Page 59 of Muskoka Blue
Dan shook his head. “Love to, but Dad wants to talk investments.”
“I know. That’s why I’m getting outta here before he starts.”
“Catch some for me, then.”
His brother escaped outside, and Dan gave him a thumbs-up through the kitchen window before Sam headed toward the boathouse.
God bless Sam. These past few days had been fun with him around, fishing, catching up, visiting some of the nearby tourist-filled towns. The easy teasing reminded him of being with Sarah—relaxed, fun, connected. Dan shook his head. He really had to stop thinking about her.
“Daniel? Are you ready yet?”
Dan grabbed his coffee and headed back to where his father sat on the leather lounge, his head stuck in the financial pages ofThe Globe and Mail.Dan shifted the Joseph Prince book John had lent him weeks ago as he sat down opposite.
His father looked up. “Finally.”
The next half hour was an endurance test of patience as his father peppered him with pearls of wisdom from the world of finance. Dan tried to stay awake, tried to look interested, but he did have an accountant—and a year of a business degree. He wasn’t completely clueless.
“Now, Dan, did you invest in those shares as Luke recommended?”
Ah, no. Gave that money to a Haiti earthquake relief program. “Not yet.”
His father sighed, shaking his silver head. “I don’t know what it is with you. Ever since you joined that church, you’ve been ignoring sound financial advice and—”
The doorbell rang.Thank God.“Excuse me a moment.” Dan leaped up and hurried to open the door. And stared. “Sarah! Uh, come in.”
Flushed, hair half falling from a ponytail, she wore the same shirt and shorts she’d worn that first evening. She started talking as soon as she entered.
“Dan, I’m so sorry about the other night. I need to explain what happened.” She walked toward the living room. “I was having such a great time, and thought you were too, but obviously I didn’t know what date it was, and I felt so bad when I realized about Stephen, so I didn’t—” She stopped. “Oh.”
Mom and Dad looked up, a matched pair of shock and dismay. Sarah’s bright pink cheeks deepened to magenta.
“Mom, Dad, this is Sarah Maguire. She’s the niece of Pastor Angela, who lives next door. Sarah, these are my parents, Andrew and Helen Walton.”
“Hello.” Mother managed a thin smile. Dad didn’t manage anything.
“Um, hi. Nice to meet you.” Sarah gave his folks a weak smile, lifted a hand to smooth her hair, and stepped back. He caught the panic in her eyes before she started edging to the door. “I, um, didn’t know you were here. Sorry for interrupting.”
He stepped closer. “Sar, you’re not interrupt—”
Sarah was gone.
* * *
How humiliating!She should never have gone. She walked the bike through the trees, trying not to stumble over exposed roots and slippery rock. His parents were there? They’d looked all coolly tailored in their color-coordinating linen ensembles, like they could entertain the queen at a moment’s notice. And she’d rocked up dressed like this?
“Sarah! Wait up!”
She threw a hand through her sweaty hair. Why had she thought she needed to see Dan straight after getting back from town on the bike? She grimaced. All the long way in and back she’d planned her speech out to the nth degree—but hadn’t bargained on his parents being there! Racing back outside, she’d glimpsed her bright red face in the mirror in Dan’s hall—why did she have to have skin like this?
Dan quickly caught up without a single puff to show he’d just raced one hundred meters in fifteen seconds. Pro athlete. “You ran out! What’s up with that?”
She dropped her gaze, studying the browning pine needles on the ground. “Look, I’m sorry. Sorry for running out just now. Sorry for running out the other night.” She lifted her eyes to his. “I’m sorry I don’t treat you very well.”
“Sar—”
“I was out with you and I forgot him. I was there, with you, on Stephen’s birthday, wishing…”You’d kiss me.
* * *