Prelude: Prequel to The Lewis Legacy Series

by JoAnn Durgin

  “Thanks for the vote of support.”

  “Hey, I’m only saying it might have forced a confrontation, or whatever you want to call it, that should have happened when Sarah first came to the bank and asked you about that big check. You ask me, it wasn’t so much professional ethics that stopped you from telling her so much as your own pride.”

  Sam shook his head. “If she’d known the check came from me, Sarah never would have accepted it in the first place. You know how stubborn she is. At least by making it anonymous, I had half a fighting chance she’d take the money and run.”

  “Is that what you wanted her to do? Run away from Rockbridge?”

  “You know what I mean,” Sam snapped. “All I want now—all I’ve ever wanted—is for Sarah to be happy. To find her dreams.”

  “You and your dream talk. Enough already.” Charlie raised his hands in the air. “Go find her, kiss her senseless, and then talk about your future. I don’t know why you can’t seem to get it through your thick skull that Sarah going to Austin isn’t a death sentence for your relationship. Make it work for you, not against you.”

  Again, Sam faced off with his friend. “How do you propose I do that?”

  A slow smile crept across Charlie’s face. “I think you hit upon a key word in that question.”

  Sam opened his mouth but then closed it just as fast. Was Charlie actually suggesting he propose marriage to Sarah? Well, that’d be one way to stake his claim on her heart. Was it too soon?

  You’ve known her for years. Still, he’d need to think about it. The issue wasn’t a question of loving Sarah, wanting Sarah. More than anything, the increasing need to be with her was uppermost in his crowded thoughts.

  “As far as where Sarah might be now, let me give you another little clue.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Charlie planted his feet apart as they faced one another in the living room. “Where’s the one place in Rockbridge where Sarah feels most comfortable and where she’s among friends? Other than home or church, that is.”

  “Perry’s.” Sam didn’t even have to think about it. “Of course. How’d you get so smart? I’m suddenly feeling hunger pains. Let’s go.” He started for the front door.

  Charlie followed him out the door. “Sorry, but you’re on your own. It’s Saturday night, and I’m escorting Tess to the movies over in Springhaven.”

  Sam laughed under his breath. “Sounds about right, friend. Have a good time.”

  “One of these days we’ll take the Jordan girls on a double date,” Charlie said.

  “Let me make sure Sarah’s still speaking to me first, and then we’ll plan something.”

  “I have a question.” Charlie climbed into his car. “Have you broken that vow yet?”

  “I take it you mean the one about not kissing a Jordan girl? Yeah, you could say that.” A few times over.

  “Good man. Proud of you. Do you want a lift over to Perry’s? You could put on that impressive Air Force uniform and sit on the back of the car. That’d make quite an entrance.”

  After debating it for a moment, Sam shook his head. “No, thanks. I need to clear my head.” He inhaled the scent of his neighbor’s freshly mown lawn and the flowers in his mother’s garden. “It’s a nice night. Think I’ll walk.”

  “It’ll work out, Sam. See you soon. Later!”

  Waving to Charlie, hoping his friend was right, Sam headed in the opposite direction.

  Lord, be with me.

  Chapter 37

  ♥

  Upon entering Perry’s, Sam stopped abruptly. The busboy, Eddie, was singing into a pretend microphone—a stainless steel serving spoon from the looks of it—and pouring out his heart and soul. His eyes were closed as he gyrated and sang along to “Walk On the Wild Side.”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, Sam slid onto the seat at the corner table. The diner was fairly quiet with only a couple of other men sitting at the counter. He exchanged nods with them, knowing the diner would get busier when the high school and college age guys brought their dates in later on. Sitting in Perry’s was one way to prolong an evening with a girl since it was a respectable, public place. He’d been guilty of that ploy with his own dates in the past.

  As Eddie launched into another song, still with his eyes closed, Patti approached him. “Hey, Sam. How are you?”

  He returned her smile. “Hi, Patti. Enjoying the floor show. Is this something new?”

  She shrugged. “Every time we’re not that busy on the weekends, and as long as Eddie’s on his break. Myrna and Jimmy don’t mind, and the customers find it kind of fun. They even join in sometimes. He’s not half-bad. You should hear him sing ‘Town Without Pity.’ Sounds just like Gene Pitney, the guy who sings it on the record. Or ‘(Girls Girls Girls Were) Made To Love by Eddie Hodges.’” She glanced over at Eddie. “Something about that skinny kid who’s probably never had a date in his life singing a song like that is rather sweet in a weird way.”

  Sam nodded as another tune began. He’d never listened to the radio much until he’d been in the service and the guys played it incessantly. “Eddie’s doing a decent rendition of ‘Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)’ right now. How are your kids?”

  “Active as ever. It’s a miracle I’m standing on my own two feet.” She gave him a tired smile. “On the other hand, it’s a relief to be here. Gives my hubby the privilege of watching his spawn for the night. Equal time, right?”

  Patti’s humor always made him laugh. She had the kind of pleasing personality perfect for a waitress in a small-town diner. The expression about never meeting a stranger applied to this woman.

  “What can I get for you?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she winked. “If you’re thinking about a tall, gorgeous but feisty blonde, she’s already come and gone. She offered to work tonight in my place, but Jimmy wouldn’t go for it. He’s in charge tonight.”

  “I see.” He couldn’t help himself. “Was she. . .okay?”

  Patti grinned. “Sarah seemed to have some stuff on her mind, but yeah, she was good. Why?”

  “No reason.” Sam drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I don’t suppose Sarah mentioned where she was headed?” It was possible he’d just missed her. She might have taken off in the opposite direction and disappeared out of sight just as he’d arrived at the diner. Bad timing.

  “No. Sorry.” Patti’s expression was empathetic. “I’m sure you can catch her at home in a while. As long as you’re here, do you want something to eat?”

  He might not taste anything, but he might as well give the diner his business while he tried to figure out his next move. As much as he hated to do it, maybe he should wait until tomorrow to see her in church. Give her some time and space. He’d eat a meal and then decide.

  “I’ll take one of those barbecue burgers, no onion ring, and a soda. Thanks, Patti.” Might as well shake it up a little since Patti didn’t remember the lemons for his iced tea the way Sarah always did. Not that it mattered much, and Patti had enough on her mind.

  “Not a problem. Coming right up.”

  Jimmy came out of the kitchen a short time later as Sam finished his burger. The cook rarely emerged from that kitchen. The way he walked straight toward the table in spite of his bad leg—not to mention the expression on his face—spoke of a man on a mission. “Captain Lewis,” he said with a nod, giving him a quick shake of his hand. “Mind if I sit down?”

  “Not at all, Jimmy. Have a seat. Please. Your burger was great, as usual. Thanks.”

  “Welcome. Adding the barbecue sauce has been a real hit. Glad you liked it.” Jimmy dropped onto the seat on the opposite side of the booth. “Somethin’ tells me you didn’t come in here tonight because you had hunger pangs.”

  Sam smiled. “And something tells me you’re not sitting here chewing the fat with me on a Saturday night.” He took a long drink. “The truth? It’d be kind of hard to reason with Sarah on an empty stomach. I needed to fortify myself.”

  Jimmy chuckled, familiar and rasp
y. “I figured as much. Sarah was in here a little while ago and came pretty close to beggin’ me to put her to work. When I told her she’d already put in way too much time this week, she grumbled about how she’d never get out of Rockbridge and then took off.” With a small smile, he shook his head, the folds in his face deepening. “That sweet girl can’t wait to get out of this town as much as I’ve always wanted to live and die here.”

  “I’m trying to help her do that, Jimmy. The getting out of town part, that is.” Sam tossed out the line and hoped the older man would nip at the bait he offered.

  “You might not want my advice, but I’m going to give it to you, anyway, Sam. I’ve seen that girl work hard every week since she was sixteen. That’s not to mention all the other stuff she does around town, at the church, and at home. She’s earned the right to take that money and run to Austin with it. But she’s way too stubborn for her own good.” Jimmy ran a hand over his shadowed jaw. “She’s got this idea in her head that she doesn’t want to be beholden to anyone.”

  “Jimmy, I love her.” Sam drained the glass.

  “Tell me something I don’t know, son. The whole town knows it.”

  “So, what do you suggest I do if she won’t take my money? Or anyone’s money, for that matter.”

  Sliding out of the booth, Jimmy reached into the pocket of his long white apron and pulled out a small plastic bag. He placed it on the table.

  Sam glanced at the bag. “Red jelly beans.”

  “Cherry jelly beans, to be specific,” Jimmy said. “I started givin’ them to Sarah when she’d come into the diner with her dad for Saturday lunch. I used to tease her about her tongue turnin’ red since she ate so many of them.”

  Did the man have a point? What did cherry jelly beans have to do with anything?

  “Sarah got sassy on me once—she was about ten at the time, I think—and told me she had to earn those jelly beans. Imagine that. A dime bag of candy. She was just a kid yet said she wanted to earn them. Said the only thing in life that’s really free is our salvation, and all we have to do is accept what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross.” Jimmy chuckled and moved his hands to his hips, shaking his head. “What kind of little girl says something like that?”

  “For starters, an honorable one. A girl with the love of Christ in her heart who wants to share that grace and mercy.” Sitting back in the booth, Sam waited. He knew Jimmy was leading up to something with this conversation.

  Jimmy slowly nodded and pointed to himself. “I want you to know that same little girl led this old sailor to Jesus. And then I led my wife to Him. And then our kids. Changed our lives for the better, and I’ll always love my little Jelly Bean for that. No matter where she goes in life, she’ll always be in here with me.” He tapped a fist over his chest. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure she even remembered it until I reminded her a while back.”

  Sam’s mind was spinning and, if it were possible, his heart expanded even more to let Sarah in. Jimmy’s words only confirmed how special her love was to others, not just to him. “Your nickname for Sarah is Jelly Bean?”

  “Sure enough.” The other man’s dark eyes met his. “Find another way to help her, son. Think about what it is that she wants most and find a way to help get her there. Mind you, I’m not talkin’ about Sarah working here at Perry’s until she’s thirty.” He put his hand on the table. “As much as I’d love that, I try not to be a selfish man.”

  “Thanks, Jimmy. I’ll find a way.” They shared a smile.

  “You do that, son.” Rising from the seat, Jimmy winked. “A tip? Give her cherry jelly beans every now and then.” Sam stared after the cook as he crossed the diner and pushed open the swinging door, disappearing behind it and into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Sam!” Eddie stood by the jukebox.

  Sam cleared his throat. “Yeah, Ed?”

  “Got any requests?”

  “How about ‘I Wish That We Were Married?’ That sounds about right.”

  “Sure. As long as you’re not saying that to me, we’re good. Comin’ right up.”

  “Thanks.” Sam wanted to pay his bill and take off, but for now, he’d listen to Eddie’s song, wishing the sentiment were true for him and a certain gorgeous Jordan girl. She might throw him out on his ear when he stopped by her house in a bit, but he’d take the chance.

  Sam’s gaze was drawn to something sitting on the table. The small bag of jelly beans. Cherry. With a smile, he pocketed them.

  ♥

  After walking around Oak Park for more than an hour, Sarah headed home. She needed to finish preparing the Sunday school lesson for tomorrow. She didn’t much feel like it, but the girls depended on her, and she couldn’t let them down.

  “Sarah, is that you?” Tess called from the kitchen as Sarah closed the front door.

  “No, it’s an escaped puppy from the new Beagle litter over at the Barton house. Yes, of course, it’s me.” Emotionally spent, she’d tried to be quiet as she entered the house. No reason to be so sarcastic with Tess.

  Her sister came to stand in the kitchen doorway. “Now that we’ve finished the remodeling in the kitchen, are you and Sam willing to help Charlie and me finish painting the living room? Mom called. They’re doing fine, but—I could kind of read between the lines—they’re coming home on Wednesday as planned. We need to get it done.”

  “Sure. I’ll ask Sam tomorrow after church.” Sarah clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her yawn. She hoped she could sleep. “The slipcovers for the sofa and side chair, and the pillows, are all on hold over at Tucker’s.”

  Tess nodded. “I’ll pick them up on my lunch hour on Monday. Thanks.” Her expression softened. “Did you talk with Sam tonight?”

  “No. I wasn’t up to it. Did he come here?”

  “Yes.” Tess nodded as Sarah followed her into the kitchen. “I’m sure he went to the creek, too. Where did you go? That’s the question.”

  “Perry’s, but Jimmy refused to allow me to work.”

  “I’ve always adored Jimmy. He’s a great guy. Not to be nosy, but where did you go after that?”

  “I thought about going to see Debbie since she and Arnie are back from their honeymoon.” Warmth crept into her neck and moved to her cheeks. “Then I figured a surprise visit to newlyweds wasn’t the best idea on a Saturday night.”

  Tess grinned. “Good thinking.”

  “I ended up sitting on a bench in Oak Park and watching the world according to Rockbridge go by. Funny how much you can see.” Sarah’s eyes glazed. “The couples, young and old. The kids, wild and well-behaved. The love, the laughter, the longing and the loss.”

  Tess tilted her head. “Are you writing another poem again?”

  Sarah laughed softly. “No.”

  “Well, it sure sounded that way to me. Did you eat while you were at Perry’s?”

  “No, Mom, as a matter of fact. Eating didn’t even cross my mind. I’ll make myself a turkey sandwich. You run on to bed.”

  “Is that your way of saying you don’t want to talk about it anymore?”

  Sarah gave Tess a quick hug. “It’s my way of saying I don’t need to talk about it anymore. Thanks for earlier, sis.”

  “That’s what older sisters are for, sweetie.” With a small wave, Tess departed.

  Sarah spread out the weekly newspaper on the kitchen table but quickly lost interest in it as she ate her sandwich a few minutes later. Try as she might, she couldn’t stay focused and the words blurred. Maybe she should study her Sunday school lesson instead. After darting into the bedroom and grabbing her Bible and leader’s guide, she sat down again at the kitchen table.

  She stared at the passage in Philippians 2:3-4, the theme verse for the lesson: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

  Oh, the irony. “Lord, you have a great sense of humor, don�
��t you?” Sarah laughed under her breath. Sacrifice. Seemed to be a running theme today. Would this day never end?

  As she finished her sandwich and then washed her plate in the sink, Sarah heard a knock. Tess had probably gone to bed, but maybe she’d gotten up and was in the living room. Not moving, Sarah listened.

  Another light knock sounded. Wiping her hands on a towel, Sarah braced herself and then headed out of the kitchen and into the living room. Someone was at the front door, and she had a pretty good idea who it was.

  Chapter 38

  ♥

  “Hi.” Sam removed his Stetson and held it between his hands. Tilting his head to one side, he gave Sarah his best puppy dog imitation as he stood on her front porch. “Can we talk?”

  After a moment’s hesitation, she pushed open the screen door and stepped outside. She still wore her Perry’s uniform and her hair was pulled back, as usual. Judging by the tiny dab of mustard in the right corner of her mouth, she’d recently eaten. Was she mad? Hard to tell, but the fact that she was willing to talk with him was encouraging.

  “Only for a few minutes, so make it count. I need to finish studying my Sunday school lesson.”

  The hint of her usual humor amused him as she sat down on the swing and scooted to the opposite end, no doubt wanting to leave a decent space between them. He’d see what he could do to bridge that gap. She stared straight ahead, so he took full advantage of the opportunity to study her profile. Sarah by moonlight was beautiful. Sarah at any time was beautiful. Twisting her hands on her lap, she avoided his gaze.

  Lord, give me the right words.

  “What’s the scripture reference? For your lesson?”

  She mumbled something indecipherable.

  “What?”

  “It’s from Philippians.” She cleared her throat. “Suffice it to say it’s about sacrifice and putting the needs of others before your own wants.”

  Thank you, Jesus. He loved how God worked. Surveying the expanse of the front yard, Sam inhaled the sweet fragrance of her mother’s rose bushes. On a whim, he left the swing and jumped over the three steps, landing on the ground. A gentle rain had started to fall. After grabbing his pocket knife from his back pocket, he quickly cut off three pink blooms from the back of the bush. Bounding back up to the porch, he shook the raindrops from the flowers and then bowed as he offered them to Sarah.