“Why are you limping? And, how’s your father?”
Sara sat down. “Oh, I just sprained my ankle; I’m fine. But my father—well, he’s not good. I feel so guilty being here.” She lifted and lowered her shoulders, feeling the burden of it all. “He didn’t want me to leave.” She sighed and hated the fact that a tear slipped down her cheek. “But I have my scholarship, and I’ll lose it if I take off a semester.” She sighed. “I don’t think he ever really wanted me to leave the ranch.”
Larry nodded and gently patted her shoulder. “There, there child, he understands. Sometimes fathers think they know everything and then they come to realize they don’t know anything.” He let out his breath. “You’re a smart girl, Sara, follow your heart.” He winked at her.
Sara squinted at him. “Have you asked her out, yet?”
Larry looked surprised and blushed. “No.”
Sara touched his forearm. “You should, Larry, don’t waste any time. She likes you.”
Larry blushed . “Ah, I’m just an old rancher, and she still loves him.”
“Of course she still loves George. You’ll always love Anna. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more love inside of you.”
“ Sara.” Martha rushed into the cafeteria. She was wearing a form fitting top and a blue flowing skirt. Her hair was cropped and curled perfectly around her face. She had on topaz silver dangly earrings and a big necklace to match.
Sara stood and they embraced. Lilac perfume assaulted her and she wondered, again, at how lively Martha seemed.
“My,” she said, gently putting her hand on Sara’s face, “I think she’s gotten even prettier since the last time we saw her.” Martha looked at Larry who nodded his approval.
Sara ’s heart tightened in her chest, and she felt tears behind her eyes. They were some of the kindest people she knew. “You’re just being nice. You always look like a Hollywood actress to me.”
Martha struck a mock pose, clearly liking the attention. “Oh—do go on.”
The music came on and Martha casually took Larry’s hand, leading him into the cha cha. “Where’s that Carey? Is he running late?”
Sara smiled at her students. “I can see you’ve been practicing.” She watched as they easily started into more complicated steps. “You guys are going to be my teachers soon. Wow, you look so good together.” She was amazed to see how much they’d progressed since last spring.
Larry’s face reddened. “She’s made me keep up our lessons so we could show you.”
Martha nodded at Sara happily and kept focused on the steps. “And it’s paid off, darling.”
Sara watched them until the song ended. She paused the music and clapped. “You guys are awesome.”
They walked over to her and looked between each other like teenagers in love for the first time. Sara wondered if she could contain her joy at seeing their happiness.
“So where is he?” Larry rubbed his mustache.
Sara hated this. “He told me at the newspaper yesterday that he wasn’t coming today. He said that he has too much going on this semester.” Sara felt slightly defeated.
“Well, now, that’s okay, sweetheart.” Larry looked at Martha, and Sara knew by the look that he gave her he was unsure of what to do with the emotions he saw on Sara’s face.
“What’s this, sweetheart?” Martha moved to her side, gently touching her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s me you guys.” She rubbed her temples slowly. “He’s not coming because he wants a relationship with me—and I’m just so confused.” She hung her head and the whole story spilled out of her.
When she was done, Martha’s voice was soft. “ I never really liked the guy anyway. He seemed a little too polished.”
Larry nodded his agreement. “Like he wanted to sell me some tires for my old Chevy.” Larry laughed and slapped his leg. “Heck, he just did us all a favor, little lady.”
Sara laughed at Larry’s cheerfulness regarding the
Sara sat down. “Oh, I just sprained my ankle; I’m fine. But my father—well, he’s not good. I feel so guilty being here.” She lifted and lowered her shoulders, feeling the burden of it all. “He didn’t want me to leave.” She sighed and hated the fact that a tear slipped down her cheek. “But I have my scholarship, and I’ll lose it if I take off a semester.” She sighed. “I don’t think he ever really wanted me to leave the ranch.”
Larry nodded and gently patted her shoulder. “There, there child, he understands. Sometimes fathers think they know everything and then they come to realize they don’t know anything.” He let out his breath. “You’re a smart girl, Sara, follow your heart.” He winked at her.
Sara squinted at him. “Have you asked her out, yet?”
Larry looked surprised and blushed. “No.”
Sara touched his forearm. “You should, Larry, don’t waste any time. She likes you.”
Larry blushed . “Ah, I’m just an old rancher, and she still loves him.”
“Of course she still loves George. You’ll always love Anna. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more love inside of you.”
“ Sara.” Martha rushed into the cafeteria. She was wearing a form fitting top and a blue flowing skirt. Her hair was cropped and curled perfectly around her face. She had on topaz silver dangly earrings and a big necklace to match.
Sara stood and they embraced. Lilac perfume assaulted her and she wondered, again, at how lively Martha seemed.
“My,” she said, gently putting her hand on Sara’s face, “I think she’s gotten even prettier since the last time we saw her.” Martha looked at Larry who nodded his approval.
Sara ’s heart tightened in her chest, and she felt tears behind her eyes. They were some of the kindest people she knew. “You’re just being nice. You always look like a Hollywood actress to me.”
Martha struck a mock pose, clearly liking the attention. “Oh—do go on.”
The music came on and Martha casually took Larry’s hand, leading him into the cha cha. “Where’s that Carey? Is he running late?”
Sara smiled at her students. “I can see you’ve been practicing.” She watched as they easily started into more complicated steps. “You guys are going to be my teachers soon. Wow, you look so good together.” She was amazed to see how much they’d progressed since last spring.
Larry’s face reddened. “She’s made me keep up our lessons so we could show you.”
Martha nodded at Sara happily and kept focused on the steps. “And it’s paid off, darling.”
Sara watched them until the song ended. She paused the music and clapped. “You guys are awesome.”
They walked over to her and looked between each other like teenagers in love for the first time. Sara wondered if she could contain her joy at seeing their happiness.
“So where is he?” Larry rubbed his mustache.
Sara hated this. “He told me at the newspaper yesterday that he wasn’t coming today. He said that he has too much going on this semester.” Sara felt slightly defeated.
“Well, now, that’s okay, sweetheart.” Larry looked at Martha, and Sara knew by the look that he gave her he was unsure of what to do with the emotions he saw on Sara’s face.
“What’s this, sweetheart?” Martha moved to her side, gently touching her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s me you guys.” She rubbed her temples slowly. “He’s not coming because he wants a relationship with me—and I’m just so confused.” She hung her head and the whole story spilled out of her.
When she was done, Martha’s voice was soft. “ I never really liked the guy anyway. He seemed a little too polished.”
Larry nodded his agreement. “Like he wanted to sell me some tires for my old Chevy.” Larry laughed and slapped his leg. “Heck, he just did us all a favor, little lady.”
Sara laughed at Larry’s cheerfulness regarding the
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