Ever After

By Sally A Allen

Taylor Townshend owned a large publishing company for new authors headquartered in the Philippines. The conglomerate also has subsidiaries in the United States, with the main office in Minneapolis. Taylor speaks often with Sara, his US liaison and book critic for new authors, and they become very fond of each other by long distance. Unknown to him, she has a disability, and as it turns out, so does he. Their transpacific romance builds until she meets him in the Philippines, which reveals the novels conclusion!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499083606

Sally A Allen

Sally A. Allen is originally from Wisconsin and currently lives in West Central Florida with her schnauzer, Sibby. While her novels are fiction, she draws from the many experiences she’s had in her life. Visit her website at www.sally-allen.webs.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

S ara was only two years old when the automobile accident happened. She was belted into a car seat in the back of the car. Her brother was driving, a scant year from securing his driver’s license. Their mother was unaware he had smoked a joint, when she reluctantly let him use her 1996 Chevrolet to drive little Sara to the daycare center. He had the radio blaring so loud that he didn’t hear an ambulance approaching the car with the lights flashing and the siren wailing. Jason was drumming the steering wheel with one hand, and steering the car with the other when he drove through the intersection. Too late, he saw the emergency vehicle speeding toward him.

He slammed on the brakes but the ambulance couldn’t avoid hitting his car. There was a shriek of metal on metal as the vehicles collided. Jason’s hand jammed against the horn so it kept blowing while the ambulance’s siren went eerily silent. His seat belt was jerked loose and his body flew forward ramming his head into the windshield, shattering the glass. Sara’s car seat twisted out of place then toppled over, sending her slamming into the car door, where the handle broke her leg and fractured her hip, chipping her pelvis.

A police car raced up and stopped at the wreckage. The Police Chief and an officer quickly exited their car and ran to the ambulance. They saw that the vehicle’s hood was shoved back and crumpled into the front seat. The officer forced open the crushed driver’s door and pulled the driver from the ambulance. When the Chief checked his pulse, he shook his head sadly; obviously the man was dead. Laying the man on the concrete, the officers covered him with a sheet. The corpse in the back of the ambulance was on the floor, apparently dead from a heart attack, judging by the grotesque expression on his face.

The Chief ran to the Chevrolet and quickly checked the driver of the car. Blood was running down Jason’s face from a gash on his forehead. When he took the boy’s pulse, it was weak, but beating faintly. He called to his deputy, telling him to dial 911. I think this guy will survive, he shouted. In the back seat of the car, a child was crying but the Chief decided not to move her and let the EMT’s take care of her. Sara and Jason were loaded onto stretchers and placed in an emergency vehicle. Sirens wailed as it took them to the ER at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

When Sara was 14, she remembered bits and pieces of the accident, but because she was so young at the time, she only knew what her mother had told her. Her brother had to have surgery to remove fluid from his brain and spent a month in the hospital. After a long and tedious recovery, he was released.

Now, at 28 years of age he was at Sara’s beck and call. Because of his guilt, he stopped doing drugs and secured a position with Madison County, working on their road crew. Evenings he worked in the ER at St Joe’s, trying to banish the memories and guilty feelings of the accident that still haunted him.

Sara’s broken leg healed slowly and she had to have it in a small, child’s cast for two months. Her fractured hip couldn’t be casted so it was left to heal on its own, with no allowed movement. Sara’s injuries and cracked pelvis were causing her severe pain. She was moody and cried day and night. Her mother rocked her and sang to her, but nothing could alleviate Sara’s discomfort. It took three months before she could walk with a miniature walker. After a while it was evident that Sara’s hip wasn’t going to heal, so her mother resigned herself to the fact that Sara would never walk normally again. She would live the rest of her life with a permanent limp, walking with the use of a cane.

Chapter 2

M ost of the students in school ignored Sara because she was different. There was one exception, Brandy, a popular girl that understood Sara’s problem. Her sister was born with a deformed arm and she knew all about the ridicule that she faced.

Brandy was standing in the school hall talking with the In girls when Sara limped by. Hey Sara, she called cheerfully.

She replied by lifting her cane in recognition. No-way was she going to stop and talk to those air-heads. Rebuffed, one of them turned to Brandy, I don’t know what you see in that cripple! she clamored. Brandy looked at her with disgust.

She’s awesome and has more brains in her little finger than you have in your whole simple head, she replied.

Who’s side are you on? the girl asked, red-faced.

Do you care? Well, I don’t! Brandy exclaimed then hollered to Sara, Hey, wait-up. She ran to catch up with her, shortening her stride so she could walk beside her friend.

You didn’t have to do that, Sara said.

I did it because I wanted to. Changing the subject, she asked What did you get on your math test today?

I aced it! Sarah smiled.

I knew it, I barely squeaked by with a B minus. Will you tutor me?

Sara grinned, Are you serious? Of course I will.

Brandy gave her a thumbs-up saying, "Okay, let’s do it then!

We can eat popcorn and drink Coke while we study. Putting on a serious face, Sara said No play, all work."

You got that all wrong, the saying goes ‘All work and no play makes Sara a dull girl’ The two of them laughed together and left the school.

They walked home slowly to accommodate Sara’s gait. As usual she was embarrassed but then said to herself It is what it is. Face the fact that it will never be different. Just deal with it her conscience told her. Sara swallowed hard and vowed never to feel sorry for herself again. When she got to her house, she said good-bye to Brandy with a bright smile on her face.

The next day, Mrs. Bellows her math teacher, called Sara into her office. She didn’t know what she wanted, but she desperately did not want to be singled out. She had enough problems coping with her handicap.

Sara, please sit down, Mrs. Bellows invited. Obediently, she did as her teacher instructed. Looking at her with expectation she said, As you probably know, next week our school is having a job fair. That means we will have representatives here, from all different fields, offering jobs available to the graduates. There will also be people that are working in these areas, toting the benefits of the different positions that are open.

What has all this got to do with me? Sara asked herself, puzzled.

As if Mrs. Bellows read her mind, she said Sara, you are an excellent student but obviously with your, ah, handicap, your choice of vocation will be limited.

Sara looked at her with disbelief written all over her face. I beg your pardon, Mrs. Bellows, but I can work anywhere anyone else can, Sara said firmly.

I beg to differ. Can you stand on your feet long enough to be a cashier in a grocery store or become a nurse or waitress?

No, but, I …..

Mrs. Bellows cut Sara off. What I would like you to do is look over this list of companies that will be here. Select one you feel you could do well at, and then you can work in their booth, explaining the positions available. You will also hand out job applications for them. Many of these companies believe in training young people their way instead of hiring someone older, who thinks they know the way things should be done because of their past experiences. She stood up. I’m sorry Sara, I need to run. It’s time to pick up my daughter from day care. Here’s the list I told you about. Look it over and let me know your decision. She left quickly, leaving Sara perplexed by the sheet she had given her.

That night, after an hour of debating, she decided she would like to work in the Townshend Enterprises booth. Their business was selling books and promoting new authors. Sara was partial to them because she was an aspiring author herself. She opened her cell phone and confidentially told her best friend Brandy what had happened during her day.

Chapter 3

T he civic center lights were so bright they hurt Sara’s eyes. She looked around and saw a food court over to the right. She noticed it offered beverages, sandwiches and desserts for the people attending the fair. The sides of the large building were lined with twelve by twelve booths, many giving out samples of their products. Sara searched for the Townshend Enterprises booth and found it in the back row close to the exit door. She wondered if it was a good spot but then she reconsidered, because everyone walked by the booth as they left the building. Sara went over to the display and introduced herself. Hi, she said, I’m Sara Gresham. I’m here to work in your booth. A man dressed in a sports coat and slacks looked her over carefully then looked at his watch.

Hello, Sara, he greeted her. You’re fifteen minutes late, we opened up at eight o’ clock you know.

Sara reddened. I’m sorry sir, I’ll be sure to be on time tomorrow, she replied earnestly.

I’ll forgive you this time, the man said and smiled.

Sara felt relieved. As you can see, I am handicapped, but I can handle some of the jobs with Townshend Enterprises. There are many people in my position, so I’d like to be sure they receive a job application.

Good for you. I promise, we won’t hold your predicament against either you or them. Good luck! he said and cleared his throat. I’ll leave it to you then. I’ll be back in half an hour. I didn’t drink my cup of coffee yet this morning.

Sara watched him walk away. Oh great, she thought, He’s left me alone already. Well, nothing like jumping in and getting my feet wet!

By the time Sara left, she’d handed out twenty-five job applications and had briefly outlined what the positions entailed. The time had flown by and she had enjoyed herself. Before she left, she slipped an application into her purse to fill out later.

Sara was enthused as she hadn’t thought what she’d do after graduation and working for Townshend Enterprises interested her. When she gave out the applications she looked over the candidates and read their applications. Although it wasn’t her job, she made evaluations of them all and wrote her assessment on the back of the apps. She placed hers along with three other outstanding ones and put them aside.

At the end of the day, Sara grabbed her purse and handed in the applications. She left early on an excuse and saw the man reviewing the applicant’s papers. Sara kept her fingers crossed that Townshend Enterprises would hire her. She thought she might have an advantage because she had a foot in the door by working in the booth.

Chapter 4

T hat night Sara pulled up all the information she could find on the computer, about Townshend Enterprises. Her heartbeat quickened when she found out that the regional office was in Brooksville, Wisconsin. There were subsidiary offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and all over the world. She also found that the owner, Taylor Townshend was actively involved in their literary division in the Philippines. He frequently flew to the U.S. office in Minneapolis. It was common knowledge that he was an intelligent man who had started small with only one office and progressed later to become a Fortune 500 company, which sold a variety of products world-wide. It went on to say that he was a self-made man and was now worth millions of dollars. A picture of Mr. Townshend accompanied the article. Sara inspected it carefully. What she saw was a handsome man about forty years old. He had jet black hair, graying at the temples and piercing black eyes. Surprisingly, his upper arm was covered with tattoos which seemed at odds with his position. Wow, Sara thought, All that money and handsome too!

She had never known a man that had it all. Are they all hiding under rocks? she asked herself then laughed at her foolishness.

Every day Sara limped out to the mailbox hoping to find a letter from Townshend Enterprises. She was always disappointed. Her mom tried to console her and kept suggesting she pursue a part time job in a local office until she graduated from high school. Sara knew her mother wanted her to follow in her brother Jason’s footsteps which meant attending college at Brown University, her alma-mater. Sara’s friend Brandy was going there, but she wasn’t interested. She had made up her mind what she wanted to do. That was work for Townshend Enterprises and become an author. The sky’s the limit! she thought. Look at Rawlings and the Harry Potter series. Even though that kind of success is rare, Sara wanted to grab the brass ring and become a well-known author too.

I’ll make you a deal, she told her mother. If I don’t like what I’m doing in two years, I’ll attend Brown. By that time I’ll be twenty years old, not too late to attend college.

Her mother reluctantly agreed. Secretly she didn’t want to spend the rest of her inheritance putting another one of her children through school. She thought Sara’s ambitions were a pipe dream, but that was her head strong daughter. She decided to let Sara follow her dream and when she failed she’d realize it wasn’t what she wanted in life, but sometimes what one had to settle for.

Sara’s mother smiled to herself. She’d always wanted to be a famous singer but quickly found out no matter how good you thought you were, there was always someone better.

When the letter finally came, Sara ran into the house hollering, Mom, Mom it’s here!

That’s wonderful, darling, she said with trepidation. Did you open it?

Sara gazed angrily at her mother. Why was she so negative? she wondered, Just to be mean to her? Sara ran upstairs to her bedroom and slammed the door. She sat on the bed and tore open the envelope. To her dismay it was just a form that had to be filled out, but at the end she was asked to appear at the local office, the next day at ten o’clock in the morning. She nonchalantly walked downstairs and told her mother about her appointment.

When Sara arrived at Townshend Enterprises, a smiling young man greeted her and escorted her to a private room where about ten other girls were seated. Sara looked around confused. Were all these girls there to interview for the same job? Then she reminded herself, there were several different departments with many types of openings. Sara became fidgety as all the other girls were called before her. Was it a good omen that she was the last one called? she wondered. She’d always heard that being the last one was good because the interview would leave the last impression in the employer’s mind. She certainly hoped so.

To keep herself occupied, Sara looked around the room. It was decorated very nicely in shades of blue and green. The carpet was a plush Berber, woven in dark and light green with blue threads running through it. The walls were painted a light blue and the wooden chairs were painted white. Sara’s eyes were drawn to a large portrait of the same man she saw on the computer. In the picture he was smiling, showing sparkling white teeth. Wow! Sara thought as she had before, He is one fine specimen of a man. Too bad he was old enough to be her father.

She was still day-dreaming when an attractive blonde woman dressed to the nines, called her name. Welcome to Townshend Enterprises, she intoned. Sara followed her to an opulent office with a desk that looked as large as a tennis court. The man behind it rose as she entered, Miss Gresham, I presume. Please sit down.

Sara found herself very nervous but she smiled as she replied Yes Sir.

Call me Dan, the young man told her. Here at Townshend Enterprises we are informal. Everyone is called by their first names. We pride ourselves in the fact that all our employees are considered equal. One is always a name here not a number.

Sara felt herself relax. Suddenly, she knew she would enjoy working there. Please, God, let me become a part of this, she prayed to herself.

Chapter 5

T aylor Jr., was sent to an elite school for boys until he was fourteen and old enough to attend high school. Although his mother, Anna begged Taylor Sr. to continue sending him to a private school, he’d made up his mind his son should attend public high school so he could rub shoulders with sons and daughters of the working class.

The boy had a pleasing personality and quickly became popular. He had lightly browned skin and large brown eyes. He looked like all the other classmates in school. Taylor was good at sports and played soccer especially well. The coach recognized his talent and made him captain of the team.

After high-school he signed with a professional team and played with them for several years. Then his father decided that Taylor Jr. should quit pro sports and learn the ropes of Townshend Enterprises. The boy was intelligent and learned quickly. His father made him vice president of the company when he was twenty-five years old. Taylor took his position seriously and applied himself, understanding someday he would take over the reins of the company from his father.

Melissa introduced Taylor and Marcus, who worked in an orphanage for boys. Marcus was a short man, balding pre- maturely. Though he was small in stature, his upper arms were muscular and his shoulders were broad in spite of his size. His extremities were covered with thick, black hair in contrast to his bald head. His chin was heavily covered with black stubble. They got along fantastically until Marcus put his hand on Taylor’s knee.

You son of a bitch, I thought you were my friend. I don’t ever want to see you again, Taylor yelled.

Marcus laughed at him. Loosen up, man. I was only testing you. You’re a good looking dude, you know.

He inherited Townshend Enterprises. When he became successful, Taylor was invited to all the social events and often went with a woman on his arm. His favorite date was his best friend’s sister who detested men; actually Taylor secretly thought that she was a lesbian. He laughed when the rumor went around that they were going to get engaged.

Chapter 6

D an looked first at Sara’s cane, then at her application that was on his desk. He cleared his throat "In our investigation we found out that you are an excellent student. I have a copy of your grades. Please don’t feel offended, but you probably couldn’t handle most of the jobs here, however there is one I think you would be perfect for. We badly need a person that’s a liaison between our Brooksville plant, the Minneapolis location and our self-publishing offices in the Philippines. Your contact there would be the big man himself, Taylor Townshend. Books have always been his first love