Page 26 of Fool's Gold

Rose clucked. "Bunch of busybodies, that's what the town folks are. Please don't give them a second thought. Did you sleep well?"

Sarah flushed at the question. She hadn't slept much because Rafe had woken her several times in the night for bouts of sweet lovemaking.

Rose chuckled. "Don't worry, my dear. Young married couples are supposed to have sleepless nights."

Sarah looked down into the steamy recesses of her mug to avoid Rose's merry gaze. "I suppose so," she mumbled. Did their night of passion show that much?

"I can see Rafe's a new man now that you're back where you belong."

Sarah glanced at Rose intently. "I was wondering. How much talking did Rafe have to do to get you to write asking me to come back?"

Rose stirred some sugar into her coffee, hesitating. "So, you caught onto that, did you."

Sarah grinned at Rose's guilty expression. "I could tell that I was expected. Don't worry. I'm not mad at you. Coming here was the best thing I could have done, if not the wisest."

Rose cocked her head. "Now, why would you say that?"

Sarah sighed. "I might be crazy in love with him, but I can't say the same thing for him."

Rose smiled. "Would a man that isn't crazy for you cook up this crazy scheme? For goodness’s sake, he sent me on an all-expense paid trip to see my sister. Don't worry, some men take a while to come around."

Rose's enthusiasm bolstered Sarah. She pushed to her feet. "Well, I may as well get started on that series I want to finish. The daylight's burning."

Sarah returned to the bedroom and grabbed her purse off the bureau. She turned and eyed the rumpled bed. It was a vividreminder of their night of love. She put down the bag and pulled up the sheets stiffly, trying to make order out of the chaos in the bed and her thoughts. She smoothed the bedspread across the top and then fluffed the pillows. Now nothing remained but her memories.

She picked up her purse and walked back down the hall to the kitchen, telling Rose, “I need to go to town to get some darkroom supplies. Is there anything you'd like me to pick up while I'm out?"

Rose waved her away. "No thanks, dearie. I've got everything I need. Make sure you drive carefully, and don't forget to put on your seatbelt. I'll see you later."

Sarah went out the door with a bemused smile. She wasn't used to such motherly cheerfulness. She hadn't had anyone to mother her since she was five.

The heat inside her Jeep was stifling. It had been closed since she'd arrived. She'd been too busy cooking and cleaning to think about going anywhere. She rolled down the windows. The breeze quickly cooled down the vehicle to a bearable temperature.

It felt good to get out of the pressure cooker she'd been living in the last couple of weeks. She popped a CD in the player and began to unwind. Things would simmer down now that she and Rafe had been intimate.

She slowly cruised down the main street. She pulled into a parking space when she spotted Daley's Camera Shop. Daley's had everything she needed. She filled her arms with items and went to the front counter to pay.

With an"oof,"she dumped the ample supplies on the counter.

The short, gray-haired man behind the counter smiled. "I see you're fixin' to take some pictures, young lady."

She smiled at the understatement, a seemingly typical western trait. "You might say that. I'm also going to need some developing fluid."

"I've got that in the back." He walked into the curtained area and returned with the toner. He smiled as he started to tally up her purchases. "I know most folks from around these parts. You must be new around here."

She sighed. She doubted she would get out of there until she satisfied the shopkeeper's curiosity. "I'm Sarah...Halliday. I'm staying at the Double-H."

The man reached across the counter to shake her hand. "Why, you must be Rafe's wife." He pumped her arm vigorously. "I'm mighty pleased to meet you, ma'am."

Sarah gingerly withdrew her hand from the firm handshake. "Same here. Are you Mr. Daley?"

He beamed, showing a gold-capped tooth. "That's me, Mike Daley, at your service. This is my store. It looks like the photography bug has bitten you."

She laughed. "That happened a long time ago, I'm afraid. I'm a professional photographer."

"You don't say. I've got a little granddaughter I'd like to get some pictures of."

She grinned. "I'd be glad to oblige sometime, but that's not my usual line. I'm a nature photographer. You know, scenery and animals."

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