Free More Than Words: More Than, Book 3 by Jess Dee Page A

tell Cody I say hi.”
    “At least tell me her name, Sam.”
    “Not going there, Ruth.”
    “It’s serious, isn’t it?”
    It could be. Very serious. “I told you. It’s new. Too new to know what it is.” He took his sister’s elbow, helping her out of her seat. Ruth must have been ready to go, otherwise she’d never have let him coax her up.
    “It’s serious,” Ruth told him with conviction. “If it weren’t, you’d tell me all about her.”
    “If it works out, I’ll tell you, okay?” He walked her to the door, and for the first time he hoped he had something to tell his sister, soon.
    “Promise?”
    “Of course I promise.”
    “I hope it works out, Sammy.”
    So did he. “I know you do, Ruthie.”
    “She better be worthy of you.”
    “She is. Better than worthy, I swear.”
    “Good.” His sister smiled. “It’s about time you met someone. I’m happy for you.” They headed for the waiting room. Ruth squeezed his hand then turned to his enticing receptionist. “Guess what, Mol?”
    “Don’t tell me.” Her eyes shone. “You finally gave in and bought the blue shoes.”
    Hell, Sam wanted her to look at him like that. With her eyes sparkling with excitement.
    “Nope, better than that.”
    Molly gasped, and the sound hit him in the gut. “Better than the shoes you’ve been perving over for a month?”
    Damn it, how could something as innocent as a gasp sound so sensual? So sexual? But then he supposed Molly could read him a book on business economics and it would sound sensual. Sexual.
    “Way better.” His sister practically happy-danced right there in his waiting room. “Sam’s getting married.”
    Oh, for fuck’s sake.
    Molly froze. “H-he is?”
    “He is. And…I get to be the bridesmaid.”
    “No, he isn’t,” Sam said, but Molly was staring at Ruth, and Sam wasn’t sure she’d heard him.
    “We chatted about it in his office. He tried to keep it a secret, but one look at his face told me he was seeing someone special. The one .”
    Molly paled. “Sarah,” she said in a rough whisper.
    Sarah? What the fuck?
    “Sarah,” Ruth exclaimed triumphantly. “So that’s her name.”
    Molly nodded.
    “No, it isn’t!” Jesus. How had Molly jumped to that conclusion? Hadn’t he told her he wasn’t marrying Sarah?
    “You know her?” Ruth asked his receptionist.
    “I, uh, met her the other day.”
    Christ, he’d never seen Molly’s skin that color.
    “So? Is she nice? Pretty? What does she do?”
    Sam wasn’t terribly surprised Ruth couldn’t see Molly’s shock. She was too wrapped up in his supposed news. Too excited for him. This was what she’d wanted for him since Saul had died. For him to be happy.
    Besides, she had no reason to expect Molly to be upset by the news. Had no idea what he and Molly had come to mean to each other in the last few days.
    Sam tried to catch Molly’s attention, tried to tell her—without his sister noticing—that she’d gotten the wrong end of the stick.
    But Molly wouldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t turn her face even an inch in his direction. She did, however, square her shoulders and stand up a little straighter.
    “Very pretty. She’s a surfer,” she told Ruth. “Even borrowed Sam’s board the other day.”
    Yeah, right. Sarah was as much a surfer as she was his bride to be.
    “You lent someone your board?” Ruth gaped at him. “Just as well you’re going to marry her then. A surfer’s the perfect woman for you.” Ruth turned back to Molly. “Sam never lends anyone his board.”
    “I’m not marrying Sarah.”
    Again, neither woman paid him any attention.
    “I know,” Molly answered Ruth. Then she turned to Sam and smiled at him. It was enough to freeze Sam in his shoes. While superficially conspiratorial for Ruth’s sake, the smile not only lacked luster, it was cold as a winter’s night. “Maybe it’s because Sarah’s so pretty. And sweet. Honestly? If I had a board, I’d lend it to her