Sara's Port, Ch. 13

Chapter 13

The next few hours flew by for both Oliver and Sara as they sat and talked. He asked her about her family and for the first time with anyone, she spoke about the deaths of her parents and all the sadness she left behind in Kentucky. Sara opened up as never before and it was obvious that the handsome young man was eager to hear all about her life. In many ways, it was a relief to finally have someone with her who cared enough to take the time and really listen. It felt so right and natural to tell him everything she kept bottled up for so long that the words just poured out of Sara.

As she talked, Oliver found himself falling more and more in love with the kind hearted woman sitting next to him as he learned about the obstacles she faced and how she bravely moved to Virginia to start a new life. The caring and warm heart he saw in her writing was evident, only magnified as he listened to her talk about the loss of her loved ones.

When it came to her lecherous mentor, he noticed that she didn’t share that part of her life with him, just as she didn't share it online. And Oliver could never pry into such a personal and embarrassing matter, especially with Sara.

If not for discovering her journal, he never would have known about Professor Miller and he suspected the man might have a hand in her disastrous day, but he kept that thought to himself as he listened intently. His own dark thoughts swayed in that direction, but now was not the time to pursue them.

Forgetting all about the movie for the moment, Oliver listened intently to everything she told him. When Sara asked him about himself, he answered that his parents were traveling and his sister lived out of the area, then deftly changed the subject.

“So, you’re alone here really, aren’t you?” He asked kindly.

Sara took another sip of wine and replied, “Yes, well, except for my best friend, Cindy. She works with me. And the Corbins – I live in their guest room. They’ve been really nice to me. That reminds me. I should call and let them know where I am so they won’t worry,” she added.

Handing her the telephone, Oliver waited patiently while she called Jim Corbin’s parents and explained the situation. Never having met the parents, he felt fairly confident and certain that the issue of his first and last names wouldn’t be mentioned, reasoning correctly that everyone would be more concerned about the weather than him.

Watching her on the phone, his thoughts drifted to how soft and creamy her skin seemed and how blue her eyes were. Sighing, he focused on her mouth, fantasizing about what their first kiss would be like.

He resolved that it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon – or at least not until she knew the truth about everything. Oliver was too much of a gentleman and cared far too much about Sara to make such an aggressive move right away.

As soon as she hung up the phone, he asked a question that he was reluctant to ask online.

“Are you going to spend tomorrow – Thanksgiving I mean, with them – your friend, Cindy and the Corbins?” He inquired, concerned about her welfare and the fact that she, too, might be alone for the holiday.

“No,” Sara said, shaking her head. “Cindy’s away at her family’s house, out of state. And, the Corbins – well, they said they’re going to their son’s house tonight before the roads get too bad. They’re having an early dinner with their son and his family. They invited me, but I don’t want to intrude.”

Oliver swallowed hard at the thought of the love of his life spending Thanksgiving alone. ‘Not if I can help it,’ he resolved silently, then an idea occurred to him, something he researched for one of his books, but never actually experienced.

“Would you like to spend Thanksgiving with me if the weather clears?”

He said it in a rush and continued describing a dream day that he imagined for his story characters.

“I was going to take the train into D.C. – to Union Station. It’s open and if you’ve never been there you really should see it. I was going to do it alone,” he lied, only just having thought of it. “Would you like to go with me?”

Sara’s eyes widened at the suggestion. It sounded like so much fun and a really positive alternative to spending the day alone with her memories.

Wanting desperately to take him up on the offer, she hesitated, still feeling a bit guilty about Ollie, but the idea was so tempting and Kelly so far seemed so trustworthy and had been such a perfect gentleman in their time together that she found herself nodding enthusiastically.

“Yes, I’d love to!” She finally answered much to Oliver’s relief. They smiled happily into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

It was only then that they both remembered to watch the video.

Sheepishly retrieving it from the front of the store, Oliver glanced out the window.

“The snow’s coming down harder than ever,” he informed her as he put the video in and poured them both another glass of wine.

Sara looked at him as she took the wine, thinking she was never so glad or thankful for a snowstorm, in her entire life.

Continued in "Sara's Port, Ch. 14"