The Promise

by JM Dragon

  “No, you know I miss you, but it’s more important to be with family.”

  Kris listened intently as Shirley spoke about her time in Mobile, Alabama. It was the most conversation she’d ever had one-on-one with Shirley in all the time she’d known her.

  “How are you?”

  “Me? Oh, you know. I love living at Seasons, and Knight loves it here. He hasn’t even wanted to escape, though I think he prefers the cottage for some reason. He whines when I take him back to the main house.”

  Knight certainly does love the cottage. How odd is that? They must be in tune. I wish Claire had met him.

  “What about your other friends, Jess in particular?”

  Her attention went back to the conversation.

  “Jess comes over here every other week, and we go to the quiz on alternate weeks. Yes, a convoluted way of saying Jess and I see each other every week.” Kris laughed. “She’s in New York this weekend. An agent wants to represent her. Says she’s perfect and they can play on the returned-injured-soldier card.”

  “Do you think she will go along with that?”

  “I don’t think she’s into that either. Very prideful is our Jess, but she deserves more people to hear her, don’t you think?”

  “Sorry, only ever heard her at a funeral.”

  Kris cradled the phone to her ear and laughed. “Really, at a funeral? Well when you come home and if she’s still working at the golf club, then I’m taking you for a treat.”

  “What about Claire?”

  Her face went serious at the next question. She struggled to answer it without breaking down. “Claire has her mother to think about. We agreed it was important that she be there for her. I talk to her all the time. We Skype every other day.” Lies, lies, why? Shirley would understand.

  “Got to go. Pizza has arrived.”

  “Oh okay, that sounds delicious. I might go into Chartres and have a pizza tomorrow. By the way, I never did say thank you for leaving your car for me to use. Yes, go, go or it will get cold. Talk to you next week. Stay safe.”

  “You are welcome.”

  Kris was about to put the receiver down on the cradle when Shirley spoke again and then disconnected.

  “Time, my dear, and faith. Never give up.”

  Kris’s eyes widened. “How did she know?”

  She walked slowly back to the media room. Her hand was poised to open the door when the sound of tires on gravel had her head spinning around. She cautiously headed back to the hall as the vehicle came to a halt. She tried to see clearly from the side window near the front door. Squinting in the dark at the unfamiliar car stopping mere inches from the steps, she couldn’t make out who it was. If it had been any closer, the vehicle would have mounted the steps.

  The outside sentry lights had failed the day before, and she was waiting for an electrician from town to fix the problem. She pulled away from the window and was puzzling over what to do when the doorbell rang.

  “Now what do I do?” Kris sucked in a deep breath and considered her options.

  The bell rang again, she drew up her shoulders as she opened the door, and her mouth gaped open.

  “Wow, am I that much of a surprise?”

  Kris gasped, unable to do more than throw her arms around Claire, hugging her close.

  “I thought you’d forgotten me.”

  Claire whispered in her ear, “Never. You are in my blood and part of me. How could I ever?”

  Kris did cry then and sobbed against Claire’s shoulder.

  Claire stroked her hair and whispered softly into her ear, not that Kris knew what she said, for she was far too emotional. Except for three words…. I love you.

  “You haven’t called me!”

  Claire pulled away and stared at her. Kris thought for a brief moment that Claire looked guilty, but Claire smiled and Kris was lost.

  “I’m sorry, love, but the last week has been hectic. If I told you what I was doing, I wasn’t sure you’d approve.”

  Kris’s eyes flared. “What have you done?”

  Claire shrugged, then winked, and that melted any doubt she had.

  “Mother now has a full-time caregiver, and she likes him, but I had to be sure. I’ve been almost a twenty-four-hour watcher, shall we say, to check that this guy does what we need. Grams offered, but that wouldn’t have been fair. I’m sorry for not telling you, but, love, I did it for us. Will you forgive me?”

  Kris stared at the beloved face and knew no matter what Claire did she would forgive her. It left her at an insurmountable disadvantage, but didn’t love do that? And she loved Claire beyond life itself. The rest of the world held so many more possibilities with Claire in it than without.

  “I love you. That goes without saying.”

  Claire drew her close and kissed her. At that moment, she knew this was what everyone should experience in life.

  Her body floated with the sensation of having her soulmate close again. Then she looked around Claire. “Who brought you?”

  Claire chuckled and threw back her shoulders. “I did. Grams bought me a new car, complete with disabled features. I had the review test a week ago and passed with flying colors. I was sick of this separation business.”

  “I think we should retire, don’t you?” Kris reached out to draw her in for another kiss and was surprised when Claire wagged a finger and grinned.

  “Give me a minute.” Then she rushed down the steps to the car.

  A couple of minutes later she arrived with a box. A pet box.

  “I figured Knight, not that I’ve met him personally yet, anyway I figured he would like this.”

  “Always good to have Knight happy.”

  “Don’t you dare laugh.” Claire thrust the box into her arms.

  Skeptically she eyed the item, and then there was a noise. “You didn’t?”

  Claire grinned. “I thought it was only right.”

  Kris opened the box and out popped a ginger kitten, so cute you couldn’t do anything but love it. It jumped out of the box and clung to her neck.

  “Claire.” Kris grinned. “As much as I want you and I to be alone, you’ve made it a tad difficult. Come on, I want to introduce you to Knight.” Claire frowned, and with a ginger cat clinging to her, Kris kissed Claire’s lips. “It’s all good, trust me.”

  Claire gave a weak smile. “I do. I always have from the moment I saw you in the window and you scampered away when I arrived.”

  Kris gasped. “How could you feel that? We hadn’t even met.”

  “Sometimes it’s just right. Although I didn’t know it at the time. I’m sorry I messed up again this week. I promise I will do better.”

  “You made me a promise, Claire, that you would be back, and you made good. Darn, Shirley was right.”

  “What?”

  “She told me all my dreams would come true, and Claire Tremont, you are every one of my dreams. Come on, let’s see if Ginger makes friends easily, not to mention Knight.” Kris took Claire’s hand and dragged her to the media room.

  †

  “That was exhausting, and I thought my family interaction was hard.” Claire chuckled.

  Kris nestled into Claire’s shoulder as they watched the two felines snuggled together in Knight’s padded bed.

  “Why did you buy another cat? You might not have liked them.”

  Claire’s shoulder moved, but she remained as close as possible.

  “Hadn’t met my feline son yet, but I figured I was going to monopolize his mother, so the least I could do was provide a sibling. As to liking them, hell, if you do, I will.” Claire bent her head and kissed Kris slowly.

  “I love you,” Kris declared as they separated.

  Claire smiled and took Kris’s left hand and stroked her fingers.

  “I have another present.”

  Kris’s eyes flared. “Darling, you are the only present I will ever need.”

  Claire half smiled, then placed her weak right hand in her pocket. She straightened and lo
oked directly into Kris’s eyes.

  “I love you, Kris Lake. No, in fact, I adore you. I have baggage that has and probably will always cause us consternation.” She cleared her throat. “I asked you to marry me a while ago, and you said yes. We even set a date. Damn this is too long-winded. Kris, will you marry me on Christmas Eve?”

  Claire held her breath.

  Kris didn’t move. In fact, Claire thought she might have dropped off. Frowning, she looked at the clock on the wall. Nine thirty. Was Jess right when she visited me a few days ago? Could I have left it too late?

  Then Kris turned to face her with a beautiful smile wreathing her features. “I love you. I will never love anyone like I do you. You are perplexing, frustrating, and….”

  “And?” Claire held her breath. Had she really left it too late?

  “My life belongs with yours. Now take me to bed.”

  “I have something else.” Claire withdrew her right hand and thrust the velvet box forward.

  With her eyes wide, Kris took it and opened it. Then tears flowed. “Claire, it’s beautiful.”

  “Of course it is. I have to match the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my life.” She removed the single diamond solitaire ring from the box and placed it on Kris’s finger.

  With tears flowing, Kris threw her arms around Claire. “I love you so much.”

  Claire’s heart soared at the words as she took Kris in her arms. “I love you too, and I’m going to make your life as happy as it can be while I have breath left in my body.”

  She took Kris’s hand, and they left the sleeping feline kids to ascend the stairs to Kris’s room.

  “One last thing, Claire.”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m not wearing the dress.”

  They laughed entering Kris’s room, and Claire kicked the door shut.

  “We’ll work on that,” Claire uttered as they collapsed on the bed.

  About the Author

  JM Dragon

  JM Dragon is a New Zealand citizen, living in the beautiful Canterbury countryside. She loves to garden, travel, write, take care of her animals and family, and pursue her business interests—Affinity eBook Press and a Canterbury manufacturing company.

  She is a keen reader of sci-fi, crime/mystery, classics, and romance, which helps to feed her imagination for her own stories.

  Currently published by Affinity eBook Press NZ LTD, her books include Do Dreams Come True, Fix It Girl, In Name Only, The Destiny Series, Circus, and 2015 GCLS winner The One.

  You can contact her by email at jm1dragon@yahoo.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/julie.dragon.

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