Sarah and I shared a laugh. “Snakes aren’t slimy and the one she came across wasn’t even poisonous.”
“Okay, but if she dies because of some deadly snake, I’m coming after you.” She narrowed her eyes and pointed her fork at me flashing me a wink. I wanted to think she was kidding but I had a feeling that she’d hurt me if I hurt Sarah and I think that was her subtle way of letting me know that.
After we finished and said goodbye to Jenn, we went by Elder Tree to clear out Sarah’s desk. I went up with her to make sure nothing was said, but thankfully Rowena wasn’t anywhere to be found. Once we got home, she busied herself on the computer making a few calls and reaching out to her contacts.
I decided to call home again and check on my family. Ted was supposed to have an update ready about Mama and I was anxious to hear how her latest tests came back.
“So I guess you’re living the high life,” said Ted. That was his greeting for me instead of hello, like a normal person who wasn’t pissed off at the world.
“Yeah, you know me, living it up. How’s Mama and what did those tests say?” I didn’t have the desire to argue and felt the urge to have him put Luke on the phone.
“She’s doing better than all those doctors expected. Her tests came back good, counts were good, wound is healing right inside and out. She’ll be coming home a tad earlier than expected. What about you? When are you coming home?”
“I’m still going to try to be home when Mama’s released.”
Ted gave a sound of indifference. “Luke and Mason ran out to town last night and came home with two computers and five active phones. So, that’s what Luke’s busy with this morning. Thank the good Lord Wednesdays are always slow days.” That was his way of rubbing in the fact that he’d taken on my workload and as much as that annoyed me, I was excited that we finally had computers to help us be more efficient.
“So do you have the numbers I can stick in my phone?” He mumbled an expletive and I heard papers shuffling.
“I don’t know where they are. You’ll have to call back and ask Luke.”
“Fine, or just have him text them to me. You’ve got my number.” I was just about to say my goodbye when Sarah ran out of the bedroom and jumped up and down in front of me. I finished my call and glared at her with a wide-eyed expression that I hoped showed my concern for her sanity.
“They want to meet with you!” She did a little dance and I stood to pull her close if only to stop her from pissing off the neighbors below us.
“Who, Broken Branch?”
“All of them, but especially Broken Branch, which is the better option of the three.” She took a deep breath and appeared to be calming as she relaxed in my arms. “Richard Miller wants to see you today if possible. I told him it was totally possible, so we need to get our asses in gear.” I didn’t know if I was more excited to meet Richard and see what he had to offer or if Sarah’s excitement was that contagious, but I picked her up and spun her around. She let out a squeak that I muffled as I kissed her deep.
“What are we waiting for?” The words set her in motion and she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
*
I was so mellow about the whole thing until I found myself waiting outside the office with sweaty palms. My dream was so close to becoming a reality and better than ever, Sarah was by my side. I hoped this company wouldn’t try to push her out like the last and just remembering Rowena made my blood boil. I wasn’t having it, no matter how good the deal was, it was either the two of us or nothing.
I could take her back to Oklahoma, to the cabin and we could do our own thing for the rest of our lives. As much as I wanted it, I knew nothing in life would matter without her. I knew in my heart that I loved her and even though it had been such a whirlwind, I knew I never wanted to spend another day without her.
She sat next to me, her leg shaking from nerves, despite the fact that my hand rested there. Finally, we were called back and I let Sarah lead the way.
“Hello, Richard.” She shook the man’s hand and introduced me. “This is David Dawson.”
The man seemed genuine and respectful, a total professional. He offered us a seat and went behind his desk. “So you’re the talent on the demo, that’s quite a voice you have.”
“Thank you,” I said, not sure what else to say, but Sarah spoke up.
“David also writes many of his songs and performs others that were written by his grandfather. He owns those rights and I think there’s enough material for a very nice collection.” Her voice was different, deeper, and she held herself more confidently than I’d ever seen her do in Rowena’s presence. She continued talking about my work and talent and Richard seemed mighty impressed.
“I’m not one to waste time, so I’ll get right to the point. I think you’re a great talent and the type of hard working man we like to represent here at Broken Branch. Our company is founded on integrity and after hearing how you stood up to Rowena Burke, well, I know you’ve got it.”
Sarah patted my arm. “I took the liberty of telling him a bit about you and your situation with your mother, as well as how I lost my job.”
Richard leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry to hear about your mother. I know that’s got to be tough. Running a ranch is hard work.”
“Yes, sir, it’s a very rewarding life, though.”
He narrowed his eyes and I was worried that he might be shifting directions. “I hear that was a pretty impressive deal you passed up. I can’t offer the exact deal, but I think you’ll find ours more to your liking. We take your lifestyle into consideration, and we’re able to conduct business via the Internet, so you can pretty much live wherever you like as long as you have access to the proper equipment and send us what we need. Of course, you have to be willing to travel when necessary.”
Sarah shifted in her chair to angle toward me. “I think you should build your own studio at the cabin. Then you could be closer to home and still work.”
Richard nodded and gestured in her direction. “She’s got a good point. Whether you take this deal or not, having your own studio would be a wonderful investment.” I liked this guy. He was respectful and down to earth and that impressed me more than anything I’d seen from Rowena and Elder Tree. I could also see why this man had left that company. He didn’t seem like he’d have fit in with them.
Richard pushed a single piece of paper across the table. “This is an initial agreement, if you’re interested. It gets the ball rolling for your contract, but what you see listed is what we’re prepared to do for you. If you like it, sign it, and I’ll get the other papers ready for you in a few days and then you can look over them, read them, make sure this and that matches, and when you’re ready, you can sign them. We’d love to have you as part of our family.”
Sarah took the paper and passed it to me, but it hadn’t escaped me that Richard hadn’t mentioned who would be representing me as my agent and if it wasn’t Sarah, I wasn’t interested.
“I’m not sure I can. Sarah’s been real good to me and I’m pretty set on her being my agent.”
“I’m sorry, I thought you understood that’s exactly what we had in mind.” He glanced back and forth between us. “As I said, we’ve heard about your situation and respect your integrity. If you want Sarah to be your agent, then I see no reason why we need to change that.”
Sarah smiled and reached across to take my hand. “I wanted that part to be a surprise.”
I shook my head and leaned forward to take the paper. It was pretty cut and dry and seemed fair enough. I took the pen from the table and with a steady hand signed the agreement. I felt at ease with the decision and my dad had always told me to never sign something without reading it, and never with a shaky hand. I trusted Sarah had my best interest at heart and I felt right about Richard as well. “Let’s get this ball rolling.”
Richard offered his hand and I took it. “Congratulations, I’ll get things in order and call you in to sign the final papers. Welcome to
the Broken Branch family.”
“Thanks.” I couldn’t believe it had happened so fast. But Richard wasn’t through with me.
“I want to get you in the studio as soon as possible, and let the others hear what you’ve got. We’d like a few more demos, so if you two want to go out and celebrate with lunch, you can come back around three and we’ll get you started.”
“That sounds perfect.” My mind raced and I couldn’t believe they’d have me in the studio so quickly before the ink had even had time to dry.
We said our goodbyes and both left the office with smiles on our faces. Once in the elevator I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. She’d done it, she’d made my dreams come true, and best yet, she’d be there with me.
She pulled away and glanced up at me with a sly smirk. “Did you like your surprise?”
“Yes, and I like the idea of building my own studio at the cabin. I can’t believe I’m going in the studio today. I need to go to the apartment and get my guitar. I can’t believe I didn’t think to bring it.” We exited the elevator and the day seemed brighter as we walked outside.
“It’s fine, we’ll stop off and grab it after lunch and then we’ll come right back. I need to fill out some papers for you, but I’ll take care of that while we wait.”
We walked across the street and approached the car and I couldn’t help thinking about my family. I wished they could be there. “I want to call my parents and tell them the news, and my brothers. Luke is going to give me their new numbers. I can’t believe this is all happening.”
“Yes, your dreams are happening. I bet it feels amazing.” She unlocked the car and we both slid into our seats.
“Yes, and surprisingly the weirdest thing about the day is that my family now owns cell phones.” I laughed as she started the car. “My grandfather used to say that good things happen all at once. I never knew what he meant until now.”
“He’d be so proud of you. I’m sure your parents will be too.” She pulled away and we headed down the road. “So what would you like to eat to celebrate?”
“We can go anywhere as long as they serve real meat.” I cringed remembering the so-called steak Rowena had ordered.
She took me to a nice little diner and though it wasn’t fancy, the food looked and tasted like food. I had a burger that melted in my mouth and was so juicy it dripped down my chin. I watched Sarah smash hers so she could fit it in her mouth. She had much better taste in restaurants and a much better grasp on what I’d like. I loved to watch her eat, but I wasn’t sure where she put it. The burger was as big as her head and loaded with bacon and grilled onions, which she apologized for in advance. I assured her it wouldn’t bother me and if it did I’d buy her some mints. She laughed her tinny little laugh, reminding me how much I liked that she’d play with me. Life was too short to be serious all the time.
During lunch my phone rang and though I didn’t recognize the number, I answered it. It ended up being Luke, who called from his new phone. He also sent me their numbers which Sarah helped me add to my contacts. She also showed me how to work my camera and we took a selfie for my screen.
She added a few numbers from Broken Branch into the lists as well. “It’s crazy that you guys haven’t ever had cell phones.”
“I know. Ella had one. She bought me one once, but it fell out of my pocket in front of Dad and the horse stepped on it, busting it to pieces. It was a long time ago and it wasn’t this nice, but Dad said it served me right. After that tantrum, no one dared get another.” I took another bite of my burger as she wiped her mouth.
“Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if you’d married her?”
I smeared a French fry through the blob of ketchup on my plate. “I don’t wonder. I know. It would have been like living in hell.”
“That bad?” She adjusted in her seat and picked up her burger, turning it in her fingers as if trying to figure out how to eat it without wearing it.
“She’s spoiled and nasty, used to getting her way, and blew through my money like it was her own. She was hard to please and more often bitchy than not.”
“But you were in love with her?”
“No, I thought I was. We’d been together for so long that everything had become routine. There weren’t any surprises unless you count her sleeping with my brother. I was really pissed off that Ted did that, I mean, it was a shitty thing to do, for both of them, but in a way, I was thankful. I didn’t have to go through with the wedding. I’d realized not long after the engagement that I didn’t love her, but since it was what our parents expected and what we had planned, I couldn’t back out without a good reason. She’d ask for money for the wedding and I’d give it to her, but once it was all called off I realized she’d not paid the first deposit or bought anything for the event.”
“I’m sorry she did you that way.”
“I’m not. I saved a fortune in divorce costs, not to mention she wanted to have a family right away. I’m happy. Today’s the best day of my life and it’s not just because my dreams are coming true. It’s because you’re here to share it with me. I know what Ella and me had wasn’t love, because it was nothing like what I feel for you.”
She dropped her burger to her plate and smiled. “Does that mean what I think it means?” Her eyes were wide and I could almost feel the anticipation between us in the air. I wasn’t sure how to express everything I felt for her, but I needed her to know how special she was to me, and that I was indeed falling in love.
“Yes,” I said. It was all I could say.
Chapter 32
Sarah
I wasn’t sure why I couldn’t speak, but David’s admission of his feelings gave me what could best be described as stage-fright. The moment the word yes left his lips, I felt as though a huge spotlight was turned on me, as if everyone in the diner around us was listening, even though I knew they weren’t.
It didn’t seem to bother David much, he couldn’t stop beaming, and he’d been that way since we’d left Richard’s office, even while talking about his past with Ella. I couldn’t believe that was so much worse than I thought. She’d used him, and broken his heart, and while I would never ever do that intentionally, I worried that my own admission of my feelings would seem less genuine on the heels of his own.
Before I could stew on it, the waitress brought our check. David took out his wallet and paid telling her to keep the change. She flashed a flirty grin and thanked him, and then sauntered away. He was a good guy, genuine and generous through and through.
“You ready? We still need to go to your apartment and get my guitar.” I nodded, still lost in a battle of thoughts, and he seemed content to give me space.
On the way back to the apartment we didn’t talk much. I kept my attention on the road and he played with his phone. I pulled into my parking space and checked the time. “We can go up for a few, we’ve got time.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. I want to call the hospital.”
“Sure.” I shut off the car and we got out, him once again giving me space as we went up to my apartment.
David went right to the couch where he called his parents and I went to my room to put a little more space between us.
I sat on the bed and thought back to the last time I had felt this nervous with Rick. He was pressuring me to commit and I wasn’t sure it was the right time. The problem was, I did have strong feelings for Rick at the time, but I wasn’t sure it was love. The problem wasn’t my feelings, though, it was Rick’s. The suspicions of his infidelity had proven true too many times and I didn’t think I could give him my heart. In the end, I decided to take a chance on him, only to be disappointed, to be heartbroken, and now I felt myself on the same precipice.
I wanted more than anything to be with David, and to give him my whole heart. I knew he’d take care of me and love me more than anyone else could. But for some reason when he admitted his feelings, I’d choked.
I’d always hoped that in my life I’d have
better luck than my mother, and though I felt I had that with David, I also couldn’t go into it lightly or take it for granted like my mom had for so long. She’d lost out so many times not making up her mind, wanting it all and never choosing what was best. I’d vowed my whole life, that if I ever found someone that loved me like I know David does, I’d never let them go. So why was I so nervous?
“You okay?” I raised my head and found him leaning in the doorway.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I stood as he closed the distance between us. I hated that he’d found me in such a vulnerable state.
“You’ve been pretty quiet. I hope I didn’t make things weird earlier, but I mean, we do know we’re getting closer, and we’re taking a huge step together already with my music, so I didn’t think I was too far out of line.”
“No, not at all, I think I just wasn’t sure how to react.” I was so confused I wasn’t sure what I was unsure of. I was standing on the high dive of life, but I was too afraid to jump even though I knew the water was fine.
“It’s okay. In case you didn’t notice, I wasn’t sure what else to say either. I guess it’s too much greatness for one day.” He took out his phone and glanced at it. “I’m just going to grab my guitar and we can go.”
As he turned to go, I grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Why didn’t you know what to say?”
“I think it’s probably the same reason you didn’t. Because our feelings are too real, and words just seem inadequate?” His brow raised and he lifted his chin. “At least I hope that’s why you couldn’t.” He searched my eyes and I smiled to reassure him.
I relaxed knowing he’d understood. It wasn’t that I had doubts about how I felt, but I had doubts about how to express what I was feeling. Words were inadequate, but our feelings weren’t. I stood up on my toes and kissed him, and he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss as if to reassure me, his strong hands lifting me up and carrying me to the bed where he sat, pulling me to his lap. I didn’t protest, though I knew we should get a move on, but he held me there, caressing my hair, my back. Neither of us spoke and it was like we just needed that moment to let it all sink in.
Always on My Mind (The Dawson Brothers, #1) Page 22