One Last Call

by Susan Behon

  “Richard wanted the money in the safe. He had a gun.”

  “Jesus…”

  “Josh.”

  “Sorry, go on.”

  “He’d been hiding from men he owed money. He’s been borrowing money from his clients’ insurance policies. That’s why he was trying to win me back.” She took another blessedly cool sip of water. “Thought I’d give him the money he needed if I was his girlfriend.”

  “How did the fire start?”

  “Brandi showed up.” Sarah tried not to grip Josh’s hand too hard. “She’s crazy. She admitted to messing with my car. Richard told her to do it. I think she planted the cameras…sent the texts.” She held her hand to her forehead as she tried to remember. “Richard said there was a life insurance policy on me. He hit me with the gun so I would die in the fire. He was going to collect.”

  “I’m gonna kill that sonofabitch, no-good bastard…”

  “Did Seth get him?”

  “No. No one has seen him or Brandi.”

  “What about Grant?”

  “I have some good news there. He had the laptop, but he wasn’t bein’ a perv. I guess he found a few of the files and didn’t want anythin’ incriminatin’ to get out about you. Grant cut the wires because he was afraid the videos of you in your bedroom would show up on the video monitor. I guess there were a few of you changing your clothes before the one of us…gettin’ all bunny with each other.”

  Sarah cringed.

  “Grant took it to Chris to get the hard drive erased.”

  Sarah felt her face heat up. “How bad were they?”

  “Don’t worry. They no longer exist. Chris took care of that.”

  “How did they end up there?”

  “It wasn’t the kid.”

  “How would Brandi get to the laptop?”

  “Do you think Kelly coulda had anythin’ to do with it?”

  Sarah sipped more water and tried to clear her throat. Ouch. “Brandi said Richard was messing around with her. Maybe? I was thinking Brandi planted the cameras, but I don’t see her scheming with Kelly.”

  “If she was sleepin’ with him, he coulda talked her in to keepin’ an eye on you.”

  Sarah’s stomach twisted in a knot. “Yuck.”

  “Seth wants to talk to you. I told him to let you recuperate a bit first.”

  Sarah shook her head. “No. I want to talk to him. He needs to find Richard and Brandi. They did this. They tried to kill me…and my bar…” She’d been trying not to think about it. The numbness wore off, and tears sprang to her eyes. “It’s gone, isn’t it?”

  Josh’s hand hovered over her cheek before letting it rest on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, darlin’. There was a lot of damage.”

  Everything she’d worked her ass off for. Gone. She sniffled through the hot tears coursing down her cheeks. “I’ll rebuild.”

  “’Course you will. Don’t worry ’bout that now. Let’s get you better.”

  “How long do I have to stay here?” Sarah hated hospitals.

  “Doc was thinkin’ overnight. It’s a toss-up on whether I gotta fight your mama on who gets to take you home.”

  Home felt like a foreign word to her. “Can you get me out tonight?”

  Josh looked tempted until he took in the IV line taped to her arm. “I’d love to run on out of here with you, but the doc is right this time. One more night isn’t gonna kill you.”

  “One more night? How long have I been in here?”

  “The fire was yesterday.”

  “Richard and Brandi could be anywhere by now!”

  “I’m gonna go downstairs and call Seth. He needs to know what’s goin’ on. Will you be all right for a few?” He scooted her water cup closer.

  Sarah wasn’t feeling okay. She nodded anyway. “I’ll be fine. The sooner you talk to Seth, the sooner he can go after them.”

  Josh leaned down and gave her a slow, sweet kiss on the lips. “I love you, Sarah. When I saw you layin’ there next to your desk…”

  She pulled him down for another kiss. “I’m okay.” Sarah rested her cheek against his. “I love you too.”

  He reluctantly stood and went for the door.

  “Josh?”

  He spun around, halfway out of the room. “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “You think you can sneak me in a Diet Dr. Pepper?”

  Lord, that sexy grin could melt the polar ice caps. “You got it. I’ll be back in ten minutes. Your family should be up soon too. Get some rest while you can.”

  That wouldn’t be a problem. Her eyelids already felt like they’d been dipped in concrete. A little nap sounded wonderful. Sarah did a slow blink before giving in and falling asleep.

  Sarah had been napping half a minute when something woke her up.

  “Josh?” There was no answer. “Mom?” Maybe her mom had come back. She was getting ready to open her eyes and greet Lucy when the air next to the bed shifted. That’s when she smelled it. It wasn’t the citrusy tang of aftershave or the delicate lavender of her mom’s perfume. It was pungent and musky. Cloying, like the perfume that was worn by—“Kelly?”

  The word felt thick on Sarah’s tongue. Pushing her way awake, she found her ex-employee standing next to her hospital bed. There was a flat commercial-grade pillow clenched in her hands.

  “What are you doing?”

  Kelly grinned. It was a disturbing imitation of the real thing. A scarlet smear of lipstick stained her unnaturally white teeth. “Hey there, boss.”

  Sarah simply stared at her, trying to figure out what was different. Kelly’s hair was tucked under a tan ball cap. Strange since she always wore it down. Then again, Sarah never associated with her much outside of work. By the looks of the baggy gray sweats and oversized hoodie, Kelly must have been having an off day. She hadn’t skimped on the lipstick and that godawful perfume, though.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Oh, you know, doing a favor for a friend.” Kelly glanced over her shoulder. “Why don’t you go back to sleep, and I’ll sit with you for a while.”

  This was wrong. “Get out.”

  “No can do, boss. Not yet anyway.” She tilted her head to the side, studying Sarah. “You sure you don’t want to rest your eyes?”

  Sarah was wide awake now. The overall weirdness of Kelly being there shot adrenaline into her system.

  “Kelly, get the hell out.”

  Kelly sighed and sauntered closer to the bed. “Have it your way. Just so you know, I borrowed your shoes.”

  “You what?”

  “Didn’t you know? Your ex has a thing for high heels. I thought it would be a kick to screw him wearing yours.”

  “That’s disgusting.”

  “True. I’ve never worn shoes that cheap. It was worth it, though.” Kelly hugged the pillow to her chest, all dreamy-eyed. “It drove Richard wild. We went three rounds that night.”

  “I don’t want to hear about it.” Yuck didn’t even begin to cover it. “Keep my castoffs, including the shoes. You and Brandi can both have at him for all I care.”

  “He doesn’t love Brandi!” Her lips twisted into a sneer as she spat out the name.

  “I don’t care! Leave me the hell alone, you sick bitch.”

  “Not yet.” Kelly pulled the bill of her ball cap lower over her face. “The difference between that skank and me is when someone asks me to do a job, I get it right. By the way, Richard sends his best.”

  With that, Kelly shoved the pillow over Sarah’s face before she could scream. She fought for air. Kelly pressed down on the pillow with all her body weight. “He loves me, you know.” Sarah clawed at the pillow, Kelly’s hands, anything she could reach. Crazy must have given Kelly super strength because as much as Sarah fought, Kelly held on to that pillow.

  Her scorched throat was closing up. Her already raw lungs were hungry for air. She screamed against the obstruction anyway. Josh had called Sarah his little warrior w
oman, and it was time to put that into action. She clenched her fist and blindly punched out in front of her. The IV needle got yanked out of her arm, but she connected with something.

  A gasp of pain. “You bitch!” Kelly leaned over her with renewed zeal. Sarah punched out with her other hand. There was a satisfying yelp when her knuckles cracked against her cheekbone. “Ow, stop that!”

  Not damn likely. Sarah would fight to her dying breath, and she wasn’t going to have her last one here. Not today. She lashed out again, trying to scratch out Kelly’s eyes. She’d gotten the flesh of her cheek. Kelly reared back, “My face!” Sarah tore the pillow away only to have Psycho Barbie go for her throat. “How dare you mess with my face?” There was a maniacal gleam in the woman’s eyes now. “You’re going to die!”

  No! Sarah refused to let that happen. She reached out beside the bed and groped for anything to use as a weapon. She felt the vase of flowers Josh had set on the table. Yes! She scrabbled with her fingers until she got a good grip on the base. Black dots floated in her vision as Kelly squeezed at her carotid artery.

  Time to end this. Sarah brought the vase crashing down against Kelly’s temple with all the strength she had left. Water splashed over them in a cold tidal wave when the thick cut glass connected with a hollow thunk. Kelly’s ball cap slipped off and hanks of her bleached blonde hair fell over her face. She slid down to the faded beige linoleum in a graceless heap.

  Josh crashed through the door. “Sarah! I thought I saw…”

  “Kelly’s here.” There was no ignoring the shards of glass, drenched blankets, and scattered flowers. The petals stuck to Sarah like damp bits of pastel tissue paper. If Josh glanced down, he was sure to find the pile of crazy woman whimpering on the floor.

  “Holy shit, Sarah.”

  “Did you call Seth?” Maybe she was the crazy one. That question came out sounding relatively calm.

  He grabbed Kelly by the hood and dragged her out one-handed to the hallway. “Someone wanna take care of this?” He let go of the hoodie, letting Kelly’s head drop to the linoleum when a nurse came running.

  Josh backtracked to Sarah and carefully scooped up the glass and other detritus. “Are you okay?”

  “No. To be honest, I’m pretty damn far from okay.” She was drenched, bleeding, and shaking from the adrenaline dump. “I’m getting sick and tired of people trying to kill me!” She meant to yell the last part, but her throat wasn’t cooperating. Sarah had to resort to whispering. “Is Seth coming?”

  “He’s on his way.” Josh continued to clean her up. She would have thought him unaffected if not for the slight trembling of his hands. “We’ll get this all sorted out.”

  “Josh?” Man, my throat is raw.

  “What, honey?”

  “Did you bring my pop?”

  “Yeah, I did.” He picked up the plastic bottle that landed near the door and set it on her table. “I don’t know about you, but I could use something a lot stronger.”

  “Know of any good bars in town?”

  Josh peeled off her wet blankets and pulled her close. “Not yet, but soon.”

  Sarah gave in to the tears and let Josh comfort her with his strength. He tugged the gaping back of her gown together to keep her modesty intact and held her in his arms. There. Now that was home.

  “Josh?”

  He smoothed a work-roughened hand over her hair. “What, honey?”

  “I thought of a bright side to all of this.”

  His caresses changed from stroking her hair to gentle swipes up and down her back. It was a soothing relief as nurses and orderlies tried to tame the chaos around them. “What’s that, sweetheart?”

  “I have a shitload of insurance.”

  He let out a startled laugh and squeezed her tighter. “You also have me. I swear I’m never leaving your side again.”

  Sarah gave a watery laugh. “Can I get that in writing?”

  “Hell, I’ll tattoo it on the other arm.” Josh wrapped her in a warm blanket and pulled her onto his lap. “I have a better idea.”

  “Better than overly wordy tattoos?”

  “Better. How about you marry me?”

  “Marry you?”

  “Marry me.”

  She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Okay, but can you ask me again when I’m having a better hair day?”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Have I ever mentioned how much your timing sucks?”

  “Yes. Marry me anyway.”

  Epilogue

  IT was a beautiful day for a wedding. The trees surrounding the Falls were awash with splashes of crimson, gold, and orange. The heat wave of summer gave way to milder temperatures, and the sun cast a brilliant shimmering light over the proceedings.

  Sarah couldn’t take her eyes off Josh. He looked mouthwatering in his dark gray suit and silver-toned tie. His tawny brown hair was tamed with a recent haircut, and his sharp jaw was smooth enough to invite her lips for a few dozen kisses. He stood tall and proud at the altar, with just a hint of the sexy grin that she loved. Josh winked at her when they made eye contact.

  His dad, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop fidgeting. Kenny pulled at his collar and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His suit matched Josh’s and set off the silver streaks of hair highlighted at his temples. All dressed up, with his hair slicked back, Sarah could imagine how handsome Josh would be in twenty or so years.

  Sophie gave her a little nudge. “Isn’t he cute?”

  “Which one?”

  “I wanted to say Reed, but I know you haven’t looked at any of the groomsmen besides Josh.” Reed Sutton stood on the other side of Josh, holding his own in the hot-guy-in-a-suit department. She and her sister both had gorgeous dates for the wedding. “I meant Kenny.”

  “Do you think he’s going to faint?” He was looking a little pale under his craggy features.

  Sophie answered with an affectionate smile. “He might once he sees Mom.”

  Sarah took in the barely visible tremble in Kenny’s knees. “Aw, he is cute.” She was glad that everything had calmed down enough for Lucy and Kenny to take the plunge. It had been a short engagement even though Lucy wanted to wait until Sarah had gotten back on her feet again. Things were still getting settled with the insurance and finalizing the plans for the new and improved Sarah’s Suds and Spuds. Of course, Sutton Construction had signed on to build her new bar. With all the details that still needed taken care of, Sarah didn’t see the sense in Lucy putting a hold on her own happiness.

  She glanced out at the crowd sitting in white folding chairs strewn with colorful leaves and fall flowers. Seth Hughes was in the middle row. Somehow, he’d gotten caught sitting between Darlene Donaldson and Mabel Thompson. Thanks to good reflexes, he shifted in time to avoid Darlene setting her hand on his knee. The poor man was going to need a rescue soon.

  When it was time for the reception, Sarah would see to it that he was sitting on the opposite side from any silver-haired cougars. It was the least she could do after how hard Seth and his deputies had worked to come through for her. It had taken over a week of pursuit, but Seth had finally caught up with Richard and Brandi. They’d been holed up in a cheap motel two states over. Even with assumed names and Brandi’s inky hair bleached blonde, he’d run them to ground. They were due to stand trial soon for embezzlement, arson, assault, attempted murder, and a list of other crimes.

  Kelly was in the same boat as Brandi. Karma being the bitch that she was, they’d ended up cell mates at the women’s prison in Granby Creek. Sarah practically broke out into song every time she thought about it. Served them right. Maybe they could do each other’s roots.

  Richard had tried to plead insanity and cried like a baby when he was arrested. Like the coward he was, he blamed Brandi and Kelly for all wrong doing. He also had the nerve to ask if his one phone call could be to Sarah. For the time being, he was on suicide watch.

  Julie Hanlin had made a
full recovery. Her job as a server was waiting for her as soon as the bar had its grand opening. In the meantime, she was doing clerical work at the fire department. Alex had gotten her the job despite his discomfort with Julie’s massive case of hero worship. They sat with Keith, Sabrina, and her sister Fiona between them.

  Christopher King sat in a seat across the aisle. He kept stealing glances at Dr. Anthony, who happened to be Fiona’s date for the wedding. For a man who was such a computer whiz, he had a lot to learn about women. Every time Fee leaned back to peek at him, he was looking the other way. He glanced up at Sarah and grinned.

  Lord, she didn’t want to blush in front of a crowd. Chris had gotten rid of all the video footage of Josh and her together, but he liked to joke that he might have stolen a few glances and that Josh was one lucky bastard. He smirked and looked away when Josh gave him a dirty look from his place next to his dad. She took a deep breath and waited.

  There. There she was. Lucy Brandon, soon to be Logan, stepped through the crimson and cream ribbon and flower-strewn archway. The bridal march gained in volume and everyone stood and turned around. Sarah could hear the breath whoosh from Kenny as he gasped out, “Lucy’s here.”

  Her mom looked ethereal in her drop-waisted silver lace gown. She held a small bouquet of golden-tipped cream roses. There was a slight tremble in her hands that matched the shaking in her groom’s knees.

  Sophie sniffled next to her. “Oh, look at her, Sarah. Mom’s beautiful.”

  And she was beautiful. Lucy only had eyes for Kenny, and her radiant smile stayed with her the entire way down the aisle. Sarah had never been happier for another person’s happiness.

  Sophie whispered, “You’re next.”

  Sarah hoped so, since that awful day in the hospital, she’d told Josh to wait on his proposal. She’d wanted him to ask under much better circumstances. She was still waiting. He still stared at her in ways that made her heart flutter in her chest. He still spoke to her in that sexy southern drawl when he whispered naughty things in her ear. Josh also couldn’t keep his hands off her and insisted she stay at his apartment with him. It had been months. What was the hold up now?