Page 16 of Sweet Beginnings

“Well.” Sarah Sue blew out a slow sigh. “By the end of the day, I’m betting Mildred will have seen to it personally that the whole town knows we were in here together and Iris will have at least half of them convinced we’re not only matrimony-bound but will be raising twins by morning.”

“For probably the first time in my life,” he held back a chuckle, “I hope you’re right.”

Resisting the instinct to place his hand on the small of her back, for now, Preston pointed to a booth in the far corner of the café. The spot offered some semblance of privacy. Which he knew most likely would feed the gossip mill.

“I don’t know why I’m looking at this menu.” Sarah Sue perused every item with the same intensity as if studying for a final exam. “I know everything on it. The café hasn’t changed the menu since I was a little kid.”

“I’m not sure she changed it before that.” Preston chuckled, his smile fading and spine stiffening at the sharp whistle-like siren that sounded through town. He glanced at his phone to see if he was being called in. Nothing. “Probably another false alarm.”

“Another?”

“Last time the fire alarm sounded, it was the middle of the night. Pretty much the entire volunteer fire department answered the call, me included, only to arrive at Mrs. Carmichael’s house and discover it wasn’t on fire at all. She’d called because her cat had somehow gotten into the attic crawl space and was trapped in the rafters and she was worried.”

“Cats get trapped in rafters? I’ve never known a cat that couldn’t maneuver in the darnedest, and highest, of places, and then eventually land on their feet.”

“Considering the cat darted past the crew the moment the firemen opened the crawl space door, I would say you still haven’t known of a cat that couldn’t find her way out of an attic crawl space the same way she got in.”

The only full-time fire department personnel was the chief, and when his SUV flew down Main Street with the lights flashing and the siren blaring, chairs scraped the floor as people pushed away from the tables and hurried to the café windows. Whatever was on fire—if it was on fire—the structure was in town.

“That doesn’t sound like it’s another cat,” Sarah Sue said softly.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood at full attention. The same way his gut had churned earlier in the day with concern for his mom, a bristly feeling told him there was more trouble on the horizon.

Lips pressed tightly together, Sarah Sue shook her head. “This could become a big deal fast. Some of the older buildings in town are so ancient, they’d light up like kindling doused with gasoline.”

Eyes narrowed, Preston focused his gaze out the windows in the direction the fire chief had gone. He didn’t want to tell her that he’d thought the same thing, and wondered if the paging system was down since only the town alarm sounded to summon the volunteers. By the time a thin layer of smoke began to drift across town in their direction, he knew his gut had been right for the second time today.

He was already sliding out of the booth and on his feet when one of the town’s two fire trucks raced past the diner with the second truck not far behind. “I’d better see if they need help.”

Sarah nodded and followed him out of the booth. “I haven’t been through training like you and the other volunteer firemen, but even if all I can offer up is moral support, I’ll be first in line.”

For a fraction of a moment he considered how to tell her to stay put, she’d only be in the way, and then he just as quickly remembered who he was talking about. Sarah Sue Conroy was one of the most competent people he knew. She might not know much about fighting fires, but with her father out delivering a baby, she’d know more about doctoring anyone injured than most folks. He extended his hand. “Come on. We’ll go out the back, take the alley, avoid the lookie-loos.”

They’d barely made it out the door when Preston realized the plume of smoke originated from across the street and up the road a piece. The same direction as his apartment. He picked up the pace, rushing at a near trot, oblivious to almost dragging Sarah Sue behind him until he got to his block, saw the black smoke and orange flames spewing from the broken glass windows of his apartment, and heard Sarah Sue’s ragged breaths, followed by a loud gasp.

Neighbors near and far gathered on the corner. Because it was his apartment, the fire chief wouldn’t let him participate in the efforts. Gripping Sarah Sue’s hand tighter than he probably should have, he was surprised to find he was glad to have her here, and that he didn’t want to let go.

Leaning against him, her other hand crossed in front of her and rested on his upper arm. The slow movement of her fingers swirled a soothing sensation that stayed the sense of loss building inside him. First the dread from his mother’s fall, then the heartbreak at the threat of losing a ranch that had been in the family for centuries, and now, as meagerly decorated at is it was, what had been his home for the last several years was literally crumbling before him. At least most of the prized possessions from his youth were still at the ranch.

Her head now resting on his shoulder, she squeezed his hand. The gesture saying so much more than words could.

“So sorry, Preston.” One of the members of the ladies auxiliary glanced from the charred building and the smoking embers to Preston, then not as casually as she may have wanted, her gaze dropped to their tightly woven hands, up to Sarah Sue’s head still resting against his shoulder and back to Preston. “I know you’ve got lots of support,” her glance darted briefly again to Sarah Sue who had straightened at his side, but still held on to his hand, “but if you need anything at all. Anything. You can count on all of us.”

Preston nodded, the reality of the situation handing him another blow. With apartments so hard to come by in this community and no place to live anymore outside of the scrutiny of others, this not so little fire no doubt just put the kibosh on their plans for a pretend marriage. And wasn’t that just a damn shame.

“There you two are.” Iris Hathaway came rushing up to him, Mildred on her heels. “I couldn’t have been more flustered to hear of all people, your home was the one to have set off the alarm. And you were having such a nice date too.”

His jaw dropped, ready to inform the unofficial town crier that they were not a couple, when Sarah Sue spoke up. Chin high and a sweet smile on her face, his almost fake bride leveled her eyes with his, and not looking back at Iris, clearly uttered, “Yes, we were.”

Not the words he’d expected, he was even more surprised under the circumstances when the two women smiled.

“Well, it’s about time you two got together. I always said you made the cutest prom couple ever.” Iris muttered a politehave to runand scurried off no doubt ready to announce to the world. Apparently, apartment be danged. Whatever details they might need to newly hash out, none of it seemed to matter. Sarah Sue had just done the Honeysuckle Texas version of announcing to the world they were an item.

Chapter Seven

“Mom, you should not be up. Especially not cooking.”

Alice Sweet waved a hand at her son. “What kind of mother would I be if I stayed in bed and let you fend for yourself on today of all days?”

---