One Last Call

by Susan Behon

  “I’ll call Seth in the morning. I don’t want to talk to anyone else tonight.”

  “I thought you went ahead and called him. Who were you talkin’ to before I came in?”

  Sarah wrote something on a form in front of her and slipped it into a folder. “Julie, a new waitress I hired. She starts tomorrow.”

  “So you’re done with business now?”

  She looked her desk over and set everything in neat little piles. A chain of paperclips got shoved into a drawer. “For now.”

  “Great, you’re goin’ home.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “C’mon, sweetheart. My chariot is gassed up and ready.”

  She must have forgotten her Mini Cooper was still in the shop. Sarah sat back and rubbed her hands over her face. “I’m so damn tired.” Her fingers left little black smudges of makeup under her eyes. She saw the mascara smears and groaned. “I probably look like a raccoon.”

  Josh handed her a napkin so she could wipe away the rest. “Cutest raccoon I ever saw.” He took her hand and tugged her out of the seat. “Come on. I’ll drop you off at home.”

  “You’re not going to…never mind.” Sarah was a proud woman. Hell would freeze over before she admitted she wanted him to stay with her.

  “I got some stuff to take care of.”

  “Of course you do. You can go if you want.” She dropped his hand and motioned toward the broken door. “I’ll catch a ride with Sophie.”

  “No, you won’t. You’ll catch a ride with me.” He gathered her purse and phone and held them under one arm.

  “What’s your fascination with carrying my purse? You need to get your own.”

  “Cute.” At least she was still showing some sass. That was a good sign. “C’mon. Ally said she’d take care of closin’ up. If we leave now, we’ll miss Sonny’s turn at singin’. I think he’s up next.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened in mock alarm. “In that case, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Josh took her by the hand again and laced his fingers with Sarah’s. “C’mon. We’ll head out the back and make our escape.”

  “Good. As soon as I get home, I’m taking an extra hot bubble bath and drinking half a bottle of wine.”

  There went Josh’s bathtub Sarah fantasy again. The steam, the golden hair, those teasing bubbles barely covering the taut points of her…Damn, he needed to get a grip. “Sounds like a plan. If you need any help scrubbin’ those hard-to-reach places, let me know.”

  Sarah paused by the destroyed doorjamb. “I thought you had things to do.”

  “Yeah, I do. Shouldn’t take me long, though.” He hoped. Some things were tricky in the dark. “I could get back to your place before your fingers start to get pruney.”

  She laughed since she didn’t know he was serious. “I think I can manage a bath on my own.”

  “Suit yourself. You’re the one’ll be missin’ out on one of my world-class foot rubs.”

  He led her out the back and did a visual sweep of the parking lot to make sure that her ex hadn’t decided to hang around. Most likely, Richard was home nursing his wounds and icing down his nuts. That is if they’d dropped back down from his stomach yet.

  “Are they anything like your shoulder massages?”

  “Better even.”

  Sarah fell quiet for a few minutes as they rounded to the front of the bar where his truck was parked. A couple of college-age guys in concert T-shirts were standing near the exit, smoking cigarettes and talking trash to each other. Josh gave them a nod, and Sarah waved at them.

  She settled into her seat and took her purse and phone from him. “I didn’t know you had another truck besides the tow truck. I like it.” Sarah was referring to his silver F-150.

  “The tow truck is for work. This one’s for pleasure.” He grinned when her gaze shot up to meet his. “I mean, for when I’m not workin’.”

  “Do you still have the old Mustang?”

  Now there was a car that was used for pleasure. That brought back some fond memories of him and Sarah testing the boundaries of teenage passion. “Sure do. Dad’s got it in the back lot. We’re still tinkering with it. Wanna see it?”

  “Maybe some other time. Too bad you have stuff to do.” Sarah buckled in and folded her hands primly on top of her purse. She was remembering too.

  “Hmmm.” He started the engine and fiddled with the radio.

  “So, what is it you have to do?” Sarah bit her lip. “Never mind. None of my business.”

  “Got a few things that can’t wait.” That’s all he could really say about it.

  “Okay. Thank you for the ride home.”

  “It’s my pleasure, honey.” He pulled out of the parking lot and started planning how fast he could get his stuff done.

  “Josh?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m not afraid of you if that’s what you’re worried about.” It never occurred to him that Sarah would be afraid of him.

  “I know that, darlin’. I’m as harmless as a bunny.”

  “A thumper bunny in heat, you mean.”

  “See? I told you that you could call me Thumper if you wanted to do the bunny thing again.” Josh laughed at her scrunched up face.

  “Pass.”

  “On which part?”

  “Calling you Thumper!” She gave him a playful shove to the arm.

  “So that means you’re still up for gettin’ bunny with me?”

  She shook her head. From what Josh could see of her expression in the dim truck cab, Sarah was grinning. Josh considered that a win.

  “All right, Sarah. Just puttin’ it out there. Let’s get you on home.”

  “Home sounds wonderful.”

  “Sure does.”

  * * * *

  After saying good-night to Josh with what she considered a way too short kiss, Sarah tiptoed around the house so she wouldn’t wake up her mom. It was late, and Lucy was normally in bed by ten. Sarah took a hot, soothing bath and let Calgon take her away for a while. Dear God, that was so good on her poor, aching muscles. Soaking in the tub felt indulgent. Drinking a glass of moscato while sunk to her neck in bubbles was heaven. After the last few days, Sarah figured she’d earned a little pampering without guilt. She couldn’t stop imagining Josh in there with her, though. He would have helped soothe her aches better than the bath.

  Strangely enough, she hadn’t shared a bath with someone else since she was six and Sophie was four. Richard had always wanted his privacy, and she’d never gotten to the shared bath or shower stage with any of her past boyfriends. She bet Josh wouldn’t be shy where that was concerned. Sarah mentally added that to her bucket list, along with finding out what Josh’s tattoo was.

  Sarah still slept in her childhood bedroom, although it had been overhauled to represent her adult side. After her divorce, she’d left all the bedding and bought new stuff that was to her taste and not Richard’s. He favored blacks and whites. He liked everything colorless. It was depressing. Her queen-sized quilt was a patchwork of blue and cream. Now that she thought about it, the blue had a suspicious similarity to the cobalt shade of Josh’s eyes. Deep blue mixed with a splash of gray.

  She’d always loved Josh’s striking blue eyes. Since the day he’d caught her staring at him in study hall, she’d been a goner. Sarah remembered how he’d walked into the classroom with a casual air of bored disinterest, tossed his books on the table, and took a seat. All day, she’d caught fleeting glimpses of him as he passed by in the hallway in between classes. This was the first time she’d gotten a chance to really study him up close. Everything about Josh Logan attracted her attention, from his light brown hair all the way down to his scuffed boots. She couldn’t not look at him.

  Sarah had heard the gossip about Josh Logan. Teenage bad boy from down south. She hadn’t known what he’d done that was so bad, and no one else seemed to have any specific details either. Whatever it was made him intriguing compared to
the other boys she’d gone to school with forever. He was different, and in Madison Falls, different was good. She couldn’t help but be drawn to him.

  Josh’s eyes were downcast toward the table, and his square jaw seemed slightly tense as if he had something that was bothering him. In an instant, Sarah wanted to learn everything she could about him. What was bothering him? What was his favorite song? What was his middle name, and did he have a girlfriend back home? Was he homesick? How many girls had he kissed, and was he good at it? With those perfect lips, Sarah would guess that would be an absolute yes, he’d be an exceptional kisser.

  She’d probably never get her answers since her shyness outweighed her curiosity. Sarah wouldn’t even know how to approach a boy like him, so talking to Josh was out of the question. He looked like he wanted to be left alone anyway. Still, Sarah didn’t see the harm in checking him out, learning what she could from a distance.

  Safe in thinking he wouldn’t notice her, it threw Sarah for a loop when he glanced up and stared right back at her. Her breath caught in her throat. She’d been so surprised, she forgot to look somewhere else. Josh checked to his left and to his right, then back to her. Did he think she was staring at someone else? How the hell was she supposed to play it cool when eye contact with him caused a flurry of butterflies to take off in her stomach?

  Don’t mind me, just adoring you from afar over here.

  It was obvious she’d been staring at him. Josh was alone at his table. Sarah’s heart took off at a gallop. Think! Try not to look like a weird stalker! She panicked and pretended to read her textbook. Considering it was the first day of school, she probably should have opened it at the beginning and not halfway through the book. Maybe he hadn’t noticed. She turned pages, doing her damnedest to look studious and not like a lovesick girl.

  The blood rushed to her cheeks in a flash of heat. God, how embarrassing. Flip, flip, flip…not staring at the new boy, just reading this engrossing chapter on…hell, she didn’t know. Was this her history text? He was still watching her. Sarah felt the weight of his gaze. Why wouldn’t he look away so she could breathe? Maybe she should smile at him and show him she was normal?

  Sarah gathered her courage and glanced up. It wasn’t her imagination. Josh was still looking. He appeared completely focused on her as if he were waiting for something. Now or never. In a movement as scary as stepping off a cliff, Sarah smiled at Josh. His entire expression changed. Gone was the boredom and disinterest. Miracle of miracles, he smiled back. If she thought he was attractive before, Josh smiling at her was downright awe-inspiring.

  She broke eye contact first and spent the rest of the period gathering her wits. After the bell rang, Sarah took her time collecting her books and notebooks, giving Josh time to leave ahead of her. She’d used up her extent of flirting knowledge with the smile. A game plan was forming. Maybe she’d try another smile on him tomorrow, possibly some more eye contact once she worked her way up to it again. If all else failed, she could slip an anonymous note in his locker telling him how cute he was.

  Sarah never expected Josh to be leaning against the wall right outside the door. She’d hurried past him, heart thumping, feeling completely out of her depth. He caught her by the elbow before she could make her retreat. When she spun around, Josh watched her warily, probably waiting to see if she’d yank her arm away. Not happening.

  This was the boy who’d made her stomach do flip-flops. He could hold on to her arm as long as he wanted as far as Sarah was concerned. He had nice hands. This close to him, she could smell the tangy scent of his cologne, or maybe it was his soap. Whatever it was, it was perfect.

  “Hey there, I’m Josh. You’re Sarah, right?” When he said “right” it sounded like “rawt” with the drawn-out vowels. She loved his accent. She wanted him to talk some more.

  “You know me?”

  “Not yet, but I wouldn’t mind gettin’ there.” Then he flashed that knee-weakening grin he’d given her in study hall.

  Josh had beautiful teeth. Is that even the right adjective for a boy’s teeth? Sarah couldn’t think of anything more masculine. They were straight, white, and beautiful, so that was that. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at his mouth long enough to form a reply.

  While Sarah had been waxing poetic over his perfect teeth, Josh had taken her books out of her hands and stacked them on top of his. “C’mon, sunshine, I’ll take you home.”

  Wait! What? She was still stuck at the secret-admirer-note-stuffed-in-the-locker stage of their relationship. Adoring him from afar and all that. A ride home had skipped all the levels she’d been prepared for.

  “What makes you think I’d go?” Brave words for Sarah. Go her. She set her hands on her hips and tried to look put out by his antics. Inside, she’d been doing a happy dance that he was interested in her.

  He took in her bravado and feigned confidence and most likely saw right through her. “Simple. I’ve got your books. I saw how much you like to read.” Josh shot her that sexy grin again and off he went for the parking lot, ambling along like he had all the time in the world. The boy thought nothing of holding her textbooks hostage. What else could she do? Sarah followed him.

  From that day on, he’d taken her home from school in his old black Mustang, sometimes with a detour to the Falls, and if Lucy got suspicious, a straight shot back and as much kissing as they could sneak in. That had been one of the happiest times of her life.

  Sarah was still caught in her time warp when she opened her bedroom door, so it took her a second to realize that there was a man in her bed.

  “Don’t scream, sunshine. You’ll wake up the neighbors.” Josh was reclined on top of her covers, bare feet crossed one over the other and his hands tucked behind his head. His black T-shirt stood out starkly against the pastel colors of her quilt. His faded blue jeans were slung low and outlined his lower half to perfection.

  Sarah didn’t know what had her heart pumping faster, getting startled by seeing a man in her bed or the actual sight of that sexy man reclining on her bed like he belonged there.

  “Josh?” Sarah hissed. “What the hell are you doing in here? How did you get in? You better hope my mom didn’t hear you!”

  He sat up and ran his fingers through the short layers of his tawny brown hair before rubbing the back of his neck. “Am I the only one here havin’ déjà vu?”

  “How did you get in here?”

  His grin was anything but innocent. “You should lock your window, darlin’. Anyone could climb on in here.”

  “What if my mom heard you? You could have woken her up!”

  “Doubt it.”

  “Why is that?”

  “She’s not here.”

  “She’s not?” So Sarah had been tiptoeing for nothing? “How do you know?”

  “She’s still with my dad.”

  “At this time of night?” Sarah felt ridiculous as soon as she asked the question.

  “Yep. Guess they’re havin’ a slumber party.” He raised his eyebrows in innuendo. She ignored the images that volley brought forth.

  “Then why didn’t you knock and come through the front door like a normal person?”

  “I was feelin’ nostalgic.”

  “You’ve never climbed in my bedroom window before.”

  “I know. But I wanted to.” He held up a bouquet of wild flowers that were resting on the mattress next to him. “I got you replacement flowers since I threw away your other ones.”

  That was beyond sweet of him. “Where did you get them?”

  Josh lowered his gaze to the blooms. “I picked them. Sorry they’re not store-bought.”

  “They’re perfect.”

  “I don’t know what they’re called. I knew you liked the purple and pink ones. Remember when we used to walk around the lake and I would pick some for you?”

  “They’re beautiful.” Josh got points for not bringing red roses. “Is that what you had to do?”

  Jo
sh rolled a shoulder. “I wanted to make you feel better.”

  “You know what would make me feel better?”

  He took in her charcoal gray and pink striped boxer shorts and matching tank. Her hair was still damp and brushed back from her bath. Josh’s eyes got caught up on her hardened nipples. “I know what would make me feel better. Get over here.”

  “On one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “I want a world-famous Josh Logan foot rub.”

  “Darlin’, bring yourself closer and I’ll rub any part you want.”

  Chapter 15

  SARAH leaned back against the door to close it. She reached behind her and pushed in the button to engage the lock. The lamp on the nightstand didn’t throw off much light so the left side of Josh was cast in shadow. Before she went over to the bed, Sarah closed and locked the window, then drew the blind all the way down.

  Josh piled pillows at the end of the mattress. “Sweetheart, come here. You lay down this way and I’ll show you what the fuss is all about.”

  Sarah tried to slow her pulse. This scenario was straight out of one of her fantasies. She curled her toes into the carpet to keep from jumping on the mattress with him and looking like an overeager tart. He held a hand out to her. “Come on, Sarah. Let me make you feel good.”

  Who could say no to that? Not Sarah. She sat on the edge of the bed and swung her legs up until they were pointing toward the headboard. Josh took an ankle and pulled until she was flat on her back.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Right now, I’m lookin’ up your shorts.”

  “Josh!”

  “Cute panties.”

  “Don’t…” He took that moment to press his thumb into her instep. “…don’t stop doing that!” Sarah felt tingles rush from her foot all the way to, well, all the way to her panties. She closed her eyes and arched her back with the sensation. Are there erogenous zones in my feet?

  Josh tugged her a little closer until her foot rested on his chest. Both thumbs worked into her arch and pushed up toward her toes.

  “Oh, my God. Oh, Lord. Oh, shit.”