As she shampooed her hair, she thought how Ivy could—Sara halted.Ivy.Jack’s half sister. He shared a father with Evan and a mother with Ivy. And they had all grown up together.
“Eureka!” Sara shouted as she rinsed her hair. Kate’s visit might be the key to getting Jack to stay with her. He could take the bedroom by the garage. When he’d remodeled the house, he’d made that room quite nice. There was no furniture in it, either, but one trip to a store and...
By the time Sara got out of the shower, she was hatching a plan. Once she got Jack out of his second-story apartment, she and Heather—and Kate—would make sure he didn’t let his grief overcome him.
As she looked across Jack’s dull little apartment, Sara said, “I just want to feelsafe.” She was slumped so far down in the awful old chair that her neck was practically on the seat cushion. Jack had always been one to help a person in need—as long as it wasn’t him who needed it.
“You don’t think she’s after...?” He trailed off.
“Money?” Sara shrugged. “Maybe. I’m an older woman who can pay her bills. I’m a prime target for every scammer on the planet.” She drew in her breath. Was that too much for him to believe? But no, Jack nodded in agreement. It took work for Sara not to sit up straight and declare that she could take care of herself. “I’m sure she won’t stay for long.”
When she saw that Jack was still hesitating, she decided to give his male ego a push. She used the arm of the chair to help herself up. Since her trainer had made her quads so sore that it hurt to stand, her wince was genuine. “I can see that you don’t want to do this.” There was so much martyred suffering in her voice that she thought he’d laugh at her. But he didn’t. “You don’t have to do anything. I’ll hire someone to help me.”
“Hiresomeone?” Jack grabbed his crutches and nearly fell as he stood up with them. “All right. You win.” He sounded disgusted. “You have any furniture for the room?”
“I thought maybe you’d go with me down to Baer’s to see Rico and pick out a few pieces. I need some for Kate’s rooms, too.”
“I don’t know anything about furniture. Ivy is the one—”
“What a great idea! So clever of you to think of her. And I do believe that Ivy said she has the morning off.” Sara pulled her cell from her handbag. “I’ll text her to meet us there. Okay if she brings your mom?”
Jack was glaring down at her. “It sounds like all of you planned this. And you certainly look like you’re feeling better. How was your boxing lesson this morning?”
“Brutal. Are you ready to go?”
“No. I need to pack. I’ll stop by on Saturday. Or Sunday, maybe.”
“You don’t need to pack anything. Every piece of clothing you own has concrete splatters or paint on it.”
“That’s because I spent the last year working on that old house you bought. You kept adding so much that I didn’t have time to goshopping.” His eyes were narrowed. He was Moses being defied.
Sara went to the door. “That’s all right. Your mom picked up a few things for you. Can we go now? If we get there early enough, Rico can schedule delivery for tomorrow.”
Jack was looking like a horse that was going to balk at the starting gate.
She gritted her teeth. Real men could be as stubborn as the ones she put in her novels. “Did I tell you that my niece is five foot seven and has dark red hair? And green eyes? She was voted the prettiest girl in her high-school class.”
“That makes no difference. I’m not looking for—” He took a breath. “Actual green or brownish green?”
“Emeralds are jealous,” Sara said without a hint of humor.
Jack glanced around the apartment, then back at Sara. “I don’t think I can fit in that car of yours.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not that big and MINI Coopers are roomy inside. Wait until you see how many lamps I can jam in there.” She held open the door. “You go first. If you fall, I don’t want you landing on me.”
“Because you’re so old and fragile?” He stepped past her. “Fragile as a water buffalo,” he muttered as he struggled down the steep flight of stairs. “Just so you know, I’m only doing this because you can cook.”
“That isnotpart of this deal,” Sara said, but she was smiling—and offering up a prayer of thanks. Neither she nor Jack were going to be alone. Life was good.
TWO
When Kate Medlar saw the big green highway sign that said Lachlan was two exits away, she took the nearest exit. At the wide T in the road, she hesitated. She didn’t know which way to go. Of course, the guy behind her blew his horn. Laid on it. It seemed that he was so frantic to get somewhere that a twelve-second delay put him in a rage.
She turned right because it was easier and the other car sped forward. As he passed, the driver gave her the finger and mouthed the “call you next Tuesday” word.
And people wondered why there were shots fired between cars, she thought. There was a little diner ahead and she pulled into the gravel parking lot. Inside, she took a booth by the window so she could watch her car. After all, everything she owned was stuffed inside it.
When the waitress came, Kate ordered an egg-white omelet, a single slice of whole wheat toast and black coffee. No sauce, no butter, no cheese, no flavor. Long ago, she’d learned that she hadnotinherited her mother’s ability to eat fried chicken and doughnuts and remain as thin as a broom handle.
