Just The Way You Are(80)

"I got some great shots, though. This is a beautiful piece of coastline, and with you in it, it's quite spectacular." His voice turned husky and something inside of her melted. It was nice to be appreciated. Sam hadn't paid her much attention at all, catering to Megan, helping Alli, talking to Jimmy. In fact, it seemed like he'd gone out of his way to avoid her.

"Come on," she said. "I'm thirsty. I just want to go home, put my feet up, and have a really big glass of iced tea."

He sent her a strange look.

"What?"

"You just called your grandmother's house home."

"It was my home," she said slowly.

"Freudian slip?" He didn't wait for an answer, heading up the path with Alli, leaving Tessa once again to bring up the rear with Sam.

"Tired?" Sam asked her as she let out a sigh.

"A little. I'm not used to all this fresh air."

"I don't think I could breathe in a city," he said. "We went to L.A. for a weekend a few years back. The smog about killed me. I don't how you can stand to live there."

"It has other things to offer besides fresh air."

"Which you can't enjoy, because you're dead."

"Oh, hush," she said, knowing he was teasing her by the curve of his lips. "It's not that bad. Maybe if you spent some time there, or in New York—it's such a wonderful city, so much energy and action and things to do. I think you'd like it."

"Manhattan was always on the top of your list of places to see. I'm glad you got there, Tessa."

"Me, too."

He nodded and they set off up the hill. He didn't have much to say and for the moment she didn't either. They'd talked around their relationship in so many circles she wasn't sure if she was coming or going. Her feelings about Sam were just as mixed up, just as confused.

"Sam—"

"Later," he said, cutting her off.

"It is later."

"Alli and Megan are just up ahead."

And he was still concerned about them. Tessa could understand that, sort of. But it was irritating just the same. She couldn't get a handle on this new Sam, the one who didn't put her first, who didn't turn his back on Alli. Not that she selfishly expected him to be at her beck and call, but he'd always been so attentive before, so interested in what she was interested in. Could they ever find that common ground again?

A piercing scream came from up ahead.

"Megan." The word came out of Sam's mouth in a rush. They both burst into a run, turning the corner to see Megan in a swarm of bees.

"Oh, my God," Tessa said, as Alli and Jimmy tried to swat the bees away from her.

"Daddy, save me," Megan screamed, looking directly at her father.

Sam ran straight into the swarm of bees. He gathered Megan into his arms and took off up the path, daring the bees to follow them.

Alli ran after them, and Tessa and Jimmy followed. They didn't stop until they reached the parking lot, where Sam set Megan down on her feet and knelt in front of her, so he could see into her face, run his hands up and down her arms.

"You're okay, honey, you're okay." Sam said soothingly. "They're all gone."#p#分页标题#e#

Megan sniffed back a snob. "I don't like bees," she said, then burst into tears.

Sam pulled her against his chest. "I don't either. But they aren't going to hurt you anymore."

"How badly is she stung?" Alli asked, her face white, but her voice still strong and composed as she gently pulled Megan away from her father so she could check her for bee stings.

Tessa was shaking herself and couldn't quite believe Alli could stand there so calmly and deal with her daughter's pain. It suddenly occurred to her that Alli was a mother and apparently a pretty good one.

"I see at least four," Alli said to Sam. "Oh, my God." She stared at Sam in horror.

"What's wrong?" Tessa asked. But she knew, of course, she knew as well as Alli did.

"You're allergic." Both Alli and Tessa breathed the words at exactly the same time.

"Sam, you have to go to the hospital," Alli said. "You've been stung on your face."

"As soon as I make sure is Megan is okay," Sam replied.

"She's fine. Get in the car."

He got to his feet and Tessa saw that his cheeks were beginning to swell. She had a vivid flashback to the last time, when Sam had stepped on a bee at the beach. Within minutes he hadn't been able to breathe. If they hadn't called the paramedics…

"Help me get him in the car," Alli said to Jimmy. "He got stung by a bee once before and almost died."

Between them, they got a staggering Sam into the front seat of Alli's minivan, while Megan climbed into the back, crying even louder now that she sensed something was wrong with her daddy.