Dakota Love (40 page)

Sarah hardly heard the instructions. Did Caroline mean that Mark had finished the quilt? Before trying it herself, Sarah studied the simple running stitch Caroline had started on the quilt held tight in the hoop frame. Though the layers were thick, Sarah managed the up-and-down motion of the stitch. She rested her arm on the table, which helped ease her control of her right arm.

Mark couldn’t have finished her quilt. Maybe Terri or her daughter had. Sarah would definitely ask Caroline after class.

As Sarah found a rhythm to the stitching, something Ashley said about Job popped into her thoughts.
“He endured all the bad stuff the devil inflicted him with.”

Job did nothing to bring on his misery.

But I have been
. Sarah gasped. Had she been so intent on taking the good with the bad that she’d been overdoing?

Mark had told her that he couldn’t keep up with her schedule, and he didn’t even have MS. He’d also told her that overdoing wasn’t living a full life.

Sarah stopped stitching and traced the pattern with her fingers. She’d likened herself to Job all these months, and in reality, she was nothing like Job. She took the first job she’d been offered because it was temperature controlled. She volunteered for every church committee she could so her thoughts wouldn’t wander to her future. She’d negotiated that lease with absolutely no knowledge of how wrong things could go with remodel projects. She’d filled her days with activities because she hadn’t really trusted God to get her through the bad times.

Yet He
was
getting her through the bad times. What would she have done without Mark and Karla this weekend?

Sarah fought the urge to bury her face, pins and all, into the downy quilt and cry. Even after she’d locked him out of her life by closing the door in his face on Saturday, Mark finished her quilt because he knew how badly she’d wanted a wall hanging. Or was it because he felt the same way about her that she did about him?

She’d been so wrong. Mark wasn’t like the other man she’d thought she’d loved. How could she have even compared Mark to her past mistake? Could he forgive her? Would he forgive her?

Sarah purposely parked her compact at the far end of the strip mall’s parking lot. The pounding of her heart echoed in her ears. She drew a deep breath, thankful for the cool Canadian air that moved the jet stream. The unseasonable heat wave laced with high humidity blew out of the area. Between that and the weekend rest, her MS symptoms were again under control.

Last night in the quiet of her room, she’d had a long conversation with God. Through tears of regret on how she handled her disease and the people in her life, she’d promised to trust Him, just like Job.

As she walked down the sidewalk, Sarah smoothed her hands across her yellow crop pants and fidgeted with the ruffles down the front of her blouse. When she approached Mark’s store she peeked into the plate glass window in hopes of catching a glimpse of who was working. Mark stood at the cutting counter, no doubt cutting fat quarters. He wore her favorite shirt, the dark green polo that deepened the emerald hue of his eyes.

Sarah stopped by the window where the large orange-and-black H
ELP
W
ANTED
sign hung. With her heart pounding faster she stepped through the door and angled herself out of Mark’s range of vision.

The jangle of the door buzzer prompted Mark’s pat response. “Be with you in a minute.”

Running her fingers under the tape, Sarah loosened the sign from the window. She held it behind her back and walked toward the cutting counter, her flip-flops slapping against the tile floor then against her heels.

When Mark looked up, surprise etched his features. He laid the scissors on the counter, crossed his arms over his chest, and rocked back on his heels. “Sarah.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “What are you doing here this time of day?”

Sarah wanted to run around the counter, throw her arms around him, stare into his beautiful eyes, and beg his forgiveness. Instead she decided to let the cutting table be a buffer in case Mark didn’t share her feelings. “I took a personal day. I needed a break.”

Mark started to move his lips then pursed them together. He didn’t need to speak. His eyes conveyed the message. Finally.

Fighting hard not to break his eye contact, Sarah cleared her throat. “I came to apologize and to thank you.”

Mark dropped his arms, and a slight sparkle shone in his eyes. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry that I jumped to a false conclusion on Saturday. Can you ever forgive me?” The fear of rejection sheened her eyes with moisture, but she saw a slight nod of Mark’s head.

“I’d like to apply for this position.” Sarah pushed the H
ELP
W
ANTED
sign across the cutting counter toward Mark.

“Are you kidding me?” Anger flashed through Mark’s features as he dropped his arms. With a swoop of his hand he pushed the sign to the end of the counter.

He strode around the counter, stopping in front of Sarah. Her only line of vision was his thick chest that heaved with his sharp intake of breath. His exaggerated sigh rained hot breath on the top of her head.

She willed her amusement out of her eyes as she lifted them to meet his face.

“You already do too much. You don’t need to add a part-time job into the mix.” Mark placed his hands on her upper arms just under her shoulders and squeezed. “You have to realize your limitations with MS. Your physical condition on Saturday tore my heart out.”

Emotion deepened the green highlights of Mark’s eyes. “Sadly, I believe most of your misery was self-inflicted. You might not care about your well-being, but the people who love you do.”

Sarah’s legs weakened. Not a result of her MS symptoms but from the rapid thump of her heart. Had Mark just said he loved her? She lifted her hands to Mark’s biceps and leaned into his strength to steady her shaky limbs.

With her small movement, Mark shifted his arms and pulled her into a tight hug. She rested her head against his chest the same way she had on Saturday. Joy, mixed with regret, weaved in and out of her heart as if it were quilting it together. How had she mistaken his concern for pity?

The sea-kissed scent of Mark’s cologne calmed the tides of her emotions enough for her to pull slightly away. She needed to look into his beautiful eyes. She needed to tell him that she loved him.

She drew a deep breath and searched his face then tilted her chin until it was a hairbreadth away from his. Once their eyes met, the joy-filled tightness in her chest expanded, and her need to tell Mark she loved him overtook all of her other emotions.

“I love you, too,” she managed to whisper just before Mark’s tender kiss stopped her from voicing all the other things she’d planned to tell him.

Sarah jumped at the first tinkle of the door buzzer, putting an abrupt end to Mark’s sweet kiss. He squeezed her as he whispered in her ear, “To be continued.”

Heat rushed to Sarah’s cheeks as she watched Mark approach his customer. She could tell by the shake of his head that whatever the person searched for, Mark didn’t stock.

The lady thanked Mark as she walked out the door. A giddy smile lit his face when he returned to Sarah. “Perhaps we should go to the back room.” He walked over to her with outstretched arms.

Sarah grasped his hands with hers. “First, while I’m thinking straight, I need to tell you a few things.”

Mark interlocked their fingers and lifted his brows.

“On Saturday, I thought you were pitying me, but then I realized that was my emotion. I’d been pitying myself since the doctor diagnosed my multiple sclerosis. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Yes I forgive you, but you have to stop overdoing. I’m not hiring you part-time.” Mark’s features and tone took on a serious edge, but he never released her hands.

“I’m going to stop overdoing. You and my mom and Karla were right. I’ve been doing more than I did before my diagnosis. I was trying to prove to myself that I could still lead a normal life. I wanted the good to outweigh the bad, but what I was mistaking for good was actually bad for me. So I decided to make some changes.”

Sarah laughed out loud at the skeptical look on Mark’s face.

Mark raised his brows. “And those changes would be?”

“First, I’m never enrolling in a quilting class again when I can’t sew, no matter how cute the quilt store owner is.”

The sparkle in Mark’s eyes deepened those gorgeous green flecks. He showed his thanks by lifting her hand to his lips and brushing a kiss to the top before rubbing it gently across his cheek. His clean-shaven skin soft and silky.

“Second, I’m going to limit my extracurricular activities to church or MS committees.”

She earned another kiss to her other hand. “Excellent choices. Anything else?”

Sarah drew a deep breath. “I plan to quit my job.”

The evident surprise on Mark’s features tickled Sarah. She tried to suppress a giggle but failed. “After I worked here in the quilt store those two days, I realized how much I didn’t care for my current job. It’s too solitary and demanding, so I thought I might try working part-time. That is, if you’d consider a woman with absolutely no sewing skills as an applicant for your job.”

Mark’s expression went blank. “Sarah.”

Her heart dipped. She wasn’t really qualified to be a paid employee in the store although she hoped Mark would let her try. “It’s okay, you can think about it.” She understood if he wanted someone with sewing abilities. After all, it was a quilt store.

“Oh…and I need to thank you for finishing my Job’s Tears project.” Sarah didn’t try to fight the impish grin.

A sheepish look settled on Mark’s face, and he shrugged.

Sarah laughed. “I thought you didn’t know how to sew.”

Mark studied the toe of his shoe before raising his eyes to hers. “Just enough to demonstrate the machines I sell.”

Sarah cocked an eyebrow. “I have it on firm authority—”

“Caroline.” Mark huffed. “Okay, I know how to sew and quilt.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sarah stepped closer to Mark.

“It’s not a very masculine quality.”

Sarah marveled at the stocky man before her that made her feel so secure and loved and couldn’t believe he worried about being masculine. “That is something you don’t have to worry about. So what do you sew?”

With some hesitation, Mark looked around the store. “All the projects on display in the store and some of the quilt tops.”

“Well, thank you again for getting my quilt ready to finish. It’s beautiful. I’m trying to spend an hour a day on the quilting. So far it’s working out well with my MS.”

“I knew it meant a lot to you. And you mean a lot to me. That’s why I want you to take care of yourself. I’ve waited a long time to find you. Now about that job.” Mark pulled her close and kissed her forehead. A thrill shivered through her as he trailed kisses down her nose. Certain this meant the job was hers, with a slight jut of her chin she positioned her lips to receive his, but he pulled away and smiled at her.

“I don’t want you for an employee.” Mark’s features remained merry, but that didn’t stop her gasp.

She opened her mouth but no words came out.

Gently Mark pushed her gaping mouth closed and held one finger over it to shush her in case her words decided to gurgle out. Was he still upset with her? He couldn’t be, not with that mysterious grin.

“I think I need a partner rather than an employee.”

Sarah’s eyes widened. She hadn’t planned on investing in a business. She started to protest when Mark’s finger again applied light pressure to her lips. “Let me finish.” He shook his head, and the sparkle in his eyes grew brighter. “You’d make a great partner, but the problem is this has always been a family-owned business.”

A muffled squeak of delight passed through Sarah’s lips. Her heart raced. Was he insinuating what she thought?

Mark removed his finger and dropped to one knee. “What do you say, Sarah? Would you like to be my partner for the rest of your life? Will you marry me?”

Sarah sat down on Mark’s bent leg. “Yes.” She didn’t wait for him to initiate the kiss. She cupped his face in her hands. As their lips met, her heart expanded with love, and she finally understood what Job had meant.

God had counterbalanced the one bad thing in her life, her disease, with Mark and all the people who loved her.

For all Vietnam Veterans, with thanks and gratitude for your service to your country.

W
alter Sanders grimaced as the car tires rolled through the ruts in the short gravel driveway. The slight jostling sway of his body pulled at the long incision that ran from his waist to midthigh. He palmed the area, hoping to hold it steady and stave off the pain from his recent hip-replacement surgery. Even the soft fleece lining of his sweat pants, brushing against the tender skin around the incision, sent stinging pinpricks up and down the area of the wound, more annoying than painful.

“Sorry about that.” Mark cast a sideways glance at Walt as he eased the car through another pothole.