Where Promises Die: A Second Chance Romance

by R. C. Stephens

  Eisav rented a car and drove the boy to daycare on a daily basis. Father and son bonded much faster than anyone anticipated. Greta had warned Eisav to take things slow and not to push. Eisav was never a really good listener. One look from the dark-eyed boy with his own tussled, dark hair and Eisav wasn’t having any of the take it slow bullshit. The boy was his flesh and blood and he was going to be a father to him. The father he himself never had. Like everything else in Eisav’s life, he confronted it like a whirlwind. One night when Eisav was putting Cain to sleep Cain murmured the words that he had always wanted a father like Cody. Hearing those words out of his son’s mouth tugged at a deep and dark place within Eisav and he made a promise to himself to teach his son and love his son to the ends of eternity.

  On the few visits that Eisav brought Cain to the rehab center to visit, Grace noticed their connection immediately. Her two most beloved boys looked at each other with inky eyes filled with molten love. There was no denying that the sight alone melted her heart and pushed her to work harder during her physical therapy sessions. Before the accident she feared ruining Eisav’s rock-star life with the responsibility of raising a child. Now she realized how wrong she had been for Eisav truly seemed at peace holding his son in his arms and watching him with a proud glee she’d never seen on him before. It made her realize how truly broken she was and how she would have to work harder to put those broken pieces of herself back together for the boys she loved. Reality was that she was darn lucky to be alive and having faced death she was more than ready to make some changes in her life. Especially where Eisav was concerned. He had spent the good part of daylight hours catching up with Grace and making plans for the future…

  On the day that Eisav picked Grace up from the hospital, they agreed to never return to the Duncan farm. It was part of their past and now they only wanted to focus on their future. Greta’s ranch was spacious enough to accommodate Eisav, Grace, and Cain. Greta had insisted that Grace stay with them while she worked to get her strength back. Staying at the ranch proved to be a good choice. It gave Grace and Eisav time to readjust to one another while Grace healed. It was also space away from the prying eyes of Jacob and Dina. It was a place Cain felt comfortable too, since he was used to spending time with his cousins Bridgette and Cody, who seemed to be more like siblings to him than cousins.

  Spring was coming to an end and the warmth and humidity of summer radiated the evening air as Grace, Eisav, and Cain sat on a porch swing hanging from the large wrap-around porch at the main house on Greta’s ranch. The new family sat quietly, rocking back and forth, listening to the chirping of the grasshoppers nearby. It was nice to have these peaceful moments when things weren’t so turbulent. When you could take the time to hear the calls of nature rather than your rapid heartbeats. After being through something so traumatic, it was the simple things in life that brought happiness. Eisav received the results earlier in the day, confirming the alleged ‘baby daddy’ scandal was in fact a scandal. It was unfortunate the accuser had taken things so far that a court required her to take the DNA test. When the results came in the matter had already been put to rest between Eisav and Grace since Grace already admitted when she awoke from her coma that she already knew Eisav was telling the truth. It had been a huge relief to Eisav, but the results were necessary to put the scandal to rest in the public’s eye.

  As Eisav, Grace, and Cain rocked back and forth on the swing, Eisav finally broke the silence. “I’ve got some news ….” He arched a brow, grinning at Grace. He noticed the bob in Grace’s throat. He hated that she was still filled with anxiety from everything she had been through. It was the reason for his surprise. He wanted to remind her of the vibrant, carefree person she had been before he left. He wanted to reignite the sparkle in her sage eyes.

  Grace looked at him hesitantly, but kept quiet.

  He grinned wider and a throaty chuckle left his lips. “Okay, I booked us a trip to New York City and from there I want to take you two to LA to see my home. I want us to spend some time there. You may end up liking life there, Grace,” he suggested carefully, but he could see her body tensing up by the way she wrapped her arms protectively around her torso.

  “Does that mean we get to go on an airplane?” Cain looked up to his daddy in awe.

  “That’s what it means, buddy.” Eisav tousled his wild dark hair.

  The front door to the house swung open and out came Greta, Cody, and Bridgette. “I was just about to take a stroll with the kids. It’s a lovely night. Would you like to join?”

  “We’re good, Sis.” Eisav smiled.

  Greta’s eyes narrowed on Cain in a loving way. “Do you want to join us?”

  Cain looked between his mother and father. It amazed Eisav how he seamlessly adopted him into his life. “Can I go?”

  Eisav waited for Grace to respond. He didn’t want to overstep since she had taken up the sole parent for the last three years.

  “Sure, go ahead.” She forced a smile.

  Cain shifted off the swing and ran off with his cousins.

  Eisav was happy to have time alone with Grace. They hadn’t had much alone time since she had been in the hospital, and Cain slept in a bed with them every night since she had come home. At almost three years old, he understood his mother’s condition was serious and it caused him a great deal of worry. Now that she was home, Cain needed to feel close to her and who better than Eisav to understand that feeling.

  Eisav shifted over and placed an arm around her shoulder. “Lean on me, Grace. It’s okay,” he whispered.

  She put her head on his shoulder. Eisav could feel her being distant and cold, but he knew she was trying. Their life had been like a tsunami and so the fact that Eisav felt that she had erected walls around herself as a protection mechanism wasn’t surprising. Nonetheless he was determined to break those walls down.

  “I read the letter you slipped into my pocket that night,” she said so quiet that Eisav barely heard her.

  “You mean the promise?” His voice came out low and husky.

  “Yeah.” She nodded her head. “It’s the last thing I remember from that night … Promise #3 I promise to always be in your life.” She let out a long breath as her eyes began to well with tears. “I heard you in the hospital, Eisav. I heard everything you said. I heard you singing to me at the top of your lungs.” The tears began to stream down her eyes at a steady pace, and she turned her head into his shirt and fisted it in her hands. Eisav rubbed his hand up her back.

  “I love you, Gracie, always have,” he said, biting back his own tears.

  Then Grace went on to recite his letter. “We may have been tragically separated these past three years but if you listen to my songs, then you’ll know that you were always with me.” She paused again and lifted her head to look at him, giving him a broken smile. “Eisav, I’m broken. I was broken before the accident, and now I’m broken even more. I don’t know who I am anymore. I look in the mirror and I don’t know the woman looking back.” She lifted her eyes to his and took in his pained expression.

  He shifted his body and enveloped her in his strong arms, running a hand over her soft hair. “I know, baby, I know … but if you let me, I want to remind you of that girl. I want to help you find her again. She’s in there, Gracie. I know it. You’re strong, a survivor. You can get past all this, and I want to make it happen for you, baby. That’s another promise you need to hold in your heart. You will find yourself again. You will feel happy,” Eisav swore, squeezing her a little too hard. His emotions swirled at hurricane status. His Grace was a shattered mess, and he was going to do anything and everything in his power to help her find her way back to happiness. “I want you to come to New York, with Cain. Forget about LA for now, if it’s too much. I have something planned, a surprise … Please say you’ll come? I asked the doctor on your last visit, and he said you’re clear to fly so the decision is yours.” Eisav was practically begging as he looked at her with puppy dog eyes, pouting his lips. Nothing was be
neath him when it came Grace.

  She finally smiled and a bubble of laughter escaped her lips. It had been a long time since she had laughed.

  Eisav pulled his face back. “So is that a yes?” he asked, his tone filled with hope.

  Grace nodded her head. “That’s a yes.”

  “Good, we leave in two days.” Eisav smirked with a mischievous glare.

  Grace furrowed her brows together. “That was little presumptuous of you.” She fake punched him in the chest.

  He snickered. “I wasn’t taking no for an answer. Like I said, I have something planned,” He winked.

  “Do I need to get used to this? Rock star Eisav doesn’t know how to take no for an answer?” she asked playfully.

  “Angel, this is something good for you.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and her eyes warmed. “Trust me.”

  “I do.”

  “Good. How about we let Cain have a sleepover in Cody’s room tonight?” Eisav wagged his brows up and down suggestively, hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck. He had only slept with Grace that one time since he had been home. She had needed time to heal, and he gave her all the time she needed. On the last visit the doctor gave her the all-clear except for some physical therapy for her shoulder and knee.

  “I would like that.” She grinned, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I would like that very much.”

  2 days later

  New York City

  Although Eisav, Grace, and Cain flew first class, it was evidently clear to them what it meant to fly with an international rock star by your side. Women on the plane came to ask for his autograph. As they left the terminal, a long black limousine was waiting for them and inside was a smiling Ilana and a tear-eyed Marie.

  Marie had been the first to envelop her half-sister and nephew in a hug.

  “What about me? I don’t get any love?” Eisav asked sarcastically. That bought him a punch in the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek from Marie. “Like what you did with the hair, Sis.” He guffawed, taking in Marie’s new cropped and spiky hairdo.

  “Took her to my hair stylist in LA.” Ilana winked.

  Eisav laughed. It made him happy to see his best friend and sister happy and in love. He was hoping to get his happily ever after soon too. He and Grace were technically together and in love, but since the accident there hadn’t been any talks of defining the relationship. Despite that detail, Grace and Eisav restored a trust that had long been broken. His dedication to her during her hospital stay went a long way in making her feel safe knowing he was by her side for the long haul. They had begun to make each other promises again and in some ways things had gone back to the way they used to be.

  The limo dropped Marie and Ilana off at their hotel while Grace, Eisav and Cain were brought to a penthouse apartment in the Upper East Side. Eisav explained he bought the place a few years back as an investment, even though deep down he hoped that one day him and Grace would live there together like they had always dreamed about as children. They had spent hours mapping out their life in the depths of the forest. Living in New York City … Grace attending art school, Eisav singing in local bars. As Eisav thought back to those dreams, a shiver ran up his body. Grace was finally here.

  Grace loved every inch of the apartment from the rustic furniture to the solid white kitchen and sub-zero fridge. Cain took his time jumping on the plush couches and running around.

  “I bought this place with you in mind,” Eisav confessed. “This is how I always envisioned our home when we planned our future back in the day.”

  She laughed, letting her head fall back. Then she placed a palm over her heart. “You really are a rock star.” She sighed as if she was just now completely comprehending what all that meant. Back in Sade, she heard of his success but then seeing him back in his old house had simply felt like time had stood still in a way. Now Eisav was on his turf. On the plane there were fans. In the airport there were fans. Now in his apartment there was nothing but luxury. “This is overwhelming,” she admitted twisting her lips.

  “You’ll get used to it. Trust me. It’s easy to get used to nice things.”

  “It’s not just that, Eisav. For so long I convinced myself that the city girl who showed up to your farm at age eleven had turned into a farm girl. A simple girl with simple wants,” Grace trailed off.

  “You were never simple,” Eisav cut in.

  She wanted to believe him. “You know, I slowly had everything I cared about taken away from me. First my mom, then my life in the city. Arriving on the farm seemed like the end of the world, but then I met you and you made my life worthwhile.”

  Eisav now let out a long sigh. “Angel, it was you that saved me from those despicable parents. If it weren’t for the way you encouraged me, I would never have accomplished anything. I would have believed I was the damned black sheep they wanted me to believe I was.”

  Grace shook her head.

  “Honestly, one look from you always held a thousand emotions and a depth of promise. When I came into a room, your eyes lit up. When I sang to you, your eyes welled with warmth. When you spoke to me, you only had good things to say. Then you grew up and the way you looked at me with unadulterated lust stirred things so deep in my soul that you’re engraved right here.” Eisav patted his chest in the same place marked by her name. “I’m not talking about the tat on my skin. I’m talking about your print on my heart.”

  A stray tear slipped down her cheek. “You always did have a way with words.” She shook her head, almost as if she didn’t believe he was truly there. He was her entire world. The center of her happiness. The sun rose with thoughts of Eisav filling her head, and she went to sleep with him on her mind while she watched the moon shine bright through her window at night.

  “Just for you, baby.” He grinned lovingly.

  She huffed. “For me and the millions of fans that scream for you at your concerts, I’m predicting.”

  “I love the fans, Gracie. I’m not going to lie. I really do, but those words, the ones I sing … you’re my inspiration.”

  Grace took a few steps, closing the space between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He did this. He had this way about him, and he was right. She felt good being here. She felt one step closer to the person she had lost.

  Driving down the brightly lit streets in a limousine was going to take some getting used to for Grace. Cain, on the other hand, seemed super excited by the large car with the special lighting, a bar, and a selection of treats. Grace was in awe as she stared out the window to the bustling streets filled with people. She had a vague memory of the city she had been born in. The city where she had spent her first eleven years of life growing up. A city her mother had adored. It was also a city that had high rates of crime. A city that essentially took her mother’s life. She let out a sigh as she turned her head to smile at Eisav sadly.

  “Is it hard for you to be here?” he asked nervously. Grace heard the uncertainty in his voice.

  “It’s perfect. It’s more beautiful than I remembered.” She smiled softly. It was bittersweet.

  “You’re beautiful,” Eisav rasped. He had surprised her by inviting a hairstylist and personal shopper to the penthouse. The personal shopper had arrived with a shipment of dresses from an upscale department store close by. She also brought a selection of suits for little boys. Grace was so shocked by the gesture, she remained silent through her makeover. As the makeup artist applied her makeup, she couldn’t help but see her mother’s face. With her dark hair shaped with layers and a smoky shadow on her vibrant eyes, the resemblance was uncanny and made her feel good. The red dress was the final touch. It was sexy and sleek with a lot of class. Eisav had chosen it. It was the flashiest of the bunch but had a classic style with its ruched fabric on top that flowed over her body, accentuating her curves.

  “Thank you,” she whispered shyly. “Thank you for bringing us here and doing all this.” She had never worn anything so extravagant before. Before coming to New York, sh
e had convinced herself she was a simple farm girl, nothing more. After a little pampering and slipping into a designer dress, she thought to herself, Hmm, this farm girl cleans up nicely.

  “You’re pretty, Mommy,” Cain confirmed, looking up to her adoringly.

  “Thank you, love. You’re quite the handsome man yourself.” She smiled. Then her eyes drifted to Eisav, who was wearing a black, fitted button-down shirt, with a few buttons open revealing his hard chest, and his signature dark worn in jeans.

  “You’re not too shabby yourself,” She whispered, feeling her cheeks flush from just the sight of him. Eisav still caused a burning inferno inside her. The chemistry between them hadn’t changed one bit. He took her hand in his and rubbed her skin. She felt the cool metal of his silver thumb ring brush along her heated skin, awakening her senses. She couldn’t help but think of the possibilities if they had been in the limo alone.

  “Can you please tell me where we’re going?” she asked, sounding hopeful. She had asked this same question numerous times while the stylist was working her hair, but Eisav remained tight lipped with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

  He nodded his head and brought her hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. “Patience my, love. Good things come to those who wait.” He winked then smiled at Cain and her. Grace had the sudden feeling like maybe Cain was in on the secret.

  “Cain, honey, did Daddy tell you where we’re going?”

  Cain nodded his head up and down. “I can’t tell you, Mommy. It’s called a secret and a man of his word knows how to keep a secret.”