by JoAnn Durgin
“There’s something about this whole thing I don’t understand,” the first girl said. “If Sam’s so in love with her, then why is he risking losing her by paying her way to leave town?”
That does it. Walk away now.
“Miss Sarah!” Miranda and Johnny ran up to her a minute later. Thankfully, Sarah had walked far enough away from the drink station. She dared not glance back over her shoulder in case Gina and the teller woke up to the fact she’d been standing close and might have heard what they’d said. Not that any of it was derogatory, but it was revealing, and their comments left her with more questions than answers.
“What’s up, kids?” Focusing on the two children would be good to distract her mind from going places where it shouldn’t. Left alone, she’d dwell on what she’d just heard and that could lead to nothing good. A feeling of dread pervaded Sarah’s senses. One part of her wanted to escape to somewhere quiet where she could reason through it all. Another part of her—the more rational but annoyingly moral part of her—prompted her to dismiss what she’d heard.
“Captain Lewis is in the dunking booth and nobody can dunk him!”
Sarah stared at the ten-year-old boy. “What did you say?”
“Come on!” Miranda tugged on her hand. “Miss Tess said to come and find you.”
“We know you used to play softball and went to state finals and everything,” Johnny said. Both kids were on either side of her, jumping up and down in their excitement.
“I’m sure some of the men would be more than willing to take a crack at dunking the military man.”
“Yeah, but they’re all over at the pie eating contest,” Johnny said. “Captain Lewis is only in the booth for another ten minutes, and no one can dunk him! You gotta come and try.”
“You already said that.” Miranda rolled her eyes at her brother before turning a pleading look on Sarah. “Come on. I’ll show you where it is.” Taking her by the hand, the little girl skipped in front her, half pulling her along behind her.
Like a homing pigeon, Sarah knew she’d be able to find Sam on her own without any trouble. Pushing all other thoughts aside, she hurried beside them. Less than a minute later, she stood with his mother’s pie still in her hands, watching with amusement as a succession of young boys tried to dunk Sam. Good natured as always, he egged them on in the politest of ways. Wasn’t that what you were supposed to do when sitting on that bench? Say things to provoke or irritate someone in order to get them riled up enough to put some real strength behind the ball thrown at the bulls-eye?
“Ah, look who’s finally come to try and dunk me!” Sam’s brilliant smile creased his handsome face. Gone were the shorts and the short-sleeved shirt he’d been wearing earlier, replaced by swim trunks and a blue tank shirt. Her pitiful painted airplane and clouds still adorned his cheek.
“Want to try your hand, Miss Jordan?”
“You bet I do.” The small group parted. Feeling a bit like Moses parting the Red Sea, Sarah handed off the pie to one of the young mothers standing nearby.
“You won one of Mom’s pies at the cakewalk, I see. Good. You can share it with me later.”
“Don’t you ever get enough of peach pie?” Sarah teased, stepping up to the marked line and positioning her toes behind it. Dusting her hands together, she shifted back and forth and then blew on her hands.
“Never!” Acting silly, Sam did a little dance from where he sat on the wooden bench in the middle of the dunking booth. “If you fail to dunk me, I get the pie. Deal?”
“Be prepared to go down, loser!” Might as well give the onlookers a good show.
“Now you’ve done it.” Sam’s eyes grew wide and he shook his head. “Show me what you’ve got.” He stuck out his tongue and waved his hands behind his head like an overgrown, ridiculously adorable kid. The children all around them loved the show, and they howled at Sam’s antics.
After being handed a ball, Sarah wound up—taking her time and making it as dramatic as possible—and the first ball sailed just south of the mark.
“Missed me, missed me, now you’ve gotta kiss me!” Sam taunted.
Great. Now the kids would probably repeat that one. Just what she needed to break her concentration. That was probably part of the devious man’s plan.
“I’ve got two more chances. Be quiet and hold your breath, Mr. Lewis!”
“I’m so scared.” When she narrowed her eyes, he laughed and winked.
Winding up a second time, Sarah aimed for all she was worth, but again, it fell just shy of the bulls-eye, but closer this time.
“A little rusty there, are you, Miss Jordan?”
“It’s the target that’s a little rusty. Like I said once, you need some new lines old man.” Yes, she was definitely rusty.
Sam held his stomach and laughed as if she’d said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Of course, the kids went nuts over his exaggerations. He’d make such a wonderful daddy one day.
“You missed your calling and should have been an actor.” As she accepted the third ball from one of the kids, Sarah shifted from foot to foot, making Sam wait and drawing out the moment. He deserved it.
Make this one count.
“Chicken?” Sam flapped his arms and squawked. Again, the kids howled. In the process of winding up to throw the ball, Sarah laughed. Really, could the man be any cuter? He was such a good sport. And maddening. Tempting. She was going to dunk him if she had to buy the extra balls to do it. Nothing was stopping her.
The conversation she’d heard from Gina and her friend came to mind again. “Go away. Not now,” she muttered under her breath. Something was niggling at her brain, but what? Snippets swirled in her mind, refusing to let go of their hold on her. Why now? Time to concentrate.
Sam decided to wait because he wanted to spend the money on Sarah instead.
That’s either love or suicide.
Why is he risking losing her by paying her way to leave town?
Shaking her head, Sarah stood her ground, aware Sam and everyone else watched.
“I’m aging up here, Miss Sarah. Come on! Hand over that pie and call it a day already.”
Suddenly, the truth hit her with sudden clarity. Of course! Sarah’s eyes widened and she stared at him. “It was you!” Stumbling back a couple of steps, she nearly dropped the ball. Putting a hand to her head, feeling dizzy, she was vaguely aware when Sam started to scramble down from his perch.
“Baby, are you okay?”
“Baby, baby,” a couple of the little girls chanted, giggling. Soon enough, the boys chimed in as Sarah held up one hand to stop Sam.
“No! Climb back up there, Captain Lewis. Now.” Her hand trembled, her voice shook. Inhaling a deep breath, she blew it out and bore holes into those blue eyes. “This time, you’re definitely going to get wet.”
Appearing skeptical, Sam obeyed as he climbed back onto the bench. Surprisingly, he didn’t taunt, didn’t tease. Matter of fact, he looked confused. Good. The man deserved to be confused.
Winding up, saying a prayer under her breath, Sarah drew upon every ounce of her skill and strength and hoped this one would do the job.
“It was you!” The ball flew out of her hand as if in slow motion. She watched, and everyone around her grew quiet. The bell dinged as the ball made contact with the bulls-eye. The bench separated and Sam tumbled into the water. The kids went wild, jumping up and down, laughing and high-fiving each other.
“You did it!” Miranda and Johnny said at the same time, hugging her in turn.
“Thank you,” Sarah said to the young mother holding her pie. She had half a mind to leave it, but she’d won it fair and square—at least she thought she had—but that was another thing to ponder later on.
Hearing Sam call to her, Sarah began to walk away, head held high and shoulders straight.
“Sarah, you forgot your prize!” he called from behind her.
She ignored him and kept on walking.
Chapter 36
♥
Tess came into the bedroom and gestured to where Sarah sat on the bed. “May I?” When she nodded, Tess she sat down beside her. “Want to talk about it?”
Sarah drew up her knees and clasped her hands around them. “Not sure. I just need some time to absorb what happened.” Other than the creek, the bedroom was the one place where she could be alone. Tempted to cry, the tears wouldn’t come. She didn’t know what to feel.
Sam gave me the money for nursing school. It was him, Lord. I know it was.
“You scared Sam the way you yelled whatever it was and then stomped off. I’ve never seen a man scramble so fast.” Tess’s lips upturned. “In an odd way, it was rather comical considering the man was in a dunking booth at the time. I mean, there he was, dripping wet and calling for you to wait. It was the best drama we’ve had in Rockbridge in a while.”
Sarah blew out a breath and guilt overwhelmed her. “Glad I could oblige. I hope I didn’t scare any of the kids. I should have handled the situation in a more mature way.”
“Sweetie, relationships are tough. That’s not to say your feelings aren’t valid, or wrong in any way, but I hope you and Sam can talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you. Give it to the Lord. I’ll be around if you need me.” Tess rose to her feet and started across the room.
“Tess, wait.”
Jumping off the bed, Sarah ran and threw her arms around her sister, resting her head on her shoulder. “I love him, Tess, but Sam was the one who gave me the cashier’s check.”
Tess stopped patting her back. “Really? Oh, my.”
“I know.”
Tess disengaged herself long enough to pluck a tissue from the nearby box. She handed it to her, probably assuming she’d burst into tears at any moment.
“Don’t ask me how I know, but I was winding up to throw the final ball to try and dunk Sam, and it just hit me”—she slapped her forehead—“bam! Sam was the one with the biggest motivation to help me, and also the means.” Balling the tissue in one hand, Sarah crossed her arms over her middle and started to pace.
“If it’s any consolation, you dunked the man and got him soaking wet. Have you done anything with the cashier’s check yet?”
“No. I’ve been praying about it,” Sarah said. “I have a little more time, but not much, to reapply for the fall semester or I’ll lose the scholarship money I’ve been offered. Wait a minute.” She stopped her pacing. “Only a handful of people knew about that letter, and one of them is standing in this room with me right now.”
Tess reared back, and Sarah instantly regretted the accusation. “You think I told Sam?”
“I’m sorry, Tess. I know you didn’t, but even if you did, it’s okay.” Shaking her head, she couldn’t stem the tears that flowed down her cheeks. So fast she found it difficult to keep up as she dabbed the tissue over her cheek, absorbing the moisture. “I need to think about what all this means.”
“Are you going to see Sam? He hasn’t shown up here yet, but I have a strong suspicion he might after he changes out of his wet clothes. I know Charlie was with him.”
Sarah met her sister’s gaze. “Thanks for coming after me, sis.” That did it. She couldn’t hold back any longer, and she burst into tears, giving into the release.
“Shh. It’s okay, honey.” Drawing her into another hug, Tess held her for several minutes as she cried.
“You know how much I want to go to nursing school, but I can’t have Sam paying my way.” She sniffled some more and dabbed the tissue beneath her eyes. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
Tess grabbed another tissue and shoved it into her hand. “I can’t presume to understand how a man’s mind works. Look at Charlie and me. He didn’t tell me he liked me for years, apparently, because he didn’t think I’d consider going out with him.”
Sarah lifted her head and attempted a small smile. “Are you and Charlie dating now?”
Tess ducked her head. Was she actually blushing? “I think we just might be, but it’s still new. We’re taking it slow, but so far, so good. You’re right about him, you know. He’s a very good man. Like Sam. Solid and dependable. He wants to volunteer for some community projects with me.”
“That’s great. I’m so happy for you, and I hope it works out.” Sarah straightened her shoulders. She’d had her time to cry and now she needed to act like a grownup.
“You’re young and can’t be expected to have all the answers.”
Sarah stared at her sister. “If it’s possible, I believe you read my mind.”
“No, but I’ve been in your shoes before. Trust me, Sarah, no one has all the answers. We fumble along in life, we make mistakes—some big, some not so big—but then we dust ourselves off and get on with the process of living. But the difference is that we look to the Lord to help us. We know we can’t do it on our own any more than we can expect God to hand everything to us just because it’s what we think we want or need.”
“When did you get to be so wise?”
“I’m older, remember.” They shared a smile. “Was that one of Sam’s mom’s peach pies on the kitchen counter?”
Sarah nodded. “I won it at the cakewalk, although there was something odd about that, too.”
Tess quirked a brow. “What do you mean?”
The ponytail holder in her hair felt too tight. Sarah tugged on it, shaking her head as her hair fell around her shoulders. “I can’t explain it to say except it was like the ladies were playing matchmaker. At a school carnival cakewalk, of all places. Several of them kept giving each other winks and nudges. If I had chosen anything other than that peach pie, I think they would have physically barred my way from leaving the gymnasium until I exchanged it. A few of them even followed me to the door.” Sarah shook her head. “It was very strange, but in a wonderful way, which I realize makes no sense.”
“They hardly need to play matchmaker since you and Sam are already an item. That’s still true, isn’t it?” The genuine concern in Tess’s expression was sweet, and Sarah’s heart swelled.
“Yes, of course. I just need a little time. If I were to give up on this relationship at the first hint of trouble, it would only prove I’m not old enough to handle one.” She raised her hands in the air. “Let’s face it. I should probably call it a day, crawl under the sheet, and not get up until tomorrow.”
“Ah, honey. It’ll work out, and everything will be okay.”
“I can’t keep Sam’s money.” Moisture filled Sarah’s eyes again.
“I know, but I want you to remember something.” Tess put both hands on Sarah’s shoulders. “Look at me.” She waited until Sarah did as she asked.
“Try to put yourself in Sam’s shoes, as hard as that might be to do. As I recall, you weren’t dating him when you received that cashier’s check. Maybe you were close, but you hadn’t yet crossed over that line from friendship into something more. Right? Sam could have chosen another girl—a girl who wants to stay in Rockbridge her entire life—and it would have made his life a whole lot easier.” When Sarah opened her mouth to speak, Tess stopped her by placing two fingers over her lips, stilling them.
“Sam waited on the Lord, and you are the girl he knows the Almighty wants for him. Here’s the most important thing as I see it, Sarah: when you love someone, you want them to be happy. If that means sacrificing your own happiness for the good of the other person, then that’s what you do.”
Tess lifted Sarah’s head with her hand anchored beneath her chin. “Sam Lewis is an honorable man. I’m sure he wants to give the woman he loves the opportunity to fulfill her dreams. Whether or not you accept his gift is up to you. But pray about it, and ask the Lord for His answer.”
Giving her one more quick hug, Tess kissed her cheek. Opening the bedroom door, she departed, closing the door quietly behind her.
Until Tess came into the room, Sarah had wished Dad was home. She’d always connected more with him than with Mom, and she’d always been very much her father’s daughter. The past few years, she’d di
smissed Tess as someone who cared for herself more than others. But now, a new respect for her older sister had been planted in her heart.
Thank you again, Lord.
Miracles do happen.
♥
“Sarah’s not at her house and she’s not at the creek.” Hands on his hips, Sam chewed on his lower lip as he paced the floor at home. “Where could she have gone, Charlie?” He sounded this side of desperate, but he didn’t care. Finding Sarah and making sure she was all right—and didn’t hate him—was paramount.
“Think about it, buddy. What would be the other option if you’re young and confused about the well-intentioned but misguided guy who says he loves you but also gives you the money to leave town?”
Irritated by Charlie’s tone, Sam smirked. “Forget it. I never should have told you.” Other than his best friend, he hadn’t told anyone but his parents that he’d funded that check for Sarah. Neither was Charlie the type of guy to spill his or anyone else’s personal business on Main Street for the entire town’s consumption.
“I’m on your side, remember?”
“Yeah, I know. Sorry.” Sam stared at his friend. “Have I messed this up with Sarah? I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. She told me she doesn’t plan on staying in Texas after nursing school. She wants to go flying off into the wild blue yonder”—he paused, slammed with the irony of that statement—“and wants to marry some guy who’ll wear one of those stupid Nehru jackets, live in a foreign country, and do missionary work together. She’ll probably only come home to Rockbridge every furlough or whatever with her doctor husband and cute little kids in tow.”
“You could do missionary work.”
Sam jerked his gaze to Charlie’s. “Yes, I suppose I could. That’s not my point.”
“I know, buddy.” Charlie sounded sympathetic although he looked on the verge of laughing. “Maybe it’s a good thing Sarah dunked you in that tank today.”