by Lucie Ulrich
“Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Pippa laughed. “I always knew you were drama class material.”
Sarah fought a smile. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you.” She disconnected.
“Is everything okay, Sarah?” Robert’s look of concern weighed her down with guilt, but not enough to stick around for dinner.
“A minor mishap, but with Dad working late tonight, I really should make sure Mom is okay.” She stood and stuffed her phone in her purse. “I do apologize. Hopefully we can do this again before I move.”
“Well, if you must go, then go.” Abigail downed the last of her drink.
“I’ll walk you out.” Robert took her arm. He looked over his shoulder. “Be right back, darling.”
Sarah would much rather have escaped without an escort, but what choice did she have? At the front door, Robert released her arm and laughed. “Who was on the phone?”
Fighting to keep her eyes from widening, Sarah sputtered. “What do you mean?”
He leaned in close, a sly grin on his face. “I’m the master of fake phone calls. Did you arrange for it to happen, or was it happenstance?”
There was no point lying. She’d already tried that. “Happenstance, I simply took advantage.”
“Well played, my dear.” He kissed her cheek. “Logan has chosen well. My most earnest prayer is that he doesn’t disappoint you. He’s a lot like his mother.” With those parting words Robert retreated, leaving her to her thoughts.
Charles appeared from nowhere and opened the door for her, his smile mimicking Robert’s. “Good night, Miss Sarah. Enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you, Charles.”
Once in her car, Sarah returned Pippa’s call, unable to get Robert’s words out of her head.
Pippa picked up on the second ring. “I take it you’re safely away from the house of horrors.”
Laughing, Sarah pulled onto Lake Road. “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s more like the house of control—Abigail’s control. Logan’s dad is pretty cool. Apparently I was right staying away from drama class. He picked up on the deception immediately.”
“And he wasn’t upset?”
“No, in fact he applauded me for it.” She chose not to say anything about Robert’s final words. Without ever really coming out with it, Pippa had made her feelings for Logan known, so no point giving her friend any more ammunition.
“So what’s bothering you?”
Once again, Sarah’s lack of acting skills came into play. “I hate the fact that I needed to escape, that I’m going to have one of those mothers-in-law. Or worse, that I’ll be one of those daughters-in-law.”
“You’re the sweetest person I know. If Mrs. High and Mighty can’t see that, or doesn’t want to see it, then it’s her loss.”
“Thanks, Pippa. I can always count of you to brighten my day.”
“What are friends for? Now, to the real reason I called. Have your parents confirmed they’re coming this weekend?”
“Yes. They’re both looking forward to seeing my place, but mostly to spending time with your folks.”
“Mom’s equally excited. She has their room ready, and Friday evening’s cookout already planned. Not sure there’ll be any dancing this time.”
Remembering the dance she’d shared with Kevin helped Sarah forget her encounter with Abigail. People were all so different, some much easier to like than others—Kevin being one of the easiest. “I still say you and Kevin would be good together.”
“Forget it, Sarah. Hell would have to freeze over, trapping the flying pigs in mid-air, before that would ever happen.”
“Don’t you worry. When I move there we’ll make it our mission to find him someone nice.” Pippa coughed and sputtered on the other end. “You okay, Pippa?”
“Fine.” She coughed again. “Choked on my water.”
“Leave it to you.” Sarah shook her head and chuckled. “I’d better let you go. See you in a few days.” She disconnected, looking forward to the busy weekend ahead.
****
Kevin arrived at the hardware store ten minutes early, and was surprised to find Sarah waiting by the front door. Waving, she hurried over and gave him a quick hug. “I’m so excited we’re going to get this done today. Come on.” She took his hand. “I want you to meet my parents.”
Heat started at his hand, worked its way up one arm and down the other, filled his chest and weakened the strength in his legs. The girl had no idea what she was doing to him.
He waved to Pippa, who offered a conciliatory smile.
“Kevin, I’d like you to meet my mother and father, Lorraine and Frank Alexander. Mom, Dad, this is Kevin Jenkins, the guy who’s going to help turn an already great apartment into a work of art.”
With Sarah being no more than five feet five, he was surprised to find that her father stood at least six feet, and her mother wasn’t much shorter. Both had easy smiles and friendly eyes. He extended his hand toward her father. “How do you do, Mr. Alexander.”
“It’s nice to meet you, young man.” Frank pumped Kevin’s hand with gusto. “Sarah is so excited about her new place and new town. I’m very glad she’s already made such a good friend.”
If Mr. Alexander knew the type of friendship Kevin longed for, Kevin doubted the smile would remain on the older man’s face.
Lorraine planted a quick kiss on Kevin’s cheek. “And you’re a policeman, which makes me feel better about Sarah moving away.”
“Mom, I’ve been living on my own since college.”
“I know, but with Logan so far away, I feel better knowing there’s a man you can call on if need be.”
Sarah rolled her eyes and pulled her mother inside, while Kevin longed for the day he’d never have to hear Logan’s name again. He pointed Frank toward the entrance. “Let’s get to work.”
It didn’t take Sarah long to decide on the beadboard. The trim took a little longer, as she wanted it to adhere to the style and time period of the building. With Kevin’s help, she decided on the wider size with a bit of a lip on top.
Kevin loaded the wood onto a cart. “I guess all we need now is to decide on the paint colors.”
“Already done and sitting in the back of Dad’s SUV.” Sarah walked alongside Kevin as he pushed the cart toward the front of the store. “I took pictures last time I was here and brought them to the large home improvement store close to home. To pick up the brown flecks in the red brick, I decided on a dark taupe for the living and dining rooms.”
“Good choice,” Kevin agreed. “What about the rest of the place?”
“Seeing as I’m not a fan of drastically different colors in every room, I chose a lighter taupe for the bedroom and bathroom and soft sand for the kitchen. You mentioned white for the wainscoting, so I picked that up as well.” She pulled her wallet from her purse. “Are you impressed?”
“Not really.”
Her bottom lip dropped into the cutest pout. “You’re not?”
“Nah, I figure anybody who’s a teacher, mechanic, plumber, and electrician all rolled into one is bound to have great organizational skills.”
The pout turned into a ravishing smile. “You got that right.”
In less than an hour from the time the group entered the hardware store, paint rollers were gliding across the walls. While Frank and Lorraine started on the dining room, Pippa took on the kitchen. Sarah started in the bathroom, and Kevin installed the shelves in her closet. Every now and again, he’d peek in to see how she was doing. Focused on her task, she never noticed. Just as well. He didn’t need her flashing one of those irresistible smiles his way.
By the time one o’clock rolled around, the top two-thirds of dining room had been given two coats of paint. The wainscoting would cover the rest, so paint wasn’t needed. Pippa was on her second coat in the kitchen. The bathroom was complete. Four shelves had been installed in the closet and two of the bedroom walls had been painted.
Kevin stood in the
dining room and stretched his back. “You guys are painting rock stars. What do you say we stop for lunch? I don’t know about you, but my breakfast wore off a good hour ago.”
Coming up behind him, Sarah agreed. “I’ll head down to the sandwich shop as soon as I scrub the paint from my hands.”
“Why don’t we all go?” Kevin said. “Even with the windows open, it’ll be good to leave the paint fumes behind for a while. Besides, I think we’d all prefer a table and chairs to sitting on the floor.”
“I like the way you think, young man.” Frank offered Lorraine his arm. “Let’s go stretch out these old muscles, Mother.”
With a look of affection, Lorraine kissed his cheek. “Best offer I’ve had all day.”
“Tell you what.” Kevin pulled out the small notepad he’d written measurements on, and reached for the pencil above his right ear. “If you’ll all jot down your orders, Pippa and Sarah can drive you to my place. It’s just a few blocks from here, and I promise my dining room chairs will be more comfortable than the laminate benches in the restaurant.”
“I like the sound of that.” Lorraine took the pad and pencil from Kevin’s hand.
Sarah grabbed her purse. “That’s a great idea, but I have an even better one. Kevin has a great backyard and it’s such a beautiful day, why don’t we eat outside?”
“That sounds lovely.” Lorraine passed the pad to Pippa.
“Great,” Sarah said. “You guys go ahead and relax for a bit while Kevin and I pick up the sandwiches. After all your hard work, lunch is on me.” She took the pad from Pippa and stuck it in her purse.
Looking anywhere but at Pippa, who was likely grinning, Kevin decided to embrace the situation he’d been thrown into—yet again. How much harm could come his way in the next half hour?
CHAPTER NINE
Sarah placed an order for tuna sandwiches for herself and Pippa, ham and cheddar cheese for her father, and turkey no mayo for her mother. She turned to Kevin, who stood next to her. “Your turn.”
“I’ll have the spicy chicken with pepper jack cheese.”
“Wow, you like it hot.”
A smile brightened his rugged face. “I like to spice things up from time to time.”
The kid behind the counter snickered, which got Sarah to giggling. “Yeah, not touching that line.”
With a mock look of shock, Kevin brought a hand to his chest. “And just what are you insinuating, young lady?”
“Me? Not a thing.” Still giggling, she pushed Kevin toward the end of the counter to wait for their food.
What was wrong with Pippa for not grabbing this guy and making him her own? The two of them had so much in common. Didn’t she know best friends made the best couples? Sarah picked up five small bags of chips. “Should we order drinks?”
“I have tea, hot or cold, water, juice, and coffee, so unless you want a particular soft drink, it’s not necessary.”
“Good, it’ll be one less thing to carry.”
When the sandwiches and chips were paid for, Kevin took the bag and they headed out the front door. “My car or yours?”
“Since you live so close, would you mind if we walk?” She looked skyward and savored a breath of fresh air. “After being in that small bathroom all morning, I’d rather just soak in as much clean air I can.”
“Then walking it is.”
“Isn’t this breeze heavenly?” Sarah tucked a loose strand of hair behind her left ear. “Makes me feel bad that Logan is stuck working in that hot desert every day.”
“He made that choice.”
Her heart pinched. Not a day went by that she didn’t think about the what ifs of her life. What was done was done and dwelling on things she couldn’t change wouldn’t bring Logan home any sooner. “That may be, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about him.”
“So how come you’re not wearing your engagement ring?”
She looked at her naked finger, missing the man more than the ring. “I figured paint and diamonds weren’t a good combination, so I left it at Pippa’s place.”
He tugged at her ear lobe. “Aren’t those diamonds I see in your ears?”
“They are, but seeing as I don’t paint with my ears, I wasn’t too worried.”
A grin tugged at one side of his mouth.
“What?”
“I assume you don’t paint with your nose, either.” The grin grew.
Panic struck. Was she walking around with a glob of paint in the middle of her face? She stopped and pulled a mirror from her purse, checking for any embarrassing damage. “I don’t see anything.”
Kevin traced a finger from the top of one cheek, over the bridge or her nose to the other cheek. “There’s splatter all over the place.”
She slapped his hand away. “Those are freckles and you know it.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He grinned, and the dimple Sarah noticed the other night revealed itself again. Apparently it only showed up when he was in a teasing frame of mind. “But just so you know, I happen to like freckles.”
“After putting me in panic mode, I would expect you to say nothing less.”
“No, I’m serious.” The dimple disappeared.
“In that case, you’re forgiven.”
They walked to the end of the block before Kevin spoke again. “You didn’t choose your engagement ring. Did you?”
What an odd thing to ask, and why did he care? Sarah stopped at the curb, waiting for the green light. “And you need to know this why?”
He shrugged. “Call it an occupational hazard. Your earrings are small and dainty, while your engagement ring is anything but. It appears to me you didn’t have any say in the matter.”
She stepped onto the crosswalk when the light changed. The ring Logan had given her wasn’t ugly by any means—nor was it something she would have chosen. When first talking marriage, Sarah had hinted at the type of rings she liked. She’d even dragged Logan into a few antique shops, but in the end it came down to money and the fact his family had lots of it. Apparently a small ring would send the wrong signal, or some such nonsense. “And you think you know me well enough to determine that?” She wasn’t angry, but definitely curious.
“Like I said, it comes with the job. My observation of you is that you’re a kind, caring person with simple, classic tastes. It’s reflected in the way you dress, the type of car you drive, and even your job. The ring simply doesn’t fit the profile.”
The guy was good. “Okay, Mister Soon-to-be-Detective, what type of ring would you pick out for me?”
His eyes widened. “Are you suggesting I propose?”
She slugged him, albeit gently. “Hypothetically speaking.”
“In that case, I’d scour every antique shop in the area and stop by as many estate sales as possible, hunting for the perfect stone, which might not even be a diamond. I’d look for a white gold, or better yet, platinum filigree setting. Not too much, but just enough to stand out and accentuate the stone.” He switched the bag to his other arm. “How’d I do?”
Suspicions had her mind reeling. He couldn’t possibly be that good. “Have you been talking to Pippa?”
“I talk to Pip about a lot of things, but I can’t ever recall having a conversation about jewelry.”
“In that case, you’re scaring me a little.”
The dimple resurfaced. “That close, huh?”
Closer than she cared to admit. “Let’s just say your assumption that I didn’t choose the ring is correct and leave it at that.” They rounded the corner, and she spotted his place just past the park. It was time to change the subject. “If everybody’s as hungry as I am, I’m sure they’re more than ready for us to show up.”
“You’re probably right.” He nudged her shoulder and winked. “I promise to keep my deducing superpowers to myself from now on.”
Despite being a bit freaked out by his intuition, it was hard not to smile. “Thanks.”
Minutes later, Kevin ushered Sarah through the front doo
r. “Food’s here,” he called out.
Nobody answered.
“I guess they’re out back.” Sarah led the way through the living room and found the group sitting around the patio table. She slid the screen door open. “Anybody hungry?”
Frank stood. “You made good time.”
Her mother stood as well. “What can I do to help? I didn’t want to rummage through your kitchen, Kevin, but I’d be happy to bring out plates or napkins. Can I get anyone anything to drink?”
Sarah looked over her shoulder at Kevin. “Take advantage, she’ll have your table looking like a magazine cover in no time.”
“I doubt it. I use more paper plates than real, and paper towels instead of napkins.”
“Doesn’t matter. Mom’s a whiz.”
“How can I refuse?” He motioned with his arm. “This way, Mrs. Alexander.”
Ten minutes later, a large, square tablecloth covered the round table, paper plates were laid out on top of leaf-patterned paper towels, gallon jugs of iced tea, apple juice, and water were set on the table along with a small vase, actually a glass, of flowers picked from the flower bed at the front of Kevin’s house.
Lorraine beamed. “Since sandwiches don’t require utensils, I say we’re good to go.”
“Looks great, Mom.” Sarah kissed her mother’s cheek. “Let’s dig in.”
Frank cleared his throat. “Not until we offer a blessing, young lady.”
“That goes without saying, Dad, and if it’s all the same to all of you, I’d like to be the one to lead the prayer.”
The all nodded their approval. Sarah held out her hands. Pippa took one, while Kevin took the other. They formed a small circle around the table.
“Heavenly Father, thank you so much for another day to serve you, for friends and family here to lend a helping hand, and for the food set before us. Bless it to our nourishment and our hands to your service. Amen.” She squeezed her friends’ hands as everybody echoed her ‘Amen.’
Kevin pulled out chairs for both her and Pippa, while her father held out one for her mother.
Sarah sat. “I love being around such chivalrous men.”
