Falling for Sarah

by Cate Beauman

  “We haven’t gotten that far.” She leaned in closer, whispering, heart pounding with the thrill of the memory. “But we came pretty close. It felt so good to be touched like that. He definitely knows all the right places, and we were just getting started. My mom called. Kylee had a nightmare. Things pretty much fizzled from there.”

  Morgan’s brows shot up. “Really. Well, I’ll expect details, lots and lots of details, when you two decide to finish things up.”

  Sarah smiled again, but it faded when she thought of her wedding ring. “Is this okay, Morgan? What I’m doing? What I’m feeling? Am I letting Jake down? Because I feel like I am. I took off my ring this morning for the first time in over five and a half years. It feels like I’m betraying him.”

  Morgan took her hand. “Did he love you, Sarah, really love you?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Then wouldn’t he want you to be happy? Wouldn’t he want to know that you and Kylee are well loved and provided for? Isn’t that what love is all about?”

  Touched by Morgan’s words, Sarah’s eyes filled. “Yes, I guess so. You’re right. I never thought about it like that.”

  “All kidding aside with the sex—make sure you take your time, honey. This is a big adjustment for you both.”

  Worry took over again. “What about Hunter? He, Jake, and Ethan were so close. How do you think he’s going to take this?”

  “You let me worry about that. Ultimately, he wants you happy. He loves you so much. He might need a little time, but he’ll come around.”

  “Excuse me,” a deep voice said.

  Sarah put her hand to her brow, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Yes?”

  “Sarah, is that you?”

  When he moved forward, blocking the blazing glare, she recognized the man. “Neil Harris?” She stood, grinning. “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. I’m sorry if I’m interrupting.”

  “No, no, not at all. Neil, this is my good friend Morgan Phillips. Neil and his wife, Tracey, went to USC with me.”

  Morgan held out her hand and shook. “It’s nice to meet you. Let me leave you two to catch up. I’ll see you back at the rooms later.” She gave Sarah a quick hug.

  “It was nice meeting you, Morgan,” Neil said as Morgan walked off.

  “You too.”

  Sarah looked around and over Neil’s shoulder. “So, where’s Tracey? I would love to see her. It seems like so long.”

  Neil’s eyes watered. “She-she passed away, Sarah.”

  “Oh my God, Neil.” She took his hand. “I’m so incredibly sorry. Come, sit down.”

  “I’d rather walk. Would you like to walk with me on the beach?”

  “Of course.” Still holding his hand, they made their way to the water.

  Where was she? She’d finished her massage two hours ago. Ethan knocked on Morgan and Hunter’s door as worry set in. Morgan opened the door dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

  “Hey, is Sarah with you?”

  Morgan frowned. “No. She’s not back yet? She ran into an old friend from college. I left her at the little breakfast bar quite awhile ago.” She shrugged. “She’s probably still catching up.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you at dinner.” Ethan started up the path leading to the buffet.

  Hopefully she was there, safe and sound, reliving her glory days. With everything going on, they would have to talk about her letting him know where she was going to be so he wouldn’t worry.

  Sarah’s blonde hair caught his eye, and he did a double-take as she sat in the sand—hand-in-hand—with a tall, thin man. Ethan stopped in his tracks. His initial shock turned to confusion. Who the hell was this guy?

  By the time Ethan made it to the beach steps, Sarah and the mystery man stood. She held him in a long embrace, kissed his cheek before she took something he handed her and stuffed it in her pocket. The man started walking away and Sarah rushed toward him again, hugging him.

  A punch of disbelief hit Ethan hard. He tried to shake it off. There has to be an explanation, he reminded himself. Turning and walking to his room, he let the scene play back through his mind.

  Ethan thought of his parents, of their farce of a marriage riddled with lies and infidelity. He shook his head, trying to push it away. Sarah wasn’t like that. They were building something here.

  But she’d looked pretty damn cozy. He tried to deny it again, especially after last night, but seeds of doubt began to bloom.

  Moments later, he heard a gentle knock and yanked his door open. Beautiful, windblown, and flushed, Sarah smiled. Betrayal, sharp, stabbed at him, and he armored himself against the pain.

  She walked in. “Hey.”

  Ethan shut the door behind her. “How was the massage?”

  “Wonderful. Everything was perfect. I had an amazing time.”

  Turning, he met her gaze. “I bet.”

  She stepped closer; her bright smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, not much really. I spent the night with the woman I thought I was building a relationship with only to find her holding hands and kissing another man.”

  Confusion filled her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  So she was going to deny it. “Give me a break, Sarah. Me last night, him this morning. You’re spreading yourself a little thin, don’t you think?”

  She gasped. “What a filthy thing to say.”

  “From where I’m standing, you deserve it.”

  “Are you talking about Neil? I went to college with Neil.”

  “I went to college with several women too, but the only person I’m putting my hands on right now is you.”

  Sarah’s eyes grew wide before they narrowed to slits. “How dare you.” She tried to walk past him, but he blocked the door. “Get out of the way.”

  He didn’t move. When she whirled around and started toward the sliding glass, he grabbed her arm, turned her to face him.

  He wanted her to explain, to deny what he’d just seen, but she only looked at him. Hurt filled her kind, blue eyes, and he pushed back against the tug of guilt, against the need to pull her close and let the whole thing go. But he thought of his parents again and anger pushed him on. “I think we’re done here, Sarah. You should probably ask Neil to keep you company tonight, don’t you think?”

  She stared at him a moment longer, left without a word, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

  Sarah let herself into her room and sat on the bed. Confused and outrageously hurt, she rested her face in her hands. What just happened? Ethan’s eyes had been so cold, so mean, his words final. He’d never looked at her that way before, as if she were vile and cheap. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Poor Neil had needed her. Her long-ago photography partner grieved as she’d grieved after she lost Jake. Who knew better how quickly a life changed when violent and unexpected death took everything away?

  Poor Tracey. She’d been so sweet and kind. Two tractor trailers and a foggy California night ended her life too soon. Heartache for Neil and Tracey warred with the shock of Ethan’s behavior.

  Clearly Ethan saw her hug Neil, but it’d been so innocent. Memories, grief, and understanding filled her two hours with a long ago friend—nothing more. She would let Ethan cool off before she tried to explain, but it stung that he didn’t trust her.

  She lay back against her pillow, listening to the waves, smelling Ethan’s aftershave clinging to the soft cotton, and fell asleep.

  An hour later, Sarah woke with a start, glancing at the clock. “Shoot.” Springing from the bed, she rushed to the bathroom. What a time to fall asleep. She had to find Ethan. She freshened her makeup and brushed her hair. They were going to fix this misunderstanding and get on with the rest of their weekend.

  She left her room, knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer. Sarah blew out a frustrated sigh and walked away, strolling to the small tiki bar a hundred yards from their suites. She made her way to the seats farthest from the large jellybean-s
haped pool open to all the resort’s guests, placed her purse down and took a stool.

  “What can I get for you, pretty lady?”

  She tried a smile when the older man with the jovial face approached from behind the bar.

  “I think I’ll take lemonade for now, please.”

  “Coming right up.” Moments later he set the pale yellow liquid in front of her. “Here you go, ma’am.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m Clyde.” He took her hand, kissed her knuckles in a gallant gesture.

  A warm smile lit her face. “Sarah.”

  “That’s what I was waiting for, Sarah with the sad eyes.”

  She glanced down. Was she that easy to read?

  “So, what brings you to ‘The Cliffs’?”

  “A weekend getaway with friends.”

  He frowned, looking at the seats next to her. “Some friends.”

  She grinned, charmed. This man reminded her of her grandfather. “I’m meeting them later for dinner.”

  Sarah glanced at the couples enjoying themselves in the pool, the few snuggled up close along the long bar. She was more determined than ever to make things right with Ethan. There was still a lot of fun to be had in this small piece of paradise.

  “Clyde, I missed lunch. Can I see a menu please?”

  “Certainly, Sarah.”

  “Thank you.”

  She sipped her drink and decided on a half turkey sandwich with a cup of black bean soup.

  She glanced up at a couple she hadn’t noticed before and stared. Ethan sat next to a tanned bikini-clad goddess with streaming black hair. They clinked glasses as she said something, making him smile.

  The lemonade turned bitter on Sarah’s tongue as her stomach clutched. A thousand waves of betrayal washed through her as she watched in disbelief. Did she mean so little that she didn’t even get a chance to explain before he moved on? If it was really this easy for him, he’d never felt anything for her in the first place. After everything they’d been through, how could he do this?

  Ethan looked over, meeting her gaze. The goddess said something, but he stared. When the black-haired beauty tapped his shoulder, he glanced back at her, smiling.

  Reaching blindly in her wallet, Sarah pulled out a bill and set it on the smooth wood of the bar.

  “You okay, Sarah with the sad eyes?”

  “No, Clyde, I’m really not. If you’ll excuse me.” She stood, whirled, knocking her glass to the ground with a crash. “I’m so sorry.” She hurried off, never looking back.

  “Wait, Sarah. You’ve left me a fifty,” Clyde shouted. “That’s too much.”

  Sarah continued, walking quickly to her room. She had to get out of here. She unlocked her door, went to the resort phone, pressing zero for the operator.

  “Front desk.”

  “Yes, this is Sarah Johnson in the Triple Suites. I’ll be checking out early. Could you please have a cab waiting for me up front—as soon as possible?”

  “Of course, Ms. Johnson. Will the rest of your party be departing as well?”

  “No, just me. Can I also get the number for the local airport? They run flights to L.A. frequently, correct?”

  “Yes, ma’am, every half-hour or so on the weekends. If you’re in a rush, I’ll keep the cab here that just pulled up, and I would be happy to call the airport myself. I’ll put a hold on their next available flight.”

  “Perfect. I’ll be up in a couple of minutes.”

  She dashed around the room, throwing her belongings in the suitcase. When she was sure she had everything from the bedroom and bath, she sat down at the small table and wrote a note:

  Morgan and Hunter,

  Thank you very much for such a special weekend. I had to go home. I couldn’t stand to be away from my baby for another second. I’ll call Austin when I land in L.A., so don’t you dare worry about me. Stay and have fun.

  Love you,

  Sarah

  She folded the note, grabbed her purse and suitcase. As she walked past Morgan and Hunter’s room, Sarah slid the white paper under the door. She handed in her key and took the taxi to the airport.

  In her rush to be gone, she dashed to the counter and paid for her overpriced ticket before dialing Austin’s number. If she called now, he’d be home with Kylee and Hailey when she got there.

  “Casey.”

  “Austin, it’s Sarah.”

  “Kylee’s fine.”

  She smiled. “I’m sure she is. I’m coming home.”

  “Now?”

  “I’m waiting for my plane to take off. I should be boarding in about ten minutes. It’s an hour-long flight. I figure by the time I get a cab and sit in traffic, the three of you could be there, easy.”

  “We’re at the zoo. If we go see the elephants first, we should still be home by the time you get in.”

  She couldn’t wait to be with Kylee. She needed the simple comfort of her little girl. “That sounds like the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

  “See you in a bit.”

  “Okay.” Sarah turned off her phone, put it away as the desk attendant of the small, bustling airport called for flight 22 to Los Angeles.

  Minutes later she stowed her bag, sat down, buckled her belt. After the safety spiel, the full twenty-passenger plane taxied down the runway and took off. Sarah stared out the window, watching the ocean take over her view. With sixty minutes of down-time, she had no choice but to think about her situation with Ethan.

  Why couldn’t they get this right? Why did he start something if it meant little more than nothing? Even as she thought it, she didn’t believe it. Last night meant something. Last night meant everything.

  She played with the zipper on her purse as she remembered the fun on the patio, of the way he’d looked at her, captivated, as they’d been on the verge of making love. Did she imagine it? She shook her head. No, it wasn’t possible to imagine the feelings they shared. You couldn’t fake that kind of intensity, that kind of intimacy.

  So why? Why did he want to hurt her? Maybe this just wasn’t meant to be. Tears flooded her eyes, and her view of vibrant blue water blurred. She’d been ready to try, to give it her all, but maybe this was for the best. It was better to get out now before she got in any deeper.

  Once she’d really relaxed and let herself feel, she’d realized she felt strong and deep. Where did they go from here, and why did she have to keep asking herself that? Because they weren’t meant to be. There was no question this time, just fact.

  Emptiness mixed with a void of depression. Could they move past this? Perhaps, but maybe not. She’d be sorry if they couldn’t, but this wasn’t how she would greet her daughter at the door.

  Determined to put it away for now, Sarah took the magazine from the pocket in front of her and forced Ethan from her mind. She had a daughter to get home to. That was all she was going to let matter for now.

  CHAPTER 11

  ETHAN SAT AT THE BAR, desperately trying to enjoy Amy’s company. It was Amy, right? He thought of Sarah instead and sipped at his beer, attempting to muster up the enthusiasm to continue his ‘conversation’ with the beautiful but empty-headed woman at his side.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the readout. “I really need to take this. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay.”

  Ethan walked to the other side of the pool as he answered, “Cooke.”

  “I can’t reach Sarah.”

  He didn’t like the tension in Austin’s voice. “Is Kylee okay?”

  “Yeah, she and Hailey are with me, but we’re stuck in a massive traffic jam. We aren’t going to be back in time to meet her.”

  “Meet who? What in the hell are you talking about, Casey?”

  “Sarah called about ten minutes ago. She was boarding a plane to come home. I thought you knew. I planned to meet her at the house, but I don’t see us getting out of here anytime soon. Her phone must be turned off. I can’t tell her not to go home.”

  Ethan
’s heart stopped on a wave of fear. He sprinted toward the room for his wallet and keys. “Send Michaels or Matthews or fucking somebody over until I can get there.”

  “There isn’t anybody. They’re either on duty or meeting with the Secret Service today. The World Leaders Conference is next week, Ethan. With the other crew in Europe for that training, we’re shorthanded. I called the cops before I called you. They said they would send a car over to check things out before she gets there.”

  “Well, that’s something.” He wouldn’t relax until he saw her safe for himself. “I’m heading for the airport now.”

  He grabbed his keys, his wallet, closed his door as Hunter stormed out of his suite, holding a white piece of paper. “She left.”

  “I know. Casey just called. I’m on my way. He’s stuck in traffic and everyone’s on fucking duty.” Ethan kept going, yelling over his shoulder, not stopping until he got in the lobby.

  The gray-haired attendant smiled. “Good afterno-”

  “I need a cab. Now.”

  Her smile dimmed. “Let me call you one, sir.”

  “No, I don’t have time to wait.” He was losing precious seconds. “Do you have a car here?”

  The older lady only stared.

  He read her nametag. “Lil, I’ll give you a thousand dollars right now if you let me take your car to the airport.”

  She frowned, mouth hanging open. “You must be out of your mind.”

  He pulled out his wallet, threw a wad of one-hundred dollar bills on the desk, showed her his bodyguard and security badges. “I need your help, ma’am. My friend’s life is in serious danger. I have to get to her.”

  She pressed her lips together.

  He could tell she was teetering. “Sarah, the pretty blonde who left here about half an hour ago, she’s the person in danger. Please, ma’am.”

  She sighed, took out her keys. “Janet, cover me.” She met Ethan’s stare. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Fine, but I’m driving. Where are you parked?”

  “Just out front. It’s the Oldsmobile.”