Sara's Song

by Fern Michaels

  “That coffee is going to keep you awake. Why don’t I drive you home, Doctor?”

  “Drive me home! Not likely, Mister Lord. Besides, we haven’t finished our business. You were going to give me a list of places and people who can vouch for your whereabouts the past few days. Let’s do that right now. Tomorrow I’ll personally check it out.” The gun moved imperceptibly but was still rock-steady. Dallas Six was asleep in her lap. Sara slurped from the coffee cup, then squinted, trying to bring Adam’s face into focus. She couldn’t remember ever being this tired. The events of the past few days had taken a terrible toll on her body. Nellie had said she looked like she’d been through a meat grinder. She had to go to the bathroom, too. How was she going to do that with a sleeping dog on her lap and a gun in her hand?

  Adam slid the paper across the table. Sara pretended to study it, but the words ran together in one large blur. She folded it with her free hand before she jammed it into the black bag. “I’m going to leave now, gentlemen. Get your dog off my lap. On second thought, I’ll put him down myself. Ohhh, whoops,” Sara muttered as she struggled to remain upright, the gun in her left hand swerving all over the place.

  “Is the safety on that gun?” Adam asked nervously.

  “No, it is not,” Sara said, enunciating each word slowly and carefully. “I’m a crack shot. So is my sister. Women need to protect themselves from people like you.”

  “That does it! Sit down, Dr. Killian, before you fall down. In case you haven’t noticed, you are as drunk as the proverbial skunk. You are in no condition to drive anywhere.”

  “Drunk! Me! You must have me confused with Dr. Granger. I sip at wine. I never even finish my glass. So there. Why are you saying that?”

  “Because we didn’t have Irish Cream coffee and because Tom was trying to please you, he added Irish whiskey to your coffee. I think you had about four double belts. I apologize, and Tom apologizes. You can sleep it off in any one of the bedrooms.”

  “Oh, no. I hate this house. It’s not . . . it’s not . . . cozy. I like cozy. You got me drunk. Are you planning on having your way with me? I have a gun! See! I want to go home. I have to check on my sister. Nellie is going to need her truck. You really are a bastard. You aren’t getting that song. Nobody is getting it. I’m going to burn it. What do you think of that? When I burn it, will you leave me and my sister alone?”

  Adam’s fist crashed down on the table. He totally ignored the gun in Sara’s shaking hand as he grasped her by the shoulders. “One more time, Dr. Killian, I did not have anything to do with what’s been happening to you. I think you are absolutely right, and you should burn the song. I’ll be finishing up my business here in the next few days, at which point I will return to Charleston with Mr. Silk and the dogs. I’m going to sell this house and donate the money to a retired musicians’ fund. I don’t know if Dallas would approve of what I’m going to do or not. So you see, what you do or don’t do with the song is up to you. For whatever it’s worth you have my apology for intruding into your and your sister’s lives.” The gun was in his hand the next second. “When you sober up I’ll give this back to you.”

  “A likely story,” Sara hissed. She threw her hands in the air. “Go ahead! Shoot me! See if I care! Well, what are you waiting for?”

  Adam removed the clip from the gun. He stuck it in his trouser pocket before he marched over to the oversize black bag. “Good God, it’s a wonder you don’t have a permanently dislocated shoulder. What in the hell is in there?”

  “None of your business. My life. Carly’s life. I carry it with me all the time so people like you can’t . . . don’t . . . My bag is none of your business.”

  Adam felt his eyes start to burn. “Sit down, Sara. Tell me about your bag. I used to have a briefcase I carried with me all the time. I still have it. Who are you, Dr. Sara Killian? I really want to know. Let’s sit down here with the dogs and . . . talk.”

  “I thought you said I was drunk. Why would you want to talk to a drunk?”

  “Let’s just say you’re pleasantly sloshed. Were you really going to shoot me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I like honesty.”

  “Criminals and crooks always say that to throw the other person off guard. I like this dog. He loves me.”

  “Don’t get attached. They’re mine.” His voice was too defensive-sounding even to his own ears when he said, “They love me, too. I feed them and take care of them just the way I took care of Dallas. Just the way you take care of your sister. You were going to tell me about Dr. Sara Killian.”

  Sara shrugged. “Carly and I grew up in a small town called Hastings in Pennsylvania. We lived in a brown shingle house on Bridge Street. We had a big backyard with lots and lots of plum trees. We had best friends the way kids do. My father never quite accepted that we were girls. He wanted a son so bad, he tried to turn us into boys. We weren’t very good at it. We wanted to play with dolls and do girl things. We didn’t want to go fishing and hunting and hike in the woods. It seems now that there was always friction in the house. Mom didn’t like what he was doing to us. For some reason it didn’t matter what she wanted or what we wanted. Carly was more malleable than me which is strange because she’s really her own person. Later on I conformed. I don’t know why. I guess children always seek parental approval no matter how old they are.”

  “I never had parents, so I wouldn’t know,” Adam said. “At least you grew up with a set of parents who loved you. Dallas and I only had each other.”

  “It wasn’t all that wonderful. It wasn’t like Mom and Dad were pals. They were parents. Our friends were what made us want to get up in the morning. The McDermotts lived next door. They were a big family, lots of kids. There was Gene, Anna, Eleanor, Margie, Dootsie, Clarence, and Paul, and, of course, my best friend Barbara. Margie was Carly’s best friend. I had a crush on Paul. They even had a dog named Cappy. He bit me once on the hip. Just jumped up and bit me. I howled my head off, and my dad gave me a swat because he said I must have done something. I didn’t. I was just standing there, and the dog bit me for no reason. Barbara is married now and has a son who is a CPA. They live in Detroit. We write every so often. She has a family and a high-pressure job, so that doesn’t leave much personal time. She’s sentimental like me, and, like me, she’s family oriented. They have family picnics and reunions. Someday I’m going to go to one of them. Barbara invites me. The only thing is Barb has the family and I don’t. Their dad was the sheriff. I thought that was just great. I think when I was little I lived in fear that if I didn’t do what my dad wanted, he would have Mr. McDermott arrest me.” Sara stopped talking long enough to take a deep breath. Her vision was clearing a little, and she didn’t feel quite so nauseous.

  “Was it a big town or was it little?”

  “Very little. About twelve hundred people. Everyone knew everyone else. The telephones were party lines. Our phone was two short and one long ring. We could walk everywhere. There was a creek behind the house. We’d go wading and make little pools where the water was up to your knees. At night we’d play Red Light, Green Light. Carly and I cried for weeks when we moved to California. We both hated it. Now that I don’t have a job, I might go back to Pennsylvania. I like small towns. I hate the politics of a big hospital. I might even set up private practice. It occurs to me, Mr. Lord, that you are soaking this all up like some big sponge. Are you going to use it against me in some way at some point?”

  “No. I think you can call me Adam. I also think in your heart you know I am not guilty of the things you accused me of. If you were, you wouldn’t be sitting here talking to me.”

  “I don’t want to believe Dallas’s brother would harm me. Who? I need to know who it is that’s terrorizing me. Were you telling me the truth when you said you didn’t care about the song?”

  “I was telling you the truth. I care, but I don’t care. It has to be your decision. There’s something I want to tell you. I went to see Harry Heinrick at Benton Memorial Hospital. I
want you to listen very carefully to what I’m going to tell you. You can verfiy this anytime you want.”

  A long time later, Sara stirred. If she had been truly drunk before, she was stone-cold sober now. “Dallas did that?”

  “Yes, he did. I had a hard time with it. Mr. Heinrick said you were the best doctor ever to work at Benton. Dallas must have loved you very much to do something like that.”

  “Are you going to go through with what Dallas promised?”

  “No. Heinrick understands the reasons why I won’t honor Dallas’s promise. I believe he’s going to offer you your job back. Will you take it?”

  “Not in this lifetime. I think I’m okay to drive now. I guess we should say good-bye. I want to make sure we understand something. I’m not paying for that gate and I’m not giving you the song.”

  “Understood.”

  Sara smiled.

  “You should do that more often. You’re very pretty when you smile.”

  “Dallas always said you were a handsome dude. I think he was right.”

  Adam threw back his head and laughed. “It would appear we have our own mutual admiration society here. Now, tell me, is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “Find the person responsible. I think I’m sorry about the gun. I feel out of sorts, and I’m worried about my sister. Plus, I hate meandering down Memory Lane. Good-bye, Mr. . . . Adam.”

  Adam reached for Sara’s outstretched hand. Suddenly he didn’t want her to leave. He didn’t want to accept the knowledge that he was never going to see her again. Something was happening here he didn’t understand. Maybe it started happening when Dallas Six jumped into her lap. Maybe a lot of things.

  Her hand was soft, the nails short and buffed. Good strong hands. Capable hands. He wondered how they would feel on his face and chest. Women always like to massage a man’s chest. And back. Other places, too. He seemed to be having trouble with his breathing, so he took hard little puffs of air and coughed to cover what he was feeling. He was still holding her hand.

  Maybe it wouldn’t have happened if the pups hadn’t barreled out of the house to beeline to the spot where they were standing. Later he told himself it was purely reflexive. Whatever it was, he pulled Sara to him, his lips found hers in a matter of seconds. The world as he knew it, changed in the time it took his heart to beat twice. And then the world exploded around him as his head threatened to rock right off his shoulders.

  Unaware of the pain Adam was experiencing, Sara murmured, “I liked that. Do it again.” Still, it wasn’t the same as the time Dallas kissed her and her head almost blew off her neck.

  “Before or after I die of the pain. Look! That little monster bit me and kept right on biting me. He must have thought I was hurting you.”

  “How sweet,” Sara cooed. “I’m a doctor. I can fix this right up. My goodness, it does look nasty. You’re going to need a tetanus shot after I dress the wounds.”

  “Wounds as in plural? Jesus, how many times did he bite me?”

  “Looks like three marks. He’s trying out his second teeth. You’re a pretty good kisser. Dallas was good, too. Guess it runs in the family,” she said brazenly.

  Adam hopped around on one foot. “You didn’t do so bad yourself. When I’m healed maybe we could do it again.”

  Sara reached in her bag and pulled out a small brown bottle and a syringe. “Stand still. This is going to sting.”

  “Do you always come prepared like this?”

  “Aren’t you glad I am so prepared? Now, drop your pants.”

  “Here? Out in the open like this. Tom can see from the window.”

  “Does he have something different than you have?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “What is the point?” Sara said tapping the syringe. A spurt of liquid shot out of the needle.

  “I hardly know you.”

  “That didn’t stop you from kissing me. As my sister would say, we swapped spit. Drop them.”

  Adam inched his pants down midway on his right buttock. Sara snatched the fabric and gave a yank. The needle shot home before Adam could bellow his outrage. “Nice buns.” She stifled a giggle. Carly would be so proud of her.

  Adam felt like a ring of fire curled around his neck. He didn’t know where to look, so he picked up Dallas Six and cuddled him close to his cheek.

  “I’ll send you my bill.”

  “I have insurance,” Adam said smartly.

  “So do I. I hate those forms. I’ll have to charge extra if you expect me to fill them out. Good night, Adam. I stand by my original statement. You’re a pretty good kisser.”

  “Brazen hussy,” Adam hissed.

  “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  “Let me know how your sister is.”

  “Okay. Change the dressing tomorrow morning and put more peroxide on the bites. Relax, you’re going to live.”

  Adam watched until the monster truck’s taillights were pinpoints of red light in the distance.

  “I saw that. I saw that,” Tom chortled from the open doorway. “You really sweeped, or is that swept, her off her feet? She comes in here, blows down your gate, almost shoots your toes off, and you end up kissing her and dropping your pants all in five minutes.”

  “Shut up!” Adam said as he stomped his way into the house.

  Tom laughed. Arid laughed.

  The dogs barked and howled.

  Adam tripped over the doorstep, his face as red as his neck.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sara tiptoed down the corridor to Carly’s private room. Her gaze missed nothing in the quiet corridor hospital. The charge nurse and the floor nurse were filling out paperwork and sipping coffee. The charge nurse raised her eyes, spotted Sara, and nodded. Nellie, with a sixth sense that was unequaled and the eyes of a hawk, poked her head out the door, her finger to her lips in silence.

  “You . . . ah, you look . . .”

  “You can say it, Nellie. I look like . . . hell. This has been some night. Is Carly okay?”

  “She’s sleeping like a baby. I expect she’ll milk this for all it’s worth, but then so would I. Now, tell me what happened.”

  Sara sighed. “Everything and nothing. I think I banged up your truck a little, Nellie. I crashed through Dallas’s gates. I’m surprised I wasn’t electrocuted. I didn’t even think about that till later. I’ll pay for any damages. He didn’t do it, Nellie. He’s got all these dogs, and they just love him to death and he loves them. I was so sure. Then I wasn’t sure. I shot at him and almost nipped his toes. I wanted him to know I meant business. You should have heard me swear. I felt like some deranged person. I’m going to send Carly to my aunt Florence’s house in Nevada, so she’ll be safe. This is a lot to ask, Nellie, but will you go with her?”

  “What a silly question. Of course I’ll go with her. Will she want to go is the big question.”

  “She has to go. I’ll make up some story about going to New York to interview. She won’t want to be alone at the house with everything that’s been going on. I’m not sure what the story is with her and Hank. They’on. They’re off. Between the two of us, I think we can convince her.”

  “What else happened? I know there is more. I want to hear everything.”

  “They got me drunk. Maybe it was my own fault. When I calmed down, they said I needed coffee and I said I liked Irish Cream. I meant the flavored kind from Gloria Jean’s. They didn’t have any so Tom, and don’t ask me who Tom is, added Irish whiskey to the coffee. I slurped it down like it was a milk shake. Three cups, Nellie. Adam said I was sloshed. I sobered up really quick. Shock will do that to a person. He kissed me. Nobody, Nellie, ever kissed me like that before. Except Dallas that one time,” she said sadly. God, Nellie, listen to me.”

  “I am, and I like what I’m hearing. You’re sure now he’s not responsible for what’s happening.”

  “I’m sure. My head, my heart, and my gut tell me I’m right. I saw his face when I told him a
bout Carly. Among other things I spilled my guts about my childhood. I don’t understand what happened to me tonight, Nellie. That person who did all those things was me but it wasn’t me.”

  Nellie smiled. “That was the real Sara. This other Sara we all know who is so proper and aloof is a myth. She’s not real. It’s like you read a book and copied the character and said, ‘This is who I’m going to be.’ Your father is responsible for that, Sara. To this day you are still trying to be the person he wanted you to be in your professional as well as your personal life. That’s wrong. Tonight you severed the tie. So, is he a good kisser? How do you think he’ll be in bed? Do you think he’ll be better than Dallas?”

  “Nellie! I’ll never know, will I?”

  “You’re dying to talk about this. So, let’s get to it.”

  Sara giggled and realized she liked the sound. “The best. I think, and this is just my opinion, but I think he’s going to be ... magnificent in bed. He’s sort of a thinker, slow and steady. People like that . . . you know. Underneath his facade I think he’s a very caring person, but you wouldn’t think so until you got to know him. I told him I wasn’t paying for his gate and I wasn’t giving him the song. He said it was okay with him. He’s selling Dallas’s house and donating the money to a retired musicians’ fund or something like that. He’s coming to terms with Dallas’s death. He’s also going to leave in a few days to go back to Charleston. Maybe it isn’t meant to be, Nellie. Every time I look at him, I see Dallas. It breaks my heart. Why did he have to die, Nellie?”

  “Ours is not to reason why. Make it happen, Sara. You only walk through this life once. Make that walk count.”

  “I won’t chase him. He knows where I live. He has my phone number. This is stupid. It’s rebound stuff, and in the end that never works. I don’t want or need another affair.”

  “What if he’s shy when it comes to women? What if he’s afraid of you and what you can do to him professionally?”