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Chapter 25: Sarah
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The Journey Collection Chapter 26: Sarah
It was a beautiful day, although that was true of most days in Texas. But today the heat wasn't quite as sweltering, and a nice breeze flowed. That light wind carried the smell of Mason Belle with it, and one thing I'd learned to appreciate after months of captivity was the thing that reminded me of home. Hay had a distinct aroma just like freshly cut grass, and the cattle were unique as well, but it was homecooked food that lingered on a breeze and the honeysuckle that made my heart sing. Because those were the smells of my childhood. The only thing that made them any better was experiencing them at night when I could see the lightning bugs in the fields. The sun had already started to dip in the sky, and the temperatures had dropped to bearable, in fact, it was a bit cool. I'd grabbed a jacket on the way out to Charlie's truck, although I doubted I'd need it. I was just so excited to be moving more on my own that I found myself wandering for no particular reason at all, whic
The Journey Collection Chapter 27: Sarah
He shifted to see my face-cradling me-and chuckled when he realized I'd been staring at him. "You hungry, sunshine?" "Not overly." That wasn't exactly true. I wasn't ready for food, but I wished Charlie would feast on me. I pulled him down by the back of his neck to bring his lips to mine. It took so little to coax Charlie into affection, and I loved that I never had to ask or tell him what I wanted. One kiss was all it took, and he picked up from there. Today was no different. As gentle as the breeze around us and as peaceful as the water, Charlie's touch warmed me like the sun. With his mouth on mine and his hands in my hair, the world around us faded. I didn't worry about getting caught when we removed our clothes, and I didn't consider anything outside of us when he made love to me under that tree. He devoured my cries of pleasure and filled my ears with groans of his own. And when he'd taken me to the highest place possible, we fell over the cliff of ecsta
The Journey Collection Chapter 28: Sarah
It took a couple of weeks for the reality of the engagement to set in. I'd felt like a celebrity around town with all the congratulations and people asking to see my ring. I couldn't go to the gas station without a girl I went to high school with asking how I'd roped Charlie. I took it all in stride until Chasity-Randi's best friend-reminded me that my little sister wouldn't be around to be my maid of honor, and I didn't have Mama around to help me plan. That wasn't really how any of that conversation had taken place because Chasity wasn't a mean girl; nevertheless, that was the end result. Truth be told, Chasity was heartbroken her best friend had up and left without so much as a goodbye, and I think she'd hoped I might know how to reach her. The only problem was, I didn't. Daddy said he didn't know where she'd gone-which I found odd, but when I tried to dig, he got angry-and I didn't know where to look. I'd become obsessed with finding my little sister. Come hell or high wate
The Journey Collection Chapter 29: Charlie
"Sarah, you need to go to the doctor. This isn't normal." She'd been sick since she'd gotten in touch with her sister. For any other woman, depression might not be an issue that caused that great a concern after only a couple days, but with Sarah, it was always something that kept me on high alert. And when the vomiting starting without a fever or any other symptom, I insisted she see a physician. Her body had started to lock up on her, and she had a hard time walking. She was stiff and uncomfortable, and I hated seeing her unable to move. "You're overreacting, Charlie. I'm fine." She rolled her neck to face me. "Don't you have work to do at your parent's house?" I did. More than I'd ever catch up on, but Sarah was and always would be my priority. Twin Creeks could wait, and there were other men there to help. They'd been making do without me since Sarah's accident; another day wouldn't hurt. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you, sunshine." I jerked my head toward the porch. "Come
The Journey Collection Chapter 30: Charlie
I'd brought Sarah back to my house instead of taking her back to Cross Acres. This was something we needed to discuss privately, and I didn't want to risk anyone else weighing in or overhearing. This was one of those things we may take to our graves, and I didn't want to put Sarah in a position to have to defend her decision. I thanked God we hadn't gone to the doctor in Mason Belle where we'd have to face anyone we knew. She'd collapsed onto the couch once we'd walked in the door but hadn't spoken since, and I hadn't pushed her. "I can't do it." We'd been home for over an hour, and I think all either of us had thought about since we'd walked in the door was the decision in front of us and what the doctor had said. Her bright-blue eyes were rimmed red and puffy from crying, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her and comfort her, but she'd kept her distance. "There's no way I can terminate a pregnancy, Charlie." Her chest lurched as she swallowed a hiccup.
The Journey Collection Chapter 31: Charlie
Less than a week later, we were on our way to Laredo to have the procedure done. Thank God none of this had taken place in Mason Belle; everyone in town would know every detail of what we were going through. As it was, it had been hard to keep Jack from sniffing around, and I hated lying to him about where we were going and why. But my loyalty was to Sarah, not her dad. The ride there had been quiet, and when we finally arrived, we sat in the parking lot for a long time. We were early, and I knew Sarah wouldn't want to be inside any longer than she had to, so I put the truck in park and left the air running. I hadn't really known what we were getting into and worried that we'd face protestors, but this appeared to be just like any other doctor's office. "You okay?" It was a stupid question that I already knew the answer to. She stared at the entrance of the office and flattened her lips in disapproval. "Just thinking." Her chest heaved, and she took several
The Journey Collection Chapter 32: Charlie
The last two weeks had been tense anytime Sarah and I had been together. We couldn't have a conversation without the baby situation coming up, which made being around anyone else rather difficult. Neither of our parents knew, and I hadn't even told Austin. I'd read more about spinal injuries and pregnancy than I ever cared to, and I was convinced, now more than ever that we needed to wait until Sarah was stronger. But at this point, we'd missed the appointment for the termination, and now Sarah had her heart set on an OBGYN in Laredo who claimed to work miracles. The last time I checked, Jesus was the only man who'd walked on water, but the one time I'd made that statement it had erupted in an argument I never cared to repeat. So, we'd left Mason Belle early this morning to get to Laredo on time. There was a wall between us that I couldn't figure out how to tear down, and I hated it. I missed my fiancé. Being around her these days just wasn't the same. Sarah had alway
The Journey Collection Chapter 33: Sarah
There wasn't a lot of time to plan a wedding if I wanted to have one before I started to show. Thankfully, just like with everything else in Mason Belle, when a need arose, the town pulled together to make it happen. This was no different. Without Mama here to plan, several of the ladies stepped up, and Charlie's mom stepped in. There was nothing like a wedding to make me love or hate my future mother-in-law. Thankfully, Jessica and I clicked, and she filled in all the gaps that my mother had left. I'd never dreamed of anything over-the-top, but I still wanted elegant-simple. I'd grown up in a small town, and we just did things a certain way here. Charlie and I had debated between Cross Acres and the tree where the rivers came together at Twin Creeks. Ultimately, we decided on the spot at the Burins'. There was just something so fitting about having our wedding where two vessels met and became one, and I loved that tree. The unfortunate part of living in a smaller than
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