Page 67 of Last Mile

I scowled at her. “Did she tell you anything else embarrassing like how I used to strip down and run naked through the streets?”

“Nope. But I’m glad that you did,” she mused.

“For the record, I stopped that shit when I was five. It’s not like I’m still doing it.”

Sam waggled her eyebrows at me. “That certainly would be interesting.”

“I don’t think Mama Liz would find it as cute and funny if I

did it now.”

“I wouldn’t think so.”

“It’s safe to say I’d probably scar Willow for life if I did something like that.”

Sam laughed. “I imagine so.” Tilting her back, she stared up at me. “Speaking of Willow, I think she wants everyone to think I’m your girlfriend.”

With a grimace, I replied, “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. She’s just looking out for you and wanting you to be happy.”

I chuckled. “She’s a mess.”

“You’re so good with her.”

“She’s pretty easy now. I don’t like to think about when she gets to be a teenager.”

Samantha laughed. “I’ll admit teenage girls are pretty scary with all the hormones. I know I gave my mom fits.”

“With the hormones come the boys, and I’ll have to beat the hell out of any guy who hurts her . . . or puts the moves on her.”

“Poor girl. Between her uncles and her father, she’ll maybe get to date when she’s thirty.”

I grinned. “Damn straight.” Cocking my head at her, I said, “As beautiful and sexy as you are, I bet you had half the men in your family keeping tabs on you and guys.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I did. They would have been protective anyway, but when you throw in the fact that my dad had died, they were extremely protective.”

“So you didn’t get to raise too much hell as a teenager?”

“Not really. But the truth is I really didn’t want to get into too much trouble.” At what must have been my surprised expression, Samantha grinned. “Sorry to disappoint you. I guess it’s safe to say I’m not exactly a rebel.”

I shook my head. “Oh no. I disagree on that one. You’re interesting. Mysterious . . .”

“And exotic. Remember you called me exotic the first time you met me?”

I stared at her in surprise. “You remember that?”

She nodded. “You were the first person besides my mom to call me that.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. She always said I looked exotic like Olivia Hussey— the girl who played Juliet in the 1969 movie version of Romeo and Juliet.” At what must’ve been my blank expression, she added, “Sorry, I must be the only one to remember the play and the movie from high school.”

With a sheepish look, I said, “I dropped out in ninth grade.”

Before Samantha could say anything, I quickly added, “But I got my GED last year.”

“Good for you.”