Love's Never-Ending Gifts Saga: A New Beginning

By Sam Rivers

This saga focuses on the gifts we receive from those who love us and teach us to love, unconditionally. Its main focus is on two families who share an unbreakable bond and then pass on that bond to the future generations of their families. The love of family and friends strengthens their faith in God. Eac

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sam Rivers
• Release date: Aug 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088231043

Sam Rivers

Sam Rivers is the pen name for a Virginia based writer of gay erotica. Sam has recently left the United States Navy and draws on life experiences from around the world, as well as his own always active imagination, to produce some of the most unique and engrossing gay short stories being created today.

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Love’s Never-Ending Gifts Saga

A New Beginning

Sam Rivers

Copyright © 2023 by Sam Rivers

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the author.

ISBN: 9781088116289

Printed in the United States of America

The Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Dedicated to my precious granddaughters, Lindsay and Kyleigh,

Whom I love dearly.

You are both an inspiration to me. I love you to the moon and back

Acknowledgment

I wish to thank my large, extended family (both sides) and friends for their support and belief in me. Having those I love believing in me and my dream of becoming an author means the world to me. My loving husband sitting beside me as I type out my story and being there for me to bounce ideas off of has been a true blessing.

A special thank you to Otis Amy. You have believed in me from the moment we met. Your encouragement to continue with my writing has been inspired by the gentle kindness that makes you the man and person you are. You have always been there to guide me with your constructive advice in all I did. Thank you, my brother from another family, I love you dearly. You are my hero.

To all the special people in my life, I am grateful that you are a part of my world.

Pat Browning, you are one of the most loving and genuine people I have had the pleasure to know. You mean so much to me. I consider you my brother, and I have no words to tell you what it has meant to me for you to believe in me, always. You have the kindest heart of anyone I have ever known. You always support me and help me in times of need. I love you and all that you are.

Justin Smith, although I only had one year under your leadership, I will always be honored to have shared that school year with you. You are a good man and a wonderful leader who has supported my dream of being an author.

Your kind and understanding heart makes you the man you are – always be true to that and you will be a success at whatever you do in this life. I love you for being there for me.

Bonnie Pope, I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me that you believed in me as an author. You are a special lady that I have always considered a true friend. I miss working with you, but I am so touched by all the support and love you have shared with me all these years. You will always be in my heart.

Teresa Edwards, my best friend, I am so honored to call you, my friend. You have always been there for me - through all the good and bad. We shared so much in our lives and careers as teachers. I know I can always count on you to be there - no matter what. You have encouraged me to follow my dream of writing and becoming an author. We have that in common; we love to write and share our stories. You have inspired me by your courage and determination to never give up. Thank you, and I love you.

Finally, I wish to thank Kim Hill, my project manager, who has had the patience of a heavenly angel as she walked me through the long, tedious process of being published.

Kim and her team have put in a lot of time to ensure my novel is the best it can be. Kim has overseen every step of the process, and I can’t thank her enough for helping a new writer become an author.

Zack Harris, my editor, I want to thank you for all of your help and time as you read each part of my novel and offered your suggestions that would make my novel the best it can be. You were my second set of eyes and caught the punctuation I missed. I have read my novel multiple times, but my eyes didn’t catch it all. With you on my side, my story will be told the way it should be. Thank you so very much.

Table of Contents

Chapter One Alone      1

Chapter Two A New School      6

Chapter Three The Diner      17

Chapter Four The Dreaded Outing      25

Chapter Five Betty Lou’s Big Surprise      35

Chapter Six The Ice Rink      52

Chapter Seven Christmas Eve      58

Chapter Eight Christmas Day      77

Chapter Nine Eva’s Posse Celebration      88

Chapter Ten Gone Fishing      105

Chapter Eleven Rob’s Challenge      121

Chapter Twelve Mike’s Quandary      141

Chapter Thirteen Lisa’s Day Off      152

Chapter Fourteen New Year’s Day      163

Chapter Fifteen The Last Weekend      172

Chapter Sixteen Back to Normal      182

Chapter Seventeen The Fish Fry      191

Chapter Eighteen A New Life      206

Chapter Nineteen Tutorials      219

Chapter Twenty Getting Ready for Spring Break      223

Chapter Twenty-One The Trip      238

Chapter Twenty-Two The Panhandle Adventure      248

Chapter Twenty-Three Explorations and Adventures Await      257

Chapter Twenty-Four The Grand Canyon      269

Chapter Twenty-Five Back on Track      281

Chapter Twenty-Six The Art Challenge      299

Chapter Twenty-Seven Spring Classes      304

Chapter Twenty-Eight The Big Day      319

Chapter Twenty-Nine Time Drags On      330

Chapter Thirty Chilling Out      340

Chapter Thirty-One The Final Challenge      382

Chapter Thirty-Two Summer at Last      391

Chapter Thirty-Three Independence Day      400

Chapter: Thirty-Four Forgiveness Brings Peace      409

CHAPTER ONE

Alone

Life had been bad enough for Lisa without the move to a strange place with an aunt she barely knew. Tomorrow she would start a new school without one familiar face to welcome her. Her life had turned upside down after the accident. It was a cold, wintery morning; black ice covered the roadways. Lisa’s parents, Tim and Tina Upshaw, had left the house early, hoping to avoid crazy drivers, when a drunk, truck driver ran a red light plowing into the passenger’s side of their station wagon pinning the driver’s side to a metal, light post. The car bent into a u-shape. The truck’s cab was crushed inward. She could still hear the sirens and the knock on the front door.

Hello, is there someone here with you that we can talk to? asked the policeman.

Gram, the police want to talk to you.

With a startled look of fear on Gram’s face, Yes, may I help you?

I am Sergeant David Sanders, and this is my partner, James Tilley. Can we come inside to talk with you?

Lisa stood aside and watched her grandmother lead the officers into the living room. They motioned for her to take a

seat and then sat opposite her on the sofa. Both officers held their hats in their hands. Their faces were expressionless, but somehow Lisa knew whatever they had come to say must be bad. Gram sat in silence, waiting.

"We regret to inform you there has been an accident.

Both Tim and Tina Upshaw were killed at the intersection of highways 80 and 59. After a long pause, Is there anything we can do for you?"

Stunned and shaking from pent-up emotions, How…. did... it happen? she barely got out.

"A drunk driver hit them in the middle of the intersection.

They were killed instantly. The officers did not offer more information than necessary. The truck driver was not hurt and has been taken into custody. Is there anything we can do for you, ma’am?"

Through tears and shrugs, No officers, thank you for letting me know, was all Gram could manage.

As she began to stand, Please ma’am, we can show ourselves out. Again, you have our deepest condolences. After another moment, they walked out of the house.

Lisa stood behind the door frame that separated the living room from the hallway with tears streaming down her young face. Not again, not another loss. What was going to happen to her? First, her brother, George, died this past summer when he was in a boating accident on Lake of the Pines. He was seventeen, the quarterback for the Marshall Maverick football team, with the promise of a college scholarship within his grasp to begin the road to his dreams

of playing for the NFL - Dallas Cowboys, and his long-term girlfriend, Rita, was planning to attend Texas A&M with him. They had planned to finish college first and then marry right after graduation. Those dreams came to an end as did Lisa’s. She and her brother had always been close; he looked after her and protected her; they went everywhere together. Even Rita enjoyed having George’s baby sister around. For Lisa, she had an older sister to whom she could tell anything. Once George died, Rita pulled away from the family. It was too hard for her to be around them; eventually, her family moved away. Now, Lisa’s parents were gone.

Gram was the only person left in her life.

After the double funeral, Gram became extremely ill. Her heart was too weak to deal with the pain of losing her only son, his wife, and her first grandchild. Before she passed away, she contacted Betty Lou, Tina’s sister. Lisa had met her once or twice when she was younger. Now fourteen, Lisa found herself living in a new town with a virtual stranger. Betty Lou left home when she was seventeen vowing to become a famous painter. She had never married - as far as any of the family ever knew- and rarely returned home to visit her family. As Lisa stood in the kitchen watching Betty Lou make spaghetti for supper, she marveled at how unlike her mother she was. She seemed much older than she actually was; she rarely smiled and had a gruff personality.

Her mother was full of laughter, love, and happiness. All she ever wanted to do was be the best wife and mother she could be. She lived for her family. Even after George died, her mother still doted on her family. There was a change; burying a child is never easy on parents, or siblings. There was a hole, but her mom never let that emptiness affect how

much she loved Lisa. They had all seen it before. A mother and father bury a child and shut down from life around them. They live in what was and might have been for the child they lost, not for the children they still have. Not her family, both her mother and father made sure that Lisa knew how much she was loved, and how important she was to them. Now, she has lost them all. How does a 14-year-old girl move on from here?

Thanksgiving Break was over, a week had passed while she mourned her parents and Gram, and now Lisa was in a new town far from home. She sat in her room with only memories of the life she had lost. She dreaded tomorrow.

Betty Lou let her put off starting school right away to allow her time to adjust to her new surroundings, but It was time to get on with living, as her aunt had told her. She had pleaded with her aunt, "Please don’t make me go, now.

There are only three weeks before Christmas Break. Why can’t I start school at the beginning of a new semester? It doesn’t make sense to go now."

Betty Lou tried her best to sound logical, I don’t want you to lose credit for the first semester. That is not a good idea. You will have to take those first semester classes again next year if you miss the entire last six weeks. It is important to get back to normal as soon as possible.

What, back to normal? How can you say that? Things will never be normal again, shouted Lisa.

With a sigh of exasperation, "Of course not. I am sorry. I wasn’t thinking. What I do know is that you must begin a new life, and there is no sense in putting it off. I want you to have

as normal of a life as possible, and that includes school, making new friends, and becoming the person your parents knew you would become."

How dare you. What do you know about what my parents knew or felt? You were never around; you ran away from family and never looked back, and for what? Where are your paintings? Why do you work in the diner; you couldn’t even make your own dreams happen. Who are you to tell me what to do? spewed Lisa.

As she heard it coming from her mouth, she regretted her words, but she couldn’t stop herself. She hated what had happened to her; she missed her family, her life, and her friends. Now, her aunt was forcing her to start a new life, in a new place, and make new friends. Didn’t she understand anything at all? She didn’t want friends; she didn’t want to love anyone; everyone she loved died. Why can’t she understand that?

I am sorry, Lisa. I know this is hard for you. You are also right; I did leave home and family behind. I couldn’t go back; I failed. I understand how you feel, and I don’t want that for you. Even though I didn’t go home, I did keep in touch with Tina. She was my sister, and I loved her dearly. She accepted me for who I was, and I adored her for that. I must do the best I can to take care of you and try to help you accomplish all you and your mom planned for your future. I owe that to her and you. With that, Betty Lou walked out of the kitchen.

Lisa ran to her room heaving heavy sobs. She got little sleep that night.

CHAPTER TWO

A New School

The alarm sounded; Lisa hit the off button and covered her head with her pillow. She heard a call from the kitchen, Pancakes for breakfast. What do you want for lunch? She didn’t want to answer. Maybe if she pretended to still be asleep, she could ignore the question she didn’t have an answer to. The last thing on her mind was food. Who could eat wondering what disaster today would bring? She wrestled with her conscience and decided her plan would not work. She threw back the covers and stared at the ceiling.

Her room was plain: white paint on the walls, hardwood floors, and white furniture. There was not one thing that reflected her personality. Betty Lou tried to get her to make the room her own, but what good was that going to do? This wasn’t home, and where she was being forced to go this morning wasn’t her school. She got up and put on a pair of jeans with a t-shirt. She put her long, dishwater, blonde hair into a ball on her head and tied it down with a ponytail holder. She didn’t worry about makeup; there was no one she wanted to impress. She descended the stairs and walked down the hall into the kitchen. Betty Lou looked up at her.

Honey, what would you like for your lunch?

Nothing works for me.

That is not an option; you must eat something. Do you want to make something, or would you prefer to buy your lunch at school?

With no desire to eat, Guess I’ll see what they have. "All right then; sit - breakfast is ready. Do you prefer milk

or orange juice this morning?"

Why can’t she get it through her head? I don’t want food, Lisa asked herself then said, Milk I guess.

Betty Lou poured the milk as she observed the dark circles under Lisa’s swollen eyes. She had learned not to question Lisa about her looks, choice of outfits, or her feelings; she let it pass. If Lisa could only understand that she wanted the best for her. She chided herself realizing that it will take time. Lisa had only been with her for two weeks; one week at her old home and another in her new home.

Time is what she would need. Here you go. Are the pancakes ok?

Again, with the food, Yes, they are fine.

We will be leaving in ten minutes, Betty Lou stated. Do you have your books and supplies ready?

ARG! This is really going to happen, isn’t it? Lisa nonchalantly questioned.

Yes dear, it is. Please put your dishes in the sink when you are finished.

Yes ma’am. Lisa did as she was asked. She went to her room to get her backpack and slowly joined her aunt at the front door.

The drive to Sage Hill High School was too short for Lisa. They lived ten minutes from the school – just off Toledo Bend Lake. Lisa had not taken the time to explore or enjoy the lake. She had been in deep mourning, which her aunt could understand. Betty Lou knew that it was going to take time and patience for Lisa to feel at home here, and she gave her the space she needed to deal with all that had happened. Betty Lou knew that Lisa would, in time, accept her new home and would find her place here in Sage Hill.

Patience has never been her strong trait, but she was forcing herself to change for Lisa.

The school was a small, one-story building. It was so different from Marshall’s two-story school that housed twelve-hundred students. Lisa doubted that this school had four-hundred kids. She was right; there were 362 students.

This frightened her; how was she going to get lost in a school with so few students? Betty Lou walked beside her as they entered the school. They went into the office and were met by the principal, Ms. Ivers, and a student.

This is Eva Davis. She will be your mentor for the rest of the year. Our school believes having a student mentor makes being a new student an easier transition. I know the two of you will get along famously, stated Ms. Ivers.

Hi, you know my name, what is yours? asked Eva. She already knew Lisa’s name, but she believed it was a good opener for a conversation. We have all the same classes.

Lisa, is all that she said.

Our homeroom teacher is great. Mr. Hemingway teaches English. Isn’t that ironic? Eva giggled.

Yeah, I guess so, replied Lisa.

The two girls walked down the hall towards English class. Eva chattered on about all their teachers and classes. Betty Lou and Ms. Ivers watched them walk away. Betty Lou sighed; and Ms. Ivers said, She will be all right. Eva is one of our best students. This eased Betty Lou’s guilt for making Lisa start school today. Maybe, if they were lucky, Eva and Lisa would become friends by Christmas Break. This offered hope for the holidays. If they did get along well, then Lisa wouldn’t be alone for the school break when she had to work. She would do everything she could to encourage Lisa and Eva to hang out together. Thank you for your help. You have my number; call me if you need me, Betty Lou stated as she walked out of the building.

Eva introduced Lisa to each class. It was time for lunch and without thinking, Eva grabbed Lisa’s hand as they walked to the Commons area. Lisa tensed up; she was uncomfortable with this touchy-feeling girl. If Eva thought they were going to bond, she was wrong. Lisa had vowed not to let anyone close. She just wanted to do what she had to do and go back to her aunt’s house to hide from the world. One day at a time, she told herself. The cafeteria line was nothing like it was in Marshall. The line moved quickly. The first joy Lisa found since moving to this strange town was that the school served pizza. That was her favorite food - pepperoni. She bought two slices and a cup of sweet tea.

Marshall CISD had cut out the good food and sold ‘only’ so- called healthy food. Yuk, who wanted that? Shouldn’t all schools serve what kids like to eat? Lisa grumbled. Eva waited for Lisa and guided her to the table with all her friends.

Hey everyone. This is Lisa. She is smart and going to be my new BFF. Lisa, this is the gang. I know you will love them as much as I do.

Hi, Lisa. I am Rob; Eva is my girlfriend.

Giggling again, Yeah, Rob and I have been together since fifth grade. He is cool.

Hi, nice to meet you, Lisa said even though she didn’t mean a word of it.

The other students joined in welcoming Lisa to their table. The conversations were flowing smoothly until someone started asking questions.

So, what brings you to Sage Hill; where are you from? asked Bryan

Hesitantly, Marshall and I moved, she said curtly.

Everyone got the sense that she didn’t want to talk. They went back to their normal conversations ranging from what was going on in the classrooms to who was dating and dumping whom. Lisa’s guard was up; she didn’t trust any of these kids not to ask questions that weren’t any of their business. She didn’t want to be rude, but she wanted to keep her distance. She was glad when the bell rang to go to math class. What she had surmised, so far, about Mr.

Watkins is that he is a good teacher. The kids told her that he doesn’t move on to the next concept until all students understand the present one. He is different from all the math teachers she had in the past. They didn’t care if all the students understood one formula before they taught the next one. They moved so fast, many of the students failed. She didn’t understand how teachers like that kept their jobs. The rest of the day passed by slowly for her; when the bell rang, she rushed down the hall to the exit. Betty Lou was waiting for her.

How was your first day? Fine.

Did you make a lot of new friends? How were your classes?

"No. Give me a break. It was the first day of school.

Classes were fine."

I am sorry. I was just excited when we met Eva. I thought she’d help make your first day easier.

I guess so, was all Lisa said.

Once they were home, Lisa went to her room, shut the door, and did her homework. She took a hot, bubble bath and went back to her room. She looked into the mirror and saw the frustration she was locking inside. She would have to do a better job of hiding her emotions.

Lisa, dinner is ready, called Betty Lou. I hope you don’t mind pizza. I had a hard day at work, and my feet are killing me.

For the first time, Lisa smiled, I love pizza, thanks.

They sat in silence as they ate. Lisa helped clean up and went to bed. As the clock ticked on, she tossed and turned. She couldn’t stop thinking about school. She had been thrown together with a girl who was always in a bubbly mood. Did this girl ever have a bad day? As if being assigned to Eva wasn’t bad enough, she had now been inducted into the lunch group that went along with the girl. Why did Sage Hill High have to assign new students a mentor-student? Who does that anyway? All she wanted was to go to school, sink into the background, and get through each day as it came. She promised herself that she’d find a way to get out of having a mentor-student, then she could become the nobody she felt she was. The last thing she wanted was to let anyone else get close to her.

She didn’t want to care about, depend on, or love anyone - ever again. All love did for her was to leave her alone with her broken heart. Yes, pushing Eva away would be her plan. How, she wasn’t sure she knew, just yet, but she would come up with a foolproof plan that would make everyone want to leave her alone.

The next morning, while picking over her breakfast, Lisa came up with her temporary plan to distance herself from all the kids at school. She knew she would have to work on a solid plan later, but for this week, she would go to her classes, make excuses not to join Eva and her friends for lunch, and make a quick getaway as soon as the bell rang. This would get her through the week, and she’d have the weekend to make a more detailed plan to isolate herself from the world.

Lisa, it is time to go. Are you ready?

ARG.. Does she really have to ask me that? Of course, I am not ready. I don’t want to go anywhere, but that isn’t an option, she told herself. I guess so, she said without any enthusiasm. She grabbed her backpack and met Betty Lou at the front door.

Sweetheart, I know this is hard on you, but give it time, please. In time, you’ll fit in, and you will find a reason to want to be with others. God does not mean for you to be alone; you are far too young to understand God’s plan for you.

Seriously, are you seriously telling me that God cares about me? Get a clue. He killed my family. He doesn’t care about me. You say you understand, but you don’t know anything. I am here with the black sheep of the family; someone who didn’t believe in the family or care about them. Why should I listen to anything you have to say? I am trapped in a world that is not mine; without a friend in the world, and you are trying to bring God into this. DON’T ever mention him to me again!

Betty Lou was left speechless; she knew Lisa was angry and had every right to be, but she had no clue just how angry. She simply opened the front door letting a sulking Lisa go out first. The short drive to school was a ride of solitude. Betty Lou feared saying anything else that might ruin Lisa’s day before it began. She hoped that a good day at school might ease the misery Lisa was going through.

Lisa got out of the car and quickly glanced around for her ‘Mentor Student’ in hopes of dodging her this morning. To her chagrin, Eva was waiting for her inside the door,

along with her boyfriend, Rob Williams. Their gang wasn’t far behind. Lisa let out a sigh and looked down at the floor. Eva ran up and hugged her tightly; Lisa tensed up and pushed herself clear of the embrace. Eva had a surprised look on her face, but she quickly recovered as she remembered Lisa was new here, and it would take time for her to feel like she fit in. Eva told herself that she’d do whatever she could to help make that happen.

Lisa’s plan to avoid the lunch chatter failed – miserably. The gang gathered in the hall and waited for her to come out so they could all walk together. Lisa was frustrated as she realized she wasn’t going to escape this whole student mentor deal, but did it have to come with a posse? Lunch seemed to take forever as the endless chatter rose above the voices of the other kids eating. Lisa didn’t know that Eva has asked everyone to give Lisa time to fit in before asking their questions. They were all curious about Lisa and where she came from, why she had moved to Sage Hill, and what she liked to do. They all had big plans for Christmas Break and were determined to include their new friend. They always got together at the diner; heck, they had their own special booth. There was a movie theater close to the diner that showed double-feature matinees during the times kids were not in school. After dinner, the kids always went to Austin Buchanan’s family ranch and hung out in the pasture. One of their favorite past times was tipping cows. During the early summer, they would get together at the ranch and practice roping calves, catching greased pigs, and barrel racing so they would be ready when Sage Hill Summer Day Festival began. There was a 4th of July mini-rodeo where the entire town’s families and friends would gather to spend

quality time with one another. They had a large picnic with every type of food a person could imagine. Parents and their kids would participate in sack races, tug-of-war pulls, and a variety of other activities. Their all-time favorite activity was hitting Coach Woodley in the face with a pie. He was a good guy with a great sense of humor. All the students loved him. This was what the small town looked forward to all year. The July 4th celebration began with a parade and ended with fireworks and boats decorated to parade on the water. It was the highlight of the day. The fireworks lit up all of the boats in glorious colors. Before the summer festivities, Christmas Break was their favorite holiday of the school year. They would be off for two fun-filled weeks, and they were all looking forward to including Lisa in all the activities.

Day two ended and Lisa headed to her aunt’s house, once again. When she first got in the car, she said, Please, don’t ask about my day. This is going to be the longest week of my life.

Betty Lou just looked at her then drove home. She wasn’t sure what happened today, if anything, or if Lisa was just in her usual mood of feeling sorry for herself. Betty Lou understood that Lisa had every right to be unhappy, but she was hoping that school would make at least a small difference in her mood.

The rest of the week went pretty much the same for Lisa. She could not shake Eva and her posse, no matter how hard she tried. She asked herself, often, Why did this school have to be so small? Over the weekend, Lisa asked her aunt if she could stay home the next week, but Betty Lou said, No. "Now what am I going to do? I can always tell

them to leave me alone. I can tell them I don’t want to be friends. Maybe if I say they are annoying, they will get the message. I don’t know what to do. I just want to be left alone," Lisa grumbled. Her aunt ignored Lisa’s mumbling.

She knew she couldn’t do any of that; her aunt would give her another unwanted lecture about making friends; she would tell her she can’t be alone for the rest of her life, so she was left with two more weeks of bubbly chatter from a group of kids she didn’t want to be around. She decided when the break was here, she would not go anywhere, talk to anyone, and just stay in her room. The last thing she wanted was to spend two full weeks with people she didn’t like. Unfortunately, this plan fell through, too. The next two weeks, at Sage Hill High, left her feeling trapped in an endless nightmare. Once Christmas Break began, Betty Lou made her go to the diner with her. She said Lisa could help out in the diner for some spending money. Lisa argued the point - but lost. Losing was becoming a bad habit.

CHAPTER THREE

The Diner

Today was the first day of Christmas Break, and Lisa dreaded it. It was almost 6:00 A.M. and time to leave for the diner. Lisa grumbled as she got dressed, Can’t even sleep in on my first day of being able to spend time alone - no school, no Eva, and no posse. Having to go to work with her aunt and face the town’s people was not on her list of something she wanted to do. As a matter of fact, it was the last thing she wanted. After consideration, as she dressed, she decided it was the second worst thing she could do; the first was hanging out with