Page 10 of Love's Harvest
“That sounds perfect.I’m not in any hurry.But I don’t want to say no forever.”
Gage smiled at her.“I get it and appreciate your wanting to have things right before taking in a pet.Are you totally settled back in town?Like you, I’ve been here for only a year, but I really appreciate how supportive everyone is.”
“As a teenager, I was eager to leave town.However, after living away, I am truly glad to be back, even if my parents sometimes treat me like one.”
Gage laughed.“Can I get you another beer?”
Sarah shook her head.“Not yet.Thanks.”
Gage walked away, and Hazel approached her.“What did Gage have to say?I saw Tessa talking to him earlier.”
“If you’re interested in Gage, don’t appear to be desperate.He told me that talking to Tessa made him feel as if he was completing an online dating questionnaire.”
“I am interested in knowing more about him.He doesn’t come to Jake’s very often, and I haven’t had much of a chance to spend time talking to him.”She grinned.“Maybe I need a dog or a cat.”
“Or a horse or a cow,” Sarah teased.
“See you later,” said Hazel.
Sarah was standing, looking around, when she felt Aaron’s presence behind her.She turned and stared into those dark eyes of his, and a smile spread across her face.
“When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago,” he answered.“Your cup is empty.Can I get you more?”
“Sure.Why not?I’ll be down at the rock,” she said, walking away from him.
The cottage, now a lovely house, sat atop a small hill, whose slope led to the lake and an enormous rock that sat at the edge of the water.As kids, they’d all used the rock for sunbathing or reading or playing games.Even during fun parties like this, Sarah liked to escape for a few minutes of private time.The sound of the water lapping the shore and the light from the moon on the waves gave her an inner peace she knew she’d never be able to replicate anywhere else.
She was sitting on the rock, facing the water, when she felt Aaron’s silent approach.She turned as he handed her the drink.
“It feels right to be here,” said Aaron quietly as he sat beside her.“One of the things I’ve always admired about you is your ability to sit still and be quiet.How else can someone be aware of all that’s going on in nature around them?”
“Is that something you learned from your mother?”Sarah asked.
“That, and so many things from the Abenaki Indian tribe,” said Aaron.“I was lucky when my mother brought me to the Collister’s home when she learned she was dying, but I’m luckier still to have been raised by her and with her beliefs during my early years.”
“Do you go back to your family often?”Sarah asked.
“Whenever I can.My cousins live up by the Canadian border, and we like to hunt there,” Aaron said.“But my life is really here.I owe my father’s family so much.”
As Aaron continued to stare out at the dark water, he took her hand in his.
“I admire your mother so much for having the courage to bring you here,” said Sarah.
“Mr.Collister never knew about me until then.But she understood what kind of man he was and how warmly he would receive me.”
“You must miss her terribly,” said Sarah.
Aaron nodded.“But she speaks to me in the wind, and I know she is near.”
Tears sprang to Sarah’s eyes.Hearing such sweet, powerful words brought back the horror of the past couple of years.She realized that she and Jesse had never had the deep connection she had with Aaron.
Aaron got to his feet and extended his hand to her.“Let’s join the party.”
She took hold of his fingers and allowed him to pull her up, facing him.They stared at one another for a moment, and then Aaron turned away.But not before she saw desire in his eyes.
Sarah followed him off the rock and up the hill to the rest of the party.
