“Are you only serving Dark Horse wine?” she asked, watching as the bartender uncorked a Shiraz.
“Yes. The Hallahans donated the wine.” The bartender wiped down the open bottle.
“Do you know the Hallahan brothers?” Sarah asked, intrigued.
The woman nodded. “I grew up in Napa. We all went to the same high school. Craig was a couple of years older than me, and Chad was a year behind.”
“What year did you graduate?”
“’Ninety-five.”
Sarah was surprised. The woman looked young . . . at least, younger than her. “So did I.”
“Where are you from?”
“San Francisco.”
“A city girl.”
“I am.” Sarah smiled. “By the way, I’m Sarah, Meg’s youngest sister.”
The bartender looked intrigued and extended her hand. “I’m Lauren Summer. I’ve worked with Meg for years. She’s always used us to cater her events.” Lauren gestured to the open bottles. “Can I pour you something? Red, white, beer?”
“I’d love a glass of white. Whatever you have that’s cold.”
“It’s all cold, and while the Chardonnay is Dark Horse’s big seller, I’m partial to their new Sauvignon Blanc.”
“I’ll try the Sauvignon Blanc, then.”
“If you don’t like it, I can pour you something else.”
“It could be battery acid right now, and I’d probably drink it.”
Lauren grinned, and a dimple flashed in her cheek. “You’re different from Meg.”
“I’m the baby of the family, youngest of five,” Sarah answered drily. “I think my parents were worn out by the time I came along. Meg claims I got away with murder.”
“Did you?” Lauren asked, handing her a goblet.
“Not murder, but I did get a car at sixteen,” Sarah said, lifting the glass to her mouth, hiding her smile. “And no one else did.”
Lauren laughed. “I bet your brothers and sisters had something to say about that.”
“Oh, plenty, but Mom said they could all come home from college or whatever and drive me around to all my activities and games because she couldn’t. She was working.”
“Your mom worked?”
Sarah nodded. “She was a nurse, but then went back to school after I was born. Got her master’s in hospital administration.”
“Impressive lady.”
“She was.” Sarah’s smile faded as she pictured her mom. Her chest squeezed, heart aching. “She just died. Cancer. Passed away just last week.”
“Last week?”
“We thought she was in remission.”
“I’m so sorry. And two funerals in a week?”
Sarah nodded. “Mom’s, we expected. But Jack’s . . . that was a total shock.”
Lauren made a rough, inarticulate sound. “Car accidents usually are.”
Nine
Sarah returned to Tampa on Saturday night and attended the last game against the Yankees at Tropicana Field Sunday with Ella and Brennan, sitting with Alyssa and her kids in the section reserved for wives and girlfriends.
“Seems like you were gone forever,” Alyssa said as they settled into their seats for the game.
Sarah nodded, shifting Ella into a more comfortable position on her lap. “Was forever. Twenty days. So glad to be home. But good heavens, the laundry! Boone must have used every single towel in the house.”
Alyssa laughed. “That’s because men only use them once, and then they leave them on the floor.”
“If they did the laundry they’d maybe hang a towel up.”
“Or not. I think Jeff would just go out and buy more.”
“Men!”
“And to think I’m raising four boys,” Alyssa said, leaning forward to do a quick inventory, making sure all four of them were still sitting, each wearing a Tampa Bay shirt of some sort, with Brennan in his jersey and hat, sandwiched between them.
“I love my boy,” Sarah answered, noting that Brennan was jabbing his friends with his elbow and hot dog, but the Neeley boys were used to it. Thank God they didn’t seem to mind. “But I’m really glad for my girl,” she added, kissing the top of Ella’s head. “She adds some sugar to all the spice.”
* * *
Tampa Bay ended the series with a win, sweeping the Yankees at home. Boone had a home run in the bottom of the eighth that helped the team win Sunday’s game, and Sarah was so happy to be there in person, to see him round the bases and then step on home plate. It was just like her early days with Boone, back when it had just been the two of them, dating, and then married and newlyweds.
Sarah hummed as she drove the kids home after the game, feeling better than she had in a long time. This was what she needed. Time with her kids, time with Boone, just being a family. She wouldn’t think about his leaving Tuesday morning either, for a ten-day road trip, the first of the season. It was only Sunday night. She still had all of tomorrow.