Heart's Refuge (Lucky Numbers)

by Cheryl Harper

  Brenda handed her a tub of silverware. “Wrap quickly.”

  Sarah saluted and got started. Focusing on work made it easier to ignore the worry that she’d been working day and night to throw a party that might not bring in a single donor.

  By the time she’d finished mailing out invitations, she might as well have sent one to every house in Holly Heights.

  “Ready?” Brenda was standing by the door, her hand resting on the lock. From her spot at the counter, Sarah could see the line of regulars on the sidewalk. If she’d ever wondered how Sue Lynn stayed in business, now she knew that “regular” meant...regular, like every single day, breakfast or lunch. This was her last morning training shift, but Sarah could already name the usual orders for almost every person who’d come in that morning.

  Luckily, that made it easier for everyone to decipher her writing.

  Sarah set the tray of wrapped silverware under the hostess station and nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  If someone had told her at sixteen that she’d be wearing discount store shoes and worrying about losing a job waiting tables, she would have destroyed them. Or her father would have, because she would’ve cried to her daddy.

  There were brief moments she wished she could still do that. They were mixed up with flashes of pride that she was pulling it off. All of it. Saving the shelter, getting a job, keeping the job.

  For the next three hours, she served delivery guys, a group of nurses from the hospital, shop owners who had previously lived to cater to her and almost half of her graduating class, most of whom had filled office spots or started their own businesses to stay in Holly Heights.

  And instead of insults and grief, she got polite requests and respectable tips.

  Because people were good. They were treating her better than she would have.

  When Dinah Ames, Cece’s mother, slid onto a seat at the counter, Sarah poured her a coffee to sip while she waited and thanked whatever lucky star had saved her from a job at the Shop-on-in. Dinah seemed nice enough but Sarah was certain every single mistake she made flowed directly back to Cece for her enjoyment.

  “Your usual to-go order?” She had the special written down before Dinah nodded and immediately turned away to put the order up. While she was congratulating herself on efficiency and surviving another day without breaking plates or melting down over some stupid mistake, Dinah doctored her coffee.

  “Got your invitation to the open house,” Dinah said, then paused to sip the hot brew carefully. Sarah knew she was staring too hard while she waited for more, but if no one showed up to see the revived Paws for Love, all her plans would be wasted.

  Not even Rebecca, Stephanie and Jen would permanently bankroll the place if the town didn’t get behind it.

  “Gonna have refreshments?” Dinah raised her eyebrows. “If I shut the shop down, I’m going to need to eat my lunch or...something while I’m there.”

  “To-go, order up.”

  Sarah waved thanks at the cook, grabbed a paper bag and snapped it open before she slid Dinah’s container in, along with a stack of napkins, plastic fork and two grape jellies. She was getting the hang of it.

  “Strawberry, not grape.” Dinah shook her head slowly. “So close.”

  Sarah squeezed her eyes closed and said, “Almost had it today,” as she changed out the jelly.

  She carefully folded the top down and slid it across to Dinah. “I’ll make you a deal. If you close the shop down and come out to the shelter, I’ll send you home with all the cookies you can carry.”

  “An offer I can’t refuse. You had me at cookie.” Dinah slid money across the counter, perfect change down to the penny.

  Except today there was one dollar extra.

  Things were looking up. Dinah had left her a tip.

  Sarah couldn’t stop a chuckle and she waved at Dinah as she left. “A tip and an RSVP from Dinah. At least I can count on one person showing up,” Sarah murmured as she wiped down the counter.

  “Two. I’ll be there,” Brenda said. She reached around Sarah to grab the coffeepot. “Can’t deny I’m curious about this place Jen disappears to every day.”

  Sarah could vouch for Jen’s perfect attendance. Ever since Hope had come in, Jen visited in the afternoon. While she was there, she helped. She was the kind of volunteer Sarah wished they could order out of a catalog. She asked for jobs, carefully paid attention to instructions and then went and did exactly as she was asked. Nothing more, nothing less. She cared about the animals so she always did a good job.

  “I’m going to miss her help when Hope goes home.” Sarah riffled through her notepad to count her tickets.

  “When school starts, she’ll be busy, but if you listen to the way she talks about that place, you’ll understand she’s not going to disappear that easily.” Brenda shook her head sadly. “The house she picked is normal enough, but the lot is huge. Out in the country, perfect for a pet shelter annex. I’m guessing she’ll have as many dogs as she has fingers before this whole phase is done.”

  “From zero to ten. How long do you expect that to take?” Sarah asked as she pulled out her tips to count them.

  “She’s making up for lost time. I’m not sure how she made it to this age with none.” Brenda held out her hand for the money Sarah owed to the kitchen’s tip jar and slipped her own stack of cash in. “I never thought we had enough space or time. And Billy, Will’s dad, he wouldn’t stand for animals in the house. Seeing how she lights up when she talks about this ragged pit bull, I realize I should have pushed harder. And Will... That boy, he’s even worse. At least now they have something in common. They both love their pets more than most people. And it looks good on them.”

  Sarah smiled despite the reminder that she hadn’t seen Will in days. She’d almost wished to see the headlights across the ceiling again for a legitimate reason to call him, but the preparation for this open house in addition to her new job and regular duties at the shelter meant she barely got her legs folded up around Bub before she was asleep at night.

  Missing Will like this was crazy. They barely knew each other.

  But she valued his opinion more than anyone else’s. And his confidence in her made it easier to take scary steps.

  She hadn’t stopped thinking about his lips on hers, the weight of his hands against her skin or the restless anticipation that made it difficult to sit still when he was around.

  And his goofy, totally in love grin when he set Jelly in her castle... That had become the expression she hoped to see on a man’s face across a crowded room.

  Will could seduce her with his lips, but that mix of love and joy marked the difference between for now and forever.

  Measuring her future happiness against Will’s love for his cat was sad.

  Obviously, she was tired. Thinking crazy thoughts. Envying a cat should mean bed rest, at the very least.

  Brenda bumped Sarah’s shoulder. “I know you’re swamped. Get out of here. I’ll bring your check tomorrow when I come, okay?”

  “I don’t want to leave you shorthanded.” Now that she’d lived her life shorthanded, she’d be the last person to walk out on someone else. “Besides, I’ve got everything under control. Don’t tell Jen, but she’s washing cats this afternoon.”

  Brenda blinked slowly. “Will your delicate relationship handle that?”

  Sarah laughed. “I like to push the boundaries.”

  Brenda held up both hands. “My daughter is not one to take her boundaries lightly. Still, if anyone can get her bathing cats, it might be you.”

  “Really?” Sarah untied her apron and folded it. “That’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever heard, but it still makes me feel like a superhero. Jen gets her way with words from you.”

  When Brenda brushed her shoulders off as if it was all in a day’s work, Sarah’s confidence ticked up another notch. Before working the first shift with Brenda, Sarah had fortified her nerves with extra coffee. And like almost every other person to cross her p
ath lately, Brenda had surprised her with kindness, generosity and patience.

  Shelly had started the coworker-to-friend trend by hanging tough at the shelter through some serious challenges.

  Then Rebecca and Stephanie and even Jen had gone above and beyond the description of donor to help her.

  And then there was Will.

  “All I’m saying is that you jumped in to work faster than other people I’ve vouched for.” Brenda shook her head. “Don’t know exactly where you got the work ethic but it’s nice to see. And picking up the usuals as fast as you did shows a sharp mind.” She grinned. “Too bad you’ve been hiding it behind shiny hair and expensive clothes all these years.”

  Instead of apologizing again or explaining all the reasons she’d thought she had to be who she was, Sarah surprised them both by wrapping her arms around Brenda. “Thank you. If you only knew what these weird, slightly insulting but mostly encouraging comments mean to me, you’d know how badly I needed them.”

  Brenda squeezed her and then stepped back. “Go on. I’ll hold down the order pad until Sue Lynn comes in. She sure is going to be happy when you switch to the lunch shift. I might miss you.”

  Sarah wrinkled her nose. “Stick around. I still owe you a meal. You could do lunch next week, right? Then, if I need you to save my bacon, you’ll be close by.”

  “You can save your own bacon, but I’ll take the lunch invitation. Be nice to sit in one of the booths and ask you for a clean utensil every three minutes.” Brenda sighed. “Like the woman of wealth and leisure my daughter wishes I would aspire to be.”

  Sarah almost groaned when she checked the clock. Any advantage she might have had in leaving early had evaporated and she was late. Again. What a day.

  “Gotta run. Meeting with my board of directors.” Sarah peered down her nose haughtily, hoping for a laugh. When she got it, she waved and trotted out to the car.

  Sarah raced back through town and squealed into the parking lot of Paws for Love on two wheels, happy to see that she was the first to arrive. Shelly would take care of the afternoon feeding. Already three steps ahead of herself, Sarah raced to the door and fumbled her key ring.

  She bent, picked it up and turned back to the car to grab the envelope she’d just remembered.

  It was thick, as if it held paperwork, but had only the shelter’s address on the front. No return address. No stamp. “Weird. I’ll figure you out later.”

  Today, she’d get approval on the next round of spending, including a series of adoption events. She also planned to discuss the employment ad for the new, improved shelter manager with Rebecca, Jen, Stephanie and Will. But mainly Jen. She was the only real obstacle keeping Sarah from officially taking over the shelter and fund-raising.

  First, she had to wash the smell of hash browns out of her hair and change into her clean pair of jeans. It had been a good week at the diner. She might even be able to keep working there if she got the chance to take over full-time operations of the shelter. It was a job that took way more than forty hours a week, but there was no reason they had to fall from eleven to three.

  If she could keep both jobs, she would. Coming this close to homelessness had made it clear that just getting by could be dangerous. She’d love to have a chance to get a little ahead.

  She hadn’t met Jen’s deadline, not quite, but she’d shove her suitcase in the car before the open house, and next week, she’d move into her own tiny apartment.

  She wouldn’t have a stick of furniture, but she and Bub would have plenty of room to spread out.

  And she’d sleep through the night without staring up at the ceiling, watching for headlights.

  She jumped into the cramped shower in the employee bathroom, washed and dried her hair and then got dressed. On her way back to the office, she started a load of laundry, gave her shadow, Bub, a treat and eased into her ugly chair.

  She checked for new email. None. The shelter’s website had been updated with new hours and a large, splashy graphic. She and Shelly had spent two days coming up with the announcement for the shelter’s open house and the image of Bub wearing a party hat. At this very moment, she was as ready as she could be.

  Except the envelope was ruining the clean lines of the stacks on her desk.

  She flipped the manila envelope over, but there was no address on the back. The clasp was the only thing holding the envelope closed, and as soon as she opened it, a stack of cash spread out across her desk.

  She wanted to toss the bills in the air like a game show winner. How long had she been dodging bill collectors and worrying about rent? But she’d never have enough time to restore her office before Rebecca, Jen and Stephanie walked in.

  Rolling around in cash would send the wrong impression.

  Then she realized she had no reason to celebrate. This wasn’t a windfall like the lottery. Only one person would have left this for her and he’d stolen it from the people who were helping her.

  But she needed it so badly.

  Sarah carefully counted as she restacked the money. “One thousand dollars.” And a handwritten note inside the envelope. “Tampa. Monday.”

  Sarah had spent a lot of time studying handwriting growing up.

  She wouldn’t bet her first month’s rent on it, but with a free roll, she’d gamble this was her father’s handwriting.

  And possibly her chance to get her old life back.

  Temptation in an envelope.

  “I did not need this today.”

  All she had to do was get up right this second, leave Bub and the shelter and everything else behind to head for the airport. This was more than enough cash to get her there and buy a nice hotel room for a few nights.

  Except she’d be blowing off everything that had come to mean so much and the people who’d helped her.

  To join her father, the man who’d stolen from his employees and run away.

  Sarah rubbed the hard knot in the center of her chest and realized she was struggling to breathe.

  There was no way to deny it now, not even to herself. Her father had no intention of coming back to Holly Heights with some breezy explanation.

  Her father was a thief, one who’d left her here. All alone.

  He was also the man who’d make sure she didn’t have to worry about rent money, who’d stood up to her teachers and faced down her critics, and he was the only family she had left.

  If only he’d knocked instead of leaving the envelope in the middle of the night.

  Like a coward.

  With Hollister watching so closely, maybe that had been her father’s only choice.

  Aside from doing the right thing: confessing, turning himself in to face the fallout.

  And it seemed as if her father wasn’t sure which way Sarah would go.

  If he’d knocked on the door and come inside Paws for Love, would she have left with him or called the cops?

  Her uncertainty rattled her.

  Sarah shoved the money back inside the envelope and pressed her forehead against the cool surface of her desk. Such a headache. After all the late hours and hard work, any reminder of Bobby Hillman could make a headache bloom right between her eyes.

  “Hey, boss, good day at the diner?”

  Sarah jerked up to see a smiling Shelly. “Sure. And after this afternoon, we’re going to know which direction to go next. It’s a great day.”

  Shelly gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m headed for sudsville, population me and every animal in this place. Call if you need me. Les will come by with food.” She wrinkled her nose. “He says he can’t stand to miss a meal with me.” Shelly whistled as she strutted away, but the tune was loud, a little off-key and entirely too happy.

  No one should be that cheerful about giving dogs and cats baths.

  “Wait for Les, and leave some of the cats for Jen. She wants to help,” Sarah called out before Shelly disappeared. Then Sarah straightened in her chair as Will appeared in her doorway.

  Sarah shuffled the envelope un
der a stack of file folders, then stood and smoothed her hands down her jeans. “Come in, everyone.”

  “How’s Hope?” Jen glanced around the room, challenging anyone to give her a hard time over her affection for her soon-to-be dog.

  “Great. Les is going to remove the stitches today. All of them. They’ll wait on you.” Sarah waved the adoption contract she’d placed on top of the most important stack of papers on her desk. “When you’re ready, we’ll do some paperwork.”

  “I’ll go help with the cats, okay, Dad?” Chloe started to inch away, but not before Will tugged the pink stripe in her ponytail. “Be careful. Cats are smart. They might gang up on you.”

  Chloe glanced at Sarah and rolled her eyes before she trotted off to the cat room.

  “Are you ready for us?” Will asked, and Sarah realized she’d been staring at him, cataloging any differences she could see after their time apart. Was his hair longer or mussed from the cool breeze? There was no way he was actually taller. Was there?

  Sarah shook her head to clear it. At this point, there was no option but to execute her plan A. The envelope was a problem for later.

  “Uh, yes, I’m ready. As you all know, the open house is on target, so I wanted to take a few minutes to discuss the next phase.” She handed out the list of proposed events, all of which had dollar estimates.

  Then she threaded her fingers together in a tight knot and rested her hands on the desk, determined not to hurt her chances by talking too much. The second part of this meeting depended on convincing everyone she could be cool, calm and collected as needed.

  “You’ve done a good job with the budget so far.” Stephanie put her copy of the proposal down. “You’re almost ten percent under.”

  “The roofer, the general contractor and even the printer were happy to give me a discount for displaying their signs at the open house.” Sarah twisted her pen in circles. “But you can’t count on that.”

  The way Will’s eyes crinkled at the corners might have been better than a full-blown grin. Sarah couldn’t sit still thanks to the warm glow in her chest, so she twisted back and forth while she waited for Rebecca.