Finding Sarah (9 page)

David. Randy kept his voice
steady. “What’s wrong?”

She swiveled away and sat on the
couch, head down, twisting tendrils of her hair. Randy lowered himself into one
of the armchairs.

Sarah spoke softly, obviously
trying to keep her voice from breaking. “She’s trying to force me to buy out
her twenty percent. I can’t come up with that kind of money without selling the
shop. Unless—”

“Unless what?”

“Unless—” The phone’s ring cut
through the soft background music. Sarah waited out three rings before picking
up the handset. “Hello?”

Randy saw her expression change
from pain to resignation. “Look, I can’t talk now. See you tomorrow.” She
clicked off the phone and set it down. “Sorry.”

The room felt very crowded. “Chris?”

She nodded. “I hope you don’t
mind. There are some things I need to do.”

“Of course.” He got up to leave. “I
still want you to be careful.”

“I will.” She stood, headed
toward the door. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Is this … normal? These personal
visits?” She turned away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. You’re doing your
job. I’m tired.”

“No, you asked a legitimate
question.” He took a step backward while he searched for the words. “I like to
think that I devote this much time and energy to every case. But I don’t think that
would be the truth.”

She closed the distance between
them, stood on her tiptoes and reached up to put her hands on his cheeks. “Bend
down a little,” she whispered.

“Sarah, I shouldn’t … I can’t.”
His voice cracked. He needed to get out of here fast.

“I know. But I can.”

Against every professional
instinct, every bit of common sense, he bent down. Her lips touched his, their
soft warmth sending that shock coursing through his body again, a hundredfold
more electrifying than before. Then, before either had a chance to respond
further, she pulled back. “Thanks,” she said. “For everything.”

What she had given him scarcely
crossed the boundary of chaste, yet it was as erotic as any kiss he could
remember. He wanted to pick her up and smother her with kisses—deep and
soul-baring. Instead, he grabbed the files and backed out the door.

Sarah locked the door behind
Randy, sighed and leaned against the cool wood, waiting for the pounding in her
head to stop. What had she done? How long ago had she vowed to keep this
impersonal? A day? Two? Good grief, she’d hung up after talking to Chris, then turned
around and kissed Randy.

The memories lingered, the citrus
scent of his aftershave, the softness of his freshly shaven cheeks, the warmth
of his lips. That all-over tingling she hadn’t felt in so long. Her panties
were damp. A dull ache in her belly lingered.

It wasn’t until she was in the
bathroom that she realized Randy hadn’t been the sole cause of those feelings.
She had been so caught up in the week’s activities she hadn’t bothered to look
at a calendar. Of course, she’d get her period now. No wonder she’d been such a
wreck.

When she pulled off her sweater,
the chain with David’s wedding band caught in the bulky knit. Still warm from
its contact with her flesh, the touch of the smooth gold brought another set of
memories flooding back. How could she betray David? She grasped the ring in her
fist, squeezing until the pain of metal against flesh brought tears to her
eyes.

Hugging herself, she stumbled into
the bedroom and eased herself onto the edge of the bed. She stared at the phone
on the nightstand for a long moment. Three times she picked up the receiver
only to set it down again. Finally, she pushed a speed dial button.

“Hello,” came the familiar voice
from the other end.

Sarah tried to speak, but her
voice couldn’t squeeze through her constricted throat.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“It’s Sarah,” she managed to
whisper. “I think I need some company.”

“Oh, you sweet thing. Of course.
Can you make it over here? I’ll put on some tea and you can stay as long as you
need to.”

Sarah sniffed back the tears. “Yes.
I’ll be right over.” She pulled on her old flannel nightgown and heavy plaid
winter robe, shoved her feet into heavy socks and slippers and shuffled across
the hall. Maggie was at the door, waiting for her. Othello looked up from his
basket, gave a quiet mew in greeting and tucked himself back into a ball of
fur.

“You poor dear.” Maggie clucked. “Come
in. The tea will be ready in a jiff. Go sit on the couch.”

“Oh, Maggie, I’m sorry to bother
you. I couldn’t be alone. I’m so confused. And miserable.”

Maggie was at her side with a box
of tissues. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Sarah looked up. Maggie’s hair
was wrapped in a towel and she, too wore a warm robe.

Maggie pulled off the towel. “What
do you think?”

Sarah sat there, too stunned to
speak. Maggie’s hair was Lucille Ball red. “I … I think … it’s—”

“A bit over the top, eh?”

“Maybe a little.” The teakettle
whistled.

“I’ll give it a week, then I’ll
decide,” Maggie said. “Everyone needs change, you know.” She wrapped the towel
back into a turban and went to the kitchen to get the tea.

She came back with two steaming
mugs and handed one to Sarah. “You sip that slowly, dear. Chamomile with
valerian. It’ll help you relax.”

Sarah took a tentative sip of the
hot liquid. This was more than herb tea. She gave Maggie a questioning look.

“So I added a little brandy. You
look like you need it.” Maggie scooted closer and patted Sarah’s knee. “Now,
tell me everything.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a
moment and everything poured out. “It’s Randy. And the robbery and the break-in
and Diana and Chris and I kissed Randy and … I got my period and I feel awful
and David—” The tears welled up in her eyes. She gulped. “How can I do that to
David?”

Maggie pried the mug from Sarah’s
fingers and set it on the coffee table. She put her arms around her. “First,
you cry. Let it out.”

Sarah had cried so many tears
this week, she didn’t think there could be any left. Yet, under the protection
of Maggie’s touch, the softness of her robe, her lavender scent, they came. In
torrents. Wet, messy, blubbering sobs. When they finally dried up, Sarah took
in a long, shaky breath and gave Maggie a weak smile. “Guess I needed that.”

“Cleanses the body. Straightens
out your chemistry. Nothing to be ashamed of. Now, you said something about
kissing Randy.”

Leave it to Maggie to get to the
heart of things. “It was a stupid thing to do. Now if it had been Chris, I’d
understand. I’ve known him forever and we have a history.”

“What does Chris have to do with
any of this?”

“He’s always offering to help.
And I might have to take him up on it.” Sarah decided to leave out the gory
details of Diana’s bomb. “But when he called tonight and Randy was there … I
don’t know. Chris leaves me feeling … well, nothing. He’s a friend, but I think
he wants more and I can’t decide if I could ever go there with him.”

“And Randy?” Maggie winged her
eyebrows.

Sarah felt the heat rise in her
cheeks. “Definitely not a nothing feeling. It’s probably because if I accept
help from Chris, I’m admitting defeat. Randy’s doing his job, so it’s not the
same kind of help. But why did I kiss him? Maggie, how can I think about
another man? And why am I thinking about a man at all, especially now? One I
hardly know.”

“You’re afraid you’re betraying
David?”

Sarah nodded.

“That’s a normal feeling.” Maggie
patted Sarah’s knee. “But, listen to me. David’s gone. It’s been well over a
year. There shouldn’t be any betrayal here. Let me tell you, there’s a lot to
be said for the cultures that enforce a strict mourning period. There’s a nice
line to cross, a way to say ‘it’s over’. By the time the dreariness is
finished, the wearing black, not seeing people, they’re ready for some light in
their lives. I think Randy might be your light.”

“You do?” Sarah asked. She
worried a tissue in her hands.

“Yes. But you have to think so,
too. You have to listen to your heart.” She ran a finger down Sarah’s cheek. “Tell
me. How did that kiss make you feel?”

A warmth radiated through her.
Sarah didn’t think she could attribute all of it to the brandy. “It was one
little kiss—like a friendly kiss on the cheek, but on his mouth.
I
kissed
him
, Maggie. He tried to do the right thing and say, ‘no’, but I
insisted.” She set the shredded tissue on the coffee table and picked up her
mug, staring into its steamy depth.

“And did he like it?” She gave
Sarah a mischievous grin.

“Maggie! It’s not like we pressed
up against each other, you know. He’s six-six. He had to lean down to let me
kiss him. Those parts … they were out of contact. But—”

“But?”

“So, I might have noticed. But he
was definitely trying to hide it, so I didn’t think it would be right to bring
it up.”

“I’d say that’s exactly what you
did!”

“Oh, Maggie, you’re terrible!”
Sarah burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggling, accompanied by Maggie’s
laughter.

When Sarah could breathe again,
she gasped. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Maggie wiped tears from her eyes.
“Freud might say differently. Now, finish your tea. Do you want anything to
eat?”

“No, thanks. I feel so much
better. I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble lately.”

“Don’t you worry about it. You’re
family. You can call me any time. You know that.”

“I do. Thanks for the tea. I
think it’s done its job. I’ll see you later.”

“Keep an eye out for the new
neighbors,” Maggie said. “I’m dying to meet them.”

* * * * *

Sarah pushed open her shop door.
Saturday had dawned bright and brisk, which seemed totally unfair. How dare the
day look so cheerful when she felt so miserable. All she wanted was to lounge
on her couch with a heating pad and a mug of hot tea. Thank goodness Saturday’s
early closing meant she’d have time to lie down before dinner with Chris.

Jennifer appeared moments later
carrying a large cardboard storage box. “Good morning, Sarah.”

“It’s so good to see you.” Sarah
turned and extended her arms for a hug.

Jennifer set the box down for a
quick embrace before giving Sarah a scrutinizing look. “Are you okay? You look
tired.”

“Cramps. The usual misery.”

Jennifer nodded. “Bummer. Hey, if
you want to take the day off, I think I can manage by myself. It’s been a
while, but it’s like riding a bike.”

“No, I have plenty to do. With
you out front, I can stay in the office and catch up.” She tipped her head
toward the carton. “Your photos?”

“Yeah. You said I could display
them.”

“And I meant it. You keep one
hundred percent of any of those sales and a commission on all the rest of the
merchandise you sell. I wish I could give you a salary on top of it.”

“Hey, I understand. It’s more
than fair for two afternoons a week and every other Saturday. Showing my work
here is a coup, believe me.” Jennifer pulled off a knit cap and shook out a
dark mass of shoulder-length waves.

Sarah couldn’t help but think of
them as tresses, flowing tresses. She fingered her do-it-yourself cut. What she
wouldn’t give for hair like that. “Nothing much has changed. Why don’t you look
around and get familiar with the stock. We have a couple of new artists since
you were here last. Francisco Flores—he does small watercolors of the
Cascades—and Isabella Velasquez. Her blown-glass sculptures are on the back
wall.”

Jennifer shrugged off her
backpack, flung it behind the counter and zeroed in on the new work. “These are
nice. Do you have bios? The customers like it when I share details about the
artists.”

“Of course. I’ll get them for
you.” Sarah went to the storeroom, found the papers and brought them to
Jennifer. “Here you go. I’m going to tackle the dreaded paperwork.” She flashed
a smile and went back to the office.

Sarah started plowing through the
pile of papers on her desk. She had no idea how long she’d been working, the
sounds of typical shop business muted by their familiarity.

“Sarah? I think you need to come
out here.”

Something about the hesitant squeak
in Jennifer’s voice sent Sarah’s heart going double-time. She winced at the
pain in her belly when she moved and clutched the corner of the desk for a
moment. “What’s wrong?”

“I was busy, but I was watching.
Honest. You know I don’t ignore the customers.”

Sarah gripped Jennifer’s
shoulders. “Calm down, Jen. Tell me what happened.”

“I was rearranging some things,
to make room for some of my photos and … look.” Jennifer picked up a
three-hundred-dollar Kavelli crystal urn. One of the handles was snapped off.

There was a new pain in Sarah’s
belly. “How did it happen?”

“I don’t know. But … that’s not
all.” She brought Sarah to the Egyptian perfume bottles. Three were missing,
Sarah saw at once. From the look in Jennifer’s eyes, they hadn’t been sold this
morning. Jennifer pointed to a pile of brightly colored broken glass behind the
case.

Her cramps forgotten, Sarah
rushed through the shop, checking the merchandise. A gouge in the corner of an
oil painting. Not a lot of damage. A few pieces. Expensive pieces.

She felt the room spin and
Jennifer leading her back to her chair in the office. “Close the shop,” Sarah
whispered. “Now.”

Jennifer hurried to obey and
Sarah picked up the phone. Darn. She fumbled for Randy’s card. Why didn’t she
have him on speed dial here? She punched in his cell number, relieved when he
answered on the second ring.

“Sit tight. I’m out of town, but
I’m going to call the station right now and someone will be there.” Sarah heard
muffled sounds of Randy using the radio.

“Do you think someone broke in
last night and did this?” he said when he came back on the line.

Sarah shook her head, unable to
find her voice. She cleared her throat. “I’m not sure. When I got here,
Jennifer took over. I didn’t even look around. But the door was locked. I know
that.”

“Jennifer?”

“My part-timer. She started
today.”

She answered the unasked
question. “No. No way. She’s worked for me before. Absolutely no way did she do
this. She’s as much of a wreck as I am.” Sarah looked up to see Jennifer in the
doorway, shaking her head and looking contrite.

“Who was in the shop today?
Chris? Diana? Anyone acting suspicious?” Randy said.

“I don’t know. I was in back.
Hang on.” Sarah repeated Randy’s questions to Jennifer.

“She says no. Mostly moms with
kids, but I keep that kind of merchandise too high for little fingers. Jennifer
knows what she’s doing. She knows how to watch the merchandise.” Adrenaline
surged through her system, clearing her head. “Diana!”

“Was she in today?”