Sara's Promise (6 page)

"Is this your wife?" Annie asked, gazing from the photo to William.

A sad, sweet smile appeared on his face. "Yes, that's Sara."

"She's beautiful," Annie said, sincerely. She stared at the photo, feeling as drawn to it as she had been to the painting. There was something so hauntingly familiar about her.

"Yes, she was beautiful. Thank you," William said softly. "That is one of the few photos I have of her. She loved taking pictures and was usually on the other side of the camera. I never realized how few we had of her until after she died."

Silence filled the room. Annie understood. She had few pictures of herself as a child, but in her case, no one had cared enough to take any. They had all been too consumed with their own lives and problems.

Annie broke the silence by changing the subject. "It must be a lot of work, taking care of this big house and the yard. Everything looks spotless."

William chuckled. "I don't do it all alone. I have help. A woman comes in three times a week to clean, do laundry, and bring groceries from a list I leave her. Her name is Alma, and she was a lifesaver when my wife died. I literally didn't know how to do anything. I also have a lawn and garden service work on the yard once a week."

"Ah, that's your secret," Annie said with a grin. "I kind of thought the house was too clean, considering two men live here alone."

"Sandy usually stays on the weekends, too, but there's no way she's going to do our laundry."

They both laughed.

"I'd better go up and change," William said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Annie nodded and watched him walk slowly up the stairs. She walked back over to the patio door and stared out at the beach. Spring in Oregon was beautiful, much warmer than the springs she'd grown up with in Minnesota. Although along the coast, the wind could be quite chilly. It was a Friday afternoon, and a few people were walking along the beach wearing sweaters and jeans to ward off the cool breeze. She thought it strange to be the one looking out for a change instead of looking in. She loved this view, loved how this house sat just high enough above the beach to catch the full view of the ocean. Sunsets must be beautiful here, as well as evenings under the full moon, she thought. How lucky Sara had been to live here with her husband and children.

A sad, hollow feeling swelled inside Annie. Ever since leaving Minnesota and her past behind, she'd found happiness in her life and her work. She had total freedom to come and go as she chose with no ties or schedules to follow, except her own. But this, this was so much more. Children, husband, home. Love. Yes, love. This house was filled with it. Every detail from its design to each piece of furniture had been handled with love. Sara's love, Annie thought, as she wondered about the woman who had unwillingly left this all behind.

She closed her eyes, trying to conjure up an image of Sara in this room, laughing perhaps, teasing, and holding her arms out to her children with such genuine love and affection. She could see her living here, feel her presence. But not all of it was happy and content. Annie felt some anxiety, some regret. Were those Sara's feelings, or her own?

Annie opened her eyes to shake off her sudden negative feelings. As she focused from darkness to the light, a shadow appeared in front of her, making her gasp in surprise. Standing in front of her, staring at her oddly, was the spitting image of William.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," the William look-alike said in a husky voice.

Annie raised a hand to her pounding heart and took a deep breath. On closer inspection she could tell the person in front of her was younger than William, yet so much his mirror image.

"I'm Sam," he offered, coming closer and extending his hand. "Who are you?"

The realization of who he was hit her instantly, and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Sam was William's son. He was tall, like his father, but lankier, and he looked down at her with familiar warm, brown eyes. After a moment, she realized he'd been standing there for some time with his hand extended, and she suddenly felt foolish. Blushing, she extended her own hand to his. His grasp was firm and warm.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here. I thought I was alone," she said quickly as he simply stared at her and smiled. "I'm waiting for your father. He's upstairs."

Their grasp released, and she realized that she'd rattled on without introducing herself.

"I'm Annie Paxton," she said.

A glimmer of recognition sparked in his eyes. "Oh, the photographer. My dad told me about you."

He continued to stand there, staring at her. She was at a loss as to what to say next. He looked tan, windblown, and handsome in a red polo shirt and khaki pants, as if he'd just blown in from a summer's day. She wondered what his dad had told him about her, wondered what he was thinking about her now, and wondered at him being the only family member not to mention the fact that she had blue-green eyes.

"I just came home from school," he told her, breaking the silence. "I get out early on Fridays. I was just on my way to the golf course for practice and thought I'd grab a bite to eat on the way."

He spoke easily, comfortably, as if they were already friends. His whole being reflected easiness. Annie thought he must be the most likable teenager she'd ever met.

"So, you've met Sam, I see," William said, coming up behind her. He'd changed into a red pullover sweater and jeans, and wore a warm smile. He came up beside Sam and placed his hand on his shoulder. Standing together like that, Annie thought they looked like they could be brothers.

"Going out to the golf course?" William asked his son.

Sam nodded. "I'm going to meet the team there in a few minutes."

William turned to Annie, his face beaming with pride. "Sam's the lead player on the high school golf team. He's already been recruited by the University of San Diego to play next year in college."

"That's wonderful," Annie exclaimed, not surprised that this friendly, young man was so accomplished already. "You must be very good."

Sam smiled sheepishly and slipped his hands into his pockets.

"I do okay," he said modestly.

"He has a room full of trophies, so he does better than 'okay'," William said, slapping him gently on the back. "And he's a great student, too. He's on the 'A' honor roll."

Sam reddened a little and shook his head at his dad.

"I'm leaving before you start polishing my halo," he said good-naturedly. He tipped his head at Annie. "Nice meeting you," he said shyly, and left the room.

A moment later, they heard the kitchen door click shut.

"You have a very nice son, William," Annie said after he'd left. "You have every reason to be proud of him."

William nodded. "Thanks. Sam is the easy one, always trying to please. Sandy, on the other hand, was a little more difficult. I think she's coming along better now that she's older."

"I'm sure it hasn't been easy, raising them alone," Annie offered. "It looks like you did fine."

It was William's turn to offer her a shy smile. It had been a long time since he'd spent time alone with a woman, a long time since anyone had complimented him. He wasn't quite sure what to say.

Annie liked that this usually self-assured man could look so humble.

William liked looking into Annie's blue-green eyes.

They left to take pictures of the final houses for the article. There were three more to look at and each one was amazing, but after seeing William's home, somehow the rest just didn't seem to measure up. There was a presence in his house, a feeling, a warmth unlike any she'd ever felt in a home. Annie had always thought houses were just places to live. She'd never felt connected to one, never felt the warmth that homes were suppose to provide. That was one reason she'd been compelled to photograph houses. She was always looking for that special something, that exceptional ingredient that somehow turned a house into a home. In all these years, she'd never found that place, until today at William's home.

Chapter Six

The last photograph had been snapped, and daylight was fading as Annie and William climbed into his Explorer for the final time. The shoots had gone wonderfully. Neither one wanted the day to end, so when William suggested dinner, Annie accepted happily.

He took her down the coast to a pleasant steak house near Cannon Beach. The rustic setting was offset by the soft lighting and the ocean view. They settled into a quiet corner booth. After their drinks arrived, and they'd placed their order, silence fell between them for the first time that day.

"Well," William said after a quiet moment. "Have we finally run out of things to say?"

Annie smiled at him across the table, her eyes bright. She sipped her soft drink as William did the same with his gin and tonic, grinning back at her.

"We've spent the day discussing houses, lighting, and landscapes," Annie said. "Why don't we talk about you?"

William chuckled. "You've been to my office, my house, and met both of my children already. There's nothing more to say about me. It's your turn."

The smile faded from Annie's face. "There's really not much to tell," she said softly.

William cocked his head and studied her a moment. Her eyes were bright blue tonight and her face was sun kissed from being outside in the spring sun. He liked looking at her, her features so petite and womanly, yet her personality so vibrant and strong. She was a wonderful mixture of contrasts, and for the first time since Sara died, he found himself attracted to another woman. The thought startled him, yet he couldn't help his feelings. Just as he couldn't help wanting to learn more about her.

"You must have grown up somewhere," he said, teasingly. "Must have had parents and gone to school, all those normal things. You didn't just drop out of the sky one day like a fallen angel, did you?"

He was teasing her, she knew. There was no trace of sarcasm in his voice. She couldn't help but smile, in spite of herself.

"I grew up in St. Paul," she began softly.

"Minnesota?" he asked, surprise in his voice. He leaned over the table closer to her, interested in what she had to say.

"Yes, Minnesota," she replied with a chuckle. "I went to the University of Minnesota and graduated with an art degree. Then, a few years later, I moved here."

She stopped speaking.

 He cocked his head and stared at her. "That's it? End of story?"

"Pretty much."

"Hmm," he mused, watching her face. There was more, much more, he thought. But he'd have to ease it out of her. "Do your parents still live there?" he asked gently.

Annie sighed. "My mother died when I was three. I don't remember much about her. My father died a few years later, when I was ten. I lived with aunts, uncles, and their families until I went out on my own."

William's brown eyes softened. "I'm sorry," he said, giving the moment a measure of appropriate silence. Then, still curious, he asked, "What made you move here?" He couldn't help asking questions. He was intrigued by her. She was independent, strong-willed, feminine, and sweet all rolled up into one person. And now that this little window of information had opened up to him, giving him insight into her past, he wanted to open it wider and explore it all.

Annie's face lit up, thinking about her reasons for moving here. As far as she was concerned, moving to Seaside was the beginning of her life. "I came to Portland on an assignment for the magazine I worked for in St. Paul. When I saw Seaside for the very first time, I fell in love with it. It was almost like I was drawn to Seaside. I felt I belonged here." She sighed, remembering the move. It happened after a particularly bad year for her. "Most of the people I knew thought I was running away when I moved here. But to me, it felt like coming home."

She looked up at William, a bit shyly, her eyes bright, happy. She’d never spoken so frankly about herself to anyone else except her good friend, Cherise. No one else in her past had ever cared to ask her questions about her life.

He smiled back at her, enjoying the happy look on her face, the sparkle in her eyes. She so reminded him of Sara, but for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why. She was the opposite of Sara in every way, and yet, something stood out, something that warmed his heart, making him feel he was sharing his time with a lifelong friend, not a woman he’d only just met yesterday.

Their food arrived, and they ate heartily as their conversation flowed easily. He asked about her work, and she asked about his. He told her about the current design he was working on, and she told him about the Victorian house shoot she’d just completed. They grew full from the food they ate but could not seem to get their fill of each other.

As they sat over coffee, Annie asked, “Why do you only design houses? Your firm is known for its expert work in shopping malls, condominiums, and business complexes. Most people would want to be involved with the big businesses.” She gazed at him, her eyes ablaze with interest. He returned her steady gaze.

“I used to be a part of all that, but I never really enjoyed designing large facilities. And the amount of hours and work it took to do the big jobs was staggering. When Sara was alive, I did both. I’d work with my partner all day on bigger projects, then go home to my den and do what I loved, design homes.” He sighed, his eyes staring off now at some distant place.