Brian turned at the sound. Sara crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a stare at him. His smile faded.
“Sit down,” she said. “You shouldn’t be up so soon.”
“But I feel so much better.” He sat carefully at the kitchen table and coughed several times, belying his words.
Sara searched through the cupboards and located the dishes. She filled a glass with apple juice from a pitcher on the counter, and placed it on the table before him. “Drink this first or Hattie will hear about it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sara bit back a smile and turned around. Although she knew his cowed expression was contrived, she wasn’t immune to it. A feeling of giddiness assailed her as her emotions seesawed from one extreme to the other.
She put a bowl of chicken noodle soup on the table and ordered him to eat. Not wanting to sit with him and attempt small talk, Sara went back into his room and stripped the bed. She found clean sheets and blankets and soon had the bed neatly made. After filling a pitcher with fresh water for the nightstand, she made sure nothing of hers remained behind.
Sara went back into the kitchen and found Brian helping himself to a second bowl of soup. She pleated the folds of her skirt with her fingers. “Don’t you think you should be back in bed by now?”
“After I eat, I’ll stay down for the rest of the day, okay?”
She shrugged, not wanting to appear overly concerned. “You should have everything you need. Please rest as much as possible or you could have some kind of relapse.”
He looked up at her, apparently bemused. “You want me well so I’ll leave.”
“That’s right.”
“What if I told you I have no intention of leaving?”
She gripped the back of the chair next to him. “Where you live is no concern of mine, as long as it’s not in this particular cottage.”
“Your grandfather told me I could stay here as long as I wished.”
“Do you have that in writing?”
“As a matter of fact I do.”
Brian started to stand but Sara held up her hand. “Regardless of any arrangement you and my grandfather may have had, I’m sure under the circumstances, you won’t want to, um, press the issue.”
“What can I say, Sara? I like it here. It fits my needs and you have guaranteed income on this property.”
“Only until it sells.”
He paled. “You plan to sell the house?”
“Of course! I don’t have the time or inclination to do anything with it. My life is back in northern California.”
He took a deep breath. “Were you aware of the plans Eli had for this place?”
“No. But if those plans were so important, I don’t know why he’d leave the house to me, knowing full well I wouldn’t be interested in such an undertaking. Maybe you’re aware of some codicil? Or perhaps you’d like to contest the will for possession?”
“Sara,” Brian growled. “That’s unfair and you know it.”
“My experience has been that any dealings with you are unfair.”
He shot up from the chair. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He gave an owlish blink before sinking back onto the chair with a bump. “Head rush,” he muttered.
Pressing a hand to her own head, she avoided his eyes. What had come over her? What was it about him that always put her in such a state? She took a calming breath and reminded herself he was still recuperating. “I meant what I said, Brian. I plan on selling this place, and I need you to be out.”
Without waiting for a response, Sara grabbed her purse and strode past him to the door. She felt Brian’s hand on her arm, and it took all her self-control not to recoil from his touch.
“Thank you for being here with me. It really means a lot.”
The gentleness of his words unnerved her. To her horror, Sara felt tears well up in her eyes. She quickly looked away and tugged her arm free, all but bursting out the door. Once outside, she inhaled the crisp morning air and battled to bring her emotions under control. Her arm still burned with the imprint of his hand. The way her heart still burned from the impact of his faithlessness.
Sara stopped abruptly at the thought. Had Brian ever really loved her? Or had he just used the words he knew would melt away her reservations?
Her thoughts refused to clear. She blamed it on a lack of sleep.
Straightening her shoulders, Sara marched down the driveway. She got all the way to the road before she realized she didn’t have a car.
Turning slowly, Sara looked at the main house. She had no key and didn’t want to attempt a break-in. There was only one option. Gazing out at the rolling farmland and further out to the haze of mountains in the distance, she waited for her heart rate to decelerate. When she felt more composed, Sara walked back to the cottage.
Brian jumped away from the window when he saw Sara coming back up the drive. The action caused his head to spin, and he grabbed the kitchen chair for support until the dizziness passed.
He wasn’t as recovered as he let on. Dealing with the formidable Sara Andersen required him to marshal all his resources for the morning confrontation. He experienced a stab of regret knowing she was still grieving the loss of her grandfather. But they needed to talk and he had to grasp at any opportunity.
Brian heard her steps crunching on the gravel as she approached the cottage. He knew she didn’t have a car with her, and Hattie wouldn’t know when to come without a phone call. He also guessed Sara didn’t have a cell phone. She was notoriously stubborn when it came to submitting to the age of technology. When she knocked on the door, he smiled, knowing he’d guessed correctly.
He composed his features before turning the knob. Step lightly. He opened the door. “Why, Sara, what a pleasant surprise.”
She pinned him with a steely gaze. “As you may have noticed, I don’t have a car. Can I use your phone to call my aunt?”
“You don't have a cell?”
“I know you think I'm some kind of Luddite, Brian, but bottom line, can I make a call or not?”
“Of course.”
She stepped past him, pointedly avoiding any contact. Brian leaned against the door frame and motioned to the phone on the kitchen wall. He watched her curl a lock of hair around her ear before she dialed. When she bit her lower lip, he knew Hattie wasn’t answering. Brian tried not to let the triumph show in his eyes.
Sara finally hung up the phone and slowly turned around. “My aunt isn’t home and I don’t know where she is at the moment.” A line appeared between her brows. “Hattie knew I’d need a ride home this morning.”
“Do you think she’s on her way here?”
“I don’t know what time she gets off work or when she’ll come to pick me up.” Sara clutched her purse against her chest like a shield. “What am I going to do?” she said more to herself than to him.
“Well, you’re welcome to wait here until you get a hold of her. Or I could give you a ride home.”
Sara shook her head. “I don’t think you’re up to driving just yet.”
Brian shrugged and watched with tender amusement as a variety of emotions flitted across her face. Obviously, her desire to leave his presence warred with the supposed danger of exposing herself to his driving abilities.
She glanced up at him and quickly looked away. Brian saw a flash of distrust in her eyes and suspected it went way beyond the operation of a vehicle. He felt a tide of heat rush into his face. Perhaps he deserved such a look, but it still pained him. Brian knew she considered him an ogre and more than anything he wanted to change that opinion. He'd come all the way to Oregon to do just that—only finding out from Eli that she'd settled in Northern California.
He lowered himself onto a chair. “Since you aren’t willing to risk being in the truck with me, maybe I could show you some of the improvements at the farmhouse.”
Sara quirked a brow.
“If you’re still concerned about my health, don’t worry, it won’t be anything too strenuous,
” he added.
“I, um, don’t have a key yet.”
“But I do.” To prove his point, he stood and reached over to a rack on the side of the cupboard. Brian held up the key for her inspection.
Sara crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll go alone. I don’t want any repeat of yesterday.”
“If I feel even a hint of dizziness, I promise to fall neatly into your arms. You’ve already proven yourself capable in that area.”
She turned away, but not before he caught her look of scorn. Despite this, he sensed her curiosity prevented her from refusing. He tugged on a pair of running shoes. “Ready?” he said, ignoring the pounding in his temples.
She shrugged. Brian smiled encouragingly and led her out the door. As they approached the farmhouse, he reminded himself to treat her gently. His first inclination made him want to tease her. Sara had proved so easy to tease in the past. Brian conceded this wasn’t the time or the place.
He considered it a big step she agreed to spend any time with him at all, even if she really had no other choice. His illness might be called providential in that respect. Brian glanced up at the blue sky as if for confirmation. Well, Lord? Think Sara will ever come around?
A glance at his old girlfriend and her stiff posture sent a twinge of uncertainty through him. Of course, he knew he couldn’t just waltz back into her life and resume their tumultuous romance. First things first. He settled on a goal of getting Sara to smile at him that day. Surely, that wasn’t too much to ask.
Brian unlocked the dilapidated back door and stepped aside, allowing Sara to precede him. He watched as she entered and looked around. This would be emotional for her, and he regretted not having the right to comfort her the way he wished.
Sara entered the kitchen and noted it looked as dark and poky as ever. She also noticed construction work had apparently been started. A few of the cabinets were torn out and one part of a wall demolished, exposing the framing beneath.
Past the kitchen, the living room and dining room combined into a large open area. The house boasted a bedroom on the main floor with a small bathroom and four spacious bedrooms upstairs, with a half bath. She knew her grandfather had occupied the lower bedroom to avoid using the stairs.
Pretty much everything appeared the same, only darker and dingier than she remembered. Dusty sheers lined the windows and cobwebs hung low from every corner, undoubtedly contributing to the musty smell. Sara realized Eli must’ve been too weak to do much upkeep. She felt guilty not coming to help more often. Her guilt deepened at the profound feeling of emptiness in the house. Her grandpa was truly gone. Tears clouded her vision and she wondered if Hattie had been right after all. Maybe she wasn’t ready for this.
Keenly aware of Brian’s presence, Sara wended her way through the rooms. He shadowed her steps but said nothing, and for that she was grateful. In the first floor bedroom, she saw her grandfather’s effects. The room was fairly neat and ordered, with a small TV in one corner and potted plants lining the windowsills. His roll top desk sat in the sunlight, stacked high with books and papers, looking as if he’d momentarily stepped away from his work.
She turned to Brian. “I thought you said you had done some repair work. I haven’t seen much that looks improved.”
“Actually, I’ve done extensive structural repairs including dry rot work under the house. I had just started on the kitchen when...”
Sara wrapped her arms around herself and took several steps away from him. “I understand,” she said faintly.
“You know, your grandfather had big plans for this place,” Brian said after a moment.
“He’s lived here for the last twenty-five years. Why didn’t he do anything before now?”
“Because he was a dreamer, like you.”
Sara spun around to face him. “It seems you knew him very well,” she snapped, failing to suppress the sarcasm from her voice. “Just how long have you been in Buell Creek anyway?”
“A few months.”
She looked at him steadily. “I can’t imagine why.”
“I think you can.”
The words hung in the air. Sara’s gaze wavered. She finally looked away. “I didn’t see you at the funeral.”
“That’s something I deeply regret, Sara. I was out of town visiting my sister. Hattie tried to reach me about his passing, but I didn’t leave anyone a forwarding number. I got back the day after the service.”
Sara detected the genuine sorrow in his eyes. She lifted her chin. “Tell me about the plans you and he discussed.”
Brian walked across the bedroom and looked out the window toward the cottage. “He originally just wanted to bring the house back to good condition. But with the growth of the town, he thought about turning it into a bed and breakfast.”
“It’s certainly big enough,” she said, her gaze roaming about, looking for some merit to the idea. But the task seemed too daunting to consider. Not to mention the expense.
“He told me he’d been thinking about starting renovations a long time ago,” Brian said. “But he couldn’t tear himself away from his writing to give the plan the attention it would demand.”
Sara curved her lips into a smile. Her grandfather’s passion for poetry and literature inspired her own interest in that direction. She remembered him as rather private about his work and looked forward to reading what he left behind.
Brian saw her misty smile and acknowledged that he'd met his immediate goal. Of course, he would’ve preferred the smile be directed at him. But it was a start. “Seen enough?”
Sara nodded. “For now. I’ll be back soon to get it cleaned up.” She sighed. “I’m going to have to ask for another leave of absence from work.”
“What do you do?” As if he didn’t know. He’d pumped Eli for as much information as he could get. And Eli had proved quite cooperative.
“I work for the Crescent City library as a Librarian Assistant.”
“Sounds interesting.”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
Brian wracked his tired brain for something else to say, but noticed Sara beginning to look strained. “Do you want to try calling your aunt again?”
She seemed relieved at the suggestion. “Yes.”
They walked into the kitchen in silence. She used the phone there and this time got a hold of her aunt. After hanging up, she turned to him. “She’s on her way.”
“Do you want to wait here in the dining room?”
“Okay.”
Brian sat down at the dining room table and Sara followed suite. She kept her eyes averted and fiddled with the clasp on her purse. He allowed himself the simple pleasure of looking at her unhindered. Two years was a long time to go without the sight of her in person and he delighted in this opportunity.
She appeared little changed. Her shoulder-length hair was cut shorter, and he liked the way it curled up slightly at the ends. Her countenance has changed, he thought wryly. She used to have a more dreamy expression. He remembered her shy smile and the way her eyes glowed like silver when she talked about something especially important to her. They used to glow that way for him.
If he did things right, he hoped they might again.
Brian heard the sound of a motor in the driveway. Too soon. Sara jumped up and headed for the door. She muttered a goodbye and disappeared. He went to the window and saw Hattie emerge from the car. Evidently ignoring Sara’s intention to leave immediately, Hattie entered the house, took one look at him and shook her head.
“Back to bed.”
His headache growing in vehemence, Brian didn’t argue. He tacked his way back to the cottage, with Hattie at his heels, and crawled back into bed, sighing as he settled onto the fresh sheets. A coughing fit gripped him. He gratefully poured a glass of water from the replenished pitcher.
Hattie fussed about him with her stethoscope and thermometer until she seemed satisfied he was on the mend. She motioned toward the pitcher of water. “Stay where you are until that is empty. Do you
understand?”
Brian nodded meekly and thanked her. When she left, he made himself more comfortable and thought about his encounter with Sara. Surely she retained some feelings for him. Then he remembered her prickly attitude. Brian made a face. He was after positive feelings.
He tried to come up with a plan to get back into her good graces. But any tactical strategies he thought of became muddled with the strength of his feelings. Brian decided he needed to put things into perspective. He bowed his head and prayed.
Chapter Four
Sara kept silent on the road home. She knew her aunt must be curious about what transpired with Brian. But her thoughts raged in such an exhausted whirl, she only wanted to go home and sleep.
When they arrived home and exited the car, she turned to her aunt. “Would you mind if I took a nap?”
Hattie put an arm around her shoulder as they walked through the door. “Taking care of a patient is very fatiguing. You rest as long as you want. I’ll be lying down as well, so you’ll have some peace and quiet. If you get hungry, there’s plenty to eat in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Hattie.” Sara hugged her aunt and went into the spare bedroom. At the foot of the bed, she dropped her purse and fell face-first onto the hand-crocheted bedspread.
The main theme of her thoughts stemmed from Brian’s cryptic comment. I think you know why. His enigmatic response left her mystified. Sara completely rejected the idea he might be hoping to rekindle an old flame. Her break with him two years ago had been decisive and succinct. With his rugged good looks, doubtless he experienced no lack of feminine interest from others. Brian didn’t need to reanimate her affections for him.
Then what did he mean? Her brain ached from the effort of wondering. Did he worm his way into relationships with Eli and Hattie for some nefarious plot of revenge? Sara rolled over and stared at the ceiling. The thought struck her as ludicrous. Brian had many faults, but spitefulness wasn’t one of them. Besides, a plan of revenge implied pain on his part. His half-hearted attempt to contact her after she left disabused her of that notion.
Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) Page 3