Healing Hearts

by Watters, Kim

  “What’s wrong?”

  Sarah turned at the sound of his voice. “You’re here!” The surprise, mingled with pleasure, touched him as did the look of relief that flashed across her face. “You didn’t need to come. I would’ve figured something out.”

  “But you shouldn’t have to. I’m glad you called.” Grant strode to the table. “What’s the problem?” He eyed the kitten nestled in Sarah’s hands. The orange feline barely filled her palm.

  “Somebody left him by the back door.”

  “At least they had the sense to leave him here instead of the side of the road.” Anger at the person who dumped the kitten coursed through him, especially since it affected Sarah in such a way. She looked vulnerable, so lost, and downright beautiful. He sucked in a breath of damp air and took in her new look.

  Her damp hair had been cut to her shoulders, creating a riot of waves that framed her face. Bangs, along with a dusting of eye shadow, a coat of mascara that brought out the blue in her eyes, and her lips shone with a hint of gloss. The old Sarah had had a raw beauty that intrigued him. The new Sarah stunned him.

  Grant wanted to take her in his arms, hold her, and not let go. Heck, he’d probably end up kissing her senseless. Then he’d really be in trouble because once he started, he doubted he’d be able to end it.

  The kitten cried, breaking his train of thought.

  “He’s hungry. I don’t know what to do. He won’t eat the food I put out, nor drink any cream.”

  Grant picked up the ball of fluff, glad to see Sarah had kept it warm. The kitten was painfully thin, and no doubt hungry. A once over convinced him the kitten was healthy and a she. “Your kitten’s a she, barely three weeks old and not weaned from her mother so she won’t take regular food or milk yet. Not that you want to feed a kitten or cat milk or cream, they can’t really digest it.”

  “Oh.” Something like a look of chagrin crossed her features. “I’m glad she didn’t eat what I tried to give her then. What do we do?”

  Grant liked the way she included him in her problem. Whether Sarah realized it or not, she’d taken another big—no, giant—step in opening up to him. Smiling, he turned away and strode to the cabinets on the far wall.

  “I keep this around for these types of emergencies.” He pulled out a bottle of powdered formula and an eyedropper. “Mix this together, following the directions, and then I’ll show you how to feed her.” The chime sounded on his watch. “It’s five-thirty. If you don’t have time, I can do it for you.”

  “I have time.”

  “Don’t you have to work today?”

  Sarah hung her head. “I called in sick. Veronica mentioned the other day she was looking for more hours so I suppose she’ll be working mine.”

  “Are you sick?” Concern laced his voice though he tried to hide it. Sarah had been working a lot. Her schedule demanded it. Maybe he should cut back on her time here, seeing as her bill had almost been paid off, but he didn’t like the idea of not seeing her almost every day.

  “No.”

  Grant smiled at her, relived. “Good. Glad to hear that. That means I can have you all day. I have a surgery scheduled for nine. With you here, it’ll go much smoother.”

  He liked the idea of having Sarah with him the rest of the day. It would give him a chance to discover her plans for the future. He hoped they included staying in Greer.

  After donning her surgical mask and gloves, Sarah lifted the gray tomcat out of the cat kennel and handed him to Grant. “What’s Galahad in for today?”

  “We’re neutering him so he won’t sow his wild oats.” She watched Grant place him in a glass container that reminded her of a fish tank. “And hopefully it’ll keep him from spraying all over Mrs. Germaine’s house.”

  “So why are you knocking him out this way instead of using a shot? Sarah adjusted the mask on her face so it fit snuggly over her nose and mouth.

  “The recovery time is quicker.” He fiddled with the knob to the tank that controlled the flow of gas. “He’ll be out in a few minutes. Then we can start. Do you have any questions?”

  Sarah shook her head. She had a ton of questions, but didn’t know where to start. Most of her learning came from observations and reading anyway. Books had been her one solace growing up, and magazines and newspapers kept her current with the world events even as an adult since she didn’t own a computer.

  “So tell me, how long do you plan on staying in Greer?”

  Sarah looked at Grant. The gentleness of his gaze loosened her lips and she found herself admitting things out loud she’d never said before. Grant had that effect on her. “I’m tired of running and living day to day. I promised myself I’d settle down when I found the right town. I think Greer is it.”

  Plus, Greer had Grant and his family—both accepting of her. She’d be crazy to leave.

  “I’m happy to hear that.” He moved a strand of loose hair from her face and placed it behind the strap of her mask with a simple caress. A tingling sensation sped through her. “I forgot to mention how much I like your new hair style. It suits you.”

  Unused to compliments, Sarah was glad her mask hid the heat staining her cheeks as Grant turned away. She watched him lift the cat from the tank and set him on the metal table.

  “Okay, here we go. Now place this over his nose and mouth.”

  He handed her a plastic mask, then stepped in behind her, his body mere inches from her own. Sarah could scarcely breathe with her own mask on and Grant’s nearness made it even harder, but she forced herself to concentrate on the cat instead of him.

  With his help, Sarah did as he instructed. Soon, excitement overruled her wildly beating heart at the prospect of seeing the procedure. So far, everything she’d helped with had been pretty routine.

  Grant generally scheduled his surgeries in the mornings while she was at the diner to allow ample time for recovery. A twinge of guilt touched her, knowing she should be there right now, but Mabel could manage as long as Veronica was there.

  “Good job. Now this machine keeps the oxygen flowing, as well as the gas that keeps him asleep.” He pointed to a square contraption with a glass container filled with gray beads, a bag, dials and tubes. “If the cat stops breathing or goes into distress, we’ll know immediately. Ready?”

  At Sarah’s nod, Grant quickly explained about the instruments lying on the tray he’d set up, then about the procedure. “Okay, here we go.” In less than 10 minutes he was done. They’d worked in perfect unison, which didn’t surprise him one bit.

  Grant was glad to see Sarah didn’t flinch. Aunt Mary usually left as soon as she pulled out his instruments. If he had any doubts about the idea that formed in his brain, they fell by the wayside as Sarah stood calmly beside him during the entire surgery. “You’re good at this, you know. Have you thought about what you’ll do once you finish the courses you’re taking now?”

  Grant had to know. It would be a big step for both of them and one he was crazy enough to take. With luck, Sarah would be as willing, too. He trusted her, and if he didn’t know better, he could swear that despite the fact that she was technically his employee, he’d fallen in love with her.

  Sarah removed her own mask and then stroked the still sleeping cat. Grant’s words made her nervous. He had a habit of being able to draw responses from her that left her feeling open and vulnerable and more confused than ever. “I suppose I’ll keep taking more classes until I have enough to transfer to a regular university.”

  “And then what? What will you study?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought that far ahead.” At least not until now. Sarah never tried to think about anything in the long term because something always came up and she was on the move again.

  He gave her a long searching look that quickened her pulse. “Maybe you should.”

  Sarah warmed again under his attention, daring to believe this time would be different. She wanted to get used to the closeness she felt with him. She wanted to share he
r burden and lean on his strength. She just had to find the strength to cross the invisible line she’d drawn through the years.

  That afternoon proved to be a slow one, which didn’t surprise Grant. Homecoming Weekend was a big deal in Greer and most of the people had already started their celebrations yesterday. Since his aunt had left to help the Booster Club, Sarah finished with work in back, sat behind the front counter ready to answer the phone or greet a non-existent customer.

  At 3:30 he emerged from his office, his lab coat slung over his arm, a small medical supply box in his hand containing the kitten Sarah rescued that morning. Since the feline would be the only animal at the clinic that weekend, Grant decided to take her home with him. It would make the frequent feedings a lot easier. “I doubt we’ll see anyone else today, and if someone comes by, my emergency number is posted on the door. Ready to leave?”

  Sarah nodded. “You bet. It’s beautiful outside. Since its quit raining, I thought Rocky could use a little exercise in the park with his new toy.” At the mention of his name, Rocky’s tail thudded on the floor beside her.

  “Great. I’ll drive you there.” But at the park, Grant didn’t drop Sarah off like he’d intended. Somewhere along the tree-lined streets, he decided there would never be a better time to talk to Sarah about what he hoped would be their future.

  He parked and accompanied her to a secluded area within a group of oak trees, near a man-made lake. No one lingered in the peaceful surroundings, and he suspected they were all getting ready for the game that evening. He settled on the bench and gazed around. “Nice spot. Imagine living in Greer your entire life and not really taking full advantage of what it had to offer. It didn’t help though that we lived out of town. As you saw, our backyard was like a park itself. Please, come join me.”

  Sarah retrieved a tennis ball from her backpack, unleashed Rocky, and threw it for him to fetch before she sat down beside him. “I can’t imagine living anywhere more than a few years, much less a lifetime.” Her sigh spoke volumes.

  Gently, he placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. Her lack of resistance encouraged him as he pulled her closer still and cradled his chin on top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her. Sarah. The tough, street-wise kid who, deep down, was just a scared and lonely woman, had wormed her way into his heart and his life.

  Rocky returned with the ball, dropped to his haunches and gnawed away at the felt. Grant knew she should stop the dog but he needed to talk to Sarah while he had the chance. “Sarah, about your job at the clinic—”

  She gasped and tried to pull away as she peered up at him, her eyes widening in alarm. “It’s over? I’m done?”

  “No. It’s not that. You’ve done a great job. You’re a natural. I think, no, I know you’d make a great technician. Have you thought about…” The words jumbled in his brain as he tried to put them in a cohesive sentence. He’d never had trouble talking to women before, but then again, none of them had been Sarah.

  His heart, his struggling practice, and his entire life would be committed. He loved her. He thought he’d fallen in love before, but he’d been wrong. He’d fallen in love with the idea of love, but those feelings were nothing compared to the deep, earth-shattering response he felt toward Sarah and it rocked him.

  He hadn’t felt this tongue-tied since he asked Marla Stevens to the Homecoming Dance in ninth grade. Taking a deep breath, he started again. “What I’m trying to say is would you consider going to tech school? There’s a good one in Denton that has an opening next semester. We can work out the tuition in trade and when you’re done, we can talk about a permanent fulltime position.”

  He hoped she would accept his suggestion—accept him.

  Stunned, Sarah gripped the wood bench for support. A technician? A chance to work with animals as a career? Grant had just offered her the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only in the physical sense of providing a way for her to go to tech school, but in an emotional one as well. He was like Mickey, Rocky’s manager, in her favorite movie. He really believed in her and was giving her the chance to succeed in life.

  The walls around Sarah’s heart tumbled down. She had no doubt her feeling for him now. She loved him even though she’d sworn never to allow anyone near her again. Yet in the time she’d worked for him, he’d shown her another side of family life and the meaning of unconditional love.

  All she had to do was accept his offering. But in order to do that, she had to come clean with her past and tell him the truth. The whole truth. He believed in her, now she had to believe in him. And believe he wouldn’t judge her for what she’d done to survive on the streets. “Grant, I—I’m—I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes.” He gave her another searching look that sent shockwaves through her. A new Sarah emerged. One ready to release the past and fight for the future.

  “Yes, but there’s some things you need to know—”

  “I know everything I need to.”

  He lifted her chin and drew her face within mere centimeters of his own. Sarah felt herself drowning in his deep blue eyes as a slight breeze rustled through the leaves overhead. Using the pad of his thumb, he caressed her cheek and then slanted his mouth over hers.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she closed her eyes, anticipating his kiss.

  Chapter Ten

  Warm and inviting, Grant’s caress turned her blood into molten liquid as it sped through her veins. Timidly, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck like she’d seen countless others do. The idea didn’t seem so foreign now. She inhaled, unused to such tender caresses, unused to being touched at all, but enjoying it just the same.

  With Grant she felt safe, protected, wanted.

  She returned his kiss, which invited him to deepen the embrace. The sensations made her lightheaded and dizzy but she didn’t want him to stop. Ever. She’d never known how it really felt to be cherished an even though he’d never said a word, she felt loved.

  For too long she’d felt nothing and now she felt everything. Grant chased away the emptiness, the loneliness in her life, and Sarah thought she would die from sheer pleasure. Her heart sang in rapid staccato with his as the final walls around her heart crumbled to the ground.

  Setting foot in Greer had been the best thing she’d ever done. Not only to make her life better, but because she’d found the one man who seemed to understand her, and accept her.

  “I love you.”

  The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Not that she wanted to because they were true, even if he didn’t feel the same.

  Grant ended the kiss as Sarah’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. For one, he thought he’d never hear them, for another, they were in the park where any Tom, Dick or Harry could see them kiss. What had he been thinking? Or had he been thinking at all? His sanity had taken flight the minute their lips touched.

  He could have hit himself for making such a public display of affection. That had not been his intention. She deserved better from him. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.

  As she dropped her arms to her sides, Grant sat back on the bench and looked at her. Her skin was flushed, her breathing shallow, but it was the expression on her face; wounded, haunted. What looked like a sheen of moisture crept under her eyelids, making him feel like the worst kind of cad. His mother would have his hide if she found out.

  “You’re right, that shouldn’t have happened,” she whispered in a resigned tone.

  He sensed her withdrawal immediately and could have hit himself again at the insensitivity of his words. She’d declared her love for him, which had taken him completely by surprise, but like an idiot he said the first thing that sprang to his mind and all he did was hurt her again. He knew those words had not been easy for her to say.

  “Sarah, look at me. It’s not what you think.” Gently, he cupped her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. While he spoke, his thumb caressed the soft skin along her jawline. “I love you, too
, sweetheart. Don’t think we’re finished. We’re not. Let me rephrase my statement. I’m not saying it shouldn’t have happened, just not here. We need a more private place.”

  Grant watched as her lips softened into a smile and beckoned him again. He leaned down and took possession of them for a mere second, tasting her. He wasn’t worthy of her. As he rose to his feet, he reached out his hand to help Sarah off the bench.

  “Come, on. We can continue this at my place after the game.”

  “What game?”

  Grant released her, bent over, picked up the ball, and threw it past a waiting Rocky, who gamely ran after it, his tail flying out behind him.

  “It’s Homecoming Weekend at Greer high School. The football game is tonight. Lindsay is on the cheerleading squad and Jeremy plays the trumpet in the band. If I don’t show up, Aunt Mildred will have my head for breakfast.”

  “We certainly don’t want to disappoint Aunt Mildred,” Sarah agreed. “She’s way too kind.”

  “Okay then, let’s grab a quick bite to eat, and then go see the game. Then afterwards…” He pulled her to him again and gave her a kiss filled with promise of things to come. Heck, it was all he could do not to finish what he’d started, even if they were in the park. “If we don’t leave now, we’ll never make it.”

  “Bummer.”

  He swatted her on her bottom playfully. “Come on, it’ll be fun. My family will be there; you’ve already met most of them, and maybe a few of my old high school buddies.”

  “Fine.” She gave him another smile. “At least this time, I know what to expect. I think. C’mon boy.” As she put the soggy, half-chewed ball back into her backpack, Grant leashed Rocky and then they headed for the van.

  “I’d grab a jacket,” Grant suggested as he pulled up outside of apartment. “The game usually lasts for a couple of hours, and the nights can get pretty chilly when you’re standing outside.”

  “Okay, stay here. Give a few minutes to change clothes and feed Rocky.”