by Olsen, Lisa
“That sounds nice, thank you,” Sara nodded, forgetting about the stones as Jack came into view. “Grab your checkerboard, kiddo. I challenge you to a match over lunch,” she grinned, pushing the worries over his safety to the corner of her mind for the moment.
*
There was no sign of Jack’s mystery woman for the rest of the afternoon, or of Joanie for that matter. Katie was sent up with a tray for her at dinner time, and reported she was sleeping soundly, despite the early hour. After eating, Sara holed up in the study, tending to neglected emails through the slow as molasses tether of her cell phone, planning to curl up with one of the many books as soon as she was done.
“Come round to the pub with me tonight.”
“What?” Sara looked up to find Will leaning against the doorframe, looking better than he had a right to in a soft, gray sweater and jeans.
“Your friend is sleeping with the Christian Brothers tonight and Jack will be in bed soon. Why not come out with me, get to know some of the locals and relax a bit?”
“You mean like a date?”
“Would that be a bad idea?”
Was it? After the conversation with Mrs. Poole, she felt a little less awkward about their social standing (not that she’d ever considered herself to be above him in any way), but that didn’t mean she was ready to jump into the deep end without testing the waters first. “It’s just that I’m not really dating right now…”
“Forgive me, I should say, it’s definitely not a date,” he amended without skipping a beat.
“No?” the corner of her mouth tugged up into a smile. “What is it then?”
“Two friends having a drink at the local pub? Perhaps a game of darts?” Will sauntered into the room to perch on the end of her desk. “You could tell me more about your plans for the house and I could pretend to listen with rapt attention.”
“Pretend?” her brows drew together into a dark line. “Will, if you’re not interested in my talking about the house, just say so.”
“It’s not the subject,” he leaned forward, his voice dropping confidentially. “It’s only that it’s so difficult to pay attention to any topic when I’m in your presence.”
“Me? What did I do?” Did she have a piece of food stuck between her teeth? Was her hair mussed?
“I find you distracting is all.”
“You’re not the only one,” she murmured; he snuck into her waking thoughts all too easily.
“You’ve been distracting men the world over? Why am I not surprised?” he teased, leaning closer.
“No, I meant you’re distracting, yourself,” she pushed at his shoulder lightly and he caught her hand gently.
“Come out with me tonight, Sara. Let’s drive each other to distraction.”
“Well then, why bother to talk at all?” The words spilled out without thinking, and operating on instinct, Sara leaned closer when Will’s head canted to one side, his eyes resting squarely on her lips. He was going to kiss her, and Sara had just about decided she didn’t mind one bit, when Jack’s voice called from the doorway and she sprang apart from him guiltily.
“Mom?”
“Jack… I was just, um…” thoroughly discombobulated, Sara gave up, ignoring the heat in her cheeks to give him a smile. “Did you want something?”
“You promised to come up and we’d read a chapter of the Dawn Treader book together.”
“Right, yes I did,” she nodded, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was that time already. I’m sorry Will, I…”
“Actually, your Mum’s coming with me into the village for a bit,” Will interrupted, completely unfazed by the interruption. “So don’t keep her long, you know how women are, they like to spend some time getting to look their best,” he rolled his eyes skyward, an expression that Jack matched. “I’ll be around to fetch you in about an hour, will that suit?”
Sara’s mouth opened and closed without saying anything, checking for any sign that Jack was disturbed by the news. Both guys looked back at her expectantly and she nodded, finding her voice. “Yes, that sounds fine.”
“Brilliant,” Will clapped his hands together. “Sleep well then, Jack. And I’ll see you, soon.” With a final wink to Sara he was gone.
Sara watched him go, wondering if she’d bitten off more than she could chew. Her son waited expectantly, and she shook herself out of it, closing her laptop. “You don’t mind do you, Jack? If I go out tonight?” It wasn’t something they’d talked about before; she hadn’t seen anyone since the divorce.
“No, why should I?”
“It’s not a date or anything,” she added quickly. “We’re going out as friends.”
“You’re not married anymore, Mom, you don’t have to pretend you don’t like him like that,” Jack grinned and she wondered if she was that transparent to everyone.
“I know it’s just… uncharted territory. I haven’t gone out on a date since before you were born,” she tousled his hair as they ascended the first set of stairs. “Your poor old mom needs to ease into it.”
“That’s not what you tell me to do. You always say I should jump in quick and I’ll get used to the water quicker.”
Sara thought about that for a moment; he was wiser than his years. Or completely ignorant of the complexities of modern dating. “So, you’re saying you’d be okay if I did decide to date Will then?”
“I like Will, he’s funny. He told me he was a slow starter when he was young too, and then one year he grew six inches. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Maybe that’ll happen to me and I won’t get called a runt anymore.”
“Aw honey, you are definitely not a runt, and no one here is going to call you that, I promise.”
“Mom, do you believe in ghosts?”
The question was so out of the blue it made Sara pause on the stair. “That’s a random question. Why, have you been reading ghost stories under the blanket with a flashlight?”
“No, I mean real ghosts. Not the stuff in books or scary movies, but from real people that died.”
“I haven’t really thought about it before, but I guess I do. Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering,” he said in a small voice, continuing up the stairs and Sara followed, a little unnerved by the way he said it.
“Has someone been telling you ghost stories? Will or Katie?” She couldn’t imagine Mrs. Poole indulging in horror stories.
“No, nothing like that.” Jack was silent until they reached the top of the next landing. “I always thought ghosts would be scary and gross like they are in the movies but that’s always from people that were crazy or mass murderers when they were alive, right? Most of them are probably just people who died, like us, right?”
He’d obviously put a lot of thought into it, and she was impressed he wasn’t buying into the Hollywood scarefest mentality. “You know when Grandma Caroline died; I could have sworn I saw her standing at the foot of my bed in the middle of the night. She wasn’t scary or gross, just sort of peaceful, like she wanted to say goodbye and let me know she was watching over me,” Sara smiled at the comforting memory, though she’d told herself it was little more than a dream at the time. “So yes, I guess I do believe in ghosts, but I agree, they’re mostly poor lost souls who haven’t moved on yet. Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Then you think ghosts can be protecting us? Not trying to scare us away?”
“Sure, why not?” Sara allowed. “Like you said, there are way more regular people that died than tortured nutjobs vowing to take their revenge from beyond the grave,” she grinned. “Though those stories are the ones you hear about the most because they sell movie tickets.”
“That’s what I thought,” Jack nodded, pausing outside the nursery door. “You don’t have to tuck me in and read to me tonight, Mom.”
“You don’t want me to?” Sara wasn’t sure if she should feel hurt or just accept that her little boy was growing older and more independent every day.
“Naw, it’s okay. I can read it by
myself and you should get ready for your date with Will.”
“It’s not a date, and you always come first. You know that, don’t you, kiddo?” Sara tipped his face up by the chin. Will could wait if he had to; besides, it wasn’t like she planned on getting all dolled up anyway.
“I know, but I think you’ll have fun going out with him, and I can probably read faster by myself anyway.”
Definitely getting more independent. Sara swallowed the disappointment, giving it one more last ditch effort. “Are you sure? We could do a quick chapter.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. You go ahead, I’ll be fine. I like reading in my new bed, all those pillows make it a zillion times easier.”
“Goodnight then, sweetie,” she leaned to drop a kiss on his cheek, grateful he still allowed her that. “I love you.”
“Love you too,” he returned with a quick peck. “Oh, and Mom?”
“Yes?” Sara straightened, waiting expectantly to see if he’d had a change of heart.
“I’m glad you’re dating again, you deserve to be happy.”
Sara opened her mouth to tell him again it wasn’t a date, but changed her mind, giving him a faint smile. “Thanks, kiddo, from your lips…”
Chapter Nine
“What’s your pleasure, my Lady?”
“Ah… I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Sara pulled off her coat, setting it aside in the cozy booth at The Pig’s Ear, the local pub. A slightly rowdier crowd than at the Bell and Cross, Sara had wanted to see where the locals hung out at night; she certainly got an eyeful there. The pub was doing a brisk business, most of the barstools occupied and the small round tables filled with patrons as well. Will snagged one of the 4 coveted booths, likely because he was with her, she suspected.
Everyone greeted her with a cheery smile and a lift of the mug, but after a few minutes they seemed to forget she was there and turned back to their own conversations.
Will appeared a few minutes later with two large mugs of a dark amber brew, sliding into the seat across from her. The booths were small enough that their knees touched, but it lent itself well to intimate conversation. “Here you go, careful now; it’s strong enough to put hair on your chest.”
“Because that’s the look I’m going for,” she laughed. “To think I’ve been going about it the wrong way for all these years. Is that what men here find attractive?”
“I’d be more than happy to give you my opinion on the matter,” he returned her smile, eyes dipping to the neckline of her blouse. “But I’d definitely need a ‘before’ view to render a proper judgment.”
“I think it’ll take more than one of these for that to happen tonight,” she smirked and Will immediately raised two fingers to the barman with a little whistle, signaling for two more drinks until she dragged his hand back down to the table.
“If you’d rather hold hands, just say so,” he teased, keeping hold of her hand in his. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation at all, and Sara left them there, the tips of her fingers tracing over the rough calluses of his palm. “Tell me then, of the life and times of Lady Sara Darling, erstwhile beleaguered waitress, and of late, heroine of Darling Park and Darlington proper.”
“Ooh, that’s taking it a stretch, calling me a heroine for basically turning up to collect an inheritance,” she wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t been Sara Darling for a long time anyway, not since I got married.”
“A circumstance you have since remedied, as I understand it.” Will raised his glass to hers and she clinked against it before taking a sip. It was much stronger than the beer she was used to in the States, but not bad. Still, Sara wasn’t much of a drinker; she’d have to sip it or end up with Will carrying her home.
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“How long ago did you divorce him? Or was he the one to leave?”
“No, it was us that did the leaving. It was… wow, almost a year ago when we left, I guess. Time flies,” she let out a long breath. “The divorce wasn’t final until a few months ago though.”
“Did he mind much when you told him you were taking Jack to England?”
“I didn’t even tell him we were leaving the country,” she replied, hiding the guilty smile behind her glass. “I’ve got a bet going with Joanie, to see how long it takes him to notice we’re gone.”
Will put his glass down, brows drawing together in confusion or disapproval maybe, it was hard for her to tell. “Surely he’ll miss his son, even if things didn’t work out between the two of you.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? You’d think the one man to have a genetic link to Jack would at least show some warmth towards him, but he… he couldn’t find a way to appreciate Jack for the person he is, instead of the idea he had in his head.”
Understanding dawned on Will’s face, and his brow smoothed. “Is that why you left? Over his treatment of Jack?”
“You don’t really want to hear this stuff, do you?” Sara shook her head, feeling like they were talking way too much about her problems.
“I want to hear about you,” his fingers brushed the back of her hand gently. “That includes your past.”
“Oh come on, no guy likes hearing about the dreaded ex, do they?” That was the first rule in dating 101. At least it had been the last time she was on the market. Going on about how sucky your ex husband was seemed like a sure route to sabotaging anything new, but Will had other ideas.
“How else am I to learn what mistakes to avoid?” he tapped his head and Sara had to laugh at the sage expression on his face.
“I see, so this is all about research?”
“In a way,” he grinned. “But I don’t want you to go on about it if it makes you unhappy to talk about him, what was his name?”
“Peter. No, I guess it doesn’t make me unhappy, not anymore. It’s not that interesting to tell, that’s all. It wasn’t like he cheated on me, or beat us or anything dramatic like that. He just… I think he stopped caring to include us in his life. Everything else became more important, work was number one all the time and Jack and I… we didn’t rate a high enough spot on his to do list. When I realized I didn’t care anymore… that’s when I filed for a divorce. I should care, shouldn’t I? About whether the man I love wants me around or not.”
“I’d say so,” he allowed with a nod.
“I found myself preferring it when he wasn’t around; it was easier just Jack and me. I didn’t want to become one of those women who stuck around because of the money, so I picked up a few more shifts at the diner and we moved out. You know, I’m not sure he even noticed right away? I didn’t get a single phone call from him for three days.”
“He sounds like a right git to me.”
“You can say that again,” Sara muttered, taking another sip of the beer that was starting to grow on her.
“I’d rather buy him a drink.”
“Why?” she blinked; did git mean something different than what she’d thought?
“For being fool enough to let you slip away, otherwise you wouldn’t be here with me,” his easy grin returned and Sara spent a few seconds admiring it before she started to wonder something.
“Why are you here with me?”
Will’s eyes flashed with amusement before they softened, and he brought her hand to his heart. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…”
“No,” she giggled, tugging her hand free. “I mean, why are you here? You said once you wanted to be an architect; what are you doing here working odd jobs to make ends meet?” He seemed out of place in a dying community populated by older folks who were already long past the bloom of youth.
“Oh that,” he chuckled. “That’s a long story.”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m a lady of leisure now, I’ve got nothing but time,” she replied expectantly, setting down the glass to wait him out. Will drained the rest of his beer with a slow nod.
“Alright. I did dream of becoming an architect once, I eve
n left the village to go to University in Town, but that was easier said than done.”
“How come?”
“Do you know how much it costs to go to Uni?” he gave a rueful shake of the head. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to work two jobs just to scrape together enough bob to pay for tuition? Eating two minute noodles three times a day and chatting up girls in the hope of getting invited in for a home cooked meal rather than a shag?”
Something told her he got invited for home cooked meals on a regular basis. “Actually, I do. Not the chatting up girls part, but I had to work my way through school too. It wasn’t easy, and I don’t think I could have done it without my parents there to support me as much as they could. What about your folks, I take it they couldn’t help out much?”
“As I said, when Sir Stephen ruled the roost, he cut off the livelihood of most of the village when he tired of playing Lord of the manor. Da didn’t have sixpence to scrape together let alone any to spare.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” It sounded like he’d had a rougher childhood than she had. They’d never been rich, but she’d never worried about where her next meal was coming from.
“It’s alright, it taught me to make my own way in the world, I’m not sorry about that.”
“What happened then? Wasn’t it enough? Or did you not find architecting all it’s cracked up to be?”
“No, that wasn’t it, I liked it fine. Better than fine, actually,” Will held up his empty glass in a signal for another.
“Then what happened?”
Will waited for the bartender to bring over a couple of refills before he continued. “My Da fell ill and I had to come home to take care of him.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sara winced at the tightly controlled emotion in his voice. Ever since she’d met him, Will seemed the sort to make light of everything, but this one thing he felt deeply, that was easy to see. “Did he recover?”
“He did, but by the time he was well again, everything had gone all pear shaped. The new term started without me, and I’d lost my flat. I told myself I’d save up to return but…”