Missionary Daddy by Linda Goodnight

jealous.”
    Sam patted Olivia’s back. “Tell him to come on over and have a picture with us.”
    “You and me both?”
    “Sure. Why not?” She beamed a smile at the Cavanaughs. “What do you say, Mom and Dad?”
    Ben laughed. “I think you’re a master at raising money.”
    “Good. The kids are worth it.”
    As Eric watched Sam work her charm on the gathering, his admiration notched upward. From her initial reaction, she didn’t particularly enjoy this, but she was generous enough to use her celebrity for something worthwhile.
    Generous, smart, kind, hardworking. Adjectives he’d never expected to use with Sam. His conscience poked at him. He’d thought all those things about her in Africa, so what had happened? Was his ego so fragile that he was still smarting about the identity mix-up? Or had his bad attitude toward the rich caused him to misjudge her?
    In his younger days, he’d sometimes been jealous of the wealthy. Growing up in a large family that pinched pennies had marked him, and getting dumped by a socialite in college hadn’t helped. But he thought he’d outgrown the poor-boy chip on his shoulder. Maybe not.
    He rubbed at his chest, aware of the hollowness there, a sure sign he and the Lord needed to have a conversation.
    A burst of laughter brought his attention back to the moment. Gina and Samantha were bent double, laughing at Jeremy who preened and posed in imitation of Sam. The long line of customers had dwindled away, at least for the time being.
    “Oh, Miss Harcourt,” Jeremy said in a falsetto voice. “May I please have that paper cup you drank from? I’ll cherish it forever.”
    Gina and Sam giggled again, but Eric detected a note of embarrassment in Sam’s laughter.
    “Hey,” he said, gesturing to Gina and Jeremy. “You two get over here and let Sam take your picture for a change.”
    “Do you have a camera?”
    “Sure. Got my digital. We need pictures for the church newsletter anyway.”
    Jeremy hopped out of the concession stand and flexed a bicep. “Gotta love this, huh, Gina?”
    Gina rolled her eyes. “Don’t encourage him, Eric. He’s already conceited enough.”
    But, using an ancient oak trunk as background, the young couple mugged for the camera. Sam took several shots and then waved to Eric.
    “Get over there with them.”
    Joining the fun, he let her take his picture, first with Gina and then with Jeremy, both males behaving in typical macho manner.
    A customer arrived and Gina scuttled back into the stand to take care of business. Sam turned, ready to join her, when Eric caught a lock of her pale hair and gave a gentle tug. She looked over her shoulder, silvery eyes questioning, perfect lips curved upward.
    As if he’d jumped out of an airplane, Eric’s belly dipped.
    “Don’t I get a picture with the famous lady?”
    Face alight with humor, she wheeled around and stuck out a palm. “What’s it worth to ya, big boy?”
    A lot more than he wanted to admit.
    “A big spender like me? Let’s see…” Keeping it light, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. “How’s this?”
    With finger and thumb, she snapped the bill from his hand. “Since it’s your camera, I guess a mere twenty will do.”
    Eric handed the camera to Jeremy. “Take the picture, Jer, before the price goes up. Inflation, you know.”
    Still playing around, Eric looped an arm across Sam’s shoulders to strike a pose. Her spicy scent enveloped him. He went light-headed, all the silliness draining away. The women at work wore perfumes that smelled great. Why did Sam’s have this effect on him?
    To his pleasure and discomfort, Sam slid an arm around his waist and tilted her head onto his shoulder. The action was innocent and intentionally flirty, just a pose for the camera. This was something Samantha did all the time, and yet Eric’s pulse kicked up a notch.
    Catapulted back in time, Eric recalled a hot, starry night in Africa when, for a brief space in time, he’d