Page 2 of All In Good Time
“I know. I just want you to be happy. It makes me sad to think you’ve given up on love because of what happened with Helene.”
“I haven’t given up on love. It’s more a case of not having time for it right now.”
“When will you have time for it?”
“I don’t know, but that’s not for you to worry about. You concentrate on having a good time and I look forward to picking you up at the airport when you come back. I love you, Sara.”
A huge lump formed in Sara’s throat. “I love you, too, Zeke. I better go.” She needed to hang up before she burst into tears.
“Okay. Have fun and I’ll see you soon.” Zeke hung up and Sara set her phone down. She hated lying to him, but she knew he would never have approved of what she was doing.
Staring into the flames she let her imagination run wild with thoughts of Logan riding to her rescue atop a big bay stallion. It didn’t matter what he was rescuing her from. He’d leap from his horse, take her in his arms and hold her close, whispering his love and devotion into her ear. So real was her fantasy, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek as he spoke. She basked in the warmth of that feeling, certain things would work out exactly as she had planned.
A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie.
Gathering herself, she stood and walked to the door just as another knock sounded. “Coming,” she called as she reached the door. Upon opening it she was surprised to see a beautiful young woman with flaming red hair and emerald green eyes standing there.
“Hi. I’m Maggie. I wanted to make sure everything was to yer liking and to tell ye that dinner is being served.” Maggie was gazing at her with a question in her eyes. “Are ye well? Ye look a bit flushed.”
Sara ran her hands over her cheeks. They were quite warm to the touch and she imagined quite red. “Oh, I’m fine. I was just sitting in front of the fire.”
“Is it warm enough fer ye? We like to get a fire going in the rooms as soon as the guests arrive, but if yer at all chilled, please let us know.”
“It’s perfect, really. I was probably just sitting a little too close.” She didn’t mention the fact that the fire seemed to start all on its own after she’d entered the room.
Maggie’s warm smile and easy manner had Sara feeling like they were old friends, even though they’d never met before this very moment. “Would ye care to join Dylan and me fer dinner?”
“I would, very much. Give me a minute to freshen up and I’ll be right down.”
“Of course.”
Maggie turned and left. Sara ran into the bathroom where she doused her fiery cheeks with cold water and prepared herself to meet Edna Campbell.
Tentatively stepping through the doors of the dining room, Sara’s gaze flitted around the room, taking in the tables and diners seated around them. A soft murmur of voices, candlelight and the smell of something delicious sent a surge of warmth to Sara’s heart.
“Sara, please join us,” Maggie called from a table near the fire.
Sara waved and made her way across the room. “This is exactly as I imagined it,” she said as she took a seat opposite Maggie.
“Dylan’s getting our food. He’ll be right back.” She poured some red wine into a glass and set it in front of Sara.
“Is Edna going to join us?” If Sara’s plan was going to work, it all depended on Edna. She had no idea what Edna looked like, but she was sure she’d know her on sight.
“I’m afraid not,” Maggie said.
“Oh, no! I was hoping to speak with her.” Sara worried that perhaps Edna was out of town. Her brow furrowed. “Is she here?”
“She is, but she’s quite busy at the moment. A small problem has unexpectedly come up and she’s trying to resolve it. I’m sure ye’ll see her tomorrow.” Maggie was so matter of fact about her absence, like it was no big deal. But Sara’s stomach clenched uncomfortably.
Was she the small problem?
Dylan came through the kitchen doors balancing three plates of food which he expertly set in front of them. “This looks and smells delicious,” Sara observed.
“Thank you. I hope you like Shepherd’s pie.” Dylan took his seat next to Maggie, placing a basket of warm bread on the table. “Fresh from the oven,” he said.
“Are you the chef?” Sara asked.
“I am.” A proud smile lit his face.