Page 30 of Memories of the Past

I hung up the phone, wondering what she could have meant by it being an exciting day, as her comment about Thomas stopping by to visit ran through my mind. He’d better not have said anything to her about the diary. I placed the phone down on the table and picked up my tea and took a sip, then I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was the funeral. I wasn’t looking forward to going, but I knew that once it was over, Thomas would sell the ranch, and he’d be gone for good, and my life could get back to normal.

* * *

The morning started out hot and sunny, and I found it was a rather warm day for mid-September. I’d gotten up, made breakfast, gotten dressed, and then made my way down to the store and posted a little note in the front window, notifying anyone who stopped by to come back a little past two.

I left Luna lying in the chair in the front window and decided to walk down to the church, meeting up with Peggy along the way. We made it just in time for the ceremony, and once it was over, we all went out into the small cemetery beside the church. Mr. Jenkins was being buried beside his wife, which wasn’t that far from where my parents had been laid to rest many years ago. As we followed behind the crowd, Peggy and I stopped at their graveside. I took a quick minute and walked over so I could remove any dead flowers.

“What happened to them?” Peggy asked.

“Oh, Dad was killed in a ranching accident shortly before I was born, and Mom passed away in a car accident just outside of Willow Valley when I was five. She was hit head on by a drunk driver.”

“So, you’ve lived with Vi since then?”

I nodded. “Yes. I barely can remember my mom, but that is okay, Aunt Vi has been like a mother to me all these years,” I said, stepping back away from the headstone and looking down at their names and softly smiling, just as Thomas walked by us with the minister.

We both watched after them. Thomas walked beside the minister, his head low, not acknowledging either of us. As I stepped onto the walkway, Peggy leaned into me and whispered, “Thomas looks pretty wrecked. Perhaps you should go stand with him during the burial.”

I nodded, and together we began walking over to the graveside where Mr. Jenkins was going to be buried and looked at Thomas. His eyes were red, and he looked more than exhausted. He’d gone through this entire ordeal alone, and even though his relationship with his father had never been that great, it was still his father. I could tell he was hurting, and no matter how I felt toward him, I hated seeing him this way.

“We should get over there,” Peggy said, pulling on my arm and guiding me through the crowd.

It was only a matter of minutes until the minister began speaking in a quiet voice. I felt Peggy nudge my shoulder, and I slowly made my way around to where Thomas was standing and slipped in beside him, thinking of what Aunt Vi had said to me last night, to stop being stubborn. He needed someone, and there was nothing wrong with me being his friend. He kept his hands crossed in front of him and his head down, not making eye contact with anyone, his body visibly tense.

I waited until the minister led us in prayer, so everyone’s heads were bowed, before I reached over and slid my hand into his. Instantly, I felt his large warm hand wrap around mine, and he turned his head slightly to look at me. Then, as if my touch was making him more comfortable, his body visibly calmed and relaxed.

“Thank you,” he mouthed, then softly smiled before he looked back down at the ground in front of him.

We stood that way until the service was over and his father’s casket was lowered into the ground, followed by another prayer. I knew everyone there had their eyes on us and I was happy when the crowd began to break. The minister invited everyone back into the church for a small lunch. As the people made their way back into the church, soon it was only Thomas and me in the cemetery. He just stood there, holding onto my hand, staring down at the casket that had been lowered into the ground.

“Are you ready to go in?” I asked quietly.

Thomas looked up at me and looked around. He seemed surprised that we were the only two still outside. “I was so deep in thought; I didn’t notice everyone had gone.” He turned away from me for a moment and wiped his eyes.

“They just went inside to have some lunch. Are you hungry?” I asked softly. I waited for a response, but one didn’t come. I gave him a moment, then went to tap him on the shoulder, but before I could, he turned back to face me. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him, hugging me tightly. At first, I was shocked, but he didn’t let me go, instead he just held me tight. I slowly brought my arms to his shoulders and returned the hug.

As he let me go, I figured we would head back into the church, but he leaned in and gave me a small kiss on the lips, and the second his lips touched mine, I felt a surge of excitement flood my body.

Before I could stop myself, my lips slowly moved against his, then, as if someone had kicked me, I pulled myself away. Now after that small kiss, I knew every feeling I had ever felt for him was all still there, and so was every reason why I’d never been with anyone else.

“I really should be going,” I whispered, looking around to make sure that no one else had seen what had just happened. The last thing I needed was to have rumors running throughout the town about us.

“Trinity, please…stay with me.”

I shook my head and turned away from him, bringing my hand up to my bottom lip.

“I need you,” he said in a low tone.

I turned around and met his eyes. One look at him told me that he wasn’t asking because of what had just happened; he was asking because he truly needed me.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure as to whether I should, but then I heard Aunt Vi’s words in my mind.“It’s time to stop being so stubborn. People do change.”

“Please,” he begged, holding out his hands toward me. “I’ve faced my entire life alone. Now all of this. I don’t want…I can’t do it anymore.”

His words hit my heart, and I looked down to his large hands that he held out for me to take. Before I could stop myself, I slipped my hand into his. He looked down at me, and with tears in my eyes he pulled me into him. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, we walked back toward the church together.

CHAPTER 13

Thomas

---