Page 11 of One Last Kiss
Abby shook her head, and then her body sagged. “Nora. She has a key.”
The skin between his eyes pinched. “Who’s Nora?”
“She cleans for me on the weekend. I gave her this weekend off though. She shouldn’t be here.”
“Well, she is. Why isn’t she responding to us?”
Abby sighed. “Because she’s hard of hearing, and she works with loud headphones.”
Recognition crossed Sam’s features. “Nora from Jane and Tim’s wedding party?”
Abby had to laugh. That had been at least seven years ago. Nora had indulged in the punch just a little too much and had danced and sang at the top of her lungs all night long. “The very one.”
“She’s got to be pushing eighty-years-old,” he said.
Abby nodded. “She needed some part-time work. I usually go back and clean on my own after she’s left.”
“You always did have a heart of gold.”
Sam was looking at her the way he used to. Her heart gave an answering kick. She hadn’t seen that appreciation in his eyes in a long time.
“It’s no big deal.”
“It is.”
They held gazes for a moment until a clash of glass breaking made her whip her head back to the door.
“How deaf is she? If we bang hard enough, will that make a difference?”
Abby shrugged. “I don’t know. My CR-V is parked out back. She probably didn’t see it. If her music is turned up, she’ll never hear us.”
“She doesn’t come down here?” he asked.
“No, I worry that she’ll fall on the steps. I told her it’s not necessary.”
Sam blinked. “Heart of gold.” He went back to the door and banged some more. Finally, after ten minutes of banging and two more crashes in the kitchen, they went back to their chairs.
“I’ve been noticing that I’m missing items in the restaurant. Now I know Nora is breaking things while she cleans.” Abby laughed and shook her head.
“You going to tell her you know?” Sam asked.
Abby’s laughter died. In a month’s time, she might not be the owner of this restaurant anymore.
Abby felt her throat constrict as she sat down, the excitement of possibly being saved sinking back into the reality that they might have to wait it out through the night.
“Breathe,” Sam ordered.
She was surprised that he’d noticed her returning panic.
“I’ll be here with you until it’s over. For once, I’m going to be here for you like I should’ve been in our marriage. I know we drifted apart, and I took you for granted.”
She gave a soft nod as she listened.
“I know I screwed up.” He reached for her hand.
She was surprised by the electricity that zipped through her at the simple touch. Her breaths returned to normal as she met his gaze, but now it was her heart that was all out of sorts. It knocked erratically against her ribs as her desire lit.
Between her lack of oxygen during her moment of hyperventilation and her dizzying heart rate, she wasn’t thinking clearly. If she was, she wouldn’t be leaning toward him, readying herself for a kiss that she was suddenly desperate for.
