17. Sarah
Chapter 17
Sarah
Jones Campbell was the epitome of a Southern blue blood. Citrus smelling pomade kept his blonde waves perfectly sculpted against his scalp. Bright blue eyes stared back at me and I was pretty sure he had a mouth full of veneers because no one’s teeth were that perfect. The collar of his button-down peeked over the edge of his sweater—the perfect tie-in for a gentleman’s fall ensemble.
He was clean…almost too clean.
I wondered if he’d spend more time getting ready for date nights than I would. The thought immediately shifted my focus to another man. One with rugged, dark features and callouses on his hands that felt good when they scraped against my skin.
Blinking the image of Ranger away, I cleared my throat and tried to focus on the man in front of me. The one I was supposed to be giving a fair shot so my parents would support my small business and catapult me toward my dreams.
Just laugh and smile and pretend you’re having a good time, I told myself.
“So, how’re you liking Pebble Brook Falls?” I asked him right after the waiter took our drink order. When he’d texted me about going on a date, he’d offered Sauvage —the fanciest restaurant in town. It made sense given that it was one of my mother’s favorite spots. She probably told him I would love it because it was what she loved. There wasn’t anything wrong with the place per se. It just reminded me of all the things I didn’t live up to.
“It’s perfectly fine.” His Southern accent was smooth and melodic. For some reason, it grated on my nerves. “Nothing compares to the city in my mind, but I think this town is suitable to set down some roots, find a wife, and build a family.”
I nearly choked on the sip of water I took. …find a wife .
“Certainly sounds like you’re on a mission.”
Jones’s smile was wide, but the sincerity didn’t quite meet his eyes. For a moment I wondered if he felt the same pressures from his family to follow a certain path.
He unfolded his napkin into his lap and said, “I think it’s time for me to grow up. I’ve sewed my wild oats. Went through the typical partying stage. After a while, I started to realize how lonely that life was. It didn’t take me long to know it was time to shift my focus. So, I followed my parents here and will be taking over my father’s real estate business. Everything feels like it’s set in my life. Everything except for having a partner by my side. ”
There was a subtle shift in the way he looked at me. For the life of me, I couldn’t quite read what it was. But the words he’d said about wanting a partner. Someone to do life with. I found myself liking the idea of that.
“Well, there are plenty of eligible bachelorettes in Pebble Brook Falls. Most of them were brought up to be the perfect housewife and partner. I’m sure you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for in no time.”
“And what if I’m looking at the woman I want right now?”
Crimson heat crept up my neck. I was still fairly new to this whole dating thing but I didn’t think most men were this forward. His blue eyes bore into mine like I was the most interesting thing in the world. It was intimidating. Yet, I found myself staring right back at him. The heat of his words trailed to other places.
Looking away, I cleared my throat. “I guess we’ll just have to see.” My voice was smaller than I wanted it to be. I couldn’t figure out how he made me feel or what I even thought of him. I wasn’t sure if that was because my mother had set this date up and the idea of her being right about anything to do with my life seemed off the wall. Or if it was because my mind kept wandering to another man—one that was wild and untamed and made me feel like I could take on the world by his side.
Just give him a chance . Feelings aside, I couldn’t negate just how much was riding on my interactions with this man. There was no doubt my mother would acquire a report of how things went between us, even if I wasn’t the one to tell her.
Remembering the dream that always tugged at the back of my mind, I squared my shoulders and sat up a little straighter. If Jones thought I was attractive, I could lean into that.
“Tell me more about yourself, Jones. Where did you go to college?”
“I went to Hightower University in downtown Atlanta. Some of the best years of my life were at that university.”
“I’ve actually never been to the city before.”
“Is that right?”
I nodded.
“Why is that?”
I paused as the waiter approached us with our sweet teas and took our orders. Shifting a little in my seat I finally said, “I think I knew what I wanted to do with my life from a young age. The minute I turned eighteen, I took some of the allowance my parents had given me throughout the years and started learning how to bake and decorate cakes.” I giggled to myself thinking of that time. “It quickly grew from a hobby to an obsession. When I moved out of my parents’ house, I started an online business in my kitchen. Baking cupcakes mostly until I had enough saved up that I could rent the storefront I have now.”
“A self-made woman,” Jones said.
“I guess I had to be. My parents took away my trust fund when they discovered I was on a path for destruction as they like to put it. ”
“They didn’t help you at all?”
The pang in my chest was still almost as strong as the day they had both sat me down and told me that they couldn’t support my ‘crazy’ idea. That the only thing they could think to do was discipline me by taking my trust fund away and dangling it over my head every chance they got for when I might decide to make better decisions for myself.
Little did they know, their discipline would only drive me further away from them and closer to accomplishing my dreams. Even if I had to do it on my own.
“Not in the way I would have hoped. I guess you can say they helped me because they gave me a pretty lofty allowance growing up and I was able to buy everything I needed to learn the craft. But no. They didn’t help me once I moved out and started the business.”
His hand was warm as he reached across the table and covered mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Sarah, I’m sorry you didn’t have the support you wanted from them. I can imagine how difficult that would be.”
I blinked away the tears that stung my eyes as his words hit me right where the wound was still sore. I hated feeling this way. I absolutely hated that I didn’t have parents whom I could be close with. Most of the time I was able to keep the anger and sadness at bay. I could focus on everything I was trying to build for myself. But the moments like this, when I was reminded of just how messed up our relationship was, I found myself drowning in the sorrow.
The tightening of my throat was hard to speak through, but I had to change the direction of this conversation. There were prying eyes everywhere in this place and the last thing I needed was for one of the town’s busybodies to report to my parents that I was grovelling with tears streaming down my face on my first date with Jones.
I cleared my throat. “Did you always want to go into real estate?”
Thankfully, Jones rolled with the abrupt transition without pause. “I’ve always been good with people. I have a knack for knowing what people want to hear and what they need. Real estate seemed like a good fit since you’re helping people convince themselves that making the single largest purchase of their life will be worth it.”
Jones continued talking about his journey into real estate when a woman with long black hair caught my eye. She was slowly walking past the large picture windows of the restaurant on the sidewalk. It took me a moment to recognize her as Callie Rose—Ranger’s younger sister. I’d seen her quite a few times at the farmer’s market, selling a variety of seasonal harvest vegetables.
She was always the quiet one in school, mostly keeping to herself. I’d never paid her much attention. I never thought that maybe I should go out of my way to say hi or be friendly with her. As she turned the corner, out of sight, I realized there were so many questions I wanted to ask her about her brother.
What was he like when he was a kid? Was he always so broody or was there a time when he enjoyed laughing? How did he have the strength to fight every single day for ten years, knowing that he’d been the one to do the right thing and was paying the price for someone else’s actions?
“Sarah?” Jones’s voice broke through my thoughts and I shifted my gaze back to him, blinking away the thoughts I was just having.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, leaning back against the velvet cushion of the chair. Jones had been talking this entire time and I’d drowned out his voice, letting my thoughts roam to another man and his family.
“Are you alright?” His gaze narrowed on me and I could tell he was frustrated but was also trying to be polite.
“Yes. I…I just saw someone I know walk by outside and I got distracted.”
His lips tilted downward. “Would you rather go be with them?”
Alarm bells rang in my head at his sharp tone. “No.” I shook my head, startled by his response.
“Okay,” was all he said as the waiter finally brought us our meals.
I stared at the plate of pasta in front of me, not sure what to say or do after that exchange. The insecure girl who had always been reprimanded for making the smallest of mistakes had me rounding my shoulders and zipping my mouth closed.
This isn’t me . This isn’t me anymore . I kept repeating the words in my mind. Over and over again. But no matter how many times I said them to myself, I couldn’t find the courage to get up and leave the table.
I was silent for the remainder of our dinner. Only taking a few moments here and there to ask Jones questions about his real estate ventures and whether he’d found a house he liked in Pebble Brook Falls yet.
It didn’t take me long to realize that he enjoyed talking about himself more than engaging in a reciprocal conversation. The beginning of our dinner date was likely him buttering me up with feigned interest.
“Would you like to come back to my place for a nightcap?” he asked as we stood outside the front doors of the restaurant.
“I’m sorry but I have a big day at work tomorrow, so I need to turn in early.”
For a moment, I thought he was going to push the issue. My heart thundered in my chest. All I wanted to do was get to my car.
Thankfully, he said, “No problem. It was nice to meet you, Sarah and I hope I can take you out again.”
Not having a single word to say, I simply smiled at him. I stiffened in his arms as he pulled me in for a hug and when he tried to kiss me, I shifted my head to the side, giving him my cheek instead.
We said our goodbyes and I nearly ran to my car. When I was tucked away inside, I didn’t fight back the tears that spilled over my cheeks .
I was stuck. So damn stuck between a rock and a hard place. Jones was wrong. Totally and completely wrong. But he was the one thing standing between me and my dreams if my mother had anything to do with it. And it wasn’t just that thought that had me spiraling. If I didn’t play by the rules of her game, there was no telling what she might do to try to sabotage me.
Sobs of frustration wracked my body for what felt like forever until I was finally able to get myself together enough to drive home.