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Sarah wrappedher arms around her knees, sitting on a boulder as sunlight played catch-and-kiss with the water. The sun warmed her back, slowly drying her hair from the quick dip she’d taken before. The blues of lake and sky lulled her senses, and she closed her eyes.
These past days had been great. Emailing her family and sponsor girls—and Georgia—meant her love tank felt near full, and she’d spent so much time playing the piano and singing—reminding her of Heartsong days—that a deep sense of contentment was growing again.
She gently massaged the ache in her fingers caused by practicing scales and arpeggios. Music. Why had she ever stopped? Music fed her soul—its creativity life-giving and the discipline it demanded strangely therapeutic. She’d prayed about John’s request and scribbled down some chords and words as she used to do. Hopefully he’d like the song.
She took a deep breath of pine-scented air, then slowly exhaled. Quiet walks and swims, exercise, and early nights had continued restoring her body and mind. She’d finally finished reading the other Jane Austen novels waiting for attention.Northanger AbbeyandMansfield Parkweren’t her favorites but were entertaining diversions.
A loose thread on the caftan she’d bought earlier in the week begged to be pulled. A relic from the 70s with its swirls of orange, green, and brown, it did her figure no favors, but at least it kept the sun off her skin. She stretched back on her hands, the rock’s texture gritty to her touch. Time helping at church and time alone in the afternoons had also provided lots of opportunity for long talks with God and reading the Bible. More and more she was starting to release some of the expectations she’d had on herself, learning to forgive and let go of some of the pain and guilt she’d been carrying. It was as if the Holy Spirit was there, whispering freedom through the shaggy pines, bringing release to her spirit and soul.
It also allowed time to contemplate the messy situation that was Dan. He hadn’t contacted her since that fateful goodbye—obviously he was too busy or too shocked to call. That was probably for the best anyway. Despite Ange’s words, she still wasn’t sure if she was ready for a new relationship. She’d been slowly letting go of Stephen. She didn’t want to use Dan to try and get over her past. Relationships on rebound never worked out.
She groaned. Was that what that kiss had been about? Had she just been using Dan to recover? He’d been a good friend, but she’d apparently lost that friendship with a misguided, mistimed attempt at romance. No. It was better to just try and forget…
A car door slammed. She opened her eyes and looked up, catching the glint of a windscreen over at Dan’s. A wild throb of excitement pulsed through her body. He was here? She stood, dusted sand off her legs. Should she change? The caftan was kind of ugly, and her hair definitely needed to be brushed—not that Dan ever seemed to mind what she looked like. She smiled, pulled her damp hair into a rough ponytail and jammed her hat on instead, then hurried next door, trying not to skip.
Oh. She peered through the trees, her feet stumbling to a pause. That wasn’t Dan’s car, unless he’d bought a yellow coupé recently, which didn’t seem to mesh with his unpretentious style.
Who was here then? There was a faint murmur of voices. Sarah glanced over to where the sound had come from, her eyebrows shooting up as a dark-haired woman in a skimpy hot-pink dress wandered down to the jetty. Who was that?
Sarah edged closer to a nearby spruce, hiding as the woman laughed. She peeked around, but couldn’t see anyone else. Dan wasn’t there. Was he?
So, whowasthat? Why was she here? Did Dan even know? Sarah frowned, then started walking again. Was this what people did around here, just gatecrash empty houses? How rude!
“Excuse me!”
The woman turned a beautifully made-up face toward her. “Yes?”
Sarah cleared her throat. “Um, are you supposed to be here?”
The woman lifted a perfectly plucked brow. “I beg your pardon?”
“Do you know you’re on private property? Have you got permission to be here?”
The woman looked her up and down, and Sarah was suddenly conscious of how pale and peculiar andoldshe looked in comparison to this perfectly polished Instagram-worthy creature. The brunette tinkled a small laugh. “How sweet of you to be concerned. I’m sure Dan will love to know he has such good neighbors looking out for him.”
Sarah blinked. “You know Dan?”
The woman waved a hand. “We’ve known each other for years. He’s such a lovely guy, a real sweetheart. I love him to bits.”
Sarah’s heart dropped. Was she Dan’s girlfriend? Did Dan love this woman to bits too?
“He’s totally gorgeous, don’t you think?”
Sarah swallowed again before croaking out, “Totally.” She turned to go.
“Excuse me? Sweetie? What’s your name?”
For some reason she didn’t want this woman to know her name. No way did she want her to tell Dan about Sarah, the plain girl-next-door, poking her nose into his business. Especially after Sarah had kissed him when obviously he’d been keeping this beauty pageant wannabe a secret.
The woman placed a perfectly manicured hand on one perfectly toned, perfectly tanned leg. “Your name?”
A clump of damp hair dangled into Sarah’s face. She stared at it, swallowed, then managed a croaky “Blue.”
The woman raised a brow. “Well, I’ll let Dan know of your concern as soon as I get inside.”
What? Dan was here? And hadn’t bothered to see her? Pain snagged her breath. “I’ve got to go.”
The woman nodded. “Enjoy your day.”
