Fresh ice, p.18
Fresh Ice, page 18
In the kitchen, Kayla simultaneously poured Robbie some cereal and Nathan a mug of coffee. She really was an amazing mother.
“Junk!” Robbie cried out through a mouthful of Cheerios.
“Hey, buddy. That was a private conversation,” Nathan told him.
“What were you two talking about in there anyway?” Kayla asked.
“Hock junk!”
Nathan pretended to scowl at his nephew. “Guy stuff,” he told Kayla.
She nodded, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
“No more heart-to-hearts with you, little buddy,” Nathan scolded Robbie. “At least not until you’re old enough to keep a secret.”
Robbie ignored his uncle and raced his Cheerios around on his tray.
“So, what’s on your schedule for today, Nathan?” Kayla asked.
“Well, I thought I’d see if Sarah wanted to have lunch.” After giving it some thought, he decided to follow his sister’s advice. As much as he wanted to dwell on everything he’d done wrong, he couldn’t because it would ultimately destroy him. Somehow, he had to put that game behind him, get the bad taste out of his mouth and move on.
“Sarah already left for the salon. I offered her a ride but she insisted on taking the bus.”
“Shi-,” he started to say but quickly corrected himself in front of Robbie. “Shoot.” He grabbed his keys, waved goodbye to his family and high-tailed it out the door.
* * *
Sarah was easy to spot on the street. That damn backpack of hers was almost bigger than she was. Like a nomad, she never went anywhere without it.
Nathan pulled his truck up next to her. There was fear in her eyes when she looked up but it disappeared when she saw it was him.
“Hey.” He stuck his head out the window and smiled. “You left the house without saying a word.”
“Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You never bother me, Sarah.”
She blushed a little. “I was just going to the library.”
“Oh yeah? Let me give you a ride.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
“It’s an excuse to drive my new truck,” he fibbed.
“Well, thank you,” she said and climbed into the truck.
“No problem. Oh, before I forget, I have something for you.” He handed her a little box and she looked at him in confusion. “It’s your necklace. The jeweler said it was an easy fix. I wanted to get it back to you before you got up but…”
Sarah opened the box and the reaction on her face gave him all the thanks he needed. “Oh, Nathan! I was looking everywhere for it until I remembered…I thought it was lost forever!” She clutched the pendant to her heart. “Thank you. Thank you so much for finding it and having it fixed for me.”
“You’re welcome. Here, let me help you put it on.”
He leaned over and she lifted her hair up off her neck. After a few tries, Nathan managed to secure the clasp.
It amazed Sarah how intimate these simple moments with Nathan were. Like the time he handed over Bean in the salon. Or when they ate side by side in his kitchen. And the kiss they shared the night before.
Words weren’t exchanged but they didn’t need to be for her to recognize how special Nathan was.
* * *
Dwight headed north on the freeway with a full tank of gas and enough cigarettes to make the ride somewhat tolerable. He would have left at sunup, but apparently Troy didn’t seem to know the meaning of the words “crack of dawn.”
It was a straight shot up Interstate 5 to Red Valley. Dwight would have Sarah back home where she belonged in no time. Nine hours max. It would be nice to travel north for once. All of Dwight’s trips took him south of the border these days.
For the first few miles, Dwight and Troy argued over which radio station to listen to. Troy wanted that twangy country crap that made Dwight want to go postal. In the end, Dwight won, as he always did, and the sounds of AC/DC thrummed through the cab of the Datsun.
Dottie, as he affectionately called the truck, was Dwight’s pride and joy. She was a mustard yellow 1973 Datsun 620 pickup truck. It was no secret that Dwight cared more about Dottie than his own son. Hell, Dottie probably had a higher resale value than his worthless, good-for-nothing spawn anyway.
As old and battered as Dottie was, Dwight still loved her. Sure, he had to use duct tape where the vinyl on the seat had cracked and ripped and her oil gage never worked quite right, but she was the most reliable thing in Dwight’s life.
Too bad he couldn’t save putting the extra miles on Dottie and take Troy’s van instead. Unfortunately, Troy’s van was as useless as he was. It was currently resting on cinderblocks in the front yard like some kind of lawn ornament on steroids. A lot of good a vehicle did without tires and a drivetrain.
“Turn the air on, Pops, it’s hot,” Troy complained.
The only time Troy stopped shoving food in his mouth was just long enough to complain about something. No matter how high Dwight turned up the volume on the radio, he couldn’t seem to drown out the sound of Troy’s incessant chewing. He was like a goddam cow. At least cows produced milk and could be turned into a Quarter Pounder with cheese. Troy produced nothing but gas and round after round of rancid smelling belches.
“It is on.” Dwight frowned and wiped his brow. It was getting awfully hot inside the cab.
“Well turn it up.”
Dwight cranked the dial up full blast and instead of wonderful icy cold arctic air, warm tepid air blew into his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The sun beat down on the dashboard, heating up the truck interior to boiling.
Between the ultra-tight jeans and the heat, Dwight couldn’t breathe. It felt like he was being squeezed and cooked to death at the same time.
Troy shifted uncomfortably and pulled his shirt away from his sticky body. “What’s goin’ on, Pops? It’s an oven in here.”
Dwight fiddled with the dials, turning the A/C off and back on again. “C’mon, Dottie,” he pleaded under his breath.
“The A/C’s broke,” Troy announced.
“No shit, Einstein. What was your first clue? The fact that your ass crack has melted into the seat or that it’s hotter than the surface of the sun in here?” Dwight rolled down the window only to be met with a gush of hot air from the outside.
Troy mumbled something under his breath and fanned himself with an empty Junior Mints box. “The coolant must have leaked out,” he told his dad.
“Of all the shitty things to go wrong,” Dwight told the steering wheel.
Bringing Sarah back was at the top of Dwight’s list of priorities but there was no way in hell he was making the trip north without the A/C and only Troy’s rancid breath to keep him cool. He’d just have to postpone the trip long enough to get the air conditioner fixed.
Dwight cursed and swerved toward the next off-ramp.
* * *
Nathan sat in the idling truck long after Sarah went inside the library. He watched her disappear inside the brick building and thought about what Kayla had said about him needing to have some fun. From what he could see, Sarah could use some fun, too. All she ever did was work and read.
Aside from that, they had the opportunity to spend the day together and Nathan didn’t want to let it slip through his fingers. He parked his truck and jogged into the library.
* * *
Sarah made a beeline for the Romance section. She was excited to see if Felicity Johns’ latest book had made its way onto the shelf yet.
Sarah loved the library. She loved the smell of old books and the possibilities for adventure on the shelves. Most of all, she loved the peace and quiet. No one yelled or screamed or punched each other inside these walls. It was a sanctuary.
Even if she didn’t enjoy reading, Sarah could imagine herself seeking refuge in the library just for the tranquility alone. Fortunately, she did love reading. It had helped her through some difficult times. In the past, every page turned was a step away from her nightmare of a life. Now, books were mere entertainment and she enjoyed reading about characters experiencing the same feelings she was.
Taking her time, Sarah walked down the Romance aisle admiring the colorful spines. The pretty fonts and clever book titles were like art just waiting to be discovered.
When she came to the J’s, she scanned the shelves for Johns. The Jo’s were just out of reach so she scooted over a nearby stepstool. She stepped onto the stool and searched the titles but they were all books she’d already read. The new book must not have come in yet or someone else had already snagged it. Sarah was so engrossed in her search that she almost didn’t notice Nathan approaching her in a rush.
“Hi,” he said from behind her.
Forgetting she was still on the stepstool, she whirled around and nearly lost her balance. His hand went to her hip to steady her and the contact was heavenly. “You okay?” he asked, his hand still on her waist.
“Yes,” she said with a look of confusion. He was slightly out of breath and Sarah frowned. Had she forgotten her backpack in his truck? No, it was securely strapped to her back. “What are you doing here?”
He searched her eyes and asked, “You wanna go do something?”
“Uh…right now?”
“Yeah. Let’s go do something fun together.”
His eyes twinkled and he had a mischievous look on his face she hadn’t seen before.
“Okay.”
They stood looking at each other for a few seconds. Nathan wasn’t in a hurry to move aside so she could get down off the stepstool and Sarah debated whether or not to act on an impulse. The way he was looking at her was similar to the night before in the kitchen. Right before he kissed her.
She looked down at his lips and back up to his eyes.
What would a Felicity Johns’ character do? Act first and ask questions later. Felicity’s female characters were notorious for being take charge and kick ass.
The little stepstool put them closer to the same height but he was still a good five or six inches taller. Sarah rested her hands on his shoulders and licked her lips.
She felt safe with the books, her “friends”, at her back and Nathan in front of her. This was a safe place and she knew deep down that Nathan wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
She tugged on his shirt until he leaned down far enough so she could kiss him.
His hand slid from her hip, cupped the small of her back and pulled her flush against his chest.
She slanted her head and pressed her lips to his. When the velvetiness of his tongue caressed hers, she nearly melted against the shelves.
Sarah pulled back slightly and he rested his forehead against hers and smiled. She started to apologize for being so brazen but he stopped her with another kiss. This time it was so feather light she thought back to a similar time in his kitchen.
“Sor—,” she started to say before biting down on her lip.
“Don’t ever apologize for doing that.”
She searched his eyes and from the look on his face she could see he’d enjoyed the kiss. “Okay,” she whispered.
It took her a minute to catch her breath and when she did, he lifted her hand and placed a kiss into her palm. The intimacy of the simple gesture sent her head spinning.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she admitted shyly.
His chest rumbled in a silent laugh. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He put his hands around her waist and lifted her down to the floor.
She held in the urge to squeal, they were at the library after all, and laced her fingers with his.
Nathan led her out of the library with the biggest grin on his face.
* * *
Sarah didn’t get much time to think about what happened in the library. The Red Valley Recreation Oasis was noisy and loaded with games and busloads of children. There were bumper cars, a rock climbing wall and enough arcade games to keep kids of all ages busy for days. The array of video games alone was overwhelming.
After Nathan gave her a quick tutorial, they played pinball and then skeeball and air hockey.
At the air hockey table, Nathan’s hand-eye coordination was incredible. By the time Sarah saw where the puck was, he’d already moved his paddle to block it. Then again, his teammates didn’t call him The Con Man for nothing.
“That’s not fair!” Sarah complained. “You do this for a living.”
He laughed and she managed to hit the puck into the slot while he was distracted. She cheered and celebrated the goal.
“Aww!” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’m never gonna to live that down.”
They played and laughed until Sarah’s sides ached. It was exactly what she needed. Not having to think about work or money or anything for a little while. Just the thought of how Nathan’s hand felt when it held hers as they went from game to game.
When Nathan laughed, Sarah couldn’t help but smile at the sound. How amazing to hear genuine laughter! It was an especially wonderful feeling because he didn’t laugh at her but with her.
At the basketball arcade game, Sarah had much more luck. She managed to throw three consecutive balls into the net.
“See,” Nathan said as he missed the net again. “I’m much better at keeping the ball out of the net than in. Just like hockey.”
Sarah stood on her tippy toes, carefully aimed the last ball and tossed it toward the net.
Swish.
The ball went into the net and Sarah squealed in delight. Nathan hugged her and they spun around in celebration.
When tickets dispensed from the game console, Sarah asked what they were.
“Tickets you can turn in for a prize,” Nathan told her.
“Oh, wow.” What an amazing place!
After a few more rounds of basketball, they decided to cash in their tickets before getting something to eat.
Sarah scanned the wall of brightly colored prizes and tried to decide on just one. There was everything from stuffed animals to squirt guns to plastic jewelry.
“We should get something for Robbie, too,” Sarah said and decided on a little stuffed rabbit for him.
“What about for you?” Nathan asked. “We have enough tickets. Do you see anything you like?”
Next to a sparkly tiara, a plastic charm bracelet caught her eye. “That one.” She pointed to the bracelet and the man behind the counter took it out from the case.
Nathan smiled. “A bracelet to go with your necklace.”
“Yes.” There was even a plastic butterfly on the bracelet to match her necklace.
“Here, I’ll help you put it on.” Nathan slid the bracelet onto her wrist and Sarah thought for sure he’d notice her pulse pounding when he touched her.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here, Nathan.”
“You’re welcome. It’s a bit different from the library,” he joked. “Let’s go get some lunch.”
Nathan bought them both corndogs and French fries and they sat at one of the brightly colored booths next to the snack bar and ate.
“This place is really great,” Sarah said as she watched the kids dart back and forth from the snack bar to the arcade.
“Yeah. I bet Robbie would get a kick out of it here.”
“You’ll have to bring him here sometime.”
“We’ll have to come back someday together.”
Sarah liked the sound of that. It was nice to hear Nathan make plans for the future. She dipped her corndog in mustard and took a bite. “This is so good,” she said, her eyes closed as she savored the taste. “So, how much sodium is in one of these?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Nathan laughed. “You don’t want to know.” He wolfed his corndog down in a few bit bites.
“What happened to your rigid meal plan?” Sarah asked.
He shrugged. “I realized I need to go easier on myself. Have more fun.”
She raised her paper cup of soda and clinked it against his. “Here’s to having more fun.”
As Nathan and Sarah walked hand in hand toward the exit, they could see through the glass doors that it had started to rain. The storm clouds must have rolled in while they were playing because the sky was clear when they’d left the library.
“Sarah!” a gruff voice called from behind them.
Sarah froze. Slowly, she turned around to see a big, burly man yelling at a little girl. The girl had long black hair and her bottom lip puffed out as her eyes pooled with tears.
The man was Dwight’s age and build and had that same angry look in his eyes. Sarah knew it well. As she watched in horror, the man grabbed hold of the little girl’s elbow and yanked as hard as he could. The little girl stumbled after him and out into the parking lot.
Sarah trembled. If he was like that in public, how did he treat the little girl behind closed doors?
Outside, the sky cracked open and rain began to pour. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky.
Nathan squeezed her hand. “Come on, Sarah.”
Sarah couldn’t feel her legs. Everything had gone numb when she heard that familiar voice say her name.
Nathan tugged her outside and they dashed out to the truck. The plastic bracelet jangled on her wrist but it wasn’t enough to pull Sarah back into the present. Instead of climbing inside, she just stood there looking at the door handle.
She was so thin and frail that Nathan was afraid she’d catch pneumonia from standing out in the rain. But she didn’t seem to care. She didn’t seem to notice the rain at all. It was like she just went blank in the blink of an eye.
Nathan helped her into the truck and pulled a jacket out from behind the seat and put it around her shoulders. When her seatbelt was securely fastened, he got behind the wheel and started the truck.
“I hear the weather in Red Valley is always unpredictable like this,” he said lightly. He glanced over and Sarah stared blankly out the window. “We’ll have to see if the fireplace works when we get home,” he said even though he knew she wasn’t listening.
Nathan didn’t say anything else on the ride home. The windshield wipers slapped against the windshield and Sarah just looked out of the passenger window.
Chapter Nineteen
“Junk!” Robbie cried out through a mouthful of Cheerios.
“Hey, buddy. That was a private conversation,” Nathan told him.
“What were you two talking about in there anyway?” Kayla asked.
“Hock junk!”
Nathan pretended to scowl at his nephew. “Guy stuff,” he told Kayla.
She nodded, trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
“No more heart-to-hearts with you, little buddy,” Nathan scolded Robbie. “At least not until you’re old enough to keep a secret.”
Robbie ignored his uncle and raced his Cheerios around on his tray.
“So, what’s on your schedule for today, Nathan?” Kayla asked.
“Well, I thought I’d see if Sarah wanted to have lunch.” After giving it some thought, he decided to follow his sister’s advice. As much as he wanted to dwell on everything he’d done wrong, he couldn’t because it would ultimately destroy him. Somehow, he had to put that game behind him, get the bad taste out of his mouth and move on.
“Sarah already left for the salon. I offered her a ride but she insisted on taking the bus.”
“Shi-,” he started to say but quickly corrected himself in front of Robbie. “Shoot.” He grabbed his keys, waved goodbye to his family and high-tailed it out the door.
* * *
Sarah was easy to spot on the street. That damn backpack of hers was almost bigger than she was. Like a nomad, she never went anywhere without it.
Nathan pulled his truck up next to her. There was fear in her eyes when she looked up but it disappeared when she saw it was him.
“Hey.” He stuck his head out the window and smiled. “You left the house without saying a word.”
“Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You never bother me, Sarah.”
She blushed a little. “I was just going to the library.”
“Oh yeah? Let me give you a ride.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
“It’s an excuse to drive my new truck,” he fibbed.
“Well, thank you,” she said and climbed into the truck.
“No problem. Oh, before I forget, I have something for you.” He handed her a little box and she looked at him in confusion. “It’s your necklace. The jeweler said it was an easy fix. I wanted to get it back to you before you got up but…”
Sarah opened the box and the reaction on her face gave him all the thanks he needed. “Oh, Nathan! I was looking everywhere for it until I remembered…I thought it was lost forever!” She clutched the pendant to her heart. “Thank you. Thank you so much for finding it and having it fixed for me.”
“You’re welcome. Here, let me help you put it on.”
He leaned over and she lifted her hair up off her neck. After a few tries, Nathan managed to secure the clasp.
It amazed Sarah how intimate these simple moments with Nathan were. Like the time he handed over Bean in the salon. Or when they ate side by side in his kitchen. And the kiss they shared the night before.
Words weren’t exchanged but they didn’t need to be for her to recognize how special Nathan was.
* * *
Dwight headed north on the freeway with a full tank of gas and enough cigarettes to make the ride somewhat tolerable. He would have left at sunup, but apparently Troy didn’t seem to know the meaning of the words “crack of dawn.”
It was a straight shot up Interstate 5 to Red Valley. Dwight would have Sarah back home where she belonged in no time. Nine hours max. It would be nice to travel north for once. All of Dwight’s trips took him south of the border these days.
For the first few miles, Dwight and Troy argued over which radio station to listen to. Troy wanted that twangy country crap that made Dwight want to go postal. In the end, Dwight won, as he always did, and the sounds of AC/DC thrummed through the cab of the Datsun.
Dottie, as he affectionately called the truck, was Dwight’s pride and joy. She was a mustard yellow 1973 Datsun 620 pickup truck. It was no secret that Dwight cared more about Dottie than his own son. Hell, Dottie probably had a higher resale value than his worthless, good-for-nothing spawn anyway.
As old and battered as Dottie was, Dwight still loved her. Sure, he had to use duct tape where the vinyl on the seat had cracked and ripped and her oil gage never worked quite right, but she was the most reliable thing in Dwight’s life.
Too bad he couldn’t save putting the extra miles on Dottie and take Troy’s van instead. Unfortunately, Troy’s van was as useless as he was. It was currently resting on cinderblocks in the front yard like some kind of lawn ornament on steroids. A lot of good a vehicle did without tires and a drivetrain.
“Turn the air on, Pops, it’s hot,” Troy complained.
The only time Troy stopped shoving food in his mouth was just long enough to complain about something. No matter how high Dwight turned up the volume on the radio, he couldn’t seem to drown out the sound of Troy’s incessant chewing. He was like a goddam cow. At least cows produced milk and could be turned into a Quarter Pounder with cheese. Troy produced nothing but gas and round after round of rancid smelling belches.
“It is on.” Dwight frowned and wiped his brow. It was getting awfully hot inside the cab.
“Well turn it up.”
Dwight cranked the dial up full blast and instead of wonderful icy cold arctic air, warm tepid air blew into his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The sun beat down on the dashboard, heating up the truck interior to boiling.
Between the ultra-tight jeans and the heat, Dwight couldn’t breathe. It felt like he was being squeezed and cooked to death at the same time.
Troy shifted uncomfortably and pulled his shirt away from his sticky body. “What’s goin’ on, Pops? It’s an oven in here.”
Dwight fiddled with the dials, turning the A/C off and back on again. “C’mon, Dottie,” he pleaded under his breath.
“The A/C’s broke,” Troy announced.
“No shit, Einstein. What was your first clue? The fact that your ass crack has melted into the seat or that it’s hotter than the surface of the sun in here?” Dwight rolled down the window only to be met with a gush of hot air from the outside.
Troy mumbled something under his breath and fanned himself with an empty Junior Mints box. “The coolant must have leaked out,” he told his dad.
“Of all the shitty things to go wrong,” Dwight told the steering wheel.
Bringing Sarah back was at the top of Dwight’s list of priorities but there was no way in hell he was making the trip north without the A/C and only Troy’s rancid breath to keep him cool. He’d just have to postpone the trip long enough to get the air conditioner fixed.
Dwight cursed and swerved toward the next off-ramp.
* * *
Nathan sat in the idling truck long after Sarah went inside the library. He watched her disappear inside the brick building and thought about what Kayla had said about him needing to have some fun. From what he could see, Sarah could use some fun, too. All she ever did was work and read.
Aside from that, they had the opportunity to spend the day together and Nathan didn’t want to let it slip through his fingers. He parked his truck and jogged into the library.
* * *
Sarah made a beeline for the Romance section. She was excited to see if Felicity Johns’ latest book had made its way onto the shelf yet.
Sarah loved the library. She loved the smell of old books and the possibilities for adventure on the shelves. Most of all, she loved the peace and quiet. No one yelled or screamed or punched each other inside these walls. It was a sanctuary.
Even if she didn’t enjoy reading, Sarah could imagine herself seeking refuge in the library just for the tranquility alone. Fortunately, she did love reading. It had helped her through some difficult times. In the past, every page turned was a step away from her nightmare of a life. Now, books were mere entertainment and she enjoyed reading about characters experiencing the same feelings she was.
Taking her time, Sarah walked down the Romance aisle admiring the colorful spines. The pretty fonts and clever book titles were like art just waiting to be discovered.
When she came to the J’s, she scanned the shelves for Johns. The Jo’s were just out of reach so she scooted over a nearby stepstool. She stepped onto the stool and searched the titles but they were all books she’d already read. The new book must not have come in yet or someone else had already snagged it. Sarah was so engrossed in her search that she almost didn’t notice Nathan approaching her in a rush.
“Hi,” he said from behind her.
Forgetting she was still on the stepstool, she whirled around and nearly lost her balance. His hand went to her hip to steady her and the contact was heavenly. “You okay?” he asked, his hand still on her waist.
“Yes,” she said with a look of confusion. He was slightly out of breath and Sarah frowned. Had she forgotten her backpack in his truck? No, it was securely strapped to her back. “What are you doing here?”
He searched her eyes and asked, “You wanna go do something?”
“Uh…right now?”
“Yeah. Let’s go do something fun together.”
His eyes twinkled and he had a mischievous look on his face she hadn’t seen before.
“Okay.”
They stood looking at each other for a few seconds. Nathan wasn’t in a hurry to move aside so she could get down off the stepstool and Sarah debated whether or not to act on an impulse. The way he was looking at her was similar to the night before in the kitchen. Right before he kissed her.
She looked down at his lips and back up to his eyes.
What would a Felicity Johns’ character do? Act first and ask questions later. Felicity’s female characters were notorious for being take charge and kick ass.
The little stepstool put them closer to the same height but he was still a good five or six inches taller. Sarah rested her hands on his shoulders and licked her lips.
She felt safe with the books, her “friends”, at her back and Nathan in front of her. This was a safe place and she knew deep down that Nathan wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
She tugged on his shirt until he leaned down far enough so she could kiss him.
His hand slid from her hip, cupped the small of her back and pulled her flush against his chest.
She slanted her head and pressed her lips to his. When the velvetiness of his tongue caressed hers, she nearly melted against the shelves.
Sarah pulled back slightly and he rested his forehead against hers and smiled. She started to apologize for being so brazen but he stopped her with another kiss. This time it was so feather light she thought back to a similar time in his kitchen.
“Sor—,” she started to say before biting down on her lip.
“Don’t ever apologize for doing that.”
She searched his eyes and from the look on his face she could see he’d enjoyed the kiss. “Okay,” she whispered.
It took her a minute to catch her breath and when she did, he lifted her hand and placed a kiss into her palm. The intimacy of the simple gesture sent her head spinning.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she admitted shyly.
His chest rumbled in a silent laugh. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” He put his hands around her waist and lifted her down to the floor.
She held in the urge to squeal, they were at the library after all, and laced her fingers with his.
Nathan led her out of the library with the biggest grin on his face.
* * *
Sarah didn’t get much time to think about what happened in the library. The Red Valley Recreation Oasis was noisy and loaded with games and busloads of children. There were bumper cars, a rock climbing wall and enough arcade games to keep kids of all ages busy for days. The array of video games alone was overwhelming.
After Nathan gave her a quick tutorial, they played pinball and then skeeball and air hockey.
At the air hockey table, Nathan’s hand-eye coordination was incredible. By the time Sarah saw where the puck was, he’d already moved his paddle to block it. Then again, his teammates didn’t call him The Con Man for nothing.
“That’s not fair!” Sarah complained. “You do this for a living.”
He laughed and she managed to hit the puck into the slot while he was distracted. She cheered and celebrated the goal.
“Aww!” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’m never gonna to live that down.”
They played and laughed until Sarah’s sides ached. It was exactly what she needed. Not having to think about work or money or anything for a little while. Just the thought of how Nathan’s hand felt when it held hers as they went from game to game.
When Nathan laughed, Sarah couldn’t help but smile at the sound. How amazing to hear genuine laughter! It was an especially wonderful feeling because he didn’t laugh at her but with her.
At the basketball arcade game, Sarah had much more luck. She managed to throw three consecutive balls into the net.
“See,” Nathan said as he missed the net again. “I’m much better at keeping the ball out of the net than in. Just like hockey.”
Sarah stood on her tippy toes, carefully aimed the last ball and tossed it toward the net.
Swish.
The ball went into the net and Sarah squealed in delight. Nathan hugged her and they spun around in celebration.
When tickets dispensed from the game console, Sarah asked what they were.
“Tickets you can turn in for a prize,” Nathan told her.
“Oh, wow.” What an amazing place!
After a few more rounds of basketball, they decided to cash in their tickets before getting something to eat.
Sarah scanned the wall of brightly colored prizes and tried to decide on just one. There was everything from stuffed animals to squirt guns to plastic jewelry.
“We should get something for Robbie, too,” Sarah said and decided on a little stuffed rabbit for him.
“What about for you?” Nathan asked. “We have enough tickets. Do you see anything you like?”
Next to a sparkly tiara, a plastic charm bracelet caught her eye. “That one.” She pointed to the bracelet and the man behind the counter took it out from the case.
Nathan smiled. “A bracelet to go with your necklace.”
“Yes.” There was even a plastic butterfly on the bracelet to match her necklace.
“Here, I’ll help you put it on.” Nathan slid the bracelet onto her wrist and Sarah thought for sure he’d notice her pulse pounding when he touched her.
She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here, Nathan.”
“You’re welcome. It’s a bit different from the library,” he joked. “Let’s go get some lunch.”
Nathan bought them both corndogs and French fries and they sat at one of the brightly colored booths next to the snack bar and ate.
“This place is really great,” Sarah said as she watched the kids dart back and forth from the snack bar to the arcade.
“Yeah. I bet Robbie would get a kick out of it here.”
“You’ll have to bring him here sometime.”
“We’ll have to come back someday together.”
Sarah liked the sound of that. It was nice to hear Nathan make plans for the future. She dipped her corndog in mustard and took a bite. “This is so good,” she said, her eyes closed as she savored the taste. “So, how much sodium is in one of these?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Nathan laughed. “You don’t want to know.” He wolfed his corndog down in a few bit bites.
“What happened to your rigid meal plan?” Sarah asked.
He shrugged. “I realized I need to go easier on myself. Have more fun.”
She raised her paper cup of soda and clinked it against his. “Here’s to having more fun.”
As Nathan and Sarah walked hand in hand toward the exit, they could see through the glass doors that it had started to rain. The storm clouds must have rolled in while they were playing because the sky was clear when they’d left the library.
“Sarah!” a gruff voice called from behind them.
Sarah froze. Slowly, she turned around to see a big, burly man yelling at a little girl. The girl had long black hair and her bottom lip puffed out as her eyes pooled with tears.
The man was Dwight’s age and build and had that same angry look in his eyes. Sarah knew it well. As she watched in horror, the man grabbed hold of the little girl’s elbow and yanked as hard as he could. The little girl stumbled after him and out into the parking lot.
Sarah trembled. If he was like that in public, how did he treat the little girl behind closed doors?
Outside, the sky cracked open and rain began to pour. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky.
Nathan squeezed her hand. “Come on, Sarah.”
Sarah couldn’t feel her legs. Everything had gone numb when she heard that familiar voice say her name.
Nathan tugged her outside and they dashed out to the truck. The plastic bracelet jangled on her wrist but it wasn’t enough to pull Sarah back into the present. Instead of climbing inside, she just stood there looking at the door handle.
She was so thin and frail that Nathan was afraid she’d catch pneumonia from standing out in the rain. But she didn’t seem to care. She didn’t seem to notice the rain at all. It was like she just went blank in the blink of an eye.
Nathan helped her into the truck and pulled a jacket out from behind the seat and put it around her shoulders. When her seatbelt was securely fastened, he got behind the wheel and started the truck.
“I hear the weather in Red Valley is always unpredictable like this,” he said lightly. He glanced over and Sarah stared blankly out the window. “We’ll have to see if the fireplace works when we get home,” he said even though he knew she wasn’t listening.
Nathan didn’t say anything else on the ride home. The windshield wipers slapped against the windshield and Sarah just looked out of the passenger window.
Chapter Nineteen
