37
Sara suffered through three days of heartbreak without a phone call of explanation from Jacob.
Or a text.
Or message.
No apology. No denial. Nothing.
Each day, Sara completed her responsibilities, but her motivation might as well have been flushed down the toilet along with their relationship. She resented work since everything about it reminded her of him. Crying on her bed into a pint of ice cream seemed a more fitting way to commiserate. Or she could just agree to go work with Ray.
Yeah, because that was an option.
For the billionth time that day, Sara cursed her life.
Was this how Dan had felt when she’d hurt him? Had he expected a follow up apology, even though he’d told her to leave him alone, and been shattered when the phone hadn’t rung?
Sara finished opening the new checking account and tried to focus on Mr. Shriver, not that it mattered to the old man. He ranted while she nodded her head unenthusiastically.
Five weeks had seemed like such a short time with Dan, and not enough for the hurt Sara had caused to do lasting damage. Yet she’d barely spent little more than half that with Jacob—being truly with him, at least—and her stomach clenched at the mention of his name.
Karma really was a bitch.
As easily as she’d left Dan, Jacob had strolled out of her life. And for what? The Barbie? No offense Dan, but I would have much rather he’d chosen alcohol.
“I complained about it.” Mr. Shriver’s voice rose as his ire increased. “Even at the city council meeting!”
Of that, Sara had no doubt. But about what, she had no idea. She sniffled and nodded again, trying to appear interested. Thankfully, she didn’t have to for long. Once Mr. Shriver signed the new signature card, he bolted—his cell phone demanding his attention—leaving the lobby blessedly quiet. She rested her forehead in her hands, rubbing her temples amidst increasing sniffles. Their first lull of the day, and boy, did she need it.
Unfortunately, Bel didn’t let her enjoy the solitude. Her friend perched on the corner of Sara’s desk, handing her a tissue. “Wanna talk?”
Even a gentle swipe irritated her raw nose. “Not really.” Sara sniffled again. What was there to say? “Tears for days over a man who’s marrying someone else? Shouldn’t I be happy to be rid of him?” All her hurt and misery lived in that one question.
“I guess that depends.”
Sara peered at her friend over the tissue. “On what?” Where was the sympathy? Girl power and all that? “What could possibly make a difference?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe on whether there actually is going to be a wedding.”
“Hey!”
“Hey, what?” Bel smoothed her A-line floral print skirt over her knees, avoiding eye contact—a sure sign there’d be even more of a confrontation.
Yippee.
Shouldn’t Sara be able to keep moping as long as she wanted?
“Don’t you think you might have rushed a tad too quickly into judgment?”
“Noooo.” Her dragging the word out apparently didn’t make it more true according to her friend.
“Honey, come on.” Bel looked at Sara then, full on staring-her-down eye contact, before she dealt the next blow. “You trusted the word of a stranger over the guy you love.”
“Because she proved he was a cheater.” Didn’t that negate everything Sara had thought she felt?
“That’s not the Sara I know.”
“But she had pictures.”
“And those pictures could have a harmless explanation. Do you really think Jacob would’ve been stupid enough to bring you on a trip where he was planning his wedding to another woman? He has met the rest of the Morrow clan, right?”
Okay, Bel had a point. Her other sisters might hide their crazy well, but Sage wore hers with pride, and he’d seen that up close.
“Why don’t you call him and find out what the truth really is?”
“Because then I’d have to admit that this time, I’m the ass.” Sara blew her nose with all the aggression she’d let build up. Why the hell did her friend have to be right?
“So you’d rather be alone?”
“Fuck you.” Sara softened her curse with a self-deprecating smirk.
“Hey, I’ve given you three days to sulk. But he’s not dead and neither are you. So suck it up, sunshine. Figure out what you want and go for it.”
“Since when did you start using Sage’s nickname for me?”
“Since you started needing a kick in the behind.” Bel gave another stern look and stood. “Are you ready to grow up now?”
Sara laughed in disbelief. “Don’t I know anyone who will sugarcoat things?” She returned Bel’s hard stare with a shake of her head. “Whose friend are you?”
“You like him, right?”
“I love him.”
“Doesn’t that make it worth finding out?”
With more petulance than she’d intended, Sara grumbled, “I really hate that you’re hanging out with Sage more. Sweet, innocent girls should know better than to tempt the devil.”
Bel patted Sara’s shoulder the way one would a child, a grin on her face. “Did you really just call your sister the devil?”
“Not technically. But her apartment has been deemed the den of iniquity by many. The devil can’t be too far behind.”
Friendship in the form of a gentle hand squeeze came from the woman who’d been her confidant all her life. “Have I mentioned he’s an idiot for hurting you? At the very least he could’ve called you to explain.”
Sara snorted. Now Bel wanted to offer support? “Next time, you might consider leading with that.” But their joined laughter did uplift her. She had more to her life than Jacob, and it was time to start acting like it, even if Harrison wanted to glare from his office doorway.
Under his watchful stare, Bel dashed back to her desk, flipping him off with the hand he couldn’t see. Sara hid her smile. Everyone needed a friend like Bel.
Four days later, the creak of hallway floorboards roused Sara from her dreams of Jacob. She sat alone in Maddie’s living room on Christopher’s old recliner and her solitude made her miss both men even more. Yet the longer Jacob went without contacting her, the more Sara couldn’t help wondering how much she’d meant to him. Bel’s argument the other day had held a truth Sara couldn’t deny—she hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt when he’d clearly deserved it—but, if Elise’s words had been nothing other than a lie, why hadn’t he called?
Because Sara hadn’t meant as much to him as Jacob had to her.
That was the only answer that made sense.
And it hurt like fucking hell.
She’d been about to tell him she loved him. Sure, after only three and a half weeks of seriously dating, that seemed ridiculous, but it didn’t change the fact that she did. She loved him. And he cared so little about her that he’d watched her walk out of his life without putting up a fight.
Bel stumbled around the corner, her face scrubbed clean from her bathroom stop. She flopped on Maddie’s couch with a groan as Sage came out and headed straight for the kitchen.
They were a sorry bunch. At noon on Saturday afternoon, not one of them had changed from their pajamas. Yet Sara’s sadness lessened at the sight of her sister and friend. Last night’s get-together to make meals for their most recent list of Veterans had turned into an all-night affair.
Sara stretched out her kinks, letting go of what she couldn’t change, and spoke her first words on a long yawn. “I can’t believe Tessa’s still asleep.”
“Don’t know why.” Maddie crept in and curled on the arm of Sara’s chair, her voice as groggy as Sara’s. “You guys were so loud last night she wanted to party too.”
“Yeah, she did.” The smell of coffee followed Sage from the kitchen to where she nestled into a corner of the loveseat. Steam from the cup pinkened her cheeks.
Desire to hurt her sister for the drink was almost enou
gh to make Sara move. Instead she contented herself with breathing in the aroma.
Maddie groaned beside her. “Late night partying is so not a behavior I want to encourage.”
Maybe not, but Tessa had sure been cute. After they’d finished cooking, the girls had stayed up blasting music. It was the first girls’ night they’d had since Christopher’s death. Not even Maddie had wanted Tessa to miss out. They’d danced and giggled until well after three in the morning. And damn if it hadn’t felt good to be with the Morrow girls again. Sara had needed that almost as much as Maddie. Maybe they all had.
Maddie grunted at Sage. “Any more coffee?”
“Fresh pot.” Too much glee infused itself in Sage’s tired voice for Sara to trust her enough to find out for herself. Maddie proved braver. Sage waited until their oldest sister cleared the sitting area before she taunted, “As soon as you make it.”
Sara giggled. She’d known not to believe the lie.
And Sage hadn’t waited long enough. In an impressive display of sudden alertness, Maddie snagged a throw pillow from the loveseat.
Of each of her sisters these two were the funniest to watch bicker. Sage talked a good game, but Maddie always called her bluff, just like she did now. “You took the last and didn’t start any new to brew. You know what that means, right?”
“Wa-wait.” Sage held up a hand, her smile visible behind the mug at her mouth. “You can’t hurt me, I’ll spill my coffee.”
Them’s fighting words, sis.
“You bitch.” Maddie aimed at Sage’s head without releasing the pillow.
“Hey!” The threat had Sage hopping up faster than Sara even wanted to think about. “It’s not my fault Abby only left enough for one cup.”
Unpersuaded, Maddie advanced a step. “Put it down.”
“Not on your life.” Sage smirked and held the cup out in front of her, daring Maddie to make her spill it.
Sara giggled. These two were better than a movie. And way better than the sadness her heart seemed set on replaying.
Just like she had last night, Sara pushed that aside, allowing her sisters’ antics to replace her thoughts of Jacob, if only for a moment.
“You forget, dear sis, that my floors have had pee, poop, and vomit on them, sometimes all at the same time.” Maddie closed in on her. “A little coffee doesn’t scare me.”
Maybe not, but Maddie sure did scare Sage. Their middle sister set the cup on the small table before taking off with a shriek when Maddie swung. In victory, Maddie tossed the pillow aside and swiped Sage’s near full mug. “Ah.” She closed her eyes at the first sip.
Sage blew her a kiss. “I’ll have you know, I ate out three women yesterday and sucked a dick. And I haven’t brushed my teeth since.”
“Mmm. Cum.” Maddie licked whipped cream off her lip from the drop her sister put in every cup. “How I’ve missed it.”
Laughter filled the living room, the wonderful kind that made it hard to breathe and caused Sara’s side to hurt. After gaining control, she knew better than to look at any of her sisters and risk returning to the garbled noises they made as they panted for their own breaths.
These women healed her in a way Jacob never could. No matter what happened with men, she could always count on her family.
“Loud sisters have been the bane of my existence my entire life.” Riley’s grumble preceded her shuffle into the room.
“Good morning, Grumpy Cat,” Sage greeted.
The all-too-accurate title had them falling into hilarity again. All of them except Riley, that was. Her expression morphed even more into the one of the famous feline. “Sure, laugh it up. But remember I’m the one that took Tessa’s first shift. I’ve only had three hours of sleep, unlike you slackers.” She flipped them off, then looked longingly at Maddie’s mug. “I’ll need a hell of a lot of coffee to put up with you guys.”
That, of course, perked Sage right up. “You’ll have to make a fresh pot. Someone drank the last of it without starting another.” Her innocent act might’ve fooled Riley, but it triggered Maddie. The pillow hit Sage dead center on the forehead. “Hey!” To get out of the line of fire, Sage skirted over to Sara’s chair. But typical Sage, she didn’t rest on the arm like Maddie had done. Instead, she curled in Sara’s lap, her head on Sara’s chest. “Don’t be mean to me like these other asshats. Tell me a story, sis. Entertain me.”
They’d played this game since childhood. When stressed, Sara would go to their resident drama queen and ask for a story about her sister’s day. Between Sage’s natural flamboyant actions and her tendency toward over exaggeration, they’d both be giggling by the time she finished.
“Sorry, but I’m fresh out.” Sara slipped an arm around her sister’s waist, taking her own comfort. “You’re supposed to uplift me. My stories just make me sad.”
“Your stories only make you sad because you’re not thinking of the right ones. I want to hear the one where you follow your heart.” Sage twirled a strand of Sara’s hair around her finger, unknowing what her action did to Sara’s heart.
“You mean the one where it was cut out of my body and handed back to me?” Jacob used to touch her like that. How had she become used to that simple gesture in so short a time?
“Nope.” Unlike Jacob, Sage tugged hard on the strands in her grasp. “Try again. I’m talking about the kick-ass girl-power story I know you have in you.”
Yeah right. Girl-power stories required a strong heroine, not a woman who still cried about her broken heart over a week later.
But Sage didn’t let up. When Sara wouldn’t look at her, she put her nose in her face. “I’m talking about the stories that end with you following your dream of doing fundraisers for a living.”
Her dream?
Sara glared at Bel over Sage’s head. Fucking traitor.
One day soon, Sara would have to have a talk with Bel about all the time she seemed to be spending with her sister. Sage and her used to be close until Sara’s senior year of high school. Then they all but stopped talking to one another. As much as Sara loved the idea of her friend having yet another support in her life, something about the look the two now shared didn’t sit right. It was more than conspiratorial; it seemed downright proprietary, just like that moment at the club before Sara had hooked up with Jacob.
Yet just as it had then, as soon as Sage turned her gaze back on Sara, Sara dismissed the notion. Sage might be bisexual, but Bel was too innocent to play her sister’s games.
In most cases, at least. When it came to betraying Sara’s confidence, she seemed far from innocent. Bel didn’t even have the good grace to blush as she shrugged. “Hey, you didn’t ask me to keep quiet about Ray.”
The validity of the excuse made it no less irritating. Sherlock Holmes Maddie had dug up clues with less.
The oldest Morrow girl didn’t disappoint. “What dream?”
“Nothing,” Sara denied. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.” What was the point in bringing this up? Maddie would read way too much into it.
“The guy who helped with the fundraiser wants to hire Sara,” Sage said, not so much as squirming at Sara’s pinch.
Riley stuck her head out from the kitchen, her bob dancing with her enthusiasm. “Sis, that’s fantastic! When do you start?”
“I don’t.”
“Why not?” A stiffened spine reflected Maddie’s growing awareness.
Uh-oh. That was exactly what Sara hadn’t wanted to happen.
“Because of me?”
“Come on now, why would you think that?”
A flame of anger burned behind her oldest sister’s eyes.
“I’m serious! But this is why I didn’t tell you. Think about it, Maddie. This has nothing to do with you. The reality is, my debt is too high to take a job that pays half what I’m making now.”
That rationale only stoked her sister’s fire. “Don’t give me that. If you weren’t helping out here, you’d make it work.”
Probably, but
that hardly mattered.
Sara matched Maddie’s anger. “Doesn’t matter if I would. This is where I want to be. Remember what Riley said?”
“Hey, don’t throw me into this. I’m with Maddie on this one.”
“Why? I could’ve sworn you were the one saying she needed to understand that love isn’t an obligation a month ago when she asked us to cut back on our help.”
“I—”
Maddie waved Riley off. “I’ve got this.”
Though that did nothing to appease Sara, it seemed to satisfy Riley because she disappeared back into the kitchen while Maddie came to kneel at Sara’s feet. “Maybe I do need to get better about accepting help, but you know what, Sara? You need to understand that love isn’t an excuse either.”
Of course, it wasn’t. Sara didn’t need her sisters to tell her that.
Did she?
38
In Jacob’s mind, he stepped off the platform as Sara emerged from the water. After a quick stop for her stuff, she started across the small expanse of sand toward him.
He wanted her to hurry and slow down, in equal measure, so he could appreciate the view. With each sway of her hips, her gorgeous breasts attempted to break free from the confines of her tiny triangle blue-and-red striped bikini top.
He held his breath, willing the straps to give. Desire to bury his face—and if lucky, his cock—between those two perfect globes caused him to lose his footing.
She flashed a knowing smile when he stumbled. “This part of the beach is nude too, isn’t it?”
Incapable of speech, he nodded.
“Do you take advantage of that much?” She tilted her head in question, trying for innocence that her killer body would never allow. Ever the temptress, she winked, untied her bikini top, and let it drift to the ground. He stopped himself just short of falling at her feet in worship as she grabbed a bottle he recognized from the vanity in his bathroom.
Morrow's Horizon (The Morrow Women Series Book 1) Page 29