Fighting Fate

by Hope, Amity

  “Sarah, it was an accident.”

  “I know that. But it was an accident that could’ve been avoided. I had friends in Crawford but I’ll admit, I was pretty withdrawn after the accident. I probably would’ve blamed myself anyway but Brynn made it even easier to do. She wouldn’t let a day go by without reminding me. I finally changed my phone number. I couldn’t stop blaming myself. But then she took it too far.”

  “Going to the school board wasn’t far enough?”

  “Apparently not,” Sarah murmured. “I came home from work the day that winter break started. It was almost a year after Aaron died. She’d let herself into my house. She nearly cleared it out. I’ll admit we didn’t have much. The apartment had come mostly furnished. There were a few things that were just mine. Anything she thought was his, she took. His books, his watch, a few items of clothing I’d kept, photo albums that I had put together but they all contained photos of Aaron and me…They were gone. Pictures were taken off the wall. It was like she wanted to erase the last bit of him from my life.”

  “She took everything? You mean she stole everything,” Cole clarified.

  <. It wam" align="justify">She shrugged. “Essentially, yes. At some point Aaron had given her a key because we’d gone on vacation. He’d asked her to stop by and check on things. I had forgotten all about it. I will never forget the way my heart hit the floor when I walked in and saw that she’d taken things she had no right to take. And I knew it was her because who else would it be?”

  “What kind of person would do that?”

  “Brynn.”

  “Did you call the police? She should’ve been arrested,” Cole said.

  “No. My life was full of so much drama already. And to be honest, it would’ve felt disloyal to Aaron.”

  “But she would’ve deserved it, Sarah. What she did? That was absolute bullshit. She had no right.”

  “I know. I called her from Liz’s. She admitted to taking everything. She told me she thought of it as a down payment for the ring because I still hadn’t given it back to her. Really, I’m sure she didn’t care about any of the things she took. She just took them to be hateful. To prove a point. She just used the ring as an excuse.”

  “The ring?”

  Sarah explained to Cole where the ring originated from.

  “It’s a lovely ring in an antique setting. It’s truly gorgeous. But that wasn’t the reason I was so attached to it. It was from Aaron and I wasn’t ready to let it go. I had planned on giving it back eventually. I just hadn’t been able to at that point. I hadn’t been able to take it off,” she admitted. “She told me I was the thief.”

  “Well, if that’s not a messed up way of thinking, I don’t know what is.”

  “Right,” Sarah agreed. “Up until that point, I’d been letting her push me around. I knew she was grieving even though she had a messed up way of showing it. I think she was trying to push me over the edge. Instead, it just helped me to see things clearly for maybe the first time. I realized I didn’t deserve the way she was treating me. Because that? Coming into my home and taking away all I had left of him? That was going too damn far.”

  “You’re damn right it was,” Cole grumbled.

  The protective tone of his voice caused a small smile to tilt up the corner of her lip.

  “I spent the night at Liz’s. Her husband took their kids and went to spend the night at his parents. I cried my eyes out all night long. But in the morning, Liz sat me down with a cup of coffee. Up until that point, Liz had done her best to keep me sane. But that morning, she told me she thought I should leave Crawford. She knew I had the farmhouse here. And she knew that my family was here.

  “At first, I refused. I didn’t want Brynn to think she’d finally gotten the best of me. I thought about it over winter break. It was pretty much all I thought about. I realized Liz was right. I had her there and hd fid a few other friends but really, by that point, there was nothing holding me to Crawford. In hindsight, I would’ve been better off moving back to Laurel immediately. But my life had already been thrown into complete upheaval. I just couldn’t deal with anything else those first few months.”

  “I know how that is,” Cole agreed. “Sometimes it’s hard to see a situation clearly until you step away.”

  “I think that’s what happened. I didn’t realize how miserable I was. Or maybe I should say I didn’t realize how unnecessarily miserable I was. I was having the accident thrown in my face all the time. While I was in Crawford, I just couldn’t get away from it. I completely withdrew at first. I pulled away from my friends. Except Liz because she wouldn’t let me. But then it was Liz who finally made me see things clearly. I decided to finish out the school year. But after that? There was nothing keeping me in Crawford. Not really. Just the few friends I had left and a whole lot of bad memories.”

  “And you had Cora’s house waiting for you here,” he said.

  “Yes,” she said with a small smile. “You have no idea how many times I’d thought about selling it. I just couldn’t go through with it. Now, I’m so glad I didn’t.”

  “Even with all of the work that needs to be done?”

  “Even with all of the work,” she agreed. “I love that old house.”

  “I’m really sorry that you had such a rough couple of years.”

  “Thanks.”

  “But I think your friend Liz is right. I think it’s good you got out of Crawford. That lady sounds unhinged. I’m glad you’re not in the same town anymore. You don’t need her harassing you.”

  “No. Now I just have Melinda showing up at my door instead.”

  She felt Cole jerk back in surprise.

  “What?” he leaned away from her so he could turn to look at her.

  She told him about Melinda’s visit.

  “Of course she only stopped by because she wanted something,” Cole grated out.

  “I know. But the few times that I’ve seen her over the years, it just really makes me appreciate my real mom. The one that raised me,” Sarah said softly.

  “I don’t think you should’ve even let her in. You don’t owe that woman a thing.”

  “I know. But in some strange way, I was glad she wanted those keepsakes.”

  “Why? Do you think there’s still hope for her?” he asked.

  She tilted her head to the side, thinking it over as she looked at him.

  “You are way too nice for your own good,” Cole said.

  “Enough about Melinda. Tell me how things are with Karen.” Sarah had met her several times while she and Cole were together. While Karen had always been kind to her, Sarah hadn’t really gotten the chance to know her. She was either working, rushing off to work or napping so she could prepare for a nightshift.

  “Things are good,” Cole said. He removed his arm from where it had been resting on Sarah’s shoulder. He stretched and then got to his feet.

  She smiled as he began searching the ground, undoubtedly looking for a good skipping stone. She leaned back on her elbows so she could watch him. The familiarity of it warmed her more than the summer day.

  “Care to elaborate?” she asked as he bent down to scoop up a rock. “About your mom, I mean.”

  “Sometimes I feel like I’ve spent more time with her in the last year than I spent with her the entire time I lived at home. It’s been good for us.”

  “I always liked your mom,” Sarah admitted with a smile. “She was always in a hurry. But she always stopped for at least a few seconds to talk to me.” That was more than Melinda had ever done for her.

  “When I was growing up, we weren’t very close,” he said as he flung his first rock. It skipped half a dozen times and he grinned. “Not bad for being so rusty,” he muttered before turning to Sarah again. “I mean, she wasn’t a bad mom.” He paused, as if searching for an appropriate word.

  “She was just absent,” Sarah suggested.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “She was. For the longest time I thought it was because she didn’t wa
nt us around. I thought she was gone because she was avoiding us. Then she got sick. I came home for a visit and we talked. She told me the biggest regret of her life was missing out on her boys’ childhoods. She blamed herself for the way Darren turned out. She said if she’d been around more, maybe she could’ve set him straight. But she was working. She was working all the damn time. That old trailer house was a pile of shit and it always had stuff that needed replacing. Any time she managed to save anything, either my dad or Darren would find a way to steal it from her. She just never found a way to get ahead. She struggled her whole life. I didn’t realize, at the time, just how badly she was struggling to take care of us. ”

  “I always knew your mom loved you. You could see it in her eyes.”

  He knelt down to pick up a few more rocks. He held one out to her. “Wanna try?”

  She laughed. “No!”

  Cole had done his best trying to teach her to skip stones. She had never gotten the hang of it. If she managed to get one to skip twice, she was impressed with herself. She’d much rather just sit back and watch him.

  “How sick is she?” Sarah asked.

  “She has good days and she has bad days. I don’t know how much time she has left. Really, it could be years. It’s yea goprobably years,” he said firmly. “Most days are good days but that could change. And I know no one really knows when their time will come to an end but with her, sometimes I feel like I can hear her clock ticking. So I want to be here to take care of her while I can.”

  “Cherish every day?”

  “Exactly,” he said. He tossed his handful of rocks into the pond. A collection of ripples burst across the surface. When he turned to Sarah, he reached for her hands. She complied and he pulled her to her feet. “Make every day count,” he said as she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Casual.

  But not too casual, he had hastily added.

  Those were the only instructions Cole had given her for their date.

  She had changed outfits no less than half a dozen times. Finally, she tugged off the polka-dotted dress she was wearing. She placed it back on the hanger and she wiggled into the white capris she’d first tried on. She plucked up the peach-colored chiffon top she’d first tried on as well.

  She stood in front of the mirror for a moment before deciding to add a chunky gold bracelet. She had a pair of white sandals waiting for her by the front door.

  After touching up her make-up one last time, she decided she was as ready as she could get. She tried to tell herself she shouldn’t be so nervous. Cole had seen her at her g alp>ching up hrungiest time and again the past few weeks. He had seen her covered in paint splatters and with wallpaper gunk in her hair.

  Even still, she wanted tonight to be perfect. Since the night of the storm, they’d been growing close again. He’d been stealing kisses every chance he got and she’d gladly let him have them. But going on an actual date made everything seem…official. It made it seem more real. And having something real with Cole? At that moment, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than that.

  Something silky circling her ankles demanded her attention.

  “Hey, Penelope,” she cooed. She reached down to scoop the kitten up in her arms. She was rewarded with her enthusiastic purr. She stretched upward, rubbing her head against Sarah’s neck. “Such a little sweetie,” she muttered.

  Through the open window came the sounds of crunching gravel. With Penelope still in her arms, she walked down the steps. Moments later, Cole was knocking on the door. He was well-aware of the dislike she had for her doorbell so he was careful to never use it. He’d also promised to replace it. He hadn’t had a chance to do it yet. It was simply added to the list.

  As she reached the door, she placed the kitten on the floor. Penelope gave her a disgruntled look as she trotted along behind her.

  She didn’t bother to move the flimsy curtain aside. She knew it was Cole, right on time. She felt a surge of happy anticipation course through her as she pulled the door open.

  She was greeted by an enormous bouquet of peach roses. She gasped as Cole grinned at her. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she was more surprised by the flowers or his appearance. He had on a pair of khaki pants and a light blue polo. Casual, but not too casual. She realized that in all the years she’d known him, this was the most dressed up she’d ever seen him.

  “You look so nice,” she said appreciatively. Then her attention went to the vase. “Roses, really? You didn’t have to do this!” Her tone indicated that he hadn’t needed to but she was pleased that he had.

  He stepped inside, crossed the room and placed the flowers on her kitchen table. Sarah followed and leaned in to smell the petals. She hummed her approval.

  “They’re gorgeous,” she proclaimed.

  His gaze scanned over her and one side of his lip quirked up. “Compared to you, they’re not.” He reached out to her, taking her by the hands and pulled her in. “When I was younger, I thought you were the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. I couldn’t imagine anything prettier but here you are, even more gorgeous now than you were then.”

  “Oh stop!” She said the words with a giggle as she pulled her hand from his and lightly smacked him on the shoulder.

  “Do you think I’m joking?” he asked as he l asi>

  She placed a hand on each side of his face and brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was slow, unhurried and lasted long enough that each of them were out of breath by the time Sarah pulled away.

  She was trying to hold back a pleased smile when she glanced at the roses again. “I truly love that bouquet but I hope you don’t think it’s necessary to do things like that.”

  “Sure it is,” Cole said. “When I was younger, it drove me crazy that I wasn’t able to buy you flowers. Or take you anywhere decent on a date. I can do it now. And I’m going to.”

  “You brought me flowers,” Sarah argued.

  “I picked daisies for you out of the ditch down the road from the trailer park I lived in.” His face was scrunched up into a look of embarrassment.

  “Sometimes it’s the thought that counts. I loved those daisies!”

  Penelope meowed from between their ankles. She glanced down and then back up at Cole. “I loved the daisies and the roses but not nearly as much as I love Penelope. And for the record, I don’t need you to shower me with expensive things. I just love it when you put thought into the simple things.” Her eyes darted to the flowers again. “Peach?" she asked. Her lips twitched into a smile.

  His gaze slid over her peach shirt. “I was hoping it was still your favorite color.”

  She gave him a little nod. “It is and I can’t believe you remember that.”

  He pulled her into him again, smiling as he nuzzled her hair. “Sarah, I remember everything about you.”

  His words pressed her mind into a blissfully happy haze as they left her house. She was only edged out of it sometime later when she realized what his plans for the evening consisted of.

  She turned to him with narrowed eyes as he parked his truck. “Cole.”

  “Sarah.”

  She let out a huff as she looked at him from the passenger seat. “Bianca’s?” It was inarguably the nicest restaurant in town. That translated to the most expensive.

  He grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back of it. “Listen. All those years ago? Our dates consisted of cheap pizza, cold ham sandwiches that we ate on the couch in front of a movie and if we were lucky, a burger somewhere decent. But now, this is us, starting over. And I’m not saying that I think I need to take you to Bianca’s every night. But tonight? I really want to. Please, don’t argue and just let me have this.”

  ignu to BShe was mesmerized by the hopeful look on his face. He was right. Tonight was special. They were both adults now. And while he’d been jumping around for nearly a year doing one odd job after another, school would be starting soon. From there on out
he’d be living comfortably on a regular paycheck. He wasn’t the kid who more often than not didn’t have lunch money.

  She wrinkled her nose up as she smiled. “I love this place,” she admitted. “I’ve only been here a handful of times. Only—”

  “—on special occasions. Which tonight is,” Cole said.

  She laughed. “Yes, Dad always let me pick where I wanted to eat on my birthday. I—”

  “—always chose Bianca’s,” he finished for her. “You always ordered the lobster ravioli and raspberry gelato for dessert.” He grinned as he winked at her. “Yeah, I remember. You’ve got no idea how badly I wanted to bring you here back then. But there was no way. Tonight, we’re going to add a bottle of wine to our meal. So,” he glanced at the dashboard clock, “we should get going. Our reservation is at seven. There’s some kind of festival in the town square tonight so they might be busier than usual.”

  She glanced around. All the parking lots in sight were crammed and the traffic in town was heavier than normal. “That’s why there are so many people in town.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. It’s taking place of the street dances Laurel used to have. Now they have a band playing at the new pavilion. I think there are food booths set up down there, games for the kids, that kind of thing. I thought we could check it out later.”

  Before she could respond, he’d hopped out of his truck. She reached for her door handle but instinctively realized she better stay put.

  He grinned when he opened the door for her. He offered her his hand as she hopped down from his truck. With one hand on the small of her back, he led her to the restaurant.

  Sarah hadn’t been inside for years but the place felt cozy and familiar. The waitress led them to a cushy corner booth. Neither had to peruse the menu long before placing their order. Cole ordered a bottle of white wine to go with their pasta dishes. After the waitress poured them each a glass, they both sat silent for a moment, not sure what to say now that the formalities were over.