Hearing a knock on the bedroom door, she heard Brandon call out playfully, “Excuse me, have you seen my wife?”
Tabby yanked open the door grinning, only to catch her breath as Brandon stood there in his dress uniform, looking just as stunning as he had on the stairs of the church the last time she’d seen him in it… except it was their turn and she was the bride.
“This is really happening, isn’t it?”
“I certainly hope so,” he said with a shy smile, holding out his hand to her. Tabby put her hand in his, walking out of the room before laying her cheek on his shoulder.
“Let’s do this.”
As they pulled up to the courthouse, Tabby couldn’t help the laugh of excitement that escaped her as she heard Brandon’s stunned exclamation from the driver’s seat. Parking, they walked slowly towards the courthouse steps and Tabitha felt tears spring to her eyes as the scene unfolded before them.
There was a line of soldiers in dress uniform on one side, and their wives on the other side, creating a narrow pathway up the steps. Each of them was standing there, taking photos with their cameras and cell phones.
She was so grateful that Brandon’s friends could come on such short notice. She’d texted early this morning that they were getting married today at the courthouse and would be late coming to the barbeque, suggesting that they could celebrate with them.
She never expected them to be here waiting.
Walking forward, she felt a giggle of sheer joy escape her as a bouquet of flowers was passed forward towards Tabitha, given to her by Lily.
Leia stepped forward and pinned a small blue ribbon to her lapel. Cora, Cooper’s wife, smiled and nodded, handing her a delicate looking handkerchief that looked extremely ancient and yellowed with age. Daisy stepped carefully down the stairs towards her and handed her a ribbon sash that said ‘Just Married’ across it.
Laughing and hugging her, Tabitha saw that Brandon was surrounded by the other men as they were hugging him. She met his eyes and saw the love shining in them as he smiled, nodding at her. He too was wearing a shiny satin sash that also proclaimed that he, too, was “Just Married”.
“We hope you don’t mind us crashing your wedding,” John, Lily’s husband, announced, speaking loudly in order to be heard over the men’s voices around them as he shook Brandon’s hand.
“We couldn’t let our little Tobin get hitched without his family,” Cooper blurted out obnoxiously. “We had to check out the girl that finally landed our baby brother-in-arms.”
“Tobin, we just want you happy here and so glad to have you with us again,” Colin said, nodding at his own wife, Ava, “and hope you are just as lucky in love as some of us have been.”
“All of us have been blessed,” Eva corrected, sliding her arm around Dylan Luka’s waist and hugging him. “We’ve all been lucky enough to find that something special in our own perfect someone.”
“And sometimes it comes when we need it the most and expect it the very least, right, Daisy?” Ethan said, looking at his wife warmly as she kissed him on the cheek. Tabitha had heard of how the two had met, that disaster had brought them together, and realized that love indeed was a miracle and came when at the appropriate time.
“On that note,” Brandon interjected, extending his hand towards Tabitha, “I think I’ve waited long enough to make her mine. Shall we, my Tabby?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter 10
Tabby wasn’t sure she breathed during the last half hour. It was as if she was afraid that any sudden move would shatter the beautiful, fragile thing that had become her life with Brandon.
Finally, as it was there turn, they stepped forward under the small makeshift arbor that was situated in an office room of the courthouse. They’d stepped forward, signed a book, then their marriage license, and proceeded to take their places on the green tape on the carpeted floor.
While it wasn’t terribly romantic – it was everything she’d wanted and more in that very moment. She didn’t need the big fluffy dress or massive bouquet. She didn’t want the photographers and pageantry.
She wanted Brandon’s smile and to see the love in his eyes.
“I, Brandon Tobin, do take thee, Tabitha Mason, as my wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do us part.”
Brandon recited the words quietly, repeating after the man officiating their wedding. He slipped the same band she’d been wearing for the last few weeks onto her finger, exchanging a smile with her.
Tabitha then repeated back the same words, squeezing Brandon’s hand gently in acknowledgement at the ‘better or for worse’, knowing he’d already been through a terrible time and would come out ahead together.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Brandon smiled joyously and chuckled happily as he drew her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. Tabitha couldn’t help the burst of joy within her as she suddenly realized that this wasn’t some fantastical dream – she was married to her steadfast soldier of her heart.
He clasped her hand in his as they walked out of the office into the main hall, only to be swamped by their friends immediately in a flurry of hugs and well wishes.
John grabbed Brandon in a hug, his eyes glistening as he held him in an embrace. Tabitha thought that Brandon might balk at being held, but instead, felt her eyes burn with unshed tears as Brandon suddenly hugged John back. The two men whispered something quietly and patted each other on the back. She knew John looked at Brandon like a kid brother and it hurt him so much to feel like he’d abandoned him – even if he hadn’t.
John had introduced her to becoming Brandon’s pen-pal, despite his wife’s attempts at matchmaking. He’d included her in the futile communications with the base overseas and had been a part of her prayer group while she’d waited painfully.
John wasn’t just a friend – he was truly family.
Brandon finally pulled back, swallowing and wiping his eyes as he laughed with embarrassment of the two grown men crying. Tabitha wiped her own eyes and smiled at her beloved husband as his dark eyes met hers.
“I love you,” she said proudly.
“Love you more,” Brandon replied.
“Wuv you, tootsy-wootsy, wuv you more snookums…” Cooper mocked, only to get a sharp elbow in the waist by his wife, Cora.
“Stop it, twerp.”
“But Cora I was just…”
“Michael! Give them their moment,” she chastised, kissing the man on the cheek and whispering something in his ear that immediately had him straighten up.
“Yes ma’am,” Cooper said, snapping to attention and saluting.
“Dang, Cora – I don’t think Coop ever snapped to attention like that for Griffin,” Wilkes teased, poking the man in the stomach.
“No, we all know Cooper didn’t do that,” John Griffin said flatly with an upraised eyebrow at the man, causing everyone to laugh. Brandon stepped towards Tabitha and pulled her into his arms, hugging her.
“You made this all possible,” he whispered softly in her ear. “I love you so much for giving me my life, my friends, and my future, back to me.”
“They were always yours, silly,” she said tenderly, touching his beloved face. “I’m just glad you are willing to share it with me.”
“Didn’t someone say something about barbeque?” Dylan said with a grin, patting his stomach. His wife Ava rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.
“I think we should stop at the café before going to the Griffins and grab a few things,” Ava suggested, ushering the throng of friends towards the front doors of the courthouse.
“Sounds good. Let’s have a celebration,” Lily said happily, clapping her hands together. “We have a lot to be thankful for – and we can add yet another blessing to our list: Mr. and Mrs. Tobin! I’m so glad you two found each other.”
“I’m just glad you kept trying to set us up,” Tabitha teased, winking at the other
woman playfully as a reminder. Brandon’s arms circled her waist as he looked over her shoulder, dropping a kiss affectionately on her cheek.
“We both are, Lily and John.”
As they arrived at the Griffin’s she saw that Lily wasn’t kidding about it being a celebration. Ava had brought in cupcakes from the café she ran and several bottles of champagne were cooling on ice for later. The kitchen table was covered with a bright white tablecloth with the cupcakes on a tiered display to make it all look festive. This was about as fun and relaxed of a wedding celebration as you could get – and it was perfect.
The radio was playing, the dogs were out back running around, and everyone was just happy to be together. Tabitha found that Brandon was extremely attentive, his hand always seemed to be touching her or reaching for her, as if he needed a tether that she was more than happy to provide. He almost seemed to be the same guy from before his capture, if not a little more weathered or older. The strain of it all had given him lines around his eyes that, in her opinion, made him even more breathtaking to look upon.
“I love you,” she said quietly out of the blue, looking at his profile as he watched Wilkes and Cooper arm wrestle on the picnic table outside. Everyone was laughing at how the larger man, Wilkes, was shaking with effort and Cooper was talking trash about it.
Brandon looked up at her where she was perched on the side arm of the sofa beside him. His tender smile took her breath away and she knew that look he was giving her was speaking volumes. This was their wedding day… which meant there would be a wedding night.
“Nervous?”
“A little.”
“Then let’s take your mind off of things and have our first dance together as husband and wife,” Brandon said tenderly, getting to his feet. “But you are overdressed.”
“What?”
He kicked off his shoes and smiled at her. Tabitha laughed and slipped off her heels, dropping them loudly on the wood flooring with a thump.
“Shall we get our boogey on, my sweet Tabby?”
“Awww, are you two going to dance? Want me to put on some music,” Leia said, hopping to her feet and heading towards the radio on the counter.
Brandon never looked away from Tabitha, his brown eyes holding hers. He started swaying, holding her hand in his as his other hand rested on her lower back. Tabitha couldn’t pull her eyes away from the love shining in his gaze.
He spun her in the room slowly as if this was a normal everyday occurrence, as the room grew quiet and all of the conversations came to a stop. Cooper hopped up and pulled his wife, Cora, to him. Ethan then joined the two couples, slowly dancing with Daisy in his arms.
“All I need is Tabby in my world,” Brandon whispered in the silence.
She smiled and stepped forward into his arms, resting her cheek just under his chin, and holding him almost in a hug. She felt him lace his fingers on her lower back as they simply swayed together. She loved him more than life itself and thanked God that he’d returned, finding himself once again.
“The food is… oh,” John said, entering the house and coming to a stop. Lily got to her feet and smiled at her husband. He obviously needed no encouragement as he chucked the spatula into the sink noisily from several feet away and pulled his wife into his arms to dance too.
Tabitha smiled up at Brandon.
“We are delaying dinner and setting a trend,” she teased, as he dipped her gently.
“Would you rather have a cupcake instead, love?”
“I’d rather eat and go straight home so we can be alone finally, my husband,” she admitted intimately in a hushed whisper as he leaned down to kiss her. The heat in his gaze surged as his breath caught at her words. For a moment, she thought he might drop her as he tensed up suddenly.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he said huskily, straightening up from where he’d dipped her as they danced. “Just when I think you can’t get any more perfect, you go and say something like that.”
“It’s all I can think of when you look at me,” she confessed shyly.
“We are two peas in pod then, my wife,” Brandon said, clearing his throat and tugging at his collar. “Maybe we can get our portion of the barbeque to go instead?”
Tabitha laughed happily, hugging him, and nodding.
“Let’s go.”
Epilogue
Six months later
“I’ll have a tub of popcorn with extra butter, a pack of peanut butter M&M’s, and a large Coke, please?” Tabby said excitedly to the kid working behind the counter of the movie theater.
“We just ate dinner not too long ago, baby. Where are we going to put all of that,” Brandon said laughing, as he picked up the large tub of popcorn and Coke in his hands.
“Shhh. Don’t judge,” she scolded, grabbing the package of M&M’s and laughing as he shook his head at her. “This is an event that we are not missing! I love Meet Me in St. Louis with Judy Garland and it’s being shown today as a special event. You’ve never seen it, so we are going to try this out.”
“What if I have to leave the theater?”
“You won’t.”
“You are pretty certain of that,” he teased, following her into the theater. They took two seats at the bottom row closest to the doorway. She sat on the inside as he took the aisle seat.
“If we need to go, we can. You’ve done so well lately that we are able to sleep with the bathroom light off when we go to bed. I know you can do this and I’ll be right here with you, honey. I promise.”
“I know you will,” Brandon hedged, taking his seat nervously. “I’ve never been worried about that. It’s the irrational fear that just overwhelms me sometimes in the dark. I had a nightmare just last week, remember?”
“Yes, but it was a month since the last one too.”
“True.”
“They are getting fewer and farther apart.”
“Tabby, are you sure about this?”
“Yes – this will be lovely, lighthearted, and wonderful.”
“Hmm… I know someone who’s just like that,” he teased, popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth and smiling as she licked his fingertip playfully. “You behave, woman.”
“You love me anyways.”
“I certainly do.”
“Put your phone on silent, it’s going to start any minute.”
“Can I just apologize now for my upcoming freak-out?”
“Jeez Brandon – relax and put your arm around my shoulders. If you are holding the popcorn, you can’t spill it ‘cause that stuff’s way too expensive. You gotta scoot a little closer, baby, so we can share.”
“Yes ma’am.”
The lights dimmed at that moment and she felt him tense immediately. Tabitha abruptly turned and tugged his head toward hers strongly. She planted her lips on his and kissed him with everything in her heart, trying to distract him from the panic that she knew was bubbling inside of him. At bedtime, he would always seem to tense up; sometimes he would let out an unholy sound if it was too much for him, but always seemed to recover fairly quickly as the lights came on.
“I love you,” she breathed against his lips. “You’ve got this.”
“Tabby,” Brandon started nervously as the speakers thrummed loudly and the faint melody began to play as the introduction blasted across the illuminated screen. “I don’t know if I can yet.”
“I do. I’m here for you.”
“Honey…”
“Shhh. I’ve got you - always. M&M?”
She plopped one in his mouth and one in hers, chewing noisily. He got a handful of popcorn and began to snack on it, relaxing ever so slowly in his chair and against her shoulder. When the melody came on, she began to sing happily and saw his smile in the lights dancing off his face from the screen.
“I’m so proud of you. You’ve come so far.”
“You made this happen,” he said tenderly, kissing her forehead. “You are wonderful and I’m glad you gave a crazy soldier a second ch
ance at life.”
“It was the best thing I’ve ever done too,” Tabitha said proudly.
“I love you,” Brandon replied reverently, nuzzling her temple.
“I love you, soldier,” she said tenderly.
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read Remember Honor. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders. Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny
Remember Mercy
Annika Smithson is on a mission of mercy as a midwife. In this foreign world, surrounded by her mother’s people, the need for help was the same no matter the language. She finds herself in a world on the brink of war. As she helps deliver a child, the emotions rolling within her handsome protector makes her heart ache for the shattered soldier.
Joel Parker is devastated. Losing a friend and coworker under his watch was more than he could bear. Everything in him wanted to tear the world around him asunder to find Tobin, assuaging the guilt festering within him. The nightmares would never stop, nor could he ever forgive himself. So how can the breathtaking and mysterious woman before him justify being so kind as to help the enemy?
Can seeing the world through Annika’s kind eyes bring a deeper understanding and reminder of what they are fighting for? Could finding forgiveness within himself open his heart to a chance at love? Will she be able to love the man before her, tasked with the hardest job of all?
Remember Mercy on Kindle Unlimited
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