Designing Samantha's Love

Book 1: Rolling Thunder Series

by PJ Fiala

Genres: Military Romance; Romantic Suspense; Romantic Suspense; contemporary romance; small town romance

Synopsis

He’s determined to leave the past and make the most out of life,
She’s resolved to live life on her own after years of heartache,
Together they find love, passion and an unknown enemy who wants her dead.

After escaping a bad marriage, Grayson Kinkade is living life on his terms. Devoting time to his children, building a successful business and if his luck holds out, finding his soulmate. An unexpected meeting with the gorgeous Samantha Powell sends his heart racing and his passion through the roof, but Gray’s past isn’t ready to let him go.

Samantha is starting over after devoting three decades to a troubled man. She’s finally found the courage to seek her own happiness and imagines a quiet life filled with family, friends and a career she loves. Unfortunately, no one told the alluring Grayson Kinkade that she was now a drama free zone.

Their instant attraction begins a steamy affair, but to realize their happily ever after, they’re going to have to fight Grayson’s past or die trying.

Release date: February 1, 2015

Publisher: Rolling Thunder Publishing Inc.

Print pages: 398

Sample

“You should sign up for the same dating service I did. It’s time you meet someone, Sam. It’s been a year now,” Jessie said.

Jessie was a perky little blonde with wavy hair and bright blue eyes. Her voluptuous body and her bubbly personality were hard to resist. 

“I don’t think a dating service is for me, Jess. I would hate having to start all over again—multiple times. I don’t think I’m a kiss-as-many-frogs-as-you-can kind of girl,” Samantha replied. “That being said, how was your date last night?”

Jessie’s bright smile lit up the room. “Oh, it was great. He’s funny and smart, and we talked all night. I don’t think I got home until about three this morning. I’m seeing him again tonight—I can’t wait!” She smoothed her blue blouse and tucked a blonde lock behind her ear. 

Grinning, Sam replied, “I’m so happy for you, Jess. You deserve a great guy.” Dropping her car keys into her purse, she continued, “Three in the morning, huh? Your day is going to drag.” 

Giggling, Jess responded, “It might, but totally worth it. I’ll be thinking about him all day.” 

Sam grinned as she made her way back to her office. Jessie was a great person to see first thing in the morning. No matter what her mood, she could brighten your day. Hopefully, this boyfriend would work out for her. The last one had cheated on her and broke her heart, right after Tim had died. The women helped each other out in their respective grief. Jess, ten years younger than Sam, had been married at one time but had already been divorced when Sam began working at the law office five years ago. She now lived vicariously through Jessie and her boyfriends. Not that Jessie was a tramp—far from it—but she was always trying out dating services and dated a lot. She continuously tried to encourage Sam to sign up on one of those sites, but so far, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

As her computer booted up, she mentally clicked over her day. It was Tuesday, meaning Mrs. Koeppel was coming in. The feisty little lady, in her mid-eighties, was full of spunk. Sam had some documents for the spritely woman to sign; then she was meeting with one of the attorneys for additional work to be done on her rentals.

 

*******

 

Grayson Kinkaide woke early; he’d always been an early riser. He’d drink his cup or two of coffee in the morning while reading the paper and then another cup while heading to the office before anyone else arrived. He’d worked hard to build his architectural business. After spending years in a horrible marriage, he’d decided it was time to break free, not just from the sham of a marriage, but from his father-in-law’s business as well. 

Gray and Suzanne had been divorced for seven years, and Gray still worked hard to feel in control of his life. He fought the bitterness that crept in as he watched his best friend, Caleb; his brother, Jamie; and his sister, Dani, with a special someone in their lives. He was grateful they were happy and had found their other half, but he’d never found that special someone to complete him. 

Of course, he’d felt guilty for his bitter thoughts, especially when five years ago, Jamie’s wife died of cancer. He wondered why he’d ever begrudged Jamie any happiness at all. He still had to work on a lot of issues. By throwing himself into his work to build the business he’d always dreamed of, he was finally accomplishing just that. 

Today, as a matter of fact, he and his son Jackson were meeting with his friend, Bill, an attorney in town, to discuss further business expansion. Jax was now home from serving in the Army, and Gray wanted to add an arm to the Kinkaide Architecture and Engineering firm—demolition. 

Jax had been working as a demolition specialist for about a year, and the demolition jobs were bringing more work to the firm, so it seemed the time was right.

 

*******

 

Around 9:50, Jess buzzed Sam’s office. “Mrs. Koeppel is here for you, Sam.”

Smoothing her soft gray top as she made her way down the hallway, Sam let out a shallow breath and rounded the corner. There sat Mrs. K, prim in her deep red suit and her black walking shoes, her ankles crossed. She was old-fashioned in some ways, very forward in others; if something was on her mind, you’d hear it. 

Having been widowed herself, now eighty-four and married to her second husband, Albert, Mrs. K was someone to aspire to be like. She and Albert had what seemed like a nice relationship and proof that second chances exist. 

“Good morning, Mrs. K. How are you today?” 

“Oh, my dear, I’m doing very well. Nothing like having a man dote on a woman to put a smile on her face.” 

The smile spread across her wrinkled face and Sam couldn’t help but grin back. 

“It looks good on you, too. I assume Alfred is in the car waiting.”

“Yes, dear. He says it’s my money and I should do with it what I want.”

“He’s quite the catch.” She kneeled in front of Mrs. K. to help her with her shoes. “Once again, I must compliment you on your outfit, Mrs. Koeppel. Your brooch is beautiful,” she added as she pulled the side table forward and set the papers for her to sign in the middle.

Mrs. K smiled and murmured, as if it were a secret, “Tell me, my dear, have you met anyone special yet? I can tell you, having a good man in your life is very nice.” 

Why did everyone keep asking that question? The thought terrified Sam. Starting all over with someone—meeting family, kids, and grandkids, learning their likes and dislikes—was all so overwhelming. 

She smirked. “Mrs. Koeppel, if God wants me to have a man in my life, He’s going to have to have him walk right through that front door. I don’t go anywhere but here and home, so those are my choices.” 

Mrs. K and Jessie both giggled as Sam clicked open a pen and handed it to Mrs. K. 

“You’ll find someone, I’m convinced. I even dreamed about it last night.” Her sly smile appeared again as she looked through her bifocals at the papers in front of her. “Where do I sign, dear?”

“Oh, so now you’re dreaming about me finding someone? Don’t you have anything more interesting to think about before you drift off each evening?” Sam pointed to the line at the bottom of the page.

Laughing heartily, the older woman slapped her hand on her knee. “Oh, now and then. But, I can also be a bit psychic, you know.” 

Sam smiled softly as she watched her favorite client sign her name, though mostly illegible, across the bottom of the page. “You sure do know how to pair your shoes to your outfits, Mrs. K. We could learn a thing or two from you.”

Jessie giggled. “Isn’t that the truth?” She sat behind the reception desk watching the two women.

Mrs. K finished signing and handed the pen to Sam. She took the proffered pen, picked up the papers and started moving the table back to its spot, when Jessie waved her away, moving the table for her. “I’ll let Mr. Patz know you’re here, and I’ll see you later to say goodbye, Mrs. K.” The older woman nodded and picked up a magazine from the coffee table.

Walking back to her office, Sam’s thoughts turned to Tim. They’d been married for almost twenty-nine years. When they met, they’d instantly connected, got along well, and she thought he had a great sense of humor. They liked many of the same things and enjoyed spending time with friends. A year after being married, they were overjoyed when she became pregnant with Josh. 

Gage came next, and about four-and-a-half years later, they had Jake. Things seemed to be going along well, but Tim was especially passive where his mother was concerned. She constantly butted into their lives. Whenever Tim and Sam would make decisions as a couple—like married people do—about the kids or the house or vehicles, she would step in and decide something different. It didn’t matter what it was; Tim would just roll over and agree with her. She and Tim fought about that the most. Her thoughts, feelings, and decisions were just second to Tim’s mother’s, and there was no getting around it. No matter how many times she cried, he would not—maybe could not—tell his mother to back off. Shaking her head of the morose thoughts, she poured over the documents she was proofreading for one of the attorneys.

At ten forty-five, Jessie buzzed Sam. “Mrs. K is leaving soon.”

“I’ll be right up,” she responded. Picking up her desk phone, Sam dialed Alfred’s number. “Good morning, Alfred. Mrs. Koeppel is finished with her appointment … Of course, I enjoy taking care of her. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Sam hung up the phone and turned toward her office door and the reception area.

Mrs. K was already in a chair and chatting away with Jessie. When Sam rounded the corner, the front door opened, and Sam stopped in her tracks when she saw two men walking in. The first man was impossibly handsome—dark hair with a smattering of gray at the temples and threaded throughout, longer on top and shorter on the neck, but long enough that it brushed his collar and curled up just a bit. He had a perfect nose and full, kissable lips. He laughed at the man with him. Oh, my—that smile! 

Her stomach spun. His warm, brown eyes—the kind she was sure she could gaze into all day—crinkled at the corners. Dreamy. 

He stopped abruptly as his eyes landed on hers and held tight. The man walking in behind him bumped into him, pushing him forward. 

Sam took that opportunity to quickly kneel in front of Mrs. K and tie the lace on her shoe.

Her face burned brightly. Stupid hormones. Mr. Gorgeous’ voice—deep and sexy—floated over her as he spoke to Jessie. “Grayson Kinkaide and my son, Jackson, here to see William Chase.”

“Please take a seat. I’ll let Mr. Chase know you’re here. May I get you something to drink?” Jess asked.

“No, thank you. We’re fine,” he replied. 

Grayson sat in a chair across the coffee table from Mrs. K. Each time Sam lifted her gaze to look at him, he was watching her. Her hands shook slightly, and her body tingled with awareness. 

Having a hard time concentrating on what she was doing, her shaking fingers made the simple task of tying a shoe overly difficult. Mrs. K chuckled slightly and cleared her throat. Oh, my God! Sam held her breath and jerked her head upward. When Mrs. K had something on her mind, she didn’t hesitate to say it. 

“Mr. Kinkaide, did you say? Are you married, Mr. Kinkaide?” 

And … there it was. Sam didn’t think her face could flush more than it had already. The burn continued, and she held her breath. It seemed like time stood still as they waited for him to answer. She was afraid to look up and see the expression on his face. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he chuckled and said, “No, I’m not married.” 

Mrs. K quickly added, “Really? Are you seeing anyone?” 

Not able to control herself, Sam whispered, “Mrs. Koeppel! What are you doing?” 

She heard the two handsome men chuckle and Mrs. K tried unsuccessfully to look embarrassed. Grayson replied, “No, I’m not seeing anyone. Did you want to ask me out?” 

Sam was shocked to hear the humor in his voice, and her face reflected just that when she looked up at him. It only made everyone laugh. 

Mrs. Koeppel was in prime form this morning. The gleam in her eye and the smile on her face said it all. 

“Well, I can’t wait to tell Alfred I was just asked out on a date; he’s going to love that one. Well, maybe I wasn’t asked out, but the innuendo was there,” she giggled, giving Sam a wink. Grayson frowned, feigning disappointment. 

“Alfred! Are you telling me you’re already taken, Mrs. Koeppel?” 

Oh, so handsome. Sam allowed herself to glance his way. His teasing smile and dark brown eyes held her gaze. He appeared to be having a good time with the charade. He glanced at Mrs. Koeppel and then at Sam. Jackson chuckled. He had the same half-grin as his dad as he watched the show playing out before him.

Mrs. Koeppel grinned. “Oh, thank you so much for making me feel so young and flirty today, Mr. Kinkaide. That feels good. Alfred is my husband, for about fifteen years now. I was asking you because just about an hour ago, Sam here, told me that if God wanted her to meet someone, he would have to walk right through that door, and here you are!” 

Oh, no! She did not just say that. There wasn’t a place close enough to crawl and hide from her embarrassment. Sam’s face grew redder than it had ever been before if that was even possible; the heat caused dampness to form between her breasts and under her arms. 

Horrified, Sam snapped her head up and looked at Mrs. Koeppel. 

“What on earth are you doing? Please, Mrs. Koeppel, don’t …” 

Mrs. K put her hand under Sam’s chin, ensuring she was looking right at her, and said, “My dear girl, I’ve watched you this past year deal with your husband’s death. You’ve grown, you’ve started making a different life for yourself, and you’ve continued through all the pain and sorrow. Now, it’s time for you to have some fun, enjoy life again, and meet new people. I had the feeling you wouldn’t have spoken a word to Mr. Kinkaide, and he would have walked out, not knowing you’re available. I’m just trying to, at the very least, make an introduction. The rest is up to you and him.”

Sam dropped her head onto Mrs. Koeppel’s knees, mortified and afraid to look at anyone. 

The front door opened again and Alfred walked in. He chuckled and said, “It looks like maybe I’m too late to keep Marjorie from embarrassing you. Sorry, Sam.”

At least she had someone here to help change the subject—sort of. Jessie giggled and began relating the whole embarrassing event to Alfred. Sam continued with Mrs. Koeppel’s shoe—the faster, the better—to get her out of there. She had teased Sam in the past, and everyone always laughed about it later, but this was just too much.

Alfred chuckled and shuffled closer to the two men and extended his hand. They both smiled and stood up for the handshake. Alfred glanced quickly to Mrs. Koeppel and back to Grayson. 

“You know, she just thinks everyone should be happy and have someone to share their life with. We had both been widowed and alone for so long when we met that neither of us realized how lonely we had been. Now, she’s determined to make sure that others living that same way are enlightened. When she can, she tries to do something about it. Besides, we both like Sam; she’s a special person.” 

He said the last with a wink at Sam, to which she sweetly smirked.  It was very nice to hear that they both liked her. Sam looked at Alfred and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Grayson and Jackson returned to their seats. Alfred shuffled over to Mrs. Koeppel and Sam. Still feeling self-conscious, she glanced at Grayson who still watched her. She saw Jackson lean over and whisper something to his dad, and Gray furrowed his brow and sat back quickly. His expression was thoughtful, but he continued watching Sam intently. 

She cleared her throat. “Mrs. Koeppel, did you wear a jacket this morning?” 

“Yes, dear, I did.” 

Mrs. K smiled and winked at Sam. Over time, Mrs. Koeppel and Sam had many conversations about her desire to see Sam happy and about how happy she was when she’d met Alfred. 

With a sigh, Sam said, “I’ll go get your jacket.” 

Thinking that maybe a little humor would keep her body from spontaneously combusting, Sam turned to the group but looked at Mrs. Koeppel and said, “While I’m out of the room, try as hard as you can to not marry me off to the next person who walks through the door. Some decisions should be left to me.” 

The whole room laughed, and Sam felt a little better about having to return to that room with everyone staring at her.

The conversation started up again as Sam rounded the corner to the coat closet to retrieve Mrs. Koeppel’s jacket. Grayson’s voice was beautiful—deep and smooth—like fine silk winding its way around her. When she returned, the mood in the room seemed a bit lighter. Mrs. Koeppel struggled to stand up, and Sam leaned down to help her steady herself. 

Sam held out her right arm, bent at a 45-degree angle so Mrs. K could use it as an anchor. Grayson jumped up. “May I help?”

Her heart beat faster and she blushed, but she smiled up at him and heard him suck in a breath. 

“Thank you, but we have a routine here.” 

He continued to stand—a little closer than before—and Alfred shuffled over to close the distance between Mrs. Koeppel and himself. 

As he walked, he said, “In our advanced years, there are certain things our bodies just don’t want to do for us any longer, and helping each other stand is just one of those things. But we get by, don’t we, Marge?”

Mrs. Koeppel beamed up at him and winked. Boy, she was a flirt, wasn’t she? She hugged Sam and patted her back. 

“See you soon, dear. David is working on some estate planning documents for me, and I’ll be back in a week or two to sign them. I’ll see you then.” 

Smiling, Sam returned Mrs. Koeppel’s hug. “I’ll make sure to watch for you.” She held onto Sam’s arm while Alfred walked to her other side and put his arm out for her to grab it. Sam stepped back and allowed them to walk toward the door. They were extremely cute together. 

Grayson had stepped in front of them to open the door. “It was very nice meeting you both.”

If one could call a man beautiful, this man was certainly that! 

Mrs. Koeppel replied, “Mr. Kinkaide, she really is a wonderful person. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.” She winked, and a smile spread across his face. 

Sam couldn’t imagine any woman could resist that smile. Grayson replied, “I promise you, I will make every effort not to let the opportunity pass me by.” Sam’s eyes grew wide, and her mouth was ajar as she gaped at the three of them. Jessie giggled, and Sam scowled. 

Jessie smiled broadly and winked. “That Mrs. Koeppel sure knows how to make an exit.” 

Grayson turned to walk back into the room as Bill Chase entered the lobby from behind Sam. He watched the elderly couple leave and nodded. “I see you’ve met Mrs. Koeppel and Alfred. They’re a cute couple, aren’t they?” 

Grayson smiled. Oh, my God, that smile! He nodded at Bill. His eyes were so beautiful—dark like black coffee, thick lashes and sexy crinkles at the edges. A sigh escaped Sam, and Bill gave her a sideways glance. She blushed again and said a mental Crap. 

Bill walked forward and shook hands with Grayson and Jackson. Sam was rooted to the spot just watching them—him. 

Bill greeted his guests. “Gray, it’s about time I got you to come to me for legal assistance. I was beginning to wonder if I could ever talk you into it.” 

Grayson smiled as Jackson stood. “Well, Grandpa was insistent that we use his attorney over the years, but now that he’s retiring, we felt we could make a move,” Jackson offered.

Bill turned to lead the way to the conference room, which was her cue to stop gaping and go back to work. Glancing at Jessie—who still wore a grin on her face—she shook her head and turned to walk back to her office. Grayson spoke up, “Sam, may I have a word with you?” 

She froze in her tracks, took a deep breath, and slowly turned around to face him. Bill looked first at Grayson and then at Sam with a furrow in his brow. 

“Is there anything wrong, Gray?” 

Jackson put his hand on Bill’s shoulder and chuckled as he said, “I’ll fill you in on our interesting visit so far.” 

Bill and Jackson continued to the conference room. 

At a loss at what to say or do when Grayson spoke, she stared at him until he said, “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” 

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Clearing her throat and smiling, she tried again. “Sure, we can go to the small conference room.” 

Leading the way, her heart raced, and her face continued to burn. She reached into the darkened room and flipped the light switch, illuminating the small sterile room. A picture of a landscape decorated one wall; two black floating shelves were on the other. The upper shelf held a red vase with nothing in it. The lower shelf held a tablet, a red pen, and a telephone. The round black table in the center of the room was barren of anything indicating no one ever used this room. For the first time since working here, Sam felt a bit embarrassed at the starkness present here. Clearly, a man like this one was used to more luxury.

He entered behind her and closed the door, and she turned to face him. In the enclosed room, the aroma of his cologne, which was clean and fresh and reminded her of the Old Spice her grandfather wore, filled her senses and goose bumps danced on her arms. She squared her shoulders and lifted her gaze to his. 

His dark brown eyes held hers, the faint crinkles at the edges slightly pronounced in the overhead lighting. Standing this close to him, the broadness of his chest and height seemed to diminish the small room further, and if she hadn’t been so turned on being this close to him, she’d almost be afraid of the way he looked into her eyes.

He smiled and swiped his hand through his hair, causing the graying strands to sparkle in the light. Such a contrast to the darkened hair that hadn’t turned yet.  

Her nerves made it impossible to stand still; her heart hammered and the butterflies continued to flutter in her tummy. She blurted out, “I’m sorry about Mrs. Koeppel. I hope she didn’t embarrass you or make you feel obligated to—“ 

He held his hand up and smiled. “I think you were the one who was embarrassed, and if you don’t mind me pointing it out, I thought you were adorable.” 

Surprise rounded her eyes, and her throat grew incredibly dry. “Adorable?” she squeaked out. 

He chuckled. “The reason I wanted to speak with you privately is that I noticed how embarrassed you were and I didn’t want to embarrass you further. I would like to take you to dinner. Are you free this evening?”

Stunned and excited, she blurted out, “Please don’t feel obligated to ask me out because of Mrs. Koeppel. It really isn’t necessary.” 

He smiled. “I don’t feel obligated at all. We both have to eat, and it would be nice to get to know you a little better. What do you say?”

She couldn’t say anything. Her mouth flopped open and quickly closed, before opening again. 

Gray’s smiled widened. He raised a brow, cocked his head, and patiently waited for her to respond.  

Taking a shaky breath, she responded, “I would like that very much.” 

“Excellent.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped a few times and said, “What’s your number?” 

She quickly responded, but her mind was whirling. She watched his fingers deftly add her to his contacts and was impressed at his speed. He glanced up briefly and asked, “Where’s your phone?”

She lightly shook her head and blinked. “On my desk.” 

Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out his business card and handed it to her. “Put my number in your phone as soon as you get back to your desk.” One side of his mouth hitched up. “I’ll pick you up at seven tonight. Once you have my phone number in your phone, please text me your address.” 

Recovering from her stupor, she nodded.

He turned, opened the door, and stood aside to let her precede him. Gathering her thoughts as she walked down the hall, she realized there would be a whole afternoon of questions and smirks from Jessie. She stopped in front of the conference room door and motioned with her hand that this was his stop.

He paused before turning the doorknob, and silkily said, “I’m looking forward to seeing you later.” 

Oh, my God, so sexy. Her lips trembled. “I’m looking forward to seeing you as well.” Her heart hammered in her chest, and her knees slightly trembled. It had been more than thirty years since she’d been on a date—before life had beaten her up. This was a whole new game now.

“Don’t forget to text me your address or I will come looking for you when my meeting is finished.” He winked and disappeared into the conference room. 

Holy crap! There was no way she’d make it through the whole date. She was so befuddled around this man, she found it difficult to speak—let alone form complete sentences.