Drying the last dish, Sarah placed it in the cabinet before looking around her kitchen. Nothing left to do. Yet there was so much pent up energy lurking just beneath her skin and no way to release it. And it wasn’t just energy stored up from an idle day. This was the type of energy that had been building for years, ready for an outlet, and the new Sarah needed a plan.
In walked Smokey and Blue, as though they could sense the shift in her mood. Wild, rambunctious and, most of the time, the only two who would listen to her rant, although she was pretty sure they ignored her all other times, the two kittens she had rescued had grown into independent, sweetly mischievous cats. And now they were looking at her like she was the crazy cat lady she feared she would become.
“What?” she asked them both as they sat on the floor at her feet, staring up at her as if they could figure out what it was she was thinking as long as they looked at her long enough. “I’m not crazy, I promise.” She smiled. “Okay, fine. Maybe I am. A little. But at least I’m not talking to myself.”
Clearly feeling the building excitement, Smokey and Blue wound themselves around her feet, batting at one another before rolling around on the floor like they normally did, ready for her to give in and rub their bellies.
Staring down at the pair, Sarah knew exactly what she needed to do.
And with her mind made up, she made a mad dash for her cell phone, desperate to make the call before she lost her nerve.
“WHERE’S EVERYONE AT?” DYLAN CALLED when he walked into his grandfather’s house at eleven thirty that night. The sound of voices had him heading toward the living room, stopping just inside the room, surprised to see his son, Nate, there, talking to Sarah’s nephew, Jake.
It was Friday night, and from experience, his kids generally had plans that involved friends, clubs, bars, and the like, not sitting at home doing nothing like these two appeared to be doing. Then again, they looked to be in a rather heated conversation, one that Nate didn’t seem too happy about.
Dylan crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, watching them. They clearly hadn’t expected him to show up, nor had they heard him. Clearing his throat, he pushed off the wall. There was a brief pause as the two men stilled, then one at a time they turned to look at him.
“What are you two up to?” Dylan waited patiently for one of them to answer, his head pounding behind his eyes. It’d been a long day, one that he wanted to soothe with a bottle of Jack but knew he couldn’t. Not only because he’d dumped every last ounce of alcohol he owned years ago but also because he didn’t want to go back there. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was feeling as though he was more than a shadow in the darkness.
“You look like shit,” Nate offered, a scowl on his face. “You seriously need to shave.”
Dylan ground his molars together, trying not to lose his temper. It seemed that over the course of the last couple of months, Nate had changed from the good-natured young man Dylan had raised to a mouthy, irritated version. Something was going on with him, but Dylan had yet to figure out what.
“Good to see you, too,” Dylan grumbled, his eyes darting back and forth between them. “What’s goin’ on? You two talkin’ about work?”
Both young men had voiced their concern for the changes taking place, but neither of them had gone into detail. Not with him. If they’d talked to Alex, Dylan didn’t know about it.
“No,” Jake stated, obviously feeling the tension increasing in the room. “I was just tellin’ Nate that I wouldn’t be able to go out tomorrow night because I’ve got to cat sit.”
“Cat sit?” Dylan was confused. Who the hell did Jake know that had cats?
“Yeah, my aunt Sarah called a few minutes ago and asked if I would check on her cats tomorrow night. Apparently she’s got weekend plans. She doesn’t expect to be back until late Sunday.”
Just the mention of Sarah’s name made Dylan’s chest ache.
The sad truth was, he missed her.
Despite the fact he wanted to hear the sweet lilt of her voice—something that had recently started tugging at his conscience again—his pride hadn’t allowed him to pick up the phone to call her, or even attempt to make amends last weekend at the CISS party.
“You don’t have to stay with the cats,” Nate stated, his tone laced with frustration. “They’re independent. If you check on them, they’ll be fine.”
Jake didn’t respond.
“Seriously, Jake,” Nate continued. “She’s not leaving till tomorrow morning. And she’ll be back on Sunday.”
Dylan waited, hoping one of them would add a few more details. Clearly Nate was up to speed. But Dylan wanted to know where Sarah was going, who she was going with, what they were going to do. Not that it was any of his damn business, but he certainly didn’t like what his brain was conjuring up: her going away with Bill the Douchebag for the weekend.
He’d managed to pound the final nail in the coffin that was their friendship long ago, but that didn’t stop Dylan from wanting her.
Jake’s eyes shot from Dylan to Nate and then back.
Fine, if he wasn’t going to come out with it… “Where’s she goin’?” he asked, trying to sound as though he weren’t all that interested, but the huff he got from Nate said he’d failed.
Jake shrugged. “No idea.”
“You don’t know?” Okay, so he sounded stupid interrogating Jake about something better left alone.
It’s not your business.
“She’s been seein’ this guy. Bill something or other. You know, the one who came to the company party,” Jake went on to explain.
Bill the car salesman. Yep, Dylan definitely remembered. He also remembered how Sarah had said it wasn’t serious, only to backtrack quickly.
“Sounds like he’s invited her to some fancy party somewhere,” Jake added.
Was it serious?
Did she love this guy?
There were plenty more questions running amuck in his brain, but Dylan held his tongue.
Stop! Just fucking stop!
Despite the annoying voice in his head, Dylan couldn’t let it go.
“Do you know this guy well?” Dylan asked, again trying to keep his tone neutral. Just small talk, nothing more. It wasn’t completely out of left field. Jake was close to his aunt; everyone knew that. She’d practically raised him.
“I’ve talked to him a couple of times,” Jake said cautiously. “I didn’t think it was serious, but…”
Yeah, but she was going away with him.
Jake continued, his brows downturned, “She said somethin’ about not holdin’ back any longer.” Jake glanced around the room, obviously seeing that Nate was gone.
“How did they meet?” Okay, so now he just sounded pathetic, but so fucking what. There was a spark of something darkly possessive that had just taken complete control of him, and Dylan couldn’t stop the questions.
He seriously needed a drink.
“I don’t really know. She doesn’t talk about him much. He works at a car dealership, that’s all she’s ever said.” Jake was now looking at him funny. “Is everything okay?”
Shit no. But he wasn’t about to tell the kid that. “Fine. Just … curious. So, cat sitting? Tomorrow night?”