The Love That Saved Him

by Sophie Barnes

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own until we get back,” Sarah asked Thomas, who’d taken a seat at the kitchen table.

  “Of course! No need to worry about me,” Thomas said. “You go ahead and have a good time.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Pierce was pulling on his jacket and assuring Thomas that he and Sarah wouldn’t return too late – that they’d be gone three hours at most.

  Chapter Seven

  The Pit was bursting with life when Pierce arrived with Jack and Sarah after their windy drive along country roads. Entering, Pierce held the door open for Sarah, her puffy coat brushing his hand as she passed. For some reason, he couldn’t help but smile. There was just something wonderfully pleasing about the fact that she’d agreed to join them. Deciding not to contemplate the feeling too closely, Pierce nodded toward Jack who’d managed to secure a table for them in a corner.

  “Is it always this packed?” he asked over the guitar playing and the loud singing as soon as he and Sarah arrived at the table. Removing his fleece-lined jacket, he hung it over the back of a chair and sat down across from Jack and Sarah.

  “Only on the weekends,” Jack said, his head already bobbing in time to the music. He flashed a big grin at Pierce and waved for a waitress to come and take their order.

  “Does it meet your expectations?” Sarah asked.

  “Oh, absolutely,” Pierce assured her. “In fact, it’s so much better than I’d hoped.”

  Their eyes met for a fleeting second, and in that second Pierce almost felt as though a silent exchange of words passed between them. He wondered if she sensed it as well. At any rate, she quickly looked away, breaking the spell, and before he had a chance to consider it further, the waitress arrived. “What’ll it be?” she asked.

  “I’ll have a Bass,” Sarah told her.

  “Make that two,” Jack said.

  “And for you?” The waitress asked, turning her attention to Pierce.

  “You don’t have Guinness by any chance, do you?” he asked.

  She nodded. “We sure do. Fresh on tap.”

  “I’ll have a pint then,” Pierce told her.

  “We should make a habit of this,” Jack said once the waitress was gone. “Grandpa really enjoyed that movie.”

  “He also had fun catering to the two of you,” Sarah said. “I’m not a big eater myself, so I tend to turn down his offers to serve me snacks. Making popcorn and setting up that plate of cheese and crackers for you guys made his day!”

  “I must admit I felt a bit bad about all the trouble he went to.” Pierce leaned forward and folded his arms on the table.

  “Don’t,” Sarah told him sincerely. “If there’s one thing Grandpa enjoys, it’s having a purpose, and since the mining season is pretty short up here, we’re left with a lot of free time on our hands.”

  “It’s a good thing it won’t be long before he can get back to work,” Jack commented.

  The waitress returned with their beers, setting them down before each person. They waited until she was gone before clinking their glasses together and downing a mouthful.

  “How is it?” Jack asked Pierce.

  “Pretty good. In fact, I’d say it can easily match a pint of Guinness in New York.”

  “Is that where you moved from?” Jack asked, his eyes brightening with immediate interest.

  Realizing Sarah hadn’t told her brother anything about him other than what he’d volunteered, Pierce was both surprised and grateful. Trust usually took time to establish, yet somehow, in keeping the information he’d shared with Sarah private, she’d managed to strengthen their newfound friendship by leaps and bounds. “Yes,” he said, in answer to Jack’s question. “I was the CEO of a large pharmaceutical company.”

  “Wow! You’ve made quite a career change then,” Jack said.

  Pierce shrugged. “I guess so. But I’m not originally from there. I was actually born and raised in Kentucky.”

  “Really?” Sarah and Jack asked in unison.

  Pierce nodded. “I moved to New York when I was nineteen so I could attend Columbia University.”

  “And after graduating you chose to stay,” Jack said, taking another sip of his beer. “What was the incentive? Money or…a beautiful woman?” He waggled his eyebrows.

  Unable to help himself, Pierce frowned. “A bit of both, I suppose.” Determined to prevent further questions on the subject, he decided to ask one of his own. “So how much gold do you suppose we’ll manage to get out of that ridge once we start digging?”

  “I’d say between one and two hundred grand,” Sarah said. “Maybe sixty to a hundred and forty after all the expenses have been paid.”

  “And that includes salaries?” Pierce asked.

  She shook her head. “No. Those are paid as a percentage of the profit. Grandpa gets thirty, I get twenty, Jack, Peter, and Klaus get fifteen each, and you get five.”

  Pierce took a second to consider this. He didn’t want to be a kill-joy, but…

  “What is it?” Sarah asked. Pierce shook his head, unsure of whether or not to comment. “You clearly have an opinion on the matter.”

  “Come on, Pierce,” Jack said. “Tell us what you think.”

  Pierce looked from one to the other, then sighed. “It just seems like an awful lot of work for very little reward.”

  “Perhaps,” Sarah said, “although I suppose it all depends on the kind of lifestyle you’re aiming for. Not to mention that there is some value to be found in doing what you enjoy, and frankly, I would much rather be outdoors digging for gold than sitting behind a desk in a small office or, even worse, a cubicle.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Pierce agreed.

  Jack waved at someone and pushed his chair away from the table. “Excuse me a minute. I see Gary Elks over there. Just going to say hi. Be right back.”

  Sarah waited for her brother to leave before leaning forward in her seat. “Look. I know it might not seem like much to you. I’m guessing you probably made a hundred and fifty grand a year or something close to it working for that company you mentioned, but it probably took up a lot of your time as well – time I’m sure you could have spent in a more meaningful way. I just…” Her eyes met his and she almost gasped. The bleakness behind them shot straight through her bones, chilling her insides until she found herself incapable of speech. So she took a sip of her beer instead, unsure of what she might have said, her mind flashing over the words she’d just spoken.

  “True,” he said, swiping away her thoughts with a detachment that unsettled her. “I did work more than I wanted to, but there was a purpose to it. There was a dream. In hindsight, I should have realized that dream sooner instead of striving for more.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have insinuated the life you led in New York was less meaningful than the life you’re going to have here.”

  “You’re right,” he clipped. “You shouldn’t have.”

  She took a sharp breath, regretting her impulsive determination to make a point, one that might very well have shattered the foundation of a solid friendship. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “Perhaps—”

  “Hi, Sarah! Didn’t think I’d find you here.”

  Everything inside her went completely still at the sound of that voice. Carefully, she looked up, hoping she was mistaken, but acknowledging she wasn’t the moment she saw those familiar brown eyes staring back at her. “Billy.” His name was more of a croak than anything else. She decided to try again. “I heard you’d left for Calgary.”

  “Not yet.” He eyed Pierce before sticking out his hand. “Hi. I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Billy Foster.”

  “Pierce Jackson,” Pierce said, shaking Billy’s hand.

  To Sarah’s relief, he didn’t ask Billy to join them, leaving her former boyfriend – the father of her child – standing there in the middle of The Pit while the music churned around them. Unable to help herself, she glanced around, aware of the curious looks on everyone’s faces the
moment she did so. Or was it just her imagination playing tricks on her? She returned her attention to Billy. “It was nice seeing you again,” she lied, “but we were actually just leaving.” She stared across at Pierce, hoping he’d go along with it.

  “Come on, Sarah,” Billy said, grabbing a vacant chair without invitation. “I saw you come in not too long ago. Let’s talk while you finish your beer.”

  “She’s telling the truth, you know,” Pierce said with a calm that Sarah couldn’t relate to at the moment. “We just stopped by for a quick drink so I could see the place, but she did tell her grandfather she’d be home again before midnight.”

  “I see,” Billy said with a lazy nod. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on the table, his entire attention riveted on Pierce. “And how exactly did you become so involved in Sarah’s life?”

  Pierce took a swig of his pint, seemingly unfazed by Billy’s tone. “I’m her neighbor.”

  Billy seemed to ponder that for a second before slowly turning his attention back to Sarah. “Looks like you’ve finally moved on then.”

  She shook her head, hating the way he made her feel. “No. It’s not like that.”

  He laughed. “And I’m supposed to believe that?” His expression hardened. “How can you do this after all we’ve been through?”

  Anger rose like a fiery beast inside her, replacing the pain and the fear. “You’re the one who’s leaving, not me.”

  “Because you gave me no reason to hope.” His fingers flexed. “You made it clear there would never be marriage or any more children.”

  “And you know the reason for that,” she said as she tossed back the rest of her beer and got up. Pierce and Billy stood as well.

  “Looks like you’ve changed your mind though, doesn’t it?” Billy asked her bitterly.

  The pain with which he spoke made her hesitate. Briefly, she closed her eyes before looking at him again. “No. I haven’t. Pierce and I aren’t dating, and as far as you and I are concerned, we were both too young to face what happened to us. And now…too much time has passed, Billy. We’re different people. So please, let’s just remember the good times we had and do what we can to put the rest behind us.” Stepping away from the table, she turned to him for what she hoped would be the last time. “I wish you the best of luck with your move to Calgary, and I hope you will one day have the family you always dreamed of.”

  Without waiting for a response, she went to find Jack, only half aware that Pierce was following somewhere behind. “We have to leave,” she told her brother the moment she found him. “Right now.”

  Jack’s eyes widened, no doubt in response to her tone. “What—”

  “Billy’s here,” she muttered. Collecting herself, she nodded toward the man her brother had been talking to. “Good to see you, Gary.”

  “You too,” Gary said. His eyes slid to her right. “Who’s your friend?”

  Blinking, she turned to see Pierce standing beside her. Damn it. Billy’s unexpected appearance had made her forget her manners. Shaking off her irritation, she made the introductions, leaned closer to her brother and added, “I cannot stay here, Jack. I’m sorry.”

  Jack’s brows drew together. For a second he just stood there staring at her. “Sarah… I had no idea he’d be here,” he finally managed. “I honestly thought he’d left.”

  “Yeah well…” Sarah shoved her hands into her pockets and glanced over her shoulder, panic surging when she saw that Billy was heading in her direction with a deep scowl upon his brow. “I’ll see you outside,” she said, the words rushing out of her as she pushed her way past her brother and toward the exit.

  Snow was falling again, the cold air blasting her face as she stepped into the parking lot. A hand caught her elbow and she spun around, meeting only deep blue eyes marred with concern. “Are you okay?” Pierce asked, his mouth forming a tight line that added a hint of severity to his otherwise kind expression.

  “No.” There was no point in claiming otherwise after everything he’d just witnessed.

  He gave a curt nod. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

  “What about Jack?”

  With a tug, he began directing her toward the Jeep. “No sense in asking him to leave as well when he brought his own car and lives in the opposite direction of where we’re going. I told him to stay.”

  As reasonable as that sounded, Sarah couldn’t help but be a little annoyed. After all, it was her brother’s fault that she’d run into Billy in the first place. It didn’t seem quite fair that he got to enjoy the rest of his evening while hers and Pierce’s was ruined. She glanced at Pierce through the falling snow. “If you want to stay too…I can wait for you at the diner or something.”

  Pierce’s frown deepened. “No. Let’s get out of here.” Reaching the car he unlocked it remotely, opened the door for her, and helped her climb in. He was just closing it when she heard someone yelling out her name. Billy. The car door slammed shut, trapping Sarah with a series of awful memories.

  Flinching, she closed her eyes and willed herself to stay calm. But her heart raced and her breaths were coming too fast. Gripping the door handle, she fought the overwhelming pain of the past, of screeching tires and crunching metal.

  Her lashes blinked back tears while Billy’s voice kept calling for her to come out and face him. Pierce spoke up, his tone holding an edge of authority that brooked no argument. Sarah’s toes curled inside her boots while her stomach contracted, a shrinking sensation that made her feel weak. Hating it, she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw both men, plus a few others who’d stepped out of The Pit to join the conversation. Drawing a shuddering breath, she willed Pierce to abandon the argument, so he could return to the car and drive her home.

  Five years.

  It seemed like only yesterday.

  The door on the driver’s side opened, and Pierce got in, started the engine and turned on the wipers. A few seconds later, they were on the main road with an awkward silence shoved between them.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Sarah tried after a while. She was unsure how Pierce might respond. He seemed angry, his posture stiff and unyielding to match the tight set of his jaw.

  He glanced at her briefly, eyes dark beneath his lowered brows. “Will you tell me what that was about?”

  Sarah’s skin pricked, unsettling the hair at the nape of her neck. Shifting, she focused on the road ahead. The snow wasn’t too bad, just a light flurry. “Things ended badly between us.”

  “Yeah. I kind of figured that out when he said you ruined his life and started cursing you out back there.”

  Clutching her hands in her lap, Sarah took a deep breath, hoping it would help calm her nerves. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

  A minute passed, then another… “Look,” Pierce said, his voice jolting the silence, “if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I won’t intrude. But you ought to know that I consider you a friend, your brother and grandfather too. So if you ever feel the need to open up over a bottle of red wine or something, you know where to find me. More than that, I promise not to judge you.”

  The last bit made her wince. “That may be easier said than done, but I appreciate the offer. Thanks.”

  Turning from one country road and onto the next, Sarah saw the snow was falling heavier than when they’d left town. “Please slow down,” she said as she gripped the door handle tightly.

  “I’m already well below the speed limit, Sarah.”

  “It’s a poorly lit road,” she argued. Her pulse was beating fast now, and her stomach had started to fold. “And it’s windy. The decreased visibility could easily…” She drew a sharp breath as the memories rushed back into focus. She’d been hurt. So terribly hurt.

  “Okay.” The car slowed to a steady crawl. “Is this better?”

  Nodding, she thanked him for listening. “I probably seem crazy, huh?”

  “Because of your disgruntled ex-boyfriend or because you want to drive at walking speed?” He
spoke with an uplifting beat that instantly made her feel ridiculous even as it made her smile.

  “A bit of both, I suppose.” Looking out the window at the passing darkness, she quietly asked, “Do you suppose our painful pasts will ever let us go?”

  He was silent for so long she started to think he might not have heard her. But then he said, in an equally quiet voice, “I sure hope so.”

  The comment made her want to ask him about his pain – about what might have happened to fill his eyes with constant sorrow. But then he turned on the radio, filling the car with music, and she sensed their conversation was over as far as he was concerned. Besides, she had no business prying into his affairs. Had he questioned her, she would have refused to talk about her own tragic loss. The only reason he’d learned what he had about her relationship with Billy was because he’d witnessed it firsthand.

  When they eventually pulled into her driveway, Pierce parked the car and let it idle. But as she moved to open the door, she felt his staying hand upon her arm and instinctively turned to face him. “For what it’s worth,” he said, “I think you’re a lot better off without that guy. I mean, I don’t really know the details about your relationship with him, but I feel as though I’ve gotten to know you during the past few weeks – enough to say with conviction that you’re a good person who deserves to be happy.”

  Grimacing, she gave a slight nod, suddenly aware of how firm his hand felt, how solid and…comforting in a strange sort of way. “He’s a good person too, Pierce. I wouldn’t have been with him otherwise. But life can change people and…when disaster struck it brought out the worst in him.”

  “I understand.”