Promised

by michelle turner

He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and says. “Fine, we won’t get married at eighteen. You can stay at my parent’s house until we get you in a college. But I will marry you someday. If you don’t want it to be at eighteen, I can handle that, but it’s going to happen.” He sounds so sure of those words. So sure that it makes me think it could all be that simple. I could go to school, live at his parent’s house until I can afford my own place. Then, when the time is right, I can marry Linc. Can I do this?

  He must sense my nervousness because he gives my hand another squeeze and says. “You don’t have to decide tonight, but I wanted you to know you have options. Please, consider them.”

  I pull in to his driveway and put the car in to park. Then I release my seat belt and turn to look at him. I want to throw myself in his arms and tell him that’s exactly what I want, but I need to keep my head and think this over. “I’m going to think about it, but I have to keep up this show with Shay and my parents while I do it.”

  He places his hand against my jaw and uses his thumb to rub my cheek. “I don’t like it, but I understand why you have to. But if I’m going to wait for my answer, can I at least see you while you’re thinking about it?”

  “It’ll be hard. Shay’s my ride to and from school now, and Mom’s made me stop the volunteering so I can focus on the wedding plans. But we can see each other at school and I’ll try to find a way to see you other times. We’ll have to be careful though.”

  The smile that lights up his face at my words makes me happy I’m giving in to him. I’ve missed that smile. “We’ll be careful. I don’t want to mess this up again.”

  “I don’t want to either.” I whisper back. Dani flashes her lights behind us, reminding me we need to get in gear. I sigh and say. “We better get you inside.”

  “Ok, but one more thing first.”

  “What?”

  He moves his hand to the back of my neck and pulls me closer, pressing his lips to mine for a gentle kiss.

  Pulling back just enough that our lips are no longer touching, he asks. “Have I mentioned that I miss you?”

  “Once or twice.” I smile against his lips.

  “I better get inside.” He pulls back smiling himself.

  “Do you need me to help you?”

  “Nah.”

  “You know for a guy who’s supposed to be drunk, you don’t act it.”

  “I’m not drunk, maybe a little tipsy, but not smashed. Though, I can’t say I’m upset about Nate texting you. It made going to that party worth it.” His smile turns into his signature knee weakening grin.

  “I can’t say I disagree with you.”

  *************************************

  “So?” Dani asks as she backs back out on to the road.

  “I missed him.” I sigh, laying my head back against the head rest, turning my neck so I’m facing her.

  “Tell me something I don’t already know.” She shakes her head.

  “He pretty much told me he’d marry me if I choose him.”

  She stops the car in the middle of the road and turns to me with her mouth hanging open.

  I lean forward and using my knuckles, I push her mouth closed. “I told him I don’t want to be married at eighteen, but he did give me some things to think over.”

  “Did you completely forget you’re already planning to be married at eighteen?” Dani points out, turning back around and putting the car in drive.

  “Like I could forget.” I mumble, turning my head to look out the passenger window. The night sky is clear and the moon is shining down and guiding our way. I’ve always enjoyed this time of night. When the road’s clear of other cars, it makes me feel as if I’m one of a few people left on the planet. It’s peaceful, perfect for thinking over life changing decisions. I find the brightest star in the sky and close my eyes, sending up a quiet wish for guidance.

  “What are you going to be thinking over?” Dani asks, drawing me back into the car and out of my thoughts.

  “He gave me some ideas of what I could do if I chose him.” I tell the window instead of looking over to see what her reaction is. If I’m honest, the biggest thing keeping me from choosing Linc is the thought of losing Dani. I hate the idea of losing Adam and my un-born niece too, but mostly Dani. She’s been my best friend since I knew what a best friend was and I don’t want to turn my back on that. I don’t know if I can turn my back on that.

  “He’s taking it seriously.” She whispers to herself. I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. She probably thinks I’ve already made my decision.

  “Dani, I haven’t decided yet.” I feel the need to reassure her.

  “Uh-huh.” She mumbles. I look over at her and see the tears shinning in her eyes.

  “I swear. I have a lot to think over, but I haven’t decided anything.” I reach across the seat and rub her shoulder to reassure her I’m still here.

  “Wyn, I know you don’t love Shay. You can barely stand him. So I don’t have high hopes.” She takes one hand off the wheel to wipe at the tears spilling out of her eyes.

  “You have the first part right, but you’re forgetting something.”

  “What else could be so important that you’d marry someone you don’t love?” She asks on a sob. Her hormones have taken over and she’s full on crying now.

  I drop my hand from her shoulder to her pregnant belly. “I have a little namesake on the way that’ll need me to teach her how to be awesome.” I look up at Dani and continue. “And a best friend who I wouldn’t know how to live without.”

  She covers my hand on her belly with her own. “I don’t know what I’d do without you either.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t be as awesome; that’s for sure.” I tease.

  She pushes my hand off her belly and then grumbles. “I think you have that backwards. Kind of like you think my child is going to be named after you.”

  “Hey, the middle name counts as naming her after me. She will forever be Lil Wyn.”

  “You do realize she isn’t here yet, so I could change my mind about doing that.”

  “You love me too much to change your mind.” I point out smugly.

  “Hmmph. I’ve changed my mind; you should choose Linc.” She grumbles as she rolls her eyes.

  “Oh hush, you know you love me.” I reply on a chuckle.

  “Only on days that end in Y.”

  February

  Chapter 19 – Linc

  ~Help You Get Through~

  “Let me make sure I have this right. You want your sort of girlfriend to move in with us while she tries to find a college so she doesn’t have to marry the man she is engaged to?” Mom’s sitting across the kitchen table from me. She was trying to enjoy her morning coffee when I joined her. It’s been around three weeks since the party that brought Wyn back to me and I’m just now gathering the courage to bring my plan up to Mom for approval.

  “I guess you could say it that way.” I murmur, elbow on the table, head lying against my propped up hand.

  It’s Saturday and she hasn’t changed out of her robe and pajama’s. This is one of the few days she doesn’t have to rush out of the house to be at Aunt Kelly’s (her sister) bakery first thing in the morning. She’s been helping there since we moved to town at the beginning of the school year and I know she loves it, but she also loves her down time at home. Hence it being almost ten a.m. and her still being in her night clothes, just now starting her first cup of coffee.

  She sets her coffee cup down and straightens herself, pulling her robe tighter. “Lincoln, I don’t really know if this is a healthy relationship for you to be in.”

  I sit up straight in my seat. “Mom, you don’t know her. If you did, you’d see what I see in her. She’s been put in this difficult situation. She doesn’t want to marry him, but if she doesn’t, her family will turn her out. Can you imagine how hard that would be for a seventeen year old girl?”

  “I feel for her, but why do you have to be the one to save her?” Her grey
eyes are appraising me.

  “I don’t look at it as if I’m saving her. I like to think it’s me giving the girl I love a chance to be who she wants to be.” I explain, holding her stare with the golden brown eyes I inherited from my dad.

  She holds my stare for several more beats, then looks away running her fingers through her dark brown hair, the same color she passed down to me. “Are you sure this is what she wants? She could be leading you on for a last hooray before she gets married.”

  “This was my idea, not hers. I can’t tell you she’s made the final decision about what she wants, because she hasn’t. She’s afraid to turn her back on her family because she loves them. But Mom, she also wants a different life for herself. She’s torn and it breaks my heart to see it and know I can’t fix this for her. The only thing I can do is show her she has options.”

  She picks her coffee mug back up as she sighs. “Fine, see if she can come over so I can meet her. We’ll talk more about it after that.”

  I rush to her side of the table and give her a tight hug. “Thank you so much. She’ll be over in a few hours.”

  She hugs me as she grumbles. “I guess I need to get out of my night clothes then.”

  *******************************

  I meet Wyn outside when she arrives. I take her hand as soon as she’s out of the car, pulling her into a hug. She trembles and I pull back to look at her face. “Are you alright?”

  “Nervous.” She says, giving me a hesitant smile.

  “She’s going to love you, so don’t worry.” I pull her back against my chest, giving her another hug.

  “I hope so.” She says, slipping her arms around my waist to hug me back.

  “Are you ready to go inside?” I ask as I step back after I feel her relax against me.

  “First, do I look alright? I wasn’t sure what was appropriate to wear the first time you meet a guy’s mom.” She holds her arms out from her body and does a slow spin so I can see her whole outfit. Her curly hair has been worked into an intricate braid. Her four leaf clover charm rests against her chest. She has on a dark red sweater, that isn’t tight but somehow still shows her curves, over a chocolate brown skirt that falls around her knees, and high heeled boots the same color as her skirt that come to right below her knees. Like always, she looks beautiful.

  “You’re beautiful.” I tell her my thoughts, take her hand in mine and lead her into the house.

  Mom is in one of the chairs in the living room waiting on us. She gets up and greets Wyn with a hug. “I’m happy to finally meet you, Wyn. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Tatman.” Wyn tells her, hugging her back.

  “Oh please, call me Kate.” Mom says as she releases her from the hug.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  Taking her hand, Mom leads Wyn to the couch to sit. “Like I said, Linc’s told me about you and he’s told me about your situation, but I want to hear more about you.”

  “I’m the youngest of six kids, the only girl. I volunteer at the children’s center close to the school twice a week and tutor once a week, but I’ve had to put those on hold because of the…” She stops herself and looks to me nervous about how to explain the reason she stopped.

  I sit on the opposite end of the couch as Mom, beside Wyn, and take hold of her hand. “Mom knows. It’s okay.”

  She squeezes my hand, then turns back to Mom and looks at the floor. “I had to stop to work on the wedding plans.” She explains.

  I watch Mom examine Wyn. Then she leans in and places her hand to her jaw, bringing Wyn’s eyes to her own. “I’m not here to judge you, sweetie. I just want to understand everything that’s going on. Now, why don’t you tell me some more about you. How do you like school?”

  “It’s my favorite part of the day.” She looks at me and smiles. “And not just because I get to see Linc.” Then she turns back to Mom. “I’ve always enjoyed reading and learning new things, so I try to absorb as much as my teachers can offer me. It’s probably the reason I’m at the top of our class.”

  I’m so shocked, my eyes about pop out. “You’re what?”

  She faces me again, biting her lip. She releases it and says. “I’m ranked first in our class.”

  “You never told me that.”

  “It’s not something I tell people. The only people who knew up till now were me and the school faculty.”

  “Wyn, with your rank and volunteer work, you have a good chance at getting scholarships.” I explain, not hiding my excitement at this new revelation at all.

  “I’ve applied for a few, but I won’t hear back till at least next month.” She confesses quietly.

  I jump up off the couch; I’m so excited. “This is great. You can get a scholarship to help with school and you won’t have to go through with the wedding.”

  “Lincoln Andrew, calm yourself and take a seat. If you can’t do that, then you can go do it in the kitchen so Wyn and I can continue talking.” Mom chastises me. I stop my celebration and look at Wyn, who’s still sitting beside Mom looking completely uncomfortable about my outburst.

  “Sorry.” I say, rubbing my hand over the top of my head as I take my seat again.

  Mom turns her attention back to Wyn and asks. “If you don’t mind me asking, why haven’t you shared any of this with anyone else?”

  “It’s not the gypsy way. The woman stays home and takes care of the house and kids. We marry young, normally not finishing school. Me finishing high school is unusual, college is unheard of.”

  Mom nods her head in understanding and continues to ask Wyn questions. It feels so surreal sitting here on my parent’s floral printed couch while my Mom and Wyn discuss Wyn’s life. I feel almost like I’m in a dream. I’ve wanted them to meet for so long and I can tell they’re hitting it off, but I never had a doubt they wouldn’t. Wyn’s hard not to like and Mom has a soft spot a mile long. Though she thinks she can hide it, she never does. I don’t have any doubt she’ll agree to let Wyn move in after graduation. The only thing I don’t know for sure is, if that’s the choice Wyn will make.

  Wyn stays for another hour talking and then I walk her out to her car. Mom invited her to stay for dinner, but because of her arrangement with Shay, she has to decline. I watch the SUV she’s driving until I can no longer see it. Then I go back in to Mom, who’s made her way into the kitchen to start cooking.

  “So?” I ask, leaning against the island and watching her pull out the ingredients for spaghetti.

  “I’ll talk to your dad. If he agrees, we’ll offer her a place to stay if she needs it.” She tells me while filling the pot with water at the kitchen sink.

  My head drops and I let out a sigh. “Thank you.”

  She turns off the water and looks over her shoulder at me. “Son, you need to keep in mind that she might not choose to leave that life. She loves you, but she loves her family too. That’s a hard decision for someone so young to make. I don’t want you to get hurt if this doesn’t go your way.”

  I wish I could smile and convince her I’ll be fine, but I know I can’t pull it off so I don’t even try. I look up and she turns so we’re face to face. “I don’t think there’s a way to stop that from happening if her decision goes that way.” I tell her.

  She nods her head in understanding. “Then I’ll be here to help you get through it.”

  “Love you, Mom.” I whisper, because God knows, I do, and I hope she realizes just how much.

  “More than the moon and the stars.” She replies back on a smile, repeating the words she’s added on to “I love you” since I was a baby.

  Chapter 20 – Wyn

  ~The Show Stopper~

  My head is pounding. I want nothing more than to run from this room and never return. But like always, what I want doesn’t factor in. So, I continue to smile and pray this goes fast. I’m sitting in the waiting area of Mrs. Dallas’ Custom Designs with my mom, Dani, Marley (Aidan’s wife), Cara (Aldon’s wife), Ali (Ale
c’s wife), and Jenna (Aaron’s wife).

  The walls are a bright orange and there are touches of zebra print throughout the room. Racks of dresses as vibrant as the orange, line two of the walls and most of the floor space. The third wall has fitting rooms, a reception area, and the door that leads to the back where the dresses are created and private fitting rooms for special clients are located. The fourth, of course, is the entrance, the display windows of the shop, and a small sitting area.

  Thee Mrs. Dallas walks out of the back wearing pointed-toe black heels, hot pink slacks, and a zebra print blouse (if you can’t tell, she loves zebra print). A bunch of black and pink necklaces cover her neck and her midnight black hair is fashioned into a high pony tail on the top of her head. She catches sight of us and calls. “Come on you gorgeous Scott women. I’ve been waiting forever to show you what I’ve come up with.”