Sarah watched intently as Jen talked. She couldn't believe this was happening but felt an intense joy about it none the less. "Jen, you're welcome. You don't have to 'repay me' for this. I've prayed for years for God to send the right man into my life. I thought for a time that Jake might be the one, but that was my plan, not God's. I have to wait for God to move. I can't make that happen. Setting things right between you and Jake is something I had to do. We all would be miserable if I did anything less."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just feel that I need to make up to you for how I treated you. That was inexcusable. You'd deserved it if you were really making a play for Jake, of course, but under the circumstances I was way out of line." That was the classic Jen humor again. "You helped me out. I need to do something for you. You know how guys have a 'wingman' when they're trying to pick up chicks? You were my wingman with Jake. Maybe I can be your wingman someday." Jen caught herself. "Oh, I don't mean to meddle in your personal life, Sarah."
Sarah looked at Jen thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, Jen. As a matter of fact..."
Jen interjected, "Ah, don't tell me. You've already met a guy."
Sarah just smiled.
Jen bounced up and down on the picnic bench with glee. "You did. You met a guy. Dish it sister."
Sarah had to stifle a laugh. It amazed her how the two of them could go from "enemies" to "sisters" in such a short time. It actually felt good. Jennifer Lawson intimidated her so much that she felt resentment, even anger at times. Sarah even felt envious of Jen's beauty and personality. All of those negative feelings seemed to melt away as the two "sisters" reconciled at the lunch table.
"Well, it's an amazing coincidence really. As soon as Jake left Joe's I looked up and saw this guy looking at me. He said, 'Hi' and I thought it was cute how he blushed. I said, 'Hello' and left the shop..."
"Let me get this straight. You guys connected, said 'hey' to each other... and you left? You left him sitting there."
"Well, yeah, but you have to consider what I just went through. I just sent the man of my dreams back into your arms, Jen. It was kinda traumatic." Sarah looked down.
"I'm not criticizing, Sarah. Looking at it from your viewpoint, I understand. Go on."
"Well, he happened to visit my church on Sunday morning. We met at the fellowship after worship. He went to lunch with the singles group and asked me to coffee at Joe's. We got together yesterday. I got your text when we were finishing our date."
"How did it go? Is he going to ask you out again?" Jen was genuinely excited.
"It was... wonderful. We had a good time together and learned a lot about each other. His name is Michael. He's a self-employed computer consultant that just moved to Sunset. He makes good money. Divorced about two years. Seems like a great guy. He wants to have dinner this Friday."
Jen clapped and bounced again. "Oh, this is so good. I'm happy for you, Sarah." She stopped and stared at Sarah. "Wait. You said 'coincidence' and 'happened to' yada, yada. Do you really think it's just a coincidence that you first saw Michael the minute you finished your conversation with Jake and met him again a few days later in church? Sarah, he's either stalking you or God's trying to tell you something."
Sarah looked at Jen solemnly. That was something she considered, but didn't want to hope for. "Well, you might be right, Jen. I..."
"Right, nothin' honey. When lightning strikes twice in the same place like that you know God's doing it. God put Michael in your path and you weren't ready for him, so He throws Michael at you again a few days later at church. On top of that, you guys are on a date two days later. That's a three-fer. A holy number. I'm betting on God for this one, sweetie."
Sarah just smiled. That's what I like about Jen, she's so sure of herself. "I guess you're right, Jen. I just don't want to get my hopes up."
"Up about what? Going out on a date with Michael doesn't mean you have to marry him. It just means you're on a date to have an enjoyable time together. If both of you feel that it's a good thing to get together again, great, do it. Just slow down. Take it one step at a time. Don't try to build Rome in a day. You'll wear yourself out and scare all the guys away doing it."
"Are you saying I'm trying too hard?" Maybe having Jen as my 'wingman' isn't so bad after all.
"You may well be, Sarah. What I suggest is go with your assets. Every woman who's trying to catch a man needs to go with her assets."
"Well, I understand that, but I don't know that I have the 'assets' you're talking about." Sarah hesitated. "Not like you, Jen. You're so beautiful and self-assured. No wonder Jake liked you so much." Sarah dropped her head in an all too familiar posture.
Jen wrapped up what was left of her chicken sandwich, walked around the picnic table and straddled the bench next to Sarah. She reached up and turned Sarah's head to look her in the eyes. "Sarah, sweetie. You are a beautiful woman. You're calm demeanor, empathy and ability to love and care for people you've just met make you the perfect woman for a man who's looking for that combination." Jen leaned back and took a deep breath. "To be honest, Sharon had a talk with me about almost scaring Jake away with my steamroller personality. I had to tone it down a bit, at least until I had him cornered." Jen grinned with her classic sparkle. "You need to give yourself more credit. God gave you some amazing womanly talents, and maybe those talents will help you snare this Michael guy."
"Maybe you're right, Jen."
"I know I’m right, Sarah. Just relax a bit. Be confident in the woman God made you to be and enjoy the time you have with Michael."
Sarah thought for a moment. "Thank you. That really means a lot coming from someone as beautiful as you..." Sarah hesitated. "Jen, there is one thing I kinda need your advice on while we're talking about... men."
"Sure, sweetie. Fire away... not that I'm an expert or anything, but I'll try to help."
"I guess it's been so long since I've been on a real date with a guy I really liked that I don't know how quickly you're supposed to start talking about serious and personal stuff."
"Give me an example."
"Well, yesterday, it wasn't but a few minutes before I told him how nervous I was about getting ready for our coffee date. He told me that he was divorced and I could tell that he was sad, but not devastated. I assured him I understood because I had been through a difficult relationship but came through it and..."
"Whoa. Stop right there." Jen sat up straight. "You mean to tell me you guys covered that much personal stuff on the first date... over coffee?"
Sarah felt very self-conscious, like she had done something wrong. "Well, yeah. Do you think I messed up?"
"Oh, heavens no, hun. I think that's great. You two felt completely comfortable sharing your hearts from the very first. That's a great sign as far as I'm concerned."
"You think?"
"Heck, yeah. Now, let's talk about your dinner plans..."
The two new "sisters" plotted the overthrow of a young man's heart over the remainder of their lunch break.
Chapter 8
Wednesday evening Sarah emailed Michael about their planned dinner this Friday. Her mind already raced about the menu and what it would be like to have a man over to her apartment for dinner. The more she thought about it the more nervous she became. I haven't done this since.... What do I do? How do I act? I... I need to talk to Jen.
Dialing her number, Sarah felt foolish for calling someone like Jen to ask such a juvenile question, but she was out of her league on this one. Just do it, Sarah.
"Howdy, Jen speaking."
"Hey, Jen. This is Sarah. I have a question about Friday night that we didn't cover earlier and... well... it may sound a little ridiculous, but..."
"You want to know how to keep him from making a move on you, don't you?"
Sarah felt so relieved, not only that she didn't have to ask it, but that Jen understood what she needed to know. "Right. This is new to me, Jen. The last time I had a guy over for dinner was when I was in school... and that didn't end well for me.
" Sarah felt nervous about this conversation.
"I gotcha covered on this one. Just do what I did with Jake. Take the initiative and tell Michael what you're going to do to him. That way, you're the one in control and you're telling him where the boundaries are."
Sarah liked what she heard. "Okay, like what?"
"Well, on our first date, I told Jake that I would hold his hand, but it would never be in his lap and that I would give him a long, lingering hug and probably make him kiss me on the cheek before he left, but I wouldn't force him to do anything else beyond that."
"Oh, you are a smooth talker. So, Michael gave me a sweet and wonderful hug when he walked me to my car last time. What if I told him ..."
The plan to overthrow Michael's heart was nearing completion.
Sarah sent an email with the touches and flourishes Jen suggested. When she clicked "Send" a wave of excitement and nervousness filled her body. I really did it. I invited Michael to dinner. Yeah!
She calmed herself down and focused on the other mundane things she had to do that evening, including a grocery list for Friday's big event. She wanted it to be perfect. Sarah wasn't a great cook, but church members raved about the dishes she brought to fellowship meals. She hoped dinner would impress Michael.
Sarah had difficulty focusing on work Friday. The most important event of the day for her came at 6:30 when Michael would arrive at her apartment. There were, of course, people to see, calls to make, papers to turn in, but everything revolved around dinner in her mind.
As the workday ended, Sarah flew home as quickly as the speed limit allowed. The smell of simmering spaghetti squash and meatballs in the crockpot met her at the door. Good to know that came on in time. She flitted around the apartment, changed clothes, arranged and rearranged the table, checked the raspberry sorbet in the freezer, prepared the salad and set out the sun tea. By ten after six, everything was perfect.
With a contented sigh, Sarah sat down to contemplate the evening. She hadn't really had time to be nervous about what might... or might not take place. She was simply too busy, but never too busy for an important rendezvous.
Father, I dedicate this evening to you. Let this be for Michael and me an enjoyable evening together as friends, free of nervousness or expectation. Help me to be as gracious and beautiful to Michael as I am in your sight. I thank you for sending Jen to me as a friend and sister to remind me that I am a woman of worth. Let me reflect that in my words and actions this evening.
Sarah rarely ended her silent prayers in "Amen" because she never considered her prayers finished.
She heard the distinctive crunch of Michael's truck tires on the gravel drive. A smile came to her face and a warm feeling of peace and happiness emanated from deep within her, surprising her because situations like this usually brought anxiety and doubt. She waited until she heard Michael knock on the door before she rose from the couch.
Opening the door, she found Michael with a sheepish grin holding two roses, one pink the other red. "Oh, how sweet. You brought flowers."
"Yeah, well. In all of Sunset, Texas I couldn't find one blushing rose. Not even one I could steal off of a rose bush. So, I got a pink one that reminded me of you, and a red one to remind you of how I've looked to you most of the time."
Sarah was overwhelmed by the gesture. That last man to buy her flowers was her father when she graduated with her masters in social work. "Thank you, Michael. That was very thoughtful of you. Come on in and make yourself comfortable. I'll find a vase to put these in." Fortunately, she remembered having a bud vase in the top of the pantry.
"Thanks. Anything I can help with?"
"No. Everything is about ready." Sarah retrieved the vase, added water, trimmed the roses and arranged them just right. Putting them on the table she looked at them admiringly. "There. How does that look?"
"They look great together." Then he realized what he'd said and turned, as usual, red.
Sarah laughed. "That's okay, Michael. They do."
Michael smiled.
"Well, let's eat." Sarah motioned to his place setting. Michael walked around behind her chair and pulled it out waiting for her to sit. "Oh, thank you." She sat down, not wanting to spoil the gesture. "Always the gentleman, aren't you."
"I just can't avoid it. It's part of my upbringing and it was pounded into me in the Corps."
"Oh, an Aggie, huh?"
"Yup. A&M Corps of Cadets. Boots and all." Michael sat down in his chair.
"Wow. That takes a lot of commitment."
"It did, but it was worth every minute of it for me."
"Well, Michael. I know you are the consummate gentleman, but since I'm going to be serving this evening, I don't want you to jump up every time I get a plate. Let's just say that you've fulfilled your chair duties for the evening, shall we?"
Michael smiled. "Deal."
"Good. Then, one more gentlemanly duty at the dinner table. Would you mind saying the prayer before we eat?" For Sarah, this was a test. If Michael felt uncomfortable praying it would tell her a lot about him and his spiritual life. What she didn't plan on was instinctually extending her hand to him. Her family always held hands when they prayed at dinner.
"I would be happy to Sarah." Michael reached up and held Sarah's hand with only a slight hesitation, not wanting to do anything to violate his boundaries with her. He bowed his head. "Our Lord and our God, thank you for giving us this time together and thank you for your amazing care and grace that you show us in so many ways. Thank you for the food that you have given to us and especially for this beautiful lady who lovingly prepared it tonight. Let this be a wonderful time for us this evening that honors you. We pray these things in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen."
"Thank you, Michael. That was lovely." Especially the 'beautiful lady' part. "Well, let's eat. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."
"Me too."
The next hour filled Sarah's life with the joy seeing Michael's first taste of fresh fennel in a salad and his amazement as she raked strands of spaghetti squash onto a plate. He was like a little boy experiencing exotic candy for the first time. Their conversation picked up from the coffee shop, focusing on where they grew up, college, Michael's experience as a cadet. Sarah got the impression that Michael had a lot more to talk about, but didn't want to let it out over dinner.
"That was absolutely amazing, Sarah. I never knew a vegetable could make spaghetti. The meatballs and sauce were way better than Antonio's."
"Thank you. I actually learned the secret from Antonio himself. A teaspoon of balsamic vinegar in the sauce."
"Well, I couldn't do anything close to it."
"I'm glad you liked it. I'll clear the table and get the dessert ready..."
"Not so fast, m'lady. The gentlemanly urge is kicking in again. I insist on helping with the dishes and I promise not to break anything."
"Well, I won't argue with help." Not that Sarah had anything on the table of real value.
After cleaning and straightening, they settled on the couch each with a bowl of sorbet and whipped cream. Michael's mood seemed to change the second he sat down. He became very quiet.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no. This is so amazing. Being with you and having such a great time talking and laughing about things. I haven't had this kind of an experience with someone in a long time, Sarah. It's wonderful."
I hear a 'but' coming. "But there's something bothering you?" I might as well take the offensive.
"That's what I like about you. You're easy to talk to and we're on the same wavelength. I need to be honest with you about some things Sarah."
I knew it. He doesn't want to be with me. "Okay, Michael. I hope you can be honest with me."
"I would like to think that you and I can see each other again. Not to put any pressure on you or ask for any commitments this soon, but I like being with you and, well, I'm not used to starting a relationship with a woman that I like. This is sort of new for me, but I hav
e to tell you some things about me before we get too far down that road, so you'll know what you're getting into."
Breathe, Sarah. He's not dumping you. "Alright, Michael. I’m listening. I'm glad you feel comfortable talking to me."
"I feel like I could share anything with you, Sarah. That's why I need to tell you this." Michael shifted to turn so he could face Sarah. "After A&M, I went into the Army as a Lieutenant. Because of my degree in computer science and aptitude scores as well as being a Rudder Ranger in the Corps, I got a shot at Ranger school early on. I ended up doing a lot of stuff overseas that I'll never be able to talk about. On my last tour my convoy got hit with an IED to lead off an ambush." Michael grew quiet. "Everything was a dusty blur. All I remember was my leg going numb. I pulled some of my guys behind a vehicle to get them out harm's way and returned fire before I passed out.
Sarah listened intently with a growing sadness because she knew this story would only grow more painful.
"I woke up in a hospital with everyone telling me what a hero I was. I saved some of my soldiers, but one of them died in the blast. I didn't bring everyone home alive. What kind of a hero is that? Anyway, the best I have to show for that experience is this." Michael leaned down and tapped his knuckles on his leg. The sound was sharp and hollow.
The sound shocked Sarah, but she did her best not to react. As a hospice social worker she had been exposed to far worse.
"I lost my lower left leg in the blast. The Army gave me some medals as a consolation prize on my way out the door. When I got home, my wife and family couldn't handle my injury." Michael's eyes grew misty. "I lost a lot, Sarah. I just want you to know who and what I am before we go too far."
Sarah sat for a minute absorbing what she had just learned. Physical characteristics were never a big deal for her. The fact that Michael had this injury didn't bother her nearly as much as how it affected him. "Michael, we are all wounded in some way. Some wounds are just more obvious than others." She unconsciously touched her scarred arm.
Sarah's Prayer: A Sunset Single (Sunset Series 1.1) Page 5
