Hold on You

by M. S. Brannon

  What she did admit is she will be heartbroken if the place doesn’t pick up business because it is a true staple of Crestbrook, and I happen to agree—not only for the financial aspect, but also from the community’s standpoint. Our little town has a sense of local, small business owner pride. To be taken over by the opportunists from the city leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Yet, today is a perfect day. The thermometer is topping off at ninety; half the rooms are booked for the upcoming week; and Madison is back in my life for good.

  The cell phone vibrates in my pocket, snapping me out of my thoughts. I have spent the morning mowing the lawn then trimming and weeding this afternoon. Although the landscaping is beautiful, this shit is a lot of fucking work.

  I pull my phone from my pocket and, without hesitation, answer it.

  “Hi, Nate. This is Victoria from Around the World magazine. How are you?”

  I drop the handful of weeds in my grasp and walk to the patio area. Whatever she is going to tell me, I will need to sit down to accept the outcome.

  “Good, thanks,” I barely get out as I pull out a chair and plop down. I lift the bottom of my T-shirt and wipe my sweat-covered brow. Then I take a deep breath, eagerly anticipating the news she is about to share.

  “Well, I wanted to inform you that my editor loves the article I wrote about your bed and breakfast, and he wants it featured in September’s issue. You will have a two page spread, which will include a description of your place, my review, and the pictures we took. Congratulations!”

  I am speechless. I can’t believe this is happening. I can feel this lump rise in my throat, because this would have been my mother’s dream—to see her baby in her favorite magazine. She would have wanted nothing more than to have this.

  The moment overtakes me a little, and I have to rein in my emotions. Everything is going perfectly, and the only person I can really thank for this opportunity is Madison. All of this is because of her. She was able to do this for my business, and I will be forever grateful.

  Once the emotion subsides a little, I finally mumble out, “Thank you, Victoria.”

  “Oh, it was my pleasure, doll. You have a fabulous, quaint place visitors will surely enjoy.” Like a change in the ocean tide, Victoria’s next words rip every good feeling away from me, destroying everything around me. “Are you going to miss Madison when she comes back? I could tell you two rekindled a little something since she’s been there.”

  My heart drops to the ground, and my rage brews and boils. I have a gut feeling about what she is referring to, but I need to know for sure. I need to know that my gut is right. I need to hear the words fall from her mouth before I will believe them.

  “Where’s back?”

  “To New York, doll. She was offered that partner job when those assholes discovered the truth about Daniel. Everything she’s been working for will finally pay off. She totally deserves it, too. They are going to make her partner. Hasn’t … Hasn’t she told you?”

  “I’ve … I’ve got to go. Thanks again,” I say quickly then hang up the phone, tucking it back into my pocket.

  The once peaceful summer day has been replaced by my rage-filled heat. I can feel the deception in my gut as it shreds my happiness bit by agonizing bit.

  I stand to my feet and look to Madison sitting in the parlor. She is sitting on the sofa, reading a book when our eyes connect. Her smile dissolves the moment my furious state registers with her. She stands. I move. And my sight is blinded as the fury unfolds.

  I look over and see Nate glaring at me. His fists are balled into the tightest knots, and he looks as angry as he does when he fights. I have only seen him fight once, but that was enough for me. I don’t have the stomach to watch the brutality that ensues at those things. The brutal glare Nate is giving me now has me very worried, though.

  I meet him out on the porch and face his fire. He is standing at the bottom of the steps, and I am on the top. I want to be closer to him, but I am afraid to move. He will either fight or flee, and frankly, I don’t want him to do either, but I need to prepare myself for both.

  I move down one step and then another. When I finally come to the bottom one, I am almost eye-level with him. I reach out and grab his hand, closing his hard fist between my palms.

  Carefully, I ask, “Nate, tell … Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Nate takes a deep breath and snaps his eyes from the ground to mine. I can feel the fire pouring off them, and I want to cower in their presence, but I remain still.

  “How, Madison? How could you do this to me AGAIN?”

  Dumbfounded, I ask, “Do what?”

  “You know what, Madison. New York … a job offer … partner. Does that ring a bell?”

  “How…?” I reply, wondering where he heard this news.

  “Victoria called to congratulate me on getting the spread in the magazine and you getting your old job back,” he snaps. “I’ll give you a moment to pack your shit. I want you gone by the end of the day. And so help me God, Madison, if I see you around here again…”

  He yanks his hand from my grasp and turns on his heel without finishing his thought. He is heading straight for his truck because he wants to flee. He doesn’t want to deal with the truth or emotions or anything. He simply wants to brood and drink then be pissed off at the world because it is challenging him once again.

  I ignore his attitude and storm after him. He is going nowhere.

  “Hey!” I shout. “Why the hell would you say that to me?”

  Nate immediately stops and turns around. I march up to his rigid body and stand tall.

  “Do you really think I would do that to you again, Nate? Do you think I’d just up and leave you again after everything that’s happened? You think I would go and not tell you why?”

  “If the shoe fits, Madison. You’ve never stuck around when the going gets tough, and I figured it would be easier for you to bail out than tell me yourself you were leaving. I should have fucking known you’d rip me apart like this. I’m a goddamn idiot for not seeing it. I simply let you push your way into my life.” Nate starts to turn away and then abruptly turns back to me, continuing his rant. “You know what? I was right. You are my fucking black widow. You don’t care how you hurt me. You’ll seduce me into your web of deception then like that”—Nate snaps his fingers—“you’ll destroy me with one fatal move. You’re—”

  “WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?” I interrupt, not in the mood to hear how horrible I was to him ten years ago. Trust me, I have to live with that guilt, but I don’t need it thrown in my face every time he is pissed at me. “I’m not leaving! Yes, I was offered my old job, but I told them no. The partners are considering my proposal to work virtually, travelling only for client presentations or important meetings. And those will only be a few days a month.” I release a deep breath and try to rein in my anger.

  Nate’s face instantly transforms into remorse as he looks sadly at me. Then he grabs ahold of my arm and yanks me into his body. I stand still as he wraps his hard, protecting arms around my waist, but I can’t resist. Whenever I am near him, I have to hold him. I have to confirm I am really here with him.

  Once I lift my arms and dangle them around his neck, Nate bends slightly and picks me up. My legs are a magnet to his frame as they immediately wrap around his waist. Tucking my head in the crook of his neck, I inhale his manly scent then kiss his skin.

  Nate releases a relaxing breath. “So, you’re not leaving?”

  I lean back and look into his eyes, trying like hell to finally convince him I will never hurt him like that again.

  “Nate, if I wanted to leave, I would have done it a long time ago. I could have moved to San Diego. The job was perfect, exactly what I wanted. And San Diego is … Well, it’s sunny all year around in California, but it’s not what I want, because I will never want anything other than you. You are my new life, not my job. Just you. Please, please understand that.”

  Nate’s face looks very serious as he takes in every word I
am saying. He is absorbing my plea, and I hope now it is finally heard loud and clear.

  I love him. I would never go anywhere unless he is going with me. There will never be another choice. It will always be Nate.

  Finally, he releases a gigantic grin as he starts to walk toward our little house. He keeps his gaze locked with mine as he walks through the door and heads straight to the bedroom. Then his eyes transform once again; only, this time they are fueled with something raw and rugged. They are melted, blue-gray pools of desire, and I am heating inside and out, yearning to be devoured by them.

  “You know…” he says, distracting my mind from ripping his clothes off and kissing every inch of his body, “I heard the best part of fighting is when you get to make up. Care to see if that’s true?”

  I nod my head in eager anticipation, and then Nate tosses me onto the mattress and covers me with his body. His lips are hot, and his kiss is delicate as he owns me with his mouth. I am lost in a heated, lustful trance as we indulge each other. Just like that, we are overcome by our feelings as our bodies collide, once again becoming reconnected.

  I am holding Madison in my arms. She is half awake as we linger in our ecstasy for as long as we can. My world was nearly ripped apart again when I spoke to Victoria. I was so angry because I am now vulnerable to everything Madison does. She owns me, and my sheer happiness hinges on her and her being around.

  The moment Victoria shared with me Madison’s so-called plans, I snapped and reverted back into my menacing self. However, I should have never doubted her. I should have asked instead of flying off the handle the way I did. I guess I have some adjusting to do. I know I will make those changes for Madison, too. She told me she would never leave me, and when she told me I was her new life, I looked into her eyes and knew she wasn’t lying. My self-doubt resolved when I swallowed down the fear of her leaving again and accepted what she said.

  I look over to this beautiful woman, my thoughts consumed with how much I love her. She is everything to me, and I would be lost if anything were to happen to her.

  I shut my eyes and flip through the images of Madison in my head. She is breathtaking, and she is mine. I hold her tightly in my arms when the thoughts convert to words and uncontrollably fall from my mouth.

  “God, you are so beautiful. I hope, someday, you’ll marry me.” I snap my eyes open, utterly stunned as the hope escapes my thoughts and becomes spoken words. I couldn’t stop them from coming out, though. I don’t regret them, not in a million years, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting my deepest thoughts to casually roll off my tongue.

  Madison sits up, her brown hair disheveled as it runs down her back. She looks striking and shocked all in one.

  My worry once again takes me plunging back to that night ten years ago. She processed my question for our future then and allowed her fear to consume her, making her so scared she had to run.

  Madison doesn’t say a word. She rolls to the side and gets something from the nightstand. I lean up to see what she is doing just as she slides a turned over piece of paper across the mattress and up onto my leg. Her face is blank, completely indifferent, and it’s making my heart collide roughly against my rib cage. I love this woman, but the look she is giving me now is causing me to panic.

  I look down at the white piece of paper then place my palm over the top. It might as well be covered with acid because my body is starting to burn with heat as my heart rate accelerates with every beat it takes.

  As I look to Madison one more time and release a deep breath, her face remains blank. I look down at my palm and decide it is now or never.

  I flip my hand over and then break my gaze with hers. I look down at where the palm of my hand moistens the paper as my sweaty hand cups the piece. Then I move my gaze down to focus on the script. Like before, there is a singular word. The word is life changing. The word captures my breath, fills my heart, and changes the course of my future.

  The word is yes.

  epilogue

  THE WIND IS WHIPPING ALL around us. The sky is in the midst of transforming from a crystal cerulean blue to a breathtaking, warm sunset. The horizon looks as though a painter swept his brush across the canvas, unifying the colors of orange, yellow, blue and purple. The sun is bright, warm, and round as it slowly begins to tuck itself away for the night. The rolling ocean sounds below us as the waves collide with the jagged wall of the cliff. The air is warm, smelling salty and fresh. The view from where I am standing is perfect. I wouldn’t change a single thing.

  However, it isn’t because of the unforgettable vista of the sky and the ocean colliding in the distance or the way the sun makes the water look like millions of tiny, precious diamonds. It isn’t the sound of the calming waves or the smell of the salt water. The view is that of my best friend and the one person who saved me from imminent death, the only person I knew I couldn’t survive without. She is the woman standing in front of me, on the edge of our cliff, a mere moment from becoming my wife.

  I stand in my white, button-up shirt and dark-wash jeans, sans shoes, gazing proudly at my fiancée.

  Madison looks radiant. Her dark brown hair is blowing in the light breeze as the long, cathedral-length veil dances over the cliff each time the wind kisses it. Her eyes are magnetic as the blue orbs pull me under, leaving me breathless. She is wearing a simple, white, strapless dress. Nothing to it: no beads, buttons, or lace. There’s just a fine, delicate fabric formed perfectly to her curves and secured with a zipper.

  She stands barefoot on the edge of the cliff as we only look at each other, moments away from declaring our love in front of our two guests, Nita and Dr. Wellman.

  The minister motions to me and I begin. “Madison, before today, I was certain I would never be here again. For ten years, life challenged me. It forced me to face the tragedies, one after another, as they left me dangling on the edge of this cliff. Night after night, I would collide with this challenge, knowing that one day it would break me for good. However, I was dead wrong. Life was breaking me down, exposing my emotions to their rawest form because it knew I was falling head over feet back in to you.

  “At first I refused life and rejected the mere thought of you, but you didn’t budge. You forced me to look at my life, and after ten years, you gave me the strength to take a hold of it. You kept me holding on, refusing to let go.

  “Madison, that is the kind of husband I will be. I will hold on to you through every high and low. It will be me who will be holding tightly to the woman whose held on to me for all these years. I love you, Madison, and thank you for finally saying yes.”

  I pull the simple gold band my meager summer wages purchased when I asked her to marry me the first time from my pocket. She holds up her hand, and I slide the metal down her finger then seal my devotion with a kiss.

  The minister looks to Madison, and she takes a deep breath before pledging, “My dearest Nate, ten years ago today, we were standing where we are today, the breathtaking ocean a backdrop to you asking me to follow on a journey. You were a goofy, floppy-haired boy, and I was a young, terrified girl.

  “You knew then what you wanted, and you were not afraid to grab a hold of it. You believed in what we had before I even knew what was there. But, like the foolish girl I was, I ran scared, hiding from the uncertainty of my feelings.

  “Three months ago, we stood up here for very different yet painful reasons. Fate was once again sending us on a collision course to each other. It took ten years for me to finally realize what you knew all along—that we are meant for each other, that fate always has a way of keeping you tethered to those you undeniably love, those you cannot live without.

  “Nate, it doesn’t matter where the journey takes us, because it will be you and me traveling along the same path together. I will never let go again. I will always keep my hold on you.”

  M.S. Brannon was born and raised in the Midwest. She still resides there today with her wonderful husband and son. When she is not writing or reading, M.S. Bran
non spends time with her family, goes to the movies, and discovers new music. She writes romance because she believes love and heartache are the rawest emotions one can experience.

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  Other Books by M.S. Brannon

  Scarred Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KOBO

  Tragic Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KOBO

  Blind Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KOBO

  Surviving Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and KOBO

  Redeemed Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO

  Everlasting Love, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO

  Stand Alones

  Last Call, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO

  Forbidden from You, Forbidden for me, TBD

  Believe in Brave, YA Novella, available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and KOBO

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three