The Right Woman. Linda Warren
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tea while Sarah favored coffee in the mornings.
“Morning, darling.” Aurora took a seat at the kitchen table. “What are you doing up so early? It’s Saturday. Surely you’re not starting to clean the house at this hour of the morning.”
“Partly. I’ve stripped my bed and have a load of laundry going, but I have to run to the hospital for a bit. I have a patient to see.”
Saturday was her cleaning day. It was the only time she had to do housework and she couldn’t afford a cleaning lady. The house was so big and Sarah was finding it difficult to maintain the house on her salary and with her busy schedule. This had been Gran’s home since she’d married Henry Farrell and Sarah wanted her to stay here as long as she could. Sarah wanted to be here, too. It’s where she should have been raised as a child with Serena. Staying here wasn’t going to bring her childhood back, though. Serena wanted her to sell the house, but how would she tell Gran? Over the past five years they’d formed a good relationship and Sarah couldn’t see changing any part of their lives.
At times, she felt as if she’d stepped into Serena’s place—worrying about Gran, taking care of her. When she and her sister had met, Serena had been at her wit’s end trying to pay the note and bills on the house. Before his death, her grandfather had borrowed a lot of money he couldn’t pay back and, unfortunately, Gran was used to a certain lifestyle. She was a compulsive shopper and spender. The situation had come to a head with the bank threatening to foreclose on their home.
Then Sarah found out that Greg had left half his life insurance to her. At first she hadn’t wanted to accept it, then she and Serena had a long talk. Greg wanted her to have the money, to have a better life, and Serena’d thought Sarah should spend the windfall on herself. Sarah had other plans. She took the money and paid off the note on the house and all the bills, with Serena protesting the whole time. It had felt good to be able to help Gran and Serena, but she was still struggling to stay afloat with the upkeep of such a large house. In the summer, it was worse with the pool and yard to maintain.
“I’ll strip my bed and finish the laundry while you’re gone,” Gran said.
Sarah placed a cup of tea in front of her. “Thanks, Gran. That would help a great deal.”
“As you know, I’m not fond of housework, but I’ll help all I can.” Aurora stirred honey and lemon into her cup.
Sarah knew that. Gran had lived a life of privilege and it was difficult for her to adjust to a different lifestyle. But these days she stuck to a budget that Sarah planned for them. It was the only way they could manage, so Sarah was grateful for Gran’s cooperation.
“Just don’t tell any of my friends.”
“I promise.” Sarah smiled. “You’re up early. Do you have plans?”
“No.” Aurora took a sip. “The older I get, the less I sleep.” Gran wasn’t known to be an early riser. Sarah wasn’t, either, but she rarely got to sleep in. Her life demanded early hours and long days but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Well, I’d better run,” Sarah said as she noticed it was almost five-thirty. “I’ll drink my coffee while I dress.”
“Sarah?”
“Yes?” She stopped in the doorway.
“Have you heard from Serena?”
“Not for a couple of days.”
“It’s been three days since I’ve heard from her. I hope nothing’s wrong.”
“I’m sure there isn’t,” Sarah assured her. “But I’ll call her tonight and we’ll have a long chat and find out all Jassy’s latest antics.” At Gran’s somber expression, she added, “That phoning thing—it works both ways.”
“I know,” Gran replied. “I called last night and I even called this morning, trying to catch them, and there wasn’t an answer. I just can’t imagine where they’d be at this hour. Ethan’s father didn’t even answer.”
So that’s why Gran was up early. She was worried about Serena. Now Sarah was, too. “I’ll call as soon as I get back,” Sarah promised and rushed back to kiss Aurora. “Stop thinking bad things. They’re fine.”
Aurora hugged Sarah. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
“We’re both lucky. Now I have to go.”
THIRTY MINUTES LATER Sarah was on the way to the hospital. She didn’t worry too much about Serena because she didn’t have a sense that something was wrong. Even though they hadn’t been raised together, they still had that connection, that special bond that existed between twins. It was one of the perks that delighted Sarah about being a twin. It was almost surreal at times—like when Jassy was born.
Sarah had woken up in the middle of the night and sensed that Serena needed her. The baby wasn’t due for two weeks, but Sarah had immediately called the airport and booked a flight for her and Gran to San Antonio. Serena had gone into labor at the same time that Sarah had woken up in Dallas. They’d arrived there in time to watch Jassy make her appearance into the world.
They’d laughed about it afterward. Ethan had said he hadn’t needed to call because Sarah and Serena had a physic connection. And they did.
So she wasn’t really worried now. She felt that Serena and Ethan had probably taken a weekend away together and left Jassy with Molly, Ethan’s sister. Molly had a little girl six months older than Jassy and they loved to play together. But Serena always called when they were going away and that was what was niggling at her. Still, she didn’t let herself get paranoid. She had to put her personal life aside and concentrate on Brooke.
BROOKE WAS NOW IN A room upstairs and Sarah went to the nurses’ station to get her chart. Reading through the contents, she asked the nurse on duty, “What kind of night has she had?”
“They brought her up about 4:00 a.m. and she never woke up, and I haven’t heard a peep out of her.”
“Are her parents here?”
“No, but Detective Garrett went in to see her a few minutes ago.”
“What! The police are not allowed to question her without supervision.” She was trying to control her anger.
The nurse held up a hand. “Hold on, Ms. Welch. I didn’t say anything about someone questioning her.”
“Why else would he be here?”
The nurse frowned. “You don’t know Daniel very well, do you?”
“What?”
“I’ve worked for over thirty years in this hospital and I know Daniel Garrett. He often comes by to check on a patient—overdoses, victims of shootings and the like. That’s the type of person he is. I can assure you he’s not questioning Brooke Wallace.”
Sarah took the chart and walked toward Brooke’s room feeling duly chastised. The nurse was right—Daniel was always there for the victim. He’d been there for her during Boyd’s arrest, his trial and the appeal. Through it all Daniel had been unfailing in his support, as he was with everyone. She’d admitted as much to herself yesterday, so why had she felt a flash of anger when the nurse had mentioned his name?
What was really bothering her? Did she want to be more than a woman in an endless line of victims to Daniel? Of course not. She just didn’t want him to see her as a helpless female—that’s all. She didn’t want anything else from a man ever again—including Daniel.
She was lying.
She groaned inwardly at the war going on inside her. Her emotions were like a tennis ball being constantly batted back and forth until she was exhausted from the struggle. She had to decide what she wanted from Daniel, what she expected from him. Because, like it or not, he was in her life. Their jobs threw them together and she had no right to tell him to stay away from her. She had to apologize. Of that