“Oh, I have a couple of gentle ones,” Connie assured them. “It will feel like being in a rocking chair when you ride them. One’s a quarter horse and only fourteen hands high, so you wouldn’t be that far off the ground, either. But as Sara said, you have to feel ready. You could start by watching some lessons, telling me how you think the kids are handling their horses, nothing strenuous, nothing threatening for anyone.”
“How often would you like me to help?” Ramona asked, almost looking eager.
“How about a couple of mornings a week? Then over lunch we could discuss how you feel and what you saw with the kids.”
“I think that sounds like a good start,” Ramona said, and she turned to Sara. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. And we’ll keep working on strengthening your arms and legs plus your stamina. That treadmill and stair stepper is just waiting for you.”
Ramona laughed and it was the first genuine laugh Sara had heard since she’d begun treating her. Facing fear was probably the best way to face life.
So...could she face her doubts and fears and go along with Jase to San Jose?
First she’d talk to Kaitlyn and see if she could watch Amy overnight. If that could be arranged, then she’d call Jase. She’d tell him she’d go to the wine expo with him and find out if he was going to reserve two rooms...or one.
Chapter Eleven
Sara could hardly keep her eyes off of Jase as he drove to San Jose—his strong hands on the wheel, the breadth of his shoulders, the way his expression changed when he talked to her or watched the road.
But there was tension between them that was her fault. She knew he wanted to ease it when he said, “Tell me why you don’t want anyone to know you’re in San Jose with me.”
“Marissa and Kaitlyn know.” When Jase had come to the cottage to pick her up, she’d given Kaitlyn last-minute details and asked her not to tell anyone about her trip with Jase unless absolutely necessary.
“And my father,” he added. “But I don’t understand why it’s a secret from anyone else.”
“With my interview running in the paper on Monday, I don’t want to start more gossip.”
“You don’t want anyone to think we’re having an affair?”
They weren’t. Yet.
When she didn’t respond, he glanced at her. “I told you the suite has two bedrooms. This trip can be whatever you want it to be.”
She knew what she wanted it to be. But risking her heart again would take courage. Unless she could just look at this weekend as the start of an affair and nothing more.
But could she ever just have an affair with Jase?
She doubted it. If she made love with him, she’d be risking her heart, taking a chance on love again.
That thought was scary, almost as scary as something else she needed to tell him. “I got a call from Mr. Kiplinger’s secretary while I was packing.”
Jase cast her a considering glance. “Has the insurance company made a determination?”
“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me what High Point decided, just that I needed to make an appointment with Mr. Kiplinger. He was out of town, so we set it up for Friday. I can use a personal day.”
“No hint of their decision?”
“No. But I think I’ll try to call him myself on Monday.”
“He’s not going to tell you anything before he has to.”
“I know. But it won’t hurt to call.”
“You persevere, don’t you?”
“What other choice is there?”
“Lots of people give up.”
“You didn’t.”
“No. Because of you.” He reached over and took her hand.
She liked holding Jase’s hand. She liked the idea of doing it for a very long time.
Two hours later, the bellhop opened the door into the executive suite and returned Jase’s key card to him. The hotel was attached to the convention center where the wine expo was being held. The lobby had been luxuriously modern, and now she saw that the sitting area of the suite was, also, decorated in plush claret and soothing gray. But what attracted Sara most were the panoramic views of the cityscape.
After the bellhop deposited their suitcases in the bedrooms—one in each—Jase tipped him and closed the door. “What do you think?”
Still entranced by the view, she responded, “It’s a world away from the vineyard.”
Jase came up behind her at the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Yes, it is.”
He was so close, she could feel his body heat. She did want to be close to him. She leaned back against him and thought again about tonight. Separate bedrooms? Or should she let her desire and feelings for him win out over her fears? His arms came around her and they stood looking out at the city. She could feel his heat, his energy, his passion.