Lakeside Romance (7 page)

Alec snorted. “Ask God? Right. He's not interested in me.”

The light in Gran's eyes dimmed. “Oh, honey, that buried hostility will eat at you like a cancer if you don't let it out. You need to talk to someone.”

“I'm fine.”

Gran sandwiched his hands between hers. Soft, wrinkled, age-spotted hands that had comforted him more times than he could remember. He shifted his gaze from her hands to her face. Her faded blue eyes stared back at him. If he'd expected to find sympathy, he would have been disappointed. She was one of the most compassionate people he knew, but at the moment she glared at him with the same no-nonsense look she gave him when he was in trouble.

“You're not fine. Until you can admit that, you won't heal or be able to move on with your life. It's time for you to stop wallowing in self-pity and start living again. Now, I need to take care of my guests. You do as you see fit.” She left the kitchen and headed to the living room.

Gran's reprimand stung. She didn't know what she was talking about. So he'd quit going to church. Big deal. The hurt he saw in Gran's eyes every time she invited him to go with her left him feeling smaller than a snail's belly, but she didn't understand.

God played favorites when it came to answering prayers. Apparently Alec hadn't been on the A-list, and he wasn't about to set himself up for disappointment again.

Hearing a sudden burst of laughter erupt behind the kitchen door, loneliness stole over him.

He dealt with people on a daily basis and prided himself on having the social skills to handle difficult clients. Daniel and Toby hadn't done anything to earn his skepticism, and honestly, they were pretty decent kids. So why was he stalling in the kitchen?

He had two choices—grab something on the way home to eat by himself in front of the TV or man up and enjoy Gran's cooking. His stomach grumbled again, solving the problem for him.

Taking a deep breath, he hefted the platter of chicken with one hand, a chilled bowl of pasta salad with another and turned to find Sarah standing in the kitchen doorway with her arms folded over her chest. “I'm sorry the invitation caught you by surprise.”

He swallowed a sigh. He didn't want to go another round with her. His eyes scanned the counter. Where was his white flag? “No big deal.”

“Apparently it is if you're hiding in the kitchen.” Her eyes held the same determined look he'd seen yesterday when she came to the boys' defense. “Look, if it's a problem, the boys and I will leave. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Forget it. It's fine.”

“The boys are stressed already, Alec. They don't need your attitude. If you can't say anything nice, then just—” She looked as if she wanted to tell him to keep his mouth shut, but she paused, drew a breath, clamped her lips and closed her eyes. Seconds later, she met his gaze with a calmer expression than she'd had moments ago and hugged a quiet breath. “Please don't say anything at all.”

Before Alec could reply, the kitchen door flew open again and his sister, Chloe, burst into the room, her dark, wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail. “Hey, Alec, what's taking you so long? We're starving.” Seeing Sarah, she smiled and moved over to hug her. “Hey, Sarah. Great to see you. Charming my big brother, I see.”

Sarah returned the hug. “I doubt I'm qualified to do that. He's teaching me to cook.”

Chloe's eyes volleyed between the two of them, then she grinned. “I heard about that. He needs something interesting to shake up his dull life.”

“I'm right here. Stop talking about me like I'm not.” Why did he have this sudden need to explain himself? It wasn't as though he was trying to impress anyone.

“Did I mention he's a bit testy?”

Sarah smirked. “No need. I learned that on my own.”

Chloe shot Sarah a saucy wink as she reached for the platter of chicken still balanced on Alec's palm. “I'll carry this to the table so you two can finish the conversation you were having before I butted in. Word of warning, though—if you don't hurry, I'm going to beg Gran to start without you.”

“You're great at butting in. Tell Gran we'll be out in a minute, Tink.”

Chloe stuck her tongue out at him. “Don't call me that. You know I hate it.”

Amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Exactly.”

She rolled her eyes and headed for the dining room, muttering under her breath. “Brothers.”

Alec thrust the bowl of pasta salad at Sarah. “Make yourself useful. Please,” he added as an afterthought.

“We're not finished with this conversation.” She jerked the bowl out of his hands and grabbed the basket of rolls off the table.

Alec bit back the words that formed on his tongue and reached for the steaming corn. The food was going to be cold if they wasted more time. “For now, we are. I'm tired and hungry.”

And he needed time to suit up if they were going into battle again.

Chapter Seven

A
lec didn't want them here. His attitude couldn't have been clearer. Maybe he felt they had intruded in his private life.

Sarah caught him glaring at her. Again. She glanced around the round oak dining room table, but Gran and Chloe seemed oblivious to the undercurrent of tension that flowed between Sarah and Alec like a live wire. If only she could ignore him.

To be fair, he wasn't a complete grouch.

Remembering the smile while he teased his sister had Sarah wanting to see it again. The expression changed his entire face. Instead of growling like a grizzly, he seemed so...nice. His gruff features softened around Gran, too. His hang-up was with the boys being here. Perhaps her, too.

Shifting her thoughts away from Alec, Sarah tried to focus on Toby's description of the fountain at Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh, but her attention zeroed in on Daniel.

Daniel had been laughing and talking with Gran and Chloe, but he'd clammed up as soon as Alec entered the room. He ate the rest of his meal in silence with his shoulders hunched as if trying to appear invisible. She thought the two of them had gotten along—Alec mentioned Daniel had asked him some cooking-related questions recently, but Daniel had been sullen and withdrawn since last night. Maybe he'd picked up on the tension, too.

Sarah appreciated Gran's and Chloe's efforts to draw him back into their conversation, but her irritation toward Alec rose every time Daniel glanced at him before responding to his sister or grandmother. She understood the anxiety caused by walking around on eggshells, afraid to upset anyone. Daniel needed to be able to speak up without being concerned about how anyone was going to react.

Toby flicked a piece of red onion from the pasta salad onto the side of his plate. It slid off the edge of the plate onto the white lace tablecloth. Sarah nudged him with her elbow and gave him a slight shake of her head.

Chloe leaned over, bringing her hand to the side of her mouth, and whispered loudly, “That's okay, Toby, I can't stand them, either.” She made a face similar to Toby's and showed him the small pile on her nearly empty plate.

He grinned and shoved a spiral of pasta in his mouth.

Suddenly tired, Sarah stifled a yawn, feeling as energetic as the chicken on her plate. She bit into her ear of corn, now lukewarm from sitting untouched. The delicious food eased the hunger pangs, but it settled like a brick in her stomach.

Sarah had jumped at Gran's dinner invitation. Anything to put off cooking. The boys had dealt with enough for one day without needing to be subjected to her culinary experiments.

Chloe moved her plate away and leaned forward on the table. “So, Sarah, how's the outreach program going?”

Sarah pushed away her fatigue and smiled at Chloe. She took in the younger woman's petite frame, wavy chestnut hair and blue eyes. Eyes like Alec's. “Going well so far, thanks to your brother. If the teens had to rely on my cooking skills, they'd be doomed.”

“Alec's always been willing to help others.”

Sarah filed that bit of information away. “Are you still able to help us when we get to the babysitting segment?”

Chloe smiled, reaching for her water glass. “Yes, of course. I'm looking forward to it. Is the church still considering a year-round outreach program? If so, maybe we could set up some sort of babysitting certification program.”

She appreciated Chloe's enthusiasm and yearned for the permanent program, but she couldn't afford to get her hopes up. “That's a great idea, but it may be a little premature. The church board won't commit until they see how the summer pilot program is going. Then we'll need to consider moving to a more permanent location. The community center has been great, but if we do a full-time program, we need to find a new place because they're redoing the wiring in September.”

“What about the church?”

“We've considered it, but we'd prefer to have a neutral building in the community so people who don't attend church won't feel intimidated by it. One of our core goals is to build those relationships and then draw people into the church.”

“Makes sense. Maybe Alec could help you find something. If anyone knows about properties in town, it's him.”

Sarah smiled. “I'll keep it in mind.”

Chloe snapped her fingers and pointed at her brother. “Wait a minute...what about your building, Alec?”

“What building?” Alec's gazed jerked to his sister. Then, as if trying to cover his surprise, he shoved his plate away and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

Chloe looked at him as though he'd sprouted two heads. “You know...the consignment shop.”

“What about it?” He stood and reached for his plate.

“You could—”

“No.” He spoke in the same authoritative tone Sarah had heard yesterday when she brought the boys back to her apartment. She had no idea what building they were talking about, but apparently it was enough to upset Alec.

“But it's just—”

Alec's sharp tone cut her off. “Drop it, Chloe.”

Frowning, she sighed, slouching in her chair. “I'm just saying—”

Deep lines furrowed his forehead. His glare practically bored a hole through his sister. “And I said to drop it.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow at the intense expression on Alec's face. Maybe she and the boys should try to excuse themselves so the family could work this out privately.

“Gran, talk to him. You know it would be ideal.” Chloe jumped up from the table and started clearing plates. “Boys, would you like to help me in the kitchen? I have it on good authority that Gran has chocolate cake stashed in there somewhere. Let's take ours out to the garden to eat.”

The boys grabbed their plates and followed Chloe.

As soon as the kitchen door swung shut, Sarah folded her hands on the table, snuck a fleeting look at Alec, then turned to Gran, getting the feeling she'd be much more calm about the situation. “I apologize if I'm intruding in on a family matter, but what's the deal with this particular building?”

Gran darted a quick glance at Alec, who stood in front of the dining room window with his back to them. She returned her attention to Sarah. “I own a building downtown, a few doors down from Cuppa Josie's.”

“It's a consignment shop?”

“Well, sort of. Alec leased the building to use for his late wife's consignment shop.”

Christy's Closet.

Pieces began to fall into place.

No wonder Alec was on the verge of a freak-out. The last time she walked in front of that shop, it appeared closed, but a viable business.

“Honestly, it's not my decision to make anyway.” Sarah reached for her nearly empty glass of water.

“Maybe not.” Gran stood and rested a hand on the back of her chair. “But I'm sure your opinion holds some weight, especially since you're the one who's going to be spending the most time there.”

“Gran...” Alec started to speak, but Gran cut him off.

“What?” She shrugged her narrow shoulders. “Really, Alec, what harm is there in looking at the building? She might not even want it.”

Alec's gaze captured Sarah's and held. His eyes narrowed into angry slits. Sarah fought to keep her expression neutral but refused to look away.

After what seemed an eternity, Alec broke eye contact and turned away. He raked long fingers through his hair and hissed out a sigh. “What if she does?”

* * *

Alec's fingers stilled on the keys as the final notes echoed through the room. His shoulders sagged from fatigue. Playing usually relaxed him, but not tonight.

Why couldn't Chloe have left well enough alone? She had no business bringing up the building. And Gran had sided with her. Traitors.

The doorbell rang. Alec stifled a groan. Company was the last thing he wanted. He considered not answering the door. Biting back a sigh, he slid off the bench and padded barefoot through the living room.

A glance through the peephole showed Sarah standing on the other side. He ran a hand over his face. What did she want now?

He opened the door and stood with one hand on the doorknob and the other braced against the doorjamb. “What can I do for you, Ms. Sullivan?”

She slid her fingers through her hair, then gestured toward his open doorway. “May I, uh, come in?”

“I'm really not in the mood for company.”

“How about an apology from a friend?”

“An apology for what?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I feel as if you were ambushed about your wife's store.”

Okay, so he wasn't expecting that.

Alec hesitated, then stepped back, allowing her to enter. Closing the door, he wavered between inviting her to sit down or keeping her standing in the entryway. Good manners prevailed. He ushered her into the living room.

Sarah remained silent as she wandered around, picking up assorted family photos Chloe had given him, claiming they added warmth to the room. Sarah sat on the leather couch and ran her hand across the wooden coffee table Gran had given him, along with the matching end tables. She glanced at him, then nodded toward his piano. “Your playing was beautiful. You're very talented.”

“Thanks.”

She firmed her jaw and looked him in the eye. “I'm sorry about what happened at dinner. I wanted to let you know I won't be badgering you to look at the building. For one, I'm not in a place of authority to make that decision, and two, I don't want there to be anything weird between us. You're such a great help with the teens, and I'd hate to lose you.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Alec rubbed the nape of his neck. “My family's been after me for a couple of years to clean it out.”

“I'm sure that must be hard.”

“You have no idea.” He sat next to her and clasped his hands between his knees, fixating his gaze on a random spot on the beige carpet. “I'm not delusional, you know. I know she's not coming back.”

“Maybe it's too overwhelming. Maybe you're uncertain of where to start. Kind of like Emmett's house.” The calm, soothing yet questioning tone in her voice reminded him of the couple of times he'd visited a counselor after Christy's death.

“Yes, something like that.” He covered his nose and mouth with his hands and exhaled.

Sarah nudged his shoulder with hers. “You're allowed to ask for help, you know.”

“Everyone has too much on their plates already.”

She reached for a framed photo of his family taken a couple of years ago when his mom had been stateside. “I'm sure they'd make time for you, Alec. We all need someone to lean on.”

“That's a bit hypocritical coming from you.” He shot her a sideways look.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of these.” Alec traced the skin under her eyes. “Your plate was full with the program, helping me, which by the way proves I can ask for help, and now you're caring for two lost kids. You need to learn to say no before you pass on advice to anyone else.”

“Those boys need someone they can trust to care for them.”

“I get that, Sarah. I really do.” Alec rubbed his palms together, choosing his next words carefully—he wasn't in the mood for another battle. “Ian and Agnes James are licensed emergency foster parents who are amazing with kids of all ages.”

“You're reminding me of that because you don't want the boys here.” She jumped to her feet and paced on the other side of his coffee table.

He pushed to his feet. “No, I'm saying it because I'm afraid you're taking on too much.”

“Thankfully I'm not your problem to worry about.”

His chest seized. He sighed and lowered his voice. “I don't want to see you hurt.”

She hesitated, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out in a single whoosh as if to gain strength for her next words. “Why do you even care?”

“Because.” Alec crossed his arms over his chest. They were straying into territory he wasn't sure he was ready to explore. She needed to go.

Her quick laugh bounced around the too-quiet room. “Good answer, Mr. Articulate.”

“Because you...challenge me.” He rounded the table to stand in front of her. “My family treats me as if I were one of Gran's delicate teacups. You show compassion, yet you push me to try new things.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “I believe that's one of the nicest things you've said to me.”

“You caught me at a weak moment.” He smiled to show he was teasing.

“You keep people at arm's length, Alec, but there's a part of you that wants to draw them in. You're afraid, though, and when that battle wages inside you, you lash out and your jerky side emerges.”

“We all have our flaws.” Alec jammed his hands in his pockets and moved to the window. Anything to put distance between them. “Not everyone has your Pollyanna ideals, okay?”

Sarah crossed the room and joined him at the window, placing her hand on his shoulder. Her gentle touch warmed his skin. “I don't have Pollyanna ideals, but I do believe in giving people a fair chance. I'm asking you to do the same.”

Deep inside he knew she was right. And that was part of the struggle.