, she began to undress him, unbuttoning his shirt and peeling it off.

Heart pounding, excitement climbing, Sam looked deeply into her eyes. It had been a long time since their last sexual encounter: sixteen months, two weeks and four days to be exact. But who was counting?

As he stood before her sans shirt, Tara admired Sam’s lean, muscled torso. Most of his bruises were healed, but she could still see an ugly green mark along his left flank.

“Sam, your ribs...” she said, her brows knitted with concern.

“I’m fine,” he lied giving her a warm smile, hoping to ease her anxiety.

Not totally convinced, Tara gently traced a finger along the outline of the bruise, carefully watching his face for any sign of pain. Then, just as gently, she bent and kissed him there. Feeling her soft cool lips upon his hot skin, he gasped. He'd longed for this moment. She flinched when she heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No.” He gave her an imploring look. “Don't stop.”

Smiling, she eased him onto the bed and knelt down to remove his boots and socks. Next, she unfastened his belt buckle and jeans. Not taking his eyes off her, Sam raised his hips and allowed her to divest him of jeans and boxers in one deft move. Fully erect, his member sprang forward and bounced at its base, pointing skyward. Watching him, the ache between her legs rose close to being unbearable. Tara quickly removed her own T-shirt and panties and stood before him, naked.

Sam stared, totally transfixed. Childbirth had changed her body; her breasts were fuller, her hips wider and rounder. “God you’re beautiful,” he breathed.

Reaching out, he took her hand and gently pulled her to him. Slowly she swung her leg over his thighs and sat on his lap. Leaning in, his mouth lightly grazed her earlobe before trailing a series of slow, shivery kisses down her neck and then to her shoulders. She moaned when his lips captured one dark nipple and suckled it.

Carefully easing him back against the headboard whilst remaining mindful of his injured ribs, she leaned forward and gave him a blistering kiss, her tongue sending currents of desire to every nerve ending in his body. Sam could feel her damp center pressed against his thigh and it was nearly too much for him to bear.

Gazing into her eyes, he whispered, “I want to make love to you.”

With one hand, he steadied his throbbing manhood, situating its thick head between her moist quivering folds. Placing a hand on either of her hips, he held her firmly then slowly pulled her down until he was completely embedded within her warm softness. Tara whimpered as her body stretched to accommodate his girth. Finally they both sighed inwardly. They'd forgotten how good it felt when they last made love to one another nearly a year and a half ago, the night Maya had been conceived.

Sheathed in Tara’s slick heat, Sam gingerly moved under her as she rode him slowly, softly murmuring his name over and over. She made love to him as though she were afraid he might break, her pace almost tortuously slow. Disregarding his injury and tossing all common sense to the wayside, he grabbed her hips and thrust upward, hard and deep. Sam groaned aloud, half in pleasure, half in agony. He considered flipping her onto her back and speeding things up, but part of him wanted to savor every delicious stroke. He willed himself to last just a bit longer.

Unable to hold back any longer, Tara moaned and ground against him harder and with greater urgency, gripping the headboard for balance. Suddenly she clenched around him, crying out as she reached her peak. The sensation was enough to bring Sam to his own climax and he came with a low growl. Tara collapsed against his chest, thoroughly satiated. Enjoying the closeness, they fell asleep entwined in each other’s arms.

**********