by Annie Pelle
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it. Anything else?”
“No. but thanks.”
Sarah received the roses from Dalton that afternoon. She was working with Greg when the front gate buzzed her with the delivery. She ignored the puzzled glance from Greg and went back to their discussion. She did not want to think about the Matthews anymore today. She had stressed enough about it.
Sarah went to her home that night and debated on how to handle the Matthews. David had given her a horse which she couldn’t afford or use. Dalton had tried to make it better but ended up making it worse. And Lindsay was once again stuck in the middle. For manners sake she needed to thank Dalton for the flowers but it was going to be a hard call to make.
She picked up the phone and dialed his cell phone.
“Hello”
“Dalton, it’s Sarah. Don’t say anything. Just let me get this out. Thank you for the flowers. It wasn’t necessary, no apology was needed. There isn’t anyone at fault here. I just cannot come to Stage West. Maybe, someday, if things change but not now. Can you get everyone to lighten up on that? Lindsay and I can be friends without me coming to the ranch. I have two full time jobs and I have 24/7 responsibilities. My free time is limited anyway. I cannot take the stresses of this situation. Let things work at naturally without everyone trying so hard. Please.”
“Ok, Sarah. I will get the point across to everyone.”
“Thanks”
“You won’t really change your phone numbers again will you?”
“No, I won’t. I’ll be here.”
“Can I call you sometimes?”
“Yes”
“Good.”
“And Dalton, I can’t take David’s gift of a horse.”
“Well, I am not getting in the middle of that. You and he can argue about that later. Good luck winning that argument though.” Dalton said on a much lighter note.
“Why do you think I wanted you to do it?”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Goodbye Dalton”
“Good-night Sarah. No more goodbyes”
“Good-night Dalton”
Dalton hung up and went in search of his family again. It was time for another “family” meeting.
Nick grumbled at Dalton as they entered the living room. “I haven’t seen your sorry face this much in years and now every day for the last two months we have had a family meeting.” Gabby thumped her son upside the head. “Shut up Nick.”
“Yeah, shut up Nick” Dalton groused right back. “I realize we have met quite a few times recently but this one is important too.”
“We have to ease up on getting Sarah to come home to Stage West.”
“Why?” asked Gabby “Who has been after her to come home?”
Dalton glared and pointed at David “I think you should answer that question.”
“What did I do? I just invited her here on Saturday.” David defended himself.
“Try again David.” Dalton replied knowingly
“All I did was invite her here.”
“Fine, I’ll tell them. David and Lindsay called up Sarah this morning and invited her here on Saturday. When she said she couldn’t come because she has other responsibilities mainly to the Davises. David told her to tell the Davises to come also. Then he threatened to go around her and ask them himself. Then when that didn’t work he gave up for about two minutes then called her back and told her to come exercise her horse which she didn’t know she had. And then when she said she couldn’t except his gift of a horse, he threatened her again by saying he was going to tell Nathan that she wouldn’t accept one of his girls.”
“David!” Gabby whaled before she thumped him on the head also.
“Hey, there was nothing wrong with me doing any of those things.” David defended rubbing the sore spot on his head. “She was being stubborn. She still is!”
Gabby just thumped him again and Lindsay did the same on the other side.
“I called her up to tell her not to be afraid of David and that he was on high-powered medication, but she blasted me too without even a hello. And threatened to change her phone numbers again.” Dalton paused “And she ended up by repeating very dejectedly that she could not come to the ranch.”
“Ever?” Gabby asked
“That was my question” replied Dalton “Her response was maybe someday. So I tried to defend David’s invite again by saying David just wanted her to come home. She hung up on me after saying “Stage West is not my home.” I sent some roses as an apology. She called a few minutes ago to say thanks and to ask that we please ease up on getting her to come here. She said if things changed she could probably come but not now. She said her and Lindsay could be friends without her coming to Stage West.”
“Did you guys ruin my lunch with her?” Lindsay asked fiercely
“No, sweetie, she is still going to do that.” Dalton answered her.
“So everyone, especially you David, ease up! David, you lose her phone number. No more threats and we will work to get her home over time.”
“Dalton, what about you getting to know her too?”
“Lindsay!”
“Oops sorry. I forgot.”
Gabby’s eyes began to twinkle as Lindsay had already confided to her that Dalton might be seeing Sarah in a new light. “Is there something you want to tell us Dalton?” queried Gabby
“No!”
“I’ll just ask Lindsay later and she will tell me whatever I want to know so you might as well tell me now.” Gabby grinned sweetly
“That’s blackmail.”
“Yes, so spill it.”
Dalton threatened Lindsay with a powerful glare and turned to pace toward the window. Here he was pacing again.
“Dalton, I’m waiting.”
“Fine. Yes, I would like to get to know Sarah better. She is beautiful, smart and classy and I would like to get to know her as someone besides a friend. There are you happy now?”
“Yes, I am.” Gabby replied with suspiciously moist eyes. “I think that would be wonderful.”
Nick burst out laughing at his best friend. This was going to be fun to watch. Dalton has taken the fall for a girl he once said he didn’t ever want to see again.
“Whoa. Hold up. Get that dreamy expression off of your face. And you Nick can stop laughing at any time.” Dalton glared at his best friend but continued “She may not want anything to do with me or this family since it appears we all need high powered medications to act like civilized human beings.” He finished and went back to pacing the floor.
Nathan was the first to take offense at his comment. “I haven’t done anything to that sweet girl.”
“It is guilt by association, Nathan.” Dalton countered
A few minutes of silence passed until Dalton faced them again. “Everyone agrees to ease up on Sarah?”
“No. I don’t agree.” said David.
“Shut up David” everyone shouted at once and left the room.
Dalton caught up to Lindsay as she tried to escape. “You are due for dunking in the pool again lil’ sister. Not everyone needed to know my feelings about Sarah.”
“They love you, why shouldn’t they know.”
“Because Nick is going to ride me to death on this subject. I can already guess how bad it is going to be. And Gabby…”
“So, you’re tough. You can take it.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Dalton said as he stalked off to his room. He fell face down on his bed in embarrassment and frustration. This has been a very long day. His cell phone rang and he saw Nick’s name on the display. “Don’t start with me. I am tired and it has been a tough enough day.”
“What? I just called to ask if you want to go riding on Saturday and spend the night at the cabin. It is a great time of year to enjoy it.”
“Okay. What time are we leaving?”
“Be ready at ten. Night.”
“Yea
h whatever.”
Dalton climbed into bed a few minutes later hoping his dreams would be as sweet as last night. But probably he was going to dream that Sarah ran away screaming “they are all just too crazy”. However his dream this night was of he and Sarah dancing at their wedding reception. Sarah was beautiful in a white wedding dress and she stared up at him as if he hung the moon just for her.
Chapter 10
Saturday morning Sarah met with CeCe to give her the day’s itinerary. She wanted to remind her that she was meeting Lindsay for lunch but to call if she needed her. CeCe waved her away with a “have a good time.”
Sarah met Lindsay for lunch at a quiet café in Peoria where they would have plenty of privacy for their lunch.
Lindsay had tears in her eyes as she and Sarah exchanged hugs “Sarah, it is so good to see you again.”
“Oh Lindsay, don’t start that now. I’ll cry all the way through lunch.”
“We probably will anyway but who cares.”
“I don’t want David calling me again when you come home with red, swollen eyes. One conversation with him this week was more than enough. And then that second call was… I don’t want a third.” Sarah shivered dramatically
“I’m sorry about him. He is stubborn.”
“No, he is king of his ranch and us lowly subjects must do as he commands.”
Lindsay burst out laughing. “You picked that up from his phone call.”
“Yes, it was very easy as he was commanding me to take his horse.” Sarah switched to her David impersonation “It is my ranch and I can do whatever I want…”
“Yep, that’s David.”
“And he cannot give me I horse. You have to help me convince him.”
“NO! You and he can argue about that later. But don’t count on his changing his mind.”
“Dalton wouldn’t help me either.”
“Speaking of Dalton, Sarah, I am so sorry about what happened that morning in the barn.”
“Stop right there. You have nothing to apologize for. Dalton and I have worked this out and put it in the past. Now everyone else does too. It happened but now we move forward.”
“OK. So start at the beginning and tell me what has happened in your life for five years…” queried Lindsay.
So they talked about each other’s lives for the next several hours. They recalled stories of their days at Meadows University. And ended the day with plans to meet again soon.
Nick and Dalton headed out on their ride Saturday morning also. They usually rode up the south part of the ranch along the creek until they reached the cabin.
They had not been gone from the stable very long before Nick gave his friend a curious glance and said “So Sarah, is beautiful now is she?”
“I knew you would start in on me” replied Dalton
“Of course I am going to give you grief about this. So tell Nick all…”
“There is nothing to tell. Yes, I have wanted to ask her out since that gala. I asked her to dance at the gala but she wouldn’t do it. I guess I know why now. She was absolutely stunning in that dress she had on. She had the crowd mesmerized as she talked to them. She is beautiful.”
“You mentioned that before” smarted Nick
“Shut up. Then she came to my office to talk to me about the foundation. Knowing what I know now that took a lot of professionalism to sit there and look me in the eye when my hurtful words were running through her head. She sold me on her mission at the same time she was picturing me slamming her.” Dalton paused then spit out “Man, am I the world’s biggest idiot or what?”
“Yes. I never did get what or why you said what you did that day. I remember thinking at the time how you could not like Sarah?”
“I explained this to Sarah and to Lindsay so why not you too. Sarah was just a kid to me. She wasn’t family and a kid who wasn’t family didn’t need to be at my birthday party. She was Lindsay’s friend not mine and what did I care if I ever saw her again.
“Ouch, Sarah didn’t deck you after you gave her that reason?”
“No, she still just kept blaming herself for being where she wasn’t wanted. That was probably when I clamped my hand over her mouth again to shut her up. I think she was more shocked at that point and forgot about decking me.”
“And now how does she feel?”
“We hope that everyone can put it behind us now and move on with our lives.”
“Did David really threaten her?”
“Yes and she laid into me like I could do anything about it. I wanted to reach through the phone and kiss her to shut her up. But I sat there and waited until she stopped for air. Of course I was picturing her and how beautiful she looks when she is fierce.”
“Call the minister, your single days are over.”
“Shut up Nick”
“Did you pick out a ring yet?”
“Shut up Nick”
“Mama is going to be thrilled when I tell her.”
“Shut up Nick. There is nothing to tell. We haven’t gone out on any dates and we may never. She isn’t thrilled with the Matthews’ men right now.”
Nick couldn’t resist singing “goin to the chapel and we’re goin’ to get married”
“Shut up Nick” Dalton laughed and urged his horse into a trot to get away from the singing.
“You are not denying it!” Nick just sang louder as he caught up to Dalton. “Seriously, have you asked her out?”
“No, after David’s actions on Thursday I decided to wait until next week. I asked her if I could call her again and she agreed. So I’ll go from there.”
“Good luck”
“Yeah I’ll need it.”
“Let me know when my tux needs to go to the cleansers.” Nick went right back to singing.
Dalton wasn’t paying attention to his words and didn’t know he was speaking out loud. “I can’t wait to dance with her at our wedding.”
“I’m calling the mama to start the wedding preparations.”
“Oh man, I didn’t just say that out loud did I? I was right we all do need medications.”
Nick just smiled I have so much to tell Mama after this trip. She is going to be thrilled.
Monday afternoon, Sarah was in her office at the foundation when Amy knocked on her door.
“Come in”
“I have a delivery for you Sarah.”
Sarah looked up from her report and looked at the delivery that Amy was holding. It was another beautiful display of yellow roses. Amy put the bouquet on the table in Sarah’s office. Sarah rose to get the card from the flowers. It simply read Dalton. For several seconds Sarah was completely stunned. Why did he send more flowers?
“Sarah, is there something you would like to share with your best assistant and friend? This is the second bouquet that you have received in less than a week.”
“Well it is a very long story.” Sarah replied hesitantly. “And I can’t share all of it with you. The last bouquet was an apology. This one is a mystery.”
“Are you seeing someone?” inquired Amy
Sarah shouted “No!”
“Ok, Ok!”
“So, start talking about whatever you can tell me. Does this have something to do with all those calls last week from various Matthews?”
“Yes, the “apology” bouquet was from Dalton to apologize for nearly all of his family members calling me.”
“And?” Amy urged as she sat in the chair opposite Sarah’s desk.
Sarah returned to her chair and began the story. “Several years ago when I was in college, I was roommates and best friends with Lindsay Matthews. I would spend school vacations with the Matthews at their ranch outside of Phoenix. The summer of our graduation I went back to the ranch for a birthday party, unfortunately, I overheard so unpleasant things about me and I ran as fast as I could to escape and never contacted a member of the Matthews family again. I never told anyone what had happened to make me run
away. I did, however, keep in contact with their housekeeper, Gabby, whom you know. Anyway, I hadn’t talked to David or Dalton or Lindsay for five years and it would probably still be that way except that Dalton came to see Greg and “reintroduced” us. I tried to keep away from them and I even arranged for Cameron and Desiree to distract them at the gala. Unfortunately, that time that Greg and CeCe went to their ranch, Dalton got upset with me for not attending and one thing and another I yelled the entire hurtful episode at him. Then I ran to my car and came home. The good thing is that Lindsay and I can maybe be friends again. Dalton and I apologized for the yelling match. I don’t know why the flowers today though.”
“Call him and find out.” Amy exclaimed.
“I will but I am in the middle of working so I will do it later.”
“But I won’t be here later to snoop.”
“Exactly. Now get back to work” Sarah replied with a big smile on her face. “And Amy, that story doesn’t leave this room. Too many people have been hurt by it already, I won’t have anymore.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
“Thank you. I think I am done with you for today if you want to go home early.”
“That would be great. See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
Sarah tried to ignore the roses and go back to her work but her mind kept wondering why? We said our apologies. He apologized for his crazy family’s behavior. There is no other need for another apology. It is probably a mistaken delivery.
Sarah finished reading her report and checked her email one more time just in case any clients needed her. She had a mostly free night and she was going to start it early. After she called Dalton to tell him his florist made a mistake and delivered her flowers.
“Hello?”
“It’s Sarah Dawson.”
“You announce your last name to me like I don’t know who you are. This is my personal cell phone, you are the only Sarah who would be calling.”
“Oh. I am sorry to bother you but your florist made a mistake and delivered some flowers to me with a card from you. They probably got Thursday’s delivery mixed up with today’s.”
“First of all, you are not bothering me. Secondly, why do you think it is a mistaken delivery?”
“You don’t have any reason to be sending me flowers.”