Surrender to Fate (Fate's Path Part One: A New Adult Romance Series) (5 page)

The ride home was slow and bumpy. Sarah and Will rode in the bed of the truck under a blanket with Tommy and Matty on either side of them while the four adults crammed into the cab. Sarah welcomed the darkness. She and Will could once again hold hands undetected. Matty had gone to sleep right away, his head jostling from the ruts in the road and their father’s futile swerving attempts to avoid them. Tommy held out as long as he could, but pretty soon he too found that the flour sacks stacked in the corner of the truck bed were too comfortable to resist and the chatter ended. Sarah enjoyed the feeling of still being somewhat alone with Will, and looked up to the stars that the perfectly clear night had provided.

“Well, this was quite a night, Sarah Ellis. Wouldn’t you agree?” Will smiled and turned his head to face her.

Sarah quietly scoffed, “Yes, yes it was. I think that is a fact that we can both agree on.”

“I hope you still aren’t upset about Margaret. I mean, I’m sure you are, but I hope you don’t let it ruin the memory of your eighteenth birthday.”

William knew her all too well. Of course she was still upset. But with the hopeful tone in his voice, she assured him, “No, Will. It’s not ruined. I’m not sure anything could ruin my memories of spending time with you.” She smiled as he squeezed her hand and she let her head fall and rest on his shoulder the rest of the way home.

The old farm truck rattled up the Harstons’ driveway and stopped at the front porch. Sarah looked at Will, knowing that this night, and every emotion that went with it, was about to come to an end. Hastily, William whispered in Sarah’s ear, “Happy Birthday, Sar. Me Ware Wo.” He kissed her lips just as the truck doors creaked open and Edward and Henry stepped out of the cab.

Catherine and Anne gave each other a quick hug before Catherine slid across the seat and climbed out of the truck as Henry helped her down. He put his arm around her waist. “Goodnight, Anne. See you tomorrow. This was fun.” Catherine waved as she and Henry started walking to the back of the truck.

“Yes, it was. Goodnight, Catherine,” Anne hollered back. Sarah knew her mother loved Catherine like a sister. It didn’t seem to matter what the two did, they were always happy to be doing it together.

William nudged Tommy until he mumbled something indiscernible and reluctantly sat up and blinked in confusion. “Are we home?”

“Yep, let’s go, Tommy. C’mon, you can go straight in and get to bed,” his father encouraged as Tommy tried to fall back asleep.

William shook Tommy’s shoulders again until he realized that this would be a battle he wasn’t going to win. “Okay,” he grumbled to his brother, “I’m going!” Tommy could be quite the grouch, and even more so when he was tired, but he managed to hop from the bed of the truck and trudge up the walk.

Henry walked over to Edward, and shook Edward’s hand. “Goodnight, Edward. Thanks for driving us all. We’ll be seeing you tomorrow, I’m sure.”

“Sounds good, Henry. No problem at all.”

Sarah smiled at the obvious brotherhood the two men shared. They had a bond that was undeniable. In fact, Henry swore he owed Edward more than he could ever repay when Edward helped deliver Thomas. Catherine’s pregnancy had been hard from the very beginning. And when she began laboring, it was clear that after more than twelve hours, the baby was not going to come easily. Edward was no doctor, but with the grace of God, and his years of experience helping his livestock during calving season, he had enough of an idea of how to deliver the baby and keep Catherine from bleeding to death. To this day, Henry believes that he saved the life of his wife and his newborn son. He swore to Edward that he would forever be in his debt.

William jumped over the side of the truck, landed surely on both feet, and looked one more time at Sarah. “Goodnight, everyone,” he called out, as he walked up the path with the rest of his family. Sarah watched him go, and the all too familiar feeling rushed back to her of hating to tell him goodbye.

“You two doin’ all right back here?” Edward asked Sarah as he leaned into the truck bed to cover them back up. He smiled as he realized that Matty had slept through the whole drop-off. “We’ll be home in just a few minutes.”

“Yes, Daddy. We’re good.” Sarah smiled back at him. No matter how old she was, she still felt like Daddy’s little girl, a feeling that she hoped would never go away.

Just as Edward said, they were home within a few minutes and it was time to wake Matty. “Matty...Matty. We’re home,” Sarah gently coaxed.

“What? Huh?” Matty was just as hard to wake as Tommy, but Sarah loved that he was definitely less irritable about it.

“C’mon, Matty. I’ll help you.” Sarah helped him navigate to the end of the truck where Edward was there to help them both hop down. Anne shook out the blanket before she began to fold it.

They all trudged up the walk, got cleaned up and ready for bed, and were asleep shortly after their heads landed on their pillow. All, but Sarah. She lay in the dark staring at the ceiling, listening to Matty’s rhythmic breathing. She replayed the events of the night in her mind. The butterflies still fluttered when she recalled sitting at the soda fountain with Will, and her blood still boiled when she evoked the memory of Margaret
trying
to ruin her night with Will. She would not soon forget this night. She promised herself that she would never let Margaret spoil another moment of her happiness, ever.

Sarah awoke the next morning to sunlight flooding her and Matty’s little room. She reached up and stretched her arms and closed her eyes again. Maybe she could fall back asleep if she hurried. But as soon as she closed her eyes, last night came rushing back. She refused to dwell another moment on the Margaret episode because she was sure that was what Margaret would hope for. Instead, she remembered Will’s last words to her: “Me Ware Wo.” How he could so easily make her smile and laugh. And that’s what he wanted to do, for her. Will wanted to make
her
happy, no one else, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. She knew that her heart belonged to Will. Someday, everyone would know it. If Margaret thought that she could sway Will’s attention to her without a fight, she would be in for a harsh reality. Sarah would make sure of that.

Thankfully, she had something else to occupy her mind. The annual community picnic was only a couple of days away, and this year’s was most definitely going to be the best yet. This time, maybe she and Will could catch an opportune time to sneak away. Although she saw him often, it was always in the company of the boys, or their parents, and they rarely got to spend a few precious moments alone. But at the picnic, the adults would be so consumed with catching up with all of the neighbors that all the kids knew that unless they burned down a barn, they could pretty much do whatever they wanted.

This was also the rare occasion when all of the kids actually looked forward to going to the school. Cow Creek Schoolhouse provided the perfect venue for the picnic. The desks were all cleared to the sides of the one-room schoolhouse to supply a dance floor and the schoolyard was open and flat with plenty of space for tables, benches, and general milling about. Preparation for the picnic started days before. The women created their various side dishes and desserts for the potluck and the men used the opportunity to spruce up the school house. The bright red paint and the white trim were touched up, windows were cleaned, and before long the schoolhouse was shining like a new penny.

Anne was known for her baked beans and it was a given that she would bring them every year. In fact, Sarah often mused about the scuttlebutt that would undoubtedly ensue if someone else had the audacity to bring the beans instead of Anne. A picnic without Anne’s baked beans would be a sad day, as everyone had come to expect the distinctive recipe that no one could duplicate. With one hand on her hip and the other slowly stirring the concoction of brown sugar, bacon, beans, and other secret ingredients, she gazed into the pot, seemingly hypnotized by the swirling motion.

“What? Oh! What did you say?” Anne’s trance had been broken and she spun around to face Sarah. Her brow furrowed, “Did you say something?”

Sarah looked at her mom with her eyebrows lifted. “Are you okay, Mama? I said your name three times.”

“Uh, yes. Oh, yes. I was just, just making sure I had put everything in the beans. What did you need?”

“Never mind. It’s not important.” She hated to lie to her mother, but part of her—most of her—didn’t want to know the truth. Part of her wished she was a little girl again and could be oblivious to the harsh realities that the Ellis family was dealing with. But she wasn’t a little girl, and she knew that just ignoring her parents’ problems would not make them go away. She felt helpless. She knew her parents too well, and she knew they wouldn’t dream of burdening their children with their financial troubles. Her parents very well may be losing control of their financial stability, but as long as they had a choice, they would never lose control of sheltering their children.

The day of the picnic arrived and it couldn’t have been more perfectly suited for a day of leisure: the sky in various shades of lapis, and the slightest breeze that hinted to those who were paying attention, the arrival of fall. Sarah couldn’t be bothered with the sky, the breeze, or anything else that wasn’t named William Harston. She felt an even deeper connection that no matter what may come, they would be able to weather the storm just fine as long as they were doing it together.

But Sarah knew that her mother expected and needed her help along with the other women to get the picnic under way. They covered long tables in brightly colored tablecloths. The tables were dotted with equally colorful bowls and plates filled with all sorts of family recipes. The food would be delicious, of that there was no doubt. And this was one of the rare occasions when there would be enough food for everyone to have seconds, and then some.

After the tables were set and food uncovered, Sarah’s eyes seemed to have an appetite of their own as she marveled at the spread. Country-fried catfish, liver and onions, gooseberry pie, applesauce doughnuts, and, what was once her personal favorite, watermelon pickles. But, ever since the unfortunate incident with the watermelon, and the upsetting memory, the mere thought of eating watermelon brought on such a wave of nausea that, for a moment, she actually thought she would be sick. She wondered how many years would have to pass before she could look at a watermelon without the memory stinging. She wasn’t one to not forgive. She forgave her father for how he acted to Matty. But forgetting was the sticking point. Once something leaves a profound mark on the heart, the mark is always there. She was certain that while the mark may fade with time, the scar would remain. She quickly turned away to force her mind to something else, but when she did, she immediately laid her eyes upon an even more revolting notion than the painful memory of the watermelon. Walking toward her were the Thorntons. No coincidence at all, they arrived well after all of the preparatory work was done. All three of them could’ve stayed home and it would’ve suited Sarah right down to a tee. But no, here they came with their noses so high that Sarah envisioned them all drowning if it decided to rain on the picnic. She hated to have such thoughts, but after the night at the soda fountain, Margaret drowning would certainly do the world a service. Refusing to descend to the level of wickedness that Margaret so expertly flaunted, Sarah righted her mind, and stood fast on the high road.

She held her footing and forced herself to make eye contact with Margaret. Margaret narrowed in on Sarah, and of course, a wide smile crossed her face. Sarah would not, absolutely would not, give Margaret the satisfaction of looking away, so she returned the same narrowed look, minus the smile.

Margaret stomped straight to Sarah. “Oh, Sarah,” in a syrupy sweet pitch, “I was so looking forward to seeing you here.”

“Really,” Sarah said. “And why is that, pray tell?” Sarah refused to break her stoic expression. In fact, she didn’t even blink.

“Well, I just wanted to ask you, did you have a nice birthday?”

Oh, that voice. Oh, that smile. “Yes, actually it was the best birthday I’ve ever had. Thanks for asking. In fact, my favorite part was the soda fountain...with Will.” Sarah relished in the victory of pointing out that fact. Margaret may have been able to fool Will, but not Sarah. She detected she struck a nerve when Margaret’s smug expression fell slightly. She had what Margaret wanted. Will was the prize, and Margaret wasn’t even in the game. Sarah would be sure to bring that to her attention every chance she got. And as if a perfectly timed plan of attack had come to fruition, Sarah heard the voice of her ally.

“Hey, Sarah.” Both girls turned to see William walking toward them, smiling directly at Sarah. Her heart soared. But what really gave it wings was that Margaret might as well have been a fly on a cow pie. Will never even looked at her.

As more and more townspeople arrived, the children took advantage by slowly and inconspicuously exiting the watchful eyes of their parents. William and Sarah wandered closer and closer to the edge of the schoolyard, and as soon as they rounded the corner out of sight from the masses, Will grabbed her hand and they ran into the field nearby. And just like that, they were the only two people that mattered.

They walked hand in hand to the top of the knoll overlooking the school and the festivities that carried on just fine without them. Sarah marveled at how the simplest and most mundane activities were the most exquisite when she was with Will. She could have stayed on that knoll forever as they sat together, watching the sun dip behind the mountains.

Will seemed to read her mind, as he had done a hundred times before. “I’m not sure I could ever give you the finer things in life, Sarah. But would you…I mean, could you…be happy if we were able to do this every night?”

Sarah wondered if she would ever grow tired of the flip-flop her stomach did when he would say such things. “Will, surely you must know that I would. There is not one
thing
on this Earth that I would choose to have, if it meant that I didn’t have you. In fact, I’ll tell you right now. I
only
want one thing. And that is to watch each sunset, with you.”

William looked down into his lap, smiled, and sighed. “Sarah, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

Sarah turned to face him. His tone didn’t indicate that anything was wrong, but his sudden serious demeanor made her nervous. “What is it?”

Will wrapped his hand gently behind Sarah’s neck and pulled her in to his kiss. He pulled away slowly, and looked into her eyes. “Sarah, I love…”

“Oooohhhh, isn’t this sweet? I am terribly sorry to interrupt.” the Devil’s apprentice announced.

Margaret sneaking up the back side of the knoll had gone unnoticed, and Sarah was infuriated at the thought of Margaret eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Margaret! Where did you come from?” William stuttered.

Sarah instantly seethed with rage, and this time, Margaret was going to know it. Sarah stood and calmly brushed the leaves from her dress. Without wavering, her voice surprisingly forceful, she stepped to Margaret. “Margaret Thornton, you are a pathetic louse. In fact, I almost pity you. It must be so difficult for you to accept that not one single person can stand to be in your putrid presence. How insignificant you must feel that you have to come
looking
for someone to listen to the vile venom that is every word you say.” Sarah paused and smirked as Margaret stared at her in shock. “I refuse to waste one more minute of this beautiful evening being disgusted. Which I why I can no longer stand to even look at you.” The fire from Sarah’s resolve to stand up for herself raged in her eyes. William stared, clearly in shock, at Sarah’s out-of-character outburst. She turned and looked for the safety net that she knew she would find in Will’s eyes. “Will, I’d like to go back to the picnic now. Shall we?”

Sarah and William descended the knoll, leaving Margaret to absorb the tongue lashing that no one had ever dared to give her before. It was obvious by Margaret’s stunned silence that it wasn’t settling well at all.