One Last Call

by Susan Behon

  “Your wife?” Josh crossed his arms over his chest and stood ready to take on the newcomer.

  Sarah stepped around the sheriff. “Richard?”

  Chapter 6

  HER ex-husband came at her with his arms spread out to embrace her. Sarah took a quick step back and almost tripped over her own feet in her effort to deflect the gesture.

  “Richard, what the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’d heard you had an accident, Sarah.” He spoke slowly to her, like she was a confused child. “Of course I would check on you. You’re my wife.”

  “Ex-wife.”

  He waved that away, easily dismissing her words, and her. “Sheriff, what happened?”

  “Why don’t you ask your ex-wife? She was the one in the accident.” Josh’s jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed, taking Richard in and obviously not liking what he saw. Join the club.

  Richard flicked an annoyed glance at Josh. “Why don’t you concentrate on your job? Fixing my wife’s car? Isn’t that what you grease monkeys do here?”

  Josh took a step forward, and Kenny held him back.

  Sarah repeated, “Ex-wife,” and set a hand on her hip. “Who told you about my car? And how did you know I’d be here this morning?”

  “That’s not important. What’s important is…”

  “Who?” Sarah wanted to make sense out of something today.

  Richard sighed in exasperation. He never liked explaining himself. “I was over at the café grabbing my usual cup of coffee, and Gracie mentioned it when she rung me up.”

  “How the hell did Gracie know? I’ve only been here about fifteen minutes.” The grapevine in Madison Falls must have gotten on Wi-Fi. News was traveling faster than ever. Sarah shook her head in disgust. “What I really want to know is why would she tell you?”

  Richard reached out to touch her shoulder, and Sarah flinched away again. It was disturbing that he thought he had the right to put his hands on her.

  Josh moved past his dad to stand next to Sarah, getting in Richard’s space. They were practically toe to toe, and the difference between the two men was like night and day. One was washed out and soft and the other was Technicolor and hard. “Here’s a question. Why are you sendin’ Sarah love songs if you’re divorced?”

  Richard’s practiced smile fell in feigned hurt feelings. “You showed him our song, Sarah?”

  She did not want “our” anything linked with Richard. “It’s not our song anymore.” Thank God. “We’re over. If this is some lame attempt to bleed more money out of me, you can forget it.” Had he always had that weak chin? Sarah must not have noticed it before.

  “Sarah, you love that song. It’s got your name in it.” Richard’s voice was annoyingly whiny.

  “FYI, man, she hates that song.” Sarah didn’t need Josh to fight her battles for her, but she’d be lying if she said he didn’t look sexy doing it.

  “How would you know?” Richard inspected Josh as if her were an unpleasant insect.

  “I know Sarah.” He used to. Not anymore. He still seemed to have more of a clue than Richard.

  “Is this him?” Richard kept his concentration on her when he lifted his chin toward Josh.

  “Him who?” Sarah had never told Richard about Josh. She’d kept that memory painfully close to her heart. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she and Josh dated during high school. After he left town, Sarah refused to talk about him. Of course, that didn’t stop anyone else from doing so. Seeing her first lover and her last lover standing next to each other now was surreal.

  Richard widened his stance and sneered, “The guy keeping my wife from taking my phone calls.”

  All right, she’d had enough of Richard’s high-handed bullshit to last her a lifetime. “I’m the one keeping me from taking your calls, you pompous ass. I don’t have anything to say to you, so you can stop calling and texting.”

  “Sarah, you’re not seeing him, are you?” The question was gasped out in disbelief.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say, “No, of course not,” until Josh rested his hand on her lower back. She’d never lied much before, but this doozy slid out easily. “Yes.” Technically, she was seeing Josh. He was right beside her so she looked right at him. If it got Richard off her back, so much the better. She’d deal with him for real later.

  Richard’s mouth gaped as he looked at the two of them together. “No! You can’t be.”

  “Yeah? Why’s that, slick?” Josh leaned in, subtly radiating enough quiet menace to make Richard take a step back.

  Richard opened his mouth to say something, possibly explain himself, but the words didn’t come. This scenario was something he obviously hadn’t prepared for. The notion that he assumed she was single grated on Sarah’s nerves. Knowing he was right was a blow her ego didn’t need.

  Well, Josh could be useful for something. Some hot eye candy looking possessive went a long way in salvaging her ego. She wasn’t proud of that, but there you have it.

  Seth stepped between them and tapped Richard on the arm with his notebook. “If you’d step outside with me, I have some questions for you.”

  Richard practically jumped out of his skin. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”

  After giving her ex a bland smile, in a cordial yet steely voice, Seth said, “I’ll only need a few minutes of your time.” The sheriff gestured for Richard to precede him out the door. It wasn’t a request, and everyone knew it.

  Her ex-husband turned pleading eyes on her. “Sarah, I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

  “What is it?” They could get whatever it was out of the way right now so she wouldn’t have to talk to him again. She’d had her fill of Richard for the next…forever.

  Richard lowered his voice in a futile attempt to keep the others from hearing him. “We can’t talk here. Can I take you to breakfast?”

  “No.” Looking at him made her lose her appetite.

  “Why not?” The man thought Sarah would skip along with him on a breakfast date? She had to be in the Twilight Zone. Any minute now, Rod Serling was going to pop out from behind a stack of tires.

  “I already have plans with Josh.” Josh slipped his arm from her back up to her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. He knew she couldn’t shrug him off, and part of her didn’t want to.

  Richard was shorter than Josh so he had to back up to look down his nose at him. It was a failed attempt. “He can wait.”

  “No, he can’t, and neither can I.” Condescending jerk. “Go talk to the sheriff, Richard. We’re done here.”

  Richard’s hand hovered over his gelled hair, making sure it was still in place. It was a nervous gesture he’d had since they’d dated in college and he’d started losing his hair. Sarah noticed the sweat stains darkening the fabric under his arm when he raised his hand to his head. That was odd. It had been a sweltering hot summer, but the garage was cool this early in the morning. Maybe he ran from the diner?

  That didn’t explain the faint tremor in his fingers or, wait, was Richard wearing his wedding ring again? Sarah took a closer look. He was! It was hard to mistake. Instead of a plain gold band, he’d wanted one channel set with diamonds. Sarah thought it gaudy and was against buying it. His argument was that it wasn’t fair that she be the only one to get diamonds when they got married. He’d picked it out, and Sarah had had to make payments on it. She’d thought by now Richard would have pawned it.

  When he saw Sarah notice, Richard clenched his hand into a fist and shoved it into the pocket of his slacks. “Fine. Later, then.” He made it to the door before glancing back to her. His murky brown eyes matched the shade of his tie. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sarah.” That was the only thing he had said all morning that sounded sincere.

  Sarah didn’t have a response, and for once this morning, Josh kept his mouth shut too.

  The sheriff gave a salute with his notebook and closed the door behind them with a soft click.
/>   “Dick,” Josh muttered.

  “Richard.”

  “No, that guy’s a dick.”

  * * * *

  How could Sarah have been married to that arrogant little weasel?

  “Seriously, Sarah? Him? You married that guy?”

  “No need to rub it in.” She stared at the door. “He had his good qualities.”

  “I can name a few things that were probably wrong with him before. What the hell is his deal now?”

  Sarah moved to the side so his hand slid away from her shoulder. Josh wanted to keep touching her. He counted himself lucky to have gotten away with it for as long as he had. Sarah had allowed it for show. Act or not, she’d fit perfectly next to him when he’d had his arm around her.

  He glanced at his dad, who was checking under the hood of the vehicle, pretending to be working on the lines and not eavesdropping.

  “Y’all go on and get somethin’ to eat.” Twenty years out of Tennessee and Kenny still hadn’t entirely lost his accent. His dad nodded toward Sarah. “You look like you need to sit down, sweetheart.”

  Josh took his cue and steered Sarah out with a hand at her waist. “C’mon, Sarah. My treat. Bacon cures everythin’, and if it doesn’t, it should.”

  Sarah dug in her heels. “What about my car? What am I supposed to drive now?” She gazed longingly at her little Mini Cooper. “I don’t suppose you have a car I could rent?”

  Kenny cut in before Josh could discuss a temporary replacement vehicle. “Sorry, Sarah. We don’t have anythin’ available today.” He wiped his hand on a rag and straightened. “Maybe by tomorrow? Shouldn’t take too long to get this mess under the hood fixed, anyway. Josh could give you a ride. He wouldn’t mind, would you, son?”

  “I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m your man. Just tell me where you want to go.”

  “I’ll tell you where you can go.” Sarah mumbled it. Josh heard her well enough. So did Kenny if his chuckle was any indication. Touché. He was sure Sarah could tell him where to go and give him directions south, straight to Hell. She still needed a ride.

  “You can tell me over breakfast. After that, I’ll take you home so you can rest.”

  She still wasn’t budging. “No and no. There’s too much stuff to do. I have to make some calls about a replacement waitress, and I need to stop at the bar for a liquor delivery this afternoon. I don’t have the time.”

  “Do you have time for bacon?”

  Sarah’s stomach gave a high-pitched gurgle, and she slammed a hand to her midsection to stop it. “That didn’t happen.”

  “No sense livin’ in denial, honey. C’mon. Food first and then you can yell at me all you want.”

  Kenny called out over the engine, “See you two later. Give my best to your mama for me, Sarah.” Josh wondered if Lucy had gotten a hold of him when she was all riled up or if he’d talked his way out of being in the dog house.

  “Sure thing.” Sarah speed walked in front of Josh. When they reached the parking lot, she muttered, “Let’s go before I think too much about your dad giving his best to my mom.”

  “I don’t know if bacon can fix that. Tell you what, we’ll order one of Sonny’s cinnamon rolls too. With that kind of incentive, I guarantee you’ll be too happy chewin’ to care about anythin’ else.”

  Sarah didn’t stop or turn around. “Don’t think bribing me with food porn is going to change anything between us.”

  Did she have to use the word porn? Now Josh was picturing sex. Food and sex. Food and sex with Sarah. Food and lots of sex with Sarah. He could think of some interesting uses for the cinnamon-roll frosting already.

  “Josh?” Sarah had done an about-face and was watching him.

  “Yeah?”

  She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Don’t even think about it because it’s never going to happen.”

  “How do you know what I’m thinkin’?” Had he been drooling?

  “You have that look in your eye guys get when they’re imagining sex.” She narrowed her bright green eyes in warning. “Or maybe you’re having some kinky food fantasy. Either way, forget it.”

  “Forget the sex? Or the food? I’m up for either. How about both?” He couldn’t help saying it, but he wasn’t stupid. Josh was prepared to duck if she so much as tightened her fist to take a swing at him.

  “Food, yes. We can do that. Sex with you?” Her lips were set into a grim line until she smirked. “Not even for bacon.”

  She hadn’t slapped him yet so that was promising. It could also mean her arms were too sore to lift. Speaking of sore…“You should soak in a hot bath when you get home. It’ll help loosen your muscles.” Now there was a fantasy. Naked Sarah, candlelight reflecting off of her slick skin, all dewy and covered in bubbles, with her hair up and the tops of her…

  “Stop trying to get me naked.” The woman was a certified mind reader.

  “I didn’t mean to soak in a bath with me. Hey, if you insist, I’m sure we can work somethin’ out so we’ll both fit.”

  “Josh?” Sarah’s hands clenched up into little fists.

  He took a step backward. “What?”

  “Trust me when I say this. Given all the choices, I’d rather have the bacon.”

  “Sarah?” He took a step forward, then another one to see if she would back up.

  She stood her ground. “What?”

  “No, you wouldn’t.” He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face in spite of the sparks shooting from her eyes.

  “Josh, you underestimate my love for bacon and my…”

  “…hatred of me?” Josh wished he wouldn’t have reminded her of it.

  “I don’t hate you.” Sarah’s expression shuttered, and the vibrancy she’d shown while they were bantering disappeared.

  “You don’t? What would you call it, then?”

  Sarah closed her eyes and let out a deep, frustrated breath. “Look, it was a long time ago. I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s forget it and move on, okay?”

  Josh opened her door and helped her up as gently as possible. He started the truck, and they drove along in silence for a few moments.

  “No.”

  His voice startled her out of whatever she was thinking.

  “What do you mean, no?”

  “I can’t move on until we talk about it. I want to explain what happened.”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it. You left years ago. End of story. You can talk about anything else, the weather, global warming, the state of the union, even the state of my mom’s love life…just not that.”

  “Fine. How often do you think your mom and my dad get frisky?” He’d meant to shock her. He’d shocked himself. That image wasn’t something he needed in his brain.

  “Good Lord, Josh! Really? Okay, let’s put that on the list of things to never ever discuss too.” She leaned toward the passenger window and crossed her legs away from him. “Let’s stick to weather. That’s a safe subject.”

  “Weather? Hmmm…let’s see. What can I say about the weather?” He glanced at what he could see of her profile and rubbed the side of his arm in thought. “It’s been cloudy lately, wouldn’t you say? I sure have missed the sunshine.”

  Sarah groaned at the use of his endearment for her. “On second thought, we don’t have to talk at all.”

  He caught her wince when Sarah reached over and flipped on the radio. Josh turned the volume down. Sarah turned it up. He turned it off.

  “You’re gonna have to listen to me sooner or later, Sarah. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

  * * * *

  Sarah refused to speak to Josh. He wasn’t going anywhere? So what? The leaving had already been done. Josh could leave again for all she cared.

  Once again, they sat in a parking lot. They were mired in uncomfortable silence since Josh turned off the blasted radio. He’d parked behind Sonny’s Side Up Diner. Neither one of them had made a move to leave the truck.r />
  “Fine. I don’t want to sit here all day. Where did you go?” Sarah wouldn’t ask why he left. At seventeen, heartbroken and needy, she would have asked. At thirty, it didn’t matter. She was only appeasing her curiosity now.

  “I went to Afghanistan.”

  “What?” The only thing that would have surprised her more would be if he’d said that he’d caught a flight to the moon.

  “I joined the Marines and headed off to boot camp almost as soon as I signed the papers. After Parris Island, I got deployed to Afghanistan.”

  Once again, Sarah refused to ask why. Like, why hadn’t he told her he was enlisting? By the time she’d found out Josh was gone, he’d left her with a stupid note that only had two words on it. Goodbye, sunshine.

  She opened the door and slid off the seat to the pavement. “Thanks for serving our country. Let’s eat.”

  Josh sat behind the wheel a second longer. When she slammed her door and took off for the diner, he got out and joined her.

  “Aren’t you gonna ask me why I joined the Marines?”

  “No.” Hell, no.

  “I never meant to hurt you.”

  Sarah whirled around to face Josh. She wanted to yell at him, scream at the top of her lungs right there in the town square, and to hell with gossipy witnesses. The words came out in a shocked whisper instead. “Holy hell, Josh! Tell me you didn’t say that. Tell me you seriously didn’t just say that! I never meant to hurt you? How freaking stupid can you get?”

  They’d made it to the front of the café and even though Sarah was still fuming, enough reason had returned to make her glad she hadn’t broadcast their conversation.

  Josh held a hand on the rail, ready to open the door for her. “I had to leave. Trust me on this, Sarah. I would have hurt you more if I stayed.”

  Chapter 7

  BREAKFAST didn’t go as planned. Sarah sat there giving him one-word answers while staring at everyone in the diner except him. Josh didn’t have her attention, but he sure had that of every other citizen in Madison Falls. Every Tom, Dick, and Jane with a fork and a coffee cup was giving him the eye. Although the clinking of silverware and the murmur of voices continued around them, he didn’t let that fool him.