• Chapter Four

    On Sunday Sarah treated herself to a mini-spa day since it was her day off. First she bathed in homemade oils to help relax her from the stresses of the week. After her bath she wrapped herself in a silk robe before stepping into her garden to drink her tea. She shut her eyes against the cool breeze that was coming from the sea. However, her peace was disturbed by the ringing of her house phone. She sighed heavily as she walked back into her home already knowing who was calling her. Sarah tiredly picked up the receiver, “Hello mother.”

    “Oh, Sarah dear! How are you?” came her mother’s overly cheerful voice.

    “I’m all right, how are you?”

    “Oh I’m just fabulous. Jerry and I have just come back from Paris. It was so lovely there.”

    “Well I’m glad you had fun.”

    “Oh! By the way the reason I called is because we will be coming to visit in a couple of weeks. I wanted to ask you to stop this foolish witch nonsense. You shouldn’t linger on that man’s foolishness.”

    “Nonsense, that man’s foolishness? It is not nonsense mother. My father protected this island and us with his gift even after you divorced him. It is not nonsense to take pride in his legacy and I won’t stop being who I am just because you are bringing your new husband to my father’s island.”

    “Sarah Ann Ripley! How dare you speak to me like that!” her mother said appalled.

    “I will speak however I like when you insult my father in such a way!” Sarah said angrily.

    “I am still your mother—“

    “And I am a grown woman. Do what you want mother, but I won’t just let you talk about him to me in that way. I’m hanging up now so I can calm down I suggest that you make sure you want to come and visit.” Sarah slammed the receiver down and went upstairs to dress, so much for having a relaxing day. Once dressed she drove down to the old cemetery and stood at the headstone of her father and his mother. She laid a lily on her grandmother’s grave and some peppermint leaves on her father’s. God how she missed them.

    Max had decided to take a walk around the village to try and take his mind off of the enticing blonde that lived on the cliffs. He wasn’t having much luck in that department. Something seemed to be pulling him toward her since the moment he had arrived to the island. There was always a pulse, like a strong heartbeat he thought, in the air when he was around her that almost frightened him as much as it intrigued him. He sighed running a hand through his hair shaking his head. There he went again, his mind wandering off into fantasies. That was something that he didn’t need when thinking about Sarah Ripley. The author frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets brooding as he walked past the old cemetery not hearing the soft sound of crying that died in the cold wind that picked up.


    Three days passed and Sarah found herself in the company of Max Keaton once again. Pizza boxes laid on the floor with the pair in the living room. A storm had rolled in and Sarah invited Max to stay in a guest room for the night as she didn’t feel comfortable sending him out in such hazardous conditions.

    Max smirked as he grabbed another slice of pizza, “I have to say I didn’t peg you for a meat lover.”

    “Oh? And why is that?” she asked popping a piece of sausage in her mouth.

    “I don’t mean to sound offensive but you must work out to keep yourself looking so great.”

    “Actually I don’t exercise. I fail to see what it has to do with my preference on pizza, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”

    He chuckled, “I’m glad…” he paused, “So any boyfriends I should know about?”

    She smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Why? Are you interested?”

    He returned her smirk, “I might be… and I don’t want to be killed by a jealous man.”

    Sarah smiled now, “Well you don’t have to worry about a jealous man coming to kill you, I have no boyfriend.” She glanced to the clock, it read twelve-thirty. “It’s late, I’ll show you to the guest room.”

    Max helped her clean up the pizza boxes and followed her upstairs. She smiled and was about to say goodnight when he stopped her. “You can hit me for this later,” he murmured as he pinned Sarah to a wall and kissed her. The woman yielded in his arms giving back to the almost desperate kiss driving the kiss to newer depths of passion. He pulled back when they needed air both of them a bit shaky. He slowly backed away not trusting himself to be so close while his blood burned like this.

    Sarah slowly came to her senses her face still flushed from the intensity of the kiss. “Goodnight Max…” was all she could manage before she retreated to her own room and surrendering to a night of fitful sleep.