Protecting Lyndley

by Amanda Bennett

  Mom was planning a big family dinner tonight to celebrate Carson’s impending graduation, so I would try to bite my tongue until afterwards. I didn’t want to take anything away from my baby sister. I looked at the clock noticing it was almost five and dinner was at six. I quickly went into the bathroom and showered, knowing if I wasn’t ready on time that I would have to listen to my mother bitch at me and I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

  When I was all showered and presentable, I made my way downstairs to find my parents. I hadn’t seen them all day and I was starting to get a little worried. My dad was standing in the kitchen pouring himself a glass of scotch when I walked in.

  “Hi, Daddy.” I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

  “Hi, sweet pea. What have you been doing today?”

  “Not a whole lot. Went running with Carson earlier, and then Reese came by to see me.”

  “Oh good. I was wondering how long it would take for his lazy ass to show up here.” He laughed.

  “Dad, do you have a minute to talk?”

  “For you? Of course I do. You want to go outside?”

  “Sure.” My dad poured me a glass of wine and followed me outside to the lounge chairs by the pool.

  “Here ya go. You look like you could use this.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Dad, I need to ask you something. What did you think of Ky when you met him? Feel free to be brutally honest.” I took a sip of my wine and waited for my dad to respond.

  “Well, I got to talk to the boy for quite a bit when he came by. He seems like a really nice guy. Definitely has some issues he needs to work on, but I’m assuming you already knew that?” I nodded and he continued. “I can see how much he loves you, Lynd. Whenever he would talk about you, he got that look.”

  “What look?”

  “The same look I get when I talk about your mom. That boy is smitten. I guess I just worry that your guys’ relationship was built on a foundation of fear for your life, and not true emotions. Now I’m not saying you two don’t truly love one another, because I can see that you do. I just want you to be in a healthy relationship. That and it happened so fast. Once again, I’m not one to talk. I would’ve married your mom the day I met her, had she let me. I only want what’s best for you, Lynd. You know that, right?”

  “I know you do, Daddy. I’m not saying that our relationship doesn’t need time to grow, but I’ve never felt this way about anybody. I miss him so much it hurts. I hate waking up and not being able to talk to him. Carson told me what Mom did.”

  My dad almost choked on his drink as his head shot up in surprise. “Lyndley, you have to understand where your mom is coming from. She blames Ky for what happened to you. I’m not saying it’s right, but you have to look at it from her point of view. One day we were burying our daughter, and then the next thing we know a U.S. Marshal is showing up at our house to tell us that you’re still alive. We went from grieving to being happy, then back to grieving. Last thing we knew, you were coming home and then it was like it was happening all over again. Your mother is just happy to have you home and in one piece, and I don’t think she’s ready to let you go.”

  “But I’m an adult, Dad. Can’t she look at all the times he kept me safe, instead of the one time he couldn’t? Dad, she won’t even let him come see me. He’s tried calling and she hasn’t told me once. I can’t live like this. She can’t dictate my life anymore.” I was starting to get choked up just talking about Ky.

  “Look, Lyndley. You are our oldest daughter. Our job is to protect you from the bad things in this world and to make sure that you are happy. She just wants what is best for you.”

  “How does she know Ky isn’t what’s best for me? She’s never even given him a chance to prove it.”

  “Well, then let’s change that. Get her to see what you see in him. Show her that this boy is who you say he is, and that he does make you happy.”

  I took another sip from my glass. “I don’t know how.”

  “I think I have an idea.”

  Forty Six

  Ky

  My hands were shaking as my nerves were hitting an all time high. Ruger and I had been waiting in the car for the last thirty minutes for Carson to show up. Today was her graduation and I hated that I was making such a grand gesture on her big day, but she’s the one who came up with the brilliant idea so I was going with it.

  “There, she’s right over there.” Ruger was pointing at the back of the bleachers where all of the graduates were lining up.

  When she caught sight of us exiting the car, she frantically waved us over. We ran as fast as we could in our suits, trying not to get them dirty seeing as the entire parking lot was nothing but dirt. When we caught up to her, she was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Glad to see you boys could make it.” She winked. “Okay, so here is the key to her house. Let yourselves in and get everything set up. She still hasn’t been staying there, but I convinced her to throw my graduation party there instead of my parent’s place. Everything is in the backyard waiting for you. Now go, you should be able to make it back in time to see me walk across the stage. Don’t forget, we need her to see you in the stands or this won’t work. Got it?”

  “My you’re domineering.” Ruger laughed.

  “Not now, man.” I punched him in his shoulder and motioned for him to follow me.

  “See ya later, lil Lyndley.”

  “It’s Carson, you nitwit.” She shouted as we took off.

  We made our way to Lyndley’s house in record time. I quickly unlocked the door and when I entered, my breath got caught in my throat. Memories of the first and only time I had ever been here came rushing back. That was the beginning of a relationship that I would cherish for the rest of my days, and then some.

  “Man, is she rich or what? Look at this place.”

  “She’s not rich, her parents are.”

  “Either way, this place is fuckin’ nice.”

  “Shut up, we have shit to do.”

  We headed out back and sure enough, Carson had left every single thing we needed out back. We both slipped out of our jackets and got to work. It didn’t take us too long to finish our little project, but now we had to set up the inside. I handed Ruger the box of candles and the layout Carson had drawn for us, and I took care of the flowers.

  By the time we were done with everything, it looked as though she lived in a flower shop. Ruger and I stood back proud of our work. We high fived, and then rushed out of the house and down to my car. Unfortunately, we ended up hitting a bit of traffic that was going to delay us by at least twenty minutes, if not more.

  I sat there nervously drumming my fingers against the steering wheel, my heart racing and my adrenaline flowing as I tried to picture Lyndley’s reaction to all of this. That’s when I started second guessing myself. Maybe this wasn’t supposed to happen yet. What if she wants to take things slow? Hell, what if she was totally over me and wanted nothing to do with me at all anymore. Ah hell, there was no going back now.

  “I see you over there. Stop overthinking this shit. Everything is gonna go off without a hitch. There’s no way she’s moved on. Trust me, she’s gonna fall even more in love with you. Man, I sound like a chick.”

  “Yeah you do. How much time do we have left?”

  Ruger glanced down at his watch. “About ten minutes until it starts.”

  “Fuck! I don’t think we’re going to make it.”

  “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. I got this covered.”

  Ruger reached over and switched on the lights and siren. It was a move that hadn’t even crossed my mind. I looked over at him and smiled. “Let’s do this.”

  We showed up to the school just as the ceremony was starting. We jumped out of the car and while we were running to get to our seats, we were pulling on our jackets and straightening our ties. By the time we got to the bleachers I was out of breath and panting. I stopped at the end of the walkway, took in a deep breath, and made my w
ay up the middle stairs. Our seats were on the far end, and from what Carson told us, we would end up walking right in front of Lyndley and her family.

  I had Ruger on lookout. He was supposed to nudge my back when he caught sight of Lyndley so I didn’t have to look like an idiot searching for her. The plan was to play it cool like we were invited just like everybody else. About halfway to our seats, I felt Ruger nudge me. I smiled internally and glanced to my left just as we passed by them. I managed to keep my cool despite the fact that she looked absolutely breathtaking. As hard as it was, I tore my eyes away from her and took my seat in the second row.

  “Man, you would’ve thought she just saw a ghost. And Jesus, could she look any hotter?”

  I elbowed Ruger in his ribs inflicting as much pain as possible. “Shut the fuck up, Ruger. You forget that I am wearing a gun, and I’m not afraid to use it on your dumbass.”

  The ceremony commenced and I sat back in deep thought. Even though I didn’t know Carson that well, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as I watched her walk across that stage to collect her diploma. I never had any brothers or sisters and this was probably the closest thing to it. She searched us out before it was her turn and I gave a small wave so she could see where we were. Just as I did, I glanced behind me to see Lyndley smiling down at me. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but from where I sat, it could only be good.

  Carson placed her tassel on the other side of her hat and Ruger and I stood to cheer her on. Our hoots and hollers were the loudest in the crowd and she did a little dance for us as she made her way down the other side. Before we sat back down, I glanced back one more time, but instead of catching Lyndley’s attention, I had her mom’s. I quickly sat down and looked straight ahead. That woman was going to be the death of me.

  About forty-five minutes later the ceremony was over and all the graduates were throwing their hats in the air. That was our cue to leave. Ruger and I stood and immediately started making our way through the sea of people waiting to go down on the field to congratulate the graduates. I made sure Lyndley was preoccupied with other people before we darted for my car. I couldn’t take any chances on her seeing us leaving without saying anything to her, because once she started talking to me, I wouldn’t be able to leave her side.

  When we pulled onto Lyndley’s street, I made sure to park around the corner just like Carson had instructed. We walked the block to get to Lyndley’s house and just as we were walking up the front steps, a car came to a screeching hault by the curb. Ruger and I both turned expecting it to be Lyndley, but we were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Carson and two of her friends came bounding out of the convertible they were just in.

  “Looks like we are just in time. Ky and Ruger, this is Amelia and Trinity. This is Ky and Ruger.”

  Her friends blushed every shade of red as Ruger and I held our hands out for them to shake. It was cute, in a I’m eighteen and enamored by any and every older guy kind of way.

  “I brought them to film and keep the partygoers out until we were done. Everything all set up out back?”

  “Yep. Thanks again for doing this, Carson.”

  “Of course, what are future sister-in-laws for?”

  I pulled her into my chest hugging her as hard as I could. “All right, let’s do this.” I put my arm around Carson and we made our way inside the house.

  “Can I see it first?” I knew she was going to ask.

  “You’re crazy.” I laughed.

  “Fine, be that way.” She slapped me across the chest and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

  I sent Ruger in there with her, and then made my way out back. I stood next to the large tree in her yard and waited.

  Forty Seven

  Lyndley

  I was speechless as I stood outside of my car in front of my house. I had no idea that Ky would be showing up at my little sister’s graduation. He was hard to miss and the minute our eyes met, my heart jumped into my throat. Every feeling and every emotion I had ever felt for him came rushing back, knocking me over like a tidal wave. Of course he looked amazing in his suit, and I couldn’t help but stare at him throughout the entire ceremony.

  When I looked over at my dad, he gave me a knowing smile and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had been involved in the whole thing. My mother on the other hand, had a look on her face that could only be one of pure anger and that made me smile. When him and Ruger stood to cheer on my little sister, my heart soared with joy. It meant so much to me that despite everything that had been going on, he still showed up for something that meant so much to me.

  The only thing that baffled me, was when I went to look for Ky after the ceremony was over, he was gone. I would’ve thought that he would have stayed around to talk to me, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. After we went onto the field to congratulate Carson, she quickly told us that she needed to get to my house to make sure everything was set up for her party. I didn’t think anything of it, but now that I was here and nobody else was, I became very confused.

  I grabbed my purse off of the hood of my car and slowly started making my way up the steps. I could see that there were a few lights on inside, but not enough that she would be setting things up. When I got to the front door I noticed it was left open just a bit. My breath hitched in my throat and adrenaline coursed through my veins as I reached into my purse to grab my gun I had purchased. I checked to make sure the safety was off, and then stuck it back in where I knew I could reach it if need be.

  When I swung open the door, my mouth dropped open in shock. There had to be at least a thousand flowers covering every surface of my entryway and living room. I glanced down and that’s when I saw the trail of candles leading through my house towards the back door. I set my purse down on the small table in the entryway and slowly started following the trail of lights. When I got to the back door, the French doors were wide open and the pathway of candles continued.

  I took each step very carefully until my feet were flat on the grass. When I looked up I almost dropped to my knees. There by the tree in the back corner of the yard, surrounded by at least a dozen different sized candles, stood Ky. He looked amazing and exactly how I remembered. My hands flew up to my mouth trying to muffle my sound of shock. He held out his hand and I immediately began closing the distance between us. I dropped my hand from my face as soon as he took my hands into his.

  I looked up into his sparkling blue eyes and was literally at a loss for words. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to speak.

  “Hi.” He whispered.

  All I could do was smile, and as I was doing so, I noticed a flower covered rope swing hanging down next to us. I was entirely overcome with pure raw emotion. I could feel a stray tear escape from my eye, but before I could catch it, Ky was gently wiping it away with the pad of his thumb.

  “What is all of this?” My voice was low and I was just hoping that he could hear it through all the trembling.

  “This is for you, princess.” The once annoying nickname had now become my favorite term of endearment from him.

  “Why?”

  “Because a little birdie told me about a young girl who used to love her precious swing that used to hang in her front yard. That same little birdie told me that it broke a long time ago and a certain little girl never got over it.”

  “Would this little birdie be named Carson?”

  “I never reveal my sources.” His voice was low and barely above a whisper, causing goose bumps to break out all over my hypersensitive skin.

  He leaned in close to me so our faces were merely inches apart from one another. With every word he spoke, his warm breath slid across my skin, causing every nerve in my body to feel like a livewire. I wanted nothing more than to pull him into me and let our mouths reconnect with one another, as it had been far too long.

  “I need to ask you a question.” His lips were just below my ear as he spoke, and then he ever so lightly pressed them against the side of my neck sending a shiver down my spine.


  A small moan was the only sound to escape my lips as I closed my eyes to breathe in his intoxicating scent. I was lost in a sea of wonder and lust. For the longest time all I wanted was to feel him this close to me again, and now that he was, I didn’t know what to say or do.

  “Lyndley, I need you to open your eyes.” When I did, Ky was no longer standing in front of me. He was down on one knee holding my hand in his, and looking deep inside of me. “Lyndley Rae Caverly, I love you more than I could ever put into words. You make me feel like anything is possible and you are the one that I want to explore those possibilities with. Would you please do me the honor of saying that you’ll be my wife?”

  Tears immediately began running down my face as I stood there staring at the amazing man before me. A man that was willing to put my life before his own, and a man that would keep me safe at all costs. I would be a fool to say no, but then why were the words stuck in my throat?

  “You’re making me nervous here, princess.”

  I carefully bent down in my dress in front of him. “There is no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with. So yes, I will marry you Ky Wakely.”

  “SHE SAID YES!” He shouted behind me right before sealing his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms firmly around his neck as he pulled me up and swung me around. When he pulled away, I took the opportunity to look behind us, and sure enough, there stood Carson and Ruger clapping and cheering us on.

  “Now will you push me?” I pointed at the homemade swing next to us.

  “As soon as you put this on.” He opened a light blue box and nestled inside sat a cushion cut diamond the size of a small rock. My mouth fell open in shock as he slid the perfectly fitted ring onto my finger. “Now I’ll push you. Now until forever.”

  Epilogue