The Love That Saved Him

by Sophie Barnes

  “I know how difficult this is for you,” he said while he worked. “And as much as I hate to say it, this is only the beginning. It’s going to get harder.”

  “I know,” she managed to say.

  Setting the last mug down on the counter, his gaze snapped onto hers, holding it hostage. “Do you?”

  Eyes on him, she took a few breaths and then finally managed to say, “He’s going to wither away before my eyes, isn’t he?”

  “Probably.”

  Nodding, she moved to grab the mugs, to busy herself with a mundane task that would make her forget if only for a second. But he caught her by the arm and stopped her progress. “If there’s anything you need – anything at all – I’m five minutes away. Please, Sarah, don’t hesitate to call, day or night, if you or Thomas need help. There’s absolutely no reason for you to go through this alone.”

  “I know. Thank you. Jack says he’s planning to stay in the guest bedroom for a bit.”

  “That’s good. It should make it easier for you with him around.”

  His hand still held her in place, the warmth from it seeping beneath her shirt and under her skin. Oh, how she longed to lean in closer, to claim a bit more heat and to revel in his strength.

  Instead, she pulled back, regretting the sense of loss that swamped her the moment his hand fell away. “Earl Grey or peppermint?” she asked and went in search of the tea.

  A slight pause suggested he was considering saying more. Eventually he simply told her, “Peppermint sounds nice and soothing.”

  Agreeing, she plopped the bag in a teapot and added the ready boiled water before carrying everything into the living room. Pierce helped, but nothing more was said between them besides the mundane, for which she was grateful. Her nerves were raw enough already.

  Later that day, after Pierce had left and her grandfather had gone for a nap, Sarah stepped inside the office she and her grandfather had shared. For a while she just stood there, staring at his empty chair. For the past six years, she’d been able to look across at him as she worked, discuss the business while sipping coffee, arrange to make phone calls, take orders, hire workers… All of that was about to change. Soon, that chair would remain empty, yet she knew she would always expect to see him sitting in it.

  Dislodging the unpleasant thought with a shake of her head, Sarah went to her desk and pulled open the drawer where she kept her address book. Sighing heavily, she flipped it open and leafed through the pages until she reached the one that counted. Staring down at the number she’d scrawled there years ago, she felt her heart rate kick up a notch as her skin began to tighten with no small amount of apprehension. She was dreading this, but she knew it had to be done before it was too late.

  So she grabbed the phone from its cradle and punched in the number, then waited while it began to ring. A second passed and then another, until finally a voice spoke at the other end. “Hello?”

  Swallowing her pride, Sarah did her best to keep her voice level, even as age-old anger and resentment came tumbling back to her. “Hi, Mom. It’s me…Sarah. We need to talk. It’s about Grandpa.”

  Whatever her expectations had been, Sarah would never have predicted that her mother – a woman who’d been so cold toward her the last time she’d seen her – would break down in tears at the sound of her voice. But that was precisely what had happened. It had taken a good five minutes for her to recover enough to make herself understood at the other end of the line. And then of course she’d cried all over again when Sarah had told her that her father was dying.

  “I’m coming over right now with your father,” her mother had croaked. “If that’s all right, that is. I don’t want to… I mean, all things considered, I know how—”

  “You’re welcome here,” Sarah had said. She still wasn’t sure where she’d found the strength to push aside six years of bitterness, but she supposed she’d accepted that her grandfather’s mortality was of far greater importance than any family squabble, no matter the cause. And if her mother was willing to try and repair things between them, then so was Sarah, if for no other reason than to please the one man to whom she owed her life.

  “I still can’t believe you actually did it,” Jack said while they waited for their parents to arrive. “You told me once that you would never speak to her again. As the years went on, I started believing you.”

  “When did you see them last?” She knew her brother had kept his distance from their parents too after what had happened to her – another loyal show of solidarity she’d taken perverse pleasure in. At the time she’d been hurt and eager to deliver as much pain as possible to the parents who’d shunned her.

  “I stop by occasionally,” Jack confessed. “The last time I was there was probably at Thanksgiving.”

  She frowned at that. “You were here at Thanksgiving.”

  “Yeah, but I was there first.” He offered a sheepish smile. “That’s why I didn’t have much appetite. Mom’s turkey has always been particularly good.”

  Sarah gaped at him for a long while and then suddenly burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. God, what idiots they’d all been. And how many family moments they’d missed. The thought sobered her, the idea that her grandfather had been denied spending time with his daughter on account of her. He might have chosen such a course himself, but it still didn’t seem fair.

  A car honking in the driveway drew their attention, and they both headed for the door. Jack opened it wide and stepped outside with Sarah following close behind. Having him there with her was a definite comfort even if he did abandon her as he rushed down the steps to greet their parents while Sarah stood back, just taking them in. They were older now. Her mother’s hair had lost the rich auburn tones and was now mostly gray, while her father’s posture was slightly hunched over as he made his way around the car. There were years wedged between them – years that would never be recovered – lost forever.

  Still, the joy in their eyes as they looked toward her was unmistakable. She was suddenly a child once more, moving toward them while deep emotion churned inside her like the rough waves of a turbulent sea. It tore down her walls and shattered her heart to be so thoroughly reminded of how foolish they’d all been. The things they’d said to each other… Somehow it was all swept away as she stepped into their open arms, hugging them each in turn as if she feared another six years would pass before seeing them again.

  “I’m so sorry,” her mother whispered against her ear while clutching her to her. “How can you ever forgive me?”

  “We must forgive each other,” Sarah told her.

  “Yes. But you’re my daughter, and I turned my back on you.”

  She had, but only because she’d seen herself as a failure. It came as a startling piece of insight, but Sarah knew it to be true, perhaps because she was older now and more capable of understanding how angry her mother had been. She’d seen Sarah’s life as ruined, her future destroyed by an unplanned pregnancy. And she’d blamed herself for being a bad mother. Sarah was certain that if she’d known about the car accident though, she would have come running, but Sarah had asked her grandfather and Jack to keep it from her because she hadn’t wanted her to show any kind of remorse. Seeing her as a villain had been easier that way.

  “But you’re here now,” Sarah said. “Let’s focus on that.”

  So they did, agreeing that now was not the time for them to rip open old wounds. Perhaps another day would avail itself for that later. At present, the most important thing was for Thomas to spend a pleasant afternoon with his daughter. It was the reason why Sarah had asked her parents to come. And as they headed inside, she was glad of it. More so when she saw the tears brimming in her grandfather’s eyes the moment he realized who their visitors were.

  “Abby…” His expression held a mixture of sad regret and inexplicable joy.

  “It’s good to see you again, Dad.” Sarah’s mother took a hesitant step forward. She paused there and drew a deep breath. “I should have come
sooner, made amends and…” Her words faded with the breaking of her voice. Thomas closed the distance, stopped right before her, then pulled her into his arms. Sarah felt her throat tighten in response to the emotional scene. Glancing sideways, she saw that her dad and Jack were having trouble looking unaffected by this long overdue reunion.

  “Is it true?” Abby asked a while later when she stepped out of her father’s embrace. She seemed to search his face. “Sarah told me—”

  “That I’m not immortal?” Thomas managed a smile that made Sarah wonder if he’d come to terms with his diagnosis. “It’s quite true. The doctors say I’ve a couple of months at most.”

  Producing a tragic sob, Abby flung her arms around his neck and held on as if she were dying herself. “Oh, Dad!”

  Sarah turned away, unable to bear any more. She knew precisely how her mother felt, but unlike her, she wouldn’t have the guilt of knowing she’d missed the final years of his life. She couldn’t quite imagine what that must be like – the pain of it had to be awful.

  “I’ll fetch the tea and coffee,” Sarah said, deliberately heading for the kitchen – for the refuge it offered – where she would hopefully be able to gather her composure a little. Right now, her nerves felt raw. Still, she didn’t miss the sound of her mother’s voice saying, “I’ll never forgive myself for what I’ve done, for being so foolishly stubborn, and for staying away as I did. I—”

  “You made a mistake, Abby,” Thomas murmured, his voice muffled by the wall now separating Sarah from the others as she started preparing a tray with mugs, cookies, and napkins. She’d made the coffee and tea earlier and had poured it into a couple of thermal pots so it wouldn’t go cold. “The important thing is that you’re here now,” Thomas went on, “and that you’ve made amends with Sarah.”

  “I don’t know how you can possibly forgive me,” Abby was saying.

  “To do otherwise would make me a hypocrite,” Thomas told her. “Considering I’ve made my fair share of mistakes over the years, I’m quite acquainted with how ridiculous and petty they can seem in hindsight. And don’t forget that I’ve been around a lot longer than you, kiddo, with many more years to make a mess of.”

  A sad little laugh followed, and Sarah imagined her mother was trying not to cry but failing miserably. Picking up the tray, she took a fortifying breath, squared her shoulders, and headed into the hallway. “Why don’t we go on through to the living room?”

  The look of relief on her father’s and Jack’s faces was palpable. Both hurried as if by leaving the hallway they’d manage to escape the depressing atmosphere there. Sarah followed them with her mother and grandfather close behind. Of all the ways in which she might have expected this weekend to go, spending it in a hospital and later with her mother and father had not been it. But she was glad they were all open to mending their broken relationship. Nothing would ever be as it once had been, but she knew she would need her parents in the weeks ahead and that they might need her as well.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You’re up early,” Thomas remarked when Sarah strode into the kitchen at five in the morning a couple of weeks later. “And fully dressed, I see.”

  Grabbing a cup from one of the cabinets, she reached for the coffee pot. “I thought I’d take a look at our progress before everyone else arrives.”

  “Sarah.” He sounded weary. “You need to slow down a bit. There are circles under your eyes. You look exhausted.”

  She was exhausted. “We’re finally back on track and showing some great results.” They’d struck an ore the week before and had since then retrieved more gold than Sarah would ever have imagined possible. “I don’t want to lose momentum.”

  “There’s no chance of that happening, considering how hard you’ve been working.”

  “I’m just trying to realize your dream.” Feeling her eyes begin to mist, she averted her gaze. Since her parents’ visit, she’d chosen to focus all of her energy on her grandfather, on spending time with him, and on doing what he’d wanted all along, so they could uncover the wealth of the ridge together.

  “Sweerheart.” His voice was thick with emotion. “You’ve already done so. You’ve proven that the ridge was worth the effort.” He let out a ragged breath. “I have to admit I’ve been obsessed with it for so long, especially because of Murphy’s resistance. Mining it became my goal. More so after Mary passed. Working on it with you this past season has been so rewarding and just a wonderful experience all around. But the ridge isn’t everything, Sarah, and it certainly shouldn’t be for you. Not with a man like Pierce offering you so much more.”

  Sarah’s shoulder’s sagged. “What are you saying? Do you want me to stop mining and just…just…” She shook her head. Her relationship with Pierce hadn’t progressed since that night at the hospital. Instead, she’d set her mind to the task of fulfilling her grandfather’s dream. Time was limited, after all. There was a very final deadline looming upon the horizon, and it had driven her to work harder than she’d ever worked before in her life with no time left for socializing or pursuing a possible romance.

  “He’s a good man, Sarah,” Thomas told her gently. “And I have a feeling that the two of you could have a wonderful life together. But for that to happen, you need to slow down a bit and give him a chance. The ridge isn’t going anywhere, and I can still rest in peace knowing it will give you financial security. But I’d also like to see you happy.”

  “Happy?” She spoke the word as though it were a foreign concept.

  “You haven’t been happy since Billy. Not truly happy. And I’ve seen the way you and Pierce look at each other. There’s something special there.”

  Expelling a deep breath that seemed to shed a tremendous amount of weight from her shoulders, Sarah slumped onto a chair. “We had a moment. The night when we took you to the hospital. But I pushed it aside because I knew how important the ridge was to you. I just wanted to give you that victory.”

  He nodded in understanding. “I know. But maybe there’s a more fulfilling way for us to spend whatever time I have left.” He reached across the table, palm up, and waited for her to take his hand. She did so without hesitation. “Why not bring on another couple of guys? You can afford it with the earnings we’ve made so far. And then you, Jack, Pierce, and I can take a back seat and just enjoy each other’s company.” He smiled at her with genuine affection and squeezed her hand. “There are still a few movies I’d like to see.”

  With quivering lips, Sarah quietly nodded, and as tears welled in her eyes, she rose from her seat, circumvented the table, and flung her arms around her grandfather. “I love you. Do you know that?”

  Reaching up, he hugged her in return. “I love you too.”

  Standing in his kitchen, Pierce dropped two slices of bread into the toaster and took a sip of coffee while thoughts of Sarah played in his head. Her life had taken a devastating turn, and so he’d stepped back, allowing her the room she needed to fulfill her grandfather’s goals. And she’d been busy. So busy, in fact, they’d hardly spoken to each other since the night at the hospital. Not unless there was something work related to discuss.

  The toaster popped, and he placed both slices on a plate, buttering them liberally before heading into the living room. Pausing, he glanced at Caroline’s picture which had, since the arrival of her letter, been placed on more prominent display.

  “I know,” he told her with a sigh, “but Sarah isn’t ready.”

  Biting into one slice of toast, he set his plate down just as the sound of a car engine drifted toward him. He crossed to the window and looked out, surprised to see Sarah stepping out of the car. Her lips were firmly pressed together, which made him wonder what had brought her to his home this early in the day. After all, it was only seven o’clock. His heart lurched, and he rushed to open the front door. “Is Thomas all right?” Surely she would have called if something had happened. Wouldn’t she?

  “He’s fine. All things considered.” Coming toward him, she
gazed into his face with a look of complete entreaty. “I just came to see you. Will you invite me in?”

  His stomach contracted, and he stepped aside, not daring to utter a word for fear it might somehow dislodge this moment. She entered and he closed the door softly behind her. She seemed almost shy…uncertain. His heart pounded, but he stayed where he was, not daring to reach out and touch her.

  Raising her gaze to his, she allowed a small smile. “You look well,” she finally said.

  He drew a deep breath and flexed his fingers, increasingly aware of a growing tension between them. “So do you.”

  She nodded, looked away for a second, then met his gaze once more. “Pierce…” His name whispered across her lips as she took a step closer, her hand rising until it came to rest against his cheek.

  Closing his eyes, he reveled in that touch, the heat of her palm permeating his skin and warming his heart. “Yes.” A murmured acknowledgement of all that they shared and of all that he wanted to share with her, if she’d let him.

  He heard her swallow, heard her breathe as though it were his own breath rushing through him. His skin tightened as she moved closer still, and then her other hand found the nape of his neck, and she was pulling him to her. Their lips touched. A gentle caress that spoke of longing and hope and a need for something more than what they’d been allowing themselves.

  She tightened her hold, kissed him again, and he was lost. His arms wound their way around her, dragging her to him in a way he’d only been able to imagine until now. But reality was so much better than fantasy: the feel of her hands sliding through his hair, the scent of her rosy perfume seducing his senses as he deepened the kiss.

  A soft murmur slipped past her lips, and she opened to him, allowing him the pleasure of exploring her mouth with his own. Hands moved with increasing persistence, their fingers reaching for more and more until they were both gasping for breath.