Fate (Forever & Always Book 2)

by Cindy Springsteen

  Would someone sabotage my wedding? Would they harm us? Would they harm Debbie simply because I went there a lot? It seemed they would.

  This is different from just hateful phone calls—this is life and death.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Hey! How about we go out and celebrate? We haven’t been able to get together in so long just the four of us.” Leslie asks.

  “I know! Life has just been crazy lately and with all the wedding plans. You got your dress fitted right?”

  “Yes, dress is all set. I pick it up next week plenty of time. So how about we go out and party? The next time, we will be able to go out will be when you’re a married lady like me.” She laughs.

  “Sounds great! Danny is only off Saturdays with his crazy new schedule and he has to work a lot so he can take off for our honeymoon.”

  “Saturday sounds great. I will just check with William but shouldn’t be a problem.”

  William and Leslie take us out for a nice dinner. We go to McQuades in Rockville Center and then we went to a bar and had some drinks. It did feel so nice getting out as we don’t get to do that very often lately and be able to just enjoy being a couple without real life issues.

  “You’re going to love married life, I know I do,” Leslie tells me while the boys were off getting us more drinks.

  “It feels like a dream. I won’t be happy until it is official. Did I tell you that someone tried to run Danny off the road and we are getting bad phone calls?”

  “You don’t think someone is going to try to stop the wedding do you? William and I will kick their ass!”

  I sigh. “I just have this feeling. I know there are quite a few people who don’t want this to happen.”

  “You need to stop worrying. You belong together. You two have loved each other for as long as I have known you and this is right. Just be happy and enjoy this time.”

  “I know you’re right, I do. I am trying to not let it take away from this time.”

  She again suddenly looks sad.

  I feel more and more concerned about her. But she has to be ready to share with me. We have been close for many years and I know her well. She will talk to me soon.

  We head back to the apartment and show them our place, they love it. I put on some coffee and they stay for a little while.

  “Tonight was a lot of fun,” Danny says happily.

  “It really was. I’m glad that we went out. Leslie is so anxious for the wedding. She told me her dress will be ready next week.”

  “Yeah, William is looking forward to it too.” He put his arms around me. “I’m happier than anyone, Cass.”

  I smile and lean into him. “Soon we will be able to be a married couple like them and get to go home together and stay in the same place. I can’t wait!”

  “I know me too!” He kisses me and held me for a while.

  This feels so right. Always when I am in his arms, I would get this feeling. It is magic…love… all that I need.

  Sadly, I have to go home and who knows what tomorrow will bring us, but all is right in the world tonight.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  July 18th

  It’s the day before my wedding! I’m so excited my stomach is upside down. Mom and I went and got our nails done. My dad picks up his tuxedo. The photographer is coming early tomorrow to take pictures. All the craziness has seemed to stop. There is a tiny part of me that won’t rest until after we have said, “I do” tomorrow. My parent’s friends Norman and Helen came over tonight and we played cards. Then they star telling us these funny stories.

  My father wound up throwing his back out. He’s in so much pain. We have to call a doctor in the middle of the night. Luckily, he has a back brace from years ago when he got hurt at work and he put that on. Then the doctor calls in medicine to help.

  Yes, I know…It wouldn’t be my life if everything went smoothly.

  July 19th

  The magical day is here at last! It only took 2 years and 2 months for us to have this day but it will be worth it. Actually, it took longer than this but today I won’t count the years. My dad is feeling a little better and genuinely seems happy for me today. The photographer took tons of pictures.

  We have a very big bridal party between his friends and mine. Leslie, Liz, Debbie, and even Crystal came. They were helping me all day. My friends would be a part of this. They have stood by me with all the trials Danny and I have had. It feels so wonderful to have them here on our wedding day…finally. They all cry when I walk up the aisle.

  “Is there anyone here who has any reason why these two should not be married? If so speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  Was it me or did the priest wait an awfully long time before proceeding? I looked over the church waiting for someone to stand or come bursting through the doors. No one did. I happen to glance and see my mom with a huge smile and tears running down her face at the same time.

  The ceremony was almost a blur for me. My adrenaline is so high. My chest is so tight, my eyes so full of tears.

  Danny got tears too. He gave me that smile that always makes my insides turn to jelly.

  Minutes later, we were walking out the door to rice being thrown on us.

  “We did it! You are my husband!” I cry as we climb into our limo.

  “You are my wife!” He laughs and kisses me soundly.

  We went and took pictures at my grandmothers and then went to a park in Valley Stream and took more. The reception is beyond amazing. We dance to our Ronnie Milsap song. Everyone dances the entire night. We didn’t want it to end. Everything about tonight is perfect. I dance to “Daddy’s Little Girl” with my dad. Danny dances with his mom to “Mr. Wonderful.” He then dances with my mom and tells her stories from our younger years. She laughs at some and looks stunned by others

  I laugh while watching her. He is still my bad boy.

  Everything about today is as perfect as it could possibly be. We made it and we were going to have a life together now. I couldn’t wait for our married life to begin.

  We stay at the Marriott on our wedding night and sit outside on a balcony. We stay up the whole night and watch the sunrise. We didn’t want the night to end. They gave us t-shirts that said, “Just Married” on the backs. We plan to wear them on the plane tomorrow.

  The next morning, we board a plane and went to Nashville exactly as we planned. We stay at the Opryland Hotel and went to Opryland Park. They have a ride we both love and wound up going on a few times it’s hot. It’s called the River Rampage. We get soaked every time, but we love it. We also see Lee Greenwood perform in the park.

  A few days later, we board another plane and went to Paradise Island in the Bahamas then spent a few days there. The first place that we were supposed to stay at, turned out that one of the giant roaches or whatever they are crawls out of my pocketbook and I lost it. I do not do bugs well at all and Danny got on the phone calling to get us somewhere else. It’s a nice place we have our own private pool but there is no way I could even sleep that night after seeing that.

  It kind of put a temporary damper on our trip, but we both got over it quickly. We wound up getting an entire huge house that is close to the casino. The house is beautiful. We were told someone famous owned it but we weren’t allowed to know who. We have our own private pool at the house too, but it isn’t as nice or as clean as the other place. We aren’t big pool people anyway. We went to casino then over to Nassau Bahamas and did shopping.

  “My wife.”

  “My husband.”

  We must have said those words to each other 1000 times! We would augh and stagger while walking. Happiness has come and we were naturally high from it for the entire time. I never smiled so much in my life. Danny kept smiling as well. He would tickle me calling me MISSUS! He is too funny.

  We were sad coming home, but also happy to begin our lives in our apartment. I’d moved everything in last week more or less. My parent’s house is only 2 towns away, so it would be eas
y enough to get anything I forgot.

  We treated ourselves to a Limo home rather than have anyone pick us up. We want to spend the night alone together and continue our honeymoon, even for just one more extra day.

  He carries me over the threshold. It’s like something out of a movie. We were finally home…our home.

  Chapter Thirty

  We’d just gotten into the apartment. He’d just put me down. We were hysterically laughing. Carrying someone over the threshold isn’t exactly like the movies, when the phone rings.

  “It’s probably my mom dying to hear all about our honeymoon,” I quickly say to Danny as I ran to get the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Cass?”

  All I hear is crying. It takes me a minute to realize who it is. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  “I am scared. I don’t know what is wrong.”

  “Do you want me to come over?”

  “No, I am sure everything will be fine. I shouldn’t have even bothered you…you just got home. I just didn’t know who else to call.”

  “Don’t be silly! It’s fine. I am more worried about you right now.”

  “I better go, I am okay I just need to talk to someone for a few minutes.”

  “Are you sure? I am worried now.”

  “Yes, you know how I overreact. It’s just today, things seemed different somehow. It’s probably just in my mind.”

  “I’m not going to hang up unless I know a hundred percent that you are okay.”

  “I’m okay, I promise! I will call you later if I can or tomorrow, so we can catch up.”

  “Okay, please call me back if you need me!”

  I sit staring at the phone, I don’t know how long when Danny walks into the kitchen.

  “Is everything okay? You look upset? Was it your mom?”

  “I’m not sure, it was a strange call and I am worried.”

  I just couldn’t shake this feeling that everything is not all right. I shake it off thinking it’s just my imagination and begin unpacking some of our stuff. We were home. We were husband and wife and we just got back from an amazing honeymoon. I couldn’t wait to continue to waking up next to him.

  I put in our laundry and we decide to go out to dinner. We didn’t have really any food in the house until I go shopping tomorrow so it’s much easier.

  We went to our favorite restaurant the Brick Café and enjoy a really nice dinner. We talk about our trip and want to continue to stay in the bliss that we were in. The reality of us having to go back to work and all would come soon enough. For tonight, we could just be a married couple enjoying dinner and then a nice evening in our house and our bed.

  I don’t know if I were actually asleep or just dozing when the phone ringing makes me jump. I hadn’t been asleep long if I were sleeping. I’d just finished unpacking from our honeymoon and put on the last load of laundry before getting into bed. I quickly look at the clock on my nightstand noticing its 1:10 am. My thoughts quickly went to earlier today after I got home.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Cassidy?” a crying woman responds to me, the voice unrecognizable through the tears.

  “Yes…..” My voice is quivering as I knew whoever this is, they were not about to tell me anything I would want to hear. “Shot? What do you mean shot? Is she okay? NOOOOOO! She can’t be dead! Did you just say he is dead too? Oh, my God NO!” I scream into the dark night air.

  Death is final there is no preparing, even though tomorrow would be another day. We often tell ourselves this, in the hope that somehow overnight a miracle would happen. When we open our eyes the next day and the world would be back to what we want it to be. Yet, deep down I knew firsthand that the dawning of a new day didn’t mean life would be happy again. Many times when you least expect it, your world will be pulled out beneath you. You hold on tight, take a deep breath, and prepare yourself for the ride. Never knowing exactly what was about to come next.

  Sadly, in my life…this happens way too much!

  About the Author

  Cindy Springsteen lives on Long Island with her husband and children. She has had a passion for writing since her teens, starting with poetry, which won her numerous awards and were published in various publications. She spent many years researching and writing about parenting teenagers for many publications. She is presently a virtual assistant for a well-known author. This is her second novel, which is based on a true story.

  Other works by Cindy Springsteen:

  Forever & Always Series:

  Forever & Always Destiny – Book One

  Award winning Waffles and Pancakes Series:

  Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in Friendship

  Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in Bullying: Best Children’s Book 2012

  Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in the True Meaning of Christmas : Best Animal Book 2014

  Waffles and Pancakes: A Lesson in Being Different

  FIND THEM ALL ON MY AMAZON PAGE