Prelude: Prequel to The Lewis Legacy Series (19 page)

Sam figured he might as well pull up a chair and watch the unfolding drama. To his surprise, Kathy appeared to be backing down in the face of Debbie’s anger. He moved his gaze from one woman to the other.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kathy spouted.

“Oh, yes I do. Know what gave you away, Miss Parker?”

“Like I said, you don’t know what—”

“Travel back with me a few years,” Debbie said. “Let me paint you a little picture. Maybe it’ll jog your convenient memory loss.”

Sam raised a brow, curious as to where Debbie was leading with that statement. This whole scenario was starting to get a little fun in a weird way.

“I was in the ladies room right after that assembly honoring my friend. I was in a stall and overheard two girls talking.” Debbie shot him an apologetic glance. “Sorry Sam.”

He held up one hand. “Trust me, not a problem.”

“They were hatching a plan to smear Sarah’s reputation. One of those two girls said she’d get Sarah back for stealing
her
award. Then she called Sarah an impertinent little twit. Snit. Whatever.” Debbie took another step closer to Kathy, her sensible work shoes toe-to-toe with the other woman’s fancy high heels. “Now, you tell me, what kind of eighth grade girl uses words like that? No one else I knew, that’s for sure.”

In a huff, Kathy stomped out of his office without another word.

Debbie shrugged. “Now that I’ve called her bluff, hopefully she’ll leave our girl alone.”

Sam wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug. “Thanks, Deb. Who needs Atticus when I’ve got you? You’re my hero.”

Chapter 22
♥

Thursday Afternoon

Sarah glanced at the front door of Perry’s Diner as the bell sounded. “I don’t believe it. Fletcher Monroe.” With Sam beside him.

“No one’s seen him in a few weeks. He’s been holed up in that little house of his, playing the hermit.” Debbie took another drink of her chocolate shake. “What makes you think of him now?”

Sarah nodded to the front door. “Take a look.”

Twisting on the counter seat, Debbie spied the two men and then spun back around, her face beaming. “I should have known!” She slapped one hand on the counter. “Good for Fletch! Seeing how Sam’s with him, he must have made it his mission to get him into town again.”

Arnie chuckled. “Sweetums, I think Sarah’s talking about the fact that Fletch is walking on his own speed. Hallelujah to that!” He lifted his glass of soda in a salute.

Debbie swiveled around again. “Wow. You’re right,” she said a few seconds later, her eyes wide. “He’s got himself a prosthetic leg now. Half a leg. Whatever. Isn’t that something else?” She giggled. “Sally Barksdale around? She’ll want to see this.”

Sam caught her eye across the diner as he and Fletcher made their way to Sam’s table. Sarah’s heart swelled when she noted how Sam walked beside the other man. He wasn’t touching Fletcher, or supporting him in any way, other than with his presence. But if Fletch needed him, Sam would be there. Although his efforts were slow, Fletch was walking on his own speed.

First Merle in church, and now Fletch walking without crutches?
Thank you, Jesus.

Arnie pushed his empty plate across the counter when Sarah asked if he was finished with his meal. “Tell Jimmy he outdid himself. Best burger yet. That barbecue sauce and onion ring on top made it extra special.”

“I’ll tell him. He’ll be glad to hear it.”

Approaching Sam and Fletcher a couple of minutes later, Sarah gave them both a bright smile. “Hi, Fletch. We’ve missed you around here. Good to see you. Would you like your usual?”

Fletcher gave her his lopsided smile and pushed a shock of hair away from his eyes. Although it was still long, he’d shaved his beard and appeared rested and more at peace with himself than she’d seen him. “You remember my usual?”

“It’s been less than a year since you were here. Not a lifetime.”

Fletcher’s brown eyes clouded and he dipped his head.

Would she never learn? “I’m sorry.” Sarah glanced at Sam, silently imploring him to help.

“I think we need to mark this occasion with one of Jimmy’s specialty burgers.” Sam handed the other man a menu and opened his on the table. “What’s your pleasure?”

“Jimmy has a fabulous new dressing with bleu cheese crumbles in it,” Sarah said. “I remember how you like bleu cheese.” She found bleu cheese an acquired taste, albeit bitter, but she was grasping for whatever might work to make Fletcher more comfortable. “While you’re looking over the menu, I’ll bring you a root beer with a slice of lime.”

“Go ahead and bring me the bleu cheese burger. It sounds like a winner.” Fletcher’s smile encouraged her. “You’re a real good waitress, Sarah. You care about your customers. Like I told you last time you were out at the house, you’re gonna make a great nurse, too.”

Releasing the breath she’d been holding, Sarah’s apprehensions dissipated. She caught Sam’s expression of surprise but ignored it for the moment. “Thanks. As long as I think before I speak, I should be fine.”

“Same burger for me,” Sam said, returning their menus to the slotted rack on the table. “With iced tea. Thanks.”

“With lemon. You’ve got it.” After asking if they both wanted fries, Sarah jotted down their order. “Coming right up, guys.”

“So, Sam managed to drag Fletcher out of his cave,” Jimmy said as soon as the kitchen door closed behind her. “Good for him. I wondered what it would take to get that man out again.” Oblivious to their conversation, Myrna worked on putting together lunch platters at the large prep table in the middle of the kitchen.

“Fletch has a prosthetic leg now.” Sarah handed him the order.

Jimmy raised a brow but didn’t stop his work as he dropped two large beef patties on the grill. “Even better.” The burgers sizzled and Jimmy turned his attention to the chicken and burgers in various stages of readiness.

“You see so much even though you rarely venture out of this kitchen, my friend. How do you manage that?”

Jimmy’s kind smile crinkled his eyes. How she loved this man’s smile. “Sometimes you don’t need eyes to see, Jelly Bean.”

She laughed. “I’m convinced you’ve also been blessed with supersonic hearing.”

“For one thing,” he said, not missing a beat as he flipped burgers and reached for the hamburger buns, “I can pretty much guarantee Captain Lewis is sitting out there wondering how he can stop you from going to Austin.”

Her smile faded, and Sarah’s pulse picked up speed. “What?”

“As sure as you’re staring at me right now, your eyes bugging out of that pretty face of yours, that boy’s fallen hard. Yep”—sliding the spatula beneath a hamburger patty, Jimmy transferred it to a bun—“he’s in love with my Jelly Bean.” Jimmy shot her a quick glance. “I’d bet my life on it.”

“Well, don’t do that. You’re too important to me, and I don’t want to lose you.” She moved one hand down to her hip, determined not to ask him the next logical question. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Sarah pushed through the door and entered the dining area again to get the drinks for Sam and Fletch.

Sure enough, Sam’s gaze met hers. What she saw in the depths of those blue eyes thrilled her. Scared her. Intrigued her. As usual, her favorite burger flipper might be right. He usually was.

Oh, Lord. What do I do now?

♥

That Evening

The water was warm but still cool enough to be invigorating. After swimming across the width of the creek several times, Sarah finally stopped. Panting, she stood in the shallow water and smoothed back her wet hair. In years past, whenever something weighed on her mind—good or bad—she’d slam softballs and run around a field. Now, the physical release to be found in swimming was the best way to stay focused on something other than her personal life.

Is that what Sam was, an issue? A problem of some kind?

Raising her face to the early evening sun, drinking in the rays filtering between the overhanging branches of the trees, Sarah released a deep sigh. She plopped back in the water, making a small splash, and then she floated on her back.

“Come here often?”

She screamed and jumped upright in the water. “You scared the living daylights out of me, you bad, bad man!” Seeing the amusement on Sam’s face, she began her attack, splashing him as hard and fast as she could. She laughed the entire time, felt his smile everywhere. While she wished Jimmy hadn’t planted the idea in her mind that Sam might be falling in love with her, she was secretly thrilled.

I’m wearing my swimsuit.
Oh, no. This could not be good. Ducking beneath the water line, Sarah glanced longingly at her towel on the creek bank. How could she distract Sam long enough to swim back, grab the towel and then wrap herself like a mummy?

Surprisingly, Sam didn’t splash her back. In times past, he’d always retaliated. This time, he stood, arms crossed over his chest—that broad, muscular chest—and smiled, which only made the situation worse. And wonderful, all at the same time.

“You believe in making a big entrance, don’t you? Show off!” Not knowing what to do, she splashed him again. “Shouldn’t you be courting Sylvie tonight? Sipping iced tea with lemon on her front porch?”

Sam smirked. “I’d much rather be here with you, thanks. How often have you been out to Fletcher’s house?”

Her eyes widened. “I have no idea. A few times. I don’t keep count.” When he cocked his head and raised a brow, she shrugged. “I go out there about once a week on average, sometimes more. I didn’t want him become a hermit. Seems you had the same idea. He’s a great guy, but he lost a lot of confidence along with. . .” She took in a quick breath. “Along with his leg.” She tilted her head as understanding dawned. “That’s what you were trying to tell me, wasn’t it?”

“Now you’ve lost me.” Sam dropped down into the water, mirroring her, so that only his head and shoulders were visible above the water line.

“When you were telling me about Ménière’s Disease.”

“I’m impressed you remember the name. I can barely remember it myself.”

They faced one another, both lightly treading water. “I looked it up in a medical dictionary at the library.”

“Even more impressive. Learn anything interesting?”

“A few things, yes,” she said. “Whether it’s the loss of a limb or one of your senses, it’s still a part of you. In your case, in terms of flying jets, I can better understand how the temporary—and potential long-term loss—has affected you.”

Sam studied her for a long moment. When he waded closer, her pulse pounded into overdrive. “You read up on it, you say?”

Sarah nodded slowly. “Yes. I wanted to understand it a bit more.” She dropped her gaze from the intensity of his gorgeous eyes. “I wanted to be able to help you, if I could.”

He surprised her when he chuckled. “That explains some things.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Sarah Jordan, have you—or have you not—purposely removed the salt shaker from my table at Perry’s?”

Sarah stared past Sam’s shoulder, not daring to meet his eyes. She’d been found out.

“And that awful coffee you’ve been giving me isn’t really coffee, is it?”

She grinned. “It’s Sanka, actually. Decaffeinated coffee.”

Laughing, he gave a thumbs-down gesture. “Surely there’s a better way. I think I’ll abstain.” He waded even closer. “Want to know what I find really heartwarming?”

His nearness was making her dizzy. After dipping her hands in the water, she smoothed her palms over her wet hair. “What’s that?”

“You cared enough about me to look it up.”

Sarah held his gaze. “That’s what friends do. Tell me something.”

“Sure, but let’s float for a bit. What do you say, friend?” Sam dove backward, splashing her, and then floated on his back a few feet away. “What’s your question?”

“Have you been up in your vintage plane since you’ve returned home?” She paddled a bit so that she was abreast of him.

He didn’t answer right away. “No, as a matter of fact.”

“Why not?”

Pulling ahead of her, he still floated on his back. “You ask the tough questions, you know that?” When she smirked, also flat on her back beside him, Sam laughed. “Don’t tell me. That’s also what friends do for one another. Right?”

“You’ve got it,” she said. “And it’s a friend’s inherent responsibility to answer the question.”

“What happened to my prerogative? That’s not exclusively reserved for women, is it?”

“No, but you’re treading some very chauvinistic waters with that statement. Really, Sam.” Sarah rose up in the water, not caring anymore that he saw her in her swimsuit. They were friends, and for better or worse, this was the way she looked. Might as well get it over now since the opportunity had presented itself. She was well aware he glanced at her before turning his gaze to the opposite side of the creek. Hopefully, Sam wasn’t in some way embarrassed, or heaven forbid—repulsed—by seeing her figure. She felt her cheeks flood with warmth.

“If you’d ever like to take your plane up in the air again, and wouldn’t mind a passenger, I’d love to go.” When her voice wavered, Sarah despised how her nerves betrayed her. “I’ve never been in an airplane, you know.”

“That surprises me, especially with your interest in NASA.” Sam returned his gaze to her, prompting her to dip back beneath the creek’s water line.

“Think about it,” she said. “I’ve been working every shift I can at Perry’s in order to save enough money to go to nursing school. It’s not like I’ve had the money to fly anywhere. Besides, where would I go?” She frowned. “Sometimes I really hate money.”

“I know people who have a lot of it, and they aren’t so fond of it either. It can be a double-edged sword.”

Sarah nodded. “I wouldn’t mind trying it from their perspective for a couple of days, but I’m sure being wealthy has its own unique set of problems. Not to sound ungrateful. I realize how blessed I am.” Working with financial matters was this man’s livelihood and ambition, but she couldn’t imagine wanting to be around money as a full-time career. Not that it wasn’t an important position, and she respected Sam’s strong work ethic.

“You haven’t been far outside of Rockbridge, and it’s understandable you’d feel that way. Take a look at this beautiful creek, for instance.” Turning in a slow circle, Sam waved his hand at their surroundings. “The trees, the fish, the rocks, the mossy bank. God’s richest blessings are right here. In Rockbridge, Texas. This town is nothing more than a tiny speck on the map of the world. But whether in Rockbridge, Houston, New York, Rome or anywhere else, God’s people are the same. They’re precious to Him.”

Sarah considered his words. “Yes,” she said. “Even with all our many frailties.”

“That’s one of the greatest things about God, I think. He accepts and loves us, especially when others don’t. No matter what color we are, or how good or bad we are, if we trust Him with our lives, He won’t let us go. Ever.” Sam’s smile seared through her. “I guess my point is that He knows your heart, Sarah. The Lord will honor your desires, and at this point, only He knows where you’ll go, what you’ll do, who you’ll meet. But He’s got it all under His control. I hope you take comfort in that knowledge.”