Only Time Can Tell

Chapter Twenty-Four.

In the morning Sally-Ann  got up nd slipped  intoared sweetheart  neckskater dress,  then headed out to the kitchen to grab herself a coffee.

As she sat down both Luke and asked her how she was feeling this morning  and Sally-Ann  told them she was feeling sore,  but under than that, she was fine.

Luke just  shook his head in disgust and said he couldn't  believe  Amanda would scoop so low as if to  attack  Sally-Ann  from behind  and hoped to God Sally-Ann was going to have Amanda  charged.
Karen piped up and said she couldn't  agree anymore with Luke if she tried. She also said  it was a cowardly  act of an animal, one she hope  would end up paying for her cold malicious  act. And than added that she hopes to God, her brother  gave Amanda  her marching orders after she had filled him in with all the details on what his cold hearted  girlfriend  had done.

" Well considering  he that fact he wanted to throttle  her, I wouldn't  be surprised  he did just that,"  Sally-Ann said.

Just then the phone rang and Karen answered it.  It was her brother asking if Sally-Ann was feeling any better and told her to tell Sally-Ann  if she  needed anything,  anything at all, not to hesitae call him.  She asured her brother she would past the message on to Sally-Ann,  than hung the phone up.

Coming back into the kitchen she told Sally-Ann  that was Steven on the phone making sure she was alright. She also mentioned  that her brother did in fact have words with Amanda,  but she denied evrything  and tried turning the table on Sally-Ann  and that's  when he told her to fuck off.

They decided to spend the day out at the ranch and have a BBQ  lunch, a swim and let Skyanne  ride Tia.

Once there Skyanne  didn't  even give Luke the chance to turn the car off before she jumped out of it and took off towards the house.
It was almost like a scene from Maxwell  Smart, where he hits the eject  button and the seat goes flying.

Heading inside the house, Karen took one look around the place and was amazed by what Sally-Ann  had done.
On the walls were family photos and beautiful paintings hanging everywhere. Karen  smiled and told her she loved the pictures  of both her and Skyanne  and Sally-Ann  told her they were done  as a farwell gift by her boss.
Looking  throughout  the rest of the house Karen  was taken by surprise by all the beautiful  things Sally-Ann  put in each room.

Heading outside, Luke cranked the Bbq up and started cooking up a storm, as the girls set the table up , sat down and poured themselves  a drink.

Half an hour later, they all jumped into the pool for awhile.
Splashing  around a bit more, everyone played a game of Marco Polo and not long after that they all climbed out of the pool and dried themselves  off and headed over to the barn so Skyanne  could ride Tia..

The rest of the afternoon  went  extremely  well and around 5pm they all climbed into the car  and headed  home.

Over the next couple of days, Sally-Ann  took it easy and was starting to look and feel  alot better. She had started  moving more stuff  into her home and by thenend of the week she hoped to have everything  she needed.

Saturday  had come quickly  and Luke was up bright an early making coffee and getting ready to head to the Sundowner  to set up for Sally-Ann's 21st birthday.

As he was heading out the front door,  he told Sally-Ann  he'd be back soon, as there was a few things he needed  to see to.
She looked at him quizzical  and thought he was acting  very odd this morning, than she wondered where Karen was.
"Everyone's  acting weirdly this morning, " she thought  too herself as she went about making herself  something to eat.

At the Sundowner,  both Luke and Karen were flat out doing up the backroom for Sally-Ann's  21st birthday party.
They had placed a big 21st birthday banger on the wall,  along with a few photo's  of a much younger Sally-Ann.
Next they had placed pink, purple and blue ballooons  up around the place and did  up a table for all the presents.
Standing  back, both Luke and Karen  admired  there handy work and said Sally-Ann   was going to love it.

Later on that day, Luke  put his little master plan together and asked Sally-Ann  to join him for a family dinner. She agreed and he told her to be ready by 6pm.

By 5pm, Sally-Ann  went jumped under the shower, wash herself in a blueberrie and apple body wash, got out and dried herself off, then slipped into a black pettie choker shimmer lace top and a antique  rose button front cord  mini skirt. She then reached into the bottom of her cupboard  and pulled out a pair of black block heels.  Opening up her jewelry  box, she grabbed a rudy owl and moon necklace, loop earrings and a bangle. For the final touches, she applied some make-up and tied her hair back in a long braid  then quickly sprayed herself with some perfume.

By 6pm Luke, Skyanne and Sally-Ann  piled into the car and made there way to the Sundowner.

As Luke lead Sally-Ann  to the backroom  where the party was and opened the door, everyone  jumped out up and said,  "SURPRISE! "
Sally-Ann  pointed at Luke  and said," You,  I knew  you were up to something.... and I knew you were  somehow  you were involed  too Karen."
Everyone was there, her work mates, boss, Tony and his family and Mr and Mrs Young.

Luke called out " lets get this party started shall we!"  As he headed out to the dance floor, he booped around like a kid.
Sally-Ann  couldn't  help herself, she bursted out laughing  as she watched him spin around on the floor.

When the music had ended tbey made there way back to the table to grab something to eat and Luke poured them all a drink.

Right at thatbvery moment, the band started playing a slow number and Luke asked Sally-Ann  for a dance.
Halfway through the dance a felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Steven there. "Mind if I cut in?"he asked.
Luke said,"No be my guest,"then went back to the table to join Karen.

Looking straight at Karen dumbfounded  he asked her what Steven was doing here and she told him that she invited  him.
He just looked at her and asked why on earth would she do something like that and she told him  it was because he had just as much right to be there as everyone else in that room did. And  than asked  him if he was feeling threatened by the fact they were actually getting along for once.

"Hi beautiful, I  got  you a little  something," Steven said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet  box with a pink ribbon on it.
Opening it up, she found a 21st key necklace with her birthday stone on it with a pair of matching  earrings.  "Oh Steven, there beautiful. .. thank-you very much," she smiled at him.

Watching her brother and Sally-Ann,  Karen  said to Luke she couldn't  believe both  Steven and Sally-Ann  were getting along.
Luke mumbled  under his breath," Yeah a little too  good!"

Karen heard the tone in his voice and asked him if he was worried , and he told her no he wasn't...  "Why's that ?"
She  just looked at him  and said  it was because he looked like a damn hawk waiting to  strike its prey.
He told her she was imaging things.  Karen cocked her head to the side, looked at him and said, " Am I? "

Luke told her that he totally trust Sally-Ann; it's  Steven he doesn't  trust.
Karen told him that he had better brace himself than, cause both Steven and Sally-Ann  just walked outside to the beer garden.

Outside in the beer garden, both Steven and Sally-Ann  walked over to stand next to the small flower bed.  Turning to face Sally-Ann , he told her he had words with Amanda and showed her the door. He also told Sally-Ann  that if she should hassel her again,  to call him and let him know, because he couldn't  live with himself if something happened  to her.

Before she had time  to respond,  he lowered his head, claimed her lips in a kiss that verged on demanding. Her head spun, and although she knew she shouldn't,  she moved her lips against his,tasting the forbidden.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't  have done that," Steven apologized.
Sally-Ann  held her hand up, looked at him and told him not to apologize. 
"As you wish baby girl, but  you  know we do need to talk," he smiled at her as he turned to walk back inside.