Fighting Fate

by Hope, Amity

  It wasn’t necessarily an uncomfortable silence as they smiled timidly at each other. Cole was the one to finally break it. He glanced around to be sure they had an acceptable amount of privacy before speaking.

  “I’ve started researching the coins you sent home with me. Their values are all over the place. Some are worth maybe five dollars. Some of them are worth a whole lot. Cora had several Liberty Head Nickels, the rare ones. But,” he said as he leaned in excitedly, “she also had two Liberty five dollar gold coins that are worth a pretty good chunk of money. I know of a place you could bring them, you’d get a fair price, if you decide you want to sell them. Or real thar. Thely, if you want to you could just hold onto them. They’re not getting any newer and their value is probably just going to increase.”

  She pondered that for just a moment. “What do you think I should do?”

  He smiled, looking pleased that she had asked his opinion. “If they were mine,” he said carefully, “I would probably sell off the majority of them, the ones that aren’t going to increase a whole lot in value. I would definitely keep all the rarer ones.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” she agreed. With so many cans full of them, they took up a lot of space. “I’d like to keep several for sentimental reasons. I don’t really need the money right now.”

  Cole chuckled at that. “No. I suppose you don’t. Not when you have box springs that are pouring out cash.”

  “Mattresses, coffee cans, cocoa canisters, an empty granola bar box, a cheese ball tin,” she muttered. She furtively glanced around the restaurant before leaning across the table. She kept her voice low and wore a perplexed look. “She stashed money all over. The coffee cans downstairs, once we knew about them, they were obvious. That’s where all of the coins were. But I’ve found cash in the strangest places. I don’t dare toss anything out without thoroughly inspecting it.” She sounded exasperated.

  Cole let out a low laugh and his eyes twinkled in amusement. “Sarah, there are worse problems to have than finding money all over the place.”

  She leaned back in her seat and smiled. “Yeah, I know. But every time I find a new stash it just makes me wonder what she was thinking.”

  She had spent an entire day scouring her house, looking for hidden treasure. She had looked in, around, under and behind everything in the house. She was fairly certain that she’d found everything there was to find. Though she wouldn’t be surprised if something else popped up later. For now, she’d deposited all of the cash in her savings account. She’d gotten a safety deposit box for the savings bonds.

  “Do you have any idea how she ended up with so many coins?” Cole asked.

  Sarah nodded. “Dad said Grandpa used to collect old coins. I suppose maybe Grandma didn’t know what to do with them after he passed away. So she just stashed them somewhere she thought was safe. Her mind wasn’t the best after her fall. I think she probably forgot about the money.” She paused. “Thank you so much for going through it all.”

  He grinned. “I’m not quite done so I might find ones that are even more valuable. But no need to thank me. I’ve had a lot of fun looking them up, reviewing the history behind them, researching the value. Do you want me to bring you the ones I’m done with? The ones I think are worth keeping? Or do you want me to hold onto them?”

  Sarah smiled at Cole’s idea of ‘fun’. “I can take them back. I just opened a safety deposit box so I’ll probably just bring them straight to the bank.”

  “Sounds good,” Cole said as the waitress approached.

  “Which one of you ordered the lobster ravioli?” She asked as she appeared beside them.

  “She did,” Cole said with a grin.

  *****

  Because Cole had been working at her house nearly all day, every day, she had grown used to spending time with him. However, now that they were out on a date, walking around town, it felt different. It felt more real. After this past week, the time apart was starting to feel like it had never happened.

  Cole held her hand firmly in his as they meandered down the sidewalk. Dinner had been lovely. When they emerged from Bianca’s, the music floating from the pavilion was impossible to ignore. Sarah had gazed in the direction the music was coming from.

  “We could go check things out,” Cole had suggested. His tone had been apologetic when he said, “It seems to me that I probably owe you a few dances.”

  She knew he was referring to her junior prom. Just another casualty of the mess created by Mike and Steve.

  Now they were following the music and the people streaming toward it.

  “I can’t believe how many people came out for this,” Sarah said as they edged closer to the downtown square. It appeared that half the town was there.

  The sun had begun to sink below the horizon. Twinkle lights decorated the square and as Cole had thought, there were booths set up flanking each side of the pavilion. A band was playing but Sarah didn’t recognize the music. People were milling about everywhere, some faces looked vaguely familiar but not many. The night had a carnival like feel to it.

  Cole kept a firm grip on Sarah’s hand as they wandered through the crowd. They browsed over the items for sale in the tent-like booths that were set up and skimmed past the booths that contained food.

  As they drew nearer to the covered pavilion where people were dancing, the music slowed. Cole pulled Sarah a little closer.

  “Do you dance?” she asked as she gazed up at him.

  He laughed. “Not well. And not often. Not if I can help it, anyway. But right now, I just want an excuse to hold you.”

  The dance floor was crowded with people and Sarah didn’t protest when Cole began to sway with her off to the side. There were hundreds of people buzzing around but once he pulled her into his chest, they might as well have been the only people in the town. She looped her arms around his neck then rested her he reoplad against his shoulder. Her eyes drifted shut. There had been nothing extraordinary about the evening, but it had been perfect nonetheless.

  With her eyes closed, it was easy to imagine that she was dreaming. But she wasn’t and the fact that this was her reality was so much better. She nestled into Cole’s chest and she felt his chin rest on top of her head. His arms held her possessively and she loved the feel of them. As her fingers grazed against the back of his neck, making lazy little circles, she heard him moan in contentment. She felt his chest rumble with it.

  “Sarah,” he finally murmured as he nuzzled her hair.

  “Hmmm?”

  “I could stand here holding you all night, but the slow song is over,” he said.

  She blinked her eyes open and lifted her face to his. He lowered his forehead, resting it against hers. She was so tempted to kiss him right then. She had to remind herself that they were not the only people at the square. Far from it. With both of them starting their new careers soon, the last thing she wanted to do was make a spectacle of herself. She wasn’t going to act like a hormonal teenager in front of half the town.

  That realization didn’t dampen her feelings.

  She wanted Cole so badly she ached with it. While being wrapped in his arms, her body held tightly to his, her heart swelled with the longing she felt for him. Her hand flitted across his cheek and he grinned wickedly at her, as if guessing what she was feeling. Or perhaps he was feeling the same thing.

  That smile was nearly her undoing.

  She gently pushed away from him before she got too caught up in the moment.

  “Do you want to get out of here?”

  “Would you mind?” she asked with a nervous laugh. “We haven’t been here very long.”

  “I’d actually prefer it,” he said. “Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?”

  She hesitated only a moment. “Will you show me your apartment? You’ve been to my house almost every day and I still have no idea where you live.”

  Walking back to the parking lot of Bianca’s took longer than it normally would have. They were wa
lking against the flow of people heading toward the center of town. Cole’s apartment was on the edge of town. As they pulled up in front of it, Sarah smiled. It was a well kempt brick building. There were flowerbeds lining the front. Large, decorative outdoor lights lit up the sidewalk.

  She was sure that Karen must love it here. As for Cole, as nice as the place was, she had a hard time imagining him in something as confining as an apartment building. While the lawn that sprawled out before it was neatly trimmed, it wasn’t very big.

  As if reading her thoughts he said, “I figured I’d get myself established this year and then figure out something after I’ve worked for a while.” He shrugged. le hhru/p> I lived on base when I was in Alabama. My apartment is bigger than what I had when I lived there.”

  The elevator lifted them to the third floor. Cole led her down a well lit hallway that was lined with gray carpet and stark white walls. He stopped in front of a door marked 319. He held his keys in his hand and he quickly unlocked the door.

  Sarah stepped inside as Cole turned the light on.

  “It’s not much,” he said. “I’m not much of a decorator.”

  “No, it’s really nice,” she assured him as she made her way inside. The plush carpeting was gray and the walls were white, just as they had been in the hallway. Immediately to her right was a kitchen. It held simple white appliances. The dining set was new and looked like it was solid oak. As they moved further into the space, she glanced around his living room. The sofa and matching chair were dark gray leather. A large flat screen TV hung from the wall adjacent. Other than that, the walls were bare, except for a single picture.

  Sarah edged toward it.

  “Oh,” Cole said, “Mom hung that up for me.”

  She stopped in front of the photo, placed inside of an expensive frame. Cole, at eighteen, looked stoic in his Air Force uniform. She stood in front of the picture for a few moments, until he walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

  “You look very handsome in that photo,” she said with a smile. He also looked very young.

  Was it really possible that so many years had gone by? It was impossible not to wonder what life would’ve been like if Cole would’ve stayed in Laurel. She wondered if they would’ve stayed together. The stubborn side of her wanted to believe that they would have made it, that they would’ve been high school sweethearts that beat the odds. The more logical side of her realized that they had been so young, with so much of their lives ahead of them.

  Maybe going their separate ways had been best. She had a hunch that life followed the path it was meant to take. That path had led them away from each other. It had also led them back again. Was it possible that Gretchen was right? Was it fate that she was with Cole again? Here, now and hopefully forever?

  Thinking of a forever with Cole felt as natural as breathing.

  She twisted around in his arms so she was facing him. Her hand curled into a fist, clutching at the hem of his shirt.

  “I will deny it if you tell her,” Sarah began, “but for once, I’m glad my sister has been so pushy.”

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  The way he was looking at her made her stomach flip over.

  “I missed you,">“I m yo she whispered.

  “I’m glad,” he said, keeping his voice low as well.

  Sarah inched up on her toes, willing Cole’s mouth down to hers. His grip on her waist tightened, lifting her just a bit. The kiss started slowly, gently, like so many of the other kisses they’d shared the past week.

  In moments it turned into something else entirely. When she felt Cole’s hand slide up the back of her shirt, just the smallest amount of skin on skin, the sensation wasn’t nearly enough. She wanted more. Not just more kissing but more of Cole’s hands on her. More of his skin touching hers. She wanted more of him…until she couldn’t think or breathe or feel anything other than him.

  Cole started walking backward slowly, kissing her still as he firmly pulled Sarah with him toward the couch.

  She stopped him.

  “I think you should show me the rest of your apartment,” she finally said.

  He laughed lightly against her ear. “There’s not much left to see. Just the bedroom.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said. “I know.”

  Without removing his arms from her waist, he walked her to his bedroom and flipped on the lamp.

  A burgundy comforter and matching curtains added a splash of color to the otherwise monochromatic room. His bed was neatly made. As with the rest of his apartment, there was no clutter in sight. Sarah smiled to herself, wondering if being in her messy house made him a little crazy. She had so many projects going on that she had stacks of supplies scattered everywhere.

  “Everything is so neat and tidy. Your whole apartment is,” she said.

  He shrugged. “I’ve moved around a lot. I haven’t really acquired much stuff.” His lips quirked up. “Unlike you, inheriting an entire house full of stuff.”

  She nodded absently. “I don’t really want to talk about that,” she murmured as she went up on her tiptoes again. Her lips skimmed across his neck and his arms went around her waist again.

  “You’re going to have to let me know what you do want. Because the last thing I’m going to do is start making assumptions,” he murmured back.

  Her hands curled into the hem of his shirt once more, this time tugging it upward. With his help, it was off in seconds. His hands skimmed her waist and then began working their way up her sides, pulling her top along with them. She took a small step back, her eyes coasting up and down his chest. Gretchen had been right. He was a whole lot more defined than he used to be. She felt her cheeks heat when she realized his eyes were making a similar journey.

  She reached for the button on his jeans, quickly working it and then she was tugging them off. Hers immediately followed. And then Cole was gently pushing her down onto his bed. His mouth came down on hers again. This time, the kiss didn’t start out slow. Tongues touched, hand toly pushs explored, sensations spiraled into something that neither of them could put off any longer.

  Sarah peeled off the last item of Cole’s clothing, helping him with hers when she decided she couldn’t wait for him a second more.

  Chapter Twenty

  He rarely slept in but as he awoke and was rewarded with the sight of Sarah, her hair fanned out over his pillow, he knew he’d be staying in bed awhile longer. One of her legs was hooked around his. Her body was pressed against his arm.

  It wasn’t as though he’d been hopelessly pining over her for all of these years. He’d dated. He’d gotten serious. He’d thought he’d moved on. He’d thought he’d pushed her out of his head because reoper he was sure that her life had gone on without him. He’d been sure he needed to do the same. But from the moment he saw her sitting at the table, margarita in her hand, he realized something. He may have moved on from her momentarily, but he’d never moved on from her completely.

  He hadn’t thought it was possible, but with each passing day, he was falling even more deeply in love with her than before. All of his old feelings had bubbled to the surface, melding with all of his new feelings. The synergistic effect of this, the intense feeling it created, it was almost unbearable. The thought of ever having to live without her again was almost crushing.

  So he was going to make sure that never happened. If she felt even a fraction of what he felt, he would be happy with that.

  She stretched and in one fluid movement wrapped her arm around his bare chest.

  “Mmmm,” she hummed. She had a smile on her face as she opened her eyes.

  “Hi,” he said,

  “Hi.”

  He readjusted himself so that his arm was around her. Then he placed a kiss on the side of her head.

  “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my whole life,” he admitted.

  “Waiting for what?” she asked.

  “To wake up with you, in my arms,” he murmured.

  �
�There’s something I forgot to do last night.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “I forgot to tell you, I remembered how much I love you,” Sarah said with a sigh.

  Cole pulled her into an even tighter hug. Happiness coursed through him. He’d hoped she’d say the words again. He hadn’t dared hope she’d say them again so soon.

  *****

  Sarah stayed for a late breakfast but was insistent they leave shortly after that. She didn’t want Karen to find her in the apartment. While she was anxious to see Cole’s mom again, she didn’t want their first meeting to take place while she was wearing clothes that were hopelessly wrinkled from the night before.

  “So what are your plans for today?” Cole asked as he turned into Sarah’s driveway.

  “I don’t know. There are some supplies I need to pick up at the hardware store. I still need to paint the downstairs bathroom.” She stopped there but the list of things she could keep herself busy with went on and on.

  He turned to her, an exaggerated frown on his face. “It’s Saturday. You shouldnnt. u s and on.

  He looked at her hopefully and she felt her lips tilt up in a huge smile.

  “Really? That sounds so much more fun than painting.”

  “Yeah, that’s because it is. And it’s such a nice day today. It’s the perfect day for riding.”

  “It shouldn’t take me too long to get ready. If you’re sure you don’t mind waiting.”

  “Not at all,” Cole said.

  Sarah reached for the truck’s door handle. She jumped when Cole roughly grabbed her bicep, holding her in place. She turned back to him in curious surprise.

  “Wait,” he said, his voice low.

  He wasn’t looking at her and Sarah followed his line of vision.

  “Stay here,” he said.

  It was then that she noticed that the window pane in the middle of the kitchen door was shattered. Jagged edges gleamed in the sunshine.