Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

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The hardest part of having a shattered knee was trying to figure out how to go to sleep. She couldn't sleep, which would normally mean a long night of tossing and turning, but she couldn't even do that! It was too hard to drag the cumbersome leg from one position to the next, so she ended up spending the night in restless thought on her back, her fingers drumming on her stomach.

This must be what pirates with peg legs feel like, she thought, smiling a tad.

Finally, morning came, and Bethany opened her eyes, realizing that she must have managed to doze off after all. She checked the clock; she was well on schedule to meet up with the crew this morning. They were readying their supplies for the tour today, taking inventory so they could avoid buying any new equipment they didn't need. It was bound to be a big job, but she had full faith that her team could get it done. Darryl had been the only obvious weak link, and he was no longer a part of her squad.

She had been reasonably pleased to hear that Karina, who had served as her replacement during her stint in New York, would be staying on staff. She would be taking over Darryl's old job, actually, and she seemed to have some very innovative ideas on how to implement new technology to make the rope system obsolete. That would be amazing, since the ropes had only given Bethany trouble. She and Karina were meeting later in the week to crunch numbers and see if her ideas were financially viable.

With all that she had to get done crowding her mind, Bethany poured herself a cup of coffee and pulled the creamer from her cabinet, adding a spoonful or two to the hot black liquid.

She sat at her tiny dresser and combed her hair, sipping on her coffee as it began to cool. She heard the buzzer at her front door go off, so she rose to see what it was. The man who ran the front desk, Frank, told her Sam was there to see her, and she told him to send him up.

She left the front door opened a crack so Sam could come in, and went to grab her cup of coffee from her bedroom. As an afterthought, she wrapped her fluffy robe around her body, hiding all evidence that she was still in her pajamas.

"Knock knock," Sam smiled, poking his head around the corner.

Bethany laughed. "Come in, silly."

He did, kicking the door closed behind him. "Grande vanilla latte for milady," he replied, holding out a Starbucks cup for her.

She took it gratefully, opening the lip and inhaling deeply.

"Thank you so much, Sam. I am forever in your debt."

He chuckled and followed her over to the small table she had bought for her little so-called "dining area".

"I'm glad to hear that." He propped his right foot up on his left knee and leaned forward, a sneaky look in his eye. "Because I need a favor."

She squinted suspiciously. "You aren't going to ask me to give my coffee back are you?"

He guffawed for a moment, slapping his leg for good measure.

"No, Bethany. I would never. Actually, I was hoping you would be willing to go on a date with me."

She tried really hard not to spit her coffee back into her to-go cup. She really did. But the fire in the back of her nose proved that she was not entirely successful. Sam noticed, too, because the sneaky look in his eyes had become one of knowing amusement.

"Not a real date, Beth. I just have to go to this cotillion thing back home, and I'll pretty much be the only one there my age, so I was hoping you'd go so I'll have someone to dance with."

She smiled. "That is so cute. But why do you have to go to a cotillion?"

Sam shrugged. "My little sister turned 16 a few months ago, and the one thing she said she really wanted for her birthday was the chance to go to a dance with her "one true love". Unfortunately, now that she and this guy are actually about to go on a date, she has decided that she's far too nervous to go alone and called the other day to beg me to come too. Of course, she did say I wasn't allowed to tell him I'm her brother. She said she would, and I quote, "Just die." Sixteen is a weird age these days," he finished, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Bethany was kind of impressed with Sam. He was such a nice guy, doing something so sweet for his little sister. She had always wanted an older brother, and one who would look out for her like Sam did with his sister.

"So Lydia is 16 now, huh? Wow. What's this boy like?"

He shrugged again. "You know as well as I do. All I could get out of her was his name. Which is Tripp, by the way. Who names their kid Tripp? It's like you're asking for them to be a total klutz."

She giggled, taking another sip of her coffee before she replied.

"Well, I'd be honored to go, of course. What do I need to wear?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, on a scale from "Just Rolled Out of Bed" to "Cinderella's Ball" I'd go for something in the middle. I know it'll be hard for you, but try not to upstage poor Lydi. She'll need all the confidence she can get that night."

"All right. I'm sure I'll find something. When is this thing again?"

"It's on Friday. We'll need to leave pretty early, though, to get there in time. It's about a four hour drive to my parents house, and we'll need to stay overnight. Is that all right with you? We don't have to stay at their place if you would rather not do that."

Bethany shook her head. "No, that should be fine. I'll need to ask Ned for some time off, or have him conference me by phone on all major decisions."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Nope, you're good there; already asked him."

"Great. Thanks, Sam."

The question was just hanging there, but she wasn't ready to ask it. Here she was, accepting an invitation from her ex-fiancé's best friend to spend time with him at his parent's home, and she had no idea if he had even bothered to consult Hunter about it.

Sam obviously had the same thought, because he scratched the back of his neck and reluctantly added, "Hunter's cool with it too. I...uh, checked with him."

She gave him a tiny nod. He really was over her, wasn't he? I guess there's no escaping that now, is there?

"Great. Well, I have to get ready to go to work, but thanks for stopping by, and for the coffee, Sam. I'm looking forward to Friday."

He slapped his knees and stood, giving her a hug and saying farewell, throwing his own empty coffee cup in her trash can on his way out.

Wow, she thought. I have a date with Sam. And Sam's family. And Hunter's okay with that. Hunter's okay with that...ugh.