Straight To His Heart Read online

“They do, and no. It’s too far away. I’ll have a session or two before they discharge me in a few days.” Eileen patted his arm. “I’m fine, Flynn. Stop worrying.”

  “Goes against my nature.” As well she knew.

  His mother blinked puppy dog eyes at him as her lips twitched. “Good to have you home, son. We’ve missed you.”

  Hmmmm. He’d suspected she’d taken turning sixty hard, but not hard enough to jump out of a plane.

  “Mom, I have to go.” Wyatt crossed his legs with an urgency that had Flynn glancing down to see if his nephew had already left a puddle.

  “Sure, baby. Caley, can you take him while your uncle and I finish talking? It's just next door.”

  “Okay.” Caley rolled her big blue eyes and heaved a sigh of dramatic proportion. “After can you take us to the playroom?”

  “Absolutely.” Nissa nodded and pushed them toward the door. She leaned out and watched as Caley dragged Wyatt out by the hand. “I’m really glad you’re here, Flynn.”

  Flynn’s smile felt strained. “Here’s hoping others feel the same.”

  “Oh, stop,” Nissa ordered but Flynn caught the flash of uncertainty in her eyes. “Trevor will be fine.”

  Maybe, Flynn thought. Maybe not. “Where’s Dad?”

  “At the restaurant,” his mother said with a warning look on her face. “He was here all morning before the surgery. Drove me batty fussing over me. Told him to go make himself useful elsewhere.”

  Flynn wasn’t surprised. He could only imagine the panic his father must be feeling at the thought of Eileen being anywhere other than his side for the first time in decades. His parents had always been inseparable.

  “I’d better make sure my son doesn’t turn the women’s room into a splash zone.” Nissa cleared her throat and pointed a finger at Flynn in that big sister way she had. As if eighteen months gave her that much leverage over him. “Why don’t you sit down before you collapse? You look like crap.”

  “Love you, too, Sis.” But he didn’t wait for a second invitation as she followed the distant and distinctive sound of squabbling siblings.

  “You’re upset.”

  Flynn resisted the urge to squirm as his mother turned all her attention on him. “I didn’t mean to scare you, any of you, Flynn.”

  “Skydiving, Mom? Really?” All the fear he’d banked surged free. “What on earth put that idea into your head?”

  “Sabrina and I got to talking one day—”

  “Who’s Sabrina?” He sat up straight. “Are you taking advice from your poker ladies?”

  When Eileen didn’t respond, Flynn turned and found her staring at him with the same expression she’d had when he’d nearly set the back shed on fire with illegal fireworks he and Quaid had found in a neighbor’s yard. “Sorry.” Lord but he was doling out apologies by the truckload today. “Out of line, I know.” He shouldn’t be allowed around people when he was this tired.

  “I shouldn’t have to remind you, young man, but I’ve been an adult longer than you’ve been alive. I wanted to do something special, something unexpected and exciting and you know what? For those few minutes up there in the sky, I wasn’t a wife, or a mother, or a grandmother. I was me. Eileen Lafferty. The years melted away. She was right.” She nodded and pointed a determined finger to the chair Nissa had vacated. “I’ve never felt so alive. So I’ll thank you to mind your manners when it comes to Sabrina. She’s been a joy to have around for both me and your father and especially good for Trevor. Especially with you and your brother living so far—”

  Flynn slouched in his chair. He did not pack enough for a guilt trip.

  “Did I tell you we have a garden?” His mother continued. “Two, actually. The one at the house is doing gangbusters and we just started one on the roof of the restaurant. That one was Sabrina’s idea and Trevor’s really done wonders with it. I can’t believe we didn’t think of it before what with all the vegetables and herbs we use, but Sabrina told us it was worth a shot. Trevor’s doing his best but with me out of commission now, I’m afraid he and your father are going to be over their heads especially with our floor manager quitting last week—”

  “Wait, what?” Flynn wasn’t sure he could absorb any more information today. “I thought you said this Laura was absolute perfection.”

  “Well, she was. Our UPS delivery guy thought so, too. They up and eloped after three dates. She and Sabrina got to talking after dinner one night and she reminded Laura that life was too short to worry about making mistakes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled for Laura. I just wish I’d had a bit more warning. Actually, we had everything under control before this happened.” She slapped a hand against her thigh. “But now you’re here, so I’m sure everything will be fine again soon.”

  Would it? Given how his last trip home had ended, he wasn’t so sure.

  “So you need my help with the restaurant and the house.” He purposely didn’t mention the garden. He could kill plastic plants. Not that he knew much more about running a restaurant. Exactly what did they expect him to do? He shouldn’t feel so uncertain around his family, but the truth was, he wasn’t entirely certain how he fit in with them anymore. Not since his blow up with Trevor. “Am I on Caley and Wyatt duty, too? Do they have school?”

  “Trevor’s not in school yet and Nissa has Caley’s school work all organized in the kitchen. You just have to send an email to her teacher once a week with the finished assignments. You or your father can always drop them here at the day care if they get to be too much. It’s open to family members of patients. And I’ll be home soon. If they get bored we have movies and books and games at the house. Oh, check with Sabrina! I’m sure she’d be happy to help. Or offer some suggestions.”

  Flynn gnawed on the inside of his cheek. Not likely. This Sabrina person had already helped his family plenty. The woman sounded like a real troublemaker. Given his mother’s expression, now wasn’t the time to ask precisely what this woman had to do with their family. But one thing felt certain: the further away she stayed from all the Laffertys the better. “Nissa. Everything okay?” He got up and offered the chair, which his sister declined.

  “Oh, they’re fine. I need to get back to the house and load up. I’m staying at the airport hotel tonight since my flight leaves at five a.m.”

  “Okay.” Panic of an entirely different kind settled in his chest. He assumed he’d have a few hours at least to acclimate and get to know her kids a little before he was in charge. But he could do this. He thrived on a challenge. “Once I get caught up on some sleep—”

  “That reminds me,” Eileen said. “I was hoping to get the rest of the spare room unpacked, but.” She gestured to her leg. “That didn’t happen. There’s the foldout sofa in the guest room—”

  “It’ll mean sleeping with the kids. Mom got them bunk beds,” Nissa explained at Flynn’s wide eyes. “Could be worse,” she grinned. “You could be rooming with Trevor, who turned the attic into an apartment.”

  “There’s an air mattress somewhere,” Eileen added. “Your father will know where.”

  “I thought there was a guest house.” There went any hope he had a of a good night’s sleep. Then again, he was too tired to really care.

  “Oh, yes, of course,” Eileen held her hand out for the can of soda Nissa handed her. “But Sabrina rented that three months ago. You’ll be fine, Flynn.” She probably would have patted his hand if he’d been within reach. “Like Sabrina always says, everything works out the way it’s meant to.”

  Chapter Two

  Sabrina Benoit wasn’t sure what brought a bigger smile to her face: eight year old Tara’s joy at receiving her customized doll—complete with a prosthetic leg like the one Tara had been fitted with after losing hers to cancer—or finally meeting the handsome if not befuddled Flynn Lafferty.

  After hearing so much about him from his parents, Sabrina was glad to put a face—and voice—to the man. She got the impression something had caused a rift between the third born Laffer
ty child and the rest of the family, but that hadn’t gotten in the way of their pride in having a successful son. She’d have had to have been blind not to notice the tears in Eileen’s eyes when she’d been told Flynn was on his way.

  The thick silver lining to Eileen’s storm cloud of an injury.

  She caught her lower lip in her teeth. It took a lot to surprise her; even more to set her on edge, but the second she’d locked gazes with him, the ground had dropped out from under her.

  She couldn’t recall the last time a man made her insides quiver as if he’d set off a head to toe chain reaction. The man should come with a warming label: Danger! Trouble ahead!

  She shivered at the memory of misty green eyes that made her think of magic, fairies, and rolling grass-encased hills. One glance at the rest of him told her more than she wanted to know, like the fact he had clearly never met a gym he didn’t like. She’d had to force herself not to ponder whether his taut t-shirt contained a six or eight pack. And those arms of his? She almost had to fan herself. She’d always had a thing for men with arms that looked as if they were built to hold and mold a woman with equal intensity. Add a face that would have made the most virtuous of storybook princesses throw off their chastity belts and, well…

  Nope. Not going there. She’d promised herself years ago never to get involved, especially with a man like Flynn Lafferty. A man who, with a mere glance, conjured up images of candlelight, promises, and forever afters.

  Definitely not going there.

  Sabrina hummed to herself as she reorganized the remaining toys in the oversized suitcase. A toddler doll, three fashion dolls, one of those eighteen inch models that cost almost as much as Sabrina’s rent. All had been restored, re-imagined, and repaired at her hand. New clothes, updated features and hair, each with a tiny heart “birthmark” on the backs of their necks. She stroked a hand down the smooth brown hair and looked into the over-wide amber eyes accented with a touch of sparkle paint. As much as she loved handing out her repaired, refurbished, and tweaked treasures to sick kids at hospitals, she’d always rather go home with more dolls than expected. Doing so meant there weren’t as many patients to worry about. She’d come back to the hospital in a few days and make her usual tour through the Emergency Room and the children’s ward. Check in with the nurses for children of patients who might be in need of something to cuddle or hold on to.

  Or confide in.

  “I thought I’d find you in here.” ChiChi Ryo strode into the hospital playroom with the usual spark in her eye and spring in her step. She stepped around the scattered play tables and chairs, casting a barely there glance at the drawings on the walls, chalkboards leaning on easels, and colorful splotches of color on the ceiling.

  One of the town matriarchs and mavens of wine country, ChiChi was also one of Sabrina’s favorite people in St. Helena. The older woman had never once acted as if Sabrina was unwelcome simply because she hadn’t been born here; never once treated Sabrina as if she didn’t belong. Quite the contrary, Sabrina had the sneaking suspicion she’d become one of ChiChi’s “projects” despite Sabrina’s protestations that she was only passing through.

  “What’s all this?” Sabrina’s eyes went wide as an orderly deposited two boxes on one of the tables. “It’s not my birthday.”

  “You said you hadn’t had time to scour thrift stores for new restoration projects.” ChiChi flipped off the lid on the top box and pulled out a toddler doll that had been used as an art project.

  The doll’s hair was matted and, in some places, gone, exposing the pin hole scalp long tresses had been threaded through. The pink jumper hung by something one might loosely call a thread. Mismatched buttons had been glued on in an unsuccessful attempt at repair. She was missing a chunk off her foot—probably due to a puppy given those teeth marks—and the crayon scribbles noted an attempt at beautification. Sabrina walked closer and took the doll from ChiChi. Her smile widened. So much potential. “This one was certainly loved.”

  “Really?” ChiChi inclined her head, looking far from convinced. “I was thinking maybe it was used as training for a serial killer. Poor thing’s a mess, but Holly insisted we include her.”

  “Your great-granddaughter is a smart girl.” As if ChiChi could refuse Holly anything since her grandson had adopted the little girl after he’d married Holly’s mother. Sabrina straightened the arms and legs and hugged the doll against her chest. Running through her current supplies, she figured she could have this doll back in tip top playing shape in a few days max. “So what’s the exchange rate?” Sabrina peered into the box and nodded appreciatively at the number of dolls awaiting what her grandfather called the Benoit touch. “Don’t pull the shy routine with me, ChiChi.” Sabrina clicked her tongue when ChiChi hesitated. “We’ve only known each other a couple of months, but there’s always a method to your madness.” And if ChiChi was rummaging around through thrift stores, she was definitely up to something.

  “You heard we’ve been toying with the idea for a rummage sale for charity?”

  “Mmmmm.” Sabrina nodded as alarm bells clanged in her head.

  “I want to spin the idea. Rummage to me just says junk. It’s a horrible marketing ploy. Who wants to buy stuff even junk dealers would toss in the trash heap?” ChiChi’s face twisted. “But after seeing what miracles you can work with these lost causes—”

  “No toy is a lost cause.” Sabrina held the doll in one arm as she riffled through the boxes. She’d surrendered to what had recently been defined as Toy Story Syndrome well before she’d hit double digits. Every toy, dolls especially, had a soul, a life. A connection with their owner or even to the person responsible for the final dollop of paint.

  For some children—like Sabrina, who had spent a lot of her youth in a hospital—a doll could be a best friend; a savior. Something to look to beyond herself and cling to during difficult times. Someone to whisper her secrets—or her greatest fears—to.

  “My point exactly,” ChiChi said. “I want to hold a refurbishment sale and silent auction. We want to raise money to build a new playground in the lot behind the Sheriff’s station. All those donated items, furniture, clothes, kitchen stuff, I want people to see what magic they can work on them and you, Sabrina Benoit, are my inspiration. I’ve already got Walt and Constance Larson from the hardware store on board, so you can’t say no.”

  Sabrina’s stomach clenched even as her mind raced with ideas for all the forgotten dolls ChiChi had brought to her. “When is this big event?”

  “Oh, not until the first week in May. To coincide with spring cleaning season. You could get a good portion of these in shape by then, right?”

  There was a spring cleaning season? Sabrina frowned. “I’ll be happy to get done as many as I can before then.” The idea of planning anything—let alone something of importance—anywhere near in advance was enough to set her weakened heart to trembling. Six weeks? To plan so far ahead tempted fate. “But I don’t expect I’ll be here in May.”

  “You aren’t thinking about leaving already, are you?” ChiChi’s voice sharpened. “You’ve only been here a few months. I thought you liked it here.”

  “Of course I like it here.” Worried she might have offended the older woman, Sabrina eased off the verbal throttle. “I love St. Helena.” Just like she’d enjoyed most of the small towns she’d taken up temporary residence in since her grandfather, Armand, passed away a few years prior. “My lease with the Laffertys is up soon and I’m—or was—nearly out of dolls to fix.” Regret pinged in her chest. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about extending her stay. St. Helena was the first place that felt like home in a long time. But staying meant attachments, friendships, relationships and that, Sabrina had to remind herself, was too big a risk to take.

  “I’m the Mary Poppins of dolls, remember?” Sabrina waggled her new project in front of ChiChi. “Once I run out of dolls to restore, I’m off to the next town, hopefully with a favorable wind.” There were always kids wh
o needed what her grandfather called anam cara. A soul friend. And it was Sabrina’s mission in life to give as many dolls and toys a home. For as long as she could.

  “Well.” ChiChi huffed as she tapped restless fingers around the baubles at her throat. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

  “In the meantime,” Sabrina veered off topic. “How about you help me figure out how to get these home on my bike?”

  ~*~

  “You two want to wait in the car or come inside?” Flynn looked over his shoulder at his niece and nephew. The tears had stopped. For now at least. As excited as Caley and Wyatt had been at the prospect of spending time at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s, apparently it had only just occurred to them doing so meant their mom would be leaving. Nissa had only been gone an hour and he was feeling battle weary.

  Try as he might, he couldn’t begrudge his sister’s desire to restart the career she’d put on hold for her family. It had been over a year since her philandering photojournalist of a husband had taken up with his barely out of college assistant. While Flynn had been told the settlement and ensuing alimony and child support was substantial, Nissa had finally reconnected with her old goals and contacts.

  “Well?” He asked again when neither child answered.

  Caley crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip. “I’ll stay.”

  “Go!” Wyatt’s red cheeks expanded as he threw his hands in the air and did a little wiggle in his car seat. “Mom says we should never be alone in the car.”

  “Mom’s not here.” Caley pouted harder.

  “Careful or your face will freeze that way.” The second the words were out of his mouth, Flynn groaned. It had finally happened. He’d quoted his mother. “Okay, you two come with me. I’m sure your Uncle Trevor can find you something to do.”

  He climbed out of his rental SUV. As he’d been over three hours late for his reservation, it had either been this tank or something resembling a roller skate. Not that he’d needed the sports car he’d picked out online, but it had seemed like one way to add a bit of fun to the trip.