Love In a Small Town (32 page)

Violet's demand brooked no argument. Lynn needed to confide. Confession, complete and unedited— except for the baby; she wasn't ready for that—was the only way out of this conversation.

"It's not only marriage and being a wife, I'd be a mother, too, and I'm not sure I am mother material. Sarah has to deal with things like hooking-up and drugs and stuff I've never even heard of. How can I be the mother of a young girl who needs to know about men and love and life? I have no experience to speak of. I never dated in high school. I was ignored by boys. Then I made a terrible mistake. The experience left me an emotional wreck. Now this."

"What does that mean?"

"Right after graduation I eloped with a boy who only wanted the sex. Rape is a better word for it. It took my mom two weeks to find me and take me home."

Violet wasn't buying it. "That was then; this is now. Someday I'll know the whole story, but that doesn't explain what's happening now."

"How could David trust me with his daughter after all the mistakes I made? I don't want to disappoint him."

Violet rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief while she placed the two pieces of buttered toast in front of Lynn.

"You
really
don't expect me to believe that? That is the biggest crock I've ever heard. It's time you ended this ten-year-long pity party. You know all about sex and loving. The glow you've walked around wearing the last few days, which, by-the-way, has me green with envy, can only come from being with an experienced lover. Handsome, educated, and eminently desirable David Martin did not get to the age he is without learning a thing or two about making love to a woman. That man has taught you." Violet paused for breath and took another tack.

"Lynn, think a minute. Nobody knows better than you how beautiful it can be if you wait for the right man. That's what you have to give to Sarah. You are the most qualified person I can think of to guide a young girl through adolescence. You suffered the same rejection in school as Sarah when she first got here. She got lucky and found you and made friends.

"Who knows more than you about the dumb mistakes teenagers can make and how the consequences can ruin their lives?

"And what's all this crap about not knowing how to be a mother? You had one of the greatest mothers I've ever known. You have your memories of her to use as a guide. Remember how she got you away from the creep you married? You think you wouldn't do the same for your own daughter?"

"You say all those things, but how do you know how I know I'd be?" Lynn asked.

Her best friend studied her for a moment, then said, quietly, "Because I can see how her daughter turned out. Lynn, you are honest and ethical. You're self-reliant and know how to take care of yourself. You've built your own business from scratch, became an expert in your field, and earned the respect of the business community. There isn't another woman in town I admire as much as I admire you."

"Oh, Violet," Lynn wailed, and started to cry, unable to control the violence of her sobs. Dimly, she was aware that Violet stood and came toward her. Caring, comfortable arms wrapped around her, holding her head close to a warm, ample bosom.

"Do you love him, honey?" Violet crooned, her chin resting on Lynn's head.

"More than my life. If we're apart more than an hour, I ache with wanting him. I'm afraid I can't live without him." Lynn pulled away enough to look up at her dearest friend. "I've scared him off. I'll never get him back—not after what I said."

"Honey, trust Mother Violet. I'm a bit younger than you, but I've been around the block a few more times. That man is crazy in love with you. I know he's every bit as miserable as you are right now. I'll bet, if you call him, he'll come to you with open arms, but you'll have to make the first move. You can do this. It's the rest of your life, honey. You have to do it."

She straightened, gave Lynn a small shake, and said, "Now then. I'm going to go downtown and get us open for business. You get cleaned up. Put some drops in those eyes. Have something to eat and come into the shop. Take the day to get yourself together. When you get home from work tonight, call him. Have some candles burning. I predict he'll be knocking at the door in seconds."

It could work, and it's too soon to know about the other thing. It could all be a false alarm.
Her spirits lifted, filled with hope.

Lynn smiled, standing to hug her best friend. "How did I get so lucky to have you on my side?"

"Uh, huh. I heard that, girlfriend," Violet said. She left to go to her car.

The Paxtons had prepared a wonderful backyard barbeque party celebrating the success of the fashion show. Tables were loaded down with salads and desserts. George Paxton was in charge of grilling burgers and ribs. The yard was filled with the sounds of music, laughter, and barking dogs. Some of the cast and crew members had brought their pets. Sarah should have been having a wonderful time basking in the compliments sent her way by the members of the Humane Society, but she was too worried about David to join in.

Logan came up to her where she was sitting alone at a table and joined her, putting a cold can of soda in front of her.

"What's the matter? You're not still worried about your court thing are you?" he asked. "With all the work you've done and the success of 'Shakespeare's Flowers
,
' you pretty much have it nailed."

"No, it isn't that. My dad and Lynn had a terrible fight and he's looking awful."

"What's up?" Dakota sat on one of the empty seats, his hands holding a plate full of a cheeseburger and some cake. Anthony, Karen, and Emily joined him with food and drinks.

"Sarah, you should hear what everybody's saying about the show," Emily said. "They're really impressed."

"She's worried about her dad," Logan said. "He and Lynn had a spat."

"How come?"

Sarah was near tears. "They had a fight was all Dad would say. Lynn said she was not sure about being a mother."

"It's our fault," Karen said. "We got her all upset."

"How so?" Dakota demanded.

"Didn't you see?" she answered, "When we were sitting around talking, did you notice the expression on her face when we started in about Jim Holder and drugs?"

"Yeah," Emily said. "And then Logan got into hooking-up and explaining stuff."

"There are a lot of things about school that parents are better off not knowing," Anthony said, seriously. They all sat silently for a moment, considering, until Emily's mother interrupted them.

"Sarah," she said, holding a cellphone in her hand, "you have a phone call from some young man. He says it's important." She handed the phone to Sarah and stepped back.

"What young man?" Logan said instantly, with a frown, while Sarah took the phone.

"Hello? This is Sarah.
Jim
?"

The expression of shock on her face told them all which Jim was on the phone.

"What do you mean she's sick? What's wrong with her?"

"Why is Jim Holder calling Sarah?" Karen demanded.

"This is bad," Anthony replied. "He's up to no good. This is some way to get Sarah into trouble."

"You better believe it," Dakota said. "He's had it in for her, big time."

"What's wrong?" Ruth Paxton looked worried. "Who is this Jim? Emily, explain this to me."

"Mom, he's some guy at school who doesn't like Sarah and he's threatened to get her into trouble and has said terrible things about her. He wants to hurt her."

There was no more time to explain. Sarah was saying, "Okay, I'll be out front. You know where I'm at?" She hung up. "I have to go. It's an emergency."

Logan exploded. "No way are you going anywhere with Jim Holder. Nothing is that much of an emergency."

"You don't understand. It's Madonna."

"I don't care who it is."

"She's been with Jim lately," Emily said.

Logan grabbed Sarah's arm as she started to leave. "You're not going, Sarah. I don't care what he said."

"Whatever he told you," Dakota added, "be sure it was a lie."

"You're not listening." Sarah was near hysterics. "If I don't go she'll be dead. Jim said they were at a big party in the country, somewhere, and Madonna took something and she needs to go to a hospital and she won't go without me because, since Ashley's gone and Tiffany has disowned her, I'm her only friend."

"Friend?" Anthony's disbelief was reflected on all their faces. "She got you arrested."

Sarah fought with Logan to get free, but he hung on.

A car horn sounded from the front of the house.

Sarah yelled, still struggling with Logan. "If Madonna dies, it'll be my fault. She's my friend." She wrenched her arm from Logan's grasp, tripping him so he fell, and ran to the street.

"Ohmigod!" Emily cried. "Is this my fault because I took that picture?"

"No," Dakota said, putting his arm around her, "Sarah's just too impulsive and doesn't realize, sometimes, what she's doing."

"Jim's smarter than I give him credit for," Anthony said, thoughtfully.

"How so?" Dakota asked.

Anthony responded, "He knew just what buttons to push to get her going. He used the word, friend. He told her Madonna said she was her only friend, and she needed her. That would mess with Sarah's head."

"It sounds like Madonna and Jim went to a rave," Karen said.

Anthony warned them. "Sarah's underage, and they have drugs and alcohol there."

"Everybody knows the drugs are illegal," Karen said, worry in her voice. "If Sarah's there and the police come and she's caught, she'll be in violation of her probation and go to juvenile."

"She's a good person," Dakota replied thoughtfully, "but she doesn't believe there are really bad people out there who want to do her harm. That's okay, I guess, as long as she has Logan beside her to watch out for her."

"Oh, dear," Ruth Paxton said. "I'm calling Sarah's father." She looked at Logan, pale and shocked, who gave her the number.

"Well," Anthony said, "we tried to talk her out of it, but it's like Mr. Martin said, 'like trying to talk the stripes off a zebra.'"

"I'm going to get my dad," Logan said. "He's home this week and he knows about raves and can help."

The last twenty-four hours had been hell for David. Lynn's sudden chill left him in shock. He hadn't seen it coming. He sat at his desk, the evening darkness dispelled by the glow of a single lamp, staring at nothing, numb to the bone, and exhausted from the relentless examination of every word he'd said, every move he'd made with Lynn.

He chose the office because he couldn't stand being in the living room. The memory of Lynn's massage and the passion that followed lurked in shadows there.

Iris was huddled at his feet, living his misery. She whined, placed a tentative paw on his knee, and begged to be allowed onto his lap. He kept pushing her away, but she had found her human, had pledged her unconditional love, and wasn't going anywhere.

Absently, he picked her up. She licked his face and pressed against him, sharing his grief.

"Wednesday morning, we loved and laughed, and shared breakfast before she left for the hotel. Remember?"

The dog whined sympathetically.

"Sarah said she was fine during rehearsal. She even asked about you, so why didn't she answer the phone when I called her later that night? I know she was home. Remember when we walked over there and all the lights were on?"

Iris sat up and barked at the mention of 'walk,' but she already knew how to read faces, so she sighed, and curled up again.

David rubbed her ears absently while he went over the scene Thursday evening. It had blind-sided him. No way could he have anticipated those words. What the hell had gone on the day before? He might never know. Somehow, he would find a way to change her mind. This wasn't over, yet.

Sarah hadn't been able to offer any insight this morning. He was glad she wasn't at home to witness his depression. He'd resisted all her efforts to get him to go to the Paxtons' barbeque, and she'd left him alone with his thoughts, after giving him a worried glance.

The phone on the desk rang. It was the Paxton's number. Probably another attempt to get him to the party, but he answered anyhow.

"This is David."

"David, this is Ruth Paxton."

"Hello, Ruth. What can I do for you?"

"Is Sarah there?"

"Sarah? No. Didn't she arrive at your house? What's going on?"

"She and Logan were here, but she got a phone call, and before I knew it, she was rushing out front to get in a car with someone."

"Who picked her up?"

"Some boy. Jim, I think. Logan was very upset. Apparently this boy is a troublemaker and he and Sarah have had some sort of disagreement. Logan tried to stop her; actually grabbed hold of her and she tore away from him yelling something about her friend needed her and she had to go."

Gut-cramping dread gripped David. Already these so-called friends had tried to get her into trouble with the police, resulting in probation. Was this more of the same?

"Let me speak to Logan."

"He's not here. He went home to get his father."

The fear was a living thing writhing through his chest, its icy tentacles wrapped around his heart, choking it. "Ruth, tell me what you know. Don't leave anything out."

David sat stunned at Ruth's story, his mind racing. He didn't know what to do, but he needed help from someone who knew the area and the local customs. He needed Lynn. He'd call her one more time, and if she didn't answer, he'd go over there and break the door down to make her listen.