Chapter 47
Despite spinning around, there were only a few feet between her and the mayor.
He had a small knife in his hand, and his eyes were full of rage.
Just as the man moved, she tried to lunge away from him, but the stitches in her side ripped, and she screamed out.
Mere seconds had passed, but it felt like an eternity as he swung the weapon at her.
She didn't have time to react. A single shot rang out through the quiet morning.
Sarah had half expected to feel the sting of a bullet again when suddenly the mayor lurched forward and toppled onto her.
Sarah felt like she was suffocating beneath the enormous weight of the man.
She felt something warm on her shoulder and prayed she hadn't been shot.
There was no pain besides the man on top of her.
Instantly, though, she was aware of the fact that her side was aching to the point that it felt like she had been shot again.
She wanted to cry but didn't want the others to see as they ran forward and dragged the man's body off her.
Adam was at her side in an instant, pulling her to her feet gently as he looked her over.
She was touched by the concern she saw in his eyes.
Every step she took, though, she winced with pain. Sarah was unable to stop herself.
Perhaps she had pushed her body too far for the last time, and it was finally giving up on her.
As Adam helped her to the edge of the road, she held on to him.
Her mind was still spinning from the encounter and undoubtedly from smacking against the hard pavement of the road when the mayor had fallen onto her.
“Sarah, are you all right?” Adam asked. “You look like you took a pretty hard fall when he landed on you. I want you to tell me if everything is okay.”
“Honestly, I think I’m just worn the hell out. It’s been a long few weeks, and I’m just tired. Other than that, I’m good. I promise.”
Without hesitating, Adam pulled her into his arms. The weight of his body against hers made her feel like she was more safe than she had ever felt before.
The warmth of his touch had a secure feel to it, and the longer he held her, the more comfortable she felt.
For a moment, she didn’t want to move from where they were.
After all the time she had wondered what his arms would feel like when they wrapped around her, the time was finally there.
“I was so worried about you,” Adam whispered. “I was scared I was going to lose you before I really ever had you. I don’t ever want to lose you, Sarah.”
“I’m okay, Adam. I’m not going anywhere.”
Sarah was blown away by his revelation. Though she had known for a long time that he had feelings for her and that her feelings for him were the same, they never had actually talked about it.
From the moment the world was thrown into darkness, they were forced to face one challenge after another, but never the challenge right in front of them.
“I know you’re fine now, but I thought I was going to lose you through this entire situation. It made me realize how I really feel about you, and I don’t want to go another minute without you in my life.”
Sarah smiled. “Yeah? So, tell me how you really feel about me.”
“I care about you more than I ever realized when I thought I’d never see you again. I don’t want to feel that way ever again. I love you, Sarah. I think I have for a very long time.”
“Oh, Adam. I’m glad you’ve finally told me. I didn’t know how to say it myself, but I feel the same way about you.”
Sarah didn't want to talk anymore as she pulled Adam’s face down and kissed his lips passionately.
The fireworks ignited inside of her as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
All around them, their friends and family started to cheer as they worked on picking up the weapons left behind.
She didn't care, not pulling away from him until she knew it was going to go beyond what was publicly acceptable.
There would be plenty of time for romance now that the only threat to the homestead had been neutralized.
As they went back to help the others gather the weapons, Sarah instructed the men to bury the mayor's body on the other side of the road while the women got the weapons inside and secured them in her parents’ bedroom.
They could do a complete inventory later.
She knew her mother was going to be anxious to know what was going on, and the children had to be terrified.
As the sun peeked over the trees and they started walking back to the house, Sarah saw her mother peeking out the curtain and waved.
A few seconds later, the children came racing through the front door into her arms and those of their mother.
They had taken the time to unload all of the guns before gathering them up into two large bags.
Now, with the children in their arms and grateful that no one was injured, they were able to set them down, where Alan and Adam quickly scooped them up and took them inside.
When her mother came out and joined them, Sarah couldn't help but embrace the woman.
It had been her strength that had gotten the children through the ordeal.
She was the rock and the foundation of the family.
“So, can we safely say this is all over now?” Connie asked. “Do we need to worry about them coming back?”
“Well, the mayor is dead, and the others are gone,” Sarah replied. “We made them give up their weapons before we let them leave, so I don’t think they’ll come back. I don’t think we’re going to have more problems from them.”
Connie let out a sigh and smiled. She was glad to see her mother’s shoulders finally relax since she knew the thought of all the gunshots ringing out must have had her dreading the outcome.
As she smiled at her mother, Adam made his way to her side and pulled Sarah close to him.
Kissing her cheek, he happily smiled down at her.
She could get lost in his arms for the rest of time.
“Well, I’m glad to see you finally look happy. It seems to me that everything is just about perfect now.”
“It’s starting to feel that way, that’s for sure,” Sarah said. “I’m just glad it’s over, and we can move on with our lives without being targeted.”
Connie chuckled. “Well, it took the world coming to an end for mine and your father’s wish for you to come true.”
“What wish would that be?”
“To find love, of course. We always knew you would, but I can’t believe it took an actual act of God for it to happen.”
Sarah laughed. “I think it took two acts of God. Between them finally proving Adam was innocent and the end of the world, I finally found the love of my life. I definitely didn’t think it would happen.”
“All I can say is that it’s about damn time,” Henry said. “End of the world or not, I’m happy for you, sweetheart.”
Sarah couldn't believe everything was finally over.
The only black spot on their otherwise perfectly gathered family was knowing that John was still at the prison fighting against the inmates who had overtaken it.
She hated that he wasn't there, and he was constantly in her prayers, but there was nothing she could do about it until this spring when they had the forces and nature on their side.
Only then could they make a pilgrimage to help get him out.
Until then, she was going to relish what happiness they had found.
Not only had she found someone who shared her views and seemed to adore her family as much as she did, but they were also all safe and would stay that way throughout the ordeal.
Sarah knew she would finally be able to sleep easy at night, though they still had a long way to go.
While they would keep up having a sentry watching over the homestead in the evenings, the mayor was no longer a threat.
She had made the message clear. Harmony Homestead was not to be trifled with.
They were not going to back down from a fight, but they were not going to turn their backs on their fellow man, either. When the villagers needed them, they would come to their aid. Hopefully, word would spread that the homestead was a safe haven but a well-protected one as well.