find I had a signal. I had never called Lucas, but we’d exchanged numbers the day we met at the hardware store. I quickly gave him directions, and half an hour later, we were standing together at the trailhead of Sycamore Falls.
“You do remember I’m a city boy,” Lucas said quietly, his eyes wide as he looked toward the woods.
“I remember, but I really want you to see the waterfall. It’s a short and easy hike, I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced but followed me anyway. The trail was flat but rocky, and when I stumbled, Lucas quickly grabbed onto my hand. He didn’t let it go, not even when we reached the riverbank, and I pointed across the water.
“Wow,” Lucas whispered.
The sight of the waterfall took my breath away. I hadn’t seen it in years, and back then, I’d been just a kid, viewing it with innocent, adolescent eyes. I’d loved this place, but I didn’t fully appreciate it.
Not until now.
“This is really beautiful, Sarah.”
“I know.”
We sat down on the sand, listening to the roar of the falls and watching as it flowed into the current below. The river was a little low, making the jagged boulders visible above the rushing water. Sycamore trees—still bright green and full of life—majestically surrounded the water. It wouldn’t be long until the leaves traded their emerald shade for the pretty colors of autumn.
“I bet this place is gorgeous in the fall,” Lucas said, reading my mind. “We’ll have to come back when the leaves change.”
I smiled.
Yes, we would.
The rest of the week was busy as our summer vacations came to an end. Painting the house continued until mid-week when Tommy and Lucas decided they would finish the trim work while the team began renovating the wrap-around porch. In the afternoons, the Panthers would head off to football practice while Lucas and I went to school to prepare for our first week of classes. Mr. Mullins, the principal, finally provided me with a curriculum, and I spent my evenings creating lesson plans. I also learned I would be teaching a Creative writing class, which excited me a little more than it probably should.
I was ‘settling in,’ as my neighbors called it, and I loved the routine of it all.
On Friday afternoon, I was sitting in the kitchen and answering an e-mail from Monica when Lucas appeared in the doorway.
“You need to come outside,” he said with an excited grin on his face.
“Okay.” I clicked send and closed my laptop. He was still grinning as he motioned for me to follow him out onto the porch.
“Close your eyes.”
“Are you insane? I’ll fall down the steps if I close my eyes.”
Lucas slipped his fingers through mine. “I won’t let you fall. Now, close them.”
He gently pulled me along the porch and guided me down the front steps. When my feet reached the sidewalk, he released my hand and placed both palms on my shoulders.
“Turn around and open your eyes,” Lucas murmured.
“You know, I’m getting a distinct feeling of déjà vu.”
He laughed. “Just do it.”
The sun was blinding, but it wasn’t so bright that I couldn’t see the lovely blue house with white shutters.
Just then, a thunderous cheer erupted from behind us, and I spun around to find the football team, along with Tommy and Aubrey, gathered around the bus. Everyone looked so proud, and I had no idea I was crying until I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.
“What do you think?” Lucas asked softly.
I took another long look at my beautiful house before smiling up at him.
“I think I’m finally home.”
Chapter 7
“I’m Miss Bray, and welcome to English literature.”
I’d practiced my intro in my head for weeks now, but as I stood before my first period class and actually said the words aloud, I realized just how inconsequential they really were.
They didn’t care.
They weren’t impolite or unkind. A few had actually smiled in my direction while I passed out the syllabus. They
“You do remember I’m a city boy,” Lucas said quietly, his eyes wide as he looked toward the woods.
“I remember, but I really want you to see the waterfall. It’s a short and easy hike, I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced but followed me anyway. The trail was flat but rocky, and when I stumbled, Lucas quickly grabbed onto my hand. He didn’t let it go, not even when we reached the riverbank, and I pointed across the water.
“Wow,” Lucas whispered.
The sight of the waterfall took my breath away. I hadn’t seen it in years, and back then, I’d been just a kid, viewing it with innocent, adolescent eyes. I’d loved this place, but I didn’t fully appreciate it.
Not until now.
“This is really beautiful, Sarah.”
“I know.”
We sat down on the sand, listening to the roar of the falls and watching as it flowed into the current below. The river was a little low, making the jagged boulders visible above the rushing water. Sycamore trees—still bright green and full of life—majestically surrounded the water. It wouldn’t be long until the leaves traded their emerald shade for the pretty colors of autumn.
“I bet this place is gorgeous in the fall,” Lucas said, reading my mind. “We’ll have to come back when the leaves change.”
I smiled.
Yes, we would.
The rest of the week was busy as our summer vacations came to an end. Painting the house continued until mid-week when Tommy and Lucas decided they would finish the trim work while the team began renovating the wrap-around porch. In the afternoons, the Panthers would head off to football practice while Lucas and I went to school to prepare for our first week of classes. Mr. Mullins, the principal, finally provided me with a curriculum, and I spent my evenings creating lesson plans. I also learned I would be teaching a Creative writing class, which excited me a little more than it probably should.
I was ‘settling in,’ as my neighbors called it, and I loved the routine of it all.
On Friday afternoon, I was sitting in the kitchen and answering an e-mail from Monica when Lucas appeared in the doorway.
“You need to come outside,” he said with an excited grin on his face.
“Okay.” I clicked send and closed my laptop. He was still grinning as he motioned for me to follow him out onto the porch.
“Close your eyes.”
“Are you insane? I’ll fall down the steps if I close my eyes.”
Lucas slipped his fingers through mine. “I won’t let you fall. Now, close them.”
He gently pulled me along the porch and guided me down the front steps. When my feet reached the sidewalk, he released my hand and placed both palms on my shoulders.
“Turn around and open your eyes,” Lucas murmured.
“You know, I’m getting a distinct feeling of déjà vu.”
He laughed. “Just do it.”
The sun was blinding, but it wasn’t so bright that I couldn’t see the lovely blue house with white shutters.
Just then, a thunderous cheer erupted from behind us, and I spun around to find the football team, along with Tommy and Aubrey, gathered around the bus. Everyone looked so proud, and I had no idea I was crying until I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.
“What do you think?” Lucas asked softly.
I took another long look at my beautiful house before smiling up at him.
“I think I’m finally home.”
Chapter 7
“I’m Miss Bray, and welcome to English literature.”
I’d practiced my intro in my head for weeks now, but as I stood before my first period class and actually said the words aloud, I realized just how inconsequential they really were.
They didn’t care.
They weren’t impolite or unkind. A few had actually smiled in my direction while I passed out the syllabus. They
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