Seasons of the Heart

by Susette Williams

  “Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then why don’t you come in here so I can talk to you, alone,” Forrest added, looking at Pearly.

  “Why don’t I go check and see what’s keeping Katie.”

  Forrest watched as Pearly headed back down the hallway, brushing past Sasha. “Would you rather I join you in the hallway?”

  Sasha looked down at her clothing, then up again before walking into the living room. “I was trying on some old clothes of mine,” she said innocently.

  His eyes couldn’t have gotten wider if they were saucers. “Wow.”

  Forrest stared at the beauty in front of him in disbelief. Blue knit leggings clung to well defined curves—curves that were hidden in baggy jeans and loose sweats any other time he’d seen her. Snowflakes adorned the sweater she was wearing and her feet were clad in snow boots. She looked like an ice princess and he was her subject.

  He shook his head abruptly, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts. Instead, it clouded like a snow globe. Her beauty dazzled him and brought out his protective instincts, even more than before. They both stood watching each other. Neither one sure how to react.

  A woman with black hair came into the room, followed by Pearly, which set his mind at ease. Maybe this was her roommate and perhaps Pearly was the woman's boyfriend.

  “Hi, I’m Katie. You must be Forrest. I’ve heard so much about you.” Katie smiled and extended her hand towards him, which he readily shook. “I assume you already met my fiancé, Wade.”

  “Not exactly.” Forrest shook the hand Wade extended and resisted the urge to call him Pearly, although it was tempting. He couldn’t help but smile, a small laugh escaped. Sasha looked at him curiously. He winked.

  “We’re going ice skating. Why don’t you come with us?” Katie asked.

  Sasha looked like she was about to protest.

  “Sure. Sounds like fun. Right, dear?” Forrest smiled at Sasha, reveling in the perplexed expression on her face. Served her right. One thing he did know, he was taking her out dressed the way she was.

  “Good. That’s settled then. I’ll go out and start Katie’s car. We can all ride together.” Wade held his hand out and waited for Katie to rummage through her purse. She readily deposited her keys in his hand.

  “I’ll go with you. Hold on, let me get my coat.” Katie went to the closet near the front door and retrieved her coat. Wade picked his up off the back of the couch, had it on in an instant and helped Katie to put hers on.

  When they were out the door, Forrest relaxed. “You look wonderful.”

  Sasha frowned and brushed past him to get her coat out of the closet. Forrest grabbed it and helped her to put it on. “Dear?”

  Pausing, Forrest gazed into simmering green eyes, feeling drawn by their magnetic pull. He would have kissed her if she hadn’t flinched.

  “Why did you call me, dear?”

  He blinked before backing a couple steps away from her. “You’re supposed to be my fiancée. Shouldn’t I call you, dear?”

  Sasha’s furrowed brows drew his attention. He assumed she was contemplating his question. Those pursed lips bothered him. How he longed to see her smile. He pasted his brightest smile on his face. “You can call me honey if you like.”

  “Honey?”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Stop. We don’t need to call each other by endearments around Katie and Wade.” Sasha let out an exasperated sigh.

  “It’s good practice. After all, we’re supposed to convince people we’re engaged,” Forrest reasoned.

  “No, we’re supposed to convince Doug.”

  “And if we don’t convince others, we won’t convince Doug.” Forrest tilted his head, one brow arched, as if daring her to debate his reasoning.

  “Shall we go, dear?” she asked in a flat voice and headed out the door.

  Assuming they wanted their door secured, Forrest locked it before he closed it snugly and smiled. He was engaged. It felt good, even if it was only temporary. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to convince Sasha this could be a good thing. Then she’d never have to worry about any other man bugging her. He could do it himself. Bug her, that is, which he was sure he was doing now, when he grabbed her hand in his after was seated next to her in Katie’s car. The pink glow that adorned her cheeks was attractive. It didn’t slip his attention that she was also beginning to relax around him. Although he could tell she was tense by how rigid she held his hand. At least she wasn’t rolling down the window or trying to jump out of the vehicle while it was moving. That was a good sign.

  Once they were at the ice skating rink and in their skates, Forrest began to relax as he and Sasha skated side-by-side around the rink. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her. She looked gorgeous—not that she was bad looking before. It was as if the difference in her wardrobe gave her confidence. She glided along, except for a little wavering, with a grace he hadn’t witnessed in her previously. She must have sensed his eyes upon her.

  “What?” Sasha glanced at him, a couple times as she watched where she was skating, dodging around a young boy who was skating with his mother. “What are you looking at?”

  Forrest smiled. “You.”

  “Me?” Her eyes widened. “Why are you staring at me? Careful,” she said as she darted around a teenage couple that were holding hands while they skated, oblivious to where they were, their eyes on each other.

  Forrest looked over his shoulder, even after he passed them. He could handle staring at Sasha that way, if she’d stay that close to him long enough. When he turned back around, Sasha was several feet ahead of him. He hurried to catch up to her.

  “I was thinking about how beautiful you look today. You’re very pretty without your glasses. I take it you don’t need them all the time?” Forrest made a daring move and snatched her hand in his, a smile readily on his face when she turned in sudden surprise.

  She looked down at their hands, back to his face, blushed, and turned away. “No. I don’t need them.”

  Forrest didn’t comment further, he figured it was part of the attire she had assumed to make herself look unattractive and keep guys at a distance. Her glasses had looked like they were too big for her face, more like they were chosen in haste. He remembered her constantly pushing them up on her nose. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  She smiled.

  After an hour of skating, Sasha's pace slowed. “Do you want to sit down for a while? I’ve got to retie my skate anyway.”

  Sasha shook her head. “No. I think I’ll keep on skating for a while if you don’t mind. Go ahead and take a break.”

  Her eyes lit up when she smiled, captivating Forrest. He froze in place as she skated off without him. After an hour of being by his side, perhaps she needed her space. With a shrug of his shoulders, he made his way to a bench and sat down.

  His eyes focused on where Sasha had skated to, before he went about the task of fixing the laces that had come loose on his skate. When he finished and glanced up, it took a couple moments to find Sasha again. She was sitting on the ice, dusting her hands off on her pants. Instantly he leapt up, speeding to her rescue. Before he could reach her, Wade was already at her side, helping her to stand.

  “I just wanted to say I was sorry about how things turned out,” Forrest heard Wade say.

  “It’s not your fault. It was mine. Things… well, things happened and I’ve been a little funny since then…” Sasha’s voice trailed off.

  Wade smiled at Sasha, both oblivious to Forrest’s presence. He frowned and fought to keep his temper under control. That was something he was going to have to watch. It already cost him his job. Even though Doug deserved what he got, Forrest was going to have to watch it or he’d end up hitting someone else on an assumption.

  Wade looked at Forrest, who had raised his eyebrows, questioning. “Looks like your boyfriend’s here to rescue you. I’ll turn you over to his capable hands.”

  “Who?” Sasha asked, th
en turned to see Forrest, his cheeks growing red as he glared at her. “Oh, Forrest.”

  “Oh, Forrest,” Forrest said through clenched teeth as he wrapped an arm around her and began to set her upright, in motion. “How are we going to convince people we’re engaged if they catch you in someone else’s arms? By chance, is there something you’re not telling me about our friend Pearly?”

  “Pearly?”

  “Wade. You remember. Your friend’s boyfriend, you know, the guy with the flashy teeth,” he clarified.

  She gave a faint laugh. “Him, well… Katie had fixed us up together once. It didn’t work out too well though. The whole evening was a nightmare for both of us.”

  “Yeah, I bet. He looks like he’s devastated for life.”

  Chapter Five

  It had been a little over a week since Sasha and Forrest’s mock engagement and she had to admit it wasn’t a bad idea after all. Not only had she gotten a chance to see Forrest more, Doug hadn’t said so much as a word to her. In fact, one time when she saw him, he actually turned and walked the other way.

  Sasha opened the cupboard and grabbed a glass for a drink of water. It was so quiet here, especially since Katie was at work. Rooming with Katie proved to be quieter than her dorm on campus and made it a lot easier to concentrate on her homework without people coming in and out at random.

  “Mom. Oh, great. I never called her,” Sasha mumbled to herself.

  Picking up the receiver, Sasha dialed her mother’s house. On the third ring, someone answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Jordan? What are you doing at Mom’s?” Sasha asked in excitement.

  “Something you haven’t done lately. Visit. So, how’s it going, Sis? You coming home soon, I hope?”

  Sasha could tell her older brother sounded a bit irritated, even though he teased with her good-naturedly. True, she hadn’t come home this Christmas, but she couldn’t. Her family didn’t know about her problems. She was sure they’d still be able to tell something was wrong and until she could get herself back together… she couldn’t face them. “I should be home this summer. I’m hoping to get a job though, so I won’t be able to stay too long.”

  “A job? What happened to working at the grocery store? You always work there during the summer. The last time I talked to Shelly, she said she couldn’t wait for you to get back.”

  “I know. I need to call Shelly and let her know I won’t be back this summer.” Sasha drummed her fingers against her lower lip while she nibbled on it. “Were you hitting on Shelly again?”

  Jordan laughed. “What do you think?”

  “She turned you down again, didn’t she?” Sasha joined in his laughter. It was good to hear his voice again. Even though their whole family lived in Missouri, the miles between them felt like thousands instead of hundreds. She longed to see her brother and her mother again.

  Her brother was even more protective than Forrest. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if he found out about Doug. Most likely, he’d… She shook her head not even wanting to think what he’d do. God would take care of it, in His own way and His own time.

  “Here’s Mom.”

  She could hear Jordan hand the phone over and her mother’s voice asking who it was before the familiar high pitched voice rang out across the phone lines, “Sasha, dear, it’s good to hear from you again. You know how I’ve missed you, honey. Are you coming home soon?”

  Sasha sighed. “Yes, Mother. Yes, I know, Mother. Not till this summer, Mother.”

  “What dear?” Sasha could almost hear the confusion in her mother’s voice.

  “It’s good to hear your voice, too, Mom. I know you’ve missed me and I’ve missed you, too, and I won’t be home till this summer, but only for a short visit.”

  “Only a visit?” her mother echoed in a faint voice.

  “I’m staying with a friend. She’s going to be getting married and needed someone to buy or rent her house. When we talked, she suggested I stay here. So that’s what I’m doing. Which means I’ll have to work to pay the bills. I’m looking for a job now.”

  “Oh.”

  Sasha waited, knowing that wasn’t the last of it, her mother was sure to say more. Cringing, she clutched the receiver in dreaded anticipation. Then it came.

  “What about your dorm? After all, you had a full scholarship that included rooming. You’re not getting mixed up in those wild parties or anything are you? Please tell me this isn’t one of those sorority houses. If it is, I’ll just die,” her mother made a sound Sasha couldn’t quite distinguish, but she could envision her mother with her hand over her heart as if it would give out at any moment.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine and it’s not a sorority. I haven’t back-slidden and taken up the party life. If anything, it’s quiet here and I can study better,” Sasha reassured her mother, not that she thought it would do any good.

  Her mother was a bit overprotective of her only daughter. Of course, she only had one son, but didn’t worry about him as much. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Mother.”

  “I know, dear. I worry about you. You’re so far away from home now. If I could get off work, I’d come see you, but we had another gal quit in the office last week, so we’re short handed.”

  “Mom, I’m still in Missouri.” Sasha laughed. “Please, I never even got to leave the state. We’re not that far apart and you can call me any time you want. I’ll be home for a visit this summer.”

  “Isn’t it all right for a mother to worry about her own daughter? Since your father passed away, God rest his soul—it leaves me to watch out for you. If anything ever happened to you….”

  “Yes, Mother, but you don’t need to worry. I’m fine. I called to give you the number in case you needed to get a hold of me and couldn't reach me on my cell phone.” Sasha thought about her mother’s words, knowing full well Jordan likely had his big brother's stance, shoulders squared, ready to intimidate anyone who would mess with his baby sister. She relayed the phone number to her mother before making an excuse to get off the phone. It wasn’t really a lie; she did have to get to school. If she were honest, she’d admit to herself that she purposely chose a bad time to call her mother so that she wouldn’t have time to ‘explain’ things. Everything was happening so fast. She needed time to think straight before she could deal with her family.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  The chatter in the school cafeteria was a dull drum to Sasha’s preoccupied mind. She needed to find a job like she had told her mother hours earlier. Once she put words to her inner thoughts, they nagged her and she was sure they wouldn’t let go until she completed the task. Katie was nice, but Sasha couldn’t take advantage of her friendship any longer.

  “Yoo hoo.” Kelly waved her hand in front of Sasha’s face. “Earth calling Sasha. Anybody in there?”

  Sasha jumped, then sat erect. “Yes.” She smiled. “I’m here. I was just thinking about getting a job.”

  “A job? I thought you had a full scholarship.” Kelly’s eyebrows drew together and a frown formed on her heart shaped face.

  “You oughta marry a rich guy, then you won’t have to worry about money,” Margaret chimed in.

  Turning to her right, Sasha shook her head at Margaret. “It hasn’t worked for you. We’ve been waiting to hear wedding bells all year now.”

  “I know. Disappointing. In the meantime, I’ll finish getting my education. It’s got to be good for something. I don’t know why Mother insisted I get a degree instead of going straight to modeling school. You’re only young once. A couple more years and I’ll be too old.” Margaret rolled her eyes and rested her head on a well-manicured hand.

  “What about the convenience store? They’ve got a help wanted ad in the window.” Kelly laughed when both women turned and looked at her. “Okay, they always have a help wanted sign in their window.”

  Sasha shook her head vehemently. “No, I don’t want to work at a gas station. I don’t want to be around a lot of people. And aft
er that last rash of convenience store robberies—no way!”

  “What about the bridal shop? Linda’s due to have her baby soon and needs someone to help out,” Margaret suggested.

  “And why would you be at a bridal shop?” Sasha asked, smiling.

  “I went with Katie.” Margaret straightened in her seat and turned her head away, a light flush crept into her cheeks.

  Kelly and Sasha both laughed.

  “Hey, who’s that guy over there?” Margaret asked, pointing at a table in the corner.

  “Nick?” Kelly asked while Sasha shrugged her shoulders.

  “Not him,” Margaret said in disgust. “The guy across from him.”

  “You’re hopeless.” Sasha shook her head and stood. Figures Margaret would point out someone who looked influential. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll stop by the bridal shop and see if she’ll hire me. Catch you girls later.”

  “Bye,” they said in unison, Kelly waving, while Margaret wiggled her fingers over her shoulder in Sasha’s direction, never taking her eyes off of the guy sitting in the corner.

  Sasha glanced down at her clothing. Jeans and an oversized T-shirt weren’t bound to win her any favor with a perspective employer. She zipped her coat and pulled it closer around the collar to keep out the winter chill before she stepped out into the bitter cold and made a mad dash for her car.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Sasha wore a black skirt that ended a couple inches above her knees, and a pink blouse with three-quarter length sleeves, covered by her black wool coat. She walked into the bridal shop with more confidence than she’d felt in months.

  A small blonde stepped from behind the counter to meet her. It wasn’t hard to tell who she was, with the protruding belly.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, a smile on her face.

  “I hope I can help you. A friend of mine told me you were hiring. I’d like to apply for the job.” Sasha extended her hand, which the woman readily took. “You must be, Linda. Margaret said your baby is due anytime.”

  “Yes. And you are…?”