“Get with Linda. She’ll get a rental for you.”
Perfect. She still couldn’t get over it. Things were definitely picking up. First John, now her job. She felt valuable for the first time in her life and liked it.
* * * *
John pocketed his cell and frowned. Sarah had sounded excited and apologized for not calling him sooner. She wouldn’t be gone long—only until Friday—and he was truly happy for her, but he craved her company something fierce and already missed her.
He couldn’t believe he was postponing his plans once again. Was karma trying to tell him something? Or torturing him for not sharing his secret earlier? Whatever, now he’d have to wait until Friday, so he might as well do it after the hockey game. At least that would give him one last night with her in case it went badly.
Standing behind the bar, deep in thought, he wasn’t paying much attention when a woman sat. On autopilot, he placed a napkin in front of her. “What can I get you, Miss?” He glanced up and smiled. He’d only met her the one time and even then he’d never gotten a chance to remember her scent. Sarah’s had overridden everyone else’s. “Hello, Lori.”
“You remembered.”
“Now how can I forget Sarah’s best friend?”
Lori smiled at him. “Aren’t you sweet? I’ll have a Jack and Coke.”
He scanned the area for a companion and found none. “What brings you in?”
“You do.” She rested her arms on the bar and smiled.
While he prepared the drink, he eyed her cautiously. She was probably after some answers; he just couldn’t figure out what the questions would be. He placed the drink down and she dropped a ten on the bar.
“Your money’s no good here.” He slid it back, then folded his arms on the bar and leaned forward. “So why did you want to see me?”
“I… I came here to talk to you about Sarah.” She swallowed hard and put her hand up to her chest. Glazed eyes. Racing heart. Shit. He’d forgotten the effect he had on women unless he consciously stopped it.
He straightened. Best to give her some room. “I kind of figured that much. Do you want to talk somewhere more private? We could sit in one of the booths.”
“Okay.”
She slid off the stool and strolled toward an empty booth.
“Is Sarah okay?” He sat opposite her and mentally hit himself. He was starting to sound like Perry, jumping to conclusions. Hadn’t he just gotten off the phone with Sarah? If something was wrong, she would have said.
“As far as I know, yes. But I am worried about her.”
“About what?”
“You need to know something. She’d kill me if she knew I was here talking to you, but I love her like a sister and I don’t want to see her get hurt again.” Lori played with the straw.
“Go on, say what ails you.”
She stared straight into his eyes. “Did Sarah tell you Steven beat her?”
Steven’s abuse toward Sarah still riled him. “Not in so many words, but I’ve seen his handiwork.”
“That’s right. She said you knew. But let me tell you a little more about Steven. Sarah was his trophy wife. If she didn’t behave like it, he punished her. It started out with bruises on her arms. She didn’t think I noticed, but I did. When it became a regular occurrence, I said something to her. She didn’t want to admit it and would make up some excuse. I think she was embarrassed. But then she became pregnant.”
“Sarah had a baby?” he blurted out. Now he was being ridiculous. Wouldn’t he have noticed a baby by now?
Lori picked up her drink and sipped at it, as if she was trying to get the courage to continue.
The wait made him crazy and he nudged her along. “So what happened?”
Finally, she put the near empty glass down. “Steven…he…” Tears streamed down her cheeks and after searching in her purse, she pulled out a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes. “Sorry, I thought I could do this without crying. It’s like it’s happening all over again.”
What the hell had that bastard done? John patted Lori’s hand to offer comfort, but her thoughts ran close to the surface and he received his answer. Sarah’s face cut and bruised. Her arm and leg in a cast. He quickly pulled his hand away and when Lori looked up, he masked the horror that swam in his stomach. “What did Steven do?”
“He killed her baby.” She wiped the tears away. “Oh, she’ll tell you she fell down the stairs. I say he pushed her. She’s lucky she only miscarried. I tried to get her to press charges, but she refused. She just wanted a divorce. But I know what he did and I could kill him for doing it, too.”
Not if he got to the bastard first. Anger at the injustice of it burned him. How could Steven not be in jail? “Why are you telling me this?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, Sarah’s fallen for you. And when she falls, she falls hard. Now, I’m not saying you’re like Steven, but I don’t want to see her hurt again. He has caused her so much pain and suffering. She deserves to be happy. She deserves a normal life.”
A normal life. That was the thing. Could he give her a normal life? He could love and cherish her until her dying day, but would that be enough?
John nodded. “Sarah is important to me. Her happiness is important to me.”
“Good, because you seem like a good guy.” Lori finished her drink and gathered her things. “I thank you for hearing me out. I’d ask you to not tell her about our conversation, but I don’t want you to lie to her, either. So if you let something slip, don’t worry. We’ve been friends for years. She already thinks I’m a mother hen. If she found out I talked to you, she’d forgive me. Eventually.”
Lori scooted off the seat and John followed. “Let me walk you to your car.”
“Thanks. I can see why Sarah likes you so much.”
He helped her with her coat. “Do you think Steven is still dangerous? Do I need to be worried?”
“Before that stunt he pulled on Friday, I would have said no. Now I’m not so sure. I don’t know if he’s mad she’s dating you or if he’s mad she’s on her own. But yeah, be worried. I know I am.”
“Please let me know if you see him around, okay? Sometimes I think she runs into him and doesn’t tell me about it.”
“Yeah, I think that, too. But that’s Sarah. She doesn’t like anyone to worry about her. I’ll let you know if I see him, though.”
When they reached her car, he held the door open for her. “She’s lucky to have a friend like you. I don’t want to stand in the way of that friendship. If I ever do, you make sure to come and tell me, okay?”
Lori met his eyes, looking stern. “Don’t worry, I will.” Then she smiled at him. “Thank you for the drink, and the walk. Goodnight, John.”
By eight o’clock, the patrons had dwindled to a few. John was conversing with a regular when Perry walked in and sat on a stool.
John excused himself and stood in front of Perry. “Where’d you go off to on Monday? I wanted to talk.”
Or punch his lights out. Leave it to Perry to disappear whenever someone had a bone to pick with him.
Perry spun around on the stool. “Where’s Sarah? I figured the two of you’d be joined at the hip by now.”
John slammed his fist on the bar, tempted to put a hole through it. “Damn it, Perry. What are you up to?”
Perry put his arms up. “Easy, Johnny. I’m not up to anything. I was only yanking you around. I told Sarah that. Did you two have a fight?”
John ran his fingers through his hair. He was losing it, clear and simple. When did he become so paranoid? “No we didn’t have a fight. She’s in Lima on business.”
“Lima? I always thought it was pronounced ‘leema.’”
“In Peru, it is. In Ohio, it’s pronounced like the bean.”
“Oh. Where is that? How long is she gone for?”
“Up north and probably only a day or two.” Might as well be a month. Damn, he missed her. “What’s with the ques
tions?”
“You look like shit. If she’s not far, why don’t you go there or don’t you know where she’s staying?”
“I know where she’s staying. But how needy would I look if I just showed up? I don’t want her thinking I can’t trust her. She got enough of that from her ex.”
“You still haven’t had sex with her, have you?” Perry shook his head. “What did Danielle do to you?”
The mention of that bitch’s name put him on edge. He grabbed his cleaning rag and squeezed. “You know what she did to me,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I’m not talking about your turning. But did she turn you into a virgin, too?”
“Very funny.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
John concentrated on cleaning the countertop and refused to meet Perry’s eyes. He really didn’t want to have this conversation. If Perry discovered Sarah’s mind was closed and that John was one step from exposing all vampires, what might he do?
Perry patted John’s arm. “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. I knew this would happen.”
John froze. What the hell? Had he just zoned out? He yanked his arm free. “Knew what would happen?”
“That you’d get in over your head. I figure eventually I’ll have to pick up the pieces when she breaks your heart.”
Okay, so maybe that made sense. He was in love with her and nothing would change that. For a minute there he’d thought maybe Perry had read his mind. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Uh huh. But I’ll worry anyway. Don’t be surprised when you see me around.” He abruptly got up and then strolled out the door.
John shook his head. His friend sounded sincere, but he’d fallen for the act before. Had Perry changed or was he up to something?
* * * *
Sarah trudged into the hotel lobby and waited by the front desk. What a day. What a mess. And to think she’d get to start all over again in the morning.
The clerk, a young college-aged woman, smiled. “How may I help you?”
“I’d like to leave a wake-up call for seven. The name’s Sarah Daugherty, room 212.” If she got lucky and fell asleep right away, she’d get almost eight hours of rest.
“Well, fancy meeting you here.”
Sarah jerked around at the familiar voice. “Perry? What are you doing here?”
“I have business here. What about you?” He drew that last word out and raised an eyebrow.
Business? What kind of business did a bum have, because he was still dressed the part. Hadn’t he been wearing the same outfit the night before? And what was with the look? Did he think she was up here cheating on John? Maybe that’s what he thought, but she wasn’t in the mood—nor did she have the energy—to placate him.
“Me, too. It’s been a long day and I have to get up early, so if you’ll excuse me.” She headed toward the elevators.
“Wait, Sarah. Can we talk?” When she didn’t answer him right away, he pleaded. “Please? It won’t take long.”
God, if she didn’t he’d probably only follow her to her room. She gave in and headed to a chair in the lobby. She made sure it only fit one person. After the effect he had on her the other night, she would never sit beside him again.
She plopped down, ready to turn in, not sit and talk. Hopefully, this would go quickly. He lifted another chair and placed it in front of her. His body was leaner than John’s, but he’d moved the chair as if it weighed nothing. Heck, maybe it did.
He sat and their knees almost touched. “You like John a lot, don’t you?”
“Yes, I care for him very much. What’s this about?” And why was he invading her personal space? She would have scooted back, but the wall was in the way. His scent was too enticing. Would he notice if she breathed out of her mouth?
“John has a large heart. For some reason, I think you’ll break it.”
“Why would you think that? You don’t know me.” She was starting to see him in a different light. Who knew he cared? It was something she expected of Lori. Ah, crap. Had Lori already given John the third degree?
Perry placed his hands on her armrests and leaned forward. She shrank back into the cushion. Avoiding his scent became impossible. Damn man smelled better than he looked, she’d give him that. His gaze smoldered. If he kissed her, she’d smack him. And she’d have no problem doing it, either.
“If John weren’t in the picture, do you think I would have a chance with you?”
She blinked for several seconds until his question sank in. “Oh my God. You’re hitting on me? Again? Really? I thought you were his friend.”
He sat back and then took her hand, causing her heart to flutter. His vanilla scent twirled around her head and focusing almost became impossible. When he stared at her with those sparkly green eyes, she forced herself to look down at her hands.
“Do I do anything for you?” he asked. “Do I affect you at all?”
More than she was willing to admit. His mere presence caused her body all sorts of commotion. It scared her. How did he do this? What did it all mean? She liked John, so why was her body betraying that fact? Tears dripped onto her blouse leaving small wet dots. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. John should know what kind of friend he has.”
He released her hand and gently wiped the tears away with his thumb. She flinched at the touch. Why couldn’t he just leave?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please don’t tell John. Next time you see me I’ll behave, I promise.”
He returned the chair and walked away. Sarah took a deep breath, clear of his scent, and shook her head. Was he checking on her or testing her? Did she care? No. She hadn’t done anything wrong. And if Perry lied, John would so get an earful.
Chapter 13
Sarah tugged her suitcase along as she walked from the car rental agency to the garage. The sun shone brightly, warming the air to a balmy forty degrees. What little snow remained had become a muddy, slushy mess. It might start out making the world look cleaner, but eventually it dirtied up like everything else, if not worse.
Even as she maneuvered around the puddles and dodged the occasional splash, her mood grew lighter with each step. Perry’s visit had messed with her mind. It had taken her longer than normal to fall asleep only to wake and find she’d left the door unbolted. And the cheery disposition upon arriving at her assignment morphed into grunts and groans on her last day, all thanks to Perry. Whether or not he behaved, he’d be smart to stay away from her forever. She was liable to belt him one.
John had told her he parked her Civic next to The Bumblebee. Not that he called it by that name—said the Bumblebee was a yellow Camaro Transformer—but she couldn’t call it anything else. She found his SUV without a problem, but where was her car? Had someone stolen it? Then she spotted the license plate. Dang. Her little car gleamed. Not only was the hood flawless, but all the older scratches were gone. Tires looked pretty spiffy, too. For a ten-year-old car, it looked remarkable.
She opened the trunk and a lone piece of paper lay inside. She picked up the note and stared at it. Written in red were the shape of a heart and the letter J. Her own heart ached and her nose tingled. God, she missed him. Was it wrong to care for him so quickly? Or were some people just meant to be? She hoped for the latter and if she didn’t have work, she’d head on over and thank him properly. Instead, she kissed the note, placed it in her purse, and stuck her suitcase in the trunk.
After the busy job up north, her normal day seemed much slower, but eventually six o’clock arrived. She wasted no time changing into her jeans and pink sweater—hopefully suitable for a hockey game—and then rode the elevator to the garage.
The doors wouldn’t work fast enough as she squeezed through the opening. Just as he promised, John stood there, waiting. And like the last time, she rushed to him, but for a different, better, reason. It took everything in her not to run into his arms.
She ached to to
uch every inch of him, and if they weren’t going to the game, she might have done just that.
“Hi stranger,” he said as he took her hand.
Her heart flip-flopped and it made her day, causing her to smile. Yes, it had been too long, but his touch felt wonderful. She was in heaven.
His smile hinted that he knew the reaction he caused and he lightly brushed his lips against hers. “I missed you.”
Tempted to hold his head and get a better kiss, she resisted. The garage was no place to make a move and she certainly didn’t want to deal with a rejection. She’d wait until after the hockey game, once she got him alone in his apartment. “I missed you, too.”
Sarah held her keys out. “Do you mind? I’m kind of tired of driving.”
“Then we’ll take my car.”
“Drive mine. Please?” She placed the keys inside his hand. “This way we don’t have to come back here.” And if she played it right, her car would be parked at his place all night.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, but kept the keys.
“Where do you want to go for dinner?” He opened the passenger door and helped her inside.
Ah, dinner. Should have known he’d bring that up. Stupid her, lunch had consisted of a salad when she should have ordered the pasta or something filling. If her stomach growled, she’d have no one but herself to blame. But a restaurant? No way. “I’ll get something at the game.”
“You promise?”
Why did he feel responsible for her eating habits? He ate when he wanted, what he wanted—whatever that was—and she didn’t harp on him. But it didn’t warrant an argument. “Yes, I promise.”
They arrived well before the game started. After getting their tickets scanned, they headed toward their seats. Her mouth watered at the scent of cinnamon almonds and funnel cakes. Would he constitute snacking as eating? She’d find out later.
The size of the arena didn’t hit Sarah until she glimpsed the seating area. She’d never seen anything so large and eagerly examined everything in sight.
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