West Wind (16 page)

True to his word, he was back and at the
counter before the omelets finished cooking. Sabrina placed the
morning paper next to his plate, minus the comics. They ate in
companionable silence, each reading the newspaper. It felt
right.

Behind the paper, Jay spoke. "I'm going to
see Faye this morning."

Sabrina felt her stomach knot. "Do you want
me to go with you?"

"No!"

She felt relief at his abrupt refusal. "Okay
then, I'll just stay here. Maybe do a little cleaning. Guess I'll
make a grocery list. I need to call Rose anyway and let her know
we're in."

A noise beneath the floor startled her.
"What's that?"

"It's Brett. Today's a workday,
sweetheart."

Sabrina smiled. "Of course."

Jay dropped the paper and stood. "Thanks.
That was excellent." He picked up his truck keys and wallet,
sliding them into his pocket. He leaned over the counter and kissed
her lightly. "I'll be back soon. Then we'll go to the store. Going
to need more than groceries."

Whistling, he walked out the door. Sabrina
watched from the window as he trundled down the stairs. He paused
at the yawning opening of the boatyard shop to talk to Brett. He
gestured to the apartment and Brett looked up. Sabrina waved. Then
the heavy-set man playfully punched Jay in the arm. He turned back
to the window, his hands clasped to his heart. She heard his faint
call. "It should have been me! I'm the one who saw you first."

Jay slid his hands in his back pockets,
watching Brett kiss his fingers to the lovely woman in the window.
"Alright, stuff it or I'll tell Shawna. Better yet, I'll tell
Maude," he said. Then he turned and looked into the shop. The
Zephyrus sat upright, supported by two-by-fours. The boat, once a
source of torment, was a pitiful shell. All the years he agonized
over it until Sabrina's soft touch lifted the curse. It was easy to
let the anger go. With his eyes steady on the fiberglass hull, he
said, "Brett, take off. You've been carrying the shop alone and you
deserve some time."

"Aw, I don't mind," Brett said.

Jay glanced over his shoulder. "Ayuh, but I
do."

Brett nodded. "Oki doki, you want me to go
fishing again, right?"

"Unless you want to go home."

Brett walked into the shop and turned off the
fans and lights. "I think I will, brother. You've inspired me."

* * *

That was hours ago and still Jay hadn't
returned. Sabrina killed time taking a shower, cleaning the
apartment and making lists. She couldn't wait any longer. Something
had to be wrong. She started to pull on her shoes when she heard a
noise downstairs. It'd been quiet for hours; she assumed that Brett
had gone out on an appointment. She heard more bangs and a crash.
He must be back.

She rushed to the window, looked outside but
did not see the truck. She dashed to the bedroom, stood on the bed
and peeked out the high window. No trucks out front either. Then
she heard his footsteps on the stairs. She hurried into the living
room and swung open the door.

"Thank goodness, you're back. I've been so
worried …" her voice trailed off. Stepping through the opening was
a thin, wizened woman. She had both shaking hands wrapped around a
gun. "You whore," she spat.

Startled, Sabrina backed up raising her palms
in supplication. "Faye?"

"You call me Mrs. West, you piece of trash!"
She advanced, pushing the door closed with her bony hip. She leaned
back against the door and reached one hand behind her to lock
it.

Sabrina lowered her hands and took a step
forward. "Mrs. West, what are you doing?" she said, her eyes pinned
on the gun.

Faye cradled the hand holding the gun and
raised it. "Don't come any closer." She nodded towards the sofa.
"Sit down."

When Sabrina didn't move, Faye pointed the
gun at the ceiling and pulled the trigger. A bullet drove into the
tile and white flakes fell like snow. "Now!" she screeched.

Half a mile down the road, Jay lifted his
head. He looked at the bartender. "Did you hear that?"

The man shrugged. "Nah, what was it?"

Jay swiveled on the stool. "Sounded like gun
fire. Who could be shooting a gun in town?" He slid off the seat
and headed for the tavern door. He opened it and looked cautiously
outside. Then he lifted his head and smelled it. Fire! Not just
fire, but burning resin. He called over his shoulder. "Call the
Jakes! The boatyard's on fire!" Then he raced out into the
sunlight.

Sabrina covered her nose at the stench. "What
is that smell?"

Faye grinned wickedly. "That's your death you
smell, whore. This time you're not getting away."

Sabrina was confused. "What are you talking
about?" Then she gagged on the fumes. Smoke drifted in the cracks
and ductwork. "Oh my lord! The shop's on fire! We have to get out
of here."

She stood and stepped towards Faye, grabbing
the old woman's tiny arm. "We've got to leave now."

Faye snatched her arm back and screeched.
"Not this time, bitch. There's no one here to drag you out." Then
she swung her hand, hitting Sabrina on the side of the face with
the gun. Sabrina sank to her knees, covering her head as the woman
battered her again and again.

"Please stop!" she cried. "You don't know
what you're doing." If there had been an opportunity to stop the
woman's assault, she missed it. Never considering the woman would
hit her or that she knew about the fire, Sabrina's only concern was
to pull her from danger.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Faye
growled. "You're not going to get him. He belongs to me."

Footsteps pounded up the steps outside and
frantic hands turned the doorknob. When it wouldn't open, Jay began
thundering on the wood. "Sabrina, get out of there! The shop's on
fire!"

The old woman backed up and once again raised
the gun. Sabrina looked up, blood streaming down her face and
mixing with tears.

"Why have you done this?" she cried.

Jay turned the knob again. He heard voices.
Women's voices. Pounding on the door again he begged, "Sabrina, for
God's sake, open the door!"

He backed up and slammed into the door. It
held, bruising his shoulder. Then he kicked at the knob. He kicked
several more times, the wood at the latch starting to splinter.

Two more kicks and the door burst open.
Horrified, he saw Faye West standing over Sabrina, a gun pointed at
her head.

"You thought I would let you get away, but
you were wrong!"

"Grandma, put the gun down." He choked on the
words. "We need to get out of here. The place is on fire."

Faye lifted her sharp, pointed chin. "I know.
I started it. Just like before. When your granddaddy ran off with
that whore. I knew about it. I knew all along. He didn't fool me. I
knew he was running around behind my back. I just didn't know who
with." She looked down at Sabrina's dark hair. "But I found out and
then I told Don all about it. I was there that night. I watched
them fight over her. He only cared about that whore, not his own
wife. Or his daughter. It was all about her. But I was there. I
knocked over the paint can. I started the fire then. I hit that
bitch with all my might." Faye raised the gun to strike Sabrina
again.

Jay stepped into the room. "No!"

Faye looked into his face, her eyes blazing.
"But Don had to save her and in the end, they both died."

Jay moved closer to Faye. "Look at me,
Grandma. Put the gun down. We have to get out of here." He heard
sirens as the fire truck arrived. He gestured towards Sabrina,
frozen on her knees as smoke wound up the stairs and filled the
room. "She's not to blame for what Rose did. You can't punish her.
Give me the gun."

Faye looked at Sabrina, her eyes narrow
slits. "All that money isn't going to save you now."

She pointed the gun in Sabrina's face and her
finger squeezed the trigger. The bullet drove into the ceiling as
Sabrina's fisted hands flew upward, knocking the gun away. She rose
like an avenging angel and a deep war cry sounded in her
throat.

Before she could launch herself onto Faye,
strong arms wrapped around her waist and carried her to the door.
Jay shielded Sabrina against his body as he hurtled down the
burning stairs. He raced into the parking lot and a police car
jerked to a stop, barely missing him. He saw an ambulance and
motioned it.

A uniformed tech jumped out with a medic bag
in one hand. Jay thrust Sabrina into the young man's arms. "Take
care of her. I have to get my grandmother out of there!"

Then he turned back towards the shop, but
before he could reach them, the stairs collapsed. Faye stepped into
the second floor opening and surveyed the boatyard. Strangely calm,
she watched the flashing red and blue lights, the fire fighters
dousing flames in the shop and Sabrina collapsing to the grass as a
medic gently touching her face. And she saw Jay, hands fisted at
this side, tears of frustration running down his face. She still
held the gun, oblivious to the flames licking the walls around her.
She lifted it, pointing it towards Sabrina. She could still do
it.

"Grandma, no!" Jay looked helplessly around.
"Somebody help! I need a ladder."

Fire fighters stepped back from the inferno
in the boat shop and looked to the top of the building. One climbed
up the fire truck and into the cherry picker. He flipped controls
and the mechanical arm lifted the bucket to the building, hovering
at the burning doorway.

Faye shook her head slowly and backed into
the flames. Seconds later, the top floor collapsed into the
inferno.

Faye was gone.

Chapter Ten

Sabrina wished she could wait until the
swelling receded, until the stitches could be removed, but she had
to return to Rose. She didn't want to horrify her, but she didn't
have a choice.

Her grandmother's broken sobs hurt worse than
the bruises. She clasped the woman's frail hands and shushed
her.

"I'm fine, Grandmother. It's over," she said,
laying her head on the bed. "She was insane."

"To think, all those years ago, she was
there. That she started the fire." Rose's words were barely audible
over the ambient noise of the hospital. "And that she hurt you,
tried to kill you. My darling, precious girl." She pulled a hand
free from Sabrina's and cupped it on her head.

Then she raised her other hand and reached
imploringly. Jay stepped to the bedside and held it. "Thank you.
Thank you for saving her," she whispered, tears spilling again from
her blue eyes. She tugged his hand down to the bed and laid them
atop Sabrina's. "It's time everyone stopped paying for my mistakes.
You need to start your lives free from all misery I've caused."

Sabrina shook her head. "Grandmother, Faye
had a choice. She didn't have to start the fire or attack you. She
knew you were there to break up with Derek. But she wanted revenge
and it destroyed her."

Sabrina glanced up at Jay. "There's a proverb
that says, 'Before you embark on a journey of
revenge
, dig two
graves.' Faye dug one for us all."

She bowed her head. "Even the Zephyrus is
gone."

"Not exactly," Jay said. He pulled a small
bronze plate from his back pocket and read aloud, "Zephyrus 32, No.
1, Zephyrus Yachts, Warren, Rhode Island."

He gently tugged on her hand until she stood
with him. "Let me explain something about boats. They're never
gone. Little by little, if she's around long enough, everything
gets replaced. Except one thing," he added, placing the builder's
plate in her hand. "Let's replace what's missing. I need a boatyard
and West Wind is a great name for a new business."

"Let's build our own Zephyrus," Sabrina said,
wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning into his embrace.

The End

Praise for Distracted

By Madeline Sloane

A Great Beach Read!

This is a charming story that had all my
favorite things in it: Books, Boats and hunky men (not necessarily
in that order).

--Jen C. (Smashwords Edition)

Thoroughly Enjoyable

Madeline Sloane brings romance to the table
with her first book! "Distracted" is cleverly written; the dialogue
is well delivered, easily readable and certainly enjoyable.

-- Lucinda J. Knier (Kindle Edition)

A Cute Romance

This was a cute romance. Erin is supposed to
help Stephen hurry up and get his book done, which turns out to be
an impossible task. Stephen's tendency to put things off and enjoy
life is cute and funny, but in real life, this guy would annoy me
to no end. (And I'm laughing as I write that.)

-- Ruth Ann Nordin "Historical Romance
Author" (Kindle Edition)

A Refreshing Read

What a refreshing read, unlike so many
romance novels of the past, which made the female lead out to be
some kind of second-class citizen who could never stand up for
themselves. (Many of these books I'd throw against the wall in
disgust.)

-- Susan Ward (Kindle Edition)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Madeline Sloane is a writer with more than 25
years experience in communications. With ten published history
books under her belt, she is new to the world of romantic fiction
but finding it just as fun to research. In addition to writing, she
is a college instructor whose interests include traveling, history
and boating. Rounding out her list of Top Five interests are
reading and cooking. On the web at
http://www.MadelineSloane.com

ABOUT THE SERIES: WOMEN OF EATON

The first novel in the "Women of Eaton"
romance series, "Distracted" introduces readers to Eaton, a
fictional, idyllic town tucked away in the mountains of
Pennsylvania. Several of the characters in "Distracted" are
featured in other, soon-to-be released books such as "East of
Eaton," "West Wind" and "Deadline." Look for Erin and Spence to
return in a few of these new stories that explore and celebrate
romance.