I froze as my heart dropped into my stomach, the weight of the news pulling me toward the floor. Clara…the woman who meant so much to Jack, who meant so much to us all, was gone.
“How?” I asked, my voice thin and far away.
Jack didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he moved past me, over to the window that overlooked the broad oak trees and the dusty road beyond. “Heart attack,” he said, hardly able to choke out the words. “I thought she was sleeping… I tried everything I could to save her, but there was nothing I could do.”
I stood there, my heart aching for the pain he was in, for the loss of Clara who was like a mother to us all, and for the oncoming storm I knew was about to hit.
The news of Clara’s death spread like wildfire. The whole town seemed to sink into a quiet sorrow, but no one more than Jack. He kept himself busy with work, avoiding everyone, even me. He grew distant, lost in his thoughts and grief. I tried to draw him out, but he seemed locked in a fortress of his own making.
Time ticked by slowly, each minute an agonizing eternity. And somewhere amidst the sorrow, a terrible thought took root in my mind, one I dared not utter aloud—would Clara’s death spark Ellie’s return?
Then one morning, I received a phone call from Matthew down at the dock letting me know that a woman was there, andthat Jack had taken her for a ride in his boat. That’s when I knew. Ellie was back.
When Jack got home from work that evening, I was in the middle of making supper.
“You’re late,” I said as he walked through the front door. I handed him a glass of sweet tea and kissed him on the lips.
Jack eased into his favorite chair. “Sorry. I stopped at the cemetery to talk to George.”
“Everything okay?”
He tipped his head in a yes.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Supper’s almost ready. We’re having your favorite—pot roast with potatoes and carrots.” I checked on supper and returned a moment later. “So, a little birdie told me Ellie’s back in town. You haven’t seen her, have you?”
Jack looked up and eyed me suspiciously. “No, but you knew she’d come…for the funeral.”
“Nevertheless, I imagine it’s only a matter of time before she comes looking for you.”
Jack narrowed his brows at me. “What makes you say that?”
“I may be a lot of things, Jack, but naïve isn’t one of them. I remember how crazy she was about you.”
Jack upended his tea glass before responding with an edge in his voice. “That was a long time ago, Sara.”
“Regardless, you know what they say about old flames.”
“Are we really going to have this conversation again? Like I’ve told you countless times, Ellie and I are ancient history. Whatever fire may have existed burned out long ago.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” I shot him a look of warning. “For your sake, and for hers.”
The following morning, I slept in while Jack went down into the kitchen to make breakfast. When I finally joined him, he was halfway through his plate of food.
“I was thinking,” he said as he chewed, “maybe after the funeral, we could get out of here and spend a few days in the mountains.”
“The mountains? What brought this on?”
He shrugged. “We’ve both been busy lately, me at the dock and you with your mother. I just thought we could use some time away, that’s all.”
“And you promise this has nothing to do with Ellie?”
“Promise.”
“In that case…” I went over and sat on his lap, straddling him and wrapping my arms around his neck. “Some time away would be nice.” After kissing him passionately, I stood up and began to clear the breakfast dishes.