#richardmaxters

Richard inclined his head, a chuckle escaping him as he looked down at Roger as his son looked up at him. “Sarah, this is my son, Roger. Roger, this is Sarah.”

As he turned to look up at Sarah, Roger held out his hand. “Hi, Miss Sarah. It’s nice to meet ya.”

Sarah tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as she bent down and took his offered hand and shook it. “And it’s very nice to meet you, Roger.” Straightening up, she eyed Richard with an impressed look. “He’s very well behaved.”

“His mother, his step-father, and I have been firm in teaching him manners though most of the credit belongs to Maria.”

“Well, don’t sell yourself short. Come on in, I don’t want the neighbors thinking I’m forcing you to stay outside,” she replied with a laugh as she stepped aside to allow them entrance. She locked the door then motioned with her arm to the living room. “You’re welcome to sit down. Can I get you anything?”

“Water, if you don’t mind,” Richard replied before looking at Roger who had immediately taken up a spot on the couch. “What about you, Roger?”

“Water, please.”

Sarah nodded her head and moved to the kitchen, bringing back two bottles of water with her before handing them out. “There you are.” Her attention was caught when Biff came running down the stairs and heading straight for the new person in the household. Watching closely to pull Biff away if he became too rowdy, she couldn’t help but smile as all Biff did was sniff at the boy before hopping into his lap.

“The animals love him,” Richard stated as he watching Biff and Roger interact with a smile. “Maria and Craig have several dogs that just follow him around. I’ve had to stop him several times from taking a stray home.”

“I’ve had to do the same with Oliver. He’s been insisting we get a cat, but I’m still on the fence about that one.”

Richard nodded his head before looking over at her, his head inclining a bit. “While Roger and Biff are getting acquainted, I do have a favor to ask. Can we talk in the kitchen?”

Nodding her head, Sarah motioned for him to follow her then settled down in one of the kitchen table chairs, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Taking the seat next to her, he sighed softly. “Are your kids going trick-or-treating tonight?”

“Yeah, they are. Well, I mean, Oliver is, Hunter’s just going as his bodyguard and candy holder. Why?”

“Do you think Hunter would mind taking Roger along with them?”

“Uhm, I can ask him but I don’t think he would mind at all.” She tilted her head. “What’s going on?”

“Maria and Craig aren’t able to take care of him tonight and I said I would take care of him, but I’m not really one..”

“For the Halloween festivities,” Sarah finished with a chuckle. “No, I get it. Here, I’ll go upstairs and ask him. You go spend time with Roger, keep Biff from licking his face off.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently before standing up and heading towards the stairs.

———————————————————————————————————

Sarah bounded up the stairs then knocked on Hunter’s door. When she heard confirmation to enter, she turned the knob and walked inside his room. She found him with books and papers of homework surrounding him at his desk and he took his headphones out of his ears to turn and look at her. “Hey, think you can take a break for a minute? There’s something that I need to ask you.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Richard’s downstairs and he brought his son with him,” she started out as she sat down on the edge of his bed. “And I know that you’re already taking Oliver out tonight, but would you mind if you took Roger with you too?”

“Roger?”

“That’s his son’s name.”

“Oh, gotcha. Uh, yeah, sure.”

“You mean it? You can say no, Richard won’t mind if you do.”

Hunter chuckled before shaking his head. “And disappoint my future step-dad? Yeah, right.”

Sarah blushed deeply before tossing a pillow in his direction. “Hunter, please!”

“Alright, alright, I was joking. Well, maybe only halfway, but I mean it. I don’t mind taking him with me at all. How old is he?”

“He’s eight and he’s well-behaved.”

“I would expect so considering who his dad is.” Turning back to his computer, he quickly saved his files on the computer and his flash drive before stacking all of his papers. “I can put this on pause. I want to go downstairs and say hi to them.”

———————————————————————————————————

As Sarah went upstairs, Richard made his way back to his son and sat down on the couch with him, smiling when Biff made his way over to him and greeted him. “So, what did you think of Sarah?”

“She’s nice. I can see why you like her.” Roger smiled wide when Biff made his way back to him and he curled his arms around the dog and began to scratch the Westie underneath his chin. “Why are we here?”

“Well, I was wanting to ask Sarah a question, see if she agreed.”

“You can’t take me trick-or-treating, can you?”

Richard looked over at his son, eyeing him before shaking his head. He despised disappointing his son, but Halloween was the one night a year that he preferred to remain indoors, away from the hustle and bustle and idiots and other children who were not his own or Sarah’s. “Roger,” he started before trailing off as he took in his son’s expression. “You’re not mad? I thought you would be.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not taking you trick-or-treating?”

“I know you don’t like it and that’s okay. But I still get to go trick-or-treating?”

Richard nodded his head. “Yes, you’ll still get to go. If Hunter can take you, then he’ll take you otherwise I will take you myself, I promise.”

Smiling and nodding his head, Roger returned his attention to Biff, satisfied that no matter what, he was going to get his worth in candy that evening.

Richard looked up when he heard footsteps on the stairs and stood up when he saw it was Sarah and Hunter heading their way. From their expressions, it looked like Hunter had agreed to the plan. “So I take it you’ve agreed?”

———————————————————————————————————

Hunter made his way down the last step and nodded his head. “‘Course. I don’t mind taking Roger along with me at all,” he replied with a smile before shaking Richard’s hand. Turning to Roger, he smiled and waved. “Hey, Roger, I’m Hunter. It’s nice to meet you. I hope that it’s okay I’m taking you trick-or-treating tonight.”

“Yeah, it is!” Roger replied with an enthusiastic wave of his own. “When are we leaving?”

Hunter chuckled at his enthusiasm. “We’re not leaving for a few hours. Do you have a costume?”

Roger shook his head and Hunter eyed him curiously. “Come on upstairs. I’m pretty sure we have some extra supplies to make you something.” Turning to Richard, Hunter tilted his head. “Is that okay with you?” When he received a nod in reply, Hunter motioned with his hand for Roger to follow and the two of them with Biff at their heels hurried up the stairs.

Turning to Richard, Sarah smiled at him. “Told it was nothing to worry about. And they’ll only be out for an hour or two just around the neighborhood and a few streets over,” she said, hoping to keep him from worrying. “And I’ll even tell Maria if that’s what keeps you from getting in trouble.”

Richard laughed before shaking his head. “That won’t be necessary, I promise. Maria trusts me and by extension, you. I told her what I had planned and she agreed, but if you need to call her you’re more than welcome to. I think she would appreciate it.”

“Well, they’re not leaving for a few hours so I’ll wait until then. So, what were you planning to do now that you managed to get out of the Halloween festivities?”

Richard chuckled. “Well, I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind the company tonight.”

“With you? I don’t mind at all.”

———————————————————————————————————

Two hours later after sending the kids off with Hunter promising to text them every so often, Sarah and Richard found themselves each enjoying a small glass of wine out in the gazebo.

“This is a much better way to spend Halloween, don’t you think?”

“Agreed,” Richard replied with a chuckle before taking a sip of his wine. “I wouldn’t be able to stand much of the crowds and with Roger’s ability to read me like a book as most children seem to be able to, I fear that that wouldn’t be conducive to his candy hoard.”

“Well, don’t worry. Hunter will make sure that Roger gets his fair share.”

“I’m glad. I owe Hunter after this one. He’s an amazing kid.”

“He’ll gladly take you up on that offer. Just buy him something of the dessert variety and he’ll consider it even.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sarah chuckled and took a sip of her wine before placing it down in her lap. She was enjoying this. After James, she had felt that she never would have found anyone to truly care for her and not want anything else in return or only care for her for ulterior motives. Now that she had found something like that with Richard, she was loathe to give that up so soon. “You know what Hunter said tonight?”

“What?”

“When I asked him if it would be okay for Roger to tag along with him, he said that he would take him because he didn’t want to disappoint his future step-dad.”

Richard chuckled, hoping that the shadows from the incoming twilight would help to hide the slight redness of his cheeks. “If that was the reason, then he definitely won brownie points from me. As for the whole step-dad thing, I don’t know if he was overshooting things, but we’ll have to see.”

Sarah chuckled before leaning her head on his shoulder, surprised at her boldness and the fact that he allowed it.

They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts and it wasn’t until darkness had really settled in and the outside lights came on that they both sort of awakened. Adjusting her head on his shoulder, she sighed softly. “Do you ever think it would happen?”

“What would?” he questioned, his voice soft as to not disturb the night’s peace.

“Us getting married. I mean, if that is in the cards from what we have going on?”

Richard hesitated for a few seconds before looking over at her. He wasn’t sure where the topic had come from, but he would never deny that such a thing had crossed his mind. While they were still on tentative ground what with her case just now over, he could still imagine a future just as he was certain she could. “I could see that happening. Not for a while yet and certainly not if you’re opposed to such a thing.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed,” Sarah replied with a smile. “I think it would be nice.”

“How so?”

Sarah pulled her legs up so that they were to the side, still keeping her head on his shoulder. “I mean, it would be nice to have somebody to come home to, to talk about the day with or when the repairman is coming or if someone has a wedding to go to what we would give them or would we even make it.”

Richard waited silently as he imagined the scenes she was laying out.

“It would just be nice to trust someone and have them trust you and make a life with someone.”

Smiling softly, Richard placed a kiss to her forehead. “I think it would be nice as well.”

“You do?”

“Of course.” Richard could hear the hesitancy in her voice, the disbelief. “I never thought that such a thing was in my cards. That was always my brother and I was envious when he found Julie, wondering what that would be like for myself. I knew Maria and I would never work out and she and Craig are excellent together, but I still wished for such a life. I just hadn’t found the right person yet.”

Sarah looked at him, her head tilted as her eyes narrowed slightly. “Would you be alright if that person was me, later on down the line?”

“Of course, but only if I would be the alright choice for you.”

“You would be,” she replied with a chuckle. Sighing softly, she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For listening and not thinking I’m insane.”

“Of course, Sarah. I’d never think you were insane.”

Sarah smiled as she lifted her head. “Well, that’s a relief.” The sound of the front door opening caused them both to look over towards the house. “I think the kids are back.”

Nodding his head, Richard stood up. “I think they are,” he said, seeing three shadows in the kitchen milling about. Turning, he offered Sarah his hand. “But I think taking our time up to the house would be okay, considering they’d want their chance at looking at their haul.”

She took the offered hand and picked up her wine glass as she stood up, linking her arm in his as they both made their way back to the house. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on the candy. Hunter has such a bad sweet tooth.”

“Roger does as well. I do let him have a few pieces, but Maria’s a bit more strict but he keeps the candy longer so I’m sure he’s alright with the arrangement.”

Sarah nodded her head as they made their way inside the house, both of them smiling when they saw Hunter holding Oliver and keeping Biff away from the candy haul and Roger picking out his favorites from the haul. “Hey, how did the evening go?”

“It went really well,” Hunter replied at the same time that Roger replied with an enthusiastic “It was awesome!”

Richard walked over to Roger and ruffled his hair. “Picking out your favorites?”

“Yeah, Hunter said it was okay.”

Looking over at Hunter, Richard sent him a grateful smile which Hunter returned with a nod. “That’s nice of him. So, you ready to go? I promised your mom I would have you home by ten.”

Roger nodded his head before picking up his bag of candy and hopping down from his chair. He smiled as he thanked Hunter before giving Sarah a hug which she returned after looking over at Richard, surprise written all over her face. He grabbed his dad’s hand and began tugging him towards the front door. “I think that I’m leaving,” Richard said with a chuckle. “Thank you, Hunter. Alright, bud, slow down!”

Richard paused at the front door, motioning to Sarah, before gently tugging at Roger’s hand. “If you give me a few minutes with Sarah, I’ll let you have an extra piece of candy on the way home.” At his son’s nod, he unlocked the car doors and made sure Roger was safely inside before turning back to Sarah once she sent her kids upstairs.

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I just wanted to say thank you and to ask that you thank Hunter again for me. I appreciate what he did tonight and I really did enjoy tonight.”

“I did as well and don’t worry, I’ll make sure he knows.” Sarah eyed his car and laughed when she saw Roger already getting into his stash of candy. “I don’t want to cut you short, but I think your son’s getting into his candy already.”

Richard looked and sure enough, he saw Roger already into his candy stash. “Oh, let him. Maria can’t fault me for one night of the year.” Turning back to Sarah, he shook his head. “But in any case, I need to get going. Thank you again, Sarah.”

As he turned to go, Sarah placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him then gently leaned up to kiss him, pulling away when they both needed to breathe. “Okay, now you can go,” she said with a smile and pushed him softly towards the direction of his car. “I don’t want your son getting into his stash too much. Call me if you have time, but if not, I’ll see you later.”

Richard nodded his head, walking slowly down the stairs. “I’ll make sure to call. Good night, Sarah,” he said with a reply before hurrying to his car as Sarah shut the door behind him.

Sarah locked the door and started the alarm before checking in on the kitchen, seeing that the candy had been moved upstairs. Running upstairs, she made sure Oliver was taken care of and asleep before making her way to Hunter’s room. Knocking on the door, she made her way inside when she was allowed entry. She smiled at him, noticing that he was already in his pajamas. “I won’t keep you up, I know you’re tired.”

“Ah, that’s okay. What’s up?”

She walked over and hugged him tightly. “I’m just proud of you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, Mom, I know, but I still like hearing it,” he replied with a smile.

“And I mean it,” she pulled back, “and Richard wanted me to tell you thank you again. He really appreciates what you did for him and Roger.”

“And I’d do it again. Roger’s a really great kid.”

Smiling, she began to move towards the door. “Well, thank you. Go ahead and get ready for bed. I have the alarm set and  I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Slowly getting out of bed, she wrapped her robe around her, thankful that whoever was standing on her front porch hadn’t used the doorbell and that Biff wasn’t barking up a storm. When she opened the door, the Westie made his way down the stairs, his master following behind him although a bit slower since Sarah was still certain she would probably fall down the stairs if she didn’t take it easy.

Biff waiting patiently with no frenzied barking to be heard let her know that it was a friendly on the other side of that door so she turned off the alarm before opening it. A bright, but sleep-filled, smile appeared on her face when she saw Richard, looking far too chipper and dashing in his suit for it being so early, standing at the door with two cups of coffee in his hands. “Richard, what are you doing here so early?” Still smiling, she accepted one of the cups with a nod before she motioned for him to come inside.

“I know it’s early, hence the coffee as a peace offering,” he stated as he made his way inside, bending down to scratch Biff behind the ears before turning to face Sarah again. A tender smile appeared as he looked at her. Even with her robe tied haphazardly, the evidence of too little sleep on her features, he still thought she was beautiful. “I figured that you were still asleep, so that’s why I knocked. I do hope that you aren’t too tired to hear my proposal.”

Sarah’s eyes showed interest as she sipped the coffee. It was sweet, with just the right amount of sugar and cream. “An offer?” she said as she made her way to the kitchen. “I’ll only hear it if you tell me how you knew how much sugar and cream to put in this because it’s the perfect amount.”

“I would say it was because I’m psychic, but honestly it was a lucky guess. At least I know how you like your coffee now.” He followed behind her, Biff following behind him. “It’ll be good information in the future.”

Turning to glance at him as she moved to the sink, she tilted her head. “You expect to be bringing me coffee early in the morning a lot more now?”

If I’m so lucky, he thought as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

Chuckling, Sarah set the coffee down before moving to fill up Biff’s food bowl. Once the Westie was happily eating, she sat down in the chair next to Richard, coffee in hand. “So, what’s this proposal you were talking about?”

Richard turned to face her. “This proposal consists of you allowing me to take you out on another date tonight. Around 7:00? We’ll be back a bit late, I do have some things I would like to discuss with you, but nothing near as horrid as what we have been discussing.”

Leaning back in her chair, Sarah tilted her head, studying him. In all honesty, she wanted to go out again with him. She hadn’t had as much fun in years and she was certain that he had already talked things over with her grandparents and her kids. It was probably why they had been acting so secretive the past few days, but she couldn’t blame them. They all adored Richard, she as well, and there was no harm in going, especially since she’d had fun and find out what he wanted to discuss with her. “Alright, I’ll go, but on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You have to buy me a piece of cheesecake before the night is over.”

Richard chuckled before nodding his head. “Anything you wish. I can certainly do that for you.” Sparing a glance at the clock, Richard returned his attention to her. “I need to get back to your grandmother’s office. While I’m here, she has been very generous in allowing me to work, but I dread her ire if she notices I’m late. She allowed me here, but I don’t dare to push my luck.”

Sarah nodded in understanding. “Say no more. I know exactly how she is.” Standing up with him, she walked him to the door before turning to face him when they reached it. “I’ll see you again, tonight at 7?”

“Tonight at 7,” Richard said before giving her one last smile then walking out the door, hearing the sound of the door close and lock behind him.

———————————————————————————————————

Later that evening, Sarah was in her room, finishing up putting on her mascara when she heard someone knock on the door. “Hunter, can you get that?” she called out, smiling when she heard him moving down the stairs. Hearing voices a few seconds later, she could only assume that it was Richard at the door. Taking one more look at herself in the mirror, she deemed herself presentable before heading downstairs as well.

Dressed in a short, blue dress that draped over her body with cap sleeves, and white wedges that sported a blue crystal on the apex of the shoe, her blonde hair left loose to drape her face, she couldn’t help but feel as though she were Cinderella when she saw the way Richard’s jaw slacked open upon seeing her. “I didn’t really know what to wear, so I hope this is okay?”

Regaining control of himself, Richard nodded before offering his hand to help her the rest of the way down the stairs. “You look absolutely beautiful, Sarah.”

“And you look very handsome, Richard.” He had dressed in a dark blue suit, tailored to fit him perfectly, and a black tie to pull the ensemble together. It seemed that blue was the theme of the evening and she smiled when she met him at the bottom of the stairs.

After telling Hunter briefly of the rules, which he had sworn he would abide by, they were in the car and on their way to the restaurant shortly after.

“What sort of reservations do we have tonight?” she asked, turning her head to look at Richard.

“I thought I would surprise you. I will however tell you that it’s a quiet, sort of intimate place. You get a table through reservation only and thankfully for us, tonight is the slowest night of the week. There’ll be very few people there which gives us a chance to talk.”

“Talk about what?” she pried with a smile on her face though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety that she didn’t know what was going to be talked about.

Reaching over without taking his eyes off the road, Richard took her hand in his and squeezed gently. “Good things, I promise.” He let go of her hand placing it back on the steering wheel then looked over at her. “At least I think it’s good things. Trust me, if it were anything I was worried about, you would already know. I promise you that.”

Sarah nodded, feeling a bit more at peace as they continued their drive to the restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, they were parked and settled into their seats at the back of the restaurant, with a vantage view of the entire restaurant from where they were sitting. After ordering their meals, Richard and Sarah had decided to each have an alcoholic beverage, a manhattan for him and a cosmopolitan for her. It wasn’t normally something she did, but she figured that once in a while, especially in good company, wouldn’t hurt her.

Sipping on their drinks as they waited for the waiter to return, they exchanged stories: she of her time as a teacher and early years living in New York and he with his childhood pranks he played with his brother and his time as a lawyer. Time flew as the appetizer was ordered followed by their main course and finally cheesecake for dessert, to allow him to keep his promise to her from earlier.

As other patrons left, leaving only a few left in the restaurant and their drinks pushed aside, his half full and hers a third full, Sarah found herself laughing so hard at one of his stories, she could feel her sides aching.

“So, wait, you’re telling me your mother wasn’t mad at the fact that you and your brother had both tried to steal horses after making your way through the liquor cabinet?”

“No, far from it! She thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen! She uses it quite a bit as revenge if we go too far at dinner parties, even bringing out some pictures she took.” Richard shook his head. “She has one of my brother facing backwards on the horse and one of me falling off of the other. Of course, she made us pay her back for the liquor, but she always has a smile when she talks about it.”

Sarah chuckled before taking a sip of water, feeling flushed as she did so. She couldn’t remember that last time she had been this at ease, this relaxed and she certainly didn’t want it ending just yet. Thankfully, she could tell by the way Richard was now looking at her that the evening was far from over. Placing her water back on the table, she tilted her head. “As much as we’ve enjoyed each other’s stories, I have a feeling you want to talk about whatever it is you had in mind, right?”

Nodding, Richard cleared his throat. “I do. And I ask that you please, let me say what I need to say before you ask questions or run off screaming into the night.”

Eyes narrowing at his latter comment, she nodded her head. “Of course. I won’t interrupt.”

Taking in a breath, Richard nodded once again, leaning forward a bit so his forearms rested against the side of table. “Sarah, when I arrived in New Haven to take on your case, I thought it was going to be a simple case, easy to win, and I would be out of here quickly. But I’m happy that wasn’t the case at all. Throughout my time working on your case, I caught a glimpse of you underneath everything that life has thrown at you and your strength is inspiring, absolutely inspiring.”

“I think it was the first moment that I saw you that I fell for you and since then, my…attraction, I suppose is the best word, for you has only grown in the time that we’ve spent together. Now, I don’t expect you to jump into a relationship or even want to begin something. I don’t expect anything from you, Sarah, but I wanted to tell you that. I needed to tell you that. Whatever your answer is, just know that I will accept whatever it is that you choose you want. If you’d like, we can start something, remain friends - whatever you decide.”

Sarah sat back stunned, her eyes remaining on him as she thought over what he had told her. She couldn’t deny that she was attracted to him, very attracted to him, and it wasn’t just his looks. Her kids adored him, his demeanor was charming yet not too much as though he were putting on a show. He had gone above and beyond for her, proving his character and yet he was willing to take whatever decision she told him and it wasn’t something that she took lightly. She breathed out as she looked at him, really looked at him, and she knew then what her decision would be. This time, she knew she wouldn’t regret one single moment with him.

“I would like to start something with you. I can’t promise where it’ll end, but I’m willing to give it a try.”

Unable to hide the smile on his face, Richard nodded his head. “This is at your pace, Sarah. I will never force you to do something that you don’t want to do, I promise you that.”

At his words, she matched his smile with one of her own, knowing she was blushing deep, but thankfully the candlelight managed to hide its appearance.

As the conversation drifted towards other topics that were not nearly as exciting in her opinion, they were soon presented the check and heading back towards her home. When they arrived, Richard got out of the car, moving around to open her door for her and help her out of the car. Walking in sync up to the door, they both stopped at the front door.

Brushing her hair behind her ears, Sarah smiled. “I had a really, really lovely time tonight, Richard. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Believe me, you agreeing to something more between us was more than enough thanks.”

Sarah nodded her head, unable to hide her blush this time.

Awkward though it was, the two of them standing on the porch like lovestruck teenagers, it was still comfortable and Richard was the first to break the stare. “Well, I’ll let you go now. Wouldn’t want Hunter thinking we were getting any ideas.” Leaning in, he placed a kiss on her cheek, a smile in place when he pulled away. “Good night, Sarah.”

Sarah remained rooted to the spot, biting her lip as she watched him walk down the porch steps. While she knew that he wouldn’t expect her to reciprocate, she knew that she wanted to. She knew if she wanted things to work, she had to try. Richard wasn’t James and she wanted to let him know she was 100% on board with everything here. “Richard, wait!” she said before moving down the porch steps to him. Without pausing to analyze or think, she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek before kissing him gently on his lips.

She didn’t even have time to worry that the action was unwanted because nearly as soon as her lips had touched his, a hand was on her lower back and another on the back of her neck, returning the kiss. His hands were gentle enough to let her know where they were and yet she could pull away at any time and that allowed her to relax, the lips continuing on until they both had to pull away for air.

Looking at him, she smiled softly when she saw the look of adoration he wore. “So, that’s okay, then?”

“Definitely okay,” was his reply before he bent to capture her lips again with his own.

They pulled away earlier this time, soft smiles on both of their faces as they looked at the other.

“I told you that I had a really lovely time tonight, right?”

“Yes, you did. Doesn’t mean I don’t like hearing it again.” Sensing her want to stay in his arms, he dropped his arms to encircle her waist, his smile widening when she felt her arms wrap around his neck.

“Well, I meant it the second time around too.”

Richard chuckled. “Listen, Sarah, I meant what I said. As much as I enjoyed that, this is at your own pace, remember that.”

Nodding, Sarah relaxed into his embrace. “I don’t want this to end, but if I don’t get inside soon….” She trailed off as she looked at her house before looking back at him. “Think you can get off of work tomorrow?”

“Only three hours into this and you’re already suggesting I play hooky from work?” Richard teased before nodding his head. “Jokes aside, yes, I’m sure I can get off work tomorrow.”

“Come over. About 11? The kids’ll be in school, I’ll take one of my vacation days. We’ll order in and just talk. Sound good?”

Richard nodded his head immediately. “That sounds perfect. 11 is it tomorrow.” Leaning down, he gently kissed her once more. “Thank you,” he said against her lips.

“For what?”

Pulling away to look in her eyes, he inclined his head slightly. “For trusting me. I don’t take it lightly, Sarah, I hope you know that.”

“I know it,” she replied. She pulled away when she saw a light come on in the living room. Placing one more kiss to his cheek, she smiled softly. “Thank you again for this evening.” Heading back up the porch steps, she looked over her shoulder. “I expect you here at 11 tomorrow. Don’t forget!”

“What? Is something wrong with that?”

Of course there was something wrong with that, or at least, to her there was something wrong with that. What if they didn’t like her? She knew that not everyone would be like the people in the town, but she had always assumed the worst. She would hate to break that streak now. Placing her cup of tea down on the table, Richard having surprised her with an early morning visit which consisted of a cup of coffee each to get their head in the right mindset, she sighed softly. “Why?”

“Why…what?”

“Why do you want me to meet your family?”

“I’ve told them about you. They’re interested in seeing you.”

“Interested?”

“Yes.”

“In me?”

“Yes. Why all the questions? If you don’t want to meet them, Sarah, you can always say no.” A small smile appeared on his face. “I won’t get mad at you.”

Sarah returned his smile, albeit hesitantly. “I would like to meet them, but…”

“But what?”

“Are they, you know, anything like the people…here?”

At that Richard outright laughed but reined in his mirth when he saw the hurt look on Sarah’s face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.” He reached over and gently placed his hand on top of hers. “Sarah, believe me, my family is the farthest thing from these people here. You’ll love them, they’ll love you.” He looked down at his watch, checking the date. “And if you’re lucky, you may even be able to meet my brother and his wife. They usually take a week or two off every couple of months to come up and visit.

“Where do they live?”

“Washington. Julie’s always been a big fan of the West Coast and as long as where they lived was a thousand miles away from Maine, Jonathan was happy to follow suit.”

“Did he not like Maine?”

“He didn’t like our mother.”

Sarah nearly choked on her next sip of tea. “What? Why?”

“My brother was always the troublemaker between us. You can guess why he doesn’t like her.”

“She curbed his pranks.”

“Got it in one.”

Sarah looked down at her tea, contemplating before returning her attention to him. “Alright, I’ll go.”

“Just you.”

“But…the kids -“

“Will be fine, Sarah. One weekend. Please? Just one. Just one to relax, meet some new people, and have some time off. Your kids will be safe and sound here with your grandmother and grandfather.”

“I..I don’t know.”

“I promise that if you don’t want to stay the entire time, we will pack up and leave. All you have to do is say the word. But if you do stay, I can promise you people who will stand up for you at a moment’s notice. Besides, I’m pretty sure Julie’s already got a few things in mind for you two to do.”

“She knows I’m coming?” At his expression, she furrowed her brow but was unable to stop a small smile from appearing on her face. “You had this planned, didn’t you?”

Caught in the act, he chuckled before bashfully nodding his head. “Alright, I admit. I had the whole thing set up. But, will you go? You can still say no.”

It didn’t take her long to make her decision. “Alright, I’ll go. When do we leave?”

—————————————————————————————————

Once Sarah had agreed, she realized that one weekend started the few minutes after she agreed and that she had to go pack. Apparently, Richard had already taken care of the babysitter because she could barely get upstairs before her grandmother had called to say that she was taking care of the kids until she got back and she would hold them there until she returned after the weekend was through. The text message from her grandfather had said the same thing though without the threat of hostage taking, which she thought was nice. She had managed to get her belongings together just as Richard pulled into the driveway. She had hurried outside, kissing her kids goodbye before practically being pushed out the door. It seemed Hunter was more eager for the vacation she was going to get than she was.

The drive up to Maine hadn’t taken them long at all though she had slept most of the way there so she figured that could have been why. It was the only thing left to do since Richard absolutely refused to let her do anything of the driving. As they pulled up to his family home, she sighed softly, suddenly nervous. “You sure this is a good idea, Richard?”

Richard looked over at her before slowly nodding his head. “Yes, I’m sure. Everything’ll go fine. You’ll see.”

Sarah exhaled heavily before pulling off her seatbelt and stepping outside. She had to get out of the car while she still had the courage to do so. Meeting new people, she never had been amazing with it. Maybe her luck would change, but all she could do now was wait and see what would happen. She jumped when she heard the trunk slam, turning to see Richard carrying their bags to the door. “I can help you with those.”

“And if my mother saw me letting you take your own luggage, she would tear me a new one. I’m on her property now. Unfortunately that means that I have to mind my manners.”

She noticed the smirk on his face and chuckled. “Since when do you not mind your manners?”

“Do me a favor. When you get inside, make sure that you tell her what you just said.”

“Will do.”

She waited as he unlocked the door before stepping inside first, much to her extreme discomfort. Richard reminded her of Connor in a way. He wouldn’t take no for an answer either. It seemed that walking in first would become a regular occurrence around here for her. Taking in all the furnishings and decor, she couldn’t help but be impressed. Movement behind her caught her attention and she turned to see Richard setting the bags down by the door before closing it behind him. “It’s so beautiful in here. Homey would probably be better.” She smiled softly. “Whoever decorated has very good taste.”

“A compliment just as she steps in the door. I already like this one, Richard.” The new voice caused Sarah to jump and she turned just in time to see a woman walking towards them from the kitchen. Sarah couldn’t help but think she was beautiful. Shoulder-length brown hair framed the woman’s youthful appearance and the clothes, designer she noticed but not overly done, were nicer than what she would ever come to afford. But it was the friendly demeanor that caught her off-guard. She knew this had to be Richard’s mother and for some reason, she had imagined a woman just like Clara Dodgson from the no-nonsense way his mother had been described. She was more than happy to be wrong because Clara and Liza Maxters were already two very separate women.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Maxters.”

“And manners too? She’s perfect.” As she walked closer, Liza held out her hand to the younger woman who had stolen her youngest’s heart and smiled. “But please, I insist you call me Liza. The only people who call me anything like you just did are clients and you most definitely aren’t a client.” She pulled her hand away before motioning for them to follow her. “Richard, leave those bags there. Your father’s already insisted on taking them up himself.”

“Yes, ma’am. Where’s everyone else?”

“Your father’s in the backyard along with your grandpa. Julie and Jonathan should be here soon. They - well, Julie in any case - got caught up in a shopping spree and they said they would be here as soon as possible.”

“Which just means that it’ll take them all night to get here.”

“You’d be surprised. Julie’s very excited to meet Sarah, as is everyone else.” She led them to the backyard, allowing them both to step through the sliding glass door first, before shutting it behind her. Liza cleared her throat as they walked closer to the two men in front of the barbecue, the sound of an argument reaching Sarah’s ears. “If you two would like to leave that conversation for later, you can come and meet our guest. Harry, Dad, this is Sarah. Sarah, this is my husband, Harry, and my father, William.”

Sarah smiled, hoping that it didn’t look too forced. She had heard a lot about Liza, but never anything about Harry or William, or anyone else in Richard’s family for that matter. Tidbits here and there were all she really got and that didn’t put her much at ease. Her worries were soon erased when both men smiled good-naturedly at her. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Sarah. Richard’s told us a lot about you,” Harry stated with a chuckle.

“Good things?”

“Plenty of them. And you’ll have to forgive me for not shaking your hand, but I really don’t want to get barbecue sauce all over you.”

William laughed before nodding his head. “Harry and I have different viewpoints on how to grill.  Barbecue sauce tends to fly every time we get together. Happens every time we gather for one of these things.” He walked forward and took her hand in his, giving her a handshake. “But it really is nice to meet the face behind the words, Sarah.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.”

It looked like William would have said more had the sliding glass door not opened once more and two more people came out to join the group, causing Sarah to turn around to greet the newcomers.  Glancing over at Richard, she tilted her head. “Is that —?”

“Julie and Jonathan.” He raised his voice a little louder, a smirk appearing on his features. “It sure didn’t take them long in getting here. Are there still some shops with items in stock?”

“Oh, please, brother. Like there’s anything left in stock with Julie around.” Jonathan ducked out of the way of a punch to the arm, laughing. “Come on, Jules, you love to shop! I’m only stating fact.”

“Keep it up and the next shopping trip won’t be cut nearly as short, Mister.” Even though the words might have been sharp, Sarah could tell by the small smile on the other woman’s face that she didn’t mean it. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet the lady my brother-in-law has been constantly talking about.”

“I have not been constantly talking about Sarah. If you received any sort of information about her, it’s from Mother.” Sparing a glance at Sarah, he noticed she was blushing deeply which he found endearing. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “it hasn’t been constant chatter about you. I promise.”

“So, you’re Sarah?”

Sarah nodded. “You’re Julie?”

“I don’t mind Julie, but Shopping Diva would be more applicable.” A smile crossed the brunette’s face. “But yes, I’m Julie. It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Julie turned and motioned towards Jonathan. “And this is Jonathan, my husband.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jonathan.”

“Pleasure’s all mine, Sarah.”

She took his offered hand before quickly pulling away. She became quiet as the chatter between the family continued and the smile that appeared on her face was genuine for once, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Richard. The announcement that the food was ready quieted all chatter as they headed to the table and took their seats, Sarah sitting down next to Richard and Julie as the food was passed down the table.

—————————————————————————————————

“So, Richard told us that he met you while working on a case?”

Sarah looked up from her slice of peach cobbler, courtesy of William, at Jonathan and slowly nodded her head. “He did.”

“What are you: victim or witness?”

The casual way he said it - the slight demeaning tone to it - shocked her and she hesitated. “Uhm, victim, I guess.”

Glancing up at her sharply, Jonathan tilted his head, an incredulous chuckle escaping him. “A pretty, little thing like you? What kind of trouble could you possible get into?”

“Jonathan, that’s enough,” Liza’s sharp tone made its way across the table. “You know we don’t discuss cases, especially the ones of someone we know.”

Sarah returned her gaze to her cobbler, aware that most of the eyes at the table was on her and she shrugged. The attention that was on her and - were they looking at her with pity in their eyes? Disgust? Curiosity? She couldn’t chance a look up, wouldn’t do it, and all she could do was hope the ground swallowed her up. God, if she couldn’t even get through two questions without wanting to run for the hills, she was fearful of how the rest of the trip would turn out. “You’d be surprised,” she murmured before placing her fork on the table. “If you’ll excuse me.” Without another word, she stood up from her chair, her eyes downcast as she retreated into the unfamiliar house, trying to ignore the raised voices in her wake.

She hurried to the bathroom, having seen it on their way to the porch and she quickly shut the door behind her, taking in a few breaths to calm herself down. A knock on the door caused her to jump and she eyed the doorknob as if it were going to jump out and burn her. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

At the sound of Julie’s voice, Sarah hesitated before reaching out and unlocking the door. “Did someone send you in here?”

A hesitant smile appeared on the brunette’s face. “Well, I’m pretty sure Richard would have come in after you if he wasn’t busy boxing his brother’s ears.” The blonde’s flinch caused Julie to furrow her brow and she tilted her head. The apology that Sarah offered simply confused her. “You don’t need to apologize, Sarah. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I caused a disagreement.”

“My idiot of a husband did that. He’s been trying to weasel information out of Richard for weeks concerning you. The fact that Jonathan tried to get that same info while you’re here trying to relax… Well, let’s just say that if I wasn’t in here, I’d be taking Richard’s place.”

“I should go. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.”

Julie stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her before leaning against it. “Look, Sarah, I don’t know what the deal is with the case and I’m not here to pry information out of you about it. That’s your business and Richard’s. But you didn’t cause any trouble, Jonathan did that and more than likely once we leave here, he’s going to apologize for being so rude not only because his mother can scare him like nobody else, but also because he realizes what a jerk he had been.”

Sarah looked up as she heard voices come closer and she realized that everyone had moved inside. She took in a breath. “He doesn’t have to apologize —“

“Oh, yes, he does. I’ll make him do it myself if he won’t. Trust me, you deserve one. You come out here to relax, miles away from home, and you get questioned before dessert? You’re definitely getting an apology.”

Sarah ran a hand through her hair before shrugging. “Thank you, but, uhm, you didn’t have to come all the way in here to tell me that.”

“What? Not walk the three feet it takes to get here to say you get an apology. If that’s something I can’t do then I need to get back on my exercise regimen.”

Unable to help herself, she smiled softly. “You know you remind me of someone?”

“Who?”

“My best friend from Montana. She’s kind of like you, no-nonsense, loves to shop. Won’t take no for an answer.”

“I’m flattered.” At Sarah’s look of surprise, Julie laughed. “No, really, I am. Richard mentioned you’ve had it tough and that your friend helped in your case. And if that’s who I’m getting compared to, well, I’m flattered.”

After a few seconds of silence had passed, Sarah shrugged. “So, did you come in here just to tell me that?”

“Kind of. I mean, mostly that, but I also have a surprise for you and I wanted to make sure that you’ll stay. Will you?”

Sarah knew that she would have hell to pay if she returned before the weekend was over with and the thought of getting to do something so different like a vacation was exciting. No, she couldn’t waste this trip. “Yeah, I’m staying.”

“Excellent! I’ve got to go ask William a question. Stay in here however long you need to.” Julie exited just as quickly as she came in and Sarah moved to lean against the counter. It only took her a few minutes to feel like she could go out and face the family again and she hesitantly stepped outside the bathroom door, following the voices into the kitchen. She stopped when she was in the doorway, swallowing nervously when everyone turned to look at her and fell silent. “I’m, uh, sorry for running —“ She trailed off as Richard came closer, gently taking her hands in his.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Richard. I’m fine, I’m fine. Promise.”

He studied her carefully before nodding his head and turning his attention to his brother who looked so embarrassed Sarah couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Jonathan?”

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I shouldn’t have questioned you. It wasn’t my place. Believe me, it won’t happen again.”

She nodded, a hesitant smile appearing on her own face. “No worries, Jonathan.” The jingle of keys caused her to turn her attention to Julie who immediately grabbed Sarah by the hand, a large smile on her face.

As if her thoughts were being read, her phone rang and upon seeing who it was, Sarah furrowed her brow when the name ‘Richard Maxters’ popped up on the screen. Setting aside her pen, she answered the phone then lifted it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, Sarah. Am I interrupting anything?”

“Nothing too important.” Lesson plans could always be pushed until later. It had apparently become her motto the past few months. “Why?”

“I have some news to share with you, regarding your case. I’m only a couple of miles away from your house. I think you’d be interested to hear it.”

His tone of voice gave nothing away, no inclination of whether the news was good or bad, and she sighed softly, anxiety and a slight hint of fear already welling up in her and causing her throat to go dry. She swallowed before nodding her head, despite the fact he couldn’t see her. “Yes, you can come on over. I’m at home so that saves you waiting time.”

“Good. I’ll be there in a few.”

When she heard the call disconnect, she immediately stood up and gathered her papers in a pile, leaving them near the edge of the table, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to concentrate until she had found out whatever news Richard was intent on bringing. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long to hear the sound of a car pull up in her driveway. She headed to the door and opened it just as Richard took the final porch step, a small smile gracing her features when she saw him. “Would the news be better on the porch or inside?”

“Inside, if you please.”

She took a step back, allowing him entry, before closing the door behind him once he was inside.  Taking a few steps so that they were face to face, she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to appear as if she wasn’t nervous, fearful, and excited all at once but she had a feeling she was failing miserably. “So, this big news of yours?” she prompted, trying to lessen the suspense time.

“Right. A few weeks ago, I went to Montana to visit your friend, Bronwyn. She had said that she had evidence to give, but she felt more comfortable giving it in person rather than over the phone. Naturally, I booked the next flight and as soon as I arrived, we talked about your case.” Raising a hand to pause Sarah in her questions, a wry smile appeared on his features. “Trust me when I say that anything pertaining to you was left out of the conversation as much as possible. Bronwyn was interested in how I came to meet you and come to the case, so I told her and from there we started talking. Now, as you know, the evidence in this case is limited where you are concerned. I am working on that as we speak, but what evidence Bronwyn did give me was enough to make this case stronger.”

Sarah ran a hand through her hair before shrugging. “‘Stronger’? So, what, does that mean something good, something bad?”

Instead of immediately answering, he moved to the table by the entryway and placed his briefcase on top of it and opened it. Rummaging around for what he was after, he turned back to Sarah once he was holding an envelope in his hands. “This will tell you all you need to know.” He shut his briefcase with his free hand as the other held the envelope out for her to take.

Oh, god, she was worried. There was no smile, no frown. His face was a mask and at the moment, she was cursing his ability to have an impenetrable poker face. Nevertheless, she took the envelope with a shaky hand then quickly opened it, shredding the envelope in her hasty attempt to know what contents lay inside. Once the paper that was inside was unfolded, she held her breath as she read the words and it wasn’t long until she reached the words that she wanted to  see. Her eyes filled with tears as she exhaled shakily, unable to continue reading on for fear of blotting the paper with tears. “Three years. This is good..for three years? Is this...is this some type of joke?”

Richard smiled softly as he shook his head, watching her reaction with a sense of pride and relief for her and her family. “No, Sarah, this is not a joke. That is your restraining order, given to James a few hours ago. You are holding your copy in your hands.”

“So, that evidence worked?”

“Yes, it did. It did exactly what we all hoped it would do. James is to have no contact with you or your family, he is not to come within five hundred feet of you and this house at all times. No telephone calls, no letters, no more break-ins.” Watching as she looked back at him, seeing the relief in her eyes, he took one step closer to her, gently taking one of her hands as he continued looking in her eyes. “Sarah, you and your family are safe.”

At those words, the tears she fought to keep back fell of their own accord and she inhaled, feeling as though she could finally breathe for the first time in fifteen years. “Thank you,” she stated shakily before reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”

Richard carefully wrapped his arms around her, returning the gesture but quickly pulled away when she stepped back. “You are more than welcome, Sarah. I’m glad that I could do something for you.”

Sarah nodded as she wiped the residue of her tears off her cheeks before looking over at his briefcase. “That evidence you mentioned? Was it as bad as I think it is, if it managed to get me a restraining order?”

“Yes,” he stated after a long moment’s hesitation, deciding that dishonesty would make the situation worse. “It was, but no one can view it except those who are legally granted the ability to do so. It’s locked away, safe for the time being.” He tilted his head. “Trust me, Sarah, you’re better off not knowing what it was. For now, your family is safe. That’s all that matters.”

A smile, a genuine one, appeared at those words, the briefcase and evidence inside it forgotten about. “Yeah, you’re right. Guess it’s just me being too curious.”

“There’s nothing wrong with curiosity,” he replied as his phone went off. He unhooked it from his belt and glanced at it, his brow furrowing before he replaced it back in its proper position. “I’m sorry to do this to you, but I need to run. Roger’s refusing to come down from his treehouse. I’m running a bit late, it’s ice cream day. I thought I’d drop this off first though.”

“Oh, Richard,  you didn’t have to --”

“Sarah, you have waited long enough for this. Waiting a while longer will not hurt Roger in any way. I wanted you to know from me before anyone else had the chance to do so. Peace for you and your family is a bit more important right now, don’t you think?”

Sarah nodded as she watched Richard gather up his briefcase and head to the door. “Richard?” Once he turned around, she walked up to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. After pulling away, she opened the door for him, the smile returning. “Thank you for this. I am forever in your debt,” she stated as she turned to look at him.

“You don’t owe me anything, Sarah. Knowing you and your family can sleep well at night now is all the thanks I need.” Sending a smile her way, he headed out the door and back to his car, quickly backing out the driveway and heading off to take care of Roger, but not without sending a wave her way as he sped down the street.