Her Loving Husband’s Return by Meredith Allard

Author:Meredith Allard [Meredith Allard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Sarah was behind the cash register in the Witches Lair when Howard rushed in. He looked sidetracked, as though he had walked into the grocery store for milk and walked out fifteen minutes later with everything but milk.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked.

“Is Olivia here?”

“She’s in the storeroom. I can get her if you need her.”

Howard looked toward the storeroom and shook his head as though he couldn’t decide what to do.

“I’m leaving for California tonight,” he said.

“Why so suddenly?”

The more Sarah studied Howard, the more she saw the tightness behind his yellow-hazel eyes. Were his eyes always so yellow, she wondered? She glanced at the calendar at the phases of the moon and saw the full moon more than a week away.

“Everything is fine, Sarah. I just wanted to let someone know I was leaving.”

“Is Timothy all right?” Sarah’s thoughts turned to James. “It’s not James, is it? You would tell me if something was wrong with James.”

Howard shook his head, the only mannerism he had that afternoon. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m a little distracted today. My mother, brother, and sister are in town, that’s all. James is fine.”

“Do you need me to go to California? Is there something I can do?”

“You need to stay here now. You’ll come to California when it’s time.”

“When will it be time?”

With a friendly kiss on the cheek, Howard disappeared through the door, the bells jingling behind him. Sarah was certain Howard was hiding something, but what? She wanted to ask him what he meant by this cryptic visit, why he asked for Olivia at first, and she raced through the door, searching both ways down Pickering Wharf, around the florist, the coffee shop, and the Rockmore Drydock. She thought she was being followed so she stopped, watching the tourists snapping pictures of the Friendship docked in the bay and the Salem Maritime Historical Site. She felt someone behind her and turned around, but there was no one there, at least no one who seemed to be paying attention to her. She saw mothers out for a walk with their children. She saw tourists browsing in the shops or studying the historical monuments. Suddenly, she felt afraid the way she did when she first moved to Salem and she saw the pock-faced monster following her with his wicked, snake-like chains. She felt paranoid the way she did when she and James fled Salem, fearing what would become of their family if Grace were taken away.

By the time Sarah stepped back into the Witches Lair she was trembling, her mind rattling loose in her skull. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket, thinking to call Howard, but Olivia came out from the storeroom with Grace in her arms.

“What is it, Sarah?”

“Howard is leaving for California tonight. I thought it seemed sudden, but he insisted there’s nothing wrong.”

“You don’t believe him?”

“I don’t know. He seemed distracted.”

Olivia froze suddenly, her eyes closed. Grace also stilled, as though she sensed Olivia needed the quiet.

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