Page 28 of Rescuing Carolyn

I had tried to hide my designs, tucking them away when Zach was home on leave and bringing them out to help fill the time and occupy my mind so I wouldn’t worry while he was on a mission. Only a few of my ideas ever became actual pieces of jewelry. I’d learned how to design and make jewelry in art classes during college but rarely used my skills.

“I thought the pieces were beautiful then, and I still do,” Zach added. He put his arm across the back of the bench and touched my shoulder. “You should consider selling them at All That Sparkles.”

I felt myself blush at his compliment. “I don’t know about that.” The designs pleased me, but I was never sure if they were good enough to entice others to purchase them.

“Lookee,” Austin shrieked, pointing up the elm tree to where a squirrel scampered across a limb.

“Squirrel.” I enunciated the word.

“I want,” Austin said.

“No squirrels in the house,” I admonished jokingly. “They’d eat all our peanut butter. We’ll just look at them outside.”

“I bet if we keep walking, we’ll find other animals. I believe there’s a pond on this trail with fish and frogs,” Zach said, making Austin hop off the bench in excitement. The boy turned, grabbing at our hands as if to yank us up. Zach played along, pretending to fly up and stumble forward. Austin laughed in delight at his daddy’s antics, and I smiled.

“Nice slapstick,” I murmured to Zach when we’d started toward the pond.

“It’s fun having a kid to play with,” he said before frowning. He took a glance at Austin, who’d stopped to pick up leaves. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you when you were pregnant or when Austin was an infant. I don’t know anything about babies, but I could have walked the floors with him at least.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to be with him.” I sighed, acknowledging it was an emotional speech for the normally guarded man. “Zach, we can’t change what happened, but I’m glad you’re here now.”

“So am I.” He leaned in, giving me one kiss before scooping up Austin.

We made our way back to the parking lot after a stop at the pond, where Zach caught a frog and held it just long enough for Austin to touch the creature. Austin kept up a steady babble of frog, frog, ribbit, frog during the drive home. Following a quick cleanup, Zach took Austin to his room for a nap.

“Is he out?” I asked when Zach returned to the living room.

“Like a light.” He sat next to me on the couch, close enough that our shoulders touched.

“I think we’re going to hear the word frog a whole bunch for the next few days,” I said. New words were like that. They got stuck on repeat in Austin’s brain. “It sure made an impression on him.”

“It was a great day,” Zach said. “One of the best of my life. Thanks for sharing it with me.”

I reached for his hand, lacing our fingers together. I didn’t know quite what to say to his declaration, but I felt the same way. He raised our joined hands to his lips and kissed the back of mine. I felt my insides melt a little and didn’t object when he pulled me onto his lap. But right as his hands slipped under the edge of my shirt, my phone rang from where I’d left it on the kitchen counter.

“Ignore it,” I said, locking my arms around his neck and bringing my lips to his. Just before we touched, the ring blasted again. “Damn. It might be something important. I’ll be right back.”

Reluctantly, I got up and went to the kitchen. My sister’s name showed on the screen, so I answered it. Before Charlotte could speak, the wail of fire sirens came through the phone. I gripped the counter as fear ripped through me.

“The store…the store’s on fire,” Charlotte shouted over the din, confirming my worst nightmare.

“Is everyone out?” I glanced at the kitchen clock. It was twenty minutes past our Saturday closing time.

“Yes, yes. Just come.” Charlotte hung up without saying anything else.

“What is it?” Zach said from behind me.

“All That Sparkles is on fire,” I said, the shock temporarily stunning me until Zach wrapped his arms around me, making me snap out of it. “I’ve got to get there.” I tried to push him away, but he held me.

“I’ll drive you.” His voice was calm and firm.

“Austin?” I couldn’t take him to a fire scene, but I did want Zach with me.

“Alex was planning to just hang around the house today. He can be here in five minutes.” Zach already had his phone out to call his brother.

I rested my head against Zach’s shoulder as he spoke into the phone, telling his brother to be there ASAP.

“He’s on his way,” Zach said, hanging up. I felt his light kiss on my hair, trying to reassure me when I was possibly losing the store that represented twenty years of my family’s hard work.

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