LITMIR.BIZ

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women laughed.

      “All the same, don’t do that when your dad’s home,” she told Sari firmly.

      “I never would, you know that,” Sari said gently. “Why were you looking for me?”

      “That girl at college who can’t ever find her history notes wants to talk to you about tomorrow’s test.”

      “Nancy,” she groaned. “Honestly, I don’t know how she passed anything until I came along! She actually called up one of our professors at night and asked if he could give her the high points of his lecture. He hung up on her.”

      “I’m not surprised,” Paul said. “Better go answer the questions, tidbit,” he added to Sari.

      “I guess so,” she said. She got off the bed, reluctantly. The way he’d looked at her had made her feel shaky inside. She wanted him to do it again. But he was already buried in his computer screen.

      “There was an attempted horse heist just two days ago up near San Antonio,” he was muttering. “I think I’ll call the DA up there and see if he’s made any arrests.”

      “Good night, Paul,” Sari said as she left the room.

      “Night, sprout. Sleep well.”

      “You, too.”

      * * *

      Mandy led her into the kitchen and pointed to the phone.

      “Hello, Nancy?” Sari said.

      “Oh, thank goodness,” the other girl rushed. “I’m in such a mess! I can’t find my notes, and I’ll fail the test…!”

      “No worries. Let me get mine and I’ll read them to you.”

      “You could fax them…”

      “You’d never read my handwriting,” Sari laughed. “Besides, it will help me remember what I need for tomorrow’s test.”

      “In that case, thanks,” Nancy said.

      “You’re welcome. Give me your number and I’ll call you back. I’ll have to hunt up my own notes.”

      Nancy gave it to her and hung up.

      Sari came back down with the notes she’d retrieved from her bulky book bag. She phoned Nancy from the kitchen, where Mandy was cleaning up, and read the notes to her. It didn’t take long.

      “I’ll see you in class,” Nancy said. “And thanks! You’ve saved my life!” She hung up.

      “She says I saved her life,” Sari said, chuckling.

      Mandy gave her a glance. “If you want to save two lives, you’ll stay out of Mr. Paul’s bedroom.”

      “Mandy, it’s perfectly innocent. The door’s always open when I’m in there.”

      “You don’t understand. It’s how it looks, that easy familiarity between you two. It will carry over to other times, in daylight. If your father sees it, even thinks that there might be something going on…”

      “I don’t do it when he’s here.”

      “I know that. It’s just…” She grimaced. “I don’t know where he put all the cameras.”

      Sari’s heart jumped. “What cameras?”

      “He had it done while you girls were at school. He had three security cameras installed. He sent me out of the house on an errand while they were put in place. I don’t know where they are.”

      “Surely he wouldn’t have them put in our bedrooms,” Sari began worriedly.

      “There’s no telling,” Mandy said. “I only know that he didn’t put one in here. I’d have noticed if anything was moved or displaced. Nothing was.”

      Sari chewed on a fingernail. “Gosh, now I’ll worry if I talk in my sleep!”

      “The cameras are why you should stay out of Mr. Paul’s bedroom. Besides that,” she added under her breath, “you’re tempting fate.”

      “I am? How?” Sari asked blankly.

      “Honey, Mr. Paul takes a woman out for a sandwich or a quick dinner. He never goes home with them.”

      Sari flushed with sudden pleasure.

      “My point is,” the older woman went on, “that he’s a man starved of…well…satisfaction,” she faltered. “You might say something or do something to tempt him, is what I’m trying to say.”

      Sari sighed and rested her face on her palms, propped on her elbows. “That would be a fine thing,” she mused. “He’s never even touched me except to help me out of a car,” she added on a wistful sigh.

      “If he ever did touch you, your father would be sure to hear about it. And I don’t like to think of the consequences. He’s a violent man, Sari,” she added gently.

      “I know that.” Her face showed her misery. She was too innocent to hide her responses.

      “So, don’t tempt fate,” Mandy said softly. She hugged the younger woman tight. “I know how you feel about him. But if you start something, he’ll be out on his ear. And what your father would do to you…” She drew back with a grimace. “I love Mr. Paul,” she added. “He’s the kindest man I know. You don’t want to get him fired.”

      “Of course I don’t,” Sari replied. “I promise I’ll behave.”

      “You always have,” Mandy said with a tender smile. “It all ends, you know,” she said suddenly.

      “Ends?”

      “Misery. Unrequited love. Even life. It all ends. We live in pieces of emotion. Pieces of life. It doesn’t all get put together until we’re old and ready for the long sleep.”

      “Okay, when you get philosophical, I know it’s past my bedtime,” Sari teased.

      Mandy hugged her one last time. “You’re a sweet child. Go to bed. Sleep well.”

      “You, too.” She went to the doorway and paused. She turned. “Thanks.”

      “What for?”

      “Caring about me and Merrie,” Sari said gently. “Nobody else has, since Mama died.”

      “It’s because I care that I sometimes say things you don’t want to hear, my darling.”

      Sari smiled. “I know.” She turned and left the room.

      * * *

      Mandy, older and wiser, saw what Sari and Paul really felt for each other, and she worried at the possible consequences if that tsunami of emotion ever turned loose in them.

      She went back to her chores, closing the kitchen up for the night.

TWO

      When Isabel walked past Paul’s bedroom after she called Nancy, she noticed his door was closed and the lights were off.

      She went into her own room, climbed into bed and extinguished the single bedroom lamp in the room.

      She recalled what Mandy had said, about the dangers of getting too close to him, with sadness. Yes, of course, her father would fire him if anything indiscreet came to light. She also recalled the pain she felt when the older woman spoke of Paul going on dates with other women.

      He didn’t take them to bed, that much was clear. But it also indicated that he wasn’t ready to get serious about a woman, that he wasn’t interested in marriage and kids. And Isabel was. She’d gladly have given up college to end up in Paul’s arms with a baby of her own.

      But that seemed more unlikely

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