A Vow to Love

“But he had a much tougher life. He grew up a lot faster.”

“Is he going to go into business with grandfather?”

“That’s what Brandon wants and Kevin and Jason don’t object. Sam started working in the company right after his sister Dana got involved with Jason. He seems to have a real aptitude for sales and marketing, but according to your grandfather, Sammy’s gotten it into his head he wants to do something on his own. Maybe he’s feeling overwhelmed by all the Hallorans, just like you. How come you haven’t asked him about this yourself? You’ve never been shy.”

“I’ve never met anyone like him before,” Penny admitted. “He seems so mature compared to the guys in school. Whenever I get around him, I get all tongue-tied.”

Her grandmother regarded her with disbelief. “Now that has to be a first. How come when I was seeing Brandon, you had so much to say? You sounded very wise and grown-up.”

“All talk,” Penny retorted. All the textbooks in the world on human sexuality and family relations hadn’t prepared her for the giddy, off-kilter way Sam Roberts made her feel.

Her grandmother grabbed her hand. “Come on. I’m sure he’s tired of hanging around all these grown-ups, too. Maybe the two of you can go to a movie or something.”

Humiliated by the thought of being foisted on Sam, Penny held back. “Grandmother, no. You can’t make him take me out.”

“Going to the movies so you can get to know someone from out of town isn’t the same thing as a date, for goodness’ sake. Besides, I won’t have to make him do anything. One thing you’ll learn as you get older is that subtlety goes a long way. Now watch a pro in action.”

Determinedly tugging Penny along in her wake, Elizabeth Halloran breezed through the throng until they were standing beside Sam.

“Hey, Mrs. H., how’re you holding up?” he asked with genuine affection. He didn’t even glance at Penny.

“I’d give anything to kick off these shoes, but Brandon would be appalled,” Elizabeth Halloran confided.

Sam shot her a knowing look. “Come on. You know Granddad Brandon thinks you walk on water.”

“I won’t be able to walk at all if I stay on my feet in these shoes much longer. I don’t know why I let him talk me into these three-inch heels at my age.”

A devilish hint of mischief in his eyes, Sam leaned down. “He probably told you they made you look sexy.”

To Penny’s astonishment, a girlish pink tint flooded into her grandmother’s cheeks. She winked at Sammy.

“As a matter of fact, he did,” she admitted. A familiar glint of determination sparked in her eyes. “By the way, Sammy, weren’t you telling me earlier that the new action movie, the one with that Arnold person with the huge biceps, is playing now?”

He regarded her innocently. “You want to see it?” he inquired. “We could sneak out.”

“Not me,” she said with a laugh. “But Penny was telling me that she’d been dying to get to it. She’s seen all of his films, isn’t that right, dear?”

“All of them,” Penny confirmed, her gaze fastened on Sam’s incredible blue eyes, trying to read his reaction to her grandmother’s ploy. She might not be all that experienced, but it sounded less than subtle to her. And it was pretty clear that Sam hadn’t mistaken her intentions, either. He finally looked at Penny as if she’d just appeared magically at her grandmother’s side.

“Maybe we could go before you go back to California,” he said right on cue.

Sam hadn’t said it like a man who would die if she said no, but he had said it. Penny felt her heart begin to race. “That’d be great. I’d really like to.”

Sam nodded, meeting her gaze directly for the first time. “I’ll get back to you.” He leaned down to kiss her grandmother on the cheek. “Gotta run. I’ve got a date.”

When he’d gone, leaving Penny trembling with an odd mixture of anticipation and a first-ever attack of jealousy, her grandmother beamed at her. “Now, see, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?”

“Do you think he’ll really take me?”

“He said he would, didn’t he? I’ve never known Sam to go back on his word. Now, come on. Let’s go have some of that fabulous cake Dana just cut.”

For the next few hours Penny’s excitement mounted until she barely slept a wink all night. But as the remainder of her stay with her grandparents wore on, Sam didn’t call. Nor did he stop by. Slowly she began to realize that he never would. The date had been no more than a polite gesture, not a promise at all.

However, on her last night in town, he appeared at the door just after her grandparents had gone out for their favorite after-supper ice cream. This time he was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and a leather jacket that added to his mystique of danger. He looked exactly as she’d envisioned him. Penny’s heart began to thud wildly. She sensed she was about to embark on something that would change her life forever.

“Sorry I didn’t get back to you, kid. It’s been a busy week. You want to catch that movie tonight?”

Despite his failure to call, despite the rudeness of showing up at the last minute, Penny was thrilled and thoroughly disgusted with herself because of it. One thing every girl in her class knew was that appearing anxious killed a guy’s interest. Unfortunately, she hadn’t the vaguest idea how to act aloof when she could hardly wait for whatever the night held in store.

“I’ll change. It’ll only take a minute,” she said at once, thinking of the outfit she’d planned, the one that would make her look more grown-up in his eyes.

“You look fine,” he said automatically, without even giving her a glance. “Besides, we’d better get going if we’re going to make the show.”

Disappointed to be going out in an old pair of shorts and a faded blouse that she’d worn to help her grandmother in the garden rather than in the sexy sundress she’d anticipated wearing if this day ever came, Penny didn’t argue. She jotted a note for her grandparents, then followed him to his car. She told herself the important thing was to be going at all. She’d never felt so grown-up before in her life.

When Sam didn’t say another word all the way to the theater, Penny struggled for conversation. Silence or halfhearted replies met most of her attempts. Her ego tumbled further when he bypassed the popcorn and soda without even asking if she wanted anything.

Inside the darkened theater and filled with romantic yearnings, she imagined his arm around her shoulders or his hand brushing hers. Instead he remained slouched down next to her, his eyes glued to the screen. She told herself he was only being a gentleman.

The slights, however, were beginning to add up. During the silent ride home, when he never once suggested stopping for a hamburger or a soft drink, she began to get angry, really angry. Even the lowest form of creeps back home offered a snack at the end of an evening. The evening she’d been dreaming about with so much hope was turning out to be a dismal failure. The fact that she was still attracted to Sam despite his behavior only made her angrier.

“Why’d you take me to the movies?” she asked, finally summoning some of the spunk she was famous for.

He glanced over at her with a surprised expression. “You said you wanted to go.”

“And being a dutiful member of the family, you forced yourself to show up, right?” she snapped, infuriated by his patronizing attempt to place the blame for this miserable evening on her. “Next time, don’t do me any favors.”

“Hey, Granddad Brandon said…”

Penny thought she might very well die right where she sat. “You talked to my grandfather?” she asked in a low, hurt voice.

Now, at last, he did look at her. “I talk to him every day,” he replied evasively, but guilt was written all over his handsome face.

Oh, God, it was worse than she’d thought. Angry at Sam, at her grandfather, but mostly at herself, she lashed out. “And what exactly did he say to you? Did he tell you that I was moping around the house, that I had this silly crush on you and you should give me a break and spend a couple of hours with me? Maybe give me a little thrill, so I can take the memory back to L.A.?”

Something in his expression changed and before she knew what he’d intended, he’d pulled to the side of the road, turned off the ignition. “Is that what you want from me? You want a little thrill? No problem.” His hand circled the back of her neck and drew her toward him.

Penny’s heart thundered so hard she was sure it could be heard clear to L.A. She wanted to protest as he lowered his mouth to cover hers, but the words snagged somewhere in the back of her throat.

There was nothing tentative or tender about the kiss. It was a bruising, punishing clash of wills and it sent a dark, throbbing, sensual thrill right through her, just as he’d promised. She thought she heard him groan, but then she was lost to the wildly provocative sensation of his tongue invading her mouth. For the first time in her life, she began to understand all the excitement about sex as an unfamiliar heat spread through her, tempting her beyond reason.

Then she remembered that the man making her feel this way didn’t care about her, that this kiss meant nothing to him, that he was merely delivering what she’d asked for and she burned with humiliation. He had awakened her sexuality, but in the process the fragile flowering of her self-esteem was crushed.

Pushing him away, she retaliated with more anger and sarcasm.

“Tell grandfather he owes you extra for the kiss. I’m sure it’s worth more than the fifty bucks he probably paid you for your time.”

Sam couldn’t have looked more stunned if she’d slapped him. He muttered an oath under his breath as he visibly tried to bring his temper under control.