holidays, and she swore if they had a pet, she’d seen that pet in her clinic. Not that she was complaining about her booming business, but it did play hell with her social life—such as it was.
She drove the short distance down the winding country road that hugged the edge of the island. Sarah forced herself to stare straight ahead when she passed the driveway to Blake’s vacation home. She didn’t want to see if lights were visible through the trees. Most likely he was in Seattle doing what he could to return to the game he loved.
Janna met her and Cyrus at the door with a warm hug. “You came? I was so afraid you’d chicken out.”
“I wanted to,” Sarah admitted. Cyrus slipped past her into the house he’d been in many times before to most likely lay down in front of the blazing fire.
When something akin to guilt flashed in Janna’s eyes, she studied her closely. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Janna answered with a suspiciously innocent smile.
“Something is going on. What are you keeping from me?” Sarah leaned to peer past her friend into the warm, welcoming parlor but didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary. For a split second she’d feared Blake might be there. He wasn’t, and she deflated, as if she wished he were there. Of course he wasn’t. Even if he was on the island, why would he be here of all places?
Before Janna could respond, Mandy appeared, handing Sara a hot-buttered rum and guiding her into the living area where the party was already going full swing. The last time Sarah had a hot-buttered rum had been last Christmas Eve with Blake. A mixture of relief and sadness filtered through her, but she pasted a fake smile on her face and entered the joyous room. Mandy’s friends and family were gathered in large and small groups, laughing and talking. A table in the corner held an impressive spread of delectable dishes. Christmas music played in the background, and a huge tree laden with ornaments claimed one corner of the large room.
The earlier mist had given way to a starry night. Outside, several other guests crowded around a large fire pit blazing as merrily as the fireplace inside the house.
Sarah took a seat on the couch between a few of the guests, long-time island residents she knew quite well.
“Blake Daniels is on the island,” said Eva, the island psychic, as she cast a pointed glance in Sarah’s direction.
“He is?” Sarah knew her face must have gone pale. Her mouth certainly went dry, and her stomach did a great imitation of an unbalanced high-wire walker.
Mandy shot a guilty look in Sarah’s direction and a chastising one in Eva’s, but the exotic woman didn’t bat an eye.
“You didn’t invite him, did you?” Sarah glanced first at Mandy then at Janna fidgeting near the doorway. Mandy looked to Janna with a shrug. “Janna?”
Janna smiled apologetically. “I might’ve run into him at the grocery store earlier today and extended an invitation. I’m sure he won’t show. He didn’t sound interested. I just hate the idea of him being alone during the holidays.” When Janna got nervous she talked a hundred miles an hour, just as she was doing now.
“It was a mercy invitation,” she added.
Sarah smiled, trying to process Blake being on the island. “It’s okay. I don’t care if he shows up or not. We parted friends. What we had last winter was just a holiday fling,” Sarah lied, not fooling anyone. They were her friends. They’d seen the aftermath of the break up and helped her pick up the pieces and move on. Their pitying looks were enough to make Sarah run for the nearest door, but party-goers blocked all the exits. She wouldn’t be able to sneak out unnoticed. She’d bide her time and disappear as soon as the opening presented itself.
In the meantime, she sipped her drink and faked interest in whatever conversation buzzed around her, not that she had a clue because her mind was a million miles away—actually a lot closer. More like a
She drove the short distance down the winding country road that hugged the edge of the island. Sarah forced herself to stare straight ahead when she passed the driveway to Blake’s vacation home. She didn’t want to see if lights were visible through the trees. Most likely he was in Seattle doing what he could to return to the game he loved.
Janna met her and Cyrus at the door with a warm hug. “You came? I was so afraid you’d chicken out.”
“I wanted to,” Sarah admitted. Cyrus slipped past her into the house he’d been in many times before to most likely lay down in front of the blazing fire.
When something akin to guilt flashed in Janna’s eyes, she studied her closely. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Janna answered with a suspiciously innocent smile.
“Something is going on. What are you keeping from me?” Sarah leaned to peer past her friend into the warm, welcoming parlor but didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary. For a split second she’d feared Blake might be there. He wasn’t, and she deflated, as if she wished he were there. Of course he wasn’t. Even if he was on the island, why would he be here of all places?
Before Janna could respond, Mandy appeared, handing Sara a hot-buttered rum and guiding her into the living area where the party was already going full swing. The last time Sarah had a hot-buttered rum had been last Christmas Eve with Blake. A mixture of relief and sadness filtered through her, but she pasted a fake smile on her face and entered the joyous room. Mandy’s friends and family were gathered in large and small groups, laughing and talking. A table in the corner held an impressive spread of delectable dishes. Christmas music played in the background, and a huge tree laden with ornaments claimed one corner of the large room.
The earlier mist had given way to a starry night. Outside, several other guests crowded around a large fire pit blazing as merrily as the fireplace inside the house.
Sarah took a seat on the couch between a few of the guests, long-time island residents she knew quite well.
“Blake Daniels is on the island,” said Eva, the island psychic, as she cast a pointed glance in Sarah’s direction.
“He is?” Sarah knew her face must have gone pale. Her mouth certainly went dry, and her stomach did a great imitation of an unbalanced high-wire walker.
Mandy shot a guilty look in Sarah’s direction and a chastising one in Eva’s, but the exotic woman didn’t bat an eye.
“You didn’t invite him, did you?” Sarah glanced first at Mandy then at Janna fidgeting near the doorway. Mandy looked to Janna with a shrug. “Janna?”
Janna smiled apologetically. “I might’ve run into him at the grocery store earlier today and extended an invitation. I’m sure he won’t show. He didn’t sound interested. I just hate the idea of him being alone during the holidays.” When Janna got nervous she talked a hundred miles an hour, just as she was doing now.
“It was a mercy invitation,” she added.
Sarah smiled, trying to process Blake being on the island. “It’s okay. I don’t care if he shows up or not. We parted friends. What we had last winter was just a holiday fling,” Sarah lied, not fooling anyone. They were her friends. They’d seen the aftermath of the break up and helped her pick up the pieces and move on. Their pitying looks were enough to make Sarah run for the nearest door, but party-goers blocked all the exits. She wouldn’t be able to sneak out unnoticed. She’d bide her time and disappear as soon as the opening presented itself.
In the meantime, she sipped her drink and faked interest in whatever conversation buzzed around her, not that she had a clue because her mind was a million miles away—actually a lot closer. More like a
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