Page 32 of Love’s Harvest (Lilace Lake #3)

Sarah pulled into the driveway and was pleased to see the lights on in the living room welcoming her. And when she opened the front door and three dogs greeted her, she couldn’t help but grin.

Lucy came out of the kitchen. “Oh, good. You’re home. I’m sorry but I have to leave right away. There’s an important meeting at The Woodlands, and I promised to attend. It’s been a pleasant day. Aaron is delightful, and the girls adore him.”

Lucy left, and Sarah made her way into the kitchen to find the table set and dinner ready to cook on top of the oven.

As she texted a thank you to Lucy, Aaron came into the room. “Lucy made one of her favorite casseroles for dinner. The girls are playing in their rooms. And I fed the dogs.”

“Wow. That’s so helpful,” Sarah said, kissing him. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have this kind of partnership. How are you doing?”

Aaron shrugged. “I’m frustrated by being so inactive, but I know Emmett is right about my needing rest. Whenever I try to do too much, I end up with a bad headache.”

The girls walked into the room dressed up in costumes. Her mother had given the girls a cardboard chest filled with old clothes and jewelry she’d bought for them to play with.

“Hi, Mommy!” said Emily, wearing a dress and a string of fake pearls. “I’m a teacher. Like Ms. Cherie.”

“And I’m a cowgirl,” said Mia. She wore a cowboy hat, a fringed skirt, and cowboy boots Sarah’s mother had picked out.

Sarah laughed and gave them each a hug. “We’ll be eating dinner in a little while. So, you’re free to play some more.”

“Come play with us, Aaron,” Mia said.

He shook his head. “I already did. It’s time for me to talk with your mother.”

“Okay,” said Emily. “Maybe you will read us a book at bedtime.”

Aaron ruffled her hair. “Okay.”

Sarah slid the casserole into the oven and turned to Aaron. “I’m going to have a glass of wine. Would you like one?”

“Yes. Emmett called to see how I’m doing. I asked him about having alcohol. He said a small amount was okay. He also suggested I stay here with you for at least a couple more days. He’s pushing that idea because I didn’t make a trip to a hospital, and he wants to be overly cautious.”

She poured wine into two glasses, handed him one, then sat at the kitchen table opposite him.

“How did your day go?” she asked.

“Lucy’s really nice and was there whenever I needed anything. She said she likes fussing over people. You’re lucky to have her babysit for the girls.”

“I think so too. How were the girls today?” Sarah asked. “A little too rambunctious for you?”

“They’re active girls,” Aaron said. “You’ve done a nice job with them.”

Sarah smiled at him. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

“Did you find everything you needed here at the house?” Sarah asked. At his nod, she continued. “By the way, I told the girls’ teachers you were staying here to recuperate. That’s all.”

He studied her with a puzzled expression. “I guess we don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about us. Right?” His tone had an edge to it.

“We may have tried to rush things earlier. I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything. And I certainly don’t want the girls to get hurt.”

Aaron looked away and studied the outdoors through the sliding glass door which led to the deck and beyond it to the woods and the river. When he turned back to her, his eyes held a sadness she hadn’t seen in a long time. “I thought we had something special, Sarah.”

“I did too, but then you mentioned we were just friends, and I realized that was true. We’re friends. Good friends. Valued friends.”

“I thought you wanted more than that,” Aaron said.

“I do, but I’ll wait until I know for sure that you do too before I announce it to anyone else.”

Aaron studied her but didn’t say anything.

Sarah had too much on her mind to worry about it.

Dani’s partnership needed to be settled, and she had to help her parents take off to Florida as they wanted.

All that was between them staying here and their departure was her father’s visit to the doctor.

She’d admit it to no one, but she was nervous about it.

What if her father wasn’t okay? Or what if the doctor gave the go-ahead and something awful happened to him in Florida?

Dinner was a reasonably quiet affair. The girls were tired from going back to preschool after a long break and conversation was merely polite between Aaron and her.

After dinner, Sarah got the girls in the bathtub and later, in their nightgowns they raced to Aaron’s room.

“Story time!” announced Mia.

“Will you read us this book? Please?” Emily said.

“Sure,” said Aaron.

Mia and Emily sat on either side of him and leaned in to look at the book about a bear roaming around a shopping mall at night. The sight touched Sarah’s heart.

When he was through reading the book, Mia said, “One more.”

Sarah waited to see what he would say.

“Not tonight. Maybe another time. I’m tired,” said Aaron.

“Remember Aaron needs his rest,” said Sarah, leading the girls to the bathroom before taking them to bed.

In their bedroom, the girls lay back on their pillows.

“ ‘Night, sweet girls. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”

“I love you more,” the girls recited together.

“I love you to the moon and back,” Sarah said, nuzzling each girls’ neck and kissing her cheek.

Sarah left the door open a crack as they liked, ready for adult time.

She knocked on Aaron’s door. “Want to relax before the fire for a while?”

He got up. “Sure. Maybe we can talk.”

They walked into the living room and moved a few dogs out of the way to sit on the couch in front of the fire.

Aaron put his arm around Sarah and let out a long sigh.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said about being friends, valuable friends.

I know what I want, and it’s more than that.

But I’m going to give you time to think about it.

Right now, you’re scared to get hurt because of something I said.

You need to trust me more than that. I know you’ve been hurt in the past, but as Emmett said, this is a different situation with a different outcome. You have to believe it.”

Sarah knew Aaron was right. She had to feel more secure in their relationship.

She didn’t realize what damage his one comment had done to her self-confidence or the feeling of being loved by Aaron.

Jesse had done more to destroy her than she’d thought.

Maybe it was time to go back to another counseling session.

Still, she allowed him to draw her into his arms. And when he kissed her, she felt the heat of it down to the tips of her toes. The chemistry between them was there. No problem.

“It’ll be all right,” Aaron whispered into her ear.

At his sweet gentleness, she let out a sigh. She wanted him. She wanted him to be part of her family. She wanted to be free of the past.

###

The next day, she kissed Aaron and left with the girls for another busy day at the store. She warned him that she would be home late, that she was attending a counseling session.

“No problem. Lucy and I or one of us will be here for the girls,” said Aaron.

“Thanks.” It still surprised and pleased her that he was so willing to help.

The girls said goodbye to her at their school and Sarah hurried along to the store. She and Dani had talked about implementing winter hours, and as she drove there, Sarah thought it was a smart idea. They could open at nine and close at five. Contractors could call for an emergency opening.

Sarah arrived at the empty store and opened it up, turning on lights, getting the cash register set, and making sure everything was ready to go.

While she waited for the day to begin, she fixed herself a cup of coffee.

Dani arrived. Instead of her usual cheerful greeting, she said nothing.

Seeing the way Dani’s eyes were red and swollen, Sarah said, “What’s wrong? Can I help?”

“I’m not pregnant. I’ll be better, but right now I just need not to talk about it,” said Dani.

Sarah gave her a hug and walked away. She understood how disappointed Dani was.

Her thoughts flew to Mia and Emily. They were so precious to her.

After their birth, she and Jesse hadn’t tried for other children, had, in fact, refrained from making love more often than not because he was not doing well. Nothing she did seemed to help.

The day was a slow one, for which Sarah was grateful. It gave her time to prepare figures and ideas for the meeting between Dani, her parents, and herself.

Because it was so slow, Dani left the store early, leaving the regular staffer to handle things. April was also trained to handle the cash register and was eager to take over whenever needed.

###

After she closed the store, Sarah went to see Dr. Ellen Fitzpatrick, who ran the grief sessions and was also Sarah’s counselor.

She was a lovely woman in her early fifties, with frosted brown hair, bright blue eyes that seemed to reach inside people and draw them out, and a kindness that wreathed her face with a glow.

More than that, Dr. Fitzpatrick was a realist. She understood what people were going through and was clear about healthy ways to deal with it.

Sarah had trusted her enough to decide to make the move to Lilac Lake, after her parents wanted her back in town.

This last bump in letting go of her past was the most important to Sarah, because she truly wanted to move forward with Aaron.

When she arrived at Dr. Fitzpatrick’s office, a client was leaving through another door.

Dr. Fitzpatrick appeared in the waiting room. “Good timing. Come on in, Sarah, and let’s talk.”

Once they were both seated in comfortable chairs facing one another, Dr. Fitzpatrick gave Sarah a steady look. “What brings you here today? You seemed stressed on the phone when you called for an appointment.”

“You know that Aaron and I have been seeing one another. I spent New Year’s Eve weekend with him.”

Dr. Fitzpatrick gave her an encouraging look.

“Aaron was involved in an accident. A heavy tree limb snapped in the winter storm and hit him on the head. When one of the EMTs referred to me as his wife, Aaron quickly informed them that I was just a friend.”

“And how did that make you feel?” Dr. Fitzpatrick asked.

“Betrayed,” said Sarah so swiftly that she surprised herself. “We’d just spent the weekend together which was very nice, very romantic. And it made me remember how Jesse would accept or reject me at times. Aaron says I have to learn to trust him, but he hasn’t even mentioned anything permanent.”

“Has he shown you that he’s serious?” asked Dr. Fitzpatrick.

“Yes. Many times.”

“Has he given you a reason not to trust him, other than his statement about being just friends?” asked Dr. Fitzpatrick.

“No,” Sarah admitted. “So many times I’ve envisioned our being a family—Aaron, the girls, and me. They love him.”

“And do you?” asked Dr. Fitzpatrick.

Sarah slumped in her chair. “Yes, I do. I just question whether it will last. But Aaron and I have been given a second chance, and I don’t want to lose that.”

“You have your answer, Sarah. As always, follow your instincts and your heart. You have good ones.”

Sarah gave her a thoughtful nod. “Thank you so much for listening to me. It always helps.”

“Good luck, Sarah. You’re a wonderful woman and an excellent mother.”

Dr. Fitzpatrick stood, and Sarah realized her time was up.

She left and drove home feeling much better about her relationship with Aaron.