“Anyway, they’d grabbed my hair; it was a lot longer back then, and was trying to drag me to the guy’s bathroom, when he came out drying his hands. As soon as he saw what they were up to, he grabbed the one holding my hair and did some kind of trick, because the kid let go, squealing like the pig he was and the both of them took off. He made sure I wasn’t hurt and then went on his way as if nothing had happened. I figured, okay, the guy’s not a complete loser, but then the next time we had art, he made a point of stopping by my table, checking out my work, asking for advice. I didn’t know what to think, I mean me, chunky Campbell, in the same orbit as the hottest male in school? It was beyond weird, but kind of wonderful at the same time, and I fell headlong into my first crush.”
She watched the kids for a few minutes, a faraway look in her eyes. “I think he knew, but he never needled me about it. We hung out at lunch whenever he wasn’t flirting with the co-ed’s, and we started going to each other’s houses a couple times a week studying, when he wasn’t at a game or out on a date that is. Then high school was over and he was heading to college while I was staying here, getting a job. Mrs. Hammond owned the craft store back then and took me on as an apprentice, so I was happy.
“Whenever he came to town during his breaks, he’d call and we would meet up; catch up on all the news. Then one day he phoned from college, and I could hear by the excitement in his voice something big was up. I’m pretty sure I died a little, thinking he was about to say he’d found someone he was serious about, but it was even worse than that. He planned to join the freaking Navy. I, and I’m sure his mother too, tried to talk him out of it, I mean it’s noble and brave and everything, but not for him, you know. All we did is succeed in pushing him away, he quit calling, never came home on his leaves, and I thought that was it, I’d never see him again.”
As the whooping and hollering continued on the far side of the room, Annie looked at Sara with melancholy eyes. “I never heard a word for four long years, not a word. I lost some weight, had my hair styled, and even started dating, but I still missed him every single day. Then one night, I came home from work and there he was, sitting on my doorstep, looking the same and yet so different. His gorgeous hair was gone, replaced by a buzz cut that only accentuated those killer eyes. He seemed both taller and broader to me. And when he looked up, there was an instant when everything narrowed down to him and me. It felt as if the whole world held its breath. Silly, huh.”
Sara’s throat clogged with emotion. “No, not silly at all, pretty much perfect actually.” She shared a goofy grin with her friend.
Annie sighed, filled with memories, and then continued on, “We hugged, I tried not to cling, and then we went out for dinner, and came back to my place where he filled me in on the last couple of years. Seemed he’d become a Navy SEAL, he always was an overachiever, and was only in town for a couple of days to try to mend fences with his Mom. It was so great to see him, I felt like my heart was going to burst right out of my chest. He asked me…me, Sara… if I would like to go to a party the next night his old school friends were hosting. Said he really wanted me there, that I was his best friend. Yeah,” At Sara’s commiserating look, “so anyway I went, and actually had a pretty good time. Most of them didn’t even remember me, ouch, but at least it solved any awkwardness, well except for when they asked if I was his girl and he hurried to correct them.”
“He would have been lucky to have you, you’re gorgeous.” Sara grabbed onto Annie’s tensed hands and squeezed.
“Where were you when my confidence needed a boost?” Annie smiled and gave her a quick hug before checking again on the children who were now working on Chris’s Litebrite machine.
“So then what happened? Did you meet some guy at the party and have wild monkey sex with him?” Sara teased, and then seeing the look on Annie’s expressive face, “oh, you did meet someone. Was he hot? Was it bad, what?”
“He was hotter than sin and it was the most enchanting night of my life. Everything I always knew it would be.”
“Oh, my God. You nailed him, your friend. That’s who you ended up with?” Sara half-laughed in amazement.
“I’m still not sure how it happened. One minute we were talking and laughing about the evening and the next minute he had me pinned up against the back door of this very store. Both of us drank too much, but no, we weren’t drunk by then, that wasn’t why. I know, because I’ve gone over it at least a thousand times since then. He, of course knew I was still working here, and asked if I had a key, so we could rest a bit before finishing the trip, even though it’s only five blocks, but hey, I was more than willing.” She stopped for a moment, lost to nostalgia.
“It was perfect. He was perfect, and even though he was gone the next day, without a word, I can’t be sorry because he left me with a very precious gift.” They both swiped a few tears, as they watched their bundles of joy arguing about whose go it was to turn on the colored picture from their game.
Shaking her head, Sara had to smile at the paths that had led them to this moment, so different, yet so much the same. Her cell began to sing “Sweet Home Alabama” from the front pocket of her pants and she pulled it out to see Nick’s name lighting up the screen, a beacon calling her to him, as sure as if he were standing right there in front of her.
Determined to keep her personal feelings hidden, she answered with a calmness she was far from feeling. “Nick, I’m kind of busy at the moment, what do you need?”
Her heart went skittering when he sighed softly in her ear. “I miss you, Sara. Is it so wrong to want to talk to you? Don’t shut me out, okay? Anyway, that’s not why I’m calling, I’ll save that conversation for face to face. The guys and I were heading to Grace’s for breakfast and thought you might like to join us. Come on, Jared’s buying, and that only happens once in a millennium, so we should make it count, right?”
She smiled at the boyish delight lighting his voice. Maybe they could at least come out of this as friends. The thought of losing him completely made a hard fist twist in her stomach. “I am kind of hungry this morning, and Grace’s does sound good.” Sara watched as Annie turned away to begin the cleanup process from their spur-of-the-moment party. “I need to finish up here and then I’ll meet you, say fifteen minutes?”
The relief was evident in Nick’s warm tenor, “Okay good, I’ll see you then, and Sara—”
Her hand tightened its grip on the cell held to her ear, “Nick—” she breathed.
“Don’t forget to order big.” He clicked off, leaving her smiling. She was coming to the realization that the heart wanted what it wanted and her head was only along as mediator.
“So, that was Nick on the phone,” and at Annie’s knowing smirk, “he wants me to join him and his friends for breakfast at Grace’s. Why don’t we bundle up the rug-rats and all go?”
“Oh no you don’t, missy, you are not going to put me in the middle of your lovers spat, no, no, no. You go, show him that you’re no pushover and the kids and I will stay right here doing what we do best, making a mess.” Annie looked amused at Sara’s obvious discomfort. “You’ll be fine, honey. Give yourself a little time to process, and then put it behind you. Life is too damn short to stay mad or hurt, ask someone who knows. If you get a second chance then for God’s sake, take it. He’s a good man, Sara. Maybe he did screw up, but then, don’t we all? None of us are perfect, my friend, well except for those two.” She waved her slim hand at the kids as they went zooming by on scooters, one blue, one red, laughing like banshees.
Sara’s heart swelled as she watched the uncomplicated joy the children exhibited. She’d never had that as a child and it had hurt unbearably to see the light dying in Jessica’s eyes the longer Tom forced them to stay. She was fiercely glad they had found this town full of kind, caring people and she vowed to do whatever necessary to ensure her daughter continued to thrive and grow here.
She agreed with Annie, life was too short to waste, and as soon as this situation with Tom was over,
she would sit down with herself and figure out exactly what she wanted to do about Nick. For right now though, she had a date with a trio of gorgeous, sexy men for breakfast. A girl had to do what a girl had to do.
“Okay I’m going. If you need me for anything I’ll have my cell on me at all times, and Annie, thanks for everything.” She leaned in and gave her friend a long hug, soaking up the scents of citrus, sunshine and the faint sugary sweetness from the donuts, which were as much a part of Annie as her smile.
“Jessica,” Sara called, trying to be heard above the whirr of the scooter wheels, and the ooga-ooga of the attached horns as the kids raced towards them, looks of determination lighting their cherubic faces. “Jess, stop for a minute, I need to talk to you.”
With a satisfying squeal of rubber, Jessica came to a sudden halt right in front of her Mom. “Did you see us? We were flying like the wind, right Mom?”
“You sure were, honey. Listen, I’m going to leave now,” at her daughter’s moan of sadness, “not you, you can stay for a few days and keep Chris company, how does that sound?”
“Wow, really? But who’s going to take care of Jake?” She had a good point, in all the upheaval of the last forty-eight hours Sara had forgotten all about the poor dog.
“Listen, we have plenty of room at our house for Jake. Why don’t you run home, grab him and bring him back here? The kids will love it. It’ll give Fitzroy some company too.”
“Fitzroy’s our cat; he’s old now so all he does is sleep.” Chris informed her in his solemn little voice. “I bet Jake and him will be friends, like me and you.” He said as he looked to Jessica.
“I’ll see what Nick says, it’s his dog after all. Annie, I don’t know what to say, except thank-you so much, I owe you.”
“You’re welcome, that’s what friends are for.”
“Don’t forget Jake’s leash, it’s hanging on the peg by the door, like you told me to do. Organization is very important, Chris, a place for everything and everything in its place.” The two women burst out laughing at this piece of sage advice, the storage room looking as if a tornado had recently gone through.
“Thanks o’wise one. Okay, I’m off then, give me a hug.” As her daughter raced into her arms, Sara’s closed around her protectively, tears springing up. The next few days she would once again be apart from the most important person in her life. It wouldn’t be safe for her to come over or even to call after they put into motion their plans. She knew Tom would do everything in his considerable power to stop her, including using his own daughter to achieve it.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jared pushed the car door open and hopped out the moment Frank pulled up in front of Grits and Grace, his lanky legs carrying him to the glass doors.
“Hey man, where’s the fire? Don’t worry, Grace has plenty of food, you don’t have to race us for it.” Nick joked through the open passenger window, shooting a look sideways to the chief, only to notice he wasn’t getting out as he stared somberly out the window after his friend.
“Um, am I missing something here?” Silence. He decided to try again. “Frank, you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I think you’re about to find out.”
Jared sent them a what-the-hell’s-taking-you-so-long look, coupled with a distinct plea for support that had the two men scrambling to catch up. Nick didn’t have the faintest idea what was going on but if his buddy needed him, he was there.
They waited as Jared drank in a deep breath, let it whoosh out, squared his shoulders and stepped through the doors. The first thing to hit them were the smells, maple from the bacon and the ham, rosemary and sage from the turkey that had more than likely been cooking for a couple of hours, the rich beefy smell of gravy, and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee mixed with the tang of orange juice. There was a cacophony of noise, jukebox playing Hank Jones, the rise and fall of conversations from the nearly full breakfast crowd, and servers calling out orders to the kitchen.
“There she is, out from the back to schmooze the customers, her favorite part of the job she always said. Keep ‘em happy and they’ll come back.” Jared’s tone was a complicated mix of love and frustration. Nick, who was standing close because of the small entry, could feel the shiver of shock run through Jared’s body. She flirted her way from table to table, with a kind word here, pat on the shoulder there, and then there she was, standing in front of them about to ask where they would like to be seated when she suddenly stopped mid-sentence and actually looked, as if sensing his turmoil.
“Hi, Momma.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock, and her green eyes just like Jared’s, welled up with happy tears. “Oh my good Lord. Jared.” She brought shaking fingers up and hesitantly set them against his lean cheek. “Well, would you look at you? You grew into a fine looking young man. I always knew you would though, good genes.”
At his shaky laugh, Grace held up her soft arms and he wrapped his own arms around her rotund figure and lifted her right off her feet, swinging her around in a King Kong hug before setting her down.
Blushing at all the amused looks, some that knew him, some not, Grace grabbed up his calloused, scarred hand, kissing it as if it were sacred, and lifted her voice to be heard above the din. “Hey all, this is my handsome boy. He’s come home to see his momma,” ending on an almost whisper, “he’s home.”
Everyone whistled and clapped as Jared wiped the wetness from her still soft, rosy cheeks, and forced words past an obvious baseball-sized lump in his throat. “I missed you, Mom, every God-damn day, I missed you.”
“Oh son, you could have come home anytime, if you weren’t so dang stubborn, just like your Pops, but enough, let’s save that talk for later. I want to soak up the joy of having you here, it’s been far too long. Come on now, let’s get you fed.” She retained a death grip on his hand as she led them to a man-sized booth for six set near the back, close to the kitchen, as if she was afraid to let him out of sight.
“Momma, I’d like you to meet some good friends of mine. Chief, this is the woman who I judge all others by, which is why I’m still single.” He laughed as he turned to Nick, “Nick, I want you to meet the best cook to ever grace, pun intended, God’s green earth.”
“Well, if that isn’t the nicest introduction a girl could ever receive. I’ve already met the very charming Nickolaus Kelley. He’s one of my regulars.” Grace grinned. “Chief, huh? I’m guessing that to mean you were my son’s superior officer.” At Frank’s slight nod, she reached over the table and gave him a swift peck on his bristly jaw. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for keeping my boy safe.”
After a round-the-table chorus of throat clearing, she said, “Okay, enough of the sappy stuff, let’s get you fed. I know what Jared likes, so what can I get you, boys? We have on special a Meat lover’s Omelet filled with ham, bacon, sausage, and Monterey Jack cheese, or we have an eight-ounce sirloin steak and three eggs, any style. What’s it going to be, fellas?”
“A steak sounds just about perfect, thank-you ma’am, and please, call me Frank.”
“Well Frank, I can do that if you’ll drop the Ma’am, which makes me feel about a billion years old, and call me Grace.” Winking she turned to Nick, “Okay honey, what about you, and where’s my Sara Sunshine?”
“She’s on the way. The omelet sounds fine to me, Grace, and about a gallon of coffee, please. Have you given any more thought to leaving this place and running away with me to Vegas to get married?” He teased.
“Go on now; you wouldn’t know what to do with me if you had me.” She chuckled as she called out to Susan, “Sue, look who’s here. Grab ‘em some coffee, would ya? I have to head back and whip my boy up a welcome home meal.” With a swift hug and a lingering kiss on one cheek while she patted the other, Grace bestowed a watery smile on Jared before turning into the kitchen where they could hear her giving orders left and right, as good as any drill sergeant they’d ever had.
“So, I didn’t see that one coming,
though I probably should have. You look like her.”
“Well if you think I’m calling you dad, forget it.” Jared replied, “What are you doing hitting on my momma anyway? How many women do you need, Kelley?”
“Hey don’t blame me, blame my stomach. That woman can cook.” Nick grinned appreciatively.
“Yeah well, since you tried picking her up I think the bill should be yours…Pops.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be so bad. Family is everything, Jare. I love you like a brother but I was about ready to kick your ass if you hadn’t decided to mend your fences.” Frank rumbled from the corner as a thin as a rail woman came barreling up to their table, mugs in one hand, coffee pot in the other.
“Well, if it isn’t the prodigal son returned, and looking about a million bucks.” She slammed the cups and pot on the table and threw herself into Jared’s arms, narrowly missing taking out an eye from the pen she had tucked into her salt and pepper beehive hairdo. “Your mom missed you so bad, sugar. Welcome home.”
“Sue, I can’t believe some handsome guy hasn’t swept you off to a land of leisure yet. You look the same.”
She hooted, her eyes glued on Jared as she poured out the three coffees, barely watching what she was doing. “I told you a long time ago, honey, you spoiled me for any other man.”
Interesting as this was, Nick had been keeping a close eye on the door every time it opened, and then suddenly, there she was. The sun coming through the open doorway behind her created a nimbus over her head as she hesitated for a moment, letting her eyes accustom to the dim setting as she searched the room for him. She had a pair of dark trousers on that highlighted her slim thighs and mile-long legs. Over that, she had put some kind of silvery diaphanous top that flowed around her body from the outside breeze, creating an almost otherworldly look, especially with her golden eyes catching the light.
Tidal Falls (Wounded Hearts Book 1) Page 15
