Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  I reached for his hand as the limo started driving to the ceremony location. I had been involved in all the planning to refurbish my little gem, but I’d wanted to see it for the first time on my wedding day. This was the first day of my new life. It felt right after all that this place and I had endured together.

  My dad started rubbing the bridge of his nose as his foot bounced and then stopped. “You know, in the beginning, I wanted to march you to the justice of the peace, and now that you are actually getting married, I want to rewind back to when I used to push you on the swings with you in your pigtails as you giggled, thinking I was the strongest man in the world.”

  His voice cracked, which was almost my undoing.

  One tear seeped out of my eye as I responded, “Dad, I’ll always be your little girl. I love you. You set the bar on the type of guy I would marry.”

  “Well, Boo Bear, I think you found the perfect man.”

  “Me, too, Daddy.” I leaned over and gave him a hug with a kiss on the cheek.

  “Shit, I need a shot. Is there alcohol in here?”

  That had me laughing. Mama should have listened to me.

  “Check the mini bar.”

  He scooted over and poured himself a shot. He took another one, which caused me to laugh again.

  “Not a word to your mother. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  I sealed my lips, crossed my heart, and threw away the key. Dad chuckled at me.

  The limo pulled to a stop, and it was almost twilight. Looking out the window, I gasped. It was more beautiful than I’d imagined as I saw twinkle lights in the distance. This pond had comforted me, this pond had witnessed my confession of love to Mark, and this pond had witnessed the proposal, sealing Mark and me together forever.

  My mouth dropped open at the sight I saw down the lane. The dream I designed was a reality. The little pathway that had been full of underbrush was mowed. We had a small dock and arbor built for the wedding, but it would become a part of my special place. For the wedding, lights had been added all around the area. I looked over at my dad, and he smiled. My mom and Allison were at the limo door, and they opened it and helped me get out. I started walking toward the twinkling lights, drawn to them, knowing who was waiting for me there.

  When planning, I had found these beautiful fire pits that now surrounded the area where the ceremony was taking place. The sales staff had sworn that it would keep the chill off our guests. Thank goodness it was in the mid-sixties. It was as I had imagined and planned. It was stunning with the lights and fire.

  I could sense Mark was here, and I longed to be in his arms again. Allison though was right there, pulling me off to the side, cutting off my view.

  “Hold on there, Sam. It’s not time yet.”

  “But—”

  She grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look away from the lane I wanted to go down. “Just five minutes, and you’ll be with him. He wants it to be perfect for you.”

  “Well hell, what am I supposed to say to that? By the way, thank you for the necklace and the garter. The garter was definitely needed.”

  She gave me a wink. Allison had known I would be on the brink of losing it emotionally, and I wouldn’t want a tear-streaked face the first time I saw Mark. Damien, David, Sabrina’s husband, and Martin came out from the path, all dressed in tuxes. Annie, Sabrina, and Nina followed them, wearing elegant dresses. This was the entire guest list.

  Martin gave me a wink and blew me a kiss, which I caught and held to my heart. He was like a brother to me, and we would always be a part of each other’s lives.

  The pastor followed right after.

  Everyone was stunning. Mark’s parents were looking at the limos and then looked my way, realizing I was already out. Everyone stared. His mom and Sabrina blew kisses and mouthed they loved me. Then, they walked off in the other direction.

  Damien remained in the part leading to where my love was.

  Allison whispered, “They’re acting under Mark’s orders. He doesn’t want their spazziness, as he put it, to act up right before one of the most important times in your life.”

  I gave her a horrified look. “I hope he didn’t say it to them like that.”

  They were spastic, but I loved them for that exact same reason. Hell, half the time, I didn’t know if I was coming or going.

  “No, he actually said that he wanted to be the first one to talk to you, outside of the people who were at your house. Then we’ll start the ceremony and your dad will walk you down the aisle.”

  Damien turned to Allison and gave her a nod.

  “It’s time to go see your future husband.”

  I started walking toward the opening. A slight chill ran over my skin until the heat from the fire pits made me feel comfortable. I stepped into the clearing and saw Mark standing at the other end, wearing a black tux. His blond hair was tousled stylishly, and his green eyes glowed. He was the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen. His smile was triumphant and loving, and it made my heart soar.

  We were about to be united.

  My mind went back to the day we’d found the dress.

  I walked out of the dressing room in a vintage wedding shop in Atlanta. When I saw myself in the mirror, I knew this was the dress. My mama was tearing up behind me. It was an off-the-shoulder A-line gown with intricate beading framing the top. The beading trailed along the right side of my body where the fabric gathered and then flowed out gracefully. From there, the beading was placed all over the gown and then became heavy again at the end.

  My mama came up behind me and squeezed my shoulders. “Sam, this is the one.”

  “I know, Mama. I love it. This is the dress I’m going to become Mrs. Robertson in.”

  My hair was done on top of my head in big loose curls in order to showcase all of the intricate beading on the back. When Mark took one step to me, I lost all composure and started jogging his way. When I made it to him, he grabbed me by the waist and swung me around in a circle, kissing me the entire time.

  “I’ve missed you, Sport.”

  “You have no idea. Come, I want to show you something. Close your eyes.”

  I obeyed, and he put me down. He grabbed my hand and then started walking.

  We had taken a few steps when he stopped us. I was about to say something when he said, “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you. Your beauty has me flustered, and what I’m about to do has my brain scattered in excitement, but you look absolutely stunning, Sam. Every time I see you, it knocks the breath out of me.”

  His voice was a warm caress to my ears.

  “Mark, I love you.”

  It was an amazing feeling that I could penetrate that calm outer shell he had. He pulled on my hand again, and we started on our way. The grass gave way to wood as Mark helped me with my footing, ensuring I didn’t trip. I already knew what everything should look like in theory since I had planned it, but I had refused to see it as it was being constructed. Allison had checked on it for me to ensure it was exactly what I’d wanted.

  Pressure from his hands turned me, and then his arms came around me.

  “Open your eyes.”

  Our pond had been completely transformed. It was just as I had imagined. My long-lost gem had finally been loved as it deserved. The pond and I had weathered the worst of things and come out stronger in the end. I felt forever tied to this place. The trees had been shaped, the underbrush had been removed, and the water had been cleaned. Off to the side sat benches, which was where the wedding guests would sit after Mark and I had a few moments to ourselves. Mark and I had decided to keep the wedding small and intimate since this place was ours, and we didn’t want to share it with the masses.

  “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”

  “I hope so. You’re about to make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife. The promise of having you forever is more than I could ever hope for. I’m going to cherish your promise, Sam. I’m getting the only thing I ever wanted out of life�
�happiness with the woman of my dreams.”

  I stared up into his crystal green eyes as he said some of the most beautiful words I had ever heard.

  “I never thought I deserved to be happy, but your patient love showed me otherwise. Thank you for believing in us enough to wait for me.” I bit my lip as I smiled. I was beyond blissfully happy in this moment.

  Mark leaned down and gave me a kiss. “Your mom said she gave you a bridal Bible from your grandmother and that we should read the inscription together prior to the ceremony.”

  I had forgotten about Mama giving me that. I fished it out of my small purse. Mark looked on as I opened up the bridal Bible. His hands went to my hips. On the inside flap was a note written in my grandmother’s writing. I ran my fingers over it before I read it out loud.

  Mark hugged me closer as he said, “I promise, Sam.”

  “I promise you, too.”

  He kissed my cheek as I continued to run my fingers over my grandmother’s soothing words. After a few moments passed, Mark pointed to the top of the gazebo. The gazebo was a permanent fixture that was staying here after the wedding, so we could have it as a part of our lives forever and always. At the top, there was a skylight with two interlocking rings in it that was part of the design.

  Mark answered my silent query, “I added this skylight after we finalized the plans. It’s a symbol of our never-ending promise to love and cherish each other. Our wedding rings also have the symbol engraved on the inside of them.”

  “Oh, Mark.” I turned in his embrace. “Promise me, I’m not dreaming.”

  “This is forever, Sam. You and me. I promise.”

  December—One Year Later

  It was two days after Christmas, and we were headed in Mark’s truck to Allison and Damien’s home to celebrate the holiday. Mark and I had just celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. As we drove from our place in Atlanta, I looked over at Mark, and he gave me a sly smile as he spoke on the phone to his agent. They wanted to do some shots of us for promo material to release. Allison had asked, and I had agreed. Mark was informing his agent of his plans. As he talked, I thought about our honeymoon and how wonderful it had been. He was taking me back to Barbados as soon as the season was over. It was one of my Christmas presents. I closed my eyes and let the memory engulf me.

  When I got out of the shower, Mark was nowhere to be seen. Since touching down in Barbados, two days ago, he had hardly let me out of his sight. We had barely left our villa. I was saddened that we would be leaving soon. Mark had promised to bring me back to explore the islands. As I was walking through our bedroom, a white dress lying on the pale green duvet cover caught my attention. There was a note on pale pink paper lying on top of the white dress. I picked up the note and smiled as I read it.

  I bit my lip in excitement as I dropped my towel and put on the strapless sundress. I slid it on, went to the mirror, and clipped my wet hair up. My eyes danced with excitement. I had never been this happy in my life. I walked out into the dark night from our villa onto the deck, and I stopped in my tracks as Mark stood there with a single white flower. He was wearing white linen pants with a white linen shirt that was only partially buttoned. I practically ran into his arms, and he took me into his embrace.

  “Miss me?”

  I nuzzled into him, memorizing his scent. “Yes. I don’t want to go back to reality.”

  “Me either. I want to show you something.”

  We left the deck and stepped into the soft sand. As soon as we turned left, I stopped in my tracks. On the beach were lots of luminaries giving off a romantic glow as the Caribbean Sea sparkled from the reflection of the moon.

  “Mark, I don’t know what to say.”

  I was stunned into silence at the sheer beauty. Mark continued to walk me through the sporadically laid lanterns to the center where a blanket was spread across the sand. The ocean sounded in the distance. We sat down on the blanket and soaked in every part of this moment.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  He pulled me onto his lap into a straddling position. I leaned down and kissed his lips barely. As I pulled back, Mark’s eyes made contact with mine, and the rest of the world slipped away.

  “Sam, I promise to treasure you forever.”

  My heart burst from the love emanating from him.

  I needed him. “Make love to me.”

  At my words, he switched places with me, and I was now beneath him. His hands started to travel up my thigh in a slow, sensual movement. His fingers caressed my skin as they continued to push up my sundress. Mark’s head came down as my stomach was exposed, and he pressed his lips softly to my skin. He adored my body at an excruciatingly unhurried pace, and I reveled in it, absorbed it, and memorized it.

  He kissed up to my neck, leaving tingly trails all over my body. I used my hands to push down his pants low enough to free him. Mark hovered over me as he took my mouth in a deliciously seductive kiss. His erection nudged at my entrance, and I moaned, knowing I was about to have the love of my life inside me again. Mark began to move inside me, and my body zinged at the sensation. It was the slowest build I had ever had, but the orgasm shook me to the core as he emptied himself inside me.

  “Sam?”

  Mark startled me, and I jumped, looking like I had been caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing. I giggled.

  He raised his eyebrow. “I was saying that everything is cleared with my agent. We can do the photo shoot whenever Allison is ready as long as you’re feeling up to it. What were you thinking about?”

  I laid my head against the headrest, admiring my husband’s profile, as he continued to drive. I loved how much he loved me.

  I sighed. “I was thinking about that night in Barbados when you surprised me with the luminaries on the beach behind our private villa and how you made love to me under the Caribbean sky.”

  Mark gave me a devilish grin. “I cannot wait to get you back there.”

  “Me either.”

  We had spent Christmas this year with his family, and Mark had given me a trip back to Barbados to go on after the football season ended. His family was still a tad obnoxious at times, but I had adjusted. I felt like I was truly part of the family. They were still fans of the group-texting craze, but I would respond when I could without feeling any pressure. If they needed to get a hold of me, they would call.

  My dad and Mark got along great. They had truly buried the hatchet. Mark had even flown my parents to a few games, which they loved.

  I let out a sigh of contentment as Mark’s hand drifted to my stomach. His hand stroked my stomach lovingly.

  “How’s our baby?”

  I responded, “I’d say he’s percolating.”

  We were a little over two months pregnant. It had been planned. Over the summer, I’d started having the desire. We had been having one of our no-barrier talks when I had mentioned wanting to try for a baby. Needless to say, babymaking had commenced that evening. It had taken a few months to get pregnant.

  In the beginning, I’d been scared that my previous lifestyle had broken something in me. The moment I’d stopped worrying, we had created a life together. The only other people who knew were Allison and Edna. I had told Allison as I wanted her to be a part of it from the very beginning. Edna had figured it out one afternoon while we were baking.

  Hell, she probably knew the moment we conceived our baby with how that woman’s intuition worked.

  I used the cookbook Edna had given me all the time and not only for cooking. When I had looked closer at her wedding gift, each recipe had a life lesson to go with it. Anytime I needed her guiding words, I would go to it and randomly open a page. It was always exactly what I needed.

  “He?”

  “Yes. I don’t know why I think it’s a boy, but I do. I feel it.”

  Mark left his hand on my stomach. “I can’t wait to find out. You’re going to be an incredible mother.”

  With my screwed-up past, I was still worried that
I wouldn’t be a good mother. But with Mark by my side, we could do anything.

  I put my hand on top of his, looking at our oneness. “I can’t wait either. I can’t wait to tell everyone. Once we tell our parents, we can start telling everyone.” It was only the millionth time I had said that.

  I was nervous letting the proverbial cat out of the bag with all the possibilities of what could go wrong. The doctors had assured me I was having a healthy pregnancy, but I was still a nervous wreck. I now knew why poor Wales had acted the way he had.

  This was also one of the reasons the photo shoot was being rushed. They weren’t planning on using the shots until the summer prior to the start of the new season, but I would be very pregnant then as my due date was in July. Big preggers lady with a football player wouldn’t scream hotness.

  Allison and Damien’s baby girl, Kendall Marie Rebecca Wales, was about to celebrate her one-year birthday. They had named her after Allison’s mother, Kendall, and my middle name, Marie. From the moment I’d held her, my internal baby clock had started ticking for one of my own. Just thinking about the day had tears welling in my eyes.

  I had flown in from North Carolina the moment Allison had gone into labor. I walked into the room while Damien was standing proudly next to his wife. He was looking at her and his baby with love and affection. Allison was holding their little girl, who was swaddled in pink.

  My heart soared for them. “Hey, little mama. How are you doing?”

  Allison grinned at me. “Perfect, now that I have this little miracle in my arms. She’s our dream come true.”

  Damien’s answering grin as his fingers touched his child’s cheek was one of the tenderest moments I had witnessed.

  Allison asked, “Would you like to hold her?”

  “Yes! Oh, yes. I’ve been dying to meet my little niece. Mark is coming in on the next available flight. You just had to go into labor the night before game day.”

  I knew Allison had wanted some alone time with Damien and the baby, so I had waited to come until after her new family had time together. I pulled up a chair right next to the bed.