Chapter Twelve

“How can you speak to me that way, I am your mother!”

Carter maintained his grim face. “You kept her from me. I don’t know why you continue to deny it. Just give me the letters.”

“There are no letters. Why don’t you believe me?”

“Because you’ve never given me a reason to trust you.” He tried again. “Look, if you threw them away, that’s one thing, but if you still have them somewhere I want them now.”

“I have nothing of yours. I’ve given you everything and you treat me like this?”

Carter just shook his head, unable to believe that this mother was really this low of a person.

Finally he said, “We’re getting married. If you don’t like it you don’t have to come. But I will not lose her again.”

With that, Carter left his mother standing in the foyer of the Carter Family Mansion and left through the kitchen. He was nearing his car when he heard something.

“Sir, sir!”

He turned around and saw Sarah, the woman who’d worked for his family for as long as he could remember standing on the steps by the kitchen door.

He walked back over to her. “What is it?”

“Don’t you believe it, sir,” she whispered. “That woman gave me orders to ‘dispose’ of any mail that came here for you from her.”

“She did what?” He never imagined it would come to this.

“But I never did,” she continued. “Come with me.” She led him back into the kitchen and into the pantry, a large room filled with canned good, baking ingredients, and the like. She walked straight over to a can of Quaker Oat Meal, opened the lid, and pulled out a plastic bag full of unopened letters.

Carter looked at her in shock and disbelief. “You did this for me?”

Sarah’s wrinkled face beamed conspiratorially. “And I’d do it again.”

Then she pulled something out of her apron pocket. “This one just arrived.”

Carter took it, thanked her and carried the bagful of letters out to his car.

Carter pulled up in front of Abby’s house at six sharp and noted that her car was also parked on the street. Feeling a little awkward, he knocked on the door. Abby pulled it open and said, “I’ve got to get you a key.” They kissed hello and Carter pulled the bag out from behind his back. “I finally got your letters.”

She stared at them. “When?”

“This morning. It’s a long story. I spent the day reading them, and then I bought you this.”

He held up a small box. It was black velvet and her heart began to skip beats.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

She took a deep breath and took the box from him, and opened it. There, inside, was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. All she could do was stare at it. “Don’t you like it?” He sounded worried.

Her head snapped up and he could see the unshed tears in her eyes. “I love it.”

“Will you wear it?”

She nodded and took it out and put it on. “I will.”

The end.