SARAH WAS ALREADY five minutes late for her third shift at Sue Lynn’s when she locked the front door of Paws for Love. “Starting a new job four days before the open house that will change everything? Worst planning ever.” She immediately dropped her key ring and cursed under her breath as she searched for it in the predawn light. “My regular shift will be better. Lunch will be better. Lunch will be better.” She’d been repeating that for days, ever since she’d bungled her way through her first breakfast shift with Brenda.
Something shifted under her new, cheap running shoe, making her curse again.
“What is...” She bent down to snatch up her keys and then tried to tug the envelope out from under her foot. It finally slipped free and Sarah ran to the car, tossed everything inside and sped through the deserted streets to make up two of her five minutes.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said as Brenda let her into the brightly lit diner. “Car trouble.” Little white lies had always been her first line of defense. When Brenda made the “continue” hand motion, waiting for the truth, Sarah sighed. “My car can’t break the sound barrier yet, so it was entirely too slow to make up the five minutes I was late before I left the shelter.”
Brenda handed her a tub of silverware. “Wrap quickly.”
Sarah saluted and got started. Focusing on work made it easier to ignore the worry that she’d been working day and night to throw a party that might not bring in a single donor.
By the time she’d finished mailing out invitations, she might as well have sent one to every house in Holly Heights.
“Ready?” Brenda was standing by the door, her hand resting on the lock. From her spot at the counter, Sarah could see the line of regulars on the sidewalk. If she’d ever wondered how Sue Lynn stayed in business, now she knew that “regular” meant...regular, like every single day, breakfast or lunch. This was her last morning training shift, but Sarah could already name the usual orders for almost every person who’d come in that morning.
Luckily, that made it easier for everyone to decipher her writing.
Sarah set the tray of wrapped silverware under the hostess station and nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
If someone had told her at sixteen that she’d be wearing discount store shoes and worrying about losing a job waiting tables, she would have destroyed them. Or her father would have, because she would’ve cried to her daddy.
There were brief moments she wished she could still do that. They were mixed up with flashes of pride that she was pulling it off. All of it. Saving the shelter, getting a job, keeping the job.
For the next three hours, she served delivery guys, a group of nurses from the hospital, shop owners who had previously lived to cater to her and almost half of her graduating class, most of whom had filled office spots or started their own businesses to stay in Holly Heights.
And instead of insults and grief, she got polite requests and respectable tips.
Because people were good. They were treating her better than she would have.
When Dinah Ames, Cece’s mother, slid onto a seat at the counter, Sarah poured her a coffee to sip while she waited and thanked whatever lucky star had saved her from a job at the Shop-on-in. Dinah seemed nice enough but Sarah was certain every single mistake she made flowed directly back to Cece for her enjoyment.
“Your usual to-go order?” She had the special written down before Dinah nodded and immediately turned away to put the order up. While she was congratulating herself on efficiency and surviving another day without breaking plates or melting down over some stupid mistake, Dinah doctored her coffee.
“Got your invitation to the open house,” Dinah said, then paused to sip the hot brew carefully. Sarah knew she was staring too hard while she waited for more, but if no one showed up to see the revived Paws for Love, all her plans would be wasted.
Not even Rebecca, Stephanie and Jen would permanently bankroll the place if the town didn’t get behind it.
“Gonna have refreshments?” Dinah raised her eyebrows. “If I shut the shop down, I’m going to need to eat my lunch or...something while I’m there.”
“To-go, order up.”
Sarah waved thanks at the cook, grabbed a paper bag and snapped it open before she slid Dinah’s container in, along with a stack of napkins, plastic fork and two grape jellies. She was getting the hang of it.
“Strawberry, not grape.” Dinah shook her head slowly. “So close.”
Sarah squeezed her eyes closed and said, “Almost had it today,” as she changed out the jelly.
She carefully folded the top down and slid it across to Dinah. “I’ll make you a deal. If you close the shop down and come out to the shelter, I’ll send you home with all the cookies you can carry.”
“An offer I can’t refuse. You had me at cookie.” Dinah slid money across the counter, perfect change down to the penny.
Except today there was one dollar extra.
Things were looking up. Dinah had left her a tip.
Sarah couldn’t stop a chuckle and she waved at Dinah as she left. “A tip and an RSVP from Dinah. At least I can count on one person showing up,” Sarah murmured as she wiped down the counter.
“Two. I’ll be there,” Brenda said. She reached around Sarah to grab the coffeepot. “Can’t deny I’m curious about this place Jen disappears to every day.”
Sarah could vouch for Jen’s perfect attendance. Ever since Hope had come in, Jen visited in the afternoon. While she was there, she helped. She was the kind of volunteer Sarah wished they could order out of a catalog. She asked for jobs, carefully paid attention to instructions and then went and did exactly as she was asked. Nothing more, nothing less. She cared about the animals so she always did a good job.
“I’m going to miss her help when Hope goes home.” Sarah riffled through her notepad to count her tickets.
“When school starts, she’ll be busy, but if you listen to the way she talks about that place, you’ll understand she’s not going to disappear that easily.” Brenda shook her head sadly. “The house she picked is normal enough, but the lot is huge. Out in the country, perfect for a pet shelter annex. I’m guessing she’ll have as many dogs as she has fingers before this whole phase is done.”
“From zero to ten. How long do you expect that to take?” Sarah asked as she pulled out her tips to count them.
“She’s making up for lost time. I’m not sure how she made it to this age with none.” Brenda held out her hand for the money Sarah owed to the kitchen’s tip jar and slipped her own stack of cash in. “I never thought we had enough space or time. And Billy, Will’s dad, he wouldn’t stand for animals in the house. Seeing how she lights up when she talks about this ragged pit bull, I realize I should have pushed harder. And Will... That boy, he’s even worse. At least now they have something in common. They both love their pets more than most people. And it looks good on them.”
Sarah smiled despite the reminder that she hadn’t seen Will in days. She’d almost wished to see the headlights across the ceiling again for a legitimate reason to call him, but the preparation for this open house in addition to her new job and regular duties at the shelter meant she barely got her legs folded up around Bub before she was asleep at night.
Missing Will like this was crazy. They barely knew each other.
But she valued his opinion more than anyone else’s. And his confidence in her made it easier to take scary steps.
She hadn’t stopped thinking about his lips on hers, the weight of his hands against her skin or the restless anticipation that made it difficult to sit still when he was around.
And his goofy, totally in love grin when he set Jelly in her castle... That had become the expression she hoped to see on a man’s face across a crowded room.
Will could seduce her with his lips, but that mix of love and joy marked the difference between for now and forever.
Measuring her future happiness against Will’s love for his cat was sad.
Obviously, she was tired. Thinking crazy thoughts. Envying a cat should mean bed rest, at the very least.
Brenda bumped Sarah’s shoulder. “I know you’re swamped. Get out of here. I’ll bring your check tomorrow when I come, okay?”
“I don’t want to leave you shorthanded.” Now that she’d lived her life shorthanded, she’d be the last person to walk out on someone else. “Besides, I’ve got everything under control. Don’t tell Jen, but she’s washing cats this afternoon.”
Brenda blinked slowly. “Will your delicate relationship handle that?”
Sarah laughed. “I like to push the boundaries.”
Brenda held up both hands. “My daughter is not one to take her boundaries lightly. Still, if anyone can get her bathing cats, it might be you.”
“Really?” Sarah untied her apron and folded it. “That’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever heard, but it still makes me feel like a superhero. Jen gets her way with words from you.”
When Brenda brushed her shoulders off as if it was all in a day’s work, Sarah’s confidence ticked up another notch. Before working the first shift with Brenda, Sarah had fortified her nerves with extra coffee. And like almost every other person to cross her path lately, Brenda had surprised her with kindness, generosity and patience.
Shelly had started the coworker-to-friend trend by hanging tough at the shelter through some serious challenges.
Then Rebecca and Stephanie and even Jen had gone above and beyond the description of donor to help her.
And then there was Will.
“All I’m saying is that you jumped in to work faster than other people I’ve vouched for.” Brenda shook her head. “Don’t know exactly where you got the work ethic but it’s nice to see. And picking up the usuals as fast as you did shows a sharp mind.” She grinned. “Too bad you’ve been hiding it behind shiny hair and expensive clothes all these years.”
Instead of apologizing again or explaining all the reasons she’d thought she had to be who she was, Sarah surprised them both by wrapping her arms around Brenda. “Thank you. If you only knew what these weird, slightly insulting but mostly encouraging comments mean to me, you’d know how badly I needed them.”
Brenda squeezed her and then stepped back. “Go on. I’ll hold down the order pad until Sue Lynn comes in. She sure is going to be happy when you switch to the lunch shift. I might miss you.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “Stick around. I still owe you a meal. You could do lunch next week, right? Then, if I need you to save my bacon, you’ll be close by.”
“You can save your own bacon, but I’ll take the lunch invitation. Be nice to sit in one of the booths and ask you for a clean utensil every three minutes.” Brenda sighed. “Like the woman of wealth and leisure my daughter wishes I would aspire to be.”
Sarah almost groaned when she checked the clock. Any advantage she might have had in leaving early had evaporated and she was late. Again. What a day.
“Gotta run. Meeting with my board of directors.” Sarah peered down her nose haughtily, hoping for a laugh. When she got it, she waved and trotted out to the car.
Sarah raced back through town and squealed into the parking lot of Paws for Love on two wheels, happy to see that she was the first to arrive. Shelly would take care of the afternoon feeding. Already three steps ahead of herself, Sarah raced to the door and fumbled her key ring.
She bent, picked it up and turned back to the car to grab the envelope she’d just remembered.
It was thick, as if it held paperwork, but had only the shelter’s address on the front. No return address. No stamp. “Weird. I’ll figure you out later.”
Today, she’d get approval on the next round of spending, including a series of adoption events. She also planned to discuss the employment ad for the new, improved shelter manager with Rebecca, Jen, Stephanie and Will. But mainly Jen. She was the only real obstacle keeping Sarah from officially taking over the shelter and fund-raising.
First, she had to wash the smell of hash browns out of her hair and change into her clean pair of jeans. It had been a good week at the diner. She might even be able to keep working there if she got the chance to take over full-time operations of the shelter. It was a job that took way more than forty hours a week, but there was no reason they had to fall from eleven to three.
If she could keep both jobs, she would. Coming this close to homelessness had made it clear that just getting by could be dangerous. She’d love to have a chance to get a little ahead.
She hadn’t met Jen’s deadline, not quite, but she’d shove her suitcase in the car before the open house, and next week, she’d move into her own tiny apartment.
She wouldn’t have a stick of furniture, but she and Bub would have plenty of room to spread out.
And she’d sleep through the night without staring up at the ceiling, watching for headlights.
She jumped into the cramped shower in the employee bathroom, washed and dried her hair and then got dressed. On her way back to the office, she started a load of laundry, gave her shadow, Bub, a treat and eased into her ugly chair.
She checked for new email. None. The shelter’s website had been updated with new hours and a large, splashy graphic. She and Shelly had spent two days coming up with the announcement for the shelter’s open house and the image of Bub wearing a party hat. At this very moment, she was as ready as she could be.
Except the envelope was ruining the clean lines of the stacks on her desk.
She flipped the manila envelope over, but there was no address on the back. The clasp was the only thing holding the envelope closed, and as soon as she opened it, a stack of cash spread out across her desk.
She wanted to toss the bills in the air like a game show winner. How long had she been dodging bill collectors and worrying about rent? But she’d never have enough time to restore her office before Rebecca, Jen and Stephanie walked in.
Rolling around in cash would send the wrong impression.
Then she realized she had no reason to celebrate. This wasn’t a windfall like the lottery. Only one person would have left this for her and he’d stolen it from the people who were helping her.
But she needed it so badly.
Sarah carefully counted as she restacked the money. “One thousand dollars.” And a handwritten note inside the envelope. “Tampa. Monday.”
Sarah had spent a lot of time studying handwriting growing up.
She wouldn’t bet her first month’s rent on it, but with a free roll, she’d gamble this was her father’s handwriting.
And possibly her chance to get her old life back.
Temptation in an envelope.
“I did not need this today.”
All she had to do was get up right this second, leave Bub and the shelter and everything else behind to head for the airport. This was more than enough cash to get her there and buy a nice hotel room for a few nights.
Except she’d be blowing off everything that had come to mean so much and the people who’d helped her.
To join her father, the man who’d stolen from his employees and run away.
Sarah rubbed the hard knot in the center of her chest and realized she was struggling to breathe.
There was no way to deny it now, not even to herself. Her father had no intention of coming back to Holly Heights with some breezy explanation.
Her father was a thief, one who’d left her here. All alone.
He was also the man who’d make sure she didn’t have to worry about rent money, who’d stood up to her teachers and faced down her critics, and he was the only family she had left.
If only he’d knocked instead of leaving the envelope in the middle of the night.
Like a coward.
With Hollister watching so closely, maybe that had been her father’s only choice.
Aside from doing the right thing: confessing, turning himself in to face the fallout.
And it seemed as if her father wasn’t sure which way Sarah would go.
If he’d knocked on the door and come inside Paws for Love, would she have left with him or called the cops?
Her uncertainty rattled her.
Sarah shoved the money back inside the envelope and pressed her forehead against the cool surface of her desk. Such a headache. After all the late hours and hard work, any reminder of Bobby Hillman could make a headache bloom right between her eyes.
“Hey, boss, good day at the diner?”
Sarah jerked up to see a smiling Shelly. “Sure. And after this afternoon, we’re going to know which direction to go next. It’s a great day.”
Shelly gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m headed for sudsville, population me and every animal in this place. Call if you need me. Les will come by with food.” She wrinkled her nose. “He says he can’t stand to miss a meal with me.” Shelly whistled as she strutted away, but the tune was loud, a little off-key and entirely too happy.
No one should be that cheerful about giving dogs and cats baths.
“Wait for Les, and leave some of the cats for Jen. She wants to help,” Sarah called out before Shelly disappeared. Then Sarah straightened in her chair as Will appeared in her doorway.
Sarah shuffled the envelope under a stack of file folders, then stood and smoothed her hands down her jeans. “Come in, everyone.”
“How’s Hope?” Jen glanced around the room, challenging anyone to give her a hard time over her affection for her soon-to-be dog.
“Great. Les is going to remove the stitches today. All of them. They’ll wait on you.” Sarah waved the adoption contract she’d placed on top of the most important stack of papers on her desk. “When you’re ready, we’ll do some paperwork.”
“I’ll go help with the cats, okay, Dad?” Chloe started to inch away, but not before Will tugged the pink stripe in her ponytail. “Be careful. Cats are smart. They might gang up on you.”
Chloe glanced at Sarah and rolled her eyes before she trotted off to the cat room.
“Are you ready for us?” Will asked, and Sarah realized she’d been staring at him, cataloging any differences she could see after their time apart. Was his hair longer or mussed from the cool breeze? There was no way he was actually taller. Was there?
Sarah shook her head to clear it. At this point, there was no option but to execute her plan A. The envelope was a problem for later.
“Uh, yes, I’m ready. As you all know, the open house is on target, so I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss the next phase.” She handed out the list of proposed events, all of which had dollar estimates.
Then she threaded her fingers together in a tight knot and rested her hands on the desk, determined not to hurt her chances by talking too much. The second part of this meeting depended on convincing everyone she could be cool, calm and collected as needed.
“You’ve done a good job with the budget so far.” Stephanie put her copy of the proposal down. “You’re almost ten percent under.”
“The roofer, the general contractor and even the printer were happy to give me a discount for displaying their signs at the open house.” Sarah twisted her pen in circles. “But you can’t count on that.”
The way Will’s eyes crinkled at the corners might have been better than a full-blown grin. Sarah couldn’t sit still thanks to the warm glow in her chest, so she twisted back and forth while she waited for Rebecca.
“We should wait until after the open house,” Jen said slowly as she inched the paper across the desk. “We said in the beginning we’d wait to see whether Paws for Love could build community support.”
Rebecca wrinkled her nose. “Doesn’t the fact that you’ve been here past closing hours every day for a week indicate that it can? New volunteers. Two new students anxious to shadow Les. Discounts from local suppliers. Paws for Love is starting to gain ground.”
“And this budget—” Sarah picked up Jen’s copy “—is all about building that support. Whatever glimmer you can see now, we can fan to a flame with the right kinds of events, publicity and the continued lucky streak.”
Rebecca was nodding. Will’s lips were twitching. Stephanie glanced from Sarah to Jen and back like a tennis spectator. Only Jen narrowed her eyes in consideration.
“Fine. We’ll start the next phase. But I want to do a short dog show tomorrow. We’ll put three or four on leashes, add cute bandannas, walk them out among these donors. I’ve got two more kids who’ll come and bring their families. Good for publicity and public opinion.” Jen shrugged. “And I can’t take them all home.”
At this late stage, Sarah was certain she couldn’t handle one more event.
But it was a great idea.
So she shook Jen’s hand. “Done.”
“And another idea I had...” Jen licked her lips and frowned at Rebecca, who blinked back at her, as if she’d never interrupt. “You should take family photos. When the dogs or cats are adopted, make a snapshot with the first names and the animal’s name. Then we could make a billboard or some kind of wall display showing the people who support Paws for Love.” She glanced down at the pleat she was pinching in her jeans. “Then, if someone comes in and they’re on the fence about the shelter or rescue animals or whatever, they’ll see somebody they know, and they can get a reference, a glowing endorsement.”
Everyone was quiet as they considered her suggestion. Then they all turned to Sarah.
As if it was her decision.
“I love it. We’ll need to add a digital camera and figure out printing the photos...” Sarah jotted a note that she hoped she’d be able to read later. “Or what if there was a scrolling display. The pictures might get ragged, but a digital slideshow that could be updated quickly...” She trailed off as she tapped her lips, considering the cost. Then she waved off that big dream. “For now, printing photos. Someday, we’ll go high-tech.”
Stephanie patted Jen on the back. Will offered her a closed fist. Watching them bump fists might have been the highlight of Sarah’s day.
The blush on Jen’s cheeks was truly satisfying. She was so intimidating, and it turned out that bluster was her own shield.
Finally, Jen cracked her knuckles. Rebecca winced at the sound. “I have other ideas. Those were the best two.”
“The new managing director is going to love them,” Rebecca murmured.
“Got an employment ad for us to review?” Jen straightened in her seat, ready to get the meeting back on track.
“Yes.” Sarah handed out a second sheet of paper. “I hope I got everything you asked for. If not, let me know and I’ll make adjustments. If we’re going to advertise, I’d like to submit the ad this week.”
Sarah tried to relax against the back of her chair as she watched the three of them study the advertisement. Will finished first. “Sounds like the ad for my secretary.”
“Which worked wonderfully. That Alice is a pleasure to talk to.” Rebecca waved a hand. “Kind of sniffly, but very business savvy.”
“Yeah, she’s got an allergy, but we’re working our way through it.” Will caught her stare. “It’s not easy to find someone who appreciates well-documented procedures. Add that to an affinity for cats and the field around Holly Heights gets impossibly narrow. Alice was happy to get the job, and eventually the allergy meds will start working. I hope.”
“Couldn’t you leave the cat at home?” Rebecca asked as she made a note on the employment ad.
Will and Jen shot Rebecca identical outraged looks.
“Fine. I forgot who I was talking to. Pet-crazy-come-lately and his stepsister, Just-plain-crazy.” Rebecca shot the paper back across the desk. “Nothing major, a tweak.”
Sarah nodded and stacked Will’s on top. “Jen? Stephanie? Anything to add?”
Stephanie tilted her head to the side. “I’ve never hired someone, but I have this feeling we’ll know her when we see her.”
Sarah waited for a second to see if there was anything helpful to follow that response and turned to Jen.
Jen’s lips tightened into a flat line as she shook her head.
“All right, before you go, I was hoping you could review this résumé.” She carefully placed the résumé she’d worked and reworked in front of them. Then she folded her hands. “It’s mine. I’d like to be considered for the new full-time position of shelter managing director, complete with a seat on the board, the new combined salary I’ve already budgeted and an assistant manager who will work part-time and help to oversee the volunteers I plan to pack this place with.”
“Art? You majored in art?” Jen grunted. “That says so much about you, none of which makes me want to hire you.”
“I started and finished in four years,” she said. “And I’ve got plenty of fund-raising experience. No one can say I haven’t done good work here. Yes, I needed your help, but I’ve accomplished a great deal in a short time.”
When no one spoke up in her defense, she stood to pace in a small circle. “Hard work. Good ideas. Commitment to the mission of the shelter. I have all those.”
“A solid reputation. Goodwill in the community. The ability to influence the decision makers in Holly Heights.” Rebecca sighed. “You don’t have any of those. Not anymore.”
That was impossible to refute. And the fact that Rebecca was the one bringing it up instead of her harshest critic was depressing.
“Fine. I’ll run the ad. Promise me you’ll give me one more interview before you fill the spot.” Sarah wasn’t sure what she could do, but one thing she’d learned with all the ups and downs lately was that time could change things.
Good or bad, in three months or six months, everything could be different.
“Would you keep your job at the diner?” Jen rubbed her forehead. “And take this on, too?”
Sarah weighed her options while she tried to guess which answer would be the most persuasive. Then she slapped one hand on her thigh. “I don’t know. Honestly, to pay the bills, I need both jobs. The lunch shift would make it easy enough to help with the morning and afternoon feedings and playtime. If we hired a part-time volunteer coordinator,” she said as she held up one finger, “something we’ve already talked about and budgeted for, he or she could make sure the volunteers have direction anytime I’m out.”
Will gave her a small nod. “As one of Sarah’s former employers, I have to say she’s resourceful, determined and dependable. If you tell her to improve the visibility of Paws for Love, that’s what she’ll do. I have no doubt. My suggestion is to give her the job, subject to a six-month probationary period.”
Sarah clenched both hands into tight fists. Mainly to keep from pumping them in the air. Having his support, even his presence firmly in her corner, made it easier to pretend she knew exactly how this would work out.
No matter what the decision, she could depend on Will’s help. She would work hard to stand on her own, but having his faith made it easier.
“Put her in charge of the budget for the whole place? That’s a lot of trust.” Rebecca’s tone hurt, but Sarah understood that they had to be careful. Putting someone who made the wrong decisions in charge could hurt the shelter beyond repair.
Unfortunately, most of the town would suspect her of bad behavior no matter how squeaky clean she lived for the rest of her life.
“It would save us the cost of posting the ad. And the time. And get her suitcase out of this office,” Jen grumbled. “There’s no way to get around how easily she’s changed our opinion, either. The first day we walked in here, I wouldn’t have put her out if she was on fire.”
Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and reminded herself she knew exactly where that hostility came from.
“And now?” Stephanie drawled. “Please tell me you’d go for the fire extinguisher.”
Jen pursed her lips. “If it was close, within arm’s reach, say. Anything farther than that, I’m not willing to promise.” Her lips were twitching. “Let’s give her the job. I like watching her work hard.”
Rebecca stood and offered her a hand. “Six months. We’ll draw up a contract. Effective immediately.”
“Thank you.” Sarah shook her hand and had to bite back the steady stream of grateful gibberish boiling inside. Since she’d hit rock bottom and climbed out of the pit in six weeks, she was pretty sure she could climb the mountaintop in six months.
“If we’re done with that, I want to talk about tomorrow.” Rebecca clapped her hands. “Five dozen cookies. Are you sure that’s enough?”
Sarah blinked slowly and tried to imagine baking five dozen cookies on her own. To Rebecca, it seemed as easy as could be. “Since I only know of two people planning to attend, we may have extras, but I’ll need to eat at least a dozen on my own if this flops.”
“Then I better get home.” Rebecca waved as she opened the door. “Get some sleep. You look tired.”
Sarah tilted her head as she tried to figure out what to say to that.
“We’ll go help Shelly.” Jen shook her head, one hand clamped on Stephanie’s arm to halt her escape. “And we’ll be ready to serve tomorrow. I already bought bandannas for the dogs. Hope’s is pink. And if you can get more than two people to show up, you’re going to be impressed at the way the three of us can work a room. Stephanie taught us everything she knows.” Then she pointed at the back of the office. “Move the suitcase.” Having delivered her final admonishment, Jen left the room.
Sarah’s only consolation was the knowledge that washing the roomful of cats would leave her doused and worn-out.
Relieved to have tackled the largest hurdle for the day, Sarah leaned against the desk. Will was watching from the office doorway. “Thank you for encouraging me.”
“I didn’t do a thing,” Will said. “You did that all on your own.”
“That smile of yours speaks volumes. And I needed every word today.” Sarah rubbed a hand over her forehead. “As tired as I am.”
“Neither one of us are all that smooth, are we? Want me to give Jen a noogie? She hates those and she’s little. I could still take her.”
“No need. She’s going to be washing cats. We’re even.”
They both fought smiles for half a second, but laughing with him was satisfying.
“Unless you get out of here quick, I’ll find a job for you, too.” She squeezed his biceps. “Heavy lifting. Or washing dogs. One or the other.”
Will checked his naked wrist. “Is it that late already? I have to...go, do something.” He motioned with a thumb over his shoulder.
She should let him go. She was just getting her feet under her. Until she was steady, he deserved space.
But she needed his help again.
“I missed you.” Sarah stepped forward to rest against him, content with the fantasy that he was hers and would give her all the support she needed. After a second, his hands landed on her back to move up and down slowly.
“Your moods change like the weather around here. One minute you’re sunny, then you cloud up and rain.” Will pressed his chin into the crook of her shoulder. “I think I missed you, too. Why didn’t anyone ever warn me how addicting an exciting woman could be?”
“Probably for the same reason no one ever told me how nice it is to have a guy who’ll loan you a computer instead of the keys to his ‘weekend’ apartment. We wouldn’t have believed them.”
Will nodded. “I’m afraid you’re right. But now we know better. You ought to know... There’s gossip around town. About the two of us.”
Sarah studied his face. From his tone, he believed this news to be very serious. “Well, sure. I’m a popular target.” And used to being talked about. Being connected to Will would improve her standing, so she was ready to laugh it off.
Then she understood the problem.
“Oh. Are you losing clients?” Sarah crossed her arms in front of her, afraid of the answer. Spending time with Will was worth a little gossip to her, but the success of his business, Chloe’s security, raised the stakes for him.
Will rubbed his forehead. “Not yet, but...”
He might. She wanted to set people straight with choice words and her best sneer, but she couldn’t ignore the worry that this was who she’d always be in Holly Heights. Trouble. For any friend or...more.
How could she stay here?
“I should have told Doug Grant what I thought about his gossip.” Will grimaced. “I didn’t. I’m sorry.”
Sarah rubbed at the ache in the center of her chest as she tried to ignore the disappointment. “If you need to pull back from the shelter, I get it, Will.” And she wanted to cry at the thought.
She could be strong this time.
“That’s just it. I don’t want to.” His eyes were locked on hers. “I’ve missed being here. I don’t want more space.”
Sarah had to look away to catch her breath.
“But finding the right thing to say to people like Doug and Cece Grant isn’t easy.” Will ran his hand down her arm to tangle his fingers with hers. “I might need your help.”
Sarah stared down at their hands. The temptation to hop a plane to Tampa and leave her worries behind had just disappeared.
She nodded.
“If you have time for one more favor, I need some advice.” She stepped back, her knees weak. Telling Will about the envelope was a gamble. She knew what his answer would be: call the police. Turn it in. He wouldn’t take the easy way out, not even for a chance at a life of luxury.
But for Sarah, it wasn’t so easy. For a step this big, she needed the support.
She needed Will’s help.
* * *
WILL WATCHED SARAH scramble to answer the phone and nodded when she held up one finger. He had time to check on Chloe.
And recover the feeling in his fingers. As soon as he’d said he didn’t want his space, they’d started to tingle. Probably because he’d been holding his breath.
Her answer had been...unemotional. Deciphering it would take some time.
Following the string of giggles coming from the storage room was easy. Believing his eyes when he got there was harder. Shelly and Jen were wrestling a big tomcat under a faucet while Chloe giggled at the long string of made-up curse words Jen was muttering.
Yeah. No way did he want to be involved in that. Will eased away from the door as his own cell rang. Sarah trotted past and held up one finger before she stepped out into the play yard.
Will retreated to Sarah’s empty office and perched on her dilapidated chair.
“What’s up?”
Answering the phone like that would send Olivia into lecture mode.
That’s why he did it.
“You know I hate it when you do that. Civilized people follow an established routine. Hello. How hard is it to say hello?” From the breathing and synthesized music, she was either running on a treadmill or doing aerobics in an elevator.
“Who is this?” He waved at Chloe, who had squeaked up to the front counter for something.
“Jerk. How is everything?” Beeps indicated she might be slowing down.
“Great. Same as two days ago. And like I said then, I’m not bringing her back to Austin until next weekend. I know she needs new clothes, and I understand you want to buy them, but this is important. She needs to stay through the weekend.” Will clenched his teeth to stop the offer but it rolled right out. “I’ll meet you halfway after work one day next week. Okay?”
“I had my doubts you two would make it a week, much less the summer. I miss her. Charles bought enough steak to invite the whole city to the welcome-home dinner.”
“Good for Charles. He can start cooking this weekend and it’ll all be ready by Wednesday.”
Olivia muttered something under her breath. “Are you doing this to get back at me for something?”
Since he’d been the chess piece caught between his mother and his father until he was old enough to remove himself from the game, he had no intention of playing with Chloe’s life like that. “No, but the animal shelter we’ve both been working with is having a big day tomorrow. She won’t want to miss it.”
“And I guess Sarah needs all the help she can get,” Olivia said. How much had Chloe told her? “It’s definitely time you got a date, Will. I don’t love that Chloe seems to think Sarah and her aunt Jen are capable of saving every cat in the world, but...I’ll allow it. Let’s meet halfway on Sunday. Compromise. We’re supposed to do that.”
He wanted to argue because he wanted every day he could get with Chloe.
“We’re also supposed to discuss things like adopting cats, and you went ahead and did that without me.” Olivia usually reserved this tone to remind him of all the special events he missed because of work.
He’d have been livid if she’d done something like agreeing to adopt a pet without letting him know. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
Olivia’s chuckle was a relief. “Yeah, yeah. Chloe tells me you’ve been leaving work early, taking her on cat shopping trips, researching cat carriers with her. She needs time with you. If it takes a cat, you go ahead and adopt twenty more.” Olivia cleared her throat. “Do not adopt twenty more, crazy cat man.”
“Thanks for giving us this summer.” He and Olivia would argue, but only because they both loved Chloe.
“We’re still a team, Will,” Olivia said.
“All right. Where and when?” Shoving aside Sarah’s neat stacks, Will grabbed a pen to write everything down on his hand. “I’m going to miss her.”
“Yeah, I know, and if you’d moved to Austin...” The silence stretched. Finally, she sighed. “Holly Heights is close. We can make this work. We’ll make sure she has the security we never had. We can do it.”
Will had to swallow hard to clear the lump in his throat. They’d been unable to make marriage work, but he was reminded again how he’d appreciated Olivia’s friendship. “See you Sunday.”
After he hung up the phone, he started to restack all the files. The heavy envelope buried under the paper begged to be opened. Since the flap was loose, he peeked inside.
Cash. A lot of cash.
Why did Sarah have an envelope filled with money?
“Are you snooping through my desk?” Sarah asked from the doorway. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I did want to borrow a pen.” He held out his hand to display his notes. “My ex called and I needed to write something down. To find one, I knocked everything over.”
Sarah looked over her shoulder and shut the door behind her. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I think that’s from my father. The lights in the parking lot at midnight? Somehow they’re connected to that envelope.”
“What are you going to do with it?” Will carefully sealed the open edge and placed it squarely in the center of the desk.
“My father wants me to buy a plane ticket.” Sarah dropped into the chair and covered her face with both hands. “Hollister will confiscate it if I call him and all I can think about is all the things I could pay off, set up, the life I could get a start on, if I just...kept it. Here.”
“It’s a lot of money.” Any normal person would consider doing the same thing, keeping the money. It was a gift from her father. Did Hollister really have a right to it?
Big Bobby Hillman’s victims might.
“So, you don’t want to make your getaway?” Will tapped the corner of the envelope. “I bet your daddy has a lot more of this.” He watched her intently while trying to appear disinterested.
He thought Sarah would stay. She was doing good things and making impressive progress on a real, authentic life, one she built for herself.
And he wanted her here in Holly Heights.
“For so long, I was running in place, waiting for him or hoping for a chance to get my old life back.” She leaned forward. “I really had convinced myself he was innocent.”
Giving in to impulse, Will grabbed her hand and tangled his fingers with hers. “I’m sorry. It can’t be easy when your hero lets you down.” He’d been there. Through every divorce and shuffle, he’d become a little more cynical about his own parents. “You should be proud of everything you’ve done without Bobby Hillman.”
Sarah studied their hands. “You’d think less of me if I just...kept the money. Forget the plane ticket. Forget Hollister.”
The answer should be yes. Giving it over to the police was the ethical thing to do.
Why didn’t that answer roll off his tongue?
Maybe because he understood that she had to make the decision. “You don’t have any doubt anymore—you know that you can save yourself, don’t you?”
She studied the ceiling. “Even better. Now I know there are good people in the world who will help me save myself.”
Will squeezed her hand before he pulled away.
“You aren’t going to tell me what to do, are you?” Sarah let out a huff.
Had he finally learned the lesson his sister had been trying to get through his hard head for years? He could tell her what he’d do, but she had the right to make up her own mind.
She’d impressed him with all the decisions she’d made lately.
“Sorry. That’s the thing. This life in Holly Heights? Now it’s all up to you.” Will eased around the desk. “One more day, then the finish line. You’ve got a choice now. Which life will you choose?”
Will pressed his lips against hers, savoring her taste and the perfection of having her in his arms, while he crossed his fingers and hoped this wasn’t the last time he’d see her.
“Are you two ducking your chores?” Chloe said from the doorway. “Aunt Jen and I have a lot to get done this weekend. She wants my opinion on her new house before I go home, and we don’t have much time. She’s promised to come to Austin to show me the floors she picks, but we can’t put every decision off.” One hand was propped on her wet sweater, while her sneaker squeaked in rhythm as she tapped it. “We’ve got a lot of animals to bathe, people, and these cats aren’t going to brush themselves.”
“Think she has a future in shelter management?” Will asked as he slowly slid his hands to his own hips.
“Perhaps military officer training.” Sarah ran her hand down his arm before she winked. Just for him. “Either way, she’s going places.” She spun around and held out her hand. “Put me to work.” Without hesitation, she and Chloe trotted away.
So Jen was now a part of the visitation cycle. As if they were a real family. Will realized that nothing had worked out as he’d intended, but it was going perfectly, anyway.