put a mug under the Keurig and went to the refrigerator for the take-out ribs he’d bought for dinner, since Ben and Sarah were going to be out. The self-indulgent rehashing of his past stopped now.
* * *
A LIGHT RAP on the back door was followed by Sarah poking her head around it. A waft of fragrant September air swept in as though she’d brought it.
Jack took a moment to appreciate how pretty she was. Her light brown hair, usually tied up in a knot or caught back in a ponytail when she was on her way to see her clients, was flying free. It highlighted the beautiful shape of her face, her smooth, eggshell-delicate skin and her blue-gray eyes. She smiled, her lips a moist rose color. He experienced that arrhythmia again.
“Ben home yet?” She stepped into the kitchen, her pink dress dropping to a vee just above her breasts, hugging her waist and moving gracefully around her knees. A covered casserole sat on the flat of her hand.
“No. What’s that?” he asked.
“Broccoli, chicken and potatoes in a light cheese sauce.”
He smiled with difficulty. Even cheese sauce couldn’t save broccoli. “Thanks, but I’m having ribs tonight.”
“Jack...”
“Sarah, the army has set me free, and while I appreciate your efforts to make me healthy, I started back to work today—well, I cleared out the carriage house—and think I deserve to spoil myself.”
She shifted her weight and studied him consideringly. He tried not to notice how the fabric of her dress moved with her, clinging here, swirling there. “What are you having with it?”
“Potato salad.”
“From the market?”
“Yes.”
“You know that’s as much mayonnaise as potato.”
“I do.” He smiled widely. “And I don’t care.”
“There’s some leftover three-bean salad in the refrigerator. Would you consider having that instead?”
“No. And I’m probably going to add a brownie. You have to deal with it, Sarah.”
She shook her head with disapproval in the face of his unapologetic smile. “If your cardiovascular system is still functioning tomorrow,” she said, “I’d appreciate your help with something. If you don’t mind that it’s Saturday.”
“Sure.” He went to the kitchen table and pulled a chair out for her, then sat across the table. “What do you need?”
She sank smoothly into the chair. “The seniors in Beggar’s Bay have to move their center. They’ve formed a nonprofit and would like to buy a building the city is offering for sale. Would you look at it with me and see what you think?”
He thought a minute. “I’d be happy to, but you should have the building inspected. You’ll want experts to check for mold, pests, whether or not the heating system is sound, the plumbing and electricity are...”
“I think our lawyer’s already arranged for that, but I’d just feel better if someone I know would look at it and talk to me about it in words I understand.”
“Why are you responsible?”
“I’m not, really. I’m just nosy. Thorough. If I’m going to help raise money for the seniors to buy it, I’d like to make sure it isn’t going to collapse around them or make them sick.”
“Sure. What time do you want to go?”
“Sometime in the afternoon...”
“Okay, I’ll pick you up.”
“I have a meeting with my insurance agent and I’m not sure how long it’ll take. Can I come for you?”
“Are you a good driver?” he teased.
“At least as good as you. I’ve never had a vehicle blow up around me.”
“Good. Probably not a lot of IEDs on Main Street.”
She looked immediately apologetic. “Sorry. That’s nothing to joke about.”
Watching her expression, he thought of how she was usually cheerful and kind, though he noticed quick changes of mood sometimes, the sudden dimming of a smile. He’d like to know what was behind that. “It’s all right,” he said gently.
Suddenly he wanted to know more about her. “Working with seniors can be rewarding, I think. Is that why you got into nursing?”
She was silent for a few moments, then, apparently deciding she could trust him with the truth, said, “No. When I graduated I went straight into pediatrics.”
“Wow. That’s the complete opposite.”
She laughed. “My first day at Puget Sound Children’s Hospital, I walked down the corridor and paper airplanes, balls, various missiles were flying about. The children were sick, but not quiet. That gave me a laugh and encouraged me.”
Jack watched as that dimming took place.
“But...caring for children is sometimes worse than there are words for, you know?”
She looked into his eyes. He looked back, knowing exactly what she meant. Different battlefields, but death was death. “I do know.”
The moment stretched. Abruptly the back door burst open and Ben stood there in a dark jacket and slacks, a grin on his face. It was a look Jack remembered from their childhood. Ben had it all and he knew it.
He looked from his girlfriend to his brother, an eyebrow raised in question. “What’s going on? You two are looking grim.”
“I just asked Jack if he’d come with me to look at the Cooper Building. The seniors want to buy it for a new seniors’ center.”
“I thought Ken Forman had it sewed up.”
“Is that the lawyer who also wants to rent the building?”
“Yeah.”
“Not yet. We’re still in the running. And the town’s getting together to raise money so the seniors have more money to offer. City council is split on whether to add to the tax rolls or do something for the common good.”
Ben raised a skeptical eyebrow. “A better offer than Forman, a divorce lawyer, can make?”
“Maybe. This is a generous town.”
He let her have that, but clearly didn’t believe it. “Okay. But let’s shelve all that for now and go have some dinner.” He looked at Jack. “You got everything you need?”
“Ribs and potato salad.”
Ben made a sound of approval. “Heaven on a plate.”
That
