Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Sarah didn’t know what to make of Luke. He didn’t seem quite sure of her, and she could only blame Margaret for that.

Sean had never mentioned Luke as a childhood friend. Then again, he really only liked to talk about himself. And he’d been a live-in-the-moment kind of guy. She’d liked that about him, because she often thought about her crummy past and found herself wallowing in all the bad instead of focusing on how far she’d come and all the good in her life.

Once the boys came along, she had so much good to focus on with them.

She wanted to place some of the blame on Luke for Margaret threatening to take her to court, but he seemed sincere that he thought they could resolve their issues with this voluntary visit. Even if it had been forced.

Luke didn’t take the hint to leave and pulled all three suitcases out of the back of her SUV. “I’ll take these in for you. You grab the other stuff.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

He started toward the house. “I know. Just being neighborly,” he reminded her.

She wondered if there were indeed ulterior motives at play.

Fine. Let him and Margaret watch her. She expected to be scrutinized by Margaret the whole time she was here anyway. So be it. They’d see. She loved her boys. She was a good mother. No one could say any different.

She grabbed the computer bags out of the back of the car, slammed the lid, and caught up to Luke on the porch. The second they walked in the front door, Margaret called out, “Take the two bedrooms at the top of the stairs on the left.”

Luke followed her up the gorgeous oak staircase.

She walked into the first bedroom on the left and found a beautiful cream-colored room with a king-size bed. A stack of sheets and blankets sat atop the bare mattress. The huge antique dresser had a beveled mirror above it. Crystal vases stood on each end of the dresser and a huge crystal chandelier hung in the center of the room. A cream-colored rug stood out against the dark wood floor. Everything had a thick layer of dust covering it. Stuffy; the air smelled stale.

Margaret had definitely not rolled out the welcome mat for her.

The pictures of Sean overwhelmed her with feelings of resentment and anger. Several stood grouped in old silver antique frames on each dresser and night table. They showed him as a boy up until his college graduation.

Clearly his life before she had stolen him away.

“Set the suitcases down anywhere. I’ll go through the bathroom and check out the boys’ room before I move their stuff in there.” Dust bunnies skittered across the floor as she walked toward the Jack and Jill bathroom.

Concern filled Luke’s eyes. “Maybe Margaret meant the rooms on the other side of the staircase?”

No, she didn’t.“Thank you for bringing up the bags. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to stick around.” And witness my embarrassment. “I’ll be just fine.”

“Let’s see the other room first. Margaret’s arthritis has been getting worse, but I can’t believe she’d allow company without getting the rooms ready.”

Sarah knew better and continued on through the bathroom and found two twin beds in a forest-green room. A nightstand stood between the two beds with a crystal lamp, pictures of Sean, and the same gorgeous wood floors that were throughout the house. An antique dresser and chest of drawers lined the walls around the room and above the dresser was an oil painting of a little boy playing with a dog in a field. Jack would be happy to find the television and DVD player with the small love seat in front just waiting for him to plop down and enjoy. She could hook up one of her computers to it so they could watch Netflix on the TV screen.

Each bed had a new-looking blanket. A toy chest in the corner held several wrapped packages waiting to be opened.

Unlike her room and the bathroom, this room had been cleaned and made ready for two little boys. “It’s perfect. They’ll love it.”

Luke hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets. “She’s certainly made sure to let you know who’s welcome and who isn’t. Aren’t you going to say anything about your room?” Luke seemed to be waiting for her to throw a tantrum like a spoiled child who required everyone to jump at her every whim.

That wasn’t her, never had been, no matter what Margaret’s opinion.

Or Luke’s, for that matter.

And she wouldn’t give him something to use against her if Margaret pushed forward and took her to court.

Margaret must have told him a convincing tale about who she thought Sarah was. But she wasn’t about to dignify Margaret’s lack of hospitality with the least bit of outward frustration.

What did Sarah expect? Margaret hated her. She wasn’t welcome here. Not surprising, but it still hurt.

Luke stared at her, confusion in his eyes, waiting for her to say something.

“I don’t mind dusting and making the bed. I’ve got to get the bathroom ready for the boys’ bath tonight. Thanks for your help. Please excuse me.”

Luke raised one eyebrow, the earlier confusion turning to anger. “Aren’t you even just a little put out that she got things ready for the boys and neglected to get the room ready for you?”

Was he baiting her? Hoping she’d lose her temper and play right into his hands? Not going to happen.

“I’m sure after marrying Sean you got used to the finer things in life.”

Sarah met his incredulous gaze and held it for a good long minute. Margaret had certainly made him believe that about her.

She didn’t have the energy to change his mind. She didn’t really care what he thought. But maybe if she showed him who she really was, he’d somehow convince Margaret she didn’t need to drag them to court for nothing.

“I’m sure she’s told you I’m the wicked witch who deceived, manipulated, and took advantage of her son. She’ll spend the next six weeks slighting me at every turn, just enough to get to me, but not so that the boys notice. Each time they aren’t around, she’ll remind me how much I stole from her.

“I didn’t come from money and Sean did. So what? Do I like nice things and having someone to clean up the house? Beats shoveling manure and sleeping on the floor, that’s for sure.”

Luke held her gaze. “So that’s how it is? You met Sean and saw an opportunity for a better life?”

“That’s a little simplistic, don’t you think?”

“Is that what you did? Deceived, manipulated, and took advantage to get what you wanted?” He sounded disappointed in her.

“That’s exactly what Margaret would like you to believe, but that’s not me. Either you believe me or you don’t.”

“Margaret is my friend. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of her.”

She held her hands out. “I brought the boys to visit their grandmother. That’s all. I don’t want anything from her.” At the very least, she wished he’d believe that.

His lips went flat. “Every woman I ever met was after something.”

“Sounds like you pick the wrong kind of women.”

His hands sank deeper into his pockets. “So my family keeps telling me.”

She appreciated his honesty and the reluctant admission. “We’re here for six weeks. Thanks to her thoughtlessness about them having school, I’ll be mom, teacher, and run my company remotely, all the while hoping she’ll see taking me to court is pointless and unnecessary. Six weeks,” she repeated, “then I’ll take the boys home, and we’ll be out of Margaret’s life.”

“You aren’t going to let her see the boys again?”

Sarah rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not the bad guy you think I am. Margaret can see the boys whenever she wants, but that doesn’t mean I’ll drop everything to facilitate it the way I did for this extended stay.”

Her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket, resigned to another long night. “Excuse me, I have to take this call, and I still need to feed the boys.”

“I thought you were on vacation?”

“I have a business to run.” She tapped the screen to accept the call. “Hi, Abby, put me through.” She left the boys’ room with the phone at her ear waiting to be connected to the board meeting.

Luke followed her into the bathroom and studied her while she retrieved cleaning supplies from the linen cupboard and filled the basin with hot water all the while listening to her phone. “I could help you get things in order.”

She tapped the mute button, but continued to listen as the minutes from the last meeting were read to all the members of the board. “That’s very nice of you, but I’ll take care of this. Really, I expected much worse.”

Luke touched her arm. “It’s not right.”

She appreciated the sentiment. “Her son is dead. She holds me responsible. I can’t change that. To her, I am the person she believes me to be. I promised the boys six weeks with their grandmother and that’s what they’re going to get. If she wants to see them, then I come as part of the package. Thank you for the help with the bags. I can manage from here.”

She couldn’t quite make out the mixed emotions in his eyes, but she appreciated the hint of sympathy.

She unmuted her call. “George, could you go over the quarterly figures with everyone. I want the latest numbers.” She kept her gaze on Luke as she addressed her CFO and he recited the company’s financial information.

She yawned and the sympathy in Luke’s eyes turned to concern.

She muted the call again. “Please, just go. I’ve had a really long day and it’s going to be a long night.” Overwhelmed by Margaret’s hostility, Luke’s attention and need to know her intentions and digging into her past, along with the cleaning she had to do, feeding the boys, and running her company, she couldn’t take it all at once and not feel the burdens taking more than she had to give right now.

“Margaret should have at least been hospitable and grateful you brought the boys to see her.”

Yeah. It would be nice if they could be civil and Margaret hadn’t left more work for her.

She gave him a weak smile, but had nothing to say before she unmuted her call and forged on with work because that took precedence to making a stranger like her. “George, those figures are off from the projections. What’s the difference? And how did it affect our profits?” She listened to George’s explanation and scrubbed the sink and counter, all the while watching Luke watching her in the mirror.

Held in his uncompromising stare, she felt like he was looking for something within her.

He wouldn’t find the woman Margaret described to him.

The boys pounded their little feet up the stairs and appeared in the bathroom doorway next to Luke.

“Can we see your horses?” Jack asked, his eyes pleading with Luke.

Since she was distracted listening to the financials George rattled off, Luke got the jump on her. “Sure you can. In fact, your mom can bring you over to the ranch tomorrow at eleven and we’ll go riding.”

“Yes!” Jack smiled from ear to ear.

Nick’s eyes filled with excitement, though he was too shy to say anything to Luke.

She met the challenge and amusement in Luke’s eyes with her own frustration.

She muted her call again and redirected the boys so she could have another minute alone with Luke. “Go check out your room. After this call, we’ll have dinner.”

Jack sighed and gave her a sad frown. “I thought you were going to be on vacation.”

“I’m sorry, little man. I promise I won’t work the whole time.” Jack might not understand what it was going to be like the next six weeks, but Sarah anticipated a lot of phone calls and late nights at the computer.

The boys ran into the other room.

She kept her voice low so they wouldn’t overhear. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to get to know you.”

“Why? So you know just how to attack and misrepresent me in court?”

“If you’re not the woman Margaret described, what do you have to lose? Prove her wrong,” he challenged, then turned and walked away.

Of course, she couldn’t back out. The boys would throw a fit. Having grown up on a ranch, she really loved horses and would love to teach the boys to ride. And though she shouldn’t care what Luke thought, she wanted to show him that she wasn’t the monster Margaret probably made her out to be.

Plus, she felt oddly sorry to see Luke go and she wasn’t quite sure why, except she really did want him to like her.

It shouldn’t matter whether he did or not, but it upset her that maybe he’d believe Margaret without even giving her a chance.

Still, did he invite them over to find things to use against her, or because he really did want to get to know her?