Falling For Sarah (Sarah Series Book 3)

by Julieann Dove

  “Nah. We’re going to drive into the neighborhoods and look at the lights. And I don’t want to interfere with your plans.”

  “Aunt Heidi is so easygoing. She’d find it a pleasure if you came. Really.”

  “Maybe another time. We should be back early, though. If you’d like, I’ll come over?”

  “Sure. That sounds great.”

  He left and I crouched down and watched my little girl open her presents. I was so happy Santa remembered to bring me that new smartphone I’d been asking for.

  I looked out the window at the snow coming down. Peter Sr. and Gabby were over with their children. Jefferson and Jericho—they’d gotten so big. No more Matchbox cars for them. They were into Xbox and skateboards. Rose was having fun with them, though, despite the age difference. They were playing doctor with her. Aunt Heidi bought her an emergency veterinarian set. The kids acted as if they had sick pets and Rose was putting them in the hospital.

  “Sarah, tell me what’s wrong.”

  I went back to the table and stirred my eggnog. “It’s nothing.”

  “I’ve known you all your life. I think I can say it’s something. You barely ate any of that Yule log for dessert. I know it’s your favorite.”

  “I just thought things would be different for me this year. Heck, I think that stupid thought each year. I hated writing Robena this month and telling her about Sam. I felt like she just viewed me as a loser.”

  “Oh, please. No one thinks you’re a loser. Look at you. You own your own home, you have a great kid, a good job. Sometimes we take for granted what others pray to have.”

  “I know. I truly do. It’s just I’m feeling sorry for myself, I guess. And I miss Dad. I put flowers on his grave when Rose went to Sam’s.”

  “I thought those were from you. I went yesterday.” She came and hugged me. “He’d be so proud of you.”

  I looked up at her and smiled. “I hope so.”

  Uncle Pete came into the kitchen. “Honey, Peter is heading out with the kids. The storm is getting pretty bad.” He looked at me. “Sarah, why don’t you and Rose stay the night? She’s busy in there playing. You all can get up with us and have a big breakfast. We can take a walk in the snow. Maybe see a few snow birds.” Uncle Pete was a bird watcher. I got him a new set of binoculars for Christmas.

  “Nah, I really want to get back home. Alex might come over later.”

  Aunt Heidi gave me the highbrow look. “Alex, huh?”

  “Yeah, it seems his wife has turned out to be a bigger loser than me. She’s letting go of something I’ve prayed continuously for.”

  “Her loss, your gain?”

  “Who knows? I try to stay away from the rebounders, you know that, Aunt Heidi.”

  “Yes, I do.” She took my glass and rinsed it.

  I went and helped Rose gather her things. We trekked to the car. The snow was mesmerizing. It swirled around our heads and made me dizzy trying to see all the different shaped flakes. Driving would be even more of a challenge with it coming at me warp speed. I knew I’d end up with calluses grabbing tight to my steering wheel.

  “Drive careful.” Uncle Pete held on to his shovel and waved.

  “Okay.” I shut my door. “Hold on and say a prayer, my little Rosie.” I spied her through the rearview mirror and pulled out slowly.

  I made it without any problem. Okay, so I fishtailed twice. And then didn’t stop at that last stop sign. I couldn’t. There wasn’t anyone coming anyway. Who would be crazy enough to come out in this storm? The weathermen said it wouldn’t come until after midnight. They sort of missed that one.

  “Okay, Rose. Get your stuff and come on.”

  I helped her out of the car and she took off, dropping three pieces of her doctor gear junk. I picked them up and waddled through the powder to the front door. I did a quick look to see whether lights were on at Alex’s house. It seemed pretty dark.

  Rose threw her boots and ran to her room to play with the things she’d been away from for the last three hours. I placed her coat on the peg and cleaned up the wet snow we brought in. My phone buzzed. I went to see who it was.

  Merry Christmas!

  There was a picture attached to the message. I peered closely to the screen. It was Liz and Rick. They stood in front of a little white chapel. Just Married was tacked up on it. I grabbed my mouth and screamed. Immediately, I dialed her number.

  “Oh my gosh! Girl, where are you?”

  “We’re in Vegas! Rick flew me out last night.”

  “What? And you didn’t call me?”

  “Oh, right. Like I was going to call you while I was being romanced by this hunk of a guy?”

  “Hunk of a guy? Rick?”

  “Sarah, it’s crazy. He’s crazy. I never knew he had this in him. It’s been amazing. This place, this hotel room…I’m married!” She screamed in the phone. “I’m married!”

  I got up on my sofa and screamed with her. Rose ran in and looked at me with horror.

  “Sorry, baby. Liz is married!”

  Rose jumped up and down. “Yay!”

  “Hey, tell Maggie for me. Something is wrong with her phone or something. The message keeps bouncing back.”

  “Okay. How long are you staying? Oh my gosh. How romantic.”

  “I know, right? And I don’t know. This is his show. He tells me wait until New Year’s!”

  I slid down the back cushion of my sofa. “You’re so lucky.”

  “I am. I truly am. I’m so happy, Sarah. And when I said ‘I do,’ it was amazing. Nothing happened. I didn’t turn into a decrepit monster, or anything. In fact, I felt like…like weird. Oh my gosh, you should see the ring he got me.”

  “I want to see it. Text a picture.”

  “Okay. Oh, and tell Carter. I don’t have time. And you know how he gets when he’s the last one to hear something.”

  “Sure.”

  Oh, no. I’m not sure how that would go. The last time we talked, I stormed out. Not sure how I can come back from that. Maybe a quick text would suffice.

  “Well, I gotta go. We’re going to some show.”

  “I’m so happy for you, Liz. We’ll do a shower for you when you get back.”

  “I love parties. Have lots of sweets.”

  “You got it.”

  I hung up the phone and suddenly it was quiet. All the commotion and craziness went away with that push of a button. I heard Rose inside her room, playing with those animals. I went and turned on the Christmas tree lights and sat on the floor, looking at them. I sat there awhile before I crawled to the sofa and got my phone. I pushed Carter’s picture and looked at it for a second before texting the news. Who knows? Maybe this was a good thing to break the ice. I wondered why I was feeling so empty all day and I think it was because that jerk and I were at odds with each other. After all, I never did acknowledge his text that he was sorry. I hated conflict.

  I typed it out: Liz is married! Pass it on. I waited for a few minutes and then went to take my shower.

  “Mommy, can I sleep with all my animals tonight?”

  “Sure.” I looked and she’d already had them all piled in her bed.

  “I really had a nice day with you, Rose Marie. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas, Mommy.”

  I turned off her light and trudged to my room. After checking my phone and not seeing a response from Carter, I turned off my lamp and laid in the dark for what seemed forever. So much for Alex coming through. I needed to stop expecting things. I needed to start going through life not expecting anything; then, when something happened, I’d be caught off guard and it would be freaking awesome. Great, I was already expecting what I would do when something would happen. So much for not expecting.

  Bright lights shone on my wall from outside. I looked toward the window, wondering what it was. Beeps began going off. The kind dumpsters have when they put their contraption in reverse. I rose and looked to see whether I could see anything. It was just bright. Did I really care enou
gh to get out of my warm bed? The beeps beeped again. More bright lights. I got up.

  Outside on the lawn was someone walking. It was pretty easy to decipher against the white snow. I rubbed the moisture on the window and pressed my head against the glass. Who was it? I grabbed my robe from the foot of my bed, slipped on my slippers, and went to the living room window to see better.

  From the back of my sofa, I thought it was…no. What? I ran to the door and opened it. Carter was walking up to the house. I leaned out. “Carter? What in the world?”

  He turned around and waved at the large snowplow truck. “Thanks!”

  “Carter? What are you doing here? I thought you were at your parents’.”

  He dropped his suitcase by his side and stared at me. “I was.”

  “Okay?”

  “You never texted back.”

  “I was angry.”

  “I know. And I was sorry.”

  “You really hurt me.”

  “And I was sorry for that. I was miserable at my mom’s.”

  “I should’ve texted back. But why are you—”

  “She gave me underwear.”

  “Underwear?”

  “Yeah, underwear.”

  “Okay.” I took a step backward. “Come inside. It’s cold.”

  “No thanks. This won’t take long.”

  “Take long? Carter, what are you—”

  “So I’m opening the next package, and God love her, it’s a nutcracker. Like the kind you use when you buy those whole shelled nuts. I hate those nuts. I’m not a nut guy. Why doesn’t my own mother know this?” Snow fell on his face as he continued to talk nonsense to me.

  “I don’t know.” The air was slipping inside my robe.

  “And she looks at me. Because obviously she can see I have no idea who I’ll regift this thing to. Maybe Wally Kirkpatrick, who knows.”

  I smiled.

  “Anyway, she says, ‘Carter, what did you want for Christmas? To save my life, I had no idea.’ So I happen to think, what did I want for Christmas? Certainly not this damn nutcracker.”

  I continued to listen. He was entertaining, that was for sure. No matter how cold I was. “So what did you want?”

  “You.”

  There are a gazillion words in the world, as Rose would say. Some happy, some sad. Some that don’t even have a function. Like the or an. But if you put them in places where you’d never expect, places that are so lonely…you find yourself melting. I melted right there. In the twenty-degree temperature night.

  “Me?” I touched my chest.

  “You.” He walked up the porch steps, hair full of snow. “You were right, Sarah. I did set you up with guys who I knew you’d never have anything in common with. And I did it subconsciously because I didn’t want you to be with anyone.”

  “That wasn’t kind, Carter.”

  “But I did it with the best intentions.” He came closer. “I did it because I wanted you for myself.”

  He was finally within reach and placed his hands on my face and pulled me in for a kiss. It was a nice kiss. Slow and meaningful.

  I opened my eyes. I was so happy to see him when I did.

  “Sarah, can I be that guy? That guy you call Maggie and Liz about? To tell them you’re crazy about me? What do you say? Can I be the lucky one?” His hands rested on my sides.

  “What about Mitzy?”

  “I broke up with her the night of Liz’s party. Trust me, she took it like a champ. I think Michael offered to drive her home.”

  “You did it at the party?”

  His knees bent. “You’re killing me, Sarah. Yes, it’s over. We weren’t even compatible. I hate cats. Now what about us?”

  “Well, Alex did say—”

  “That guy next door? Are you kidding me?”

  I threw my head back, laughing. “Yes, I am. He’s not the one for me.”

  “Who is?”

  I rested my head on his. “You are, Carter. As much as I’ve stuck those voodoo pins in your heart, you keep coming back to life.”

  “Girl!” He picked me up and walked me out to the front yard.

  “Carter, are you crazy?”

  “Yes, in fact, I am. I’m crazy about you.” He kissed me as the snow came down on us.

  This was it. This was my happily-ever-after. Carter Williams. It was him all along.

  Easter Sunday. The house smelled like baked ham and mashed potatoes. Rose giggled as she played with the toy Liz had strapped on Maxine’s car seat. She was adorable. No horn-rimmed glasses yet, but I could see intelligence with every coo she let out. Liz and Rick beamed with pride…when they weren’t catnapping from the loss of sleep Maxine had caused them.

  Maggie and Howard helped set the table. Charlie was at Michael’s for the weekend. I invited Alex and June, but they had company flying in from Miami. It was just us…the new gang. My perfect gang.

  “Okay, I’d like to make an announcement.” Carter dinged the glass with his spoon. Everyone became quiet.

  I looked across the table at him and wondered what in the world he was going to say.

  “As you all may know by now, I’ve been seeing someone pretty special.”

  Maggie and Liz turned their heads and looked at me. Their eyes were big.

  He cleared his throat. “Howard, can you pass me the coleslaw? That really looks good.”

  “Carter!” cried Liz.

  “What?” he asked, taking the slaw and scooping some on his empty plate.

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “Why would you ask for our attention and then request coleslaw?”

  “I’m hungry, Liz. We’re at the table to eat, not gab.”

  She tossed her napkin at him. I slunk in my chair.

  “Babe, pass me your plate. This coleslaw is out of this world. What did you use this time? Slaw dressing?”

  I smiled. “Yes. That would be slaw dressing, Carter.”

  “Pass me your plate. You’ve got to try it.”

  I shook my head and handed down my plate. This man was incorrigible.

  He held my plate and stared at me.

  “What?”

  He peered down at the table. At the empty space where my plate had just sat. I looked down. A silver ring with the most exquisite diamond sat on the linen cloth. My mouth dropped open. I heard a squeal from Maggie before I picked it up.

  Carter came and knelt beside me. My hand began to shake. He held it tight and took the ring and placed it on my finger.

  “So as I was saying, I’ve been seeing this very special woman. She has this fantastic daughter.” He looked at Rose and smiled. “And I was wondering if you all thought…if I asked her to marry me…do you think I’d have a chance in maybe getting her to say—”

  “Yes! I will! I will, I will, I will.” I hugged him tight and closed my eyes. This moment…this moment here was worth all those bad moments and more I’d had over the last seven years.

  I released my hold and looked into his eyes. Everyone disappeared.

  “I love you, Sarah Keller.”

  “I love you, Carter Williams.” Before I kissed him, I said, “Does this mean I don’t have to endure anymore blind dates you have for me?”

  “Come here, you.” He kissed me and suddenly I knew this was the beginning of everything I’d ever dreamed of.

  The Kentucky Cure

  The Secret He Keeps

  The Finding Amy Series

  Waking Amy

  Leaving Amy

  Finding Amy

  The Sarah Series

  Searching For Sarah

  Pursuing Sarah

 

 

 
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