Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Sarah wasn’t quite prepared for the rush of hormones that flooded her body when she set eyes on Richard again.
She’d known he was good-looking in a mature kind of way, but he seemed to have aged even better.
He carried no excess weight on his medium frame, and he was tanned and wearing denim shorts to above the knee.
His work boots and a white T-shirt gave him the air of a little boy, but his features were all about the older man.
To an outsider, Sarah was a more vibrant version of her sister. Her blonde hair was dyed to make it brighter, her hair styled in a long-layered bob with a blunt fringe. She was the same height and build as Louisa, but she didn’t walk as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
She saw Richard’s eyes light up, then flicker from top to toe and back again until they landed on her own. Feeling herself blushing under his stare, she looked away for a moment.
‘Richard, Sarah’s here,’ Louisa stated the obvious. ‘Come and join us for a drink.’
‘Nothing for me,’ Richard said, not taking his eyes from Sarah’s. ‘I’m just finishing off a canvas but thought I’d come and say hello.’
‘Hi,’ Sarah said. ‘I bet you don’t remember me.’
‘How could I forget someone as beautiful as her sister?’
‘Stop it, you,’ Louisa tittered.
Sarah baulked. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a lovestruck puppy.
Richard ignored Louisa and sat across from Sarah. ‘How’re things with you?’ he asked.
‘Good, thanks.’
Richard smiled at her. ‘Well, treat this house as your home while you’re here. Louisa will cook something nice for this evening. What would you like?’
‘I’m not fussy.’
‘I can make your favourite, lasagne,’ Louisa said.
Sarah didn’t have the heart to say it hadn’t been that since she was in high school. It showed how little they knew about each other now.
‘Please don’t go to any trouble,’ she replied.
‘Nonsense. Louisa lounges around most days,’ Richard said. ‘It will do her good to be on her feet for a while.’
Sarah watched as Louisa lowered her eyes momentarily, her skin reddening. Still, it was good to see someone sensing her sister’s ploy to be a kept woman.
The door behind her opened and in rushed the little girl she’d seen asleep earlier.
‘Hello, poppet,’ Louisa cried as she climbed onto her knee.
Daisy’s hair was sticking up at the back where she had lain on it. She had large brown eyes and a small nose and lips. Her pyjamas were pink, covered in tiny white stars.
‘Daisy, this is your auntie, Sarah. Say hello.’
‘’Lo.’ Daisy waved a hand and smiled.
Sarah closed her eyes momentarily to the pain of her loss. She certainly didn’t feel pity for her sister. She remembered quite clearly how she’d dumped her in favour of her new life.
Louisa reached across and gave her hand a squeeze. ‘It’s going to be great catching up with you,’ she said.
Sarah smiled but said nothing.
‘How’s Derby been for the past few years?’ Richard asked.
‘Okay, I suppose,’ Sarah replied.
‘No fella waiting for you to return?’
She scoffed. ‘As if. I’m happy being single, thank you very much.’
‘Do I detect a woman scorned?’
Sarah narrowed her eyes but the way Richard was trying to keep a straight face made her realise he was joking with her.
‘Let’s just say I haven’t found the right man yet.’
‘From what I can recall, there weren’t too many to choose from.’ Louisa chuckled.
‘Slept with all of them, have you?’ Richard snapped. ‘Before you came to live with me?’
‘Of course not!’ Louisa shook her head. ‘I meant there were—’
‘Not many who were suitable marriage material,’ Sarah butted in, coming to Louisa’s rescue. ‘Not even for a long-term relationship actually.’
‘That’s good to hear. For a moment, I thought you were suggesting Louisa was the estate bike that everyone had rode.’
As Louisa fought back tears at Richard’s remark, Sarah wondered why he was being so spiteful. Had she walked in during an argument between them? Because if not, there was something quite odd about their relationship.
Maybe coming here could work out to her advantage after all.