o'clock this morning. It's almost two."
"I took a break for lunch." She gazed at a green and white print dress that was one of her mother's favorites.
Jake crossed to the middle of the room where three cardboard boxes stood, one with purses, one with shoes, one with odds and ends. "Sara, you don't have to do this all in one day."
"It won't get any easier. I just have to do it." She laid the green and white dress with the others. "Did you need something? I mean since you came over?"
"No. I thought I could take Christopher to the playground so you and your aunt can work uninterrupted."
Jake's unexpected appearance and kindness was more than Sara could handle at that moment. The ice blue suit of her mother's she held in her hand had been special. She had helped her mother pick it out. Jennie Standish had worn it for her twentieth wedding anniversary the year before she'd lost her husband.
Suddenly, the immensity of Sara's loss shook her. She couldn't keep her chin from quivering as her eyes filled with tears. This time she couldn't stop them. Turning toward the closet, she hoped Jake wouldn't see.
"Do you think Christopher will go with me without you?"
All she could do was nod as she tried to swallow a sob.
"Sara?"
She managed, "I'm sure he'll--"
The hand on her shoulder stopped her pretense. Jake nudged her around and saw the tears coursing down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" he asked so gently her tears flowed freer.
"I miss Mom so much. And Dad. It's like I lost him all over again. I can't believe they're both gone." Her shoulders shook, and she bowed her head.
Blessedly she felt Jake's arms around her, and she sobbed into his chest. He held her close, and she cried as she hadn't been able to since her aunt notified her of her mother's death.
Jake didn't say anything, and she was thankful because there was nothing anyone could say. The loss was too fresh, the pain too sharp for words to comfort. But the warmth of Jake's body against hers and the strength of his arms did comfort. They stood that way a long time, her cheek and hands pressed to his chest. The feel and smell of him were familiar, awakening more than comfort, reminding her of the night they'd shared.
The beat of his heart, strong and rhythmic, hastened under her hand. His heat surrounded her, becoming steamier the longer they stood together. His muscles grew taut, and she could feel tension spread through him.
He pulled away and she felt cold and alone...alone enough to look up at him with the longing she felt. His jaw tightened, and he took another step back. She saw his chest rise and fall as he pulled a long draught of air into his lungs. The next instant his expression was set, control and restraint evident in the straightness of his shoulders, the rigidity of his stance.
The same control made his voice even. "I'll send Christopher up so you can talk to him about going with me."
Just as quickly as Jake had entered the room, he'd disappeared.
Sara pulled in a few deep breaths of her own. Taking a tissue from the box on the dresser, she blew her nose. The tension between her and Jake was getting worse instead of better, and she didn't know what to begin to do about it.
#
Three weeks had passed. Sara pushed a carton aside with her foot as she readied her mother's belongings for public auction. Just last week, she'd gone to two preliminary job interviews. But she hadn't heard anything yet. She had some savings, but not enough to put her mother's furniture in storage. So she'd had no choice but to go ahead with the auction. Without a job, she couldn't rent an apartment. Eloise was insisting she and Christopher could stay with her as long as they needed to. But Sara had always been independent. She'd raised Christopher on her own, and she wanted them to be on their own now. But until she found a job, that wasn't possible.
Many days during the past three weeks,
"I took a break for lunch." She gazed at a green and white print dress that was one of her mother's favorites.
Jake crossed to the middle of the room where three cardboard boxes stood, one with purses, one with shoes, one with odds and ends. "Sara, you don't have to do this all in one day."
"It won't get any easier. I just have to do it." She laid the green and white dress with the others. "Did you need something? I mean since you came over?"
"No. I thought I could take Christopher to the playground so you and your aunt can work uninterrupted."
Jake's unexpected appearance and kindness was more than Sara could handle at that moment. The ice blue suit of her mother's she held in her hand had been special. She had helped her mother pick it out. Jennie Standish had worn it for her twentieth wedding anniversary the year before she'd lost her husband.
Suddenly, the immensity of Sara's loss shook her. She couldn't keep her chin from quivering as her eyes filled with tears. This time she couldn't stop them. Turning toward the closet, she hoped Jake wouldn't see.
"Do you think Christopher will go with me without you?"
All she could do was nod as she tried to swallow a sob.
"Sara?"
She managed, "I'm sure he'll--"
The hand on her shoulder stopped her pretense. Jake nudged her around and saw the tears coursing down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" he asked so gently her tears flowed freer.
"I miss Mom so much. And Dad. It's like I lost him all over again. I can't believe they're both gone." Her shoulders shook, and she bowed her head.
Blessedly she felt Jake's arms around her, and she sobbed into his chest. He held her close, and she cried as she hadn't been able to since her aunt notified her of her mother's death.
Jake didn't say anything, and she was thankful because there was nothing anyone could say. The loss was too fresh, the pain too sharp for words to comfort. But the warmth of Jake's body against hers and the strength of his arms did comfort. They stood that way a long time, her cheek and hands pressed to his chest. The feel and smell of him were familiar, awakening more than comfort, reminding her of the night they'd shared.
The beat of his heart, strong and rhythmic, hastened under her hand. His heat surrounded her, becoming steamier the longer they stood together. His muscles grew taut, and she could feel tension spread through him.
He pulled away and she felt cold and alone...alone enough to look up at him with the longing she felt. His jaw tightened, and he took another step back. She saw his chest rise and fall as he pulled a long draught of air into his lungs. The next instant his expression was set, control and restraint evident in the straightness of his shoulders, the rigidity of his stance.
The same control made his voice even. "I'll send Christopher up so you can talk to him about going with me."
Just as quickly as Jake had entered the room, he'd disappeared.
Sara pulled in a few deep breaths of her own. Taking a tissue from the box on the dresser, she blew her nose. The tension between her and Jake was getting worse instead of better, and she didn't know what to begin to do about it.
#
Three weeks had passed. Sara pushed a carton aside with her foot as she readied her mother's belongings for public auction. Just last week, she'd gone to two preliminary job interviews. But she hadn't heard anything yet. She had some savings, but not enough to put her mother's furniture in storage. So she'd had no choice but to go ahead with the auction. Without a job, she couldn't rent an apartment. Eloise was insisting she and Christopher could stay with her as long as they needed to. But Sara had always been independent. She'd raised Christopher on her own, and she wanted them to be on their own now. But until she found a job, that wasn't possible.
Many days during the past three weeks,
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