Sarah felt for Sam’s hand and held on to it. She clasped Lucy’s in her other hand.
Sam leaned close to her ear. “I appreciate what you said to Lucy back on the airplane.”
Sarah nodded. She knew exactly what he was referring to. A small pain pierced her heart. “I’m aware of how difficult and emotional this change might be,” she murmured back to Sam.
He applied pressure on her hand, squeezing it. “She used the word family.”
“She said that to me, too.”
“We’ll figure it out. While we were on the plane, I reviewed the entire Future Tech Scholars program on the website. Did you know there are menus and submenus and pages of notes to read? I checked on the history of every past winner. I researched all the judges’ bios. Mostly, I researched the Future Tech Scholars campus.”
“We should take a ride there tomorrow,” Sarah said. “Make sure Lucy is comfortable with the school, just in case she ends up winning the competition.”
Lucy turned from staring out the window to look at them. Sarah was acutely aware that she was listening to their conversation.
“What if I don’t like the academy?” Lucy asked in a small voice. “Then what?”
Wasn’t that the question of the hour, Sarah thought.
“Did you like it when you were a student there, Sarah?” Lucy asked.
Sarah exhaled. A flood of mixed emotions poured over her. Involuntarily, she put a hand to her chest.
But Lucy’s situation and hers at that age weren’t similar at all. It wouldn’t be fair for her to bring up her own experiences as a point of comparison for Lucy.
Sarah made sure to smile carefully at the girl. “We’ll take the tour tomorrow. I’m sure the campus has changed greatly in the twenty-plus years since I last saw it.”
“That long?” Lucy asked, shocked. “That’s ancient history.”
“I suppose so.” Ancient history, indeed.
Perhaps it was time to let go of old feelings that had only served to block Sarah and bring her pain. She was looking forward to living with a new perspective.
“It will be interesting to see what we find.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“WOW, SARAH,” LUCY SAID. “You are rich!”
They stood in the foyer of Sarah’s large, extravagant home. Everything inside looked new, expensive and luxurious.
Sam gazed, stunned, at the high ceilings, the rich fabrics, the crystal and gold lighting.
He placed their luggage on the floor and reminded himself that all of them were just people. He hadn’t thought much about Sarah’s wealth when they were back in Wallis Point. It shouldn’t matter to him that Sarah was obviously better off financially than he was, likely on her way toward fighting for a multimillionaire’s crown. And yet, she wasn’t acting any differently now than she had yesterday.
His daughter was, however. Sam watched her, growing worried. She hopped from room to room, her eyes dazzled.
“Where would you like me to put our luggage?” Sam asked Sarah quietly.
“Come upstairs,” she said, equally quietly. “There are two rooms near mine that I had the housekeeper make up for you. I know we’re all tired from the cross-country trip.”
“It’s early here, still,” Lucy exclaimed, gazing at the new phone she’d never let out of her hand since she’d unwrapped it on her birthday. Her laptop was packed in the knapsack she wore on her thin back. “I’m not tired at all. Sarah, can you give me your Wi-Fi code, please?”
“Of course,” Sarah replied and smiled secretly at Sam.
Sarah showed him to a guest room with a queen-sized bed, and Lucy received a similar room across the hall.
Sam went inside and flopped on the bed, his head aching. Sarah joined him.
“I know it’s different from what you’re used to.” She kicked off her shoes and climbed up on the bed beside him, stretching out and putting her arms under her head to stare at the ceiling, as he did.
He reached out with his foot and rubbed her bare toes. “We’ll figure it out.” It had been his refrain for the past twenty-four hours.
She turned her surprised face to his. “You sound hopeful.”
“I’m out of my element, it’s true. But like Lucy said, we’ve formed ourselves into a family and we might as well see where it leads us.”
Sarah rolled onto her side, studying him. He noticed she wore the delicate gold chain around her newly tanned neck. The little shark charm had disappeared somewhere in the folds of her dress, while the heart charm rested inside the little hollow just above her breastbone.
He reached out and fingered the charm. Then he rubbed the pads of his fingertips across Sarah’s cool, silken skin.
“I’ve fallen in love with you,” he said quietly.
She blinked, pressing her hand to her mouth. A little sob escaped.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I can’t imagine going back to my life without you guys,” she choked out.
He gathered her tighter into his arms. We’ll figure it out, he was inclined to say again. But, honestly, he didn’t see how just yet.
Assuming Colleen agreed—a big assumption—and that Lucy did, indeed, win a scholarship to the school here, how was he going to survive this strange place? There was no beach outside the window, which didn’t thrill him, even if being here meant being with Sarah and Lucy.
He’d just been dragged around to so many places as a kid, and he’d finally found the one home that made him happy.
But this decision wasn’t only about him. It was about his daughter’s opportunity. It was about connecting with her. And it was about Sarah’s love for them making it all possible.
He cared what happened to them all. None of them were leaving him. He wasn’t leaving them. That gave him strength.
He turned to Sarah. “Should we get dinner?”
“My fridge is cleaned out for the summer.” She thought for a moment. “I have beer, though.” She grinned.
He couldn’t help laughing.
Hand in hand, they crept past Lucy’s closed door so as not to wake her, and downstairs and into a kitchen that looked like it came straight out of an architectural magazine. “It seems wasted on you,” he teased her. “You don’t even cook.”
“No, but I do,” Lucy interjected. She was already downstairs, wide awake and still dressed. She skipped over to Sarah’s refrigerator. “Look at this, Dad.” She placed her hand on the glass, and the interior lit up. “It’s so high-tech! I love it!”
Sarah pointed at the glass. “Pass your dad and me two of those beers, please. For you, Lucy, your choice is water or sparkling water.”
“And I see vitamin water, too.” Lucy opened the fridge and pulled out their selections.
They all sat at Sarah’s island, which was four times the size of his and made of white marble, or maybe it was quartz. He hated to say it, but he could get used to living in this house. The region, he wasn’t so sure yet. He doubted that California would accept his teaching license—he would probably have to go back to school or take some additional certification tests. He hadn’t checked into that yet, but now he could see through to doing so.
Sarah opened his bottle with a fancy gadget and then passed the beer to him.
“This one’s from New England,” he said, surprised.
“Yes. I’ve always been partial to my home turf.” She lifted her beer to her lips and drank deeply.
“So, you liked living in New England?” he asked.
“Yes,” she admitted. “I did.”
“Could you ever see yourself in Wallis Point? More permanently, I mean.”
She was silent. She wasn’t saying yes to him.
She had said her ambition was to start tech company after tech company, he remembered. She likely needed to be here, in Silicon Vall
ey, to do that. And it probably wouldn’t be great for her psyche to be so close to Cassandra back in New Hampshire.
And that was when he realized tomorrow’s meeting was more important for them as a unit than he’d realized. If Lucy didn’t win the contest and get accepted to the genius school, or if Colleen threw in a monkey wrench, then it would be even more difficult for the three of them to stay together.
Ultimately, though, it came down to his and Sarah’s choices together. Would they choose as a unit, or would they split up?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE NEXT MORNING, Sarah sat in the back of Paul’s black sedan pressing her hand to her chest. Her skin felt clammy and her head was swimming slightly. She wasn’t sure, but it appeared she might be having a minor panic attack.
They were idling at the entrance to her company parking lot. The car door was open—cool air had rushed in—but Sarah couldn’t feel it anymore. She just felt sick. Sam and Lucy stood outside on the sidewalk, waiting for her to get out.
Paul waited, too.
Upstairs, the senior staff awaited her. Gregory had texted her twice already this morning.
Paul swiveled in the driver’s seat. “Ms. Buckley? Can I get you anything? There are water bottles in the console.”
She shook her head, struggling to smile.
Why was she panicking?
Sam climbed back into the sedan, took one look at her and closed the door again. He took her hand in his. Whatever he thought about her clammy palms and shaking fingers, he didn’t say.
Instead, he leaned close to her ear. “Do you want to rest your eyes with me?” he murmured.
Despite herself, she choked out a laugh. He was asking her if she wanted to meditate. “Oh, what I wouldn’t do for Larry, my piping plover, and a swim in the ocean with you.”
Sam smiled, the lines around his eyes crinkling. He really wasn’t so young after all, she decided. He was perfect for her. Just as he was.
He kissed Sarah’s cheek. “Relax with me,” he murmured.
She rested her head on the leather seatback and thought of eating a peanut butter sandwich with Lucy. Or sitting out on the deck with Simmonds and Becker.
She sat up with a start, but Sam gently eased her back down with a whisper in her ear. “Just forget it all. Be here with me.”
Be here with me.
That one, single line gave her so much comfort. She nestled beside Sam, breathing easily in and out with her eyes closed. The warmth of his body gave her hope and increased her strength.
It was a true strength. Not a negative power that punished and pushed back upon people, but a feeling of faith in herself that she could weather any crisis or storm.
Sarah opened her eyes. The clamminess was gone. She no longer shook.
“I’m ready,” she said to Sam. “Let’s go watch Lucy wow everybody with her presentation.”
* * *
WHEN SAM WALKED into Sarah’s office building, bringing up the rear of their little group (Sarah was in the lead with Lucy protectively sandwiched in the middle), all he could think, with awe, was that Sarah had built this place.
Her ideas, her vision, her company.
As they filed into the elevator, a man and woman joined them and noted Sarah’s presence. Sam didn’t think he was imagining it, but they seemed to shrink from her, fear in their eyes.
He couldn’t help smiling to himself. He remembered that fierce, ball-busting Sarah, too.
This morning, she calmly nodded to the two workers as she pressed the button for the top floor. The executive suites, he supposed.
The man and the woman departed on a lower floor, and then he, Sarah and Lucy were alone on their way to the top.
Sarah seemed to be mentally girding herself. Lucy shifted her knapsack on her shoulders. Inside was her new laptop plus her presentation notes. She carried her phone in the palm of her hand.
“Turn the ringer off,” Sam gently reminded her.
“Oh!” Lucy said. “Right!” She deftly flicked a button. His daughter had only possessed the new electronics for a short time, and already she’d taught herself how to use all the features and shortcuts.
The elevator doors opened, and Sam stepped out last, after Sarah and Lucy. A soaring glass ceiling let the sun shine down on them. There were real, growing trees inside the main reception area. He half expected a bird to fly by.
Lucy stopped short. “You work here?” she whispered to Sarah.
“Yes. My company doesn’t actually own it all, though. We lease the building from a management company.”
Nevertheless, Sam was blown away.
“Come on.” Sarah led them to a reception desk. “Let’s get you signed in. Sam, you’ll need to show them your ID.”
“Right.” He pulled out his wallet. He was a long way from his work turf of standing before a middle school earth science class or patrolling a state beach in an all-terrain vehicle.
“Hello, Donna,” Sarah said to the receptionist, who cringed from her as if on reflex. “I’d like to sign in my two guests, please. This is Sam Logan and his daughter, Lucy Logan.”
The receptionist swallowed and set about her task, eyes down.
Sarah thanked her then led them down a corridor into a plusher section of the office, away from the glass rooftop.
They stopped at a smaller reception area where a middle-aged man with a closed expression and fastidious dress also checked their credentials.
“It’s good to see you, Gregory,” Sarah said to him. “Allow me to introduce Lucy Logan and her father, Sam Logan.” Sarah turned to them. “Lucy, Sam...this is Gregory. He is Richard Lee’s personal assistant, and if you ever need to reach Richard for any reason, Gregory is the man you’ll want to contact.”
The corners of Gregory’s lips turned up. Sam wouldn’t exactly call it a smile, but it was probably as close as Gregory got to one. Sam didn’t extend his hand for a handshake because Gregory resolutely kept his arms at his sides. Sam noticed a bottle of hand sanitizer on the desk. That might explain it.
“You may go inside to see Mr. Lee,” Gregory announced. “He is expecting you.”
“Thank you, Gregory.” Sarah motioned for Sam and Lucy to follow her.
Mr. Lee’s office door was open. Sarah went inside first, then stopped short. Her hand went to her mouth.
Sam nudged past Lucy to get a better look inside, instinctively wanting to protect her—not only her, but Sarah, too.
Colleen faced him. Or rather, a three-foot-tall close-up of Colleen’s face, as projected onto a large screen set up in Mr. Lee’s office.
“Mom!” Lucy exclaimed. And like the twelve-year-old that she was, she stepped forward and waved at her mother.
Sam’s veins turned to ice. Sarah had warned him, and yet he hadn’t pictured it like this. He’d thought she would be a disembodied voice on the telephone, as he was used to. He remained at the threshold and pulled Sarah aside.
“Did you know about this huge screen thing?” he asked Sarah, peeved. But then he got a good look at her expression, and even through her fixed “business face,” Sam could see she’d been somewhat blindsided, too. Her jaw seemed to tighten as she looked at him.
“I’m sorry, Sam. This wasn’t quite what I expected.”
“Have you ever spoken with Colleen?” he couldn’t help asking. He didn’t know—maybe Lucy had talked to her while Sarah was in the room.
Sarah shook her head. “No. This will be my first time.”
“Then buckle up,” he advised. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SARAH LED HER little group inside the office and did her best to calmly smile at Richard Lee, sitting like an emperor behind his massive glass desk.
There was protocol to be observed. One did not sit first when it came to Richard. One did not sp
eak first. Sarah used to ignore that protocol, but it had been to her detriment.
Now, she stood and simply gazed serenely at Richard’s Zen sand garden with the little rake behind it and waited for whatever other surprise he had to dish out to them.
Beside her, Lucy was still waving at her mother on the big screen. Sarah had tried not to look too closely. She’d nodded and smiled at Colleen and had done her best to quickly assess Lucy’s mom without staring at her for too long.
Colleen was pretty. She had blond hair a few shades lighter than Lucy’s and the same stunning chocolate-brown eyes. She was made up like an accomplished professional entertainer, and she had a magnetic presence about her. A man stood behind her, as if he’d wandered into the call by accident—and he was quite handsome, too. Maybe the drummer Lucy had mentioned, Sarah thought. Sarah glanced at Sam, and he seemed to be adjusting to his ex’s presence. Grim but resolute, Sarah supposed.
She remembered Sam saying that he’d seldom talked with Colleen in person since Lucy was a baby. That was a long time. It must be strange for him, she thought.
“Welcome.” Richard Lee rose and pressed his hands lightly together, then gave them each a short, pleasant nod. Sarah knew better than to be fooled by his mild persona, however. Richard had the power to upend all their lives.
But she had power, too. She smiled and nodded back, and placed her hand lightly, protectively, on Lucy’s shoulder. In turn, Lucy moved closer to Sarah, as if sheltering under her wing.
“Well, Sarah, it is pleasant to see you, indeed.” Richard indicated three chairs set before his massive desk, empty of everything but a single black fountain pen and a stack of thick white paper. Richard was famous for his idiosyncrasies and was universally proclaimed a genius. Sarah, however, wasn’t intimidated by his reputation anymore. Instead, she had personal experience in how best to deal with him.
Richard clasped his hands together once more. “I’d like to see Miss Logan’s presentation now.”
“In a moment,” Sarah interjected. “First, I’d like to be introduced to the participants dialed in remotely.” She turned to the screen, which was off to their right, beside Lucy’s chair. “I haven’t met them yet.”
Summer by the Sea Page 23