Sarah's Window by Janice Graham Page A
Authors: Janice Graham
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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Warlord's mane when she heard the stable door creak open and felt a rush of cold air. She heard Billy approach, the sound of his boots muffled by scattered straw, and she peered over Warlord's withers.
"Morning," she said, then disappeared behind the horse's long neck.
"Hi, stranger." His voice was still a little gravelly, not quite awake.
He ducked under the rope and stepped up beside her to give Warlord a firm pat on his neck. He wore a sleeveless down vest over a wool shirt and he smelled like soap.
"Sun wasn't even up when I heard you drive in."
"Sorry. Hope I didn't wake you."
Sarah wound a section of mane around her comb and tugged hard, loosening a strand of horsehair.
"You gonna ride him?"
"Planning on it."
"That's good."
"It's just been so cold."
"He still needs to be ridden."
"I know."
"And so do I."
She avoided his eyes, then, abruptly, dipped under Warlord's neck and disappeared on the other side of the animal.
"I'm sorry," he said then, and there was honest contrition in his voice. "That was crude."
"Yes. It was. And not at all like you."
He laid his hand on the chestnut Arab's muzzle and stroked him fondly. "You've been avoiding me."
She had moved around to the horse's rear and had begun combing out the tail.
"Sorry."
There was a pause, and Warlord turned his big head around and eyed the two of them.
Billy answered, "Would you like to elaborate on that a little?"
She paused, then came around to face him.
She looked down at the comb in her hands. "Maybe it's just, well, things got off to such a quick start..."
"You didn't seem to feel that way a few months ago."
She was still avoiding his gaze.
"What is it? Be honest with me. You been seein' somebody else?"
She shook her head emphatically.
"No."
"Where you been evenings? I call and your grandpa says you're gone."
She shook her head again.
"I'm there. I'm just up in my room."
"I thought so."
She shrugged. "It's not that he's lying, it's just he knows I won't answer if he calls. And so he says I'm not there."
"You're too withdrawn, Sarah."
"It's just winter. Winter does it to me."
"What better time than winter to come to my bed?"
He did not try to touch her, but when she looked up she met his dark eyes and felt the passion surge again, and she was so relieved that tears came to her eyes.
"Oh, Billy..."
She reached out and stroked his jaw, and he kissed the palm of her hand.
"Come on," he said gruffly, and she dropped the comb onto the stall floor and followed him out of the barn.
But after they made love, she was in a hurry to leave him. He mistook her impatience for enthusiasm. The sun had come out strong, and the March wind held just the faintest hint of spring, and she was eager to ride.
She warmed up Warlord in the arena, and then, against Billy's advice, took him out on the open range. He was strong and full of pent-up energy, and she had to work to keep him contained; but the struggle did her good, and she wore him down and wore herself down, and came back in the afternoon, both of them exhausted. Billy was furious at her, told her that even though the horse was hers now, and he wouldn't go back on his word, if she did that again he'd never let her up on his back. But she only laughed and said she'd come in the dead of night to ride him if she had to.
CHAPTER 17
When two particles interact with each other, they exchange energy and/or momentum.
K . C. COLE, FIRST YOU BUILD A CLOUD AND OTHER REFLECTIONS ON PHYSICS AS A WAY OF LIFE
It had been three weeks since she had closed the door on John Wilde, but he had struck a presence in her heart that she could not erase. There had been only little Will to bring them together, and Will had been put back in the hospital for an indefinite period. She knew there would be no continuation of what had begun, that the stirrings in their hearts would be left to slowly wither and die with time. And yet the days passed by with a kind of renewed hope for some vague,
"Morning," she said, then disappeared behind the horse's long neck.
"Hi, stranger." His voice was still a little gravelly, not quite awake.
He ducked under the rope and stepped up beside her to give Warlord a firm pat on his neck. He wore a sleeveless down vest over a wool shirt and he smelled like soap.
"Sun wasn't even up when I heard you drive in."
"Sorry. Hope I didn't wake you."
Sarah wound a section of mane around her comb and tugged hard, loosening a strand of horsehair.
"You gonna ride him?"
"Planning on it."
"That's good."
"It's just been so cold."
"He still needs to be ridden."
"I know."
"And so do I."
She avoided his eyes, then, abruptly, dipped under Warlord's neck and disappeared on the other side of the animal.
"I'm sorry," he said then, and there was honest contrition in his voice. "That was crude."
"Yes. It was. And not at all like you."
He laid his hand on the chestnut Arab's muzzle and stroked him fondly. "You've been avoiding me."
She had moved around to the horse's rear and had begun combing out the tail.
"Sorry."
There was a pause, and Warlord turned his big head around and eyed the two of them.
Billy answered, "Would you like to elaborate on that a little?"
She paused, then came around to face him.
She looked down at the comb in her hands. "Maybe it's just, well, things got off to such a quick start..."
"You didn't seem to feel that way a few months ago."
She was still avoiding his gaze.
"What is it? Be honest with me. You been seein' somebody else?"
She shook her head emphatically.
"No."
"Where you been evenings? I call and your grandpa says you're gone."
She shook her head again.
"I'm there. I'm just up in my room."
"I thought so."
She shrugged. "It's not that he's lying, it's just he knows I won't answer if he calls. And so he says I'm not there."
"You're too withdrawn, Sarah."
"It's just winter. Winter does it to me."
"What better time than winter to come to my bed?"
He did not try to touch her, but when she looked up she met his dark eyes and felt the passion surge again, and she was so relieved that tears came to her eyes.
"Oh, Billy..."
She reached out and stroked his jaw, and he kissed the palm of her hand.
"Come on," he said gruffly, and she dropped the comb onto the stall floor and followed him out of the barn.
But after they made love, she was in a hurry to leave him. He mistook her impatience for enthusiasm. The sun had come out strong, and the March wind held just the faintest hint of spring, and she was eager to ride.
She warmed up Warlord in the arena, and then, against Billy's advice, took him out on the open range. He was strong and full of pent-up energy, and she had to work to keep him contained; but the struggle did her good, and she wore him down and wore herself down, and came back in the afternoon, both of them exhausted. Billy was furious at her, told her that even though the horse was hers now, and he wouldn't go back on his word, if she did that again he'd never let her up on his back. But she only laughed and said she'd come in the dead of night to ride him if she had to.
CHAPTER 17
When two particles interact with each other, they exchange energy and/or momentum.
K . C. COLE, FIRST YOU BUILD A CLOUD AND OTHER REFLECTIONS ON PHYSICS AS A WAY OF LIFE
It had been three weeks since she had closed the door on John Wilde, but he had struck a presence in her heart that she could not erase. There had been only little Will to bring them together, and Will had been put back in the hospital for an indefinite period. She knew there would be no continuation of what had begun, that the stirrings in their hearts would be left to slowly wither and die with time. And yet the days passed by with a kind of renewed hope for some vague,
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