7 Heart attack

"You had a heart attack?! Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to come help take care of you? Why did he leave? When did he leave?" The questions come pouring out of me quickly, shocked and surprised at the news.

Pa takes another obvious breath, telling me I need to calm down. I've caught on to the man's nonverbal hints over our time living so closely together.

"Sam, I'm okay. I'm at home, I have two rotating nurses and two caretakers who are coming to help take care of me. It's the ranch I need help with. Ethan left two weeks ago and other than two phone calls, one of which I missed being in the hospital, he has not contacted me." Pa sounds tired, but he's still concerned for his grandson.

"Why do you think he would have contacted me?" I ask.

"Because he went to California to find you. Now, it's none of my business, Sam, but could you explain to me what happened? I understand if you don't want to talk about it. I'm just confused and according to Ethan he is just as confused."

I scoff at Ethan's confusion. "He can act confused all he wants. He knows that I overheard him talking to that woman over the phone. I couldn't stay and act like everything was okay after that."

Pa sighed heavily over the phone, "Why don't you tell me the whole story, from the beginning of when you two started having issues. I noticed you'd been bothered about something for a while before you left us."

"Before you left us."

He's right, I didn't just leave Ethan.

I love them both.

I left them both.

So I spent the next two hours explaining everything to Pa. I told him about the pregnancy suspicion, the phone call, my emotions and thoughts leading up to the day I left. I even told him how I felt when my period came and how I have been feeling here without him. It felt good to get it all off my chest and talk to some one I trust with it all.

Pa was silent for a little bit, he was making some noises telling me he was thinking about everything I said.

"Did he really come here to find me, Pa? Why would he come to find me when he can go to his other woman." I scoff, trying to cover the pain in my voice.

Pa sighs, it's heavy with the weight of emotions. "Sam, if he shows up or calls you, please call me and don't forget to tell him he needs to call me too. I can't explain the conversation you heard, but if that's all you're basing this off of, without him explaining or you hearing it in it's entirety, I feel you may have judged him too soon. I know my Ethan is a good man and loves you more than you realize. I also know you are a good woman and love him too. I've never seen Ethan so broken than when you left. Even after his parents died he was not in shambles like how he has been since you left. You may choose to do with your life as you wish, but I would at least talk to him and hear him out. If anything, explain yourself and hear him speak, just once about it. Please. For the sake of this old man."

I hesitated answering, breathing slowly to keep calm. Noise came through on the phone and someone's voice came through.

"Listen, Sam. My nurse has arrived, so I will hopefully hear from you or him soon. If I don't hear from you again, take care of yourself. Okay?"

"Okay, Pa. I love you." I murmured over the phone.

"I love you too, Sam. Bye." He hung up the phone, leaving me in tears again, but for a different reason now.

What if I was wrong and jumped to conclusions? What if I ruined everything over nothing? He came to California to find me, but why? Pa says that I broke him, so why would he come all this way?

Did he want to make me pay back the money he spent fixing up my dad's old car? He wouldn't ask for the money back that I earned working on the ranch with him and Pa though, but he might ask for that back.

I spent the rest of the day, drinking wine and thinking about Ethan and worrying about Pa's health.

Is it because I want you to be my wife?!

That one sentence was the one that hurt the most.

He wanted to marry me but was flirting with another woman, threatening to spank her? UGH! MEN! What's worse though, is I still want him! My body is desiring him, cause it's a damn traitor for his touch!

I fell into a fitful sleep, constantly flipping to try to become comfortable. When I was asleep, dreams came, torturing me with the memory of Ethan's embrace, his kisses, and the amazing sex we'd had. There was not a place on the ranch, except for Pa's rooms that we had not had sex in. My favorite was still on the barn roof, under the stars.

Where he would kiss me till I was breathless, touch me till I begged for more, eat me out like I was the last meal he'd ever want again, and fuck me till his hand had to cover my mouth or his grandpa would hear me I would get so loud.

I woke up in tears, my dreams teasing me with Ethan's arms wrapped around me that I begged to not let me go. I just wanted to go back to sleep and hope that Ethan would come back to them so I could have just a few more minutes where he would love me and only me.

I dragged myself into the shower and got ready for work. Today I had the early shift, from nine to five. It was seven when I started to do my hair. Looking at my swollen face from crying in my sleep, I knew I needed to go grab my gel mask from the freezer.

I go strap it on, grunting at the cold of the mask. I go and pick out my clothes. We're allowed to wear our own clothes as long as we wear black or khaki tan bottoms, with a white or black top and our name tag. They had given me a voucher when I was first hired to visit one of the department stores that are nearby. I was allowed two pairs of shoes, six bottoms and six tops that met the restaurants requirements.

I slipped into my black knee length skirt that has a ruffled edge, pockets that didn't stick out for my drivers license, keys and cash. I chose the three quarter sleeve, white, button up that had a pleated pin tuck design in the front. I attach my name tag to the reinforced loops of the shirt and slide into my black, cushioned penny loafer style, flats that were like walking on air. I make my breakfast, an egg and toast with yogurt and a banana and eat it quickly.

In the bathroom, I take my mask off, relieved that the swelling had gone down. I keep my makeup simple, mascara and a little blush on the cheeks and a pink coral lip stain. I walk out the door, with plenty of time to spare and head into work. I drive the ten miles to work from my apartment, thankful there was no accident on the freeway today.

"Hey Samantha, I need you to do me a favor today? I'm not supposed to be doing too much walking because of my foot." Grace one of the other waitresses says, directing my attention to her right leg that is wrapped and in a boot brace of sorts. "Dillon put you up for tables thirty to forty-two and the bar. He gave me tables one to eighteen plus the west patio, on the other side of the restaurant. Will you switch me please?" She begs.

I scoff and throw a face, "What the heck, didn't Dillon remember it's your first day back from surgery? Of course I will switch with you. How's your foot by the way?" I ask her, grabbing my work apron and tie it around my waist.

"Thank you, Sam. You're a life savor! It hurts but not nearly as bad before the surgery, thank goodness." Grace waves to Matt, one of the waiters, who comes in with a big grin on his face.

"What's got you smiling like your the sun?" I ask him, as he wraps his apron on too.

"Arthur and me went out on our first date last night. Girl, let me tell you... that man knows how to please one." He lowers his voice so only we hear the next bit, "His dick was pretty damn good too. I was worried it was all going to be lip service then...." His words trail off as Dillon the manager walks in.

"Samantha, can you please come into my office?" He asks waving me to on in.

Grace and Matt give me concerned looks as I follow Matt into his office.

"Hey, Samantha. So I wasn't thinking and gave Grace her normal tables, but she can't work those with her foot. I'm going to be having one of the bus boys shadow her and help her with carrying items for the next week. I need you to work tables nineteen through twenty nine, and the east patio. I think Matt would do better on the far side. It is Friday and Mrs. Deviths will be here at noon sharp wanting table number four. She's a real pain the ass, but I think Matt can handle her without losing his cool with her. I'm not saying you will, but even I have trouble dealing with her some days."

"Sure thing, Dillon. Would you like me to tell Matt or send him in? " I exit Dillon's office and send Matt off to exchange the tables we had been discussing.

We opened and wow, it was the busiest I had seen the place since I started working there. Even Matt was helping bust his tables with the bus boy, while Dillon was kind enough to help me in my area when one of our bus boys called off. When Bernadette came in at two thirty and relieved me for my lunch break, my feet and back were screaming.

I grabbed my food and took it out to the west patio, making sure to remove my name tag and apron first, otherwise someone would come up and say something to me, whether it was a complaint about the food, or why I can't help them order, blah, blah, blah.

I've already dealt with a Karen or two who didn't understand the concept of being on a break. Another reason I went to Matt's patio side and used one of the empty two seaters since most people preferred the larger tables.

I'm finished with my food, enjoying being off my feet, when Matt comes up to me.

"Hey, Samantha. Just a heads up, you got a hot man staring at you inside. You want me to give him your number?" Matt chuckles as acts like he's making sure I don't want anything else.

I shrug and laugh it off, "Not really, but thank you Matt. I've got to get back to work." I stand and Matt takes my plate and cup to the bus boy station. Business was still busy, but the overwhelming lunch rush had slowed enough we could handle it.

I go and put my apron and name tag back on, and grab Bernadette as she walks back in. "Okay, my break is over. You want me to handle nineteen to twenty nine or the patio for the rest of my shift?"

Bernadette hums, her thin lips tight, as she glances to the dining room with her dark brown eyes. "Take the patio, please. I don't want to switch servers on two of the tables. It's the steak family and the other is the purple hat ladies."

I nod, agreeing, "Fine with me. How many times did you have to take the steak back already because it was not medium?" I chuckle, knowing how the family who order the steaks are every time they come in. At least one person always sends the steak back for being medium rare or 'too rare for my taste buds'.

Bernadette rolls her eyes, "Three steaks, all cooked medium, sent back for being too 'rare'. I wish they would realize that they like their steaks cooked medium well and the mother likes hers well done. One would think after ordering from here for the past two years a couple times a month they would get it." She sighs exasperated.

I finish up my shift, telling a few others bye in the kitchen before I head out the door.

I'm walking to my car when a familiar voice says from behind me, making me jump.

"Hey, Samantha."