Chapter Seven

After everyone left, Sara stood in her kitchen and looked around. Insurance was going to replace all the pans and utensils, but her heart hurt a little knowing someone had come in and purposely destroyed what she'd made. She knew who it was, well not his name or what he looked like, but she knew who had done this. The question was how had he found her? She'd thought that if she picked up and moved back home that the threats would stop, but it only seemed to speed them up.

 

“What are you thinking?” She almost jumped at the sound of Allen's voice behind her. She should have known he wouldn't have left with the others. Turning, she looked at him. He still wore his work uniform and large green rain boots. The sleeves on his shirt were pushed up and there was a drop of icing from her cupcakes on his shirt.

 

Shaking her head, she looked back into the kitchen. “I'm trying to not think of it as spoiled. Last time,”—she took a breath and decided to open up to him—“when he did this to my apartment in Seattle, he went through and touched my things. He didn't destroy them, just touched them, moved them around. I donated everything to Goodwill and bought all new clothes.” She crossed her arms over her chest and remembered the feeling of being violated for months after the intrusion.

 

He walked up behind her and gently turned her around. “I'm sorry. I'd like to know more, but I can see you're tired.”

 

She shook her head. “Weary, but not tired. I've gone so long without telling someone. If you want, maybe we can grab some dinner and I'll tell you about it.”

 

“That sounds great. I'll drive.” He smiled and pulled her into a light hug.

 

Sara locked up and walked out the front door, knowing her alarm was armed by the flashing green light. “Thank you.” She turned to Allen as they stood outside the storefront.

 

“For what?” He pulled her close as they started walking towards his truck.

 

“For calling in the troops. I would have done it sooner or later, after I'd worked off some of the steam. Thank you for taking the day off to help me clean up the mess, for being there and being a friend.”

 

He stopped in the middle of the street, just in view of Patty's large windows and kissed her. When he finally pulled back, after hearing a honk and laughter, he smiled down at her and pulled her the rest of the way out of the road. “You're welcome.”

 

Sitting in his truck with the heater on full blast, she relaxed into the warmth and watched the lights go by the window. She didn't know where he was taking her, but at this point her head was too dull to care.

 

Feeling the truck stop, she opened her eyes and realized they had stopped in front of a house. “Is this yours?” She sat up and looked out the front window. His headlights only hit halfway up the garage. It was too dark to see anything else.

 

“Mine and Beast’s.” He smiled then got out and walked around just in time to help her out of the truck. “I thought you might like someone else to cook for you tonight.”

 

“You can cook?” She stopped and looked up at him. His smile spread and she felt her heart skip.

 

“I guess you'll find out.” Instead of walking to the front door, he walked around the side and opened the door. A black spot rushed out between his legs. “Beast doesn't like his room.” He shook his head and flipped on the outside porch light. They both turned and watched the small dog do his business in the grass. Then he plodded back towards them and started jumping at her feet. She bent and picked him up and was rewarded with kisses all over her face. She followed Allen into a good-sized laundry room. She saw the dog bed, food, and water were set up. There were toys scattered all over the floor.

 

“Sorry, I should have taken you through the front.” He shut the door behind her, then walked over to scoop up a small pile of puppy poo.

 

“Did you poo in the house?” She giggled and snuggled with the dog.

 

“I'm glad you find it all so funny,” he said when he came back from cleaning up.

 

“He'll get potty trained soon enough.”

 

“I'm working on the rest of the house first. This is kinda his room. Tile is a lot easier to clean than carpet.”

 

“I bet.” She smiled and set the dog down and followed Allen into the living room. She liked the space and the colors he'd used. Light and clean. The fireplace was impressive, as was the sheer size of the rooms. He walked into the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves again.

 

“This will be a while. If you want, I have some old sweats you can change into. Your feet must be freezing.”

 

She looked down at her wet shoes. The numbness had been there so long, she'd almost forgotten the discomfort. The thought of peeling off her wet jeans and shoes sounded like heaven.

 

“Sounds great. Actually, if it's not too much to ask, can I use your shower?” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

 

“Sure.” He walked over to her. “I should have thought. You probably wanted to go home and—” She stopped him by putting her finger over his mouth.

 

“If I wanted to go home, I would be home.” Smiling, she reached up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “Now, point me in the direction of hot water and those sweats.”

 

What was he doing? He looked down at the pasta he was cooking and closed his eyes for a second. Sara was up in his shower, right now, naked and wet. And as far as he could tell, she had no plans of leaving for the night. Thank God!

 

“Okay, focus Allen.” He told himself. “Or you'll burn the spaghetti. If you can't make the easiest dish in the world, she may change her mind about you and ask to be taken home.” He shook his head clear of images of her in his shower, the bubbles from his shampoo running down her. Shaking his head again, he stirred the sauce.

 

Fifteen minutes later she walked down his stairs wearing an old pair of sweats from his SEAL days. They hung low on her hips and she'd rolled them several times to allow her feet to poke out from the bottom. The large t-shirt she wore matched the pants and hung halfway down to her knees.

 

She'd tied her hair up in a loose ponytail. Her face was clean and she had never looked better.

 

“Mmm, something smells wonderful. Spaghetti is my favorite dinner.” She leaned against the counter and watched him.

 

He felt nervous all of a sudden. So much so, he almost burned the rolls he'd heated up.

 

“Can I help?”

 

“No, just sit there and look gorgeous.” He waved towards the table, which he'd already set with his good china that consisted of two plates that matched and two non-plastic glasses. The salad he'd tossed from a pre-made bag sat in the biggest bowl he had.

 

He watched her hips sway as she walked over to the table and sat down, crossing her legs underneath her. She looked over at him and smiled, and he realized she knew he'd watched her.

 

Two could play at this game. While she'd been upstairs, he’d quickly gone into the mudroom and pulled on a clean shirt and pants. Walking over, he bent slowly and pulled the bread from the oven. When he looked again, he smiled, knowing her eyes had gone a little cloudy as she'd watched him move.

 

By the time he sat at the table, the food laid out in front of them, he was so worked up, he doubted he could take a bite. And if he was a good judge of her, he knew she felt the same way.

 

“Allen?” She sat there looking down at her food, not touching it.

 

“Sara?” His throat had gone dry. Then she was in his lap, her body next to his, her mouth on his. His hands gripped her hips as her fingers dug into his hair, pulling him closer. He shoved up from the table, knocking over the chair as he turned and pushed her against the wall, holding her still as his hands snaked under the shirt to touch her soft skin.

 

She moaned when his fingers brushed over her, causing her nipples to pucker. Her head fell back, exposing her neck as he slid his hands down and started to undo the string of the sweatpants.

 

“Are you sure?” he tried to say, but it ended up more as a moan.

 

She nodded her head over and over, then yanked his shirt over his head. She moaned when her eyes fell on his chest, then she pulled him closer and kissed him again. His fingers went under the wide waist of the sweats and he found her wet and ready for him. He almost stopped breathing as she started making little noises as he rubbed her. Then she was trying to yank his jeans off his hips.

 

“Hang on, just hang on. Let me think.” He tried to pull back.

 

She shook her head quickly. “No, now. No thinking.” She licked her lips and watched him from underneath her eyelashes. He would have done anything she'd asked at that moment. Pulling out the condom he'd shoved in his back pocket, he yanked down his jeans. He came back to her, holding her against the wall, his palms flat on either side of her head as he hovered over her lips. He ran his fingers down the side of her neck.

 

“It appears you have entirely too many clothes on.” He smiled and watched her eyes close.

 

He slowly pulled her shirt up, exposing her navel, then pulled it up even more as he exposed the soft skin over her ribs. Finally, when he’d pulled the shirt over her head, he leaned back and took in her beauty.

 

“Beautiful.” He ran a fingertip over her soft skin. “I've never seen anything so beautiful.”

 

“Allen, I'm burning up.” Her hands were beside her hips, flexing on his wall.

 

“Let me take care of you.” He leaned over and placed his mouth on her delicate skin. Her fingers gripped his hair as he tortured her with his mouth.

 

“Please,” she begged over and over.

 

He'd worked himself up so that when he opened his eyes, there was a haze over everything. She still wore his sweats and in one quick move, he had them pooled at her feet on the floor. He sheathed himself quickly and pushed inside hers. Twin moans sounded as he flexed his hips against hers.

 

“Sara,” he groaned as he held still.

 

“Please.” She gripped his hips and dug her nails into his back. “Please, Allen.”

 

He flexed and held his breath as they rushed to the finish together.

 

Sara listened to Allen's heart beating against her head and sighed. She was propped up against the wall of Allen's dining room, with a naked man holding her up. There had never been a more perfect moment in her life.

 

“Food's getting cold,” he mumbled against her hair and she couldn't help herself, she laughed.

 

“With all this heat in the room, it's a wonder everything isn't burnt.” He chuckled, then leaned back and placed a kiss on her nose.

 

“If you want to clean up…” He motioned towards the bathroom. She quickly pulled up the sweats and looked around for her shirt. She wasn't embarrassed of her body, but after cooling down, she’d realized the large windows in his living room were uncovered. She didn't know how close his nearest neighbor was.

 

He saw her looks and laughed. “Robert and Amelia's house is a quarter of a mile that way,” he pointed towards the fireplace, “through very thick woods.”

 

She smiled and found her shirt. “I'll be just a minute.” She rushed off towards the bathroom.

 

After dinner, she stood by the back sliding door as he tossed the ball to Beast in the back yard. The little dog didn't really get the whole bring it back thing yet, but Allen enjoyed chasing him in the light from his deck.

 

He started a fire in the fireplace and they made love again on the soft carpet. She fell asleep in his arms, wrapped in his warmth.

 

When she woke, the small dog licked her face and barked.

 

“No, Beast.” Allen said and snuggled his face deeper into her hair.

 

“I think he needs to go out.” She giggled as the dog licked her face again.

 

“Yeah, probably.” He groaned as he got up off the floor. “Remind me why we slept on the floor when there’s a perfectly good king-size bed upstairs?”

 

She laughed. “Because it was so very romantic.” She pulled the small blanket he'd grabbed over her and rolled over to look out the windows. “Oh look.” She sat up. “It's snowing.” She stood up and wrapped the blanket around her as he walked to the back door and opened it for the dog to rush out. Beast stopped dead when a snowflake landed on his nose. The tiny dog spun in circles and chased a few flakes before finally relieving himself, then he continued running around, chasing fat snowflakes.

 

After dressing, Sara convinced Allen to let her cook breakfast. When he came down, freshly showered, the cinnamon French toast was done. He swore it was the best he'd ever eaten. She was beginning to think he was biased. She quickly dressed in her clothes from yesterday, which Allen had thrown in the washer and dryer last night after dinner, then they headed into town. She had a mighty urge to bake.

 

When they got to the shop, everything looked better than it had last night. The building sat gleaming in the sunlight. Gone were the images of destruction from yesterday, replaced by the warmth of knowing the whole town was behind her.

 

“Are you sure you don't want to head home first?” Allen said when they stopped in front of the store.

 

Shaking her head, she smiled. “No, I've got an early morning delivery.” She looked at her watch and figured she had just enough time to open up before the truck would be there. “Besides, I have a few recipes I need to fine tune.”

 

“Anything involving chocolate?” Allen's eyebrows rose and he had a hopeful look on his face. She laughed.

 

“Stop by around noon. There should be something for you to try out.” She leaned over and kissed him quickly, but his arms came up and snaked around her, holding her tight and deepening the kiss until she was breathless. When she finally pulled back, she could see the heat in his eyes. She didn't know what she was going to do; she was quickly becoming addicted to him.

 

“I'll try to make it today. If not, we're still on for the Christmas party, right?”

 

“Of course. I even bought a new dress yesterday.” She smiled. Thinking about the event caused her to get excited. A real fancy party. Here in Pride. She couldn't wait to see what the Jordan clan had done with the restaurant. She'd heard that Amber, their new manager, had made some major changes. He nodded and smiled as she jumped out of the truck, past the water flowing in the gutter. Turning around on the sidewalk, she waved as he honked and drove off.

 

When Sara walked into the building, she closed the door behind her, making sure to disarm her new alarm, and took a deep breath. She felt like dancing, but settled for a quick twirl. When she entered the kitchen, she looked around. Yes, now the place gleamed and shined again. It felt like hers again. Flipping on the lights, she walked around pulling out everything she'd need for the day. Halfway through preparation, the back doorbell rang. Looking through her new peephole, she saw Zach, one of her deliverymen. She had heard somewhere that he lived in Edgeview and had all the local routes. It was always a good idea to treat the deliverymen with kid gloves. If they liked you, you had an in to some of the freshest products. Opening the door wide, she smiled.

 

“Good morning, Zach. Beautiful day, isn't it?” His smile wavered as he balanced the handcart with her boxes of supplies.

 

“I heard about the break-in yesterday. Is everything alright?” He looked around, a frown on his face when he stepped inside.

 

“Oh, everything is fine now. We cleaned it all up. They did some damage, but it's all fixed.” She motioned to the patched wall.

 

“Yeah, I guess.” He set the handcart down. “Had to replace a lot of your stock, though?”

 

“It's just food.” She signed the paper when he handed her the clipboard. “My next delivery will be on schedule. I appreciate you fitting me in today.”

 

He shrugged his shoulders. “No problem. I'm stopping by the Golden Oar to make a large delivery this morning. I guess they’re having a big party there in two days.”

 

“Yes, I can't wait to go. This will be my first year attending their Christmas party.”

 

“That's cool.” He looked around, avoiding her eyes. “I suppose you already have a date?”

 

Her smile almost faltered. She'd never really thought of him in that way. He was probably five years younger than her, but in her eyes, the age wasn't a problem. He was skinny, tall and looked like he hadn't grown into his body yet.

 

“Yes,” she tried to think of something, anything else to say.

 

“That's cool. I guess I'll see you around.” He started wheeling the handcart out.

 

“Zach?” She waited until he turned. “If you’re done with your deliveries around noon, stop by. I'll have a batch of cupcakes ready. You can take a box if you want.” She watched his face light up.

 

“What kind?”

 

“Well, I'll be baking Red Velvet, Strawberry Cream, and…” she paused for a moment trying to decide, “…Death by Chocolate.” She smiled.

 

“Sounds good. I'll stop by on my way out of town.” He turned and left, whistling on his way out.

 

Rolling up her sleeves, she started unpacking the boxes of supplies, then took her time filling her canisters with fresh flour, sugar, and cocoa. Dusting her hands, she pulled on her large apron and looked around. Everything was back in its place.

 

“Now, time to get to work.” She started making the batter for the Red Velvet cupcakes first. It was an older recipe she'd discovered years ago. It was one of her favorites and would be used for cakes, tea cakes, and cupcakes. She had several batters that transcended like this one. Today, however, she was only making a small amount of the batter. Mixing the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, she smiled when she turned on the mixer for the first time and watched the ingredients swirl and combine. She flipped on her ovens, letting them warm as she prepared the other two batters. The containers she used to hold the batter were almost full two hours later. She looked at the clock on the wall and realized she still had time to make something more. Deciding on cookies, she started a batch of chocolate chip and peanut butter. She had just finished with that batter when the back doorbell rang. Wiping her hands, she let Jack Timothy in so he could finish patching the spots on the wall that he'd repaired yesterday.

 

By noon, when Allen showed up, she had two batches of each cupcake ready, and three batches of cookies, hot from the oven.

 

He walked in with three other men and a young woman. “It sure smells good in here. I hope you don't mind, I brought a few recruits along. We were heading back from beach training and thought we'd stop by.”

 

She smiled. “No, not at all. The more taste testers, the better.” She motioned to the display cases, where she'd put the cupcakes. “Choose your poison.” It was wonderful having a dry run of serving customers. The espresso machine hummed as she made their orders.

 

She handed out freshly printed menus to everyone as they all sat on the folding chairs she'd placed around the room.

 

“The tables and chairs are being delivered tomorrow.” She smiled, apologizing for the lack of space. A few people walked by the window and poked their heads in, asking for a sample. She handed out her last cupcake right as Zach walked in the door.

 

“Oh, looks like I was too late.” He frowned.

 

She smiled. “Not at all.” She rushed to the back and took the box from the countertop. Coming back into the front room, she set it down. “I put these aside for you.” She opened the box and showed him the mixture of cupcakes she'd saved for him.

 

“Wow, thanks.” He smiled at her. She felt eyes burning into her side and looked over to see Allen frowning at the kid. She felt like laughing, but decided she'd explain everything once they were alone.

 

Finally, when the room was empty except for Allen and his recruits, he pulled her into the back room and kissed her, pushing her up against the wall behind the door. When he pulled back, he looked down into her face.

 

“What was that all about?”

 

“Hmm? What?” She tried to pull him down for another kiss, but he pulled back a little.

 

“Paying off your delivery man?” He smiled.

 

“More like bribing.” She smiled back at him. “A girl does what she must for fresh eggs and blueberries.” He chuckled.

 

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say the kid was hot on you.” He pulled her closer.

 

“Yeah, he tried to ask me to the Christmas party.” She bit her lower lip.

 

“He'll get over it.” But there was still a frown on his face.

 

“What?” She put her arms around his neck and looked at him. “What has you frowning?”

 

“Nothing.” He tried to wipe the frown from his face. “Just something Robert said, that's all. Well, Sara's Nook looks like it will be a success opening week.” He changed the subject quickly.

 

“Hmm, yes. I can't wait. Now all I need is furniture and employees. Not to mention the signs.” She started thinking of her list and knew there was still so much that needed to be done.

 

“Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to get the rest done.” He kissed her again quickly. “I've got to get back. My schedule is pretty packed the next two days. If I don't see you in between, I'll pick you up at your place at seven for the party.”

 

She nodded and reached up to kiss him again. When everyone left, the place felt empty. She pulled out her laptop and started doing some ordering she'd been putting off. Her phone rang and when she looked at the number, her heart skipped a beat.

 

“Hi, Josie.” She was greeted with a high-pitched screech.

 

“Oh my God, Sara. I'm so excited! I can't believe you're doing it. Yes. Yes. Yes. Count me in. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. I lost my cell phone and I dropped my Mac. I've been unwired for two whole weeks until I finally got my replacement phone.” Josie wasn't usually this unconnected. Sara had taken her friend’s silence as an answer of no.

 

“Really?” She took a large gulp of air and felt her head spin. “You'll really pick up and move to Pride?”

 

“Yes!” Josie screamed in the phone. “I'm packing as we speak.” She heard her friend laugh. “I've waited for the right moment to tell Stephan and Bethany off. Things have gotten a lot worse since you left. I'll tell you all about it when I get there. It shouldn't take me more than two weeks to have everything tied up here.”

 

“I can't wait. I'll look into renting the house today. I'm so happy you're going to be here.” Sara closed her eyes on a wave of happy tears. Everything was falling into place. An image of Allen's face popped into her mind.