Saving Sarah (The Gold Coast Retrievers Book 1), page 6
“Listen, I was hoping you could help me out with something.”
Nakeesha dropped her half-eaten pear back onto her tray and raised her eyebrows as if she already knew what he planned to ask. How he asked for this favor would be extremely important now.
“It’s kind of strange, but I just found out that my grandma may have been switched at birth.” Finch didn’t like to lie but figured this version of his story would be better than explaining she’d actually been kidnapped due to hospital negligence. Nobody enjoyed having someone come into your workplace and tell you that you were bad at what you did. Finch had experienced enough of that on his own to know that he should avoid treating others to the torment and accusations he’d endured.
Nakeesha didn’t seem shocked by his revelation. Her demeanor remained cool and collected. Was this something that happened more often than anyone wanted to assume?
“Oh, interesting,” she said. “What makes you think that?”
“It’s a very long story.” He laughed, feeling encouraged when Nakeesha joined him.
He moved forward casually as if what he were about to ask for wasn’t hugely illegal. “I need to review some records to be sure, but I’m getting nowhere with administration. Is there any way you could…?”
“Help you skirt the rules and access private records? No way.”
Uh-oh. He needed to save face and quick if there was to be any hope of securing Nakeesha’s help. “I’m not trying to do anyone harm. I just have to know what really happened with my grandma. You understand, don’t you?”
The young doctor shook her head. Her eyes grew wide, but she said nothing.
He spoke quickly now, desperately, stumbling over his words. “I can get the proper clearance, but I really don’t want to wait if I don’t have to. I’m sure you have a lot of student loan debt. I could help with that, if you help me with this.”
Nakeesha pushed her chair back and jumped to her feet. “Unbelievable,” she shouted, encouraging those seated at nearby tables to scowl at Finch alongside her. “I never believed all the bad things they said about you, but maybe I should have. I know you had fun with your little website, but that wasn’t real life. This is. And in real life there is no instant gratification, so go home and do the work. Also, might I suggest you not try this little stunt on anyone else before you go, or you’ll never see those records—but you could see the inside of a jail cell.”
Yikes! That had gone way worse than expected. Maybe Sarah had been right. Maybe he should have listened…
Finch fumbled his tray as he stood. “Nakeesha, wait, that came out wrong.”
“Uh-huh. Sure, it did. I’m done here anyway, which means we’re done.”
He watched as she wove through the tables fueled by her anger toward him. So much for Plan B…
Chapter Nine
First embarrassment spread into Sarah’s limbs. Then anger.
She’d let this happen.
She could have stopped it, but that smile had instead stopped her from doing what she knew to be right. Of course, she was more than a little ticked when Finch admitted he’d tried to bribe a doctor into helping with their search.
“What else could we really do?” he responded to her indignation with a shrug, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead.
“Oh, I don’t know… Gone through the proper channels? Done exactly what the lady at the registration desk told you to do?” She let out a beleaguered sigh, for as angry as she felt at his total disregard for the rules, she also felt a little jealous. She’d never be so brave, so daring as to go after what she wanted like that. Which meant Sarah often didn’t end up getting what she wanted in life. And that was why she’d stopped wanting more than she had. Better to be content on a small-scale than drowning in disappointment.
She swallowed her anger back down. Nothing truly bad had happened. At least not yet. Still, she wanted to understand, so she asked, “You’ve gone your whole life without knowing, what’s the big rush now?”
“Making up for lost time?” Finch suggested with a boyish smile, again cutting any argument off at the quick.
“Well, you don’t have to be stupid about it,” Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest to guard her heart. Every time she caught a glimpse of that smile, she felt her resolve fading. This Finch was dangerous in more ways than one.
He turned toward her then, his brows pinched together, his expression resigned. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Good.” Because she didn’t think she could hold up her end of this argument much longer.
“Good.” Finch’s inquisitive eyes turned toward her. “So what next?”
“We can try talking with Eleanor again,” she suggested, knowing even before the words had left her mouth that they held no hope for either of them.
He let out an exhausted laugh. “Cuz that got us really far the last time… What about the list?”
“What about it? We’re missing the magic decoder ring needed to make any sense of it.”
Finch chuckled, but Sarah did not. “Fine, I’ll talk with Eleanor.”
“No,” Sarah said so quickly she startled the both of them. “I will. She likes me better than you, and besides, who got the list out of her, huh?”
“The useless list in code? Uh-huh.” The corners of his mouth began to rise in a grin, but Sarah whipped her gaze away before she could be caught in its disarming light.
“Whatever,” she muttered and rolled down the back windows so Lucky could hang his head out and enjoy the rushing wind and so that she wouldn’t have to attempt to speak with Finch over the noise. Anger bubbled up anew, but this time she didn’t know whether it was meant for Finch, Eleanor, or for herself. Maybe it was just the impossible situation. After all, where could they really go from here?
There was only one way to find out…
“You weren’t here yesterday,” Eleanor Barton said when Sarah and Lucky breezed into her room for checks. “You were supposed to be here. I don’t like the girl they sent in your place.”
“Missed me, huh?” she asked with a surprised smile as she handed Eleanor her morning pills.
Eleanor shrugged and sat up taller in her bed.
“You don’t have to admit it, because I can tell you did.” Sarah waited for the old woman to swallow down her medicine and then added, “I was with your great-nephew yesterday, actually. We went to the hospital like you told us.”
Eleanor grunted. “I can tell by the way you’re looking at me with big puppy dog eyes that you still don’t know anything.”
She shook her head. “No, we didn’t accomplish much of anything with our visit.”
“Much of anything? Or nothing, because it sounds to me like you’ve got bupkiss.”
Sarah took in a deep, centering breath. If her attraction to Finch scared her, then her newfound fear of Eleanor terrified her. Still, they needed something to go on if there was to be any hope of solving this mystery. She smiled again, hoping her smile would have the same magic powers as Finch’s. “I was hoping you’d be able to—”
“No.” Eleanor Barton stared straight ahead, her face an uninterpretable mask.
Sarah searched for a way in—any crack, any way to reach this ornery old woman’s sense of great good. “It would really help if—”
“No.” Eleanor turned on Sarah suddenly, but rather than adjusting her whole body, she simply whipped her neck in the other woman’s direction. The movement was so sudden and came with such agitation that Sarah was reminded of the old Exorcist movies. Would Eleanor start spewing pea soup on her next?
Sarah forced herself to hold ground, which agitated the old woman even more.
“How many times do I have to say it?” she asked in a dry, low voice. “Don’t you realize that it already took everything I had to tell you what you know so far? It wasn’t easy, you know, seeking Finch out, making an admission like that. Can’t you just leave me alone and do your job?”
Sarah reached to Lucky for strength. The dog sat still as she ran her fingers through the hair on his neck. Together, they were united—not against Eleanor, but against the needless hiding of the truth.
“I’m trying to help,” she said, calmer now.
Eleanor snorted again. “Help yourself to my great-nephew, maybe. I know you’ve never much cared for me, so why else would you want to help?”
“But just the other day you said I was a genuinely nice person. Remember that?” From hesitation to fear to hurt. Just like her great-nephew, Eleanor Barton could make Sarah feel the full range of emotions in just a matter of minutes.
Eleanor turned away and mumbled, “Because I thought you’d be a help, not a distraction.”
“I…” What else could Sarah say? Eleanor had made her mind up, and clearly there was no convincing her otherwise. “Okay, I’ll leave you to yourself then. C’mon, Lucky.”
“Leave the dog.”
Rather than responding to Eleanor’s demand, Sarah spoke directly to Lucky. “C’mon, boy. We have other patients to see.”
No matter how much she tried not to let it bother her, Sarah’s mind kept coming back to Eleanor’s accusation. Had Sarah really only wanted to help in order to spend time with Finch? If so, why was she still terrified of letting herself fall for him? And what would happen when the mystery came to a close?
Finch’s days moved by slowly after their visit to San Francisco.
His Aunt Eleanor refused to accept any visits from him, and he had no new leads to share with Sarah—meaning, unfortunately, no true reason to contact her. Instead of pursuing the mystery any further, he spent most of his time cooped up in his room at the bed and breakfast, avoiding the proprietor, Joshua, and keeping to himself.
Not so long ago, he’d been happy to lie low, read a book or two, find a show to binge on Netflix… but now he craved more.
Maybe he should get a dog. That is, if the inn would even allow pets. Or maybe it was time he put down actual roots. They didn’t have to be here. He could go anywhere. He at least had enough money left to set up a home and find a new job to fill his days.
But how could he leave without knowing if Eleanor had told him the truth, if he really did have a whole side of the family he knew nothing about? Sure, a few extra cousins, aunts, and uncles wouldn’t change much—but he’d be less lonely, or at least less alone in this world.
Then there was sweet, sweet Sarah Campbell.
As ridiculous as it seemed, he missed her.
But how could he miss someone he hardly knew? And why did it feel like he’d been missing her even before they met?
A sudden cry of pain drew Finch’s attention away from his thoughts, followed by several sharp barks. He rushed out to the main living area where he found Joshua lying on the ground and wincing in pain.
“What happened?” Finch asked, offering the other man his hand.
Joshua attempted to pull himself up but drew back with a strangled look on his face. “Twinged my back. Am I really that old?”
His dog Charlie stood nearby, waiting to make sure his human would be all right. Finch didn’t know dogs well enough to tell if he was happy to be of service to his human or worried about the fall. Maybe it was both.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Joshua scolded the dog. “This is your fault, you know.”
“Mine?” Finch said, still trying to make sense of what had happened.
“No.” Joshua’s tried to sit up again and grunted. “Charlie’s. We’re supposed to go to Dr. Keller’s today for his yearly shots, but Charlie knew exactly what I had planned and refused to come out from his hiding spot under the desk. Yeah, he hates the vet that much. So I tried to pick him up and carry him. He struggled, my back went, and now here I am, lying face up on the ground.”
Finch had never heard Joshua say so much at one time, least of all to him. Poor guy, especially seeing as only Finch was around to offer any help. He’d long ago proven how useless he was when it came to emergencies, and the last thing he needed was for the innkeeper to die or become seriously injured on his watch.
Finch hesitated, trying to push his fears aside. “Are you okay? Do you need me to call someone?”
“Say that again.” Joshua cupped a hand to his ear, reminding Finch that he was mostly deaf.
“Should I call someone for you?” Finch shouted.
“No, I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment.” He reached toward his dog who whined and laid down at his side. Joshua grasped Charlie’s harness and rolled himself over onto his side, grunting in pain as he did.
Finch hovered nearby, not sure what his role in any of this should be.
Suddenly, Joshua laughed. “Oh, hey, will you look at that? There’s my missing pen.”
Finch followed the direction of Joshua’s pointed finger and retrieved the missing writing instrument.
“Thanks,” Joshua said and tucked it in his pocket. “That’s my lucky charm. Went missing weeks ago and I’m afraid my luck went with it. Proves sometimes you just need a new perspective.”
A new perspective. Yes! That’s exactly what Finch needed. Besides, it made for the perfect excuse to see Sarah.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked Joshua one more time, eager to call Sarah and even more eager to see her again.
Joshua raised both arms and allowed Finch to pull him fully to his feet. “There. Good as new. Now, c’mon, you naughty dog.”
Once Finch was sure the innkeeper wasn’t going to take another tumble, he pulled out his phone and texted Sarah: We need a new perspective. Meet me at Cliff Walk in an hour.
Chapter Ten
Just as Sarah had started to accept the fact that she might never see Finch Jameson again, a text message flashed across her phone. He’d invited her out to Cliff Walk, one of the most romantic destinations in all of Redwood Cove—and he’d also said something about needing a new perspective.
Could it be…? Had he decided to put Eleanor’s mystery aside in favor of getting to know Sarah in a different way? Or was she reading too much into the situation?
Probably that. Because no matter how much Sarah swooned for Finch, he was still way out of her league—and any romantic entanglement was out of the question as far as her life plan was concerned.
But then why did her heart leap at the very sight of him? And why had she rushed to join him the moment he called for her?
Finch stood waiting at the trailhead with a pair of bottled waters and a placid expression. Lucky pranced merrily ahead, letting out a puppy whine before slathering Finch in kisses. His tail wagged so hard, it shook his entire body like a crazy balloon man flapping in the breeze outside a car dealership. Normally, he only greeted Sarah with such enthusiasm—and only when they’d actually been apart first.
“I missed you too, buddy.” Finch laughed as he and Lucky continued to greet each other with such familiarity that it gave Sarah the spooks.
“Hi, Finch,” she said shyly, hoping to high heavens that her cheeks weren’t glowing red with embarrassment… or something worse.
He gave Lucky one last pat, then straightened to his full height, a good half foot taller than Sarah. “Thanks for coming.”
“Yeah.” If she wasn’t blushing before, then she definitely was now that he’d turned the full wattage of his smile on her. “Umm, you mentioned a new perspective?”
“Yeah, sometimes I come up here to think, and since two heads are better than one…” He handed her a bottle of water as a pair of joggers breezed past—a man and a woman, a couple from the looks of it. Would she and Finch be like them one day? Meeting after work for a quick burst of exercise, then heading home to tuck in together for the night? The idea excited her more than she cared to admit.
“Sounds like a plan.” She snapped Lucky’s leash to his collar. Although he was normally perfect off leash, the Cliff Walk sometimes attracted bikers and Lucky just couldn’t resist giving chase to the zippy two-wheel vehicles.
They walked side by side down the path which started out wide, but Sarah knew it would soon narrow, pushing them closer together. They’d only been apart for a matter of days, but already all the confidence she had built up while in his presence had been totally depleted. It was almost like meeting him again for the first time.
“I’ll never get sick of the ocean,” Sarah murmured as they broke through the brush to a clear view of the open water gleaming far below. Her tongue felt like a dry sponge, making it difficult to push the words out.
“Aren’t you from close by?” he asked as his hand accidentally brushed against hers.
Sarah gently moved her hand away. As much as she loved the feeling of his skin on hers, it turned her brain to mush. And whether they were here to talk about the mystery or to talk about themselves, she needed all her wits about her tonight.
“I grew up in Ohio,” she explained once she could function again. “No ocean there.”
“What brought you here?” Another brush of skin. This time it didn’t feel like an accident.
“Just… life.” She didn’t talk about her grandmother with anyone. Even though her parents never blamed her for what had happened on her watch, she felt their judgment, their sadness, with each visit—which is why they’d grown increasingly rare over the years.
“Fair enough. Well, as you probably already know, my family has been in California for generations, and I guess it never occurred to me to leave even when I had no family left to stay for.”
Lucky stopped walking and grew very still. His ears perks up and he started to shake and whine softly. A moment later, he let out a loud bark and began to pull and strain against his leash.
Sarah followed the direction of her dog’s gaze, and sure enough… “Whales,” she told Finch, pointing out to sea.
Finch took a step forward, so close she could feel the energy pulsing from his skin. For a moment, she was tempted to reach out and touch him. She rarely made physical contact with people who weren’t her patients, weren’t dying.
“Where?” he asked, squinting into the sun.
