Sarah's Choice (23 page)

“Yeah. My two never sit still.” Mike chuckled. “From the looks of their rumpled bedsheets, I think they must keep moving even when they’re sleeping.”

Elias smiled. “How are things going here at the store? Is your business doing well?”

“It won’t be if we keep getting broken into.”

Elias’s eyebrows shot up. “You had a breakin?”

Mike nodded. “It happened on the Sunday we were at the baptismal service. Whoever did it stole some groceries, as well as two of Kelly’s paintings.” Mike frowned. “The same day, Sarah had some vegetables taken from her garden, so we’re thinking it might have been done by the same person who broke into our store.”

“That’s a shame. Any idea who might have done it?”

Mike drew in a quick breath and released it with a groan. “Here on the canal, we have so many poor folks, not to mention the rugged canalers who don’t seem to have a conscience at all. It could have been most anyone, really.”

“You’re probably right.”

“I’m always glad when any of the boatmen find the Lord, because then they give up their sinful lifestyle.”

“I know I’ve seen a big change in my helper, Ned. He’s not only given up his bad habits, but now he’s begun witnessing to some of the other boatmen.”

“That’s good. Maybe if one of them’s responsible for breaking into my store, they’ll repent and won’t do it again. And who knows…they might even make restitution.” Mike shrugged. “I figure it was either done by one of the boatmen or maybe some desperate kid.”

Elias thought about Carolyn’s missing bar of soap and the pocket watch he hadn’t been able to find, and wondered if Frank could be responsible. Might the boy have also stolen from Sarah’s garden and broken into Mike’s store? He did have an opportunity to do those things while Elias, Carolyn, and Ned were at the baptismal service that Sunday. He hated to think the boy would do such a thing, but knowing how poor Frank’s family was, there was a chance that he might be the one. Elias debated about whether he should confront Frank and decided to wait for the right time to mention that things had been taken and then see if the boy acted guilty or owned up to it.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Sarah said, giving Carolyn a hug.

“It’s good to see you, too. I’ve really missed our long talks.”

“Same here. How’s your hand feeling? Are the burns completely healed?”

Carolyn nodded. “I can’t believe how well the salve worked that Dr. McGrath gave me.”

“I’m glad. I know how miserable you were at first.”

“Oh look, here comes that handsome blacksmith,” Carolyn said, motioning to the kitchen window.

Sarah gulped. She hoped he wasn’t coming to ask if she’d considered his marriage proposal. She wasn’t ready to deal with that yet, and certainly not in front of Carolyn.

She hurried to the front door and opened it before Patrick had a chance to knock.

“Hello, Sarah. How are you?” he asked with a friendly grin.

“I’m fine. How are you?”

“Doin’ all right.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I need more bread…if you have some, that is.”

“Yes, I do. If you’ll wait right here, I’ll get it for you.” Sarah shut the door and hurried into the kitchen, leaving Patrick alone on the porch.

When she returned a few minutes later, she handed him the bread and said, “It’s fresh. I just baked it this morning.”

“I’m sure it’ll be real good.” Patrick moved a bit closer. “I…uh…was wondering if—”

“I’m sorry. I can’t visit with you right now because I have company inside.”

“Who is it?”

“Elias’s sister, Carolyn.”

Patrick crooked an eyebrow. “Is Elias in there, too?”

“No, just Carolyn.”

“That’s good.” Patrick’s face flamed. “I mean, it’s good you have some free time to visit with her.”

“I don’t get much free time for visiting, but traffic on the canal has been slower than usual today.”

“Guess you may as well get used to it, because it probably won’t be long and there won’t be any boats hauling coal on the canal. The trains seem to be taking over more of that business all the time.”

Sarah didn’t need the reminder. Hardly a day went by that she didn’t think about the future of the canal, which made her wonder how much longer she’d be able to support her children. If she could just save up enough money to open her own bakery, as Carolyn had suggested, all her problems would be solved.

“If you married me, you wouldn’t have to work so hard or worry about the future of the canal.” He leaned closer. “What do you say, Sarah? Have you given it some thought?”

“I have thought about it, but I don’t have an answer for you yet.”

“When do you think you will?”

“I…I don’t know. I’ll need to pray about it some more and discuss it with my kids, of course.”

“Oh.” Patrick’s brows furrowed. “Guess if it’s left up to them, you’ll say no ‘cause I don’t think any of ‘em likes me too well.”

“They need to get to know you better.” Sarah glanced toward the house, wishing Patrick would go so she could continue her visit with Carolyn.

As if by divine intervention, the door opened, and Carolyn stepped out. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Willis asked if he could take the dog out for a walk. Since Hortence is busy cleaning upstairs, I told him I’d have to ask you.”

“I have no objection,” Sarah said, “as long as he doesn’t go far and stays right on the towpath.”

“All right, I’ll tell him.” Carolyn smiled at Patrick. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that bread you’re holding. Sarah’s an excellent baker.”

“Yeah, I know.” Patrick stood for a moment, then mumbled, “Guess I’d better go.”

“Good-bye, Patrick.”

“See you at church on Sunday,” he called as he headed in the direction of town.

When Patrick was a safe distance away, Sarah turned to Carolyn and said, “He asked me to marry him awhile back and wondered if I had an answer for him yet.”

Carolyn’s eyes widened. “What’d you tell him?”

“I said I’d need to think about it, pray about it, and discuss it with my kids.”

“And have you?”

“I’ve thought about it, and prayed about it, but I haven’t mentioned it to any of the kids.”

“How come?”

“They don’t like Patrick so well…especially Sammy, so I’m worried about how they might respond.”

“Are you in love with Patrick?”

Sarah shook her head. “No, but I don’t dislike him either.”

“He seems to be a nice man, and he’s very good-looking.” Carolyn’s cheeks turned pink. “Of course, that’s just my opinion, although I don’t know him very well.”

Sarah sighed. “You’re right, Patrick’s good-looking and nice enough, but he’s not—”

The front door swung open, and a yapping Bristle Face raced out the door with Willis on his heels. “Come back here you bad dog!” he shouted.

Bristle Face picked up speed, barking and growling as he ran along the edge of the canal. Sarah figured if the dog wasn’t careful he might end up going for an unexpected swim.

In the next minute, Willis darted past Sarah, leaped for the dog, and landed with a splash in the canal!

“Help! Help! I can’t swim!”

E
lias had left the store and was almost to the lock tender’s house, when he heard a splash and someone hollering for help. That’s when he spotted Willis, kicking, screaming, and gasping for air.

With his heart pounding like a blacksmith’s anvil, Elias dropped his packages to the ground and raced down the towpath. “I’ll get him!” he shouted to Sarah, who looked like she was about to jump into the canal.

Elias pulled off his boots, leaped into the water, and swam over to Willis. In one quick movement, he pulled the boy to his side. Using his free arm to swim, he brought Willis safely to shore.

With arms outstretched, Sarah dropped to her knees, reached for Willis, and pulled him to her chest. “Oh, thank the Lord you’re all right!” Tears coursed down her cheeks, and then she and Willis both began to sob.

Instinctively, Elias squatted beside Sarah, wrapped his arms around her and Willis, and held them tightly. They sat like that for several minutes, until Elias felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw Carolyn smiling down at him.

“Thank God you came along when you did,” she murmured. “You saved the boy’s life.”

Sarah pulled slowly away and nodded, apparently unable to speak.

Willis reached out to Elias and gave him another hug. “If ya hadn’t jumped in the canal and grabbed holda me, I mighta died like my papa did.”

The floodgates opened, and Sarah started sobbing again. Elias, unsure of what more he could do to calm Sarah down, looked up at Carolyn, hoping she could help.

“It’s all right,” Carolyn said, patting Sarah’s shoulder. “Willis is safe now, and he seems to be fine.”

When Sarah’s sobbing finally subsided, Carolyn suggested they go inside. “Willis needs to get out of his wet clothes,” she said.

“You’re right.” Sarah stood and took hold of Willis’s hand. Then with a murmured, “Thank you, Elias,” she hurried with her son toward the house.

Carolyn touched Elias’s soggy shirtsleeve. “You’d better get back to the boat and change your wet clothes, too.”

He gave a nod. “Although they’d probably dry on their own if I stayed out here in the hot sun awhile longer.”

“I’ll go inside and check on Sarah,” Carolyn said. “Then I’ll meet you on the boat.”

Elias headed down the towpath to get the packages he’d dropped. He hoped Sarah would be okay. She’d looked so pale and shaken, and he wished there’d been more he could do. Well, at least he’d broken the ice with her, and he was glad she was speaking to him again.

After Sarah got Willis changed into some dry clothes, she went to her room and checked her appearance in the looking glass. She was shocked by the red blotches on her face, and the swollen look around her red-rimmed eyes made her appear as if she’d been crying for hours. She’d had a hard time getting control of her emotions and had continued to cry even while changing Willis’s clothes. What if Elias hadn’t come along when he did? She wasn’t a strong swimmer, and Willis might have drowned if she’d jumped in and tried to save him. She would have done it, though. She would do whatever she could in order to save any of her children.

She thought about how secure she’d felt when Elias had put his arms around her and Willis. Even though she hadn’t known Elias very long, she was strangely attracted to him.

Sarah gripped the edge of her dresser.
I can never give in to those feelings. I can never fall in love with a man who works on the canal
.

Thanks to the canal, she had lost her husband. She couldn’t let it take one of her children, too. She had to do something to get them away from the canal. Would marrying Patrick be the answer for her and the children?

Wo–o–o–o! Wo–o–o–o!
The sound of a conch shell drove Sarah’s thoughts aside. She’d have to think about their future later on. Right now, she had to get that stupid lock opened so another boat could come through.

Sarah dipped her hands into the washbasin she kept on her dresser, splashed some water on her face, and dried it with a towel. Then she hurried from the room and quickly made her way down the winding stairs.