Part One
If she hadn’t been thinking about the letter, Sarah Bailey wouldn’t have started so violently when Molly shouted her name across the busy coffee house. Sarah felt her balance slip away from her. She landed hard on her backside and laughed, embarrassed. She felt hands slide under her arms and lift her to her feet. She turned to face her savior and her stomach flipped. Her rescuer was tall, and broad, his dark hair cropped close to his head. He was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt but she could tell that they were artfully distressed to look vintage. Expensive, and exclusive. Sarah couldn’t help but stare into his dark green eyes, which were crinkled at the corners in a crooked smile which softened his perfectly sculpted face. His smile widened as he took her in, and as she wobbled, his big hands moved to her shoulders to steady her. He was so tall, she had to tilt her head right back to gaze at him and suddenly she felt vulnerable in his presence.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
Oh god, his voice. Chocolate and sex. Damn. His hands on her felt so good. Get a grip, Sarah shook herself and smiled at him.
“Thank you.”
His smile widened. “It was absolutely my pleasure, beautiful.”
Sarah flushed at the compliment and stammered through another thanks before scooping her bag up from the floor. Molly met her at the counter.
“Sorry, honey.” Molly grinned, her green eyes amused.
Sarah hugged her friend. “Not your fault. Just me being clumsy.”
“How are you?”
Sarah held up her left hand and Molly’s eyes widened.
“You’ve taken your wedding ring off.”
“I decided that today is the day I move on. Dan is either dead or he left me. Either way, I know he’s not coming back.” Sarah took a deep breath and smiled. “New day, new life. He’s been gone two years on Saturday. It’s time, is all.”
Molly hugged her. “I’m glad.” She went to serve a customer and Sarah went into the backroom. She pulled the envelope out of her bag. Sarah Bailey. It was the same handwriting as the others and she guessed that it would contain the same repulsive, spite-filled messages as the last few. Her stomach clenched with fear, her skin breaking out in a sweat under her clothes. She wanted to share the letter with Molly, to ask her best friend’s advice. She closed her eyes and swallowed down thinking of the vile threats and words of the last letters. This one would be no different. Her entire body started to tremble. No. Not now, please. She shoved the letter into the pocket of her jeans and went to work.
At twenty-eight, Sarah Bailey had known most people on the island since she was a child and living in the now-closed children’s home down on Dogwood Street. When the Jewell family had moved next door the two kids, Molly and Finn, had claimed Sarah as their own. They were drawn to the shy young part-Asian girl; her dark hair tumbling to the middle of her back, the almond eyes so dark and big, fringed with thick lashes. Her beauty was offset by her tomboyish nature – never out of her flared blue jeans and beloved sneakers, her knees and elbows forever grazed from running and climbing. It was a childhood spent climbing trees, swimming, camping out in the county park.
Unable to stay away from the island, after college and newly married to Daniel Bailey, Sarah had rebuilt the derelict movie house into the Varsity coffee house, mostly with just an instruction manual and the help of Dan, Molly and Finn. The locals watched in admiration – their local girl done good - and when the coffee house finally opened, it became the heart of Main Street. Grizzled fishermen would sit at the counter and order throat-strippingly strong coffee, next to the tourists who enjoyed their tea from the most delicate of china cups. When Dan had disappeared, so shocking, so unexpected, they had rallied around her, not letting her fall apart, not letting her feel the desperate guilt that consumed her when she was alone. She thought about moving away but this place, this little haven of an island an hour away from Seattle, was the only place she’d ever felt like she belonged.
The day was sultry with humidity. From the coffee shop window, ferries could be seen pulling into the small dock. The Varsity was full, humming with the music of conversation, crockery and Sarah didn’t have a chance to tell Molly about the letter.
Late afternoon and the rush eased. Sarah opened the till to change some notes. Molly was at the counter flirting with one of their customers. Sarah pulled out the cash tin. She heard a low soft voice across the restaurant and her stomach flipped. She glanced up. Her savior from earlier was chatting with some of the regulars, leaning back in his chair, relaxed, his long denim-clad legs stretched out in front of him.
“George makes an incredible chocolate mud pie that I practically drool over.”
“Huh?” Sarah looked at Molly in confusion and her friend grinned.
“I’m just saying.” She nodded at the guy who was now walking towards them. “That’s how you were looking at that demi-God just then.”
The demi-God came to the counter. Sarah flushed and scowled at Molly.
“I was not and shut up. Go wash a cup or something,” she hissed at Molly then turned her burning face to greet him. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself, beautiful.”
She flushed again. God, she was divine…
Isaac Quinn studied the scarlet blush that colored her cheeks, the dark, lovely eyes. He’d seen her name tag earlier… Sarah. It suited her, soft, feminine.
“What can I get you?” Her voice was gruff and the sound of it made his groin tighten.
“Now let me see.” He picked up a menu and studied it. Slowly, deliberately he moved his hand so it was next to hers, almost touching. He could feel the heat of her skin, smell her perfume, fresh air, and clean laundry.
“Okay, you ready?”
“I’m ready.” She waved her notepad and smiled.
“You sure?”
“Sure.”
Isaac grinned “Fine purveyor of all things drinkable… “I would very much like to partake of a fine cocktail called “A Tea Garden”.”
Sarah laughed and he saw her eyes start to dance, enjoying the joke.
“Ok, your wish is my command, what is it?”
“Okay. It’s one-third vodka, one-third apricot brandy, one-sixth…”
Sarah started giggling. Isaac mock-scowled at her.
“I’m not done. One-sixth vermouth and wait for it…one-sixth Tiffin.”
“Tiffin?”
“Tiffin.”
Sarah wrote this down.
“Just one question… what the hell is a Tiffin?”
“How should I know? I was kinda hoping you’d tell me.”
Sarah raised her eyebrows at him, eyes wide and amused. “Well, you’ve got me there. I hate to disappoint.”
He grinned at her. “Well, you’ll just have to make it up to me… somehow.”
The blush was back – the air between them electric. She cleared her throat and swept a shaking hand through her hair.
“Okay, so this cocktail… coffee black, yes?”
He sighed and shrugged good-naturedly. “You already know me so well. I’m Isaac.”
She shook his outstretched hand. “Sarah. Sarah Bailey.”
He held onto her hand. “Well, Sarah Bailey – “ he grinned at her, “I’m delighted to meet you.”
Sarah looked up from her paperwork just after seven o’clock. The coffee shop was almost emptied - a couple of teenagers hanging out, laughing, glued to their phones. The man who had helped her up earlier was standing near the bookshelves at the back of the room, looking through the racks of battered paperbacks. He glanced up and smiled at her and it was so infectious that Sarah couldn’t help but return the grin.
“Can you recommend anything?” He called out and she went over. His voice was deep and mellifluous. He was so tall. He dwarfed her five foot five.
“What kind of thing are you looking for?” Her question was innocent but when she looked up at him, he merely smiled and his eyes locked onto hers in a way that made the blood in her veins become scorching hot. He reached out a finger and lightly brushed her cheek, just briefly before turning back to the shelf. Sarah’s skin burned where he’d touched her.
“Something new…” he murmured then smiled. “I’m new to the island, actually, thinking of buying a house on the northern point.”
“Really? I live there too…. just the other side of the boy’s school.”
Almost imperceptibly he moved closer. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. Touch me… Her senses were hyperactive, every nerve ending on fire in the presence of this man. He smiled down at her. Sarah was suddenly aware that the coffee house had emptied out and they were alone.
“Then we’ll be neighbors, Sarah Bailey,” he said softly. His hand moved to cup her cheek, his big thumb stroking across her skin.
“Are you free for dinner tonight, Sarah Bailey?”
The way he said her name made her weak and she nodded. “Come to my place. I’ll cook.” She didn’t know why she had said that - all she knew was that she wanted to be alone with this man. Alone, naked, helpless with desire… all she was feeling she could see reflected in his eyes. He grinned, confident.
“Write down your address for me… or I could give you a ride home…”
She had driven into work this morning but to hell with it. “I finish in an hour.”
Had she lost her mind? She felt almost delirious with desire, knowing without a doubt that if they went home together, they would be naked and writhing and fucking.
She had to bite back a moan as he slid a finger under her t-shirt and stroked her belly. She closed her eyes and felt his lips against her temple.
The spell was broken when they heard Molly shouting from the kitchen. She glanced over to the door, almost guiltily, and stepped away from Isaac, still burning from his touch. “An hour, then…”
Their gazes locked and he nodded. “An hour,” he said, lowering his voice, “an hour, beautiful Sarah and then I’m going to strip you slowly and kiss every part of your glorious body. Then I’m going to fuck you all night long.”
She did moan then, softly and she tilted her head up to his. His lips brushed against hers.
“I want to kiss you so deep, Sarah, but I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll lose what little control I have left.”
She nodded and stepped away.
“An hour.”
He touched her cheek. “One hour…I’ll be back to pick you up.”
Molly stuck her head out of the kitchen and saw her boss standing alone, seemingly frozen in place. “Hey… you okay?”
Sarah turned to her, her face red and excited, her eyes wide and filled with wonder. “Yeah, I’m good… more than good.”
Molly glanced out of the window and saw the back of the guy that had been in the coffeehouse. The one who flirted with Sarah. Molly started to grin.
“Oh, I see. Someone got a hot date?”
Sarah laughed and drew in a shaky breath. “You have no idea…”