Falling for Sarah

by Cate Beauman

Sarah smiled back. “That’s me, the eternal optimist. I’ll see you two later. Oh, we’re going over to swim at Ethan’s later. He’s planning on firing up the grill. You’re welcome to join us if you want. Morgan and Hunter are coming over too.”

  “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “Don’t be silly. You wouldn’t be.” She slid into her seat. “I’m pretty sure Austin will be there too.”

  “Austin?”

  Sarah bit her cheek, preventing a grin as she looked at Hailey and closed her door. Poor Hailey hadn’t been able to resist Austin’s good looks and sweet, quiet nature.

  She started the car, rolled down the window. “I’ll leave it up to you. You’re probably sick of all of us anyway.”

  “I might tag along,” Hailey said quickly. “Besides, I can help you with Kylee and stare at your cute little baby belly.”

  She doubted Hailey would remember her baby belly if Austin walked around without a shirt on. “Sounds like it’s all set then. I’ll call on the way home. We’ll head over when I get back. Make sure you tell Kylee I gave her a kiss before I left.”

  “I will. I want a happy girl after her nap. Hurry back. Maybe you’ll score another killer arrangement from the creepy florist.” Winking, Hailey turned and walked back toward the house.

  “That would be the highlight of my day.” Sarah tossed a wave out the window as she buckled up and pulled out of her driveway. She blew out a weary breath, attempting to muster up at least a glimmer of enthusiasm for her meeting with Matthew and Lisa.

  Sarah tried to remind herself of what she’d told Hailey. The sooner she went, the sooner it would be over. How bad could one afternoon with Matthew really be? If she thought about it, she actually felt a little sorry for him. He was clearly looking for companionship, but went about it the wrong way.

  Perhaps she could think of someone to set him up with. He wasn’t particularly attractive, but the kindness underneath was what counted. She remembered his soulless green eyes and shuddered. What was it about him that made her want to run away? No, on second thought, she wouldn’t be setting him up with anyone she considered a friend. She just had to make it through a couple of hours, then she wouldn’t have to see him again.

  As Sarah parallel parked in front of Matthew’s shop, her mind wandered to happier things—to Ethan—and she smiled. He wanted to marry her, to be a family. She never thought she’d have this again, this opportunity to forge a life with a partner who would stand with her and raise her child—children, she amended as she ran a hand over her stomach. He wanted to make more babies, to be Kylee’s daddy.

  She absently reached for the wedding ring that no longer rested against her chest, and a small slice of grief overshadowed her joy as she thought of Jake. Would he be okay with this?

  She thought back to her last moments with Jake via Skype as Ethan cut Kylee’s umbilical cord. “This is for you, man. I wish you could be here doing this yourself,” Ethan said as he snipped through the thick cord.

  “Since I can’t be, there’s no one else I could want in my place. Take care of them, Cooke, until I get home. I love you, Sarah. I love you, Kylee. I have to go.”

  But he never came home, and Ethan was still here. He loved them, of that she had no doubt. He’d told her he was ready. Was she? Sarah closed her eyes and smiled as she moved her hand over her small belly again. Yes, she was. Tonight, after everyone went home, she’d talk to him. She would tell him it was time to begin their lives together.

  Finally at peace with her choices, knowing she was making the right decisions for Kylee, for her baby, for herself and Ethan, she stepped from the car, grabbing her bag. With a new enthusiasm she didn’t have to fake, she walked into Matthew’s store.

  Matthew stood by the large picture window and greeted her. “Hello, Sarah.”

  “Hello, Matthew.” It was worse than she remembered. A wave of unease washed over her, and she stepped back automatically as he approached.

  “You’re a minute or two early. Lisa isn’t here yet.”

  “Oh, okay. I guess I’ll set up while we wait.” She glanced around but didn’t see any mockups to photograph. Frowning, she met his piercing gaze. “Um, we’re photographing the mockups today, right?”

  He grinned. “There’s been a change in plans.”

  Gauging the distance to the door, Sarah took a step forward as Lisa walked in. Relieved, she wiped her damp palm against her pale pink tunic top. She wanted to hug the older woman to her. “Hi, Lisa.”

  “Hi, Sarah, Matthew, I’m sorry I’m late. I got caught in traffic.”

  “Not a problem,” Matthew said, taking a step closer to Sarah.

  Sarah moved next to Lisa, wanting more space. “Lisa, I guess there’s been a change in plans?”

  “Oh?” Lisa looked to Matthew.

  “Yes. I’ve arranged for us to drive over to the flower warehouse off of Wilshire. I thought it would give Sarah more photo opportunities and you’ll have literally hundreds of flowers to browse. We’ll make mockups on the fly.”

  Lisa beamed. “Now that sounds like fun. What a great idea.”

  Matthew glanced at Sarah, and she nodded, smiling. Something moved through his eyes that told her to agree with Lisa. “I should be able to get some great shots. Where is the warehouse exactly? I’ve heard of it, but I’ll need directions.”

  Matthew rested his hand on her shoulder. “We can all ride together. It’s about eight miles from here. It doesn’t make sense for all three of us to take our cars.”

  “I agree. Let’s get going. I have a five o’clock meeting back at Celebrity,” Lisa said.

  Sarah pulled out her phone, wanting to tell Hailey where she was going. “I’m just going to call and check on Kylee.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Sarah, Kylee’s fine or Hailey would’ve called you. Let’s get a move on, here.”

  “Yes, Sarah. We really should be going. This is going to be very special.” Matthew turned to Lisa. “I’m happy to drive.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Stuck, Sarah had no choice but to follow. She pulled out her sunglasses as they walked out of Matthew’s shop into the warm afternoon sun. Matthew opened the passenger side door of his blue Cadillac STS, motioning her forward.

  “Lisa, I know you get carsick; do you want the front seat?”

  “You know what, I think I’d better.” She smiled and slid into the seat. “Thanks, Matthew.”

  Sarah reached for the door handle of the backseat, pausing when Matthew slammed Lisa’s door and moved around to the driver’s side.

  He glanced over the roof of the vehicle. “We must be going, Sarah. We have a schedule to keep.”

  She got in and stared out the window as Matthew pulled into traffic. Lisa chattered away to Matthew. Sarah listened with half an ear. She rubbed her hand over her ever-growing belly, wishing she were home with Kylee and Ethan. Hopefully his meeting would be over and the grill would be going by the time she, Hailey, and Kylee got over to his house, soon to be her house too. She glanced at her watch, wondering how long this unexpected trip would take.

  “Are you in a hurry, Sarah?”

  Snapping to attention, she met Matthew’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Huh?” She shook her head and tried a smile. “I’m sorry?”

  “I asked if you were in a hurry. You keep looking at your watch.”

  Hopefully he was paying as much attention to the road as he seemed to be her. “Not particularly.”

  “We’ll try to make quick work of the warehouse. I’ll have you home before you know it.”

  “Please don’t feel we have to rush on my account.”

  Grinning, he pulled his sunglasses down, his translucent green eyes gleaming into hers. “Oh, I plan to rush for my own. I don’t know about you, but I have afternoon plans I’ve been looking forward to for months.”

  She fought against a shudder and gave him a polite smile as she averted her gaze just below the mirror. “That sounds very exciting. What will you do?”
<
br />   “I have a date.”

  Sarah relaxed a degree and her smile warmed. He was interested in someone else. “She’s a very lucky woman. We’ll hurry with the photos and flowers. We don’t want you to be late. Isn’t that right, Lisa?”

  “Who am I to stand in the way of true love?” Chuckling, she turned and winked at Sarah.

  Moments later, Matthew pulled into the vacant parking lot of the flower warehouse.

  The massive building, usually bustling from Monday to Saturday, stood empty. He stopped next to the large metal door. “Door to door service.”

  Sarah stepped from the backseat, surveying the metal structure devoid of any windows. “Wow, look at this place. It’s huge.”

  “It’s the biggest warehouse on the west coast. This company distributes flowers to most of the western half of the United States,” Matthew said, walking over to where Sarah stood.

  Lisa joined them as she put her cell phone back in her purse. “Had to check my messages. My meeting’s been pushed back a bit, so we have a little more time, unless it’s going to interfere with your plans, Matthew.” She patted his arm and cackled.

  “We’ll just take it a step at a time.” He extended an arm to both Sara and Lisa. “Shall we go have some fun?”

  Sarah locked her arm through his as Lisa did the same. She might as well try to enjoy herself. It didn’t appear as though this was going to be a quick shoot. “I’m ready if you are.”

  He dropped their arms when they approached the door and he stuck the key in the deadbolt. He ushered Lisa through, Sarah next. The cool air of the refrigerated space chilled her skin as the scent of flowers engulfed her senses.

  The snap of several light switches filled the silence. Within seconds, Sarah was surrounded by every color she could have ever imagined. Gasping in delight, she stepped forward. “Oh my goodness, look at this place.” Hundreds of rows of flowers stacked five-high occupied the entire floor.

  “It’s enchanting, isn’t it? Almost like a fairyland.”

  Delighted, already pulling her camera from her bag, she smiled absently at Matthew. “That it is. Thank you for bringing us here. I don’t know how you’re going to get me to leave.”

  “I’m in no hurry. Look around, enjoy yourself. I’m certainly going to. Lisa, why don’t you follow me? We’ll pull some stems along the way, bring them back to the offices. When we’re ready, we’ll come get Sarah.”

  Lisa turned in a circle, craning her head in every direction. “I’m overwhelmed. There’s so much to choose from. How will we pick?”

  “Oh, I’ve just the thing in mind for you, Lisa. Don’t you worry about that. Remember, I’ve been planning this event for a very long time.” Matthew offered her his arm again, and Sarah smiled as they walked off discussing the Bikini Ball.

  The hum of the refrigeration system accompanied Sarah through several aisles. She rubbed at her chilled arms, ignoring the slight discomfort as the vivid colors surrounding her captivated. “Oh my, these are lovely,” she murmured to herself. Dark pink hydrangeas, the size of her head, sat in buckets of solution. Kneeling down, she tightened her focus until the texture of a single bloom filled her lens, blurring the rest.

  As she moved to the next row, the scent of sweet peas grabbed her. She stepped closer, smiling, closing, her eyes, breathing deep. She opened her eyes again and forgot about her pictures, about her assignment. She thought of Ethan as she stared down at the elegant blooms—one of her very favorite. This would be one of the flowers she would carry in a bouquet trailing elegantly with pale pinks and purples as she walked down the aisle to Ethan. Yes, she could see it. White roses in full bloom would intertwine with the bolder colors of the sweet peas.

  It would be stunning, but she wouldn’t be looking at her bouquet as she made her way to the man she would spend the rest of her life with. No, her eyes would lock on the gray of Ethan’s. Her heartbeat accelerated and flutters filled her stomach from the intensity she knew she would find there. It was the same look she saw when they made love. Easy, Sarah. You’re getting yourself all worked up in a warehouse. Chuckling to herself, she glanced up and gasped.

  “Oh Matthew, you startled me. I didn’t hear you come up.”

  “Sorry about that. You seemed lost in your own thoughts. I didn’t want to interrupt when they were clearly so pleasant.”

  How long had she been daydreaming? How long had he been watching her? “Where’s Lisa?”

  “She’s using the restroom. I imagine she’ll be along in a minute.”

  She peeked at her watch, realizing it was well after three. “Wow, I really lost track of time. You must be ready for those pictures.”

  “We have time yet.” He took her arm as he spoke, pulling her forward. “While we wait for Lisa, I would like to show you some of my favorite flowers, some I think you will enjoy.”

  Sarah glanced over her shoulder, looking back at the darkened office area before she returned her attention to Matthew. Why were the lights off in the office? Uneasy, she tried to remove her arm from Matthew’s grip by reaching into her camera bag. “Let me change lenses so I can take a few pictures of you.” Because it soothed her to talk, she continued. “As a florist, I imagine it must be hard to have just one favorite flower.”

  “No. When I find something I like, something I must have, it’s all I want. Do you understand?” His voice changed, intensifying as he stared at her.

  “I’m not sure I do.” She gripped icy fingers together as unease ripened to fear. “I should go check on Lisa. She’s been gone awhile.”

  “Lisa no longer warrants your concern, Sarah.”

  Her heart shuddered in her chest with the finality of his words. “What do you mean?”

  They stopped in front of a shelf, and she could only stare. Blue roses. Shelf after shelf of blue roses. Her mind flashed to her front porch, to the night she found the first blooms; to her kitchen table, where she put them in a pretty glass vase, thinking they were from Hailey and Kylee; to the vile newspaper clippings and dead petals she’d pulled from the envelope with Celebrity’s insignia in the top left corner.

  He sent her a sadistic grin and her breath shuddered in and out as terror flooded her body. She knew where she’d seen his eyes before. Those same mad eyes had smiled into hers through the window in a thunderstorm. Trembling, she stepped back and ran for the front door.

  She only made it halfway before Matthew grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her back against him. She cried out in pain.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Hot breath fluttered against her cheek before she elbowed him in the stomach, just like Ethan had showed her how to do. Matthew’s grip loosened as he gasped and Sarah broke free. In her panic, she slammed into a shelf-full of sunny yellow pansies, knocking the entire cart over in her attempt at escape. Somehow, she made it to the metal door. She was almost there, almost free. Her heartbeat throbbed in her head. Her hands shook as she shoved against the door that wouldn’t budge. “Damn it, damn it. Come on.” She used her shoulder next, but froze when she heard the distinct click of Matthew releasing the safety on his weapon next to her ear.

  “You’ll want to turn around right about now. You’re ruining everything, whore bitch!”

  With no other options, she put her hands higher in the air and did what he said. “Don’t shoot me, Matthew, please. Where’s Lisa? What did you do to her? I want to help her.”

  “Lisa doesn’t need any help, I can promise you that, but you do.”

  “What did you do to her?” She was afraid she already knew.

  “I did what I had to.” He shook his head on a chuckle. “Actually, I did what I wanted to, but that’s enough about dear Lisa. You have bigger problems to worry about.” He pointed the gun at her forehead. “Don’t make me use this, Sarah. If you try to run again, I will.”

  Bile rose in her throat, and she fought to keep it down. He’d killed Lisa while she snapped pictures and fantasized about her wedding. She clenched her jaw, her m
uscles, attempting to keep her trembling at bay. She had to calm down so she could think, so she could survive. Thoughts of Lisa tried to enter her mind, but she blocked them. She couldn’t do anything to help poor Lisa. She had to think of her babies. They were depending on her. “I won’t try to run again. Just don’t hurt me, please.”

  Smirking, Matthew stuffed the gun in the waist of his beige slacks. “I’m not a big fan of making promises, especially when I don’t plan to keep them. Don’t piss me off and you should be fine… For now.”

  A scream clawed at her throat, but she battled it back. There was no one here to help her. Despite her efforts, Sarah thought of Lisa, dead somewhere in an office in the back, and fought against tears of sorrow, tears of fear and helplessness. Something told her Matthew would find satisfaction if she broke down, so she wouldn’t. “What are you going to do to me?”

  “Oh, all kinds of things, but first we’re going home. I have a surprise for you. If you try to run when we get outside, if you even blink the wrong way and draw attention to yourself, I’ll have to kill you.”

  “I told you I wouldn’t.”

  “You’re a woman. You’re word doesn’t mean dick to me. You’re all liars, every last one of you.” His eyes widened, his pupils dilated, and the madman was back.

  Disgust mixed with fear, skittering along her skin like spiders. Shuddering, she looked away.

  “Let’s go. You’re screwing it all up. We’re late.”

  Late for what, she wondered as they stepped into the sun and noise of a busy Sunday. Cars drove past, people rode by on bikes. Help was only a shout away, but she didn’t dare, not when he could shoot her and kill the baby or both of them. She had to get a call out to Ethan, but how?

  Matthew stood behind her as they approached his vehicle. “Remember what I said. Now get in the car so I don’t have to hurt you.” He pressed his nose to her hair, inhaled deeply. “You smell so good.”

  Slamming her eyes shut, trying not to gag, she opened the door, got in, put her purse down at her side. If she could reach in and dial Ethan’s number, he would be able to hear what was going on.

  Matthew shut his door and yanked her purse away. “You won’t need that.”