Chapter 11

Annie drove, and they found parking on a side street. This down town was quaint. The buildings were mostly old, but they had been maintained and well kept. The main street had been closed off and each intersection had craft vendors in it. Most all of the shops had sale items out on the sidewalk and there were food vendors at both ends of the main street. The streets were full of shoppers and that surprised Sara.

“Where are all these people from?” Sara had to ask.

“Around. We are a much bigger community than we look, and all the surrounding towns come over for this. It’s not quite a festival but close. Food and craft vendors are always a pull.” Annie laughed.

“Well I know it’s a pull for me.” Sara agreed.

“Well come on, I have a friend who is a craft vendor that I need to say hi to and I know she is right over here.”

They also stopped at two food vendors before they ever entered a store. All the stores had sale items outside on the sidewalks but there were always hidden treasures inside too. Many people smiled and waved or stop to say hello to Annie and Sara always stepped back. Several times however Annie pulled her up to meet someone and never once did anyone say a word about her bruises. Annie had good friends.

“I am a little embarrassed to tell you this, but I want to buy something so sexy to wear to bed tonight, something so sexy that Sloan won’t want to take it off of me. Got any ideas?” She asked Annie.

“Oh yes, I know just the place. Maybe I’ll look for something to drive Spencer insane too.”

They giggled like teenagers but when they got to the store, things got serious.

Sara found it. The perfect nightie. Deep v cut in the front, short little bottom, it was white, and it was see through. Annie found one that was silky and molded to her body.

“I may not be able to get into it for very long, but it will be nice while I can, and it may motivate me to lose the baby fat faster.” Annie said.

“That’s brilliant. Just hang it in the bathroom and look at it every day and the baby fat will vanish.”

Next, they stopped at an upscale second-hand store and Sara was just wild about the place. They spent a great deal of time in that shop and Sara just could not pull herself out of it. They had everything you could ever want or need to decorate your home. Sara had always loved that stuff. She would love to own a shop like this one day. Some of it was repurposed items like benches that had been made from old beds. And large old wood signs that were meant to be used as headboards. Just lots of really cute things like that but it was also filled with clocks and dishes and furniture. A person could get lost in there.

They strolled further down the street, visiting some shops and skipping others. She and Annie liked a lot of the same things. The next block had the road closed off the other way and crafters were set up in the street. So many really cute things and some great ideas for recycling items but what was starting to catch Sara’s eye again, were the food vendors.

“If I offer to buy food to take home for dinner tonight, what would sound good to you?” Sara asked.

“You don’t need to buy but we could take home something, I’m sure my guys would like that.” Annie answered.

“I am being pulled by the smells coming from that steak sandwich place. Ribeye sandwiches, that sounds incredible to me, I’ve never had one of those before, what do you think?”

“To be honest, that is Spencer’s favorite when we come to these things.” Annie said.

“Well what man wouldn’t want a steak, right. Let’s go get some. We may have to warm them though when we get back.”

They waited in line and then placed their order. The grill was a portable thing on a long trailer, and it was lined with Ribeye steaks. The smell was so good, and everyone around must have known they were good, because the line was long. Sara ordered a couple extra just in case Dave or someone else might be there and she paid the man. Annie had said they would need to be warmed when they got home, and the vendor said he would not put them together because they would be easier to warm up this way. So, as they waited for him to package them all up, Sara spotted another store that they had missed.

“How cold do you think those sandwiches will get if we make a quick stop in that store?” She pointed and asked Annie.

“We have to reheat them, anyway, let’s shop. They have a short set in there that I have been watching for weeks. Maybe I could try it on. I should be able to wear it this summer, at least before I get too big.” Annie told her.

Annie found the short set and Sara found several blouses on a clearance rack that she just had to have if they fit. They would be great for work. Annie knew the owner and they talked for a moment while Sara looked some more, then they went in to try on what they hoped would soon be their new clothes.

The dressing rooms were clean but small and when the power suddenly went out it made the rooms completely dark. A minute passed and nothing. The owner was calling into them that a vendor had just overpowered the circuit and it would be a few minutes till they could get the power back on, but Sara couldn’t hear any of that, she was in the dark, alone on the dredge again and she just started screaming. Then she was hysterical and calling for Sloan. Annie went to her to try to calm her but there was no calm.

“Shhhhh, it’s ok Sara, you are safe. Shhhhh, you are safe. Annie kept telling her, but it was too late she was freaked.

Arleen, the owner was nearly hysterical too.

“What is wrong, what the hell happened?” She kept asking Annie.

“Arleen, stay with her, hold her if you have to, I need to get help.” Annie shouted at her.

The guys were enjoying a cold one on the back porch after a pretty good day together. They had ridden horses over to Boyd’s place through the back pastures. Spencer had told Sloan all about his plans and a few little surprises for Annie. Walt had gone along and talked Boyd into coming back with them for dinner.

When Spencer suggested another beer, Sloan stopped him. They were alone now, and he needed to just talk to Spencer for a minute. So, Spencer waited and watched his older brother.

“You know I am crazy in love with Sara. We both know that it is more than just this case and what happened. I have been rolling some ideas around in my head and just need to say them out loud I guess.”

Spencer nodded and stayed quiet.

“I want her to quit, leave the office, get as far away from the crap I deal with as possible. And I have also been thinking about not doing any more field work myself. I have enough work in the office to justify that. Maybe hire another investigator and just be the boss now. I want what you have Spencer. A wife that is crazy about you and lets you think that you are in charge. A baby on the way. Security, peace, and happiness.”

They sat in silence for a moment, Spencer still watching Sloan.

“I think I was afraid before.” Sloan finished.

Spencer put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“It’s all worth it Sloan. Do it, you will never regret it. And I am the one in charge.”

Sloan laughed.

“My God but you are delusional Spencer.”

They were just heading in for that second beer when Sloan’s cell went off. It was Annie.

“Checking up on your husband?” He answered laughing.

“Sloan, you need to get in here, right now. It’s Sara.” Annie shouted in the phone.

“Where are you?”

“Have Spencer bring you, tell him Arleen’s.”

And she hung up.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the store but even the people on the sidewalk could hear her screaming.

Annie went back to Sara. She pulled her into a hug and talked very quietly to her and eventually managed to get her to sit on the floor. They sat that way and Annie quietly tried to calm her. but it was no use, so she just held on to her.

“I am sorry Arleen, it was too early for her to be out in public yet. I should have known better.”

And Annie couldn’t help but notice Arleen looking at Sara’s wrists and ankles now.

“She will be fine, it just takes time. Spencer and his brother will be here any minute, will you tell them where we are please?” Annie asked her. Fortunately, they were not that far from town and she was sure Sloan was not observing the speed limit.

“Sure, and I’m so sorry, she seemed fine until the lights went out.” Arleen said heading for the front door.

Spencer and Sloan were already coming in.

“They are in the back.” Arleen told them.

Sloan died a thousand deaths when he saw her. She had been this exact same way when they found her on the dredge, what the hell had happened.

He replaced Annie and pulled Sara on to his lap and just held her, brushing hair away from her face and kissing her temple.

“It’s ok baby, I am right here, you are safe, you are safe.” He whispered to her.

Spencer wasn’t sure, but he thought Sloan’s eyes looked wet. He knew that feeling, watching someone you love, hurt and know that they were afraid, and you could not get into their minds to help them. No kind of Seal training could have prepared him for that, but he remembered going through it with Annie. He would do anything to help his brother get through this. Annie was beside Spencer now just holding his hand and waiting with him. He had to wonder if she was thinking back to that terrible time too. But then she smiled up at him and he knew it no longer mattered to either of them, that was just history, and this would someday be history for Sloan and Sara too.

They stepped back to give them some privacy but still stayed close enough that if Sloan needed help, they were there.

Like magic, the lights flicked back on and Sara stopped crying. After just a little while she looked up and realized what was going on.

“Oh, my God, I am so embarrassed.” She finally said.

“Don’t be Sara.” Annie told her, stepping closer, “Don’t ever be embarrassed, you didn’t do this.”

Sloan kissed her.

“Do you think we can go home now?” He asked her.

She only nodded.

They gathered up all their bags and the dinner that she had just so graciously bought for them, thanked Arleen and headed home. She road back with Sloan and Spencer and Annie followed.