Eli didn’t wave. She stayed rooted to the ground for another minute before she hunched her shoulders and moved inside. When Sarah couldn’t see her any longer, she pressed her forehead to the glass and closed her eyes with a sigh. She wondered what would happen next. They skirted around each other every minute they were together, but she still could not figure Eli out.
One moment they shared like this, a heated exchange of looks and sometimes innocent touches, and the next, Eli’s tone changed sharply and became harsh. Not that Sarah hadn’t done her fair share of pulling away either. Shoving off the window, Sarah moved to her bed and sat on the edge of it, curling her fingers into the blanket and squeezing hard.
Who was she kidding? What was she even playing at? It was stupid and reckless was what it was. Biting her lip hard, Sarah flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling, attempting to fall asleep for the first time that night. She had to wake up bright and early to help Eli out with Buddy, and if she didn’t get some sleep she would be completely useless, especially since she’d forgotten to find the store and its precious energy drinks. She would have to take a special trip to town tomorrow for them.
Sarah’s phone buzzed, surprising her. Turning over, she reached for it and grinned, answering right away. “Kara, love.”
“Where have you been?” Kara’s voice screeched through the line. “I haven’t heard anything from you in days.”
“You would not believe it if I told you.” Sarah rolled her eyes knowing that wasn’t true. Kara would eat up every word of the story and embellish everything when she told someone else.
Kara chuckled. “Try me. I can’t sleep because I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere.”
“That’s not a pretty image.” Sarah lowered her voice as she drew in a shuddering breath. “The basics are I got lost after a very delayed flight and a nasty thunderstorm. I had to be rescued by the owner of this establishment, well, not owner. I guess her parents own it?”
“Her?”
“Yeah, Eli. I guess she has some weird agreement with them that she’ll own it eventually. I don’t know. Anyway, she came to rescue me and brought me back in her truck since my little rental car wouldn’t drive through the creek without getting stuck.”
“Creek? What?”
Laughing, Sarah settled in. “Yes, it apparently only fills up with a good hard rain, which we got that night.”
“What’d you do?”
“Got in the truck. What else would I do?”
“And you just left your car?”
Sarah nodded even though Kara couldn’t see her. “I did, and accidentally left my dead-as-a-doorknob phone in my car.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did,” Sarah confessed. “And I didn’t get it back until tonight, and after the sausage supper, I didn’t get to charge it until a few hours ago.”
“I’m sorry, the what?”
“Sausage supper. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Just a local dinner with a bunch of sausage patties for a meal.”
“Crazy, but wait—go back to this owner.”
Sarah’s heart skittered. She wasn’t quite sure what to say. “What about Eli?”
“Eli, such an interesting name.”
“It’s short for Elijah.”
“Huh.” Sarah could hear the smile in Kara’s voice. “And have you and Eli been spending time together?”
“I mean, yeah, I am the only one here, and she had to bring me to town to get my car.”
“And rescue you.”
Sarah clenched her hand. “Yeah, I guess she did.”
“So…is she cute?”
Sarah mulled the question over in her head. “Cute is not the word I would use.” Handsome, talented, kind-hearted, hot, and cold were some for starters.