“What’s funny?” Kevin leaned close and took her hand in his. “I know it can’t be the movie.”
Sarah focused on the screen and shook her head. She’d laughed during a rather dry confrontation between two men plotting a prison break. “Oops, now you know I wasn’t listening. Actually, I was thinking about Trey. Did he tell you if he has a girl?”
Kevin’s grin widened, and he squeezed her hand. He whispered back, “No, but if he ever does, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay, you do that.” She settled back and watched a movie she could have lived very well without seeing. Most of the scenes moved across the screen without her attention. How could she concentrate on the perfect crime when Kevin Nichols held her hand? For the next two hours, she became the seventeen year-old girl who loved Kevin more than anyone or anything, as if the last eighteen years had been deleted from her memory.
The movie ended and the lights came on, both literally and figuratively. As they walked out of the theater, Sarah knew she had fallen for Kevin’s charms again, just as she had so long ago. She let him guide her outdoors and help her into his car.
“Would you like to go anyplace else?” He smiled across the seat as if nothing had changed. As if he’d really intended to talk about the girls’ home. Had he used it as an excuse—for what? They couldn’t renew an old love that had died so long ago. Dead and buried. That pretty well summed up their relationship.
She shook her head. “No, I think we’ve done enough.”
Kevin didn’t speak while he drove across the city. He kept his hands on the steering wheel and, Sarah supposed, his mind on the traffic. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes until he turned and slowed his speed. With a smile her way, he found her street, pulled into the driveway, and stopped.
He put his hand on the seat behind her. “You look tired.”
She smiled. “I hope you don’t consider that a compliment.”
He chuckled. “On you, even tired is beautiful.”
He opened his door and circled the car without waiting for her to respond. She wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. They walked to her front door, and he waited until she had it unlocked.
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for the best time I’ve had in a long time.”
With a quick smile, Kevin walked to his car while she stood in her open doorway watching him. His taillights were two red dots at the end of the street before she stepped in and secured the door. She leaned her head against the hard wood and closed her eyes. Kevin Nichols had always held the key to her heart. Eighteen years ago, his rejection had locked every romantic notion she’d ever had inside, and that’s the way she wanted it to stay. Never again could she subject her heart to the pain that loving Kevin caused.
Chapter 7
S arah didn’t expect to hear from Kevin on Saturday, but Sunday morning in church, she kept glancing toward the back in case he showed up. He didn’t.
Monday and Tuesday passed without a word from him. Wednesday morning Tricia buzzed over the intercom that Sarah had a call from Dr. Jenson. She hadn’t heard from Harold all week either.
“Thanks, Tricia. I’ll take it.” Sarah pushed the button and lifted the receiver. “Hello, Harold.”
“How’s Sarah today?” His voice sounded warm and confident over the phone.
“I’m fine. Just digging into the routine.”
He laughed. “I hope your work isn’t as boring as you make it sound.”
“Not really.” What could he want? Did pediatricians have time to chat between patients? No wonder she always had to wait so long at the doctor’s office. “At least I have enough to keep me busy.”
“Ah yes, then I’ll get right to the point.”
Chalk one up for Harold. He could take a hint. She smiled to herself and waited without comment.
“How would you like to visit a museum with my daughter and me? Katie has a history project at school. She has to tour a museum and write a story about life around the time of the Chicago fire. I hope you’ll say yes. Katie would like to see you again.”
Sarah visualized Harold’s young daughter and sighed inwardly. She’d met the child once briefly. Katie probably didn’t remember, but maybe Harold was right. Maybe she was bored.
“Sure,” she said. “When did you have in mind?”
“Tomorrow evening. Her story is due next week. That gives her the weekend to work on it. How does five thirty sound? We’ll grab a bite to eat first since the museum stays open until eight.”
Sounded very domestic in a stifling sort of way. Sarah cringed. What was wrong with her? Harold had been nothing but nice from their first encounter. His daughter held top priority in his life and she understood. She would have been the same if she’d been able to raise Trey. Little Katie Jenson would never be a substitute for Trey in her heart though. No child would.
She focused on the answer she knew Harold expected. “That’ll work fine. I’ll look forward to tomorrow.”
“Great. I’ll let you get back to work. We’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and Sarah, wear something casual.”
Sarah hung up and stared at the phone for a moment. What had she done? A date with Harold’s daughter coming along? She might as well have told him she’d think about marriage.
The following evening when Harold picked her up, Sarah turned toward the backseat, where the nine-year-old sat with her arms folded across her chest. “Hi, Katie. How nice to see you again.”
Katie glanced toward her father as he slid behind the wheel and twisted her mouth as if considering before she said, “Yeah, it’s nice seeing you again, too. Dad, I’m really hungry. Can we go eat now?”
“Sure, we’re on our way.” Harold started the car as if oblivious to his daughter’s underlying words. But Sarah heard her loud and clear. She settled back in her seat, expecting to be ignored by Katie Jenson.
They stopped at a family-style restaurant that couldn’t begin to compare with the restaurant Kevin had taken her to Friday evening. The noise level was louder, and there seemed to be constant movement. Sarah soon discovered that watching children and parents interact provided a welcome distraction from Katie’s scowl.
Harold obviously had no clue of Katie’s resentment toward Sarah intruding on her time with him. His grin included them both. “So what’ll it be? Spaghetti, lasagna?”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Pizza, Dad. Their specialty is pizza. Pepperoni and Canadian bacon.”
She jerked her head toward Sarah. “You and your girlfriend can have something else if you want.”
Harold laughed, but Sarah lifted her eyebrows. The child needed discipline rather than encouragement. Katie leaned back in her chair and met Sarah’s gaze. An emotion flashed through her eyes before settling into a smirk, as if she felt she had set Sarah in her place. What was that first emotion? Fear? Anger? Pain?
Maybe all three rolled into one. Her parents had only been divorced a year. Unexpected compassion for the child filled Sarah’s heart, as she thought of her own early life. She’d been raised in a loving Christian home. Her parents seldom disagreed, let alone fought. They never hesitated to show their love for each other or for each of their children. They had stood beside her when Trey was born and cried with her when she gave him up. Even now they longed for their chance to meet him.
How could she possibly understand the trauma Katie Jenson had gone through? At the impressionable age of nine, her two homes pulled in opposite directions. She’d seen Katie’s mother once at the hospital with Harold and was surprised by the vindictive spirit she displayed. She could well imagine her turning her child against her father and any friends he might have. No wonder Katie resented Sarah’s presence. If her dad remarried, she could safely assume her life would again be sent into a whirlwind of turmoil.
Sarah smiled at Katie. “I have to admit pizza sounds appealing, but I haven’t had lasagna in ages, so I think that’s what I’ll have.”
Harold sighed. “This is tough. I like lasagna, but
I’m going to have to go with Katie on this one. Pizza is my choice, too. Especially bacon. I’m telling you, those Canadian pigs make the best bacon I’ve ever eaten.”
Katie’s blue eyes lit up and she giggled. “Oh Daddy, you’re being funny. I’m just a kid, and I know pigs are the same no matter where they live.”
Sarah smiled. So Harold understood his daughter more than she’d given him credit for. By choosing pizza, he reinforced his commitment to her.
Later, Katie looked at Sarah’s plate of lasagna while she chewed and said, “If you want, Sarah, you can take a slice of pizza. It’s really good.”
“Thank you, Katie.” Sarah felt as if she’d smiled enough to be crowned Miss America, and the evening had only begun. “I believe I might try a small one.”
The pleased expression on Harold’s face told her she’d made the right decision. Maybe an extra jog around the block tomorrow would take care of all the calories she consumed tonight. She bit into the spicy, flavorful wedge and closed her eyes. “Mmm, this is good.”
“See, I told you, you should’ve ordered pizza.”
Sarah opened her eyes to another smirk. Only this one was different somehow. The icy glare had turned into a warm blue twinkle. Tempted to believe Harold’s daughter had warmed up to her, but knowing nothing in life could be so easy, Sarah laughed. Her heart thrilled when first Katie’s and then Harold’s laughter joined hers.
“Daddy says you and him are clowns. Are you really?” Katie made the initiative for the first time, and Sarah almost held her breath when she answered.
“Yes, that’s true. I’m Sadie, and this is Groucho.” She motioned toward Harold. “Once in a while we perform for the children in the hospital. They seem to like it.”
“I bet you’re good.” Katie wrinkled her nose. “They wouldn’t like it if you weren’t.”
Sarah’s surprised gaze met Harold’s confident one as the realization hit her. He expected Katie to like her. They ate and talked about some of the skits they performed as Sadie and Groucho, while Sarah’s suspicions grew. Harold Jenson was an intelligent man. He knew he couldn’t marry a woman Katie didn’t like. He also knew Katie would reject any choice he made, until she got to know the woman. Harold wanted to remarry, and he was counting on this outing, along with a few others, to win his daughter over. Sarah wasn’t sure she liked being set up.
Unbidden thoughts of Friday evening flashed through Sarah’s mind as they left the restaurant and drove to the museum. Her evening with Kevin had thrummed with an energy that kept her aware of him. Intense awareness of her feelings toward him, whether anger or…
The word love pushed to the front of her mind, but she shoved it back. No, she didn’t love Kevin Nichols. She’d already decided any love she’d felt for him was dead and buried, and that’s where it would stay. All the intense emotion remembered from Friday night had been leftover hate toward a man who’d wronged her and their son. She had no room left to love Kevin.
She mentally turned her back on thoughts of past love and concentrated on Harold and Katie as they walked through the museum and looked at nineteenth-century Chicago. Maybe the three of them could make a family. Katie had warmed up to her much more than she’d expected. She even grabbed her hand at one point to drag her across the hall to another exhibit.
They saw sepia-toned pictures of wood-framed houses lining rutted dirt streets and people walking or riding in wagons and buggies. Katie chattered nonstop about everything she saw. Then Harold called her over to another display.
“Look, Katie, here’s your story about the fire.” As they joined him, he pointed at a picture. “This shows what the city looked like just before the fire. Here’s another that shows the destruction right after.”
When Katie decided she’d seen enough, they drove to Sarah’s house in the early darkness of evening. Harold parked in the driveway, and Katie waited in the car while he walked Sarah to her door.
“You have a sweet daughter, Harold.” Sarah held her keys in her hand. “I enjoyed being with her.” She gave a short laugh. “It’s nice to see a healthy child for a change. Thanks for taking me.”
“Yeah. Thanks for going with us. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.” They stopped on the porch. Harold waited until Sarah unlocked and opened the door.
What she’d said was true. She had enjoyed the evening. Katie relaxed with her much sooner than she’d expected, yet her acceptance stirred Sarah’s emotions in a way she didn’t understand. She should be glad, but at the moment, she wanted to run inside and close Harold and his daughter out. Instead, she pushed her front door open and waited, hoping he wouldn’t lead her into an area she wasn’t ready to enter.
“Tonight feels like spring, doesn’t it?” His words surprised her.
She nodded. “Yes, even the shower we had earlier today is typical for April.”
“That’s true.” He chuckled. “You know something else that’s typical of spring?” Before she could answer, he went on. “Baseball. The White Sox have a home game on the sixteenth. That’s a week from Saturday. I should have Katie again then. Would you go with us? She loves outings, so I’m sure she’ll be on her best behavior.” His voice dropped to a husky almost whisper. “I know I will be.”
Sarah laughed and knew she shouldn’t have. Poor Harold. He was such a nice guy. Why couldn’t she react to him the same way she did Kevin? The question formed in her mind without warning. She caught her long, unbound hair and hooked it behind her ear as she held her smile in place.
“Yes, of course. I enjoy our friendship, and don’t worry about Katie. I’m sure we’ll get along fine, just like we did tonight.”
“You did, didn’t you?” Harold looked pleased. Then he shrugged. “But I always figured you would.”
Sarah leaned forward and whispered as if imparting a secret. “I know you think it’s my great personality that got to her, but the truth is, she’s just enamored with meeting the real Sadie.”
Harold laughed. “You’re joking, but with a nine-year-old, you never know.”
The nine-year-old took that moment to open the car door and call out, “Daddy, are we going now?”
“I’ll be right there.” Harold stepped off the porch then turned to whisper, “Well, so much for my night-night kiss.”
Sarah giggled. “I’m sure Katie will give you a kiss when you tuck her in for the night.”
He shook his head as he walked away. “It isn’t the same, Sarah. It just isn’t the same.”
Sarah stepped inside her house and turned on the lights. She closed the door and silently thanked Katie for calling her daddy away.
“Kevin, you kept me waiting.” Valerie Parker’s lower lip stuck out in a pretty pout as she rose from the chair behind his desk.
He walked through the doorway in the partition separating his work area from the rest of the large room and tossed a stack of files on his desk before he turned to his boss’s beautiful daughter.
“Now why would you be waiting for me?”
She walked behind him, trailing a finger across his shoulders. “The question should be, why wouldn’t I? I’ve spent my entire life waiting for a man like you. What’s another ten minutes or so?”
Kevin knew a come-on when he heard it. He also knew Valerie used flattery to get what she wanted. He wondered exactly what she wanted from him.
He moved away from her and circled his desk to sink into the plush office chair, where he leaned back and studied his lovely visitor. “Let’s see if I can guess. Daddy gave you an assignment you don’t like, and you want me to take it.”
“Of course not.” Her large blue eyes widened in mock horror. “I would never do such a thing.”
Kevin chuckled. “How about the Anderson account?”
“Jim Anderson is a dirty, old man—literally and…and…well, you know.” The look of disgust on her face stopped Kevin’s mirth.
“I’m sorry, Valerie. That wasn’t fair.” He remembered how frightened she’d been when she ca
me to him and told him what had happened when Mr. Anderson asked her to stop by for some tax receipts. She hadn’t gone back, Kevin had seen to that. And she’d made him promise not to tell her father. The Anderson account was one of their larger ones.
“So what is it you need this time, Valerie?” Kevin gave her an encouraging smile and hoped he wouldn’t have to run interference for her again.
“Something fun.” Her eyes sparkled as she turned a bright smile on him and leaned one hip against his desk. “I know you like parties.”
Kevin spoke before she could continue. “I’ll be out of town next week. Leaving tomorrow and won’t be back until Thursday. When’s your party?”
She folded her arms across her chest with a humph followed by a sigh. “This Saturday night.”
He shrugged. “Sorry.”
She stood and faced him, the hint of a smile curving her lips. “You know you’re my first choice, don’t you?”
When he didn’t speak, she said, “I’ll find someone else who will be glad to take me. Think of that while you’re all by your lonesome in some motel room.”
She sashayed out the door, wiggling her fingers over her shoulder. “Bye, Kevin.”
When the door clicked shut behind her, Kevin reached for his phone. A couple of rings later, a man answered, and he said, “Hi, this is Kevin Nichols. Is Trey there?”
“I’m sorry, he isn’t. Can I take a message?” Kevin recognized Trey’s dad’s voice.
“Sure. I talked to Trey about going to a White Sox game. I’ve got tickets for the sixteenth. I’d like for all three of you to be my guests.”
“Now that sounds like an idea.” Mr. Miller’s voice boomed. “I’ll ask Mavis and Trey. And just between you and me, I’m expecting a yes.”
Kevin laughed with him. “I sure hope so. Let me give you my cell phone number so you can reach me at any time. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again.”
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