He tensed. Which likely meant Jackieandher baby. Great. “Are they following us?” he grumbled.
“That’s exactly what I thought.”
“Do you think they have contacts in Australia?”
She drew back, her eyes alight. “Oh, are you serious? Can we go? I’dloveto see Mum and Dad again.”
Maybe they could swing a trip. After his camp. Get the chance to escape from the constant reminders of what couldn’t be. “We could think about it.”
“Really?” She squeezed him tight again. “Oh, that’d make me so happy. I didn’t think it was possible, seeing that’s where the tour starts,” Sarah babbled.
“Wait.” He inched back. “It starts in Australia?”
“Yes.”
Oh. That was a very different prospect to a US tour. He clasped her close, holding back the words he knew she wouldn’t want him to say.
CHAPTER9
“Thanks, Suzy.”
Sarah collected her tall chai latte from the owner of The Coffee Blend and pushed her sunglasses back on her face as she returned to the street. It wasn’t exactly sunglasses weather, but walking incognito around the township of Muskoka Shores demanded it. She sipped her drink, examining the offerings next door at Brandi’s Bookstore and Gifts. How long would Dan take? He hadn’t wanted to drive into town today, but they’d needed supplies, so he’d said he’d visit the Muskoka Shores grocery store while she got a chai latte. Dan made great coffee, but his preference was always for the straight black stuff, rather than the sweeter side of life.
Still, so far so good. She was glad to be making little forays into the social world again, even if she didn’t want anyone to recognize her. And she especially didn’t want to see a certain neighbor with a baby who kept popping up most inconveniently.
Maybe Dan had been joking when he’d suggested taking a vacation to Australia. She sure hoped not. Muskoka was nice, but here in town, where he was often recognized by those wanting selfies or to discuss hockey with them, made things trickier, especially as tourist season ramped up. It’d be awesome to continue to live in their bubble for a little longer, to not have to worry about anyone else, to feel like they could just be. And if not here, then Australia was perfect. He wouldn’t be recognized there, and she could fly under the radar too. But after his initial comment, she’d kind of got the impression that he wasn’t so keen, especially given his expression at finding out where the Heartsong tour would begin.
She peered at the window display offerings at Merrill’s Fashions, then decided they weren’t exactly going to fit her more vintage vibe, so kept walking to where the grocery store was. The town had a few bulbs out in its street planter boxes, daffodils and tulips adding pops of cheerful color. There were good things in this world, beautiful things that made her pause and smile and feel a sense of joy and wonder. She needed to focus on those moments, rather than—
“Sarah? Is that you?”
She stilled. Seriously? Again? Why did Jackie keep turning up like a bad rash? But Sarah couldn’t keep avoiding her. She’d get suspicious, and think Sarah was offended with her. And while she wasn’t offended, per se, she was struggling with envy. But running away wouldn’t help. So she braced, and turned around. “Hi, Jackie.”
Of course Jackie had her baby in a sling. She seemed like a real earth mother type. But the baby made it impossible to ignore, especially with its sweet face staring out, dark eyes taking in all the world.
Her heart squeezed.Lord, help me get out of here quick.
Jackie smiled. “I’m so glad to finally catch you.”
That made one of them.
The baby at Jackie’s chest screwed up his features, and started to protest. Jackie’s shoulders slumped.
She recognized that pose. Felt an urge to ask if there was anything she could do. But she didn’t want to. Like,reallydidn’t want to.Lord, You have permission to personally rapture me right now…
Jackie’s phone started to ring, and she hunted through her phone as the baby squawked in protest, her pleading look impossible to ignore.
Fine, God. Have it Your way. “Is there something I can do?” she muttered.
“Would you mind holding Charlie?”
Yes, she minded. One thousand percent she minded.Lord, I don’t want to!But there was no time to do anything as, with a sigh of relief, Jackie released the baby from the sling and deposited the child in Sarah’s hands, and finally answered her call. “Hello, Linc?”
Sarah’s arms were stiff, as if they’d forgotten how to hold a child. It wasn’t like she hadn’t held small children before. She adored her nieces, and had long loved holding them, tickling them, giving them hugs and blurting raspberries against their little necks as they shrieked with laughter. But holding a baby now, knowing she would likely never have her own, only sparked tears and tightened her throat.
Wide brown eyes turned to look at her, the delicious baby smell rising to squeeze her heart.
“Hello,” she whispered. A cramp rippled across her insides, as if her womb recognized this was what it had been designed for. She blinked fast.Lord, this is so hard.
