Stranger Danger Read Free Page B

I moved to
Bentonville.”
    Sara hated talking about her husband’s death.   She didn’t like to talk about Erik,
either.   He’d been a major mistake in her
life, something she’d known long before he died.   There were days when she thought coming to
Arkansas had been a wrong move, too.   She
sighed and noticed Santiago’s intent gaze.
    “I’m sorry about your husband,” he said. “I know
it’s been a while but Mama told me when it happened.   I thought about writing or calling, but I
didn’t know what to say.”
    She had the same problem – now. After a few moments
of searching for the right words, she spoke truth. “I wish you had,” Sara told
him. “It was a rough time for me.”
    He caught her hand with his. “I figured you needed
time to mourn, la muñequita .”
    If she could tell the truth to anyone, it would be
to him. Once they’d shared everything and had a code for it, SOS.   It’d stood for ‘saving our souls’.   Maybe I
should share.   If I do, maybe he will .
“It wasn’t like that, Santiago.”
    His eyes darkened. “Meaning what?”
    “I had more guilt than grief.” There.   She’d said it aloud and the sky hadn’t
fallen.   Demons hadn’t risen from hell to
drag her down into the fires. “Our marriage wasn’t a good one, Santiago.”
    One eyebrow lifted in inquiry. “No?”
    “No.” Sara said the word with all the dignity she
could muster.   It’d taken a long time to
acknowledge the truth, and she had balked at sharing it with anyone besides her
mother and one friend.   Everyone else
believed she’d been a grieving widow, loyal to her husband’s memory when
nothing could be more removed from reality. “Marrying Erik was the biggest
mistake I’ve ever made.   I’m sorry he
died, especially the way that he did, but I shouldn’t have married him.”
    When told the same thing, her mother had argued and
when Sara wouldn’t budge, suggested counseling.   Her best friend had listened but shook her head, then told her they’d
been the perfect couple.   Santiago
listened and nodded. “Shit happens,” he said, his words basic but somehow
eloquent. “And then you move on, get away from the stink and mess.   Why didn’t you come home afterward? Why stay
in Arkansas?”
    Because
of you .   She’d considered it, but balked at seeing
Santiago again.   Although their
relationship had ended, he’d urged her not to leave and they’d quarreled over
her decision to go to college at the University of Arkansas.   Their parting words were both heated and
bitter.   If she went back, Sara had known
she’d have to face him someday and if he rejected her, she couldn’t have faced
it.   But here he was, back in her life,
and the connection wasn’t broken.   She’d
die before she would admit it, though.
    “It’s complicated.   There’s not much for me in East LA now and the cost of living is
tremendous.   I’ve come to like autumn and
some other things about Arkansas.”
    His faint smile was sad. “And you didn’t want anyone
to know you messed up.   I understand more
than you might think.”
    Sara frowned. “You haven’t made any mistakes on the
scale of mine.”
    “No,” he said in a soft voice. “Mine was much
bigger.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
“I’m not up on any gossip from California, so I don’t have a clue.   What happened?”
    Santiago took a bite of his hamburger and sighed.
“It’s a long story and I’m hungry.   Let’s
eat before it gets cold and I’ll tell you how I fucked up later.   Deal?”
    “All right, deal.” Sara noticed how his eyes
narrowed and the way his shoulders tightened as he tensed.   Whatever had happened to him, he’d been
through hell and it wasn’t over yet.   “I’m sorry I brought up bad memories, Santiago.   I’ll tell you about Erik, too, to be fair.”
    He nodded and held up the hamburger. “This is good,
Sara. “
    She swallowed a bite of hers with