“Finally!” replied David. “Now she can come home.”
Everyone agreed and when back to their dinner.
After dinner, Lindsay asked Dalton to go for a swim with her.
“Dalton, can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure.”
“Did you give Sarah an explanation of why you said those things about her?”
“Yes, and I will tell you too now that I know an explanation. I told Sarah that then I thought of her as a kid. Just like my little sister was just a kid. And kids shouldn’t be at grownup birthday parties unless they were family. She wasn’t my family and she wasn’t my friend so what did I care if I never saw her again.”
“Wow, that is brutal honesty.” exclaimed Lindsay
“I had to be honest with her. She deserves that much from me. I have hurt her so bad and maybe my telling the truth will help her heal.”
“So, what do you think of Sarah now? Lindsay asked.
Dalton tried to keep his face blank but he just couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “She is beautiful and I am going to do my best to get to know her again. I asked her to dinner but she refused again. But I am just as stubborn as she is, I will ask again until she says yes.”
“So, if we become friends again and I get her to come to the ranch, that won’t bother you?” Lindsay asked tongue-in-cheek. Dalton’s response was to grab his sister and throw her in the pool. “No, the sooner the better. Brat!” Dalton said as she came to the surface sputtering. An all out water fight then ensued. Lindsay was laughing too hard to be much competition but she tried. David joined his siblings at the pool. “The water works better when it stays in the pool.” So Dalton and Lindsay attacked David and dragged him into the water fight. The siblings went at each other until Lindsay had to cry “uncle”. She was half-drowned. They were so much bigger than her.
They all moved to the chairs beside the pool and enjoyed the evening. David broke the silence of the evening “So let’s invite Sarah out on Saturday for a reunion with the family.”
Lindsay burst out laughing at Dalton and he reached to throw her in the pool again.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But the look on your face was priceless.”
Puzzled David interrupted “Did I miss something?”
“No!” replied Dalton
“Yes!” exclaimed Lindsay “Dalton has a crush on Sarah!”
“That’s it. You are going to be drowned in the pool.” Dalton threw her over his shoulder and charged to the pool.
“Dalton! David!”
David charged in-front of Dalton. “Let her tell me this story, then throw her in the pool.”
“No, she doesn’t need to tell you any story. Be…”
“Oh, it a great story, wait until you hear it” interrupted Lindsay
“As I was saying… Because there isn’t a story.” Dalton replied frantically.
“Dalton thinks Sarah is beautiful and can’t wait to get to know her better.” gushed Lindsay when Dalton stopped speaking.
David burst out laughing while Dalton replied “Oh, you are so dead baby sister.” and threw her in the pool again. He grabbed his towel and went into the house to escape to his room. “Sisters, what a pain!” I should not have told her what I was thinking about Sarah.
Dalton lay on his bed while he thought about Sarah. She really is beautiful, smart, and classy. I really can’t wait to get to know her better. Dalton shook his head I hope her forgiveness is genuine and she will go out with me.
A few minutes later there was a knock on his bedroom door.
“Come in”
A white flag appeared in the doorway and he started laughing. “Get in here Lindsay.”
“Big brother, you know I love you. I know this has been hardest on you, I hope you and Sarah can move past this and move to a different relationship. But, I hope to regain my friendship with her so if you “date” her and it doesn’t work out” she pause “I hope you part as friends because I am not going to lose her friendship again.”
“I know Lindsay” Dalton said as he hugged her. “I promise to tread very carefully with Sarah.”
“That is all I can ask Dalton.” Lindsay replied and turned for the door. “But oh this is going to be fun to watch” she said as she shut the door quickly and ran to her room.
“Brat!” Dalton yelled through the closed door.
Dalton climbed into bed a few minutes later thinking about what Lindsay had said. Lindsay and Sarah as friends again was so important to him, he just hoped he didn’t screw it up again.
Dalton’s dreams that night were of Sarah. They were strolling along a moonlit beach holding hands and sharing dreams. Sarah stopped and took his face in her hands and kissed him with the sweetest kiss. He brought his hands around her waist and drew her to him and gave her a lover’s kiss. Her sweet moan as she surrendered to him stroked his desire for her. Dalton’s alarm went off as he gathered her closer in his arms. “No it can’t be time to get up, that was the best dream.”
Sarah’s evening and night had not been as playful as Dalton’s. She had returned to work to finish reviewing the reports from the call logs. That newspaper article has increased their clients dramatically in two months. The funds from the gala and auction would satisfy the budget for the next year. That was great news. Sarah closed up her office and went to see Greg and CeCe before she went home to review her emails and to get ready for the support group meeting.
“Greg? CeCe?’ Sarah called as she approached the den.
“In here” called Greg
“Hi. I was on my way home to get ready for the support group meeting but wanted to check on you guys first. Can I get you anything?”
“Nope, we are fine for tonight. Sit down for a few minutes.” replied CeCe
“So, have you heard from Dalton lately?” asked Greg
“Amy squealed on me didn’t she?” Sarah replied “But yes, Dalton and I had a talk today and got everything cleared up and said our apologies.”
CeCe spoke up first “That is wonderful, now you can have your family back.”
“No.” replied Sarah
“What? Why not?” CeCe exclaimed. “You just said you and Dalton got everything cleared up.”
“We did, but it doesn’t change anything with my relationship with the Matthews. He apologized for the things that he said but they were still true. But he doesn’t want me anywhere around him. And they are still not my family. I put Gabby and Nathan in a horrible position all these years by trying to keep some family. It wasn’t fair to them. I won’t do it again. If and this is a big if, I can be Lindsay’s friend without bothering Dalton, maybe…” Sarah shrugged and got to her feet. “If you need me, I’ll be at home.”
CeCe got up to pace the floor. “That girl is so stubborn. What is she thinking?”
“CeCe, Sarah has a point. Until Dalton acknowledges otherwise, she can’t be around the Matthews family. She would be setting herself up for this whole thing to happen again. She could still come between Dalton and Lindsay if Dalton didn’t want her there.”
“But, Dalton wants her and Lindsay to be friends again. I just know it.”
“Ce, you know our Sarah, until Dalton says it to her she won’t change her mind. That is our stubborn Sarah. And might I add, it is none of our business.” Greg stated calmly.
Sarah walked cautiously home from the main house. The property was well lighted but the dark was not a friend to her. She went into her home office and signed on to start the support group.
Tonight’s group was small which wasn’t good news. She would have to send some follow-up emails tomorrow to check on her missing attendees. But for now she was just too tired. It had been a stressful day.
As Sarah ended her day by writing in her journal she contemplated Dalton’s apology. He had been sorry she had been hurt by what he said. But it was still true. Why wasn’t anyone
besides her getting that point? And why was everyone assuming that everything was back to the way it was before? It wasn’t! Dalton had not invited her to the ranch, so nothing had changed. She didn’t know how to say it to make them understand it.
Sarah’s dreams that night were filled with Dalton screaming at her to never return to the ranch again. She had had that dream many times before.
Chapter 9
Thursday morning was Sarah’s morning off work so she decided to sleep in. She couldn’t deal with CeCe starting in again on her being with her family. She was on call as usual to Greg and CeCe, but unless they needed her she was on her half day vacation.
About mid-morning, Amy paged her on the intercom. “Sarah, there is a Lindsay and David Matthews on the phone for you. They didn’t want to talk to anyone but you.”
“Ok, put them through to the house phone.”
“They will be with you in a second.”
“Hello Lindsay and David” Sarah said in greeting “How can I help you?”
“Come to the ranch on Saturday.” David commanded without preamble. “Gabby is going to prepare a big family dinner to welcome you home.”
Sarah was quiet for a minute as she prepared her answer.
“Sarah, are you there?” David asked
“Yes, I am still here. But I cannot come to the ranch.”
“Why not?” demanded David as Lindsay yelled at him in the background to relax.
“David, I have full-time responsibilities to the foundation and to Greg and CeCe. I cannot just take off to the ranch because you demand it.” Sarah replied losing her control.
“Bring them with you. We will make it a big party.” suggested David
“David, they are my employers!”
“So, we liked them. They would like to come again. Ask them.”
“David!” Sarah cried exasperated. “Were you always this stubborn?”
“Yes, were you?” David replied knowing he was “king” of his household.
“No, but I have learned a lot about it in the recent past.” Sarah countered. “But I still cannot come to the ranch with or without them.”
“I’ll call them and ask them myself.” David suggested.
Sarah burst out laughing. “David, I am the person you talk too if you want to talk to the Davises. And I am not putting you through to them. So knock it off.”
Lindsay finally chimed into the conversation “David, let me talk to Sarah alone. Go to work.”
“Alright, but Sarah?”
“Yes, David” she said indulgently
“This isn’t over. I won’t give up until you come home.”
“Bye David. Have a good day!”
“Sarah” Lindsay said “He is gone for now. Please come to the ranch.”
“I have a better idea. You come to Phoenix on Saturday and we will have lunch.”
“I would love too. Then will you come to the ranch another Saturday.”
“We’ll see.”
Sarah and Lindsay made their lunch plans and said their goodbyes. David was not going to give up. But he was about to find out about how stubborn Sarah was too. She was not going to the ranch. And also she couldn’t go to the ranch by herself.
David called Dalton as soon as he was in his office in the barn.
“Hi David, what’s up?”
“That girl is so stubborn. She…”
“Let me guess, you called Sarah.” Dalton inferred from his brother’s exasperated tone.
“She won’t come to the ranch on Saturday.” David mimicked Sarah’s voice “I have full-time responsibilities to the foundation and to the Davises blah blah blah”
Dalton laughed “She is telling the truth there, David. From what I gather is on-call 24/7 with the Davises and she is running a multi-million dollar foundation.”
“So, I even said to invite the Davises. Ok it was more like a threat that I would call the Davises myself”
“And…”
“She just laughed at me. That girl is so stubborn.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that before. Then what happened?”
“Nothing. Lindsay told me to leave and she would talk to Sarah alone. I listened at the door and they made plans for Lindsay to go to Phoenix on Saturday for lunch.”
“Well, that is a start. Lindsay will convince her to come soon. Did you happen to mention to Sarah that her horse was waiting for her to ride? You know she can’t pass that up.”
“No, I forgot that I’ll call her back.” and hung up on Dalton
David’s phone rang right back.
“What?”
“You hung up on me.”
“So?”
“Do not call Sarah back today. Wait until next time.”
“Aren’t you anxious for Sarah to come home?” David asked puzzled.
“Yes, but I want Lindsay and her to be friends even more than that. I cheated them out of a lot of years as friends. I won’t get in between them again.”
“But…”
“Good bye David”
David ignored his brother and dialed Sarah again.
“HQ Service Foundation. Amy speaking. How may I direct your call?”
“Amy, it is David Matthews again. May I speak to Sarah?”
“One moment, I will see if she is available.”
Amy buzzed Sarah’s intercom again. “It’s David Matthews again, do you want to talk to him?”
Sarah’s head thunked onto the table as she groaned “Put him through.”
“Hello David. How can I help you?” Sarah patronized
“You can come to the ranch and exercise your horse that has been waiting for five years. She is ready for a long ride.”
“What horse? I don’t have a horse there. And you wouldn’t let any horse not be exercised as they should be.”
“Star Dancer”
“Star Dancer is not my horse.”
“Yes, she is. You named her she is yours.”
“David that is ridiculous! Just because I named her doesn’t make her mine. I didn’t pay you anything and I cannot afford a horse that expensive.”
“I gave her to you.”
“What? You cannot give me an expensive horse.”
“It’s my ranch, I can do whatever I want.”
“So says the king” Sarah said under her breath “David listen to me, I cannot accept a gift that expensive from you and why were you giving me a gift in the first place?”
“It’s my ranch, I can do whatever I want for whatever reason I want. Are you refusing? I’ll tell Nathan.”
“That is not my horse, I am not coming to the ranch and I am hanging up now. Goodbye David.”
Sarah’s head thunked onto the table again. “Arghhhhhh Those Matthews are stubborn. I am changing my phone numbers again for self-preservation.”
David stared at the phone as Sarah hung up on him. He called Dalton instead.
“She refused my gift and then hung up on me. She is stubborn,” David said as Dalton answered.
“You called her again! David, we are trying to bring her home not drive her away again. Ease up!”
“Well, we have known where she is for more than two months and she has been home yet. Your way wasn’t working so I tried mine.”
“Oh yeah and that was more successful?” David questioned
“No. I tried to be real nice and tell her the horse was a gift.”
“And what did she say to that?”
“She said I couldn’t give her a gift that expensive. So I told her that it was my ranch and I could do whatever I wanted for whatever reason I wanted. I even threatened to tell Nathan that she wouldn’t take one of his girls.”
“David! Are you crazy?”
“No, I want her to come home where she belongs.” He said to Dalton as if Dalton wasn’t aware of the plan.
“David, listen to me. Do not call her again. I will talk to you later. I have to call Sarah and e
xplain that you take a high powered medication and that she shouldn’t be afraid.”
“Hey that isn’t nice.” But all he heard was the dial tone. “I am being perfectly reasonable.” David said to an empty office.
Sarah’s intercom buzzed again a few minutes after she hung up on David. “Sarah, it’s Dalton Matthews this time, do you want to talk to him?”
“No, but put him through anyway.”
Sarah snatched up the receiver when the phone rang and just started talking.
“Don’t start with me. Your brother is already driving home the point that he wants me to come to the ranch. I am changing all the phone numbers so you all can’t find me again. And what does he mean he gave me a horse? It might be his ranch and he can do whatever he wants but that is just nuts. No one gives away an expensive horse. Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Hi Sarah, How is your day?”
Sarah growled into the phone. “I am hanging up on you too.”
“No wait. David is really anxious for you to come home.”
“No, I hadn’t guessed that. He told me to come home, he tried asking, he tried threatening my bosses, then he threatened me then next it was threatening me with a horse that isn’t mine and then he threatened me with Nathan. Yeah, Dalton, I had figured that part out.
“Sorry”
“He really can’t give me a horse, Dalton.”
“Yes, he can and did. You heard him “it is his ranch and he can do whatever he wants”
“So speaks the king’s brother.’ Sarah said under her breath
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
“Dalton, I am going to tell you this and you pass it along to David, Lindsay and whomever else needs to hear it. I cannot come to the ranch.”
Something in Sarah’s tone trouble Dalton so he asked “Ever?”
“Dalton, I try to never say never but yes maybe.” She replied very quietly
“Why? I thought everything was resolved and in the past. You and Lindsay can be friends again? You can come home.”
“Stage West is not my home, Dalton.” She countered very sadly then added “I have to go to work” and hung up the phone with tears streaming down her face again.
Dalton swore and slammed the phone down on his desk. Then slapped the intercom button on his desk, “Gloria, send a dozen yellow roses to Sarah Dawson at the HQ Service Foundation. The note needs to say “I’m sorry” Dalton.”