Straight To His Heart
Page 10
“We’ve decided St. Helena needs its own doll doctor,” ChiChi announced. “And a doctor needs patients. They’ve come to admit their favorites.”
“We’re here, too!” Wyatt and Caley broke through the crowd, Brady right behind them. Wyatt leaped up onto her bed. Sabrina set ChiChi’s doll back in her box as Wyatt pushed his one-armed GI Joe doll into her hands. “Fix, please. Caley said I should throw him away, but you told me you don’t throw someone away just because they’re broken.” He held out the severed arm. “You fix them up and hope for the best.”
Sabrina could only nod.
“I don’t need her back until Christmas.” Little Holly DeLuca set a mangled and well-loved baby doll on her bed. “I’ll have more. And my friend Lauren is going through all her dolls, but she won’t need them back until after New Year’s.” Another doll landed on her lap.
“Looks like you’re going to have to open a doll hospital on Main Street,” Brady said over the heads of his fellow residents. “We have just the location for you.”
Gentle murmurs of encouragement accompanied the dolls and toys being placed over her legs until Sabrina could barely move. Painted plastic faces looked to her for help. Torn clothes and buckle-less shoes needed repair. Buttons to replace. Endless tasks. A job. A home.
A family.
“Looks like you have a lot of work to do before you can go anywhere,” ChiChi said in her matter of fact tone. “I don’t abide by people who don’t keep their word.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Sabrina brushed the tears off her cheeks. “I’ll take that under advisement.” How could she leave now, when so many people seemed to care that she not? Flynn was right. Running away wasn’t an answer. Leaving everything she wanted behind would only cause her more pain in the long run. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t outrun herself. “Is Flynn here?”
The smile on Brady’s face slipped. “Afraid not. He headed back to New York yesterday.
She nodded. She couldn’t blame him. She’d waited too long.
A mistake she’d have to live with for the rest of her life.
Even with all the people wishing her well, the smiles of welcome and encouragement, she couldn’t help but wish…
“Well?” ChiChi asked. “Have we settled this then? You’ll be staying, right?”
“Yes, ChiChi.” She’d made one life-altering mistake. She couldn’t make another. She snapped GI Joe’s arm back into its socket and handed him back to Wyatt. And just like that, the fear that had taken up residence in her heart all those years ago, popped…and faded away. She’d start fresh, in a new place, a new home. In St. Helena. “I’m staying.”
~*~
The following Tuesday Sabrina sat at a window table in Beatha, pen in hand, and looked down at the lease agreement Eileen and Brady’s lawyer had written up. Not all her fears had subsided; she was still superstitious enough to need some reassurance, and they’d agreed on a month to month lease, open to renegotiation. The rent was more than reasonable and her landlords even more so. She had the option of remaining in the guest cottage or moving into the one bedroom apartment over the storefront. She was leaning toward the store, if only to give the Laffertys the option of renting out their guest house.
Walt Larson from St. Helena Hardware and Refurbish Rescue was going to help design and install custom display shelving and cabinets and she’d had discussions about selling some of her dolls at Party To Go Go. There was also the possibility of setting up a cubicle in the children’s ward of the hospital so at any time the nurses or doctors could supply their patients with a soul friend.
“Everything okay?” Eileen, casted leg stretched out in front of her, sipped her tea. “Was there something else you wanted to include?”
“No, of course not.” Considering the lease agreement had been her idea—she wasn’t going to accept their generous offer of nothing, there wasn’t anything else to discuss. “This is just a big step for me. The possibility of permanence. Still makes me a little jumpy.” She probably wouldn’t be so apprehensive if Flynn was here to hold her hand, but he was right.
She needed to make the decision to live on her own.
Sabrina signed her name, dated the document, and slid the paper to her landlord. “Anam Cara is now official.”
“Just in time. I have a meeting with our new front of the house manager in a few minutes.” Eileen set the contract aside and handed Sabrina a shiny set of keys. “Flynn’s idea. Travis is going to manage the kitchen and wait staff and we’ll have someone else manage the bar and books.”
“So you’ve, ah, heard from Flynn?” Was there any way to make that question sound casual?
“I think I’ve spoken to him more in the last week or so than we did the last five years. All thanks to you, I think. You worked your magic on him, Sabrina. You brought him back to us.”
“I think you jumping out of a plane had more to do with it,” Sabrina said. “I’ll leave you to it, then. I want to go next door and start taking measurements.” She had to find a way to store the dozens of dolls currently taking up most of the guest house.
“I have a man in there checking over the electrical system,” Eileen told her as Sabrina headed to the door. “He should be done soon.”
“I won’t bother him,” Sabrina called over her shoulder, barely noticing the sly grin spreading over Eileen’s face. She stood outside for a long moment, hands on her hips, looking at the bay windowed storefront that was now under her control. “We did it, Grandpa.” She patted a hand against her steadily beating heart. “We finally did it.”
She clicked the latch on the glass door and stepped inside, propping it open to let the musty smell begin to dissipate. She could hear someone tinkering in the far back. “Just let me know when you’re finished!”
She heard something metal clank to the ground, not so muttered cursing, and, afraid the man had hurt himself, hurried past the staircase to the second floor into what would double as her office and supply room. “Are you all right?” She pushed aside the worn fabric curtain. “Flynn!”
“Hey.” He shoved himself up on his elbows and looked up at her from the floor. “I think I forgot to turn off one of the breakers. Shocked myself.” He shook out his hand and gave her one of his heart-stopping grins. “Kinda planned this surprise going a different way. Then again, this is how we met.”
She dropped down beside him, reached for him, then pulled back as if afraid touching him would make him disappear. “You’re here. You’re back.” Way to state the obvious. She couldn’t stop looking at him. He appeared so relaxed, with worn jeans and a white t-shirt, the too long hair and twinkling green eyes. And those arms. They just made her swoon. “Why aren’t you in New York?”
“Because I live here now. Well, I will if my mother’s tenant moves out of the guest house. Unless I move in with said tenant, which sounds far more appealing to me.” He sat up. “I sold my shares in the business. Took a new job.”
“Let me guess.” Sabrina suddenly realized what Eileen’s smile had meant. “You’re the new front of the house manager at Beatha?”
“Figured it was time Trevor and I learned to work together. Also figured it would make yours and my relationship run a little smoother if we’re in the same town. Ow.” He flinched and shook his hand out again. “That really stings. Think I’ll hang up my electrician’s—whoa!”
She threw herself at him and locked her arms around his neck. “I’ve missed you.”
“Good to know.” He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed as she shifted onto his lap. “I’ve missed you, too.” He leaned back to look into her face, then kissed her. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“You mean that you were right, that I was running scared and that I love you?”
“Yeah.” His hand came up to her hair, cupped the back of her neck. “Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
“Then yes, it means what you think it means. Welcome home, Flynn Lafferty.” She kissed him with everything inside of he
r then smiled against his lips as he pulled away.
“Welcome home, Sabrina.”
About the Author
Anna J Stewart is the USA Today and national bestselling author of sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, steamy contemporary romance (The Tremayne Family Romances), and spicy romantic suspense for Harlequin. All of her stories feature family, friends, and close-knit communities, meaning there is always a story to tell.
A geek at heart who suffers from Star Trek, Supernatural, and Sherlock obsessions, when not at her computer, you can find her reading, binge watching her favorite TV shows, at the local movie theater, or at fan conventions.
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