AT 3:30 A.M. Sarah opened her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the digital clock. It was never light when she left for the shop, even at the summer solstice.
Getting out of bed was particularly unappealing with Tyler’s arms wrapped snugly around her. Her body felt drugged with satisfaction.
Rise and shine, Sarah ordered.
She tried to ease away from Tyler without disturbing him, but his arms tightened.
“Where are you going?” he muttered groggily. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I need to shower and get to work. Stay and sleep if you want.”
“I’m not interested in sleeping any longer.” He teased her nipples, sending tingles everywhere, so she elbowed his ribs.
“You’re out of protection,” she reminded him. They’d made love twice and would have a third time, except he only carried two condoms in his wallet. She remembered discussing a trip to the twenty-four-hour convenience store on the edge of town, but they must have fallen asleep before a decision was made.
“Right.”
His fingers stopped their tantalizing dance, and Sarah got up, wishing she could stay. She’d slept better than she had in weeks. Getting a healthy amount of exercise might be partly responsible, but she’d also felt safer with Tyler sleeping next to her.
She got into the shower and washed her hair, arguing that it was normal to feel safer under the circumstances. But she hadn’t seduced Tyler for any reason except wanting to have as much time as possible with him before he left.
The shower curtain opened, and he stepped into the tub, big as life and fully aroused.
“There isn’t enough room for two,” she advised, averting her eyes. One of them needed to exercise self-control. Not that getting pregnant with Tyler’s baby would bother her, but he’d insist on doing the “right thing,” which would go against what she’d decided...that she couldn’t be the reason he lost out on the future he wanted.
“This is a big bathtub. I’m sure we can manage.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. No protection, remember?”
Tyler gave her a devilish smile. “Trust me, I can do wonders with my hands.”
Sarah already knew that, but he proceeded to prove it to her again...
“See?” he murmured when the world had stopped spinning.
She reached around and turned the water off. “And all it cost was a shower curtain and a few gallons of water on the bathroom floor.”
“Sorry about that.” He looked at the torn curtain. “I’ll buy you another one. Get dressed while I mop up the flood.”
It was even harder now to care about going to the sweet shop, but Sarah donned her usual jeans and T-shirt and French braided her damp hair. Downstairs, she sighed at the mess she’d left in her kitchen and began loading everything into the dishwasher.
* * *
TYLER USED THICK TOWELS to soak up the water in the bathroom, mentally designing a home with a shower large enough for two. Perhaps it could be lined in natural stone tile and set so deeply that aquatic-related gymnastics wouldn’t cause a problem.
Damn, he felt good.
Sarah was a generous lover, but it wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex that had cheered him. It was the spirit and laughter she brought to everything. How many people could deal with a stalker and continue being that way?
He walked downstairs and found Sarah making omelets. His stomach rumbled. “I left the wet towels in the bathtub, but I can bring them down if you want,” he offered.
“I’ll do it later.” Her knife began flying over a cutting board.
“Did your cousin leave a message?” he asked, recalling the way Sarah had ignored the phone the night before.
“What? Oh, I checked and it wasn’t urgent. She’s making plans for Uncle Liam’s birthday party in October. She plans ahead, just like me. I’ll talk to her later.”
Sarah handed him a cup of coffee.
“Are you having baby pangs or is this related to your baby-obsessed stalker?” he asked idly, looking down at a health magazine next to the phone.
“Excuse me?”
Tyler leafed through the publication. “This is devoted to the hospital’s obstetrics department.”
“Drat, that came the day the postman gave me all those packages, but I didn’t think to give it to Zach. I saw him yesterday, by the way.”
“Has he come to any conclusions?”
“Nope, other than there seems to be a baby theme.” Sarah checked the omelets on the stove. “But it could just be a distraction. Complaints to the city and slashing my catering vehicle tires aren’t baby-related. I just don’t know why anyone would be angry about the shop or how it could be a case of mistaken identity.” She turned and frowned. “Unless someone else is the target, and it’s classic misdirection.”
“That would be an extreme case.” Tyler set the magazine down and rolled up the blueprints he’d shown her. “The food smells great.”
“Dig in,” she urged, putting the plates on the table.
Tyler hurriedly ate. Then he stood outside and watched as Sarah backed out of her garage. He knew her staff would be on pins and needles until she arrived; the entire community seemed to be on alert, watching after her. The thought was underscored when he saw a police car drive by.
Reluctant to be questioned about his presence outside her house, Tyler got into his rental and returned to Poppy Gold Inns. He let himself into the side door of the suite and listened. Everything seemed peaceful. In the living room, he found Nathan asleep on the couch, his body relaxed.
Tyler quietly went upstairs to his makeshift office, wanting to sketch what Sarah’s building would look like after the remodel. Normally he used a computer-aided design system, but he could do them by hand when needed.
The sun was coming up when he heard a noise from down the hall. A moment later, his mother appeared at the door.
“Good morning, son. When did you get in?”
“I’m not sure. Nothing happened while I was out?”
“All quiet.” Rosemary walked over and looked at the two sketches he’d done, with watercolor washes to give them more depth and interest. “These are wonderful. You always had so much artistic ability. The one with Sarah is particularly lovely. You really captured her.”
Tyler was embarrassed. Generally when he placed “people” in a drawing he used featureless figures for perspective, but he hadn’t been able to resist putting Sarah into the picture...the way he wanted her in his life.
It was true. He wanted her on any terms, for however long she’d let him stay.
Any terms?
A vision of Sarah holding a baby, smiling the way she’d smiled at the Forrester twins filled Tyler’s brain. Having children with Sarah wouldn’t be a compromise. It would be an adventure. It didn’t mean he was crazy about the idea of changing dirty diapers, but he didn’t love everything about architecture, either.
“Tyler? You have the strangest expression on your face. Is something wrong?”
Tyler stood and kissed his mother’s forehead. “No. I’m just figuring some things out, that’s all.”
His mother nodded and left while he gazed at the sketch. Only a mother’s pride would see it as particularly talented. When a computer-aided design program wasn’t available, he was competent at sketching, nothing more. On the other hand, Sarah’s personality shone through everything, even a prosaic drawing.
Sitting down again, he kept thinking about the ways he’d already changed since coming to Glimmer Creek. And because he’d changed, the direction for his life had to change. It was really quite simple.
Tyler smiled. He was going to stop thinking and look for the right moment to propose to Sarah. Then he’d know if there was any chance of them being together.
* * *
ON SATURDAY ROSEMARY was sitting out in the garden with a cup of tea and her book when Kurt rounded the corner of the house.
“I didn’t expect to see you today,” she said.
“Just taking a break. It puts Sarah on edge when I hover too much.” He sat on the chair next to her and stretched out his legs. “Letting go is hard.”
“I’m sure you’ll get there.”
“Yeah, but I’m not enjoying it. Especially with a stalker on the loose.”
Rosemary shivered. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Suits me. Yesterday you mentioned telling your sons about their sister, but you didn’t say how they took it.”
“Tyler seems all right. And I think Nathan was able to relate because he expected to get married and start a family last year until his fiancée broke off the engagement.”
“Was it a bad breakup?”
Rosemary shook her head. “I don’t think so. Pamela simply decided she couldn’t handle being married to a soldier. But I think the desire to become a father helped Nathan understand how much Kittie’s death affected Richard.”
“Could be.” Kurt smiled at her. “So, have you made up your mind about moving to Glimmer Creek?”
“Yes. I’ve told both my sons that I’m doing it. And can you believe it? I’ve already been invited to join the historical society, a quilter’s group and the firehouse auxiliary. Your father and brother have called on us, too.”
“We like to think we’re friendly. Just so you know, there aren’t many rentals in town. You may have to buy.”
“That’s what I’ve heard. But I ran into Leah Benton the other day, and she told me I could stay in their garage apartment while I’m looking. Isn’t that nice?”
Kurt bobbed his head. “That’s my sister.”
Rosemary tried to recall if Leah had mentioned being related to Kurt, but she’d met so many people lately and there were so many connections in Glimmer Creek, it was hard to keep everything straight.
“I didn’t remember she was your sister. Sorting out your relatives is challenging,” Rosemary admitted.
“Don’t worry about it. Just assume everyone you meet is connected. You’ll be right more often than not.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Good. Mind if I take a nap while you read?”
“Be my guest.”
Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Rosemary smiled. One of the nicest things about him was his ability to relax. She’d spent thirty-six years with a man wound tighter than a snare drum, which meant she’d rarely been able to loosen up herself. A faint flash of guilt went through her before she pushed the thought away.
Moving on didn’t mean she was forgetting Richard or the love they’d shared. And a part of her would always hurt because he wasn’t there. But she had to make a new life for herself. While things wouldn’t always be perfect in Glimmer Creek, the future looked interesting.