He slid behind the wheel and backed out of the driveway and onto the street. As he drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see Sarah gracefully tuck those long, shapely legs into her car, and he knew it was an image that would stay with him all day.
CHAPTER SIX
TUESDAYS WERE SARAH’S catch-up days, the days she dusted and vacuumed the store, dealt with correspondence, shopped for office supplies, and took care of anything else that been added to her to-do list throughout the previous week. She switched on the computer in the office at the back of the store, and opened her calendar and scanned her task list.
This was always a slow day for business, particularly in the morning and especially now that tourist season was winding down and the back-to-school rush had ebbed to a trickle. This morning she would reorganize the storage room, including the corner that served as her office. And since today was Casey’s first day back at school and she’d be having lunch in the cafeteria, Sarah was off the hook for having to come up with a meal at home. Instead, after Juliet started her shift at one o’clock, Sarah would dash across the street and grab something from the deli, and then she’d work right through the afternoon until it was time to go home. By then her Tuesday to-do list would be no more and she’d be ready to start Wednesday with a clean slate.
She’d been encouraged to see Casey leave for school with Kate and Jonathan that morning. Her daughter was the only girl she knew whose best friend was a boy, and until recently it hadn’t concerned her. But one of these days, and Sarah suspected that day might be sooner rather than later, either Henry would fall for some other girl, or Casey would develop a romantic interest in another boy. Then what? Henry was a great kid but when the inevitable happened, Sarah secretly hoped her daughter wouldn’t be the one left on the sidelines.
Sarah’s cell phone trilled and she answered it as she opened her email program.
“Sarah, it’s Juliet.” A child wailed in the background and her efficient young shop assistant sounded uncharacteristically harried.
“Hi. Is everything okay?”
“No, yes, I mean, I hope so. Alexander was up and down all night, and now he’s running a fever.”
“Aw, the poor little guy. He sure doesn’t sound happy.” Sarah adored Juliet’s three-year-old son, and Casey was his favorite babysitter. “Did you call the clinic?”
“As soon as they opened, but they can’t squeeze us in until later this morning. Brian offered to stay home and help out, but we can’t afford for him to take the day off.”
Juliet’s husband worked at the marina, doing odd jobs and helping with boat maintenance and repairs with the hope of becoming an apprentice mechanic. Between that and Juliet’s part-time job here at the store, they struggled to make ends meet. Juliet’s Tuesday shift normally started after lunch and her mother looked after her son for the afternoon. But in Sarah’s book, family came first, always. And yes, she kept a careful eye on finances, but she didn’t scrimp on payroll. Juliet was worth her weight in gold, and her next paycheck wouldn’t be short the few hours she would miss today.
“I don’t want you to worry about a thing. Take that darling boy of yours to the doctor, and then let’s hope he has a nice long nap this afternoon so you can get some rest, too. I can manage on my own.”
“What about your lunch break?”
“I’ll call the deli and order something. If they can’t deliver, I’ll lock up for a few minutes and run across the street to pick it up.”
“But what if—”
There was more crying, followed by a muffled, “Mommy, my froat hurts.”
“No more buts,” Sarah said. “You need to stay home and take care of your son. Give him a hug for me, okay? Everything will be fine here. Call me after you’ve seen the doctor and let me know how he’s feeling.”
“Okay. Thanks, Sarah. I really appreciate your being so understanding.”
“I’m a mom, too, remember? Been there, done that. Many times.”
She said goodbye, thinking how lucky Juliet was, in spite of having a sick kid. When Casey was little, Sarah’s mother lived two ferry rides and a four-hour drive away, and even before her husband’s accident, he hadn’t been any help in the child care department. Juliet and Brian were a cute couple, crazy about each other, doting parents. Sarah considered herself lucky to have them and their young son in her and Casey’s lives.
Not that your life is lacking, she reminded herself. She slipped off her suit jacket and hung it on the back of her desk chair, squaring the shoulders neatly as she consulted her list. After spending Saturday evening with her new neighbors, the push-pull of her annoyance with and unexpected attraction to Jonathan had left her feeling that maybe, just maybe, her life wasn’t as full as she believed. After her guests left that night, she assured herself the feeling would be fleeting. Now, Tuesday morning, she was dismayed to discover it wasn’t.