It was so sweet and gentle, like I always imagined it should be. But he left!
I cried. I wanted him so much.
“I came back a year later. Ready to see if Maudie would marry me. Ready to start a new beginning. Ready to live.”
“I didn’t tell anyone I was coming home. I went directly to Maudie’s store and walked in.”
“She turned to see who had come in the store, and when she saw me, she turned pale.”
“I marched up to her, took her in my arms and asked her to marry me.”
“She looked up at me with a deep sadness that I can remember to this day.”
“’No.’ she said.”
“The sound resounded in my heart. No. All I had thought about for the past year was her. How our life could be together. How happy we would be.”
“’No.’ She said.”
“I’m sure I was pale by this time. I let her go, and sat.”
“Why wouldn’t she marry you?” I asked.
He turned his face to me, I’ve never seen a sadder look.
“You’re too late, she said.”
“I tried to convince her. No. It’s our time. Our time for happiness. Our time for love.”
“She shook her head. It’s too late.”
“It’s never too late.”
“It is for us.”
“She looked at me then. Her eyes were filled with tears, her face in pain.”
“I gave our baby away.”
“All I could do was stare at her. Baby? What baby?”
“I guess she could see the puzzlement on my face.”
“I had a baby. Our baby.”
“A baby. Just the thought thrilled me. A baby. Roberta never wanted children, a fact that she told me after we were married for several years. I always wanted children, and now I was a father.”
“I beamed with happiness.”
“Maudie must have seen that too. She became even sadder.”
“I placed Sara up for adoption with Edna and Ralph McLaughlin.”
“Why? I asked.”
“You were gone. I never heard from you. I thought. I thought....”
“That I didn’t care.”
“Yes. You left and never sent me a message. What else could I think?”
“Yes. What else. My heart broke in that instant.”
“I couldn’t raise her by myself. Not in this town. Everyone would have known she was a bastard, and treated her different, like she wasn’t worthy.”
“Maudie turned hard at that moment.”
“I wanted the best for my child. That meant parents. Not a single mother with nary a husband in sight.”
“You could have contacted me.”
“Why? You didn’t care enough to contact me. What was I supposed to think? That you really cared? That you were coming back? That we would be married and have the cottage and the white picket fence, and everyone would welcome us and our child with open arms.”
“When I started to show my pregnancy, I went on an ‘antiques tour’ and didn’t return home until after Sara was born.”
“Sara, your mother’s name.”
“Yes, I named her after your mother and mine, Sara Elizabeth. Only her last name is McLaughlin, not Cooper, not Guillot. McLaughlin.”
“Can we get her back?”
“Maudie sighed. No. It’s too late. I don’t even know where they are.”
“What?”
“They moved without a forwarding address, they wanted me completely out of Sara’s life. I’ve been searching for her, but I haven’t found her yet.”
“Let me help.”
“You’ve helped enough. Now if you don’t mind, I wish you would leave. You’ve broken my heart enough.”
“Maudie, marry me. We can find Sara, we can make a home. It’s not too late.”
“Maudie looked at me with tearful eyes. “I can’t.”
”I tried for several months to change her mind. But she wouldn’t see me. She would leave any room or place I entered. She wouldn’t answer the phone. I tried everything to find the McLaughlin’s, but couldn’t. I never gave up.”
“But I always hoped.”
Claude looked at me with sorrowful eyes. I felt nothing but sadness for this man. My father.
“That’s it. Except I did find out where the McLaughlin’s lived when you were five.”
He gave a wry smile.
“Maudie and I drove up there, it was a Sunday. We waited outside their house for three hours, then you came outside to ride your bike. We must have watched you for over an hour. Maudie would take a picture of you ever so often.”
He stood and walked over to the fireplace mantel. Taking down a picture frame, he brought it over to me.
It was me. I was on my tricycle, my legs stretched straight out in front of me, my hands gripping the handlebar, my body and head arched backward. I was laughing, my pigtails swinging in the breeze.
I didn’t remember that day. But it was captured for all time on a piece of paper.
“I didn’t see this photo at Maudie’s.”
“Strange. Maudie always took photos of you, and would give me copies. It’s the only time she would interact with me.”
He walked over to the bookcase and told down a volume. He held it out to me.
“These are all of you.”
I opened the book and looked at photos of myself. Maudie had the same ones in her books. I thumbed through them. Grant came and stood beside me.
“Maudie had a good eye with the camera,” he said.
I murmured an agreement. I snapped the book closed and turned to Claude. Pictures were of the past, and I was concerned with the future.
“What now?” I asked him.
“It’s whatever you want,”
“I’m all alone. I need a father.”
I startled him. The look on his face told it all.
It crumpled with emotion.
“Can you accept me as a father?”
It was my turn to touch my inner feelings. I didn’t even know this man, yet, he was my father. “You are my father. Whether you want a place in my life is up to you. I won’t have you embarrassed by my existence.”
“No. No. Never that. Your existence is the only thing that has been keeping me going.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Everyone in town knew I was looking for you, why didn’t you step up?”
“Fear.”
Yes, I could believe fear. I felt fear myself. What if he didn’t want me. Didn’t like me. Couldn’t love me.
I finally held out my arms, and he came into them.
It felt like I had come home. His warmth wrapped around me and soothed my soul. We stood there, embracing for a long time.
A very long time.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Grant’s cell phone rang and he walked outside to answer it.
Claude and I went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.
“I hear you make great lemon cookies.” Claude said.
I had to smile. I could easily start a cookie factory in this town.
“Yes, I seem to be delivering them all over town.”
He reached over and touched my hair again with his fingertips. “So beautiful. Your eyes are like mine. Not the shape, they’re Maudie’s shape, but the color is mine.”
Grant walked into the kitchen, rubbing his hands. He looked happier than I’ve ever seen him.
“I hope you don’t mind, a friend is coming over.”
Claude was gracious. “No. I don’t mind.”
I did. I just wanted to be alone with my father for a while without anyone else there asking questions. “Who did you invite?”
“Naomi, for one,” he said.
I know my face lit up. I was missing the old girl, no one knew where she went off too. I knew that Della wished she was back, as well.
“Where was she?” I asked.
“Hiding out with a friend.” He poured himself another cup of coffee.
I sno
rted. “Naomi. She really needs to settle down, instead of running after men all the time.”
Claude spoke up. “Naomi was married once. Of course, that was years and years ago. I imagine that not many people remember it. I believe it lasted only a week or so.”
My eyes must have popped out of my head a little. “Married for a week?”
Claude smiled. “Perhaps. A fellow by the name of Randall, if I remember correctly. Yes, that sounds right. Randall.”
Grant and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. Randall, the town drunk.
The doorbell rang and Claude went to answer it.
Grant grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles.
That was sweet and romantic.
“I love you, Sara. I want you to remember that.”
Remember.
Remember!
I think it was burned into my heart. He loves me. Why?
“Why?” I asked.
“Yes, why?” Asked Naomi.
We jumped apart like we were doing something wrong.
Naomi started to laugh.
I looked at Grant, and he dimpled at me.
Oh, gracious. I loved this big lummox.
I grabbed him in a hug and held on for dear life.
Then someone coughed behind me. Uh-oh, Claude.
I let go of my future and turned around.
There was my mother.
My birth mother.
Maudie. I’d know her anywhere.
I would have fallen if Grant wouldn’t have been holding on to me.
“Mother?”
She stood there with Claude’s hand on her shoulder. She was in tears. “Sara.”
She waited there in front of me. Still. Quiet. Expectant?
I hesitated only a second, then stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her.
“Mother.”
I don’t think life could have been any better than this moment in time.
I felt like I was home.
Truly at home.
At last.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
We were grouped in the kitchen.
Naomi was making coffee. I was whipping up a coffee cake. I was so happy I could have burst. Grant was supposed to be helping me. The man can’t crack an egg without making a mess.
Claude and Maudie were standing there, arm in arm, beaming at me. I felt so loved in that instant.
Naomi started talking. “We’ve been hiding out down in the motel in the next town. All we did was talk, watch movies and call for room service.”
I pushed the cake into the oven, and dusted off my hands.
“I don’t understand why you just didn’t come out and declare yourself, Maudie,” I said.
“I was so afraid. What if you didn’t like me? What if you didn’t care?” Maudie said.
Claude hugged her closer to him.
I walked over and held them both close. “I do care.”
Maudie started to cry. She grabbed me and held me in a tight hug. “I never thought that I would be able to put my arms around you, to hold you, to kiss you.”
She reached up as I bent down and she kissed me.
She looked up at Claude with tears in her eyes. “Isn’t she the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen”
Claude looked down at her with love in his eyes. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I could hear Naomi sniffling behind me so I turned and drew her in my arms.
“Who knew that Naomi could keep a secret?” I murmured into her hair.
Maudie laughed aloud. “Yeah, who would know? She was in Marksville and managed to spot me at a convenience store. It was a risk including her in this plan, but I had to keep her out of touch because she really can’t keep a secret. Claude called me that you were coming over, and I thought about it and decided to call Grant and see if it was safe to come over.”
Naomi let out a deep sigh. “I surely wish someone loved me like that. Just once.”
“I thought that you and Randall were married once upon a time,” I said.
She grinned up at me. “Baby, that was pure lust! He was the best in bed. Absolutely, the best.”
Naomi. You can give the lady credit. She never would change.
Claude cleared his throat.
“Do you mind if I tell people that I’m your father?”
I laughed. “If you’re hungry, we can go to Hank’s, everyone in town will know by nightfall.”
“In fact, we should all go. Maudie needs to take her place back in the community, Claude needs to declare his intentions.” Grant said.
Claude beamed. “Maudie and I are finally getting married. She said yes.”
Maudie looked up into the eyes of her beloved.
I was so happy I cried.
Grant wrapped his arms around me. “I think I might want to get married. This roommate deal just isn’t working out. After all, my underwear is still pink.”
I looked up into his gorgeous eyes. He flashed his dimple. How could I possibly resist?
“I think a double ceremony would be nice,” I said.
Maudie and Naomi both started to bawl.
I was the happiest person in the world.
The consensus was to meet at Hank’s at six for dinner.
“No doubt about it. Everyone in town will know about our plans before dessert,” I said.
Grant bent down and whispered in my ear. “And I know what I want after dessert.”
Hot damn! It was finally his turn.
I could hardly wait!
EPILOGUE
I took my notepad and pencil out of my pocket and started to write down everything about the weddings so I could report it for the paper. It’s not every day that you get to attend a double wedding.
Both of the bride’s wore white, mother and daughter decided to blend the wedding, so I’ve been told, so that each would have the elements that mattered the most to each of them.
Maudie had those baby pink roses in a mass of baby’s breath, while Sara had white and pink roses in her bouquet.
The Methodist Church was packed. They didn’t send out invites, it was an open ceremony for anyone who cared to attend. They asked that no gifts be given, but a donation to the Fire Department for the Toy and Doll Fund would be appreciated.
Maudie always spearheaded that program. She said no kid should have Christmas without at least one gift. Sara agreed.
Claude and Grant showed up in their tuxedos with wedding rings. As far as I can imagine that’s the only job the groom better complete. Else there’s hell to pay.
The only person I could see that didn’t enjoy the wedding was Tina.
When Grant said, “I do.” She stood up and stalked out of the church.
Nothing like a poor loser. Even I knew she never had a chance getting Grant to the altar. But she’s a pretty girl, she’ll find someone, someday, who’ll take a chance on her.
Her little tantrum couldn’t wipe the smiles off the wedding couples. All four of them were beaming. It’s nice to see that at a wedding. It wasn’t long before they kissed and strode down the aisle, the young couple first and then the bride’s parents.
I stood in the back, watching as everyone left the church to head to the reception hall where Hank was doing the catering.
I do have to say, that Naomi was looking pretty ‘hot’. She winked at me as she left the church. I wonder what that was about?
THE END
Check out Pepper Phillips for additional and upcoming books and the lemon cookie recipe. You know you want to eat one!
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
EPILOGUE
The Devil Has Dimples Page 19