Page 81 of Escape to the Sun

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Ash hada cart full of groceries, bottled water, and other items he knew Heather would need at Casa del Sol and was headed back down the Main Street toward the Bitter End when Miguel caught up with him.

“Hola, Señor Ash!”

“Hey, buddy.” He ruffled the kid’s hair out of reflex. “It’s been awhile.” Ash felt bad that he hadn’t been back in town much. And when he was back, it was usually for a pretty quick trip, without much time to find Miguel and get him to help out. He knew the kid was probably missing the extra pocket money he earned from Ash.

“Si. It’s late, señor.” Miguel pointed to the full cart.

“It is.” The sun was starting to get low in the sky and Ash still had to head to the clinic to stock up. If he got most of his supplies before retiring, he might be able to sleep in a little bit before picking up Heather’s guests. They were scheduled to come in on the early flight, but a few extra minutes of sleep were always welcomed. His plan had been to find Sara over at the clinic once he was done with the groceries, because the clinic stayed open later than the store. His procrastination had nothing to do with the fact that he wasn’t looking forward to seeing Sara again. Or…maybe it did. “I’m not going back tonight, Miguel. I’ll head out in the morning. This stuff is going to Mick’s tonight.” The kid’s eyes grew wide. “Would you take it for me?”

Of course, Miguel nodded eagerly. He’d never turn down the chance to earn a bit of money, which worked out well for Ash because if Miguel could take over the cart, he could head straight to the clinic and get it over with. Sara was going to be upset with him. He knew that. Hell, the woman had been upset with him from the moment he turned her down for a second date. Only she got a little madder every time she saw him. The situation might require a bit of finesse.

Yes. Putting it off wouldn’t help. He should just get it over with.

“Great,” he said to the kid. “You take this back for me and up to room five. Mick will let you in. Lock the door behind you and wait at the bar. Tell Mick the soda is on me.”

Miguel’s eyes lit up and he didn’t have to be asked twice. He took the cart from Ash and happily skipped down the road, eager to claim his treat.

Ash laughed and pulled the T-shirt out of his back pocket where he’d tucked it. It got a little chilly in town when the sun went down. But more than that, he should probably cover up before seeing Sara. Not that it was going to help her be any less upset with him.

It only took him a few minutes to get to the clinic. He braced himself and headed through the front door. He waved at the familiar faces behind the desk and made his way into the back with familiarity. She stood at a small desk he knew acted as a nurse’s station, filling out some type of form. She truly was an attractive woman and sweet, too. Maybe in another life they could have been good together. But she wasn’t Heather.

And that’s what it came down to. Ash hadn’t been interested in seeing any woman beyond one date. Not until Heather. It wasn’t Sara’s fault. But it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to tell her that. In fact, instead it might be a good idea to smooth things over a little bit.

He almost chickened out completely and left. It might be easier to secure supplies in Panama City and no doubt there’d be a better selection. But at that moment, Sara turned and saw him.

Her face reacted at once with a bright smile, but it faded quickly as her lips turned down into a frown. “Ash?”

He gave her his most charming smile and walked forward with his arms out. She let him hug her and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Sara, you look great. It’s been awhile.”

“Quite awhile.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You’re looking good.”

“You said that.” Sara stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. The action had the desirable effect of stretching her scrubs tight. Not that he noticed. At least not the way he would have a few months earlier. Things really had changed.

“Only because I meant it,” Ash said smoothly. He needed to stop letting her get to him and just focus on the end goal: getting supplies for Sherri. “I was hoping you could help me out again.” He fished the list of supplies Dr. Friesen had dictated to him out of his pocket. “I need a few things for Sh—for Casa del Sol.” He corrected himself quickly. It probably wasn’t a good idea to make it public knowledge that Sherri was sick. At least not yet. He wasn’t stupid. Once Dr. Friesen showed up, and the rest of the team started to arrive, Ash wouldn’t be able to keep Sherri’s illness a secret for very long. Besides that, he didn’t think he should. But it wasn’t for him to tell. Not yet.

Sara grabbed the list and scanned it quickly before she gave him a strange look. “What’s all this for, Ash?”

“Just a few things Sherri wants to have on hand.”

“On hand? She wants IV bags of saline on hand? In this quantity?” She shook her head. “I already gave her a ton of saline, never mind the narcotics she ordered from Panama City last time you were here. What are you guys doing out there? You’re not starting your own medical clinic, are you?”

He laughed and hoped it sounded more natural than it felt. “Of course not.” Time to turn on the charm. He took a step closer to her, reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and blushed, just the way she always did. “Why would I do that when you have such a great thing going here?”

Ash felt bad flirting with Sara just to get his way, but it was for Sherri. He needed to keep remembering that. And ultimately, he wasn’t hurting anyone. Was he?

“I suppose I could get you a few things,” she said. “I mean, it’s not too much and…”

“Of course I’ll pay for them.”

“Of course.” She eyed him strangely. “And maybe we’ll get that dinner after all.”

There was no way out of it. If he said no, there was no way Sara would help him. And it would be totally innocent. It was for the greater good, after all. “Maybe not dinner,” he said. “But I’m staying in town tonight, so what if we grabbed a drink at the Bitter End?”

As far as he was concerned, it seemed like a good compromise, and it was the best he could do. As expected, Sara smiled and nodded. “Sounds good. I’m off in a few hours. I’ll meet you there?”

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