by Nicole Ellis
Sarah waited as Angel gathered up her belongings and put on her high-heeled shoes.
“Okay,” Angel said as she scanned the room. “I think I have everything. If not, it’ll still be here after the ceremony.”
They walked over to the barn together and walked inside, stopping near the entrance.
“I love these decorations,” Angel said as they admired a large bouquet on the table with the guest book.
“Me too.” Sarah lightly ran her finger over the velvety petals of a red rose. All of the floral arrangements were red and white roses mixed with feathery baby’s breath. The result was pure winter elegance.
“Do you see Adam?” Angel craned her neck to see both sides of the aisle. “Ah! There he is. I see his hair.”
Sarah chuckled. “I always tease him that his red hair glows.”
Angel quickened her pace to reach Adam. He’d saved two seats next to him and Sarah watched as he reached for Angel’s hand and guided her into the row next to him. Sarah was about to follow when she saw Patrick sitting a few rows back with an empty seat beside him. She hadn't expected to see him there, but he was a friend of Parker's.
The room froze, and all sound condensed to a dull hum in her ears. A myriad of conflicted thoughts danced through her mind. She’d promised herself that she’d tell him how she felt the very next time she saw him, but was this the appropriate place to have that conversation? She turned her attention back to Angel and Adam, snuggling against each other with their chairs pressed closely together. Safety, or a chance for a new future?
She squared her shoulders and forced herself to walk toward Patrick. Her shoes tapped along the hardwood floors of the barn, forming a rhythm that rocketed through her brain. Within moments, she was standing next to him. His attention was focused on the wedding program on his lap and he didn’t see her.
Inhaling deeply, she tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up, his face registering surprise.
“Sarah.”
She nodded dumbly, then pointed at the empty chair next to him. “Is this seat taken?”
“No,” he said softly.
She nodded and brushed past him to get into the seat. Her bare legs grazed the crisp fabric of his suit pants, sending shivers up her spine. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought she’d soon pass out, but she managed to seat herself and straighten the skirt of her dress over her knees.
She glanced over at him. He was staring straight ahead, his lips pressed together. She couldn’t help remembering how magical their kisses at the harvest festival had been. More than anything, she wanted a chance for a future with this man.
“Patrick…” she started to say. He turned to her, but the music started, and the barn doors slowly opened.
She went silent and everyone in the room watched as Maggie, Dahlia, and Charlotte came through the doorway, carrying small bouquets of red and white roses. They beamed at everyone as they walked by.
After they reached the front of the room, where a very nervous-looking Parker stood next to the minister, Gretchen’s dog Reilly came trotting down the aisle wearing a pillow with the rings securely attached. Sarah smiled at the ecstatic look on the dog’s face as he approached Parker.
Then, the Wedding March began. Everyone stood as Gretchen began her walk down the aisle, stepping slowly on the hardwood floors with her beaded white train trailing behind her. She carried a large bouquet of red roses, tied with a simple white sash.
Sarah was breathless, watching her friend make her way to the front of the room where the man she loved stood at the altar. She allowed herself a peek at Patrick. He stood there, watching the bride walk up the aisle. As Gretchen handed her bouquet to Maggie to hold while she said her vows, Patrick turned slightly to the left and smiled at Sarah – a smile that held a great deal of promise. Sarah’s heart melted. The air was full of romance. Was she finally going to have her chance too?
Parker and Gretchen recited their vows, their eyes brimming with love for each other. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, a loud cheer rose up from the audience. Maggie handed Gretchen back her bouquet and the newly married couple walked back down the aisle, together.
Sarah couldn’t hold back any longer. “Patrick,” she whispered as she placed her fingers lightly on his arm.
He turned to her. “Sarah.” An unspoken connection formed between them and he reached for her hand, strengthening the feeling. He squeezed her hand, sending threads of anticipation racing through her body. His hand was warm and comforting in hers.
She looked forward and saw Adam and Angel staring at her from where they sat. When Patrick had his attention turned toward the back of the room at the departing couple, Adam pointed at him and mouthed Patrick’s name.
Sarah nodded, and her brother gave her a thumbs-up. She blushed and turned away, but didn’t release her grasp on Patrick’s hand.
When they were released by rows, Sarah and Patrick put on their coats and left the barn, still holding hands. They walked in silence down to the shores of Bluebonnet Lake. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand, awakening the nerves in a delightful manner.
After they had attained a measure of privacy, he stopped, and they faced each other.
“Sarah – I need to tell you something.”
“Me too,” she uttered.
“I haven’t been able to take my mind off of you since we saw each other last summer.”
“Me neither.” They were both quiet for a moment, getting lost in each other’s eyes. Then she laughed, breaking the spell. “Why were we so ridiculous? If you had feelings for me, why didn’t you say something?”
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I wasn’t sure you felt the same way. You never said anything to me.”
“I thought you were engaged,” she pointed out.
He looked sheepish. “Yeah, I didn’t realize that until later. I just thought you weren’t attracted to me.”
“So that’s why you fixed me up with Derek.”
“And then it snowballed, and you played matchmaker between Maura and me.”
“Yeah.” She laughed at how silly it had all been. They’d wasted so much time that they could have spent together. “You convinced me to date your friend and you knew I was single, so I assumed you weren’t attracted to me.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “It was completely the opposite of that. I didn’t want to have you reject me, so I pushed you away first.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “Do you think you can forgive me?”
She gazed up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think so.”
He bent down and briefly kissed her, his lips softly meeting hers. It felt every bit as wonderful as when she’d kissed him at the harvest festival. The clean, crisp air enveloped them, and she yearned to press closer to him to keep warm.
As if reading her mind, he began brushing an errant strand of hair from her face with a tremulous hand, only to continue by running his fingertips through it toward the back of her head. She closed her eyes, drinking in the experience of his touch. Her scalp tingled pleasantly as his fingers ran their course, until with a light pressure just above her neck, they pulled her in. Their lips met again. Bracing her against the cold, a warmth born of desire spread from the pit of her stomach, across her chest, ultimately flushing her cheeks. Closer! She wanted to be closer still.
A hand pressed against her waist, before moving to her lower back to pull her into the tighter embrace she desired. She broke away briefly for air, then pressed her lips eagerly into his again. She ran the fingers of one hand through the bristly hair at the base of his neck while the other clung to the back of one of his shoulders tightly.
She felt she could stay in this moment for an eternity. But slowly, the sounds of bustling people a short distance away began to pull her out of the trance.
Above the lake, people were filing back into the barn.
“They must have the tables set up in there for dinner.” Sarah pointed up the hill.
“Do you want to go back now?”
He nodded. “Let’s go.” He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he took it, to walk together back to the barn.
The space had been reconfigured for an evening of dinner and dancing. The white wooden chairs that had once formed rows on either side of the aisle now surrounded round tables lining the side of the room.
They found a seat at a table with Angel and Adam, who wisely only smiled at them but said nothing. After a delicious dinner of filet mignon and salmon, the catering staff cleared their plates and the festivities began.
Charlotte climbed onto her chair to toast Gretchen and Parker, her brother. “To my new sister. Thank you for turning the jerk who stole my Barbie dolls as a kid into the man he is today.” She laughed and tipped her glass at them. The newlyweds smiled.
Others gave their toasts and then the cake was cut. Gretchen couldn’t resist smashing it into Parker’s face and they both ended up laughing, with their faces covered in white frosting.
Sarah took a bite of the vanilla cake and her eyes widened. “There are strawberries in this. It’s so good.”
“I’m definitely going back for seconds,” Adam said, halfway through a large slice. Beside him, Angel sighed, but a wide grin had slid across her lips. “This isn’t his first slice of the day. I made the wedding cake and, today at lunch, he sampled a few pieces of the trial cake I made a few days ago.”
Patrick looked at Sarah quizzically.
“My brother loves sweets. It’s kind of the family joke.”
“Ah,” he said. “I hope to meet the rest of your family soon too.” He turned to Angel. “You’re a wonderful baker. This is the best wedding cake I’ve ever had.”
Angel blushed and gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
Sarah’s stomach flip-flopped at Patrick’s mention of her family. He was serious about her if he wanted to meet them already. And that was fine with her. She’d never felt so strongly about any man in her past and had a sneaking suspicion that this was the man she was meant to be with.
“Time for the garter toss,” Parker called out.
The women hooted and hollered as all of the unmarried men gathered around and Parker removed the garter from Gretchen’s leg. She winked saucily at the crowd and everyone laughed. Patrick reluctantly joined in and Parker slingshotted the garter straight to him.
He looked up in surprise to find Parker grinning at him.
“I caught the garter at Dahlia’s wedding and now look where I’m at. Good luck, buddy.” Parker winked at Patrick.
Everyone laughed, and Patrick glanced at Sarah. She laughed too and smiled at him to let him know she wasn’t intimidated.
As the evening wound down, Sarah and Patrick were two of the last people out on the dance floor. He swung her around slowly, their feet tapping against the hardwood floors. She felt deliciously intoxicated, not by alcohol but by the feeling of being near him. He leaned down and kissed her, dipping her a bit as he did so. She felt weightless and dreamy at the same time.
Too soon, the evening came to an end, but she knew it wasn’t the end for them. Their story was just beginning.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Patrick asked as he rested his hand on her open car door.
Sarah sat in the driver’s seat, gazing up at him like a lovestruck teenager. “See you tomorrow.” They’d made plans for dinner the next night and she couldn’t wait to see him again.
He stooped to kiss her cheek, then shut the door and walked away, stopping once to look back at her and give her a smile that made her heart flutter. She started the engine and drove back to the main part of Candle Beach, still stunned by the night’s events. Had that really happened? Had her dream really come true? If it had snowed, she would have been sure that she was lost in a perfect fantasy. She gave herself a pinch on the thigh as she drove to make sure. Yes. It had really happened. She and Patrick had finally told each other how they felt.
18
Sarah looked around the kitchen of her rental house with satisfaction. Most of the shelves and drawers were empty now and she was on track to finish packing on Sunday in preparation for the movers coming the next weekend. Buying a house hadn’t been easy, but she’d finally closed on the property a few days prior and she was ready to move. She’d even taken down all of her Christmas decorations and the walls were bare of pictures. It looked much like it had the day she’d moved in a few years ago. A pang of nostalgia hit her, and she sat down at the kitchen table, idly wrapping some china dishes as her gaze floated around the room.
Her life had been so different four years ago. She’d returned to Candle Beach to take a job at the elementary school and found that all of her friends from high school had left town. She still had her family around, but it had been a lonely few years – until she'd made new friends – and until she met Patrick.
A warmth spread through her. Patrick. It had seemed like the time would never be right for the two of them and it still amazed her that things had worked out. In the last week, they’d spent every day together after her shift at the bookstore. Between her full-time job as a teacher, the bookstore, Patrick, and getting ready for the big move, she’d never been so busy – or so happy.
From the entrance to her house came the plop of a letter being dropped through the mail slot in the front door and landing on the floor mat. She finished wrapping a teacup in old newspaper and pushed her way through the stacks of boxes lining the hallway to retrieve her mail.
The mail carrier had left her a small, almost square, red envelope with her name printed on it in neat black script. She flipped it over to see the back. A snowflake-shaped white sticker held the envelope flap down and bore Maggie’s name and address. Sarah slid her finger under the sticker and opened the envelope to reveal a Christmas card with an elf on the front. A whiff of something gingery wafted from the card. She grinned.
Christmas cards were one of her favorite parts of the holidays – a chance to reconnect with friends that she hadn’t seen in years. With some of them, the annual Christmas letter was the only contact they had with each other and she cherished the news of old friends and their families. The wide mantel above the fireplace in her new house would be perfect for displaying the cards.
However, instead of a regular Christmas card this was an invitation to a Christmas tea at Maggie’s old farmhouse on the Sorensen Farm. A few months ago, Maggie had mentioned the possibility of hosting a small Christmas party for her friends at her house, but after she’d announced her pregnancy, Sarah wasn’t sure she’d still want to do so. She returned to the kitchen and set the card down on the table she’d just vacated before grabbing the last stack of plates out of the cupboard. Having her group of girlfriends and Patrick in her life had made all the difference. Maura had even mentioned recently how happy Sarah seemed now.
She stopped and eyed the invitation. Her own life may have changed, but Maura didn’t have many friends or any family in town to celebrate the holidays with. Why hadn’t she thought about that before? She’d been so wrapped up in her own life lately that she’d never stopped to think about her friend.
Where was her cell phone? She pulled a few boxes aside, lifted a pile of clothes she planned on donating to the Goodwill, then finally located it under a stack of newspapers she’d set on the coffee table. She called Maggie, who answered on the first ring.
“Hey,” Maggie said warmly. “Did you get the invitation? Gretchen said she received hers today.”
“I did, and I’d love to come. It sounds like so much fun.” Sarah paused. She hadn’t been friends with Maggie and the others until her brother had met Angel and she’d started working at the bookstore. Was it too much to ask for an invite for a friend? “Um, I was wondering if I could bring someone with me?”
Maggie hesitated, and Sarah held her breath. “Who did you have in mind?”
“One of my friends from work, Maura. She doesn’t know many people in town and I thought it would be nice to introduce her to all of y
ou. She could use some friends.” She added hurriedly, “But if there isn’t enough room for me to bring her, that’s okay too.”
Maggie laughed. “No, that’s fine. We’d love to meet her.”
“Thanks, Maggie.” Sarah breathed deeply. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“See you.” Maggie hung up and Sarah set her phone back down on the coffee table.
She looked around the room. There was still so much to pack before her move. Time to get back to work.
The back door of the moving truck rattled as Patrick rolled it down to a closed position. He locked it and walked over to Sarah’s new house.
“Is that everything?” Sarah asked as she came out of the house to stand on the lawn. Her face was flushed prettily and tendrils of her hair had escaped her ponytail.
He smiled. “Yep. That’s everything.”
A look of relief crossed her face. “Thank goodness. I never want to move another box again.”
“Uh,” Gretchen said, coming up behind her. “I hate to tell you, but every room of your house is filled with boxes.”
“Okay, okay. I mean I never want to move houses ever again.” Sarah glanced back at her house and beamed. “I’m here to stay.”
“Good,” Parker said as he wrapped his arms around Gretchen. “Because I don’t want to have to help you move again. How’d you get so much stuff into that little house you were renting anyway?”
Gretchen glared at him and slugged him in the arm. “Never comment on how much stuff a lady owns.”
He pulled his wife close to him and kissed her.
Patrick moved closer to Sarah and put his arm around her waist. “I’ll call Pete’s Pizza and order the food now.”
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him and his blood warmed. How was he so lucky to have her in his life?
“Sounds good. Thanks.”