I spent the afternoon relaxing and going through more magazines with Mom. I tried to explain the details of the dress in my dream, but didn’t know exactly how to describe some of the fine points. “Why don’t you take some scissors and cut out what you like from dresses you’ve seen and paste what you’re looking for on a piece of paper. We can take that picture with us to the dress shops and see if they have anything similar. If we don’t find what you are looking for, we can always see if a seamstress could make the gown from scratch; but we need to move fast, since we have a short period of time.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love that idea. Maybe that would also help us narrow down where to find the dress.”
Mom looked in deep thought for a second. “Have you tried the Internet to see if there are any designs out there?”
“I have looked at a couple of well known shops, but didn’t find anything. There are tons of dress shops out there, but not necessarily in the immediate area. I guess I could extend the search to see if the dress I’m looking for even exists.”
Gregory arrived home a little later than usual, with his arms loaded down full of wedding catalogues. Lorraine had not only managed to secure albums from various wedding shops; but had also acquired pictures of various bridesmaid styles, colors, linen samples, floral pictures, and so on. My future mother in-law could have easily started her own wedding coordinator business.
I was about to object to the amount of information Gregory sat before me, when he spoke up. “I know. My mother can sometimes go overboard, especially if she’s excited about something.” He shrugged his shoulders. “What can I say…? She adores you, as do I.” He leaned forward planting a firm kiss on my lips.
That gesture led to a few more and after a long kiss that sent my heartbeat into overdrive, Gregory pulled away and reached into his pocket. “Almost forgot. Mom received a couple of cards for you at her place. Looks to be some get well cards from the sister-in-laws.”
He gave Mom a quick hug and made his way to the food in the kitchen. While he prepared himself a plate, I started opening up the cards.
The first card was from Robin. I had talked with her on the phone a couple of times, over the past few weeks. She seemed genuinely concerned over how I was doing and offered any assistance she could toward helping plan our wedding. Her card was a simple “Get Well” signed by both her and Jonathan, with a small hand-written statement:
This card is sent with healing thoughts for a speedy recovery for you, Jordan. I’m excited to know I will have a new sister in-law joining our family. Gregory is a good man and I look forward to meeting you in the near future and giving you a proper welcome to our family, sister!
Hugs to you! – Robin
Her sentiments seemed genuine and the card had a warm presence radiating in my hands. The aura around it glowed in a soft yellow, letting me know that, according to Ray’s code, I could trust Robin.
I showed the card to Gregory and he smiled. “Robin is a sweetheart. You two will probably be as close as sisters.” I smiled back at him, cherishing the idea of having someone I could call “sister”.
The next card was hard to open and gave me a paper cut in the process. “Ouch!”
Gregory captured my finger, taking a look at the drop of blood. Mom yelled from the kitchen, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just a paper cut, Mom.”
He wiped away the blood and pulled the cut toward his lips. He gently kissed the area and then, in a seductive move, ran his tongue across the cut. No matter how many times I watched him do something like that, I was always turned on by his actions and amazed at the sight before me—the cut instantly closed, forming a tight seal, before fading into oblivion.
He pulled the card out for me and laid it on the table. It was a generic Get Well card with a floral arrangement on the front and the words, “Get Well,” on the inside. But there was no signature on the card from either Phillip or Gwen.
Instead, there was a neatly folded piece of paper. As I unfolded it, I felt a weird vibe and an aura that was hard to detect. In one sense, it glowed with slight hues of yellow; but the edges were red. Usually, any red or black aura made my hands feel like they were on fire, but this time it only felt lukewarm, much like its writer.
The note was from Gwen. It read:
Here’s a “Get Well” card for you. Lorraine insisted I send one. I’m also supposed to write a note welcoming you to our family. I would give you proper salutations, but your relationship with Gregory has progressed far too fast, which can only mean that you will break-up before you ever reach the wedding, so why waste my efforts! Besides, even if you do make it to the altar, you will not have any attention given to you, because I’ve just discovered that we’re expecting and due around the time of your wedding. So, you will take a back seat to my glory! At this point, why not move the wedding back a few months so my pregnancy can take center stage. Know that the family will never accept you willingly. I hope you know what you are in for. Things are not always as they appear to be. If and when you make it into this family, I’ll give you the proper welcoming you so truly deserve! Consider this fair warning!
Cordially yours – Gwen
Before I could even respond to the note, Gregory’s fist came down hard on the table. “What the heck does she think she’s doing? I’m going to have to tell Mom about this.” His tone was cold.
I just shook my head. “You weren’t kidding when you said she was a piece of work, wanting all of the family’s attention to herself.”
“She was warned when she sent a similar note to Robin, right before she married my brother. Gwen tried to prevent that marriage from happening, too.” He rubbed his forehead, as if trying to ward off the onset of a headache. “She has already been warned not to mess with our family when it comes to affairs of the heart. Looks like we need to have another talk with my brother and I, personally, want to verify that her pregnancy announcement is even true.”
I didn’t understand why he needed to verify things. “Why would she lie about a pregnancy?”
“That’s how Phillip ended up marrying her. She claimed to be pregnant and then supposedly miscarried, less than two weeks into their marriage. He felt it was only honorable to stay married to her and try to make things work. To say her temperament is trying, is the understatement of the year. But, he seems to love her; so, we tolerate her actions and he tries to keep her in tow. Sadly, we don’t get to see Philip often because of her little shenanigans.”
I leaned over and gave Gregory a full kiss on the lips, trying to negate his bad mood. It seemed to work because he grabbed hold of my head and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue into my mouth and exploring every inch of it. It wasn’t long before my mother cleared her throat, causing us to break off our intensity.
“Feeling better?” I asked him.
“You are definitely the light to my soul,” he said, as he wrapped me in a gentle hug.
“I’m going to hope that Gwen is pregnant and that we can expect a little niece or nephew to spoil. Maybe this is what she needs to break some of her cynicism. A mother’s love for her child can easily change the way one looks at the world.”
Gregory shrugged his shoulders and got up from the table to rinse and deposit his plate in the dishwasher. “Did you want me to help you into the bedroom or do you want to stay out here with your mom for a while? I’ve got some work to finish up on the computer. I will only be an hour, maybe two, tops.”
“I’ll stay here and look through some of the books while you work. That way you can have some peace and quiet without me disturbing you.”
He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the end of my nose. “You never disturb me. I find my mind works best when I’m around you. But, I concede. By the way, my mom is really anxious to take you dress shopping, especially since I told her that your cast will come off, soon. Plus, she wants to get engagement pictures. She needs us to figure out where we would like them taken and she’s already reserved the photographer i
n two weeks.”
My mom came to the edge of the kitchen. “I have to agree with Lorraine. Engagement pictures would be nice to have; plus, you could send out a few in the ‘Engagement Party’ invitations. As for dresses, even if you can’t try any on yet, we could at least get your measurements and narrow down the dress choices and places to shop. We only have a few months left. That’s not a lot of time to work with.”
I took a deep breath in, feeling my ribs protest a bit, and wondered how my life suddenly got more complicated. “Okay. I guess I don’t have a choice with the engagement photos. Besides, it would be nice to have a photo of us to put into the hometown newspaper in Clewiston, so my friends from back there will know I finally found someone special. As for the photographer, I wonder if he has any suggestions on locations that don’t require much traveling.”
Gregory gave me another quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you. I’ll get his information from Mom and see if he can send me sample location pictures we can look through and determine what you feel you’re up to doing.”
I started to get up and reach for all the bridal books that Lorraine sent, but he insisted I sit back down and scooted the items to within my reach. “Let me know when you’re ready to come to the bedroom and I’ll help you.”
I just shook my head and smiled, shooing him away, so I could look at the books. I was tired of looking at bridal dresses, so I focused, instead, on the samples Lorraine sent for other parts of the Wedding.
Mom sat down with me and we tried to decide on color choices. Since the wedding would be a fall/winter event, I wanted rich colors like gold and burgundy. I took post-it notes and stuck them on a few napkin colors and my imprint design choices, as well as flower arrangements I thought I might like.
To my surprise, three hours had passed and I had only made a small dent in what Lorraine wanted me to look through. When I started to yawn, Mom took the catalogue from my hands. “You’re not allowing your body enough rest, Jordan. You’re never going to heal properly if you keep pushing yourself.”
“You’re right. I need to get to bed.” I stood up slowly from the table, testing my balance. Mom stood beside me to help steady me. The vertigo still wasn’t completely gone, but it had definitely improved to the point where I was able to make my way to the bedroom, on my own.
Gregory’s head whipped around as soon as he heard me enter the room. “What are you doing walking without any help?”
“The vertigo is better, as long as I have a wall or piece of furniture to steady myself. Are you almost done for tonight?”
“Yes. I was just about to come and get you.” I noted he was trying to close out a couple of windows, one of which looked like an instant message.
“Who are you instant messaging?” I was curious and feeling a little jealous, for some reason.
“I noticed my brother, Phillip, was online and I tried telling him about Gwen’s note.” His face told me the conversation didn’t go well. “He swore that Gwen would never write something like that and then told me to leave him alone.”
My heart ached for him. “Give him some time. Hopefully, he’ll come around or Gwen will change.”
He finished shutting down the laptop and crossed the room looking deep into my eyes. He took a deep breath. “There’s more.”
I knew my eyes widened with the news. “Okay. What are we dealing with?” I made sure to put the emphasis on we.
“Remember me telling you about my ex-girlfriend, Angela, when we had dinner at the Copper Pot?” He paused, waiting for me to nod. “She’s been sending me emails, instant messages and calling my cell phone for the past week. She is insistent that we need to talk. She wants to get back together and said that she made a mistake by breaking up and that we are perfect for each other.”
I shook my head and laughed. I couldn’t help it. The irony of the whole situation and the timing of everything spelled trouble to me.
He took hold of my head in both hands, pressing his nose and forehead to mine. “Know that my heart belongs to only one person and that’s you. It always has and always will be only you! You are my destined love, as we’ve seen throughout time. Nothing will EVER change that! I’ve told her to back off or I’d seek legal action against her for harassment. I’ve already told her I’m engaged to be married and wouldn’t dream of ever leaving you.”
I didn’t understand his concern. “So, what aren’t you telling me?”
“She’s threatening to ruin our lives if I don’t take her back. She knows who I really am and has offered to make it public knowledge, along with slandering my family’s name and reputation, along with yours, with false claims.” Before I could object, he continued. “I’ve already told my parents about her threats and they have someone keeping tabs on her, to ensure she doesn’t try to follow through with anything. She shouldn’t be a problem; but we both need to be careful until we’re sure she’s not a threat. Her father recently fell on hard times with his business. My guess is she’s desperate for money and sees me as easy prey. I don’t know if the darkness has gotten to her or if she’s just a little mentally imbalanced, given what’s happened; but I don’t want to take any chances with you.”
“Wow. Just when you thought you had life figured out and knew what you’re dealing with, another wrench gets thrown into the works.” I swayed for a moment, before finding my balance.
“I’m going to get ready for bed. I just can’t deal with anymore nut cases, today.” I headed into the bathroom and changed.
When I came out, he was already in his boxers and a t-shirt. “What do you mean by anymore nut cases?” He wasn’t happy that I was withholding information.
“Nothing to worry about. I just got a nasty phone call from Pamela, today. I’ve already talked to Caroline about it, so it’s all handled,” I replied as I climbed into bed.
He turned off the light and hovered over me. “Please don’t keep secrets like this from me. I need to know if something or someone is bothering you.” With that, he leaned in to graze my lips with his. His warm and tender kisses floated down my jaw, across my shoulders and back up at the pulse point of my neck, where he bit gently, causing me to shiver involuntarily, as he continued on toward my ear. His lips and tongue licked and suckled behind my ear, my lobe and then probed my ear gently.
Gregory pulled back to gauge how I was doing. At least I didn’t hear a pop or have nausea this time. I could hear swirling noises and the sound of released pressure. His eyes stared at me widely, so I reassured him. “I’m doing fine. Something is definitely going on in my ear, but it’s hard to describe.”
A quirky smile spread across his lips, as his eyes looked a little lower, down to my chest. He pulled back the covers. “I’d like to try something with your permission, Jordan.”
“I trust you not to hurt me.”
He gently lifted my t-shirt to just below my breast line, his thumb gently grazing over the edge of one breast, and leaned into the area of my damaged ribs. He winced at the site of the bruising. It wasn’t hard to miss where the fractures were. After several weeks, it had lightened and had just recently started yellowing around the edges. At least it was better than the dark black that had initially been there.
He leaned across me, supporting his weight with his arms, as he began trailing his tongue and lips over the injured area. “Let me know if I put too much pressure on you. I have a theory that maybe multiple attempts might be needed for deeper wounds.” He continued kissing, as he whispered, “Plus, I think I’m getting addicted to the taste of your sweet skin.”
Okay, my mind was definitely on sensory overload, as goose bumps spread across my skin. I inhaled deeply and my breath caught, but I couldn’t tell if it was because of the pain or his words. He stopped immediately and moved back up the bed to my face. “Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head. My insides felt weird, but how to describe it was impossible. He looked frightened by my inability to talk, so I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. I n
ipped at his lip, searching for entrance into his mouth to show him that I was fine. For a second he hesitated, before exploring my own mouth, in return.
Then without warning, he pulled back. “Jordan…I…We can’t…need to…” He didn’t finish the sentence, instead kissed me briefly before flashing out. The next thing I heard was the shower running.
Gregory spent a good ten minutes in the shower before finally emerging back into the bedroom. By that time, my head cleared and my breathing settled. I tried taking a couple of deeper breaths, to test his theory, and found that while I still had pain, it was at least more tolerable.
He crawled back into bed and, to my surprise, pulled me close against his side. We both looked into each other’s eyes and said, “I’m sorry,” in unison.
We each knew what the other was trying to say. Temptation could be… well… tempting, sometimes; but we both wanted to wait until our wedding night. Thankfully, it was only a few months away.
I settled my head on his chest and was lulled to sleep by the beat of his heart.
The darkness around me lightened at the edges and I could feel Gregory’s arms surround me in our dreams. “You take the lead on the dreams tonight, darling. I’ll watch over and protect us.”
I let my mind wander as the area began to shift around us and we found ourselves watching Hannah and Aaron stroll along the shores of a river. In the distance, there was noise coming from large wooden ships and masts, as the sailors unloaded their wares from the cargo holds. Apparently their city had a port.
Loving You (Remembrance Series, Book 2) Page 4
