Scarlet Nights p.31 Read online

  “Watch out for her, that’s all I ask,” Mike said as he left the arena to go back to Ellie’s tent. As he knew she would be, Sara was waiting there for him with a clean shirt.

  Minutes later, Mike got a text message.

  HEY KID. HEARD U GOT MY INVITE TO JOIN ME. WHATEVER

  UR DOING ITS WORKING. VANDLO PEELED OUT IN A RAGE.

  Smiling, Mike tossed his phone in the air and caught it.

  “What was that about?” Sara asked as she smoothed his shirt down.

  Grabbing her about the waist, Mike swung her around.

  “What’s made you so happy? Last night and now this. What’s going on?”

  “Instinct, babe,” he said, laughing. “It hasn’t failed me yet.”

  Sara was waiting for an answer to her question.

  “Let’s just say that I was concerned that someone had betrayed me, but I couldn’t make myself believe it.”

  “And he … or she … didn’t betray you?”

  “Naw. So where’s Kim’s little sister? Anna, was it? We need to rehearse before the show starts.”

  Sara’s sister Taylor entered the tent. “I talked to Anna and she wants nothing to do with you. She saw your fight and she said, and I quote, ‘He’s too old and I don’t like his beard.’”

  Mike put Sara down and kissed her neck. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to persuade a woman to like me.”

  “Now why do I doubt that you’ve had much practice at that?” Taylor asked, and Mike smiled at her.

  “Stop flirting with my sister and go find Anna.”

  “Yeah,” Taylor said, “or my husband will beat you up.” Her husband was an overworked doctor who never had time to go to a gym.

  “I’ll win this game, and it’ll be the last one,” he said softly to Sara. “After it’s done, I’ll come back and put the wires on you, so stay around here and don’t leave. Got it?”

  “Yes,” she said and took a deep breath. She knew he was telling her that Greg was on his way, which meant that the big blowout with him was going to happen soon. Her fear was that she’d be so angry when she saw him that she’d blurt out the truth about his mother and the investigation, and she’d ruin everything.

  “You’ll do fine,” Mike said. “And don’t worry about saying too much. I’ve seen what a great liar you can be.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  He pulled her into his arms and after a quick glance to see that Taylor had her back turned, he kissed her. “When this is done I promise to make you feel a lot better.”

  She nodded, but she was still worried.

  He kissed the middle of her forehead, and left the tent.

  “Sara,” Taylor said, “Luke told me that Mike’s thinking about opening some sort of gym. Can I sign up Gene now?”

  As Sara laughed she realized that she was at last beginning to bond with her sisters.

  27

  SARA WANTED TO see her husband in a jump rope contest, especially with a spitfire of a girl like Anna Aldredge, so she rushed to finish the chores her mother had given her. While she was out front unloading apple pies, she heard a lot of praise from people who’d seen Mike in the fight with Colin. Teenage boys were kicking at one another and making people laugh when they fell on the ground.

  How very much she wanted to tell them that Mike was her husband!

  Ellie stopped beside her and whispered, “It won’t be long before we can give out advertising for Mike’s gym. And are you ready to take on remodeling that run-down old farm?”

  Sara smiled; her mother knew just how to cheer her up. She loved thinking of her future with Mike.

  “He moved the prize car off the stand,” a kid yelled. “He and some kid are going to give a jump rope show up on the platform.”

  There was no doubt who “he” was, and Sara untied her apron. Every year the Fraziers donated a car to be awarded to the overall winner of the games. Now it seemed that Mike’d had the vehicle removed so he and Anna could put on a performance. It wasn’t something Sara wanted to miss.

  But her father stopped her. “Sara, could I see you for a moment?”

  He had on what her family called his “doctor face.” For the most part, Henry Shaw was an easygoing man, content to let his wife and energetic two older daughters run his life, but when his medical abilities were needed, his whole personality changed. He became the man in charge.

  Without hesitation, she went to him. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Joce.”

  Instantly, Sara started toward the fortune-telling tent next to them, but Dr. Shaw caught her arm.

  “She’s all right, but she’s overexerted herself. Luke and I are taking her home for a few hours so she can rest. Sara, I know you want to see Mike, but could you fill in for her? There’s a long line outside Joce’s tent, and the idea of letting people down is stressing her out. She said that you’re the only one who knows what to do to take over for her.”

  “Of course,” Sara said. “I’ll do whatever she needs.” She consoled herself with the thought that she’d be staying near her mother’s tent, just as Mike had told her to do.

  “Joce had Luke get her some clothes so she changed. Would you mind putting on that …” He waved his hand to mean the gaudy costume Joce had been wearing.

  “Sure. Just give me a few minutes.” As she went into the little curtained-off room at the back of the fortune-telling tent, Sara wondered how much Mike had told her parents on the night he’d arranged their marriage.

  It didn’t take Sara long to slip Joce’s big, flowing robe on over her own costume and put on Tess’s hoop earrings. At least with impersonating Joce, Sara could remove the bandage covering her wedding rings. On impulse, Sara asked her father to help her put a pillow on over her flat stomach. With the veil and her heavy black eyeliner, Sara hoped no one would notice the change in fortune-tellers.

  As Dr. Shaw tied the pillow in place, he said, “I hope that boy you married makes this real. I like grandkids. Uh, Sara, do you think I’m too old to join Mike’s gym?”

  She kissed his cheek. “Dad, in my eyes, you’ll never be too old for anything.”

  Smiling, he fastened the veil around her face. With the red turban over her hair and her marriage rings finally exposed, it was difficult to tell her from Jocelyn.

  “Go to it,” Dr. Shaw said, and as he opened the flap to go outside, she saw a quick movement at the back. In other circumstances she wouldn’t have noticed, but now she knew it was Brewster Lang lurking about.

  As soon as her father was out of sight, Sara said quietly, “Everyone loves your cookies, Mr. Lang.” She went inside and seated herself at the low chair. In front of her was a little round table that Shamus had decorated with astrological signs and iridescent stars, with another chair on the other side.

  In front of the tent was one of the high school girls who’d volunteered to help at the fair, and Sara told her to start letting customers in.

  An hour later, she wanted to scream that she needed a nap too. The townspeople had known it was Joce doing the fortune-telling. Maybe it was because they knew she was a newcomer to town or maybe it was the veil, but for some reason, the people poured out their hearts—and they took what Sara said in reply very seriously. From the first “reading” she’d found herself playing the role of counselor.

  “Should I leave him?” one woman asked. Sara knew the woman and wanted to yell, “Yes!” Instead, in as mystical a way as she could manage, she referred her to a counselor in Williamsburg who worked with abused women.

  “Is my husband having an affair?” Sara assured the woman, who was notoriously jealous, that he wasn’t. Her husband had a belly bigger than Joce’s, and no one made passes at him.

  “Will I meet someone?” Sara liked the question from this woman because she’d seen Mr. Peterson looking at her in church. Sara told her that if she didn’t immediately buy four new tires at Peterson’s Wheels she’d have a wreck—and also, Arthur Peterson had a sp