A Promise To Keep

by Christina Tetreault

  When it came to shopping, Ella and Cat knew their stuff. Arguing with either was futile. “Okay. Today, I’ll follow your lead.”

  ***

  Drew considered it a productive day. He’d driven into Boston and picked up the engagement ring and stopped at his house in Weston to pack what he needed for their trip. Afterward he’d called and made them reservations for an evening luau, because if you visited Hawaii, attending at least one luau was a must. He’d actually been to several during his many visits, but the one held at the Sherbrooke Hawaiian Village was by far his favorite. He considered booking them a helicopter tour too, but decided against it. He’d let Kelsey decide what she wanted to do on this vacation. No matter what she picked, he’d go along with it, even getting married.

  The crazy half-baked idea had come to him in the shower. The Sherbrooke Hawaiian Village consisted of numerous stores and restaurants. Nestled among them was a wedding chapel. While his older brother had had an intimate church wedding followed by a large reception, Drew didn’t care what kind of wedding ceremony he had. The only thing he cared about was getting the ring on Kelsey’s finger.

  They’d never discussed it, but Drew’s gut told him Kelsey wouldn’t want a large wedding like his younger brother and fiancée were planning. Maybe she would’ve at one time, but not with her parents and brother gone.

  He’d let the idea roll around for less than half an hour before making his decision. He’d propose and work his idea to get married before they left into it. If she agreed, the chapel had already promised they could fit them in. He’d called and checked before leaving Weston and coming back to North Salem.

  Yup, if everything went according to plan, he’d fly home either engaged or married.

  Married to Kelsey. He’d expected to get married someday and maybe have a few kids. He’d never imagined it would be to Kelsey Bancroft. Even when Ian made his request, he hadn’t thought it would lead him to the altar.

  He didn’t regret his decision.

  Drew checked his cell phone before he got out of the car. He’d heard it beep as he turned onto his brother’s street. Since Kelsey was out shopping, he’d accepted Cody’s offer to watch the basketball game at his house tonight.

  You’re girlfriend accepted my offer, the message from Jack read.

  Drew responded and then leaned his head back against the seat as another brick of guilt landed in his stomach. He kept telling himself she’d be happy about this later. That he was doing this for her. None of his arguments changed the fact he was tricking her. Maybe not outright lying, but doing something very close. Neither action belonged in a relationship. Both could easily come back to haunt him down the line if she ever learned the truth.

  He shoved the cell phone in his jacket pocket. “She won’t find out.”

  A barking dog followed by his nephew’s voice reached his ears before the front door even opened.

  “Hi, Uncle Drew,” Joey said while he held on to the dog’s collar. “Are you going to watch the game with us?”

  “He’s going to watch the game with me and Uncle John.” Cody joined them at the door. “You’ll be in bed.”

  “But, Dad, you promised I could watch the next game with you.”

  Drew entered the house but wisely kept his mouth shut.

  “No. I promised you could watch the next game the Celtics played that wasn’t on a school night. Either you forgot, or conveniently didn’t hear everything I said.”

  Joey frowned and released the dog’s collar. “It’s not fair. Brady has a later bedtime.”

  He remembered having similar arguments with his parents at Joey’s age. The look Cody gave him said his brother remembered them as well. They’d always lost them just like Joey was about to.

  “We can revisit your bedtime in June when school is over. Until then it’s eight o’clock on school nights. So, go finish getting ready for bed. I’ll be up in a minute to tuck you in.”

  “Fine.” Joey stomped off, the dog following right behind him, and Drew struggled not to laugh.

  “Remind you of anyone?” Cody asked when Joey went into another room.

  “Yeah, you.” Drew hung his jacket on the coat tree.

  “Me? Try again. You and John were the ones always whining about your bedtime.” He headed down the hall.

  “Sounds like Joey isn’t the only one to forget things. You did your fair share of whining, bro.” Drew followed his brother into the family room. John was already in there watching the sports announcers discuss the evening’s game. “When did you guys get a dog?”

  Cody brushed off Drew’s first comment. “Back in January when we moved here. Joey had been bugging us for a long time. Khloe and I figured he was finally old enough to help take care of one. So far, so good. Joey feeds him twice a day and lets him out whenever he goes to the door.”

  “You should let Joey watch some of the game,” John said. “So what if he goes to bed an hour late? It won’t kill him.”

  Cody narrowed his eyes. “And how much parenting experience do you have? He’ll be a bear in the morning if he stays up late. Wait until you have kids, and you’ll see what I mean.”

  Growing up, Cody and John had butted heads the most. As the middle child, sometimes he egged it on and other times he’d tried to defuse the situation. Tonight he was more in the mood for defusing. “Flying solo tonight too?” he asked John.

  “Yeah. Val and Khloe went to a ladies-only paint night at some art studio in Danvers.”

  He didn’t know about Khloe, but Drew knew Val was a fantastic artist.

  “Where’s your new roommate?” John asked.

  Drew hadn’t told anyone Kelsey moved in with him following the fire. It hadn’t been necessary. The North Salem grapevine had done it for him.

  “Shopping for our vacation.” He accepted the beer Cody held out, and then scratched the dog who had jumped up on the sofa next to him.

  “I didn’t believe her, but Mom was right. You’re not just letting Kelsey stay with you because of the fire.” Cody grabbed a handful of popcorn. “After you took what’s-her-name to Hawaii, you said you’d never take a girlfriend on vacation again.”

  His brothers would know soon enough. “After the last few years Kelsey’s had, she deserves a vacation.” Drew took a swig from his beer. “While we’re away, I’m going to ask her to marry me. Picked up the ring this morning.”

  He waited. His brothers liked Kelsey and would welcome her into the family. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t question his plan to propose so suddenly.

  Their reactions were simultaneous. John choked on the beer he’d swallowed and started coughing. “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?” Cody demanded, his voice reeking of big brother authority. “Damn, Drew, it’s not hard to use a friggin’ condom.”

  One, two, three. Drew silently counted before he answered. “Kelsey isn’t pregnant, Father Cody.” Okay, the last part wasn’t called for, but he couldn’t help himself. Sometimes Cody could be a little too self-righteous.

  John elbowed Cody in the side before their older brother said anything else. “Then what’s the rush? Before last month, you rarely ever talked to her.”

  No one, not even his brothers, knew he’d been calling Kelsey once a month since Ian passed away. He didn’t intend to share the information now either.

  John raised his beer toward his mouth again. “Either the sex is outstanding, or you’ve got a reason for asking so soon.”

  He should’ve waited until after she had the ring on her finger to tell them. “I want to marry her, and unlike you, I see no reason to wait.” John and Val had been together for six years, and he’d only gotten around to proposing the previous Thanksgiving.

  “Give Mom and Dad that excuse,” Cody said, not accepting Drew’s answer. “You’ve got another reason.”

  On the television, the Celtics and the Lakers took to the court. None of the men in the room paid any attention. His brothers weren’t stupid. If either put some real thought into it, they might d
educe his reason for rushing.

  “Something to do with Ian maybe,” John said, offering up his theory.

  Cody’s brows furrowed as he considered John’s suggestion. “If she’s not pregnant, it makes the most sense.”

  Heat crawled up his neck and hit the base of his skull. His reasons for marrying her were his own. He didn’t need his family’s opinion on the matter. He only needed them to keep their theories to themselves and welcome Kelsey to the family when the time came. “I’m asking because I want to.”

  “I’ve known Kelsey as long as you, and I like her. But don’t marry her because she’s Ian’s sister. You’ll find yourself in front of a divorce lawyer before you know it,” Cody said. “Trust me, you don’t want to go through that.”

  Drew didn’t disagree with his brother’s last sentence. He’d seen the hell Cody had gone through when he divorced his first wife. From the beginning, everyone but Cody had seen they didn’t belong together. The marriage had lasted six months.

  The heat on his neck spread across his scalp, and tension set into his shoulders. His marriage to Kelsey wouldn’t end up like Cody’s first one. “It’s not why. I love her. End of story. Now can we watch the game?”

  Cody and John exchanged a look. Neither completely believed him. As long as they kept their big traps shut, he didn’t care what they believed.

  “I’m happy for you, bro.” Cody raised his beer in a toast. “Good luck. I hope she says yes.”

  That made two of them.

  John lifted his beer too. “Make sure the wedding is after mine in June. Mom is stressing enough about it. She doesn’t need more to worry about.”

  If everything went the way Drew planned, they’d be married before Mom and Dad even knew he’d proposed.

  ***

  Despite the uncomfortable conversation regarding his plans, Drew enjoyed hanging out with his brothers. Their schedules made getting together often difficult, especially before Drew and Cody’s moves back to town. With them all living in North Salem again, it would be easier, at least until football season started. Then it’d make the most sense for him and Kelsey to live at his house in Weston. Both the stadium and Brandeis University were much closer to Weston than North Salem. And in the fall Kelsey would definitely be back at the university. Thanks to Jack’s cooperation, her return was guaranteed regardless of her answer to his proposal.

  Several bags littered the king-size bed. He’d seen Kelsey shop and expected her to come home with a handful of items. Judging by the haul on the bed, that wasn’t the case. She’d splurged tonight.

  The bathroom door opened, and Kelsey walked out dressed for bed in a pair of flannel pants with the periodic table decorating them. She’d paired them with a New England Rebels T-shirt. He’d never seen the bottoms before, and guessed she’d picked them up during her shopping trip.

  “Hey, you’re home.” She started collecting the bags on the bed. “I thought I’d get this cleaned up before you got here.”

  Drew kissed her before grabbing the last few bags on the bed. “Did just a little shopping, I see.”

  “Ella and Cat are a bad influence.” She piled the bags up near the nightstand. “We got carried away. Even they couldn’t resist adding a few things to their wardrobes. But it’s okay, because now I won’t need to go shopping for summer clothes again anytime soon.” Sitting on the bed, her expression grew serious. “I accepted an offer for Bancroft Auto today.”

  Unable to meet her eyes, he peeked in the bag he held. “You’re happy with this decision, right?”

  “Yes and no. I’d hoped someone local would buy it, but the buyer is from New York City. He offered full asking price though, so when the school year ends, I’m officially done teaching middle school.” She shrugged, and the shirt slipped down her shoulder. “It’ll take a while, but I’ll get used to someone else owning it. And first chance I get tomorrow, I’m going to call the university and see what I need to do so I can return in the fall.”

  Drew kissed her bare shoulder and began a path up her neck. “Good. Let’s celebrate.” Slipping a hand under her T-shirt, he cupped her breast and rubbed his thumb over her nipple.

  Kelsey unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down. “I like the way you celebrate.”

  Chapter Twelve

  She’d actually made it. Outside the plane window, the bluest water she’d ever seen grew closer and closer. “The water is so clear,” she said to Drew, who’d finally woken up again. While she’d nodded off during the flight from Boston to Salt Lake City, she’d been unable to close her eyes since the plane took off again. Drew, though, had been asleep for the past hour next to her.

  “Wait until you go in. It’s the perfect temperature. Nothing like the beaches near home.”

  While New England had its share of beautiful beaches, the water remained on the chillier side even during July and August, especially the further north you traveled. When she’d been a kid, she hadn’t minded the cooler water. On her last visit to Hampton Beach, she’d lasted in the water ten minutes before retreating to her beach towel. Now if she did any swimming, it was in her backyard pool.

  Kelsey watched as the runway approached. With a slight thud, the plane’s wheels touched down. Giddiness danced through her, and despite the fasten seat belt sign still being on, she unclipped the belt.

  “Welcome to paradise, sweetheart.” Drew leaned across the armrest and kissed her cheek.

  The plane moved at a snail’s pace toward the jet bridge. Around them, other passengers unbuckled their seat belts and grabbed the bags they’d stowed under the seats in front of them. When the plane finally reached the jet bridge and stopped, people popped up and started retrieving their carry-ons from the overhead compartments. After over six hours stuck in an airplane seat, everyone was anxious to get off and stretch his or her legs.

  In addition to having more legroom and a full meal, first class had another perk: getting off the plane sooner. Kelsey and Drew were the second couple off the plane. Unlike the terminals they’d passed though first in Boston and then in Salt Lake City, the one she stood in now looked like it hadn’t been updated since the airport was first built.

  Who cares, I’m not staying at the airport.

  “We want to go this way.” Drew pointed to a set of glass doors. She could see a beautiful clear sky on the other side.

  “What about our bags?” At Logan airport, baggage claim was downstairs. Depending on which gate you landed at, you had a nice little walk through the airport to reach it.

  He put an arm over her shoulders, anchoring her against him. “Bag claim is this way.”

  She let him lead the way. As they stepped outside, warm air wrapped around her, the complete opposite of the fresh air she’d walked though in North Salem. This morning when they left for the airport, the temperature had been a chilly twenty-seven degrees. Pausing in the middle of the bridge connecting one segment of the airport to another, she took in a deep breath. “It smells different here. Not bad or anything, just different than at home.” She couldn’t explain how exactly, but she knew it was true.

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing. Must be the different vegetation here. I’ve seen trees and plants here that I’ve never seen anywhere else.”

  They crossed into a building again, and Drew made a beeline for one of the gift shops. “You can’t come to Hawaii and not get a lei. Wait here.”

  Although several fake flower leis as well as ones made out of nuts hung inside the store, Drew passed by them all. When he returned, he draped a single strand of fresh white and purple orchids around her neck. “Aloha.”

  Even the airport’s baggage claim looked in need of an update. Somehow though, it managed to run smoothly, and soon they were leaving the parking garage in the convertible Drew rented.

  She’d been blown away when she checked out the Sherbrooke Hawaiian Village Resort on the Internet. In addition to the three buildings that contained guest rooms and suites, it had five pools and countless resta
urants and gift shops. Depending on the day, guests could sign up for morning yoga, hula lessons, or tai chi. Those guests who didn’t mind dishing out more money could take surf, paddle board, or scuba lessons. Thursday night the hotel hosted a fireworks display over the beach. The resort even had over seventy species of exotic birds, fish, and turtles on display. It really seemed like there wasn’t anything the hotel didn’t offer its guests.

  The pictures she’d seen didn’t do the place justice. She tried not gape when they stopped at the outdoor reception desk and checked in. She thought she managed it. At least until they walked past the first alcove housing a brightly colored macaw named Captain. A few feet away, they passed a gorgeous parrot named Red before turning a corner and passing by a koi pond.

  “We’re in this tower.”

  “I’ve never seen any place like this.” She kept her voice low, hoping only Drew and not the two hotel employees behind the desk heard her.

  “Wait until you see our view. I requested the Queen Emma suite. It’s my favorite here.”

  She knew at one time a royal family had ruled the island. Emma didn’t sound like a traditional Hawaiian name. It sounded more like a name the royals in England would use. “Hawaii had a queen named Emma?”

  Drew released her hand long enough to press the button for the elevator. “I guess. I’ve seen at least one street named after her, and a medical clinic.”

  Why, she couldn’t explain, but the idea of a Hawaiian queen named Emma fascinated her. When they got home, she’d have to look it up and learn more.

  “Our home for the next week.” He pushed open one of the double doors.

  The summer following eighth grade, she’d traveled to Aruba with her parents and brother. It’d been the last big trip they’d gone on as a whole family. Perhaps knowing Ian wouldn’t want to travel with them anymore, Mom and Dad went all out. Rather than book two small hotel rooms, they’d gotten a large family suite. It’d had a small sitting area with a pull-out sofa, a partial kitchen, and two bedrooms. In contrast, the Queen Emma suite resembled one of those luxury apartments featured in movies.