by Amelia Shea
Stone ignored her question and looked over to Bogs. “Make it happen, I want the next available flight.”
Ethan had finished his call and now joined his brothers and sister in the living room. He didn’t say a word, he just stood and observed.
“Wait a minute, hold up, Stone. Is this about last night? Because everything’s done, Trent took care of it.” Roxanne got up from the couch and walked over to Stone. Her confusion was obvious, as well as her concern.
“Exactly, the job is done, it’s time to go home.” Stone turned toward the hall. He needed to get away from their eyes and their questions.
Bogs called out, “So am I changing all the tickets?”
Stone stopped and balled his fists. He answered without turning around. “Just ours, Sadie’s not coming.” He continued down to his room with Roxanne’s voice fading into the back. “What? What happened?”
Stone grabbed his bag from the closet and started packing his clothes from the dresser. He packed all four drawers and headed to the closet when he noticed Ethan standing in the doorway. Stone scowled at him. “Not talking about it, man.”
“Okay.” Ethan’s tone was low and calm.
He stood there for the next few minutes while Stone grabbed his things from the closet and loaded them into his bag. Neither one of them said a word. Stone grabbed everything from his nightstand, tossed it into his bag and zipped it up. He was done.
Stone turned to Ethan, who was still standing silently at his door just watching.
“Not talking about it.” Stone growled in anger.
Ethan nodded. “I heard you the first time, Stone. You don’t want to talk about it, I know.” Ethan walked into the room and stopped a foot away from him. Stone glared at him.
“Do you believe in what we do?”
Stone jerked back slightly, his brows scrunched. “You know I do, what the hell kind of question is that?”
Ethan nodded again, his face completely calm. “So do I, along with everyone in that living room. Everyone we work with, work for, they too believe in what we do. They understand.”
“I know what you’re getting at and I told…” Stone snapped.
Ethan held up his hand. “I know, you don’t want to talk about it.” He turned to walk away but stopped when he reached the door he looked back at Stone.
“It’s none of my business but I’m going to say it anyway. You’re making a mistake.”
Stone glared back at Ethan.
“You know I’m right.” Ethan walked out the door and Stone was left staring at the empty space.
He clenched his teeth to almost the point of pain, his whole body tensed in anger. He grabbed the lamp from the nightstand and threw it against the wall. “Fuck!”
****
Monday was a blur. She moped around her place trying to keep herself from driving over to Stone’s. She cleaned everything—her closet, the cabinets, and the fridge. By the time four o’clock rolled around her trailer had never been so clean.
Sadie sent Stone four text messages.
Sadie: Please talk to me.
No response.
Sadie: Stone, please, I’m sorry.
No response.
Sadie: If we could just talk, please call me.
No response and no call.
Sadie: I miss you
No response.
It was over, all over something so trivial. She wanted to know but she didn’t need to know. If he wanted her to know about his business, he would have told her. But she knew deep down it wasn’t just the fight. She had been foolish to think he would stay. Stay for her. He was leaving tomorrow. He had needed to end it. She just gave him the out. He got off easy, she thought.
She told herself it was a stupid idea but she did it anyway. She drove over to Stone’s place. She yelled at herself to turn around, calling herself pitiful. He doesn’t want you anymore. It’s over. Turn around now! But she didn’t, the heart wants what it wants. Sadie had become her mother. Even that thought didn’t have her turning around.
Sadie was parked at his apartment staring up at his balcony. None of the trucks or cars were in the parking lot but there was a light coming from the apartment. She should just go home. This was bound to end badly for her. She didn’t even know what she was going to say to him. She should go home but she didn’t.
Sadie walked through the garden and up the stairs to the second floor. On the landing, she saw Ethan and Roxanne’s door closed but Stone’s was open. She edged toward the doorway when a big tall man with his back to her almost slammed into her. She jumped out of the way as he muttered, “Excuse me.” He and another guy were removing the soiled couch. The other man nodded at her and she watched them take it down the stairs. The door was still open.
Sadie peeked in to see a woman with jeans and cowboy boots and a ponytail holding up her red hair. She looked around the apartment quickly.
“Sadie?” a soft voice asked. Sadie looked up to see it was Jill from the other night.
“Yeah. Hi Jill.” She smiled nervously as she looked around again.
“They’re gone?” She hoped she sounded indifferent but her face must not have covered her sadness too well. Jill look surprised and then uneasy.
“Yeah. Stone didn’t tell you? They left early.” She looked extremely uncomfortable as she spoke.
Sadie shook her head. He left early. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
“Oh. T asked me to let the movers in for the new couch. Damn, I’m sorry, Sadie, I feel awful. Are you okay?” She sounded genuinely concerned.
Sadie nodded and took a deep breath. It was over and done. No more tears. It was time to move on. She planted a smile on her face.
“I’ll be fine, Jill. Thanks! Hey, come in and see me at the diner and I’ll hook you up with a free lunch.” She tried her best to sound normal, even chipper.
Jill’s smile told her she didn’t buy Sadie’s act but she didn’t say it. “Sounds awesome, Sadie!”
Sadie waved bye and headed to her car.
It was over.
Chapter Eighteen
She wasn’t living life, she was merely surviving it. Completely content with her day-to-day routine, then in walked a man who changed everything. Turned her life upside and rattled her to her core. Showed Sadie a life she’d been missing, feelings she’d only read about, emotions she had never expressed. Gave her the safety and protection of someone who truly cared, something she’d never had before. Sadie finally started living, really living.
Then it was gone!
It was the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving. Sadie had cried all she could and mourned the loss of her relationship. Funny how heartbreak felt like death. Death being the end, and so final, just like her relationship with Stone.
Grabbing her phone, she breathed in as much air as her lungs would allow and released. Twisting her head side to side, she breathed in again and held it, counted to three and released. Relaxing her body, she inhaled once more. Oh, who was she kidding, she could do all the relaxing techniques ever invented, it wouldn’t make this any easier. Just do it! Sadie had dodged her calls long enough. It was time and she knew it. Grabbing her phone, Sadie dialed the number. She answered on the third ring. Damn, Sadie was hoping to get her voicemail.
“So you’re not dead?” she sarcastically asked
“Nope, still breathing,” Sadie replied and breathed in again.
“Well, I feel honored, you taking the time to call your mother back.” Oh, she knew this tone, nothing good ever came from this tone.
“Sorry,” she lied. Sadie had learned sometimes it was just easier to appease people like her mom than throw sass. Hopefully, this call would end soon and Sadie could get on with getting on.
“Well, anyway, I’m coming home.”
“Home where?” Sadie asked, dreading her mom’s answer. She knew the answer but in some faraway place of unrealistic answers, she hoped for anything but Cedar Bluff.
“Cedar Bluff, of course.” S
hit! Her whole body bent over and she released a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. Shit! Pull it together, Sadie.
“What happened, I thought you were getting married?” she inquired calmly.
She sighed. “Well, he can’t marry me if he’s still married to her, now can he?”
“Oh!”
“Yeah, oh, so anyway, I’m driving back tonight. That’ll give you plenty of time to get your stuff out of my room and back into yours. Make sure it’s done, Sadie, I’m going to be tired from my drive and the last thing I’ll want to do is move your stuff.”
Sadie was speechless. Her mom was coming home and she was kicking her out of her room. The room she paid for. Sadie had no words. Literally. Her mouth was hanging open and nothing was coming out.
“Got to run, see you soon!” She hung up.
This was not happening.
Gazing around the trailer from where she stood, all her stuff, everything, which wasn’t much, would soon be shared with a woman she had come to despise. She could take a stand and tell her no, she wouldn’t move out of her room. She could even tell her mom that she couldn’t move back in with her. She’d been paying the rent for four years. This place was hers.
Sadie sent her a quick text telling her exactly that. Her reply was immediate and took the wind out of her sails.
Mom: It’s MY name on the lease.
Sadie never had it changed. Emotion washed over her, part regret, part sadness, and another part she couldn’t define. She got her. Sadie paid the rent every month but it was still in her mom’s name. They had to keep her name on it when she moved because Sadie was a minor. She never thought to change it. She certainly didn’t think her mom would ever come back.
She had been wrong!
Accepting defeat, she cleaned out her childhood room that had been used as storage. She was able to move her stuff around and pile books to get all her stuff inside the tiny room. She didn’t have much but what was hers, she wanted to keep. It took her nearly three hours to complete the rearrangement. By the end, she plopped down on her couch and looked around the trailer. It wasn’t hers anymore.
She grabbed the paper and instead of turning to the want ads, she looked at the rentals.
The moving was done. The trailer was ready for her mom’s return. Sadie, on the other hand, was not. She quickly showered and got ready to go out to Henry’s Market. She might as well make a Thanksgiving dinner. The market was sure to have at least one little turkey left.
Grabbing her phone, she glanced down—no calls and no texts. It was really was over. Her eyes welled up and threatened tears again but she inhaled a deep breath. Reigning in her heartache, purse in hand, she walked to the door. Before she could open it, she heard a knock. Sadie usually checked the kitchen window to see who it was but it was two in the afternoon, probably just Miss Trudy.
She swiftly opened the door at the second round of knocking. She must have caught the man off guard because his hand almost knocked on her nose. His hand pulled back at the last second while she flinched.
“Gosh, darling, I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I didn’t get ya, did I?” He had a cowboy drawl, deep and gravelly. It was a strong tone but not threatening, almost soothing.
She shook her head smiling. “No, you’re fine.” She’d always been a sucker for an accent.
Sadie checked out the stranger. He was tall, about six-one. He was older, maybe in his sixties, but in good shape. His body looked lean, no potbelly from what she could see. His hair was thin and completely gray. His face was aged and weathered but his hazel eyes were what captured hers. He had kind eyes. Also, he had a face full of lines; this man had laughed and smiled a lot in his lifetime. This made her smile again at him, which he returned.
He stared at her briefly before he extended his hand. “You must be Sadie.”
She was taken aback that he knew her name. But she shook his hand and nodded.
“My girl was right. You’ve got honest eyes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sadie. I’m John Garrison, Stone’s dad.”
Her mouth fell open. Stone’s dad was at her front door. The color must have drained from her face as she started to tremble because he lost his smile and his brows hiked up. A look of worry washed across his features. Sadie was still holding his hand. She was shocked that he was here and confused as to why. Just the mention of Stone’s name threw her into heartache mode. He looked down at his hand, which she was still holding. Sadie immediately pulled it back.
“Mind if I come in?” He gestured inside. Sadie blinked out of her daze. This may have been the first time meeting John Garrison but she knew him. All the stories Roxanne shared, she felt as though she knew their dad.
“Of course, I’m sorry.” Sadie stepped back as he walked in. He looked around and smiled at her.
“Would you like to sit down?” She gestured to the couch awkwardly.
He walked over to the couch and sat in the middle. Sadie sat at the end closest to the door. Her mind was reeling that Stone’s dad was in her living room. Her heart started to race as to why he might be here. Is Stone okay? Did something happen? Was his dad here to yell at her and tell her to stop harassing his son with texts and calls? Okay, that might be a little farfetched, even for her imagination.
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here,” he stated and leaned back into the couch.
Her breath hitched and she swallowed. “Is Stone okay? He’s not hurt or anything, right?”
His face softened and the corner of his mouth curled. “No, Sadie, not hurt. At least, not physically. The heart, well that’s another matter.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him. “Ya know, I hadn’t planned on coming here. I had to make a quick trip here on business last night and I was just heading back to the airport.” He tilted his head. “Something in me just had to come. Needed to see for my own eyes.” He smiled. “And I just saw it. I made the right decision in taking a detour and coming here.”
She nodded, unsure of what he was saying. She still had no clue why Stone’s dad was sitting in her living room, or why he made the comment about Stone’s heart. She’d been trying to reach out to him but he wouldn’t answer her. It was over.
“Sadie, I’m a man who believes in being forthright and up front.” He glanced down at his watch and chuckled. “And we’re running outta time so I’ll just lay it all out for you.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He looked her in the eyes. “I’m here to take you to Houston.”
“What?” Her eyes widened in confusion.
“I’m here to bring you home.”
Her heart sank. “Mr. Garrison, I…”
“John, call me John.”
“Okay. John, I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing but Stone ended things with me. We aren’t together,” Sadie sadly expressed.
“That’s the rumor I hear.”
“No, I’m sorry, but I think you’ve made a mistake. It’s over between us. It’s really over.” Her tone was firm but her eyes threatened tears. Saying out loud that she and Stone were over made it more real. Her heart ached at her own words. “He won’t talk to me.” A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly brushed her sleeve against her face. “He ended it.”
He stared at Sadie and gazed up to the ceiling. Her palms were sweating and she started to fidget. This was so awkward. He came all this way to bring her back to Stone, which warmed her heart. Yeah, this was definitely the dad Sadie would have chosen. Unfortunately, Stone didn’t want her anymore, so this wonderful fatherly gesture was pointless.
His eyes landed back on hers. “I know it’s an old man cliché but can I share a story with you?”
She sniffled and forced a smile. “Sure,” she whispered.
“Good, well as you know, Darla and I adopted Stone. We always wanted children. Thought we had all the time in the world to start a family. But as fate happens Darla was not able to get pregnant. Doctors encouraged us to keep trying, and we
did, but no babies. It almost ruined Darla; she wanted a big family, lots of children. Imagine a dream so big, a dream you’ve wanted all your life, and then being told that dream of yours is just not possible. But she was a strong woman and eventually she came to terms with it. We both did. I always wanted kids but more than children, I wanted Darla. We had a beautiful life, Sadie! Still, Darla was missing something. She had so much love to give, it seemed downright unfair God wouldn’t bless us with children.”
He inhaled a deep breath and Sadie continued to listen. It was a sad story and her heart ached for John and Darla.
“But God works in mysterious ways and when we least expected it, we were blessed. We were blessed with Stone. He was a hard kid to crack. No matter how many times we told him our home was his home and we would never send him away, he held back from us. But Darla,” he laughed, “she would not give up on him. She made sure she hugged him when he’d let her, told him she loved him every chance she got, and made sure that boy knew he had a place in our family.
“When his biological mother finally gave up her rights, we adopted him. One of the happiest days of my life, knowing that boy was mine. It was a wonderful day, we had a big party. All the family came. It was a celebration. But I found Stone in his room halfway through the party. He was crying. I worried that he wasn’t happy with Darla and me as parents, although he seemed to love us. When I asked why he was crying, it about nearly broke my heart, Sadie. He said, ‘She gave up on me. She was supposed to fight for me and she gave up.’”
Sadie’s heart broke and the tears streamed down her face, picturing a young Stone. She wiped her tears but it did no good. They continued to fall.
“I never told anyone that story. Not even Darla. It’s mine and Stone’s. And now yours.”
“What happened?” Sadie swiped her tears with the back of her hand.
“I told him I would always fight for him, right or wrong. I spent the years since that day proving it to him. I will spend the rest of my life proving it to him. Now my question to you, are you going to fight for him, Sadie?”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and sobbed. “He doesn’t want me, John.” Her heart wrenched. She wanted him but he didn’t want her.
