Written by Scooplet
Concept by Cheryl and Scooplet
Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters are the property of Shoot the Moon Productions and Warner Bros. Television. No copyright infringement intended. Not for commercial use. Sarah Stetson and Matt Granger are my creation, however, so please respect my right to claim ownership of them—I do not authorize permission to use them in stories not authored by me.
Note on this story: many of you reading my alternative universe stories of Sarah, Matt, and the rest of the Stetson family will note that the focus is more on Sarah and Matt than on Lee, Amanda, and the rest of the characters I feature from Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I appreciate your kind words of encouragement as I have carried them all through this story arc. As you read through this three-part tale, you'll note this story moves even further away from Lee and Amanda's story. After all, it fits with the natural progression of Sarah's character (as well as the natural progression of Lee's and Amanda's characters). Additionally, my goal in writing this was to try my hand at fiction writing. I took a two-year break from this story arc to begin work on my ultimate goal: a story that is of my own creation (something you won't find at ). Partway through, however, I found I missed Sarah and Matt and wished to take them further on their journey. So, I began work on I Know He Watches Me and one year later, here it is—parts two and three will be published in the next month or so. As always, I'm grateful for your support and encouragement. Blessings to you!
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I Know He Watches Me, Part One
Chapter One
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
-From "His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Civilla D. Martin
January 2012
He hated waiting for checked baggage.
There was no telling how long his suitcases would take to arrive on the carousel—but he had special items that could not have been carried onboard the aircraft. A private jet was not an option. It was essential he appear to be a normal traveler. And he did have a car waiting. The others would have to drag their skis and bags all the way to the car rental counter before they could get to their rides. That would give him a head start.
Once he had his bags and was seated in the car, he was pleased to see that the driver was someone he had worked with before. Not bad for a spur-of-the-moment arrangement. This driver was professional enough to speak only when necessary and give him the space he needed to think. There would be others who would distract him soon enough.
After waiting in a parking lot for forty-five minutes his phone buzzed. This was a critical call. "Subjects spotted entering the toll road near the car rental facilities. Driving American-made SUV. Heading west."
They no longer had to rely on the cameras to guide them. His people knew what car they were driving. Now they just needed to confirm the destination. "Could you read their mouths on the cameras? Did they talk with the agent? Where are they headed?"
"Still no information on that, sir." There was hesitation in his contact's voice.
"You have something to say." It was a statement. This contact was perhaps the smartest and most reliable he had worked with—he had requested her—so he wanted to know what she was thinking.
"Do you not think it odd, sir, that the subject has managed to hide his destination from us? Usually these Americans tell their friends, use Google for researching their travel plans, that sort of thing. He has managed to stay completely under the radar. I'd venture to say he's being purposeful."
"You have spent time enough in the U.S. You have heard about American weddings and those trips—honeymoons—they take. You must know that Americans often don't tell people where they are going after the wedding." He did not understand the need for privacy in a culture where the people displayed their entire lives on social media sites. It was a contradiction he could not fathom. But then this subject was under the radar on social media as well. It was one of the reasons why they had chosen him and his friend. Both men were not visible.
"I acknowledge that while his lack of visibility is an asset, it does make him suspect. We will have to press him and see how he responds. If he is an operative, we will know right away."
"We have our snipers ready for deployment."
His brow furrowed. He wanted to think he was not so ruthless as to kill a man on his honeymoon. Or kill a newly married couple. That was distasteful to him. He had grown to respect the subject's principles. While they were still gaining intelligence on his wife, she seemed above reproach as well. At least for an American woman. He liked to think that he was a fair man. She had not grown up in the same culture as his wives. And she was quite lovely.
"I am hoping they will not be necessary. I have another plan in mind." No, he was not a machine. As long as they did not know of his real identity, they would be spared. "Just make sure they do not see you. If he is intelligence, it could jeopardize our operation."
"No one is following them except us. And we are relying on cameras, so they cannot see us."
"Very good. Contact me when you know more." He leaned back in his seat and relaxed, grateful for the driver.
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A dream fading into the recesses of her memory, Sarah Stetson gradually attuned to her surroundings. With her eyes still closed, she became aware of the smooth, cool sheets beneath her. At some point she had turned on her stomach in her sleep, one hand under her pillow and the other by her side. She reached out with that hand for Matt…
Finding the bed beside her empty, her mind cleared. She was Sarah Granger now, and her husband, Matt Granger, who had definitely been in bed with her earlier that morning, was somewhere else in the condominium they had rented for the week in Winter Park, Colorado.
The lofty ceiling of the bedroom allowed two levels of windows to dominate one wall. While the shutters were closed on the lower windows, muted morning light coming through the upper windows revealed snow falling outside.
From downstairs, perhaps the kitchen, came the sound of metal clinking lightly on porcelain. Matt is probably eating a bowl of cereal. Her stomach growled at the thought, but she was distracted as an image of her husband flashed across her mind.
It was their wedding night, and she was watching him join her on the bed in her parents' cabin. He was telling her something about how beautiful she was, but the pleasurable sensation of his caresses in places where no one had ever touched her before made it hard to concentrate on his words. The gentleness of his hands, shaking a little, had eased her shyness. He was beautiful, too, and vaguely she remembered telling him so. But she had been caught up in the wonder of the moment and could not be certain what she had said. Then he had worried that he was hurting her, but at the end the momentary discomfort had been forgotten. Afterwards they had lain in each other's arms, too overwhelmed by their new intimacy to speak.
The next day they had traveled to Colorado—catching a plane to Denver and then making the drive into the mountains in their rented SUV. About an hour from Winter Park, Matt had pulled off the highway.
Dozing lightly in the warm car, Sarah was suddenly wide awake. "Why are we stopping?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm starved, and this restaurant is an old family favorite. Is that okay?" Matt's tone was somewhat apologetic.
Sarah wondered if he was still concerned about pleasing her. She determined to set his mind at ease. "I love going to 'old family favorites.' You know that."
Perhaps a little relieved, Matt grinned in response. "My dad's parents took him here when he was a kid, and my dad took our family here every time we went skiing over the years."
"Sounds like fun. You're the tour guide. And come to think of it, I'm hungry, too."
The steaks and baked potatoes at the Mountain Top Inn had been delicious, but the travel-weary Sarah had been relieved to see the signs for Winter Park. However, they had agreed ahead of time to drive up the road to the grocery store and stock up on food before going to the condominium. This morning Sarah was glad they had made the extra effort, as now Matt had been able to eat breakfast. It must be late, she thought as she glanced up at the windows again. She began to feel guilty for lounging the day away.
Throwing back the covers, Sarah scrambled from the bed and made her way to the bathroom.
Having braided her long dark hair and dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms, she was brushing her teeth when out of the corner of her eye she saw a pile of clothes—both hers and Matt's—land with a thump on top of their large suitcase. Then Matt appeared in the doorway.
"Good morning, sleepyhead." He grinned at her, the smile reaching his eyes as it always did when he was genuinely happy.
Sarah spit and rinsed her mouth, watching Matt in the mirror as she dried her face. He seemed more at ease than she had ever seen him. He leaned against the doorjamb, his dark blond hair shining golden under the recessed lights. His day-old beard, something she had rarely seen on Matt, was light-colored, too.
Realizing she was staring, Sarah spoke belatedly. "Good morning. I'm sorry I slept so long."
He took the extra few steps to the sink and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Don't be sorry. I'm glad you got the chance to rest."
Leaning back against Matt now, Sarah sighed happily. "It does feel nice to have slept in for a change." Looking at their reflection in the mirror, Sarah thought she did not seem as thin as she had a week or two earlier. It did not help that Sarah was tall—she always had felt that exaggerated her slim figure. Matt, who was several inches taller than she was and rather muscular, had never seemed to mind her height. She imagined it was because his mother and sisters were tall. He only complained about her slim figure if she lost weight. In fact, he had said a lot of nice things about her figure over the last two days.
Matt's slight movement brought Sarah back to the present. He glanced over at the clothes. "We were kind of busy when we got here last night. Your husband insisted on keeping you up late." Grinning, he stared back at her in the mirror, his eyes twinkling.
"As I recall, after you carried me and our luggage inside, we barely got the groceries in the fridge before…" Sarah did not have the nerve to finish her sentence.
"I made you stand in the foyer while I swept the place for surveillance equipment and bugs. That was romantic." He offered her a sheepish grin.
"Trust me. I'm used to it," she rejoined, her expression sardonic. "One of my parents did that every time we entered a hotel room when I was a kid." Her eyes locked with his. "And you weren't the only one who wasn't sleepy last night."
"You were merely helping me out of all of those extra clothes. It was warm in here." He squeezed his arms tighter around her and bent his head to kiss her shoulder. "And you were so irresistible."
Sarah blushed at the memory of the two of them as they had made their way upstairs the night before. While he had been nervous the first time, Matt seemed to be rapidly gaining confidence when it came to their lovemaking. "You couldn't help waking up at your usual time, even though it was still dark here."
"It was nice that you were very much awake, too," he murmured against her neck. Sarah was about to agree with him, but her stomach growled and he pulled back. "I'm being selfish. It's after nine a.m. and you haven't eaten anything since dinner last night." He took her hand. "Let's go downstairs. You can eat some cereal while I make us smoothies. I've already got everything ready to go."
"Wait." Sarah pulled away and reached for the prescription on the bathroom counter. Matt seemed to accept the concept of birth control without embarrassment, but Sarah was still not used to the idea of needing it. She blushed and offered Matt a crooked smile before removing one of the pills from the package and swallowing it. She cupped her hand under the sink and brought a little water to her mouth.
Matt grimaced as he watched. "I don't know how you can swallow those so easily."
"They're small. No big deal." Grabbing a sweatshirt and stepping into her slippers, Sarah followed Matt from the room and down the stairs. "What are we going to do today? I was hoping to look around the town a little."
"It's supposed to stop snowing soon. I thought it might be fun to go for a short hike on the trail behind us here."
In the kitchen now, Sarah gave a little clap. "Oh, I'd love that." She peered out the windows to the mountain scene behind their condominium. The clouds were already lifting, no longer obscuring their view of the peaks. "It's so beautiful. I love how the mountains look with the snow falling on them. Kind of misty and mysterious."
His eyes followed hers. "They are beautiful. We picked a good day to stay off the slopes. The snow will stop down here first." He squeezed her shoulders and kissed her hair before going to the refrigerator to get the ingredients for their breakfast.
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Leaning back in his office chair, Lee Stetson stretched his long legs and sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his silver hair.
"Making any progress?" Amanda Stetson stood in the doorway of their shared office, two coffee mugs in her hands.
"I wish I could say yes." He stood up to take the mugs from her. After placing them on the desk, he wrapped his arms around his wife and rested his chin on her hair. His voice was contemplative. "What do you suppose Sarah and Matt are doing today? The weather report said it was snowing there."
"Really? You're checking the weather report? And do you really want the answer to that question, Scarecrow? It's their honeymoon. You know what people do on their honeymoon." She tried to pull away, but he held her close.
"Refresh my memory." He bent to kiss her on the lips, but after one kiss she managed to push away. "Hey!" He frowned. "Why the cold shoulder?"
"Because you and I have work to do. We have a deadline, mister." Her tone softened. "And I kissed you back. That's hardly the cold shoulder."
Lee offered her a saucy grin as Amanda took a seat at the extra desk they had managed to fit into the office. It was a little crowded, but they were glad to be able to close the door on their work at the end of the day. Lee had wanted to move their consulting business into the apartment above the garage, but Sarah had just moved out and the rooms continued to hold memories of Dotty.
Still grieving her mother at the second anniversary of her death last spring, Amanda had not been willing to make changes to her apartment when Lee had broached the issue. Then Sarah had moved into the apartment in May. Eight months later Sarah's wedding had been a cause for celebration in the family, but it had still been bittersweet for Lee and Amanda. The baby of the family was a married woman now, perhaps having children of her own in a few years. Lee knew Amanda needed time to adjust to the changes in their lives.
Already busy going over their notes at her desk, Amanda spoke without looking up. "Lee, did you know that our client had connections at the University of Virginia?"
He looked up, curiosity in his eyes. "Sure. Advanced Systems consults with UVa from time to time. A lot of tech companies do. Why?"
Amanda looked off into space, fiddling with her pencil. "Well, I seem to remember that Matt was spending time at UVa in December."
Lee's gaze narrowed. "I think that was need to know. We're no longer need to know."
"He mentioned it casually. Sarah knows about it, too. He never said what he was doing there. But he has an engineering degree."
He sat back in his chair, considering her words. "Why are you making this connection?"
"AST is concerned about security issues, right? They hired us because they are eager to get clearance with the DOD. If there is something going on at UVa and AST is connected in any way, even by association, it could mean trouble."
"I could call Francine, but I doubt she'd tell me anything. We could nose around on our own."
Amanda sat up straight. "And possibly compromise an operation. Not only might that endanger operatives, such as our son-in-law, but it might give our reputation a black eye."
Lee scrunched up his nose. "You're right."
"It's a different world out there, anyway. Our old style of getting things done won't work anymore."
"But we do know how to use our resources. We have Phillip's buddy Ralph." He frowned. "Although I wish we could use Phillip or Emily Farnsworth, instead of a civilian who doesn't have their training."
"Emily?"
"Well, not Emily, but her team. Tristan and Margaret have people who can ferret out information."
"You know we can't ask them or Phillip. They aren't allowed to help us." Amanda grew thoughtful. "Speaking of Emily… Lee, did she look well to you at the wedding?"
Lee's face clouded. "I was just thinking about that. She seemed fine until after dinner. Did you notice, too? She seemed to need help walking out—more than usual."
"Perhaps we should check on her."
"We should." Lee scooted back in his chair, playing with his phone before making the call. "You know, Amanda, we need an IT person. Phillip's buddy Ralph has been great, but he's not always available."
"He was available last week and we weren't. We had a wedding."
"A full-time IT person is what I'm thinking about."
"Lee, we're not ready for that. It's going to be at least a year before we could pay someone enough to work full-time."
Lee sighed. "You're right. I know it. But maybe we could plan to hire someone."
"Okay. That's a good idea. When the time comes, we can ask Phillip and Jamie if they have any recommendations." She focused back on the report in front of her, absent-mindedly winding her shoulder-length dark hair into a bun and fastening it with a hairband from her desk. "After we call the Bates and check on Emily."
Rolling his eyes, Lee picked up his cell phone. "I'll do it. I'll do it." He blew her a kiss to ease the tension and focused on making the call.
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Settling back in the chairlift, Matt shifted a little closer to Sarah and placed an arm over her shoulders. She turned to him for a kiss and leaned against him. He smiled at the gesture.
"This is the most relaxed I've ever seen you, Sarah." He gave her shoulders a squeeze.
"That's because you've been easy on me."
"I wasn't talking about the skiing. But while we're on the subject, I think you're ready for a mogul run."
"This is only our first day on the slopes. And I knew what you meant." She sighed. "I'm enjoying being with you. It's the longest we've been alone together—really alone—since we've met."
"It's going to be hard going back." He squeezed her shoulders again. "But we won't think about that. How about a sandwich up at the top? The sun is out, the wind isn't bad, and it's not too cold. We can call your folks from up there before we take the next run."
Sarah leaned away a little and craned her neck to look at Matt. "Why do you want to call my folks?"
He shrugged. "I thought you might want to, since it's Tuesday already. We don't have to call anyone."
"I love my parents, Mr. Granger. But I'm alone with my husband on our honeymoon. My mom doesn't expect us to call and my dad doesn't need the encouragement to worry about us."
Offering her an indulgent smile, he intoned, "As you wish."
She laughed. "Oh, please don't start up with that again. We should never have watched that DVD yesterday evening. You know as many quotes from that movie as Phillip does."
"I like that movie. It was one of the few movies I actually enjoyed watching with my sisters. And it gave you and me something else to do besides…"
Sarah did not give Matt a chance to finish his sentence. "…that was a wonderful hike yesterday, wasn't it? And the dinner at the German restaurant last night was very good."
Chuckling, Matt kissed the top of Sarah's head. "I'd bet money you're blushing under that scarf. We're on a ski lift, Sarah. No one can hear us."
"I just feel funny talking about it." Her voice was so soft Matt had to strain to hear her. "But don't think I'm not enjoying it. I love you. You are amazing."
"I love you, too. More than ever." After kissing her on the lips this time, Matt sat up straight and scooted over a few inches. "Here we are."
"That was a long lift."
"It is a long one. But it seemed to go quickly with you next to me." He winked at her just as they skied away from the chair.
An hour later they were poised at the top of a run. The crowds had been light that day, and this run was especially empty. Matt ran his skis up alongside Sarah's and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now don't stand there thinking about it. Just go for it. Take one mogul at a time and don't worry about how far down you have to go or how far you've come. I know you can do this."
Sarah was not sure why she had let Matt talk her into the mogul run. She could barely make it down the black diamond slopes that did not have moguls, and that had been at an easy pace. But since she had met him, she had perfected some of her martial arts skills, built up her upper body strength, and gained self-confidence. Matt was, for all intents and purposes, her self-designated personal trainer. He had not led her astray yet. Besides, she wanted to have something to boast about at the bottom of the hill. Matt had already proven he was the better skier on more than one run. Letting her competitive side take over, Sarah pushed off with her poles and tackled the first mogul, turning into the next one immediately after.
Vaguely aware of Matt's encouraging calls from somewhere on the slope, Sarah was halfway down the run when she stopped to rest. Despite her daily running regimen, the muscles in her thighs were burning. Glancing around for Matt, she spotted him near the edge of the hill, watching her. Just as she was about to push off again, another skier caught her eye. It was a man in nondescript dark ski attire, who had paused halfway down the run next to theirs. He seemed to be watching Matt until he saw her looking in his direction. Then he skied past the trees and was out of sight.
Matt caught her attention once again. "Come on, hon," he called. "You're halfway there."
"I've got it," she shouted back. Sarah pushed off again, not stopping until she had reached the bottom of the slope. Weary, she leaned on her poles and gazed back up at the hill.
"You did it!" Matt joined her, carefully aligning his skis next to hers so he could give her a hug. Pulling away, he searched her face. "I'm thinking the Jacuzzi sounds good right now. Ready to head back to the condo after we hit the bottom of the mountain?"
"I'm thinking you'll always think the Jacuzzi sounds good." Sarah smirked.
Matt pretended to be offended. "Hey. I was just worried about you having sore muscles. We've been skiing for hours. And I happen to like that Jacuzzi." His eyes twinkled. "Besides, it's nice and private."
She raised her eyebrows but did not respond to the Jacuzzi comment. "Actually, I remember there being a lift just down the hill from here. Could we ride that lift and then head down to the bottom of the mountain from there? It seems a little early to go back."
"As you wish." He chuckled as Sarah rolled her eyes, and then pushed back with his poles. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping we could do that. There are some nice runs over there." He looked at her sharply. "As long as you aren't too tired. They are kind of fast."
"I'm game if you are. If we drive up to Lake Granby one day this week, we'll only have a day or two more to ski. Let's make the most of it."
"Let's do it, then. But we should take the beginner slope to the lift. Sit back a little on your skis and let your legs recover from the moguls."
"Yes, sir." With that, Sarah pushed off and headed down the slope at an easy pace.
A half an hour later they were at the top of the other chair lift. As Matt bent to check his bindings, Sarah noticed a man who appeared to be the same one who was watching Matt earlier. She pretended not to notice him and leaned down to brush imaginary snow off of Matt's back.
Turning her head slightly so the man could not see her lips moving, she spoke quietly. "Matt. Have you seen a guy in a dark bib and jacket following us?"
"Honey, there are a lot of men in dark ski jackets here."
"I know. But I saw him watching you earlier. And I just saw him again."
Matt stood up and gently took her arm. "We've had a lot to worry about in the last year. I was hoping we could keep our minds off of that sort of thing this week. You were so relaxed earlier. Don't forget that men are always going to stare at you. You're a beautiful woman."
"But Matt, he was staring at you," Sarah protested.
"Maybe he knows me from somewhere." He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. "Try not to worry, sweetie. Let's enjoy this last run. I'll keep my eyes peeled." His eyes twinkled at her. "I have to admit I've been watching you all day, not the men."
Sarah knew Matt was right. Except for the mogul run, she too had only had eyes for Matt that day. They both felt as if they had just fallen in love all over again. She did not want to spoil that honeymoon mood with unnecessary worrying. Soon they were making their way down a ski run, passing each other as they turned back and forth down the hill.
At the end of that run, Sarah spotted a smooth slope to their left. She was feeling confident and in the mood for a little speed. She raised her voice a little to get Matt's attention. "You up for a race?"
His eyebrows lifted. "Sure." He skied up alongside her. "If I win…" He looked from side to side and whispered in her ear, delighting in seeing her blush as he pulled away.
Two can play that game, she reasoned. "You've got it, Mr. Granger. And if I win…" She leaned in to whisper her reply.
He raised his eyebrows again. "Mrs. Granger, you've got a deal." Laughing, he pushed away with his poles.
They were heading straight down the slope, neck and neck, when Sarah veered to the left to avoid a particularly steep stretch. Matt continued on and pulled out ahead. Knees bent low, Sarah tucked in tight and picked up speed until she was almost abreast of Matt. He glanced over at her before changing his path a moving away a little to the right. Suddenly she was aware of another skier—or was it a snowboarder?—over her right shoulder.
"Sarah! Heads up!" Matt was standing up straight on his skis now, trying to get her attention.
But it was too late. First her skis were clipped from behind, and she felt an arm slam into her upper back as the snowboarder fought for control. Then Sarah's body was hitting the slope hard, flipping over before spinning around on the slow. She finally stopped as her skis, still attached to her boots, ran into the soft snow at the edge of the run.
She lay still for several seconds, too stunned to move as the chill from the snow slowly seeped through her outerwear. Faintly, she heard her name being called, but the shock of the fall prevented her from responding. Her back ached where she had been hit, although the pain was subsiding. Miraculously, her legs did not hurt and she had not blacked out. One pole strap had managed to stay looped around her wrist, but the other pole was missing. Slowly she brought her skis around so they were downhill from her head and she sat up. A light spray of snow cascaded over her as another skier stopped beside her. She hoped it was Matt. She was not crying, but she could feel the sting in her eyes and the ache in the back of her throat as the reality of what had happened began to register.
"You okay? That was quite a fall." A hand reached down to take Sarah's elbow as she struggled to stand on her skis, using the single pole to push herself up.
Sarah found herself looking into the eyes of the same man who had been watching Matt earlier. He had not removed his hand from her arm, and Sarah was uncomfortable with his nearness. He handed her the missing pole that he had somehow retrieved.
"Why don't I ski down the rest of the way with you? You seem shaken up."
"Um, no thank you. I'm okay."
A shout caught her attention. "Sarah! Hold still! I'll be right there."
She looked around to see Matt scrambling up the hill towards her, his skis on his shoulder.
"Well, I don't want to intrude on your friend here. Maybe we could get a drink after this at the lodge? It might steady your nerves. That is if you aren't already busy with your friend this evening."
Sarah was certain the expression in the man's eyes was not one of concern. Was he actually suggesting she ditch Matt and meet him for a drink? With difficulty she attempted to answer politely, but firmly. "I don't think my husband would appreciate that. Thank you for your help." She turned away from the man and pointedly directed her attention to Matt. As Sarah watched her husband struggle up the hill in his ski boots, she felt the man release her arm and move away. She heard the crunch of his skis slicing the snow and saw him continue down the slope out of the corner of her eye.
Soon her husband's arms were around her. "Are you okay?" Matt's voice was rough as he gently lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. "Do you hurt anywhere?"
"Just my back. But it's already feeling better."
Matt's eyes shadowed and his mouth made a flat line. "He was being reckless. The snowboarder who ran into you lost control and forced me off the trail so I couldn't help you. He never looked back. Jerk."
Seeing that her fall had upset Matt more than it had upset her, Sarah sought for a way to distract him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I didn't fall." Matt's expression relaxed, but his eyes still held a pained look. "I was pretty scared. You could have been hurt badly." He ran his gloved hand down her arm. "Thank God you didn't hit your head. What would I tell your dad about that helmet we left in D.C.?"
"That I refused to pack it. I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions." Sarah's mouth tipped in a brief smile to soften her response.
Matt kissed her forehead. "You can be feisty when you want to be." He tilted his head to get a better look at her. "You think you can handle skiing the rest of the way down now?"
"I noticed you didn't say anything about the guy who helped me up."
Failing to make eye contact, Matt kept his tone light. "He sure was quick to get to you. But I guess it's nice that people still stop to help strangers."
Sarah was not fooled. She knew Matt was trying to give the stranger the benefit of the doubt, but his heart was not in it. Her eyes met his. "Don't be jealous, my love. I made it clear that I was waiting for my husband to rescue me and he politely skied away."
Sarah thought of mentioning that the man who had stopped to help her was the same one she had seen earlier. She looked down the slope and he was nowhere in sight. Sarah took that as a good sign. Perhaps if she saw him again, she would tell Matt then. He husband was right. Why ruin the mood of their honeymoon? They had been through enough during the last several months. And she wanted to take his mind off of this entire incident. Seeing that he was still troubled, she was nonchalant, determined to convince Matt that she had no lasting effects from her fall. "I'm ready to head down the hill if you are." Sarah adjusted her jacket and goggles. "I was going to win that race, too."
"Honey, we can forget about the wager. I'm just glad you're okay."
She made a face. "That's very gallant of you, but I wanted to win."
Chuckling now, Matt stepped into his skis. "Well, we can pretend you did."
Sarah grinned over at him. "Okay. You've got a deal."