Doors

The next morning, I am sore all over but in a fantastic way that makes me grin like an idiot when I think about it. Ryan and I had a fabulous night in and released all of the stress that had us consumed.

After I showered and slipped into a pair of jeans and a maroon top, I announced that I was ready to go decorate the Wellington House.

He helped me load up his truck with the decor and I made sure I had all of the tools I needed to hang everything.

He held onto my hand all the way up to the house and as we drove up the hill, I look to him and feel my heart swell. He's been thrown into this life of mine and I truly think he's happy here. He feels me staring so he meets my gaze and asks, "What?"

"Just lookin' at what's mine."

He brings my hand up to his lips and kisses the back of it. After he parks in front of the house, I notice my momma's Mercedes and Lucy's blue sedan parked off to the side. Ryan looks over to me.

"I'll help you unload and then get out of your hair."

I nod and we both walk around to the back of the truck. Lucy and my momma are chatting on the steps, but they immediately walk over once we start unloading.

"Oh my, everything looks fantastic!" Lucy says as she pulls out the banister decor. My mother starts sliding out the bins of twinkle lights and Ryan helps her carry them up the steps. Lucy looks to me and says, "Oh it's nice to have some muscle to help move some of this around."

I smile to her as we trot up the steps with the decor and reply, "He's just helping us unload and then he has to get back to work."

"Aw, he's not stayin'?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Nah, but he'll be here early tomorrow to help move around some of the tables. It's just us three today."

"Well, I'm sure we can get the bulk of it done," she says sweetly and I walk with her out to the backyard. I stop at the top of the patio and am amazed at how beautiful the gardens turned out. They kept the original stone pathway and built everything else around it. There are a variety of colorful flowers of all shapes and sizes and low hedges have been installed around the flower beds. There is a beautiful stone fountain installed in the center where an antique white bench has been placed in front of it. It will really look beautiful in pictures if Austin decides to propose there. I also notice a small white gazebo in the right corner of the garden and if I decorated it with twinkle lights, it would be another fabulous place to propose.

Ryan sets the last of the bins down and then looks to me.

"Alright, I'm off. I'll see ya when you're done."

He gives me a quick kiss and I notice Momma turn the other way. I watch him disappear around the side of the house and then glance to Lucy and my momma.

"Okay, so I was thinking divide and conquer? We have the banisters, the twinkle lights, the gazebo and some of the patio. The tables will arrive tomorrow and the staff will be in charge of setting up the linens. The florist will deliver and set up the centerpieces."

Lucy nods along to my plan.

"Well okay then, how about I do the banisters since I am sure you and your mother would love to set up Austin's proposal space?"

Momma smiles at her.

"Sounds like we have a plan. Sawyer, you can help me cover the bushes in the nets of lights and when we are finished, we can all do the gazebo and patio."

I agree even though I know I had no real choice in the matter. Momma and I each grab a bin of lights and carry them over to the bushes. We toss them over the hedges and spend more time that I had intended smoothing them out and figuring out a way to connect them all. I'm annoyed that Austin said he couldn't make it over to help set up seeing that we are setting up his romantic ambiance for his big moment.

When we have most of the bushes by the fountain covered, Momma says, "Sawyer, I think we need one more power strip."

I nod in agreement and then walk over to the extra supplies. After rifling through the bags, I look to her and shout, "I'll check and see if there's an extra one in the house."

I leave her hovering over the bushes and trot back up the patio steps. When I round into the foyer, I see Lucy has almost finished the banisters. Garland laced with sunflowers, red poinsettia flowers, gold berries and greenery snakes down the wooden banisters and I am rather pleased with my crafty work. Lucy stands at the bottom of the steps and rubs her hands together.

"I think it looks fantastic, Sawyer! The reds and golds really bring out the browns in the woodwork."

A grin takes over my face as I accept the compliment.

"Everything is coming together nicely. I came in to see if there was an extra power strip somewhere?"

She looks around the open space.

"I can look but I don't know of one off the top of my head."

"Maybe there are some extra things in the closet under the stairs, or maybe in the kitchen?"

She glances behind her, "Ya know, I was just thinking of clearing that closet out to make room for the guest's coats. Better than having someone haul them up and down the stairs all night."

"Good idea. Maybe just hide all that random stuff upstairs and deal with it later," I tell her and she nods in agreement. She puts her hands on her hips and looks around the foyer. She then looks back at me and says, "They really did do such a wonderful job in a short amount of time."

"The party will be so fabulous tomorrow, Lucy. I really hope y'all are proud of everything I set up." Before I turn away, I add, "I'll be in the back, holler if you find a power strip."

She nods eagerly and I walk back into the kitchen. I decide to see if there is anything in here and start opening some of the drawers. Nothing is turning up as I rifle through them and I am about to check the cupboards when I hear some clanging in the foyer. I recognize the sound immediately my hands freeze.

I grew up playing golf and Momma plays almost every weekend. I know the sound coming from the foyer well and it sounds like someone is carrying a bag of golf clubs. I hear the distinct sound of the metal poles clanking against each other and I suddenly feel sick. I think back to the other night when I was "looking for a pen" and try to remember if I saw clubs. I think to the closet under the stairs and my blood runs cold.

I immediately run outside to find my momma. When she spots me back in the garden she asks, "Powerstrip?"

I shake my head.

"I need your phone."

"Where is yours?" She snaps and I glare at her.

"Just let me use yours, please I forgot something at Ryan's and it's really important."

She frowns and then pulls her phone from her sweater pocket. I run over to the gazebo and dial Ryan's number. When he answers I quickly whisper, "You said you hadn't found the golf club yet?"

"Sawyer, we're on it," is all he says and I shake my head, "Ryan, I just heard Lucy move a golf bag upstairs. That's what the voicemail was about. When I opened the closet door that night, there was an antique golf bag stashed in the corner. I didn't even think about it because I was so busy looking for documents. That's where Arthur hid the clubs."

"We are on it. We are watching everything. Don't worry," he says and I realize they are watching the security cameras. That's why Ryan didn't want to stay around, he wanted to watch the cameras. I then say, "But you can't see upstairs. You don't know where she's taking them."

"We now know they are upstairs and we will be able to find them tomorrow. No one will be able to get them out of the house without us seeing it," he says. I release a long sigh and think about what room Lucy could be storing them in. I am about to let Ryan get back to watching the camera when something else stops me in my tracks. I can't believe I hadn't thought about it before. I glance around me to make sure I am alone and cup the phone closer to my mouth.

"Ryan, I completely forgot to tell you, but there is a servant's entrance in the back of the house. There is a staircase that leads from the back of the kitchen."

"What?" He asks sharply and I turn toward the back of the house. I suddenly have chills all over and I say, "The camera didn't catch anyone in the front because Arthur was using the back staircase. He could zip right on in to the office and right on out without anyone knowing."

"Sawyer, do not give yourself away do you hear me? Do not act suspiciously. I'm coming back there now. I am down the street," he says and then the line goes dead. I stare at the back of the house and then I hear my momma's voice.

"Yoo-hoo, Sawyer! I didn't think I was doin' all the work myself today!"

I shake my head and walk back over to my mother. I look to her and say, "Never mind, I didn't forget anything after all. But I think I know where a power strip would be."

I notice she's finished covering the bushes so she'll be ready to start the patio next. I don't have much time to check out my theory so I dash inside and run immediately into the kitchen. I push the swinging wooden door open that leads to the old servant's entrance and see another wooden door at the corner of the small room. This entrance sits at the back of the house and if I hadn't stumbled upon the hidden staircase the other night, I would have never thought about looking for another way upstairs. I thought it was just the main grand staircase at the front of the house but these old plantations usually always have servant's entrances and passageways. My heart is pounding in my chest and it's the only noise I hear. I take a few steps toward the door and swallow hard before I open it.

I pull the wooden door open and see the narrow rickety staircase that leads upstairs. I take a few steps up the stairs and they creak loudly under my weight. I continue up the steps but the door is closed at the top, so the stairs are covered in darkness. When I finally reach the top step, I am about to put my hand on the brass knob when the door suddenly swings open. My heart stops in my chest and I gasp at what I see.