The Anniversary (Christian Romance) Read online

  Sadie’s thoughts turned to her eighteenth birthday. She’d almost forgotten—except for the fact that the first time she turned eighteen, she’d had dinner with Sam on Saturday, the night before. But with Sam in a coma, there was no way they would have dinner together—unless she went to him, and that wasn’t going to happen.

  She wondered if the change in events would change her future life. She’d seen Back to the Future enough times to worry about the space-time continuum, and alternating her universe unless she did everything exactly the same as the first time around. But did she really believe in all that stuff from a movie? She almost had to, given her current circumstances. But was it really all that simple?

  CHAPTER 7

  Eleanor walked with her to the diner. She’d begged Sadie to have dinner with her, and since they only just started working, she only had her tips from the previous day with which to treat her friend to a birthday dinner. Eleanor had already asked for the night off when they were hired, and the two of them had agreed to alternate working the lunch and dinner shifts the rest of the week to make up for it.

  When they reached the diner, Sadie couldn’t help but notice how packed it was with their classmates, and thought about how nice it would be to see them again.

  When she opened the door, everyone turned to her and yelled “Surprise!”

  Startled, Sadie nearly knocked Eleanor over when she jumped back.

  “What is this?”

  Eleanor gave her a friendly shove through the door. “I planned this party a couple of weeks ago. Were you surprised?”

  Sadie nodded as they walked into the middle of the crowd of classmates who greeted her with well wishes for her birthday. She couldn’t help but wonder if Eleanor had planned the party the first time she turned eighteen, and she’d spoiled it by having dinner with Sam that night instead.

  “It was a nice surprise. Thank you, Eleanor.”

  As they settled into the booth in the center of the diner, their coworkers brought out trays filled with cheeseburger platters and chocolate milkshakes. Sadie jumped up to help, but Eleanor stopped her.

  “It’s your birthday party, Sadie Marie, and you’re not serving us. I’ll help the girls; you stay put.”

  Sadie didn’t argue, but she felt strange being the center of attention. She looked around at all the familiar faces that she hadn’t seen in fifty years, and surprisingly, was able to remember everyone’s name.

  But then her focus shifted to a handsome young man who sat with a few of the boys from the football team. She couldn’t place him, and wondered if she’d known him from school but just couldn’t remember him now.

  Sharon Fletcher noticed her staring. “He’s dreamy isn’t he?”

  She looked at Sharon, her cheeks warming.

  “Who is he?”

  “He’s Alex’s older brother, Spencer. Don’t you remember him?”

  She leaned in to whisper to Sharon. “What’s he doing at my birthday party?”

  Sharon winked at her. “Maybe he wants to be your birthday present, Sadie Marie!”

  She could feel her cheeks heating up to an uncomfortable shade of crimson.

  When Eleanor returned, Sharon stood up to let her sit at the back of the booth. “I don’t think Sadie likes her birthday gift, Eleanor. Maybe you should have brought her something else.”

  Eleanor scrunched up her face. “What are you talking about, Sharon? You know we agreed to bring her gifts over to her house tomorrow so we wouldn’t embarrass her at the party.”

  Sharon pointed to the boys sitting in the booth behind them.

  Sadie leaned in again to prevent being overheard by everyone else. “Did you invite Alex’s brother to my party?”

  Eleanor furrowed her brow, leering at Sharon.

  “Of course not, Sadie Marie. And he’s not your birthday gift. I’m sure he’s just tagging along with his brother.”

  Sharon inched in a little closer. “We all thought he was dead! Nobody has seen him since he was drafted. I heard he had part of his leg and side blown to bits by a grenade.”

  Sadie’s heart slammed against her chest when she remembered they were at war with Vietnam. She felt sorry for him, knowing that a lot of the boys never made it home unless it was in a pine box.

  Sharon winked at the boys. “From here he looks to be all man.”

  Eleanor clucked at her. “Sharon Fletcher, what would your mother say if she heard you talking like that?”

  Sharon scowled. “Don’t be such a square, Eleanor! That boy is all man, and if none of you ladies want him, I’d be happy to go steady with the likes of him. I bet he’s rough when he kisses; I hear all war heroes are.”

  They all giggled, Sadie’s cheeks heating up with curiosity.

  As they sunk down in the booth, Sadie’s gaze met with Spencer’s, causing her cheeks to flame. Elvis sang Are You Lonesome Tonight on the jukebox in the background as she watched Spencer walk toward her booth. For a fleeting moment, she couldn’t help but think about how truly lonesome she’d been feeling for a lot of years. With his eyes focused on her, he smiled as he approached.

  He held his hand out to her. “May I have a dance with the birthday girl?”

  Eleanor and Sharon squealed, and she flashed them a warning look.

  Sharon tipped her head toward Spencer.

  “She’d love to dance with you. Wouldn’t you Sadie Marie?”

  Sadie swallowed hard and took Spencer’s hand, allowing him to lead her to an area that was blocked off on Friday and Saturday nights for the local teens to use as a dance floor. He walked with a slight limp, but not enough that she’d have noticed it if not for the comments Sharon had made about him just moments ago. She felt sorry for him and wondered if he suffered from shell-shock like so many men did after returning from war.

  Sadie pushed the thoughts of war from her mind as Spencer wrapped his left arm around her waist, and then placed his right hand gently in hers, leading her in a proper waltz. Sadie was impressed by his dancing skills, but her nerves jangled through her bloodstream at the thought of dancing with a man who wasn’t her husband.

  Reminding herself she wasn’t married yet and pasting a smile on her face, she tried to concentrate on the small talk with her dance partner. A dance partner, that was indeed very dreamy as Sharon had pointed out. What was wrong with a little harmless flirtation? She could do whatever she wanted because she wasn’t married to Sam—yet.

  She’d missed out on the chance to date seriously with other guys since she’d jumped right into marriage fresh after graduation. Why had her parents allowed it? Didn’t they have confidence in her to finish college? Or had she been such a spoiled child that her parents always gave in to her every whim? Thinking back on it, the latter had been a more probable explanation.

  Oblivious to the small talk Spencer was trying to engage her in, Sadie’s mind drifted over to the conversation she’d had with her parents the day of their big fight. The day she threatened to run off and elope if they didn’t throw her the big wedding she demanded to have with a boy whom she barely knew. She and Sam had only been dating for a few weeks before he asked her to marry him. And it was only a few weeks after that when they’d walked down the aisle at Saint Anthony’s church to say their vows.

  Feeling regret over not dating other boys when she was in high school, she let go of her thoughts about Sam, feeling more determined than ever to enjoy her first dance with someone other than her would-be husband.

  Spencer held fast to Sadie’s hand as the record changed on the jukebox. It was exciting to let him whirl her around the dance floor. She felt a giddiness that made her wonder if she would have felt that way about any boy she’d dated back then. She couldn’t even remember what it was that made her want to marry Sam in the first place—except maybe inexperience.

  Spencer dipped her as the song ended, and she found herself wishing it wasn’t over. He tipped his head politely and thanked her for the dance, asking if he could reserve another dance before t
he night was over. Sadie eagerly accepted before reluctantly leaving him to go back to her friends.

  Spencer returned to his seat in the booth facing Sadie, and she found it difficult to keep her eyes off the handsome, sandy-haired twenty-one-year-old. Even though she was technically forty-seven years his senior, she couldn’t help but wonder what she’d missed the first time around, and if she dared explore the possibilities this time. Conflicting thoughts roiled in her stomach as she pondered the idea of dating Spencer. Not that he’d asked her yet, but she intended to find out if he was interested.

  No more shy Sadie. This time I’m going to speak up and get what I want out of life.

  Eleanor got up to dance with Alex, and Sharon took the opportunity to grill Sadie about her dance with Spencer. Before they could get too deep into the conversation, Spencer stood up and stepped in to ask Sadie for another dance.

  Elvis sang It’s Now or Never, as Spencer whirled her onto the dance floor. Sadie thought the song was completely appropriate for the situation, and made up her mind to make her move on Spencer. His touch alone made her quiver, and she kept eying his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss them.

  He cleared his throat. “I hope you don’t mind that I crashed your party. If I’d known it was your birthday, I’d have brought you something.”

  Sadie’s heart fluttered at the thought of receiving a gift from this handsome stranger. “You didn’t need to bring me a gift. I’ve had a lot of fun dancing with you. Truthfully, you livened up the party for me.”

  His face heated at her forwardness. “Dancing with you is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for letting me share your birthday with you. But I’d like to see you again.”

  Sadie smiled up at him. “I’d like that too.”

  She had to remind herself that physically, she was only seventeen, though her brain was trying to remind her of her alternate reality. She pushed it down, not wanting anything to interrupt the giddiness she felt. It was nice to be in the arms of a handsome man—especially one so young. Being in his arms when they danced made her feel things she hadn’t felt in many years.

  ****

  As the party guests slowly dwindled, Sadie left Spencer’s side to spend the remainder of her party with her best friend—the very friend she’d arrived with. She felt guilty for ditching her friend a second time, all for the sake of a boy that she could see any time. Her friendship with Eleanor had lasted an entire lifetime. And since she didn’t have her anymore in 2011, she didn’t want to miss another moment with her.

  Sadie hooked her arm in Eleanor’s. “Thanks for the party. I can’t believe I missed this the first time I turned eighteen just so I could have dinner with Sam. I’m sorry if hurt your feelings that night, but I really had no idea you’d planned a party. If I know you, you probably made excuses for me that night to let me off the hook when I told you about my plans with Sam. But it doesn’t matter anymore, because Sam is history as far as I’m concerned.”

  Eleanor face looked hopeful. “Does this mean you’ve given up the silly notion that you and this Sam are married?”

  “We aren’t married yet! And I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.”

  Eleanor was on her heels. “Don’t tell me you still believe you’re from the future.”

  Sadie whipped her head around to face her accuser. “I am from the year 2011. I was already here once. I’m an old woman, and you’re…”

  The look on her friend’s face wouldn’t allow her to finish what they both already knew. Eleanor’s face grew pale, leaving Sadie with a lump of guilt constricting her throat.

  Eleanor pursed her lips. “I don’t know why we’re wasting time arguing about this. Spencer is almost twenty-two years old and he’s been to war for pity’s sake. Your parents will never let you go steady with him.”

  If you really want to get technical, dating him would make me a cougar!

  Glancing at the clock above the door as they exited the diner, a strange feeling hit her suddenly.

  She’d missed her first kiss with Sam.

  CHAPTER 8

  Sadie jumped out of bed with a feeling of newness, knowing that even though she had to work today, it was better than being close to seventy years old. Her life, for some reason, had refreshed itself, and she intended to enjoy every minute of it. She even intended to enjoy her time working the lunch shift at the diner. But she was especially looking forward to her date with Spencer tonight.

  She felt a little guilty for not checking in on Sam at the hospital, but her father had promised her he would let her know if his condition changed. She was grateful her father wasn’t big on asking a lot of questions like her mother would have. She was confident he’d accepted her story about the kids at school wanting an update on his progress since they’d all witnessed him being carted away in the ambulance the night of the spring dance.

  She couldn’t worry about Sam today; she had a job to go to and a new life to start. She was excited about her date later that evening with Spencer, and she wasn’t about to let thoughts of Sam ruin it for her. Her heart sunk at the thought of the visit she knew she had to make after her shift, but she had to set things straight with Sam before she could proceed with Spencer.

  ****

  After being on her feet all afternoon at the diner, Sadie walked the three blocks from the diner to reach the hospital, regretting her decision to remain in her uniform to visit Sam. She was glad Eleanor was asked to put in an extra hour at the diner so she could rehearse what she would say to Sam along the way.

  Eleanor thought she was returning home; she wasn’t up to explaining to her friend that she was about to break up with a guy in a coma who hadn’t actually met her yet. It was too crazy even for her to think about for too long without getting a headache.

  Her heart sped up when she stepped off the elevator and walked toward Sam’s hospital room.

  One of the nurses was on her heels within seconds. “Excuse me Miss, who are you here to see?”

  Sadie turned to answer, recognizing the nurse she’d argued with about seeing Sam only a few days ago.

  The woman didn’t hide her disdain. “He’s been moved to the third floor where he can actually have visitors.”

  Sadie raised an eyebrow. “Did he wake up?”

  Her expression changed. “No, but he seems to be healing. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he wakes up.”

  Sadie offered a quick smile of thanks before returning to the elevator, hoping the nurses on the third floor would be a little more accommodating.

  Stepping out of the elevator once more, she was immediately greeted by a nurse at the front desk who told her to follow the left corridor to room 317.

  Her heart slammed against her chest wall as she tried to recall the words she’d rehearsed while walking to the hospital. Her mind was suddenly frozen, unable to think past the last few feet she needed to travel before seeing her husband again.

  Taking a deep breath, hoping to collect her thoughts before entering his room, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. It didn’t seem fair that she should end things with Sam while he was in a coma, unable to defend himself, but she hoped it would spare him from losing her on their anniversary. Not to mention the fact she knew there was no other way to ease her conscience regarding her desire to explore a relationship with Spencer.

  Poking her head inside the room, she hesitated at the sight of him lying there helpless against what she was about to do. She’d thought about leaving him a few times in recent years, but she didn’t have any skills to fall back on, having skipped college to become his trophy wife.

  His family was well-endowed and the wealth had filtered down to Sam when he’d taken her as a wife. His father had given him one of the many office buildings he owned downtown as a wedding gift, and Sam had acquired more properties as the years wore on. Sam had always kept her out of the family business despite many attempts on her part to become involved in some way. He had been brought up
to understand the same mentality that had been instilled in his father—that the women in the family stayed out of the business and stayed home to keep the house and children in order. Because of this, Sadie was never permitted to venture her interests beyond PTA meetings and the rotary club.

  At first, the lifestyle seemed glamorous, but after years of watching soap operas and changing dirty diapers, she began to sit around in her pajamas most of the day, and overeat from boredom. As the children grew into their own lives, she was left with a downtrodden spirit and a lot of regrets.

  Trying to keep from feeling sorry for him, Sadie lowered herself onto the edge of Sam’s bed. She would do what she came here to do—break up with him. But how could she do that if he wouldn’t wake up?

  She slipped her hand in Sam’s, noting that its warmth was almost electrifying. Old feelings surfaced—feelings of love, regret, loyalty and unhappiness. How could she have so many conflicting thoughts about a man she’d spent her entire adult life with? Was it possible that he would never know her if she never came back to meet him for the first time?

  That’s it! That’s my way out of this mess. If we never meet, then our life together never happens.

  Sadie let his hand drop and jumped from the edge of the bed with a feeling of new hope. Walking away was the easiest way to fix her broken life and would afford her the second chance she craved. She looked back at Sam before exiting his hospital room, wondering if she was making the right decision.

  Hmm…been there, done that!

  CHAPTER 9

  When the doorbell rang, Sadie resisted the urge to race downstairs to get the door, remembering she was in a different time, and ladies didn’t act like that. Her father would greet Spencer, and the two of them would talk for a few minutes, allowing Sadie to make a memorable entrance in order to heighten Spencer’s anticipation of the evening out.