She didn’t find him until she went outside. He stood in the newly landscaped front yard amid birdbaths, twig furniture, and flower-filled pots. He stood with his back to her, and Sara came almost abreast of him before she realized he was talking on his cell phone. As she waited for him to finish the call, she couldn't help but hear part of the conversation. California, new project, and relocate coalesced in her mind.
Brian planned on moving away for his next job.
Her heart dropped to her toes, and in spite of the balminess of the day, she felt suddenly chilled. I've waited too long! Sara bit her lip so hard she let out a small cry of pain.
Brian swiveled around at the sound and quickly ended his call. Although he smiled, his expression seemed guarded as he approached her.
“Can you believe it’s almost over?”
Sara blinked. “No,” she whispered.
Brian gave her a quizzical look and reached out as if to put an arm around her shoulders. He dropped his hand to his side. “Everything’s ready,” he said with his gaze averted. “Except for the hall closet. I overlooked it when painting the rest of the first floor. I’ll get it done this afternoon.”
“There’s no rush.”
“Actually, there is. After tomorrow, I’m out of work and I need to get some other jobs going.”
Sara could only manage a little “Oh.” She looked away, aware of his gaze resting on her for a moment before he returned to the house.
***
Brian began to doubt Sara possessed any real feelings for him. He’d hardly seen her the last few days, which he understood considering they had a deadline to meet. But her expression always seemed wary when he met her eyes, and he wondered if he came on too strong despite the fact that he’d used noble and excruciating restraint. Even so, he had the engagement ring and planned to propose during the festival. If she said no, that was that. Brian scowled at the notion, swinging around suddenly when he heard a sound behind him.
Sara, coming through the front door, took one look at him and let out a squeak of alarm. She gave him wide berth before disappearing into her room.
Real smooth, Romeo. But if sweetness and light didn’t convince her to marry him, perhaps a little intimidation might. Marry me or else had a nice ring to it, especially as he couldn’t bear the thought of life without her. Brian shook his head and wondered if the paint fumes had affected his brain.
***
It’s now or never, Sara told her reflection in the mirror. Brian was painting the hall closet, the crew was working outside, tomorrow would be chaos with the open house, and the day after that, Brian might be gone. She nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and took a deep breath, steeling her mind against thoughts of failure.
Aside from Robert and Hattie, only in romance novels did the man kneel and lay his heart at a woman’s feet. This was the twenty-first century and a different approach was clearly needed. She planned to march into the hall and lay it out on the line like a good soldier. Too bad she felt like she was going to face a firing squad.
Where were all the melting feelings and soulful sighs to at least put her in the heart-declaration mood? Terror dominated her emotions at the moment. Nevertheless, she’d never forgive herself if she chickened out now. Sara opened her bedroom door and peered out into the hall.
The house sat in stillness, except for the sound of Brian painting in the closet a few feet away. Throwing caution to the wind, she walked to the closet and stood resolutely in the doorway. Brian had his back to her as he used a brush to cut in paint on an inside wall.
She stepped inside the closet, ignoring the fact that her foot landed squarely in a full paint tray. Brian turned at the clatter and his gaze dropped to her feet. Before he said a word, Sara held up her hand for silence.
“Brian, I need to tell you that I love you and that I want a second chance with you.” She took a deep breath. “If that's okay with you.”
Brian, usually proud of treating his professional grade paint brushes as if they were infants, let the brush drop from his hand into an opened can of paint below, causing a splash of ecru to land on the recently refinished wooden floor of the closet.
He reached out to Sara and dragged her unceremoniously against him, ignoring all his intentions about treating her like glass. “Marry me, Sara,” he said huskily.
She blinked. “Whoa. Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
Sara only had time for a nod before he began kissing her with all the repressed longing he’d held at bay for weeks, no, years. As her arms tightened around him, Brian managed one last coherent thought before succumbing to a wave of sweet passion.
He’d have to repaint the closet sometime before tomorrow.
Todd had learned his lesson well in the past months. He no longer walked into rooms without letting his presence be known. He never knew what his boss was up to from one day to the next with the pretty homeowner. In fact, he and his fellow workmates had something of a wager going as to whether the two ended up together by the end of the project. They were divided on whether the sparks flying between the two were merely idle flirtation or the real thing.
So as he went in search of Brian, he let his boots clomp loudly on the floor and noisily cleared his throat several times before calling out to his boss. When only silence was his reply, he remembered Brian said he planned to paint the hall closet. Surely nothing to worry about there.
Todd walked down the hall and felt his eyes bug when he saw a trickle of paint oozing out from under the closet door. When he heard bumps, giggles and whispers coming from within the closet, he broke out into a cold sweat. Filled with a morbid curiosity, he silently edged open the closet door. His boss and the homeowner sat in one corner, tangled in each other arms, bespeckled with paint, and lip-locked for all they were worth.
Todd yanked his head back and went outside to where Peter and Jeff drank sodas on break. He held out his hand to them. “Looks like I win, boys. Pay up.”
Chapter Nineteen
Sara stood at the front door and smiled at yet another influx of visitors coming to see Buell Creek’s newest addition to the community—the Pine Ridge Bed and Breakfast. People fanned out throughout the rooms, inspecting the bedrooms upstairs and tasting samples from the new menu.
Hattie flitted about, answering questions and guiding little tours of the house. Even Robert showed up to help and made sure the trays of food were refilled from the stock in the kitchen. In the hullabaloo, Sara remained cognizant only of one thing— Brian loved her and wanted to marry her. She functioned automatically through a dreamy haze of emotion and the memory of a warm pair of lips.
She glanced across the room to where he talked with some potential clients and wondered if he felt as tired as she. They stayed up much of the night preparing for the open house. He had to clean up the closet and do touch-ups around the house and she spent hours in the kitchen preparing offerings from the menu, including cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, and crepes, to be served with a selection of fruits, coffees, and teas.
Finished in the closet, Brian had tried to help in the kitchen. Instead of getting covered in paint, they ended up liberally smudged with flour without much extra baking accomplished. Thankfully, Hattie prepared a lot of food at home and brought it over in the morning, so between the two of them, there should be plenty to go around.
While thrilled with the success of the open house, Sara mentally wished everyone away so she could be alone with Brian. As the afternoon waned, so did the stream of visitors. Hattie proudly told Sara of two bookings for the following weekend, the first customers. Sara smiled tiredly and collapsed onto the sofa in the living room when they shut the front doors for the day. The mica lamps bathed the room in a golden glow. After a moment, Brian wandered into the living room and joined her on the couch.
Robert and Hattie followed him in, and Hattie’s brow arched at the sight of Brian’s arm casually stretched around Sara’s shoulders.
“Do you two have anyt
hing to tell me?”
Sara looked shyly up at Brian, hoping he’d be the one to make explanations.
“Well,” he said after a pause, “it seems getting engaged is contagious because Sara has decided, against better her judgment perhaps, to marry me.”
Hattie burst into tears. “Oh, how I’ve prayed for you two these past years!” She rushed over and gave Sara a fierce hug, murmuring over and over how thankful she was for their reconciliation. Sara accepted the embrace with a profound feeling of shock. Hattie had always seemed so quiet and serene. Could this be her real aunt?
“Your grandfather would be so pleased,” she said, releasing her. “He approved of Brian in every way.”
Brian looked down at Sara and shrugged ruefully. To her mortification, Sara felt her own eyes blur with tears. It did mean a lot knowing how her grandfather felt about Brian.
“Congratulations,” Robert said, coming over to shake Brian’s hand.
“Thank you.”
Feeling a little awkward at the fuss, she inwardly sighed with relief when Hattie suggested the ‘young couple’ go visit the carnival downtown.
“Robert and I will stay here in case anyone else happens by for a visit,” she said.
Sara went into her bedroom to freshen up. Her hand trembled as she brushed her hair, whether from emotional overload or lack of food and sleep, she didn’t know. She thought of her aunt’s response to her engagement. It blew her mind to find out Hattie prayed for her and Brian all these years. Before leaving for the festival, Sara hugged both her aunt and Robert, thanking them for all their help.
When she and Brian arrived downtown, Sara felt suddenly shy about the newness of their relationship—despite the fact that he was already talking about honeymooning in Scotland seeing as how Robbie Burns had brought them together. Apparently oblivious to her reticence, he tugged on her hand, pulling her into the fray.
The sun dipped below the horizon and the neon colors of the carnival rides glowed against a purplish orange sky. Families jostled by them on the crowded sidewalks and Sara sensed a hectic, strung-up feeling in the air—as if the sleepy town of Buell Creek had saved up all its partying for this one celebration before settling back into a respectable countryside repose.
“I’m starved. How about you?” Brian asked as they walked by several food booths. The aromas of Vietnamese spring rolls, cinnamon sugared elephant ears, corn dogs, and curly fries mingled in the air.
Sara’s stomach gave an unladylike rumble and she agreed. Before they chose where to eat, a feminine scream rent the night air.
“Brian Farris!”
Brian noticeably stiffened at the sound and his arm tightened around Sara’s shoulders. A blonde woman detached herself from a group of people huddled together on a street corner. They seemed strangely out of place in the small town.
As the woman rushed up to Brian, Sara took in the details of a tan female with an athlete’s body bared in a skimpy outfit. Brian was forced to release Sara as she launched into his arms.
“Oh my goodness, is it really you?” the woman asked as she gazed avidly up into his face.
“Uh, hi, Romy.”
With a brittle smile, her wide blue eyes slid to where Sara stood. “And who’s this?”
“Romy Peterson, meet Sara Andersen, my fiancée.”
Sara released a nervous breath. She half-wondered if Brian would conceal the nature of their relationship.
“Fiancée?” Romy said, obviously shocked. Her hard, assessing gaze flicked to Sara’s midriff as if wondering if the engagement was precipitated by a pregnancy.
“So, when’s the blessed event, er, the happy day?”
Sara stifled the urge to slap her, then wondered at the intensity of feelings toward a woman she didn’t even know.
“We haven’t yet set a date,” Brian said.
Romy appeared mollified by this information. She curled her fingers around his arm. “What in the world are you doing here in this backwater?”
“I could ask the same of you.”
“A bunch of us came to climb the cliffs nearby over the weekend and when we jaunted into town for some supplies, we happened on this charming little affair.” She leaned across the front of Brian and looked at Sara. “Is this your hometown, honey?”
“On and off,” Sara replied noncommittally.
Romy tugged on Brian’s arm. “You know some of the people with me. Come over and say hi.”
He glanced at Sara with a bemused expression and allowed himself to be propelled along, grabbing her hand to bring her with him.
They approached a group of people who stood apart from the main throng. As they neared, Sara was forcibly reminded of television ads where several ‘beautiful’ people hung fashionably about in their sporting clothes, in this case rock-climbing togs, sipping from beer bottles dripping with condensation.
Brian obviously knew a couple of the guys, and after introducing Sara all around, lapsed into catching up on old times. After a moment, Romy drew Sara aside.
“So tell me how you and Brian met.”
She suppressed a scowl, deciding to be at least civil to a friend of Brian’s. “We actually dated in college, but we met again here in Buell Creek.”
“Does he live here now?”
Sara surveyed the disgustingly beautiful female in front of her and was tempted to lie. “Yes.”
Romy digested this information, then lowered her voice. “Does he ever talk about me? We were once an item, you know.”
Knowing very well Romy wanted to bait her didn’t calm her burgeoning temper one bit. “No.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s had so many girlfriends, he probably gets them all mixed up.”
Sara shrugged by way of reply and scanned the crowd in a bored manner.
“Well, you’re lucky to have him. Hold onto him while you can.” She leaned in close. “He’s got a roving eye, but he’s worth it, if you know what I mean.”
Sara felt almost sick with jealousy and wanted nothing better than to cause Romy bodily harm. Before she acted out her fantasy, Brian rejoined her and settled his arm possessively around her waist.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Romy. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
“I will now that I’ve seen you. In fact, I’ll be heading back down south in the morning if you want to join me.” She stood up on tiptoe and suddenly planted a kiss hard on his mouth.
Shooting a sidelong glance at Sara to gauge her reaction, Romy smiled broadly before going back to her friends, apparently satisfied.
Brian released a ragged sigh, hustling her away from the group. “Sorry about that, Sara. I didn’t see it coming.”
Shivering slightly, she avoided his eyes as all her insecurities came roaring back.
“Those guys were all from the old days. I forgot how they acted.” He led her unresistingly toward the crowds. “Do you still want to get something to eat?”
She shook her head and tried to calm the raging emotions choking her. Brian and Romy? How many girls has he dated? What happens when he gets tired of me? On and on went her tortured thoughts.
Brian squeezed her hand. “Hello, Sara? Are you listening to me?”
She looked around and realized they were back at his pickup. She sagged against the side of the fender and tried not to think of Brian in anyone else’s arms.
“What's wrong?”
Sara found she couldn’t meet his eyes. Part of her worried he’d be angry if he knew her thoughts, and the other part was angry with him for having such a checkered past. She shook her head.
He tilted her chin up. “What did she say to you?”
Sara was unable to hide the pain and distrust in her eyes. Brian dropped his hand and took a step back.
“That’s all in the past. Do you understand that?”
“Yes,” she said with a catch in her voice. She lied through her teeth, terrified of a life with Brian spent running into one female after another having previous claims on his
affections.
Brian surveyed her for a moment and seemed to discern the truth in her expression. His face went blank and he unlocked the truck. “Let’s go.”
Numbly, Sara climbed into the cab and sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Inside, the temperature seemed to fall several degrees as if the chill emanated from Brian. The drive home passed in utter silence. She searched her tired mind for something to say, but her own heart felt so raw, she didn’t trust herself to open her mouth.
Back at the farmhouse, Brian turned off the engine and leaned back against the seat. She sat rigidly, torn between wanting the assurance of his embrace and recoiling at the thought of his past choices.
When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with bitterness. “I know what you’re thinking, Sara.”
She chanced a look over at him and caught her breath at the anger glittering in his eyes.
“Is this always going to be between us?”
When she didn’t answer, he yanked open the door and got out, striding away down the driveway without looking back.
On shaking legs, Sara climbed out of the truck and went into the farmhouse, blinking dazedly in the light.
Hattie bustled up to her. “Why are you back so soon? Where’s Brian?”
Lowering her eyes to conceal the truth, Sara made excuses of fatigue and as soon as she could, escaped into her bedroom. When she finally heard Robert and her aunt drive away, she turned her face into her pillow and unsuccessfully tried to stem the flood of tears.
Chapter Twenty
The sound of the telephone ringing filtered through the fog of Sara’s brain. She groaned, rolled over, and pulled the pillow down over her head. After a moment, the answering machine picked up the call. A chirpy version of her voice announced the caller had reached Pine Ridge B & B, with the instructions to leave a detailed message. After the beep, she only heard the sound of a dial tone.
Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) Page 15
