One Night with the Best Man. Amanda Berry

never releasing his hold on her body.

      “Good is overrated.” Penny pulled him down to her. “When has being good ever gotten you what you wanted?”

      At one point, the thing he’d wanted most had been her. He’d been willing to do anything to keep her, except share her with anyone else. He lowered his head to hers. “Being good has gotten me nothing.”

Chapter Six

      Waiting rooms weren’t nearly as bad as sitting in a patient’s room, especially when the patient was Sam. Luke had taken the recliner, whereas Amber had chosen to sit at the end of Sam’s bed. Apparently Sam was confident that he wasn’t staying there because he’d been dressed in his tux, minus the jacket and tie, and ready to go as soon as they’d come in. When Luke had given Sam a bag with some of his clothes from home, he’d grunted a thank-you and immediately changed.

      “I made sure to give the baby calves their bottles.” Amber had been listing all the chores she’d insisted on helping with this morning. “I’ll walk the fences this afternoon to make sure there aren’t any breaks.”

      “I knew I could count on you.” Sam smiled at his niece, if you could call the slight curve to his lips a smile.

      Luke still couldn’t understand Amber’s loyal devotion to hardheaded Sam. This morning at the breakfast table, she’d run off a list of all the chores that she did when she stayed at the farm. While Luke had been amused with the list, he’d barely been able to keep his eyes from the woman who had kept him up all night.

      Penny had moved around the kitchen with ease, as if she made breakfast there frequently. For all he knew she did. She had said she and Sam had had nothing more than that kiss years ago, but how could he believe a word that slipped past those wicked lips?

      Wearing one of his T-shirts and not a whole lot more, she’d slipped out of his room. He’d assumed she’d join him after using the bathroom, but when he woke a few hours later from little feet creaking down the stairs, Penny was not in his bed.

      He’d found her on the couch with an afghan pulled over her, fast asleep.

      “Can I name the new piglets? Please?” Amber brought his attention back to the present. They were waiting for the doctor to talk to them and discharge Sam. Penny had excused herself as soon as they got to the hospital to go check on her puppy and to change out of Luke’s oversize T-shirt and sweats.

      “We can just call them Pork Chop, Ham and Bacon.” Sam rested against the elevated back of the hospital bed. Luke couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard Sam tease someone. Maybe when Luke had been Amber’s age. Before Dad... Before Mom...

      “That’s not very nice, Uncle Sam.” Amber gave him a look that reminded Luke of their mother when she’d scolded them even though she wanted to laugh at their antics. Sam just chuckled lightly, drawing Luke’s questioning gaze to him. Sam shrugged.

      “When am I getting out of this place?” Sam looked toward the door as if willing the doctor to appear with his release instructions.

      “I’m sure the staff is just as anxious for you to go,” Luke said before standing. “I’m going to go find a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?” He looked at Amber.