Taking the Fall

by W. Ferraro

  “Oh Jessica, your happiness, as well as Sammy’s and Leah’s, too, are so very important to me.” She had caressed her daughter’s face before Jess spoke once more.

  “I know now how happy he makes you, as well as how happy you make him. Together, just like these words, as a family, we will all be happy.”

  Molly hugged Jessica tighter than she ever remembered before bringing Leah and Sammy into her embrace. She kissed each of their heads and used her fingers to dry their tears, too.

  “Come on, Leah and Sammy, let’s give these two some space. We are all going to be a big family, and I for one want to spend as much time with my sisters as possible, so there is no time like the present.”

  Jess placed an arm around Leah and the other around Sammy as she steered them toward the playground, leaving Molly and Hunter alone.

  Molly watched as the perfect picture of the three of them walked off together.

  “You know, you have a pretty amazing daughter. She is not only beautiful like her mother, but she is bright beyond her years.”

  Molly’s smile shined with pride at his compliment.

  Hunter sat down on the bench and reached out his hand for her. He squeezed his eyes shut when she placed her hand in his and took the seat next to him.

  “Molly, I love you.”

  Even when she didn’t think she had any tears left, fresh ones rolled down her face once more. “Hunter, I’m such a stupid fool.”

  He held her hands tightly in his. “Hey, none of that kind of talk. You aren’t stupid; you are unyielding. You would set aside any happiness for yourself to make your daughters happy. That isn’t stupidity, that is undying love.”

  Even after his too kind words, Molly still couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

  “I’m so sorry for all that I said to you. I needed you to hate me as much as I hated myself. How did life become such a mess?”

  But Hunter wasn’t having that. He gripped her chin between his finger and thumb and accepted nothing short of her eyes on his.

  “The moment I didn’t fight for you and for us. If anyone needs to take the blame, I do. I listened with my pride rather than my heart. But I won’t make that mistake again. I’m not going anywhere unless you send me away.”

  He had done so much, showed her so much and all she could do for him was this.

  She reached for his face, caressed his smooth cheek, and rubbed that precious dimple before finally bringing his lips down to hers. She kissed him with everything she had, hoping to show him what choice of happiness she wanted to live her life by.

  His hands moved to her back where they pulled her in closer to him and to the silent promises they were making to one another, here on this bench, that would span a lifetime.

  He moved slightly and slowly broke away from their kiss, only to hand her a small black velvet box.

  Her eyes shot to his as he used his fingers to open the small hinge.

  Nestled in the cream satin was a pristine diamond in a classic solitaire setting, nothing showy or modern, just classic beauty.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

  Taking it out of its perch, he slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. “It is nothing compared to the person who I hope will wear it forever.”

  “Are you asking me something?” she asked suddenly with dry eyes and a smile that reached her ears.

  The smile that she knew would always make the butterflies in her stomach fly, even when she was old and gray, showed its beauty and he spoke, “I’m certainly trying to.”

  She kissed him once more, just because.

  “I’m asking you to complete me. I’m asking you to bear with me every day, through every up and down. I’m asking you to let me love you and your daughters the way you deserved to be loved and cherished. I’m asking you to love my daughter the way she so eagerly wants to be loved. I’m asking you to take my name and make the engraving on this bench and my wildest dream come true. But above all this, I’m asking you to always look forward with me and accept that my job from this day forward is to make you and our three girls happy. Every day, every minute, with everything in my being, as long as there is breath in my chest.”

  She pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll say yes on one condition.”

  Hunter’s face shined with the love he had for her and more importantly, she knew it. “Anything.”

  “Let us love you in return, the way you deserve to be loved and the way I so desperately love you already.”

  “So, that’s a yes?” It was now his turn to smile in elation.

  “Yes.”

  They kissed and embraced once more while the sparkle of the ring on her third finger shined in the summer sun in the place it would forever remain.

  Soon they walked slowly hand in hand, along the path that bore a granite sign of their love and promise, toward their daughters. With each step, they got closer to beginning to make the memories that would fill their lives because their family of five would never be apart again.

  “Are we there yet?” Molly asked, happily frustrated as she wore the soft silk tie of Hunter’s as a blindfold.

  The sound of his chuckled had her body responding as it always did; excited and overjoyed that they were together and alone.

  “Almost,” he answered holding onto her hand, squeezing his grasp just to deepen the simple connection.

  After another series of turns, Molly finally felt the smoothness of the Jeep’s movement come to a stop.

  Finally.

  However, in the stillness of Hunter’s Jeep, she waited for him to say or do something, but instead she just sat waiting that much longer.

  She sensed his closeness, and his wonderful scent surrounded her before she felt the warm strength of his mouth on hers.

  Whether it was his unspoken words, the demanding need he could evoke simply by kissing her, or the fact the last several months of intense planning for their wedding which would take place in only two more days in Jamaica was finally lessening, it felt as if all of Molly’s excitement came down to this one moment.

  But, just as Molly started to really take control of their kiss, Hunter pulled away and she couldn’t help but feel the loss immediately.

  She began to pull at the tie, but his much larger one quickly stopped her hands. “Not yet, beautiful.”

  And just like always, his endearment for her caused a smile that felt like it never could grow big enough.

  Quickly, she felt him leave the Jeep, and after a few moments, she heard her door open. She felt him at her side, helping her out.

  “Can I take it off, please?”

  “Nope, we just have a little walk to take and then I promise you can take it off,” Hunter said close to her ear before he placed one hand at the small of her back while the other led her with their fingers entwined.

  She had to admit, it was an odd feeling being led around blindfolded, but after he led her down a path and took familiar turns, she had no doubt she knew where they were.

  Confusion, intrigue, and curiosity all mixed with her intense feeling of love for the man who never ceased to amaze her from the big things to little things like this.

  “If you lead me any longer, we are going to miss our plane.” She feigned frustration, but her plea for the revelation went unanswered.

  Finally, with a deep laugh, he stopped her, turned her so she faced East, and stood behind her very close, his front touching her back. Hunter placed his hands at her waist, placed his chin on her shoulder, and kissed the sensitive spot beneath her ear.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes,” came out more husky than Molly intended, but such was life with Hunter Dennison touching her.

  With gentle fingers, and what seemed like exaggerated brushes of his finger against her scalp, the tie fell away.

  She knew she had been right, that they were at the park, the place that meant so much to their relationship. The beautifully landscaped corner peacefully and exquisitely tucked away that house
d the granite bench with its chiseled promise of the happiness she knew as her now daily life.

  It was almost sunset; the natural red and orange of the setting sun was beautiful mixed with the trees and mountains of the panoramic view. The small touches of the numerous black lanterns that littered the still plush grass around the beautiful bench and further behind into the curtain of almost bare white birch trees and stubborn oaks that refused to lose all their leaves.

  Molly’s eyes searched for understanding of what she was seeing, but nothing seemed to register except the strength of Hunter still wrapped around her from behind. Soon her eyes moved left then right to where, even in the cool November, regardless of the unusually warm weather stretch, the park was empty. Nobody was walking their dog, no kids refused to put their bicycles away for the season, and certainly no lovers walked hand and hand through the wonderful paths.

  “It’s just us,” he whispered.

  “But why?” Molly found herself asking.

  Hunter turned her, keeping her still in his embrace, so that their chests touched and that is when Molly noticed the sheriff’s SUV parked at the park’s entrance over the hill. Barely able to see, but was sure the tall figure was undoubtedly her soon-to-be brother-in-law.

  Hunter raised one hand so it cupped her cheek and as usual, Molly leaned her head into the warm physical reassurance that he was, in fact, real.

  “I wanted to show you your wedding gift.”

  Wedding gift?

  “Hunt . . .” she began but the beautiful pressure of his mouth quickly quieted her. A kiss that she was sure she would never tire of.

  “I know we promised each other no gifts after the wedding, but since you haven’t official said ‘I do’ yet, I figured I was successful in finding this loophole.”

  Molly squinted tightly at him, because she already felt with the recent purchase of their four-bedroom home and the extravagant two-week island adventure that awaited them and all three of their daughters, she held firm to not purchasing him anything additional.

  As usual, Hunter read her mind. “Beautiful, don’t be mad and I promise it isn’t anything big . . . yet.”

  Her eyes widened at his unusual clarification.

  “Yet?” she whispered wanting to continue her disappointment with him but unable to when she saw the pure happiness on his face.

  Her mind wandered to a promise he had made to her six months ago, a promise she accepted, here at this very spot.

  I’m asking you to always look forward with me and accept that my job from this day forward is to make you and our three girls happy. Every day, every minute, with everything in my being, as long as there is breath in my chest.

  She watched and felt as he enforced without words a reminder of that promise, when he placed her hand on his chest. She felt his chest move up and down.

  She knew he could tell the moment her resolve for anger turned into acceptance because it was a moment before she knew it.

  “May I have it?” she said, reaching up on tiptoes and placing her lips against his.

  “Yes.”

  It was a simple word, but one that brought both of them great happiness.

  Hunter walked toward their bench and stopped several feet after it. Molly looked at him for understanding but just followed where his finger pointed. There, in the grass, unseen to the unknown eye, was a small granite plaque, a marker, on the ground.

  In the same etched black font as the bench were three simple words—

  Before Molly could turn to show him her appreciation, her eyes found the next one a yard further, this one had an artistic impression of a rose bud.

  Soon her body was following the secret curved path into the tree line. Molly easily found the granite marker with Jessica’s name. With each new finding, Molly’s smile and heart grew. Leah’s maker was next and then Sammy’s, then she found one more. It only had a date inscribed on it, their wedding day.

  Then she saw the hidden bench. It was built the same as the other, but this one seemed more special because it was meant just for her.

  There was a large silver tube with a white bow sitting on the top of the bench. Molly reached for it and wondered why she doubted her surprise when she saw the bench too was engraved.

  She read the lines of words three or four times, each time harder than the last because the new set of tears that filled her eyes.

  Hunter once more wrapped his arms around her from behind and crooned sweet words of love into her ear. Then he read the words to her in the quietest of whispers.

  Hearing Hunter speaking the words of his love, which he engraved for all time in stone, was Molly’s undoing.

  She twirled in his arms, weaving her arms around his neck and bringing his wonderful mouth to hers.

  His hands roamed and soon she couldn’t tell you if they were still there in the park or if she had been transported directly to heaven because, honestly, it wouldn’t matter if they were surrounded by flames and misery, as long as she was within Hunter’s arms, it couldn’t be anything but heaven.

  With one, no he lied, two more sweet kisses to her lips, Hunter leaned back only slightly with his wide smile and his gorgeous dimple shining bright just for her.

  “One more gift, and I promise, no more . . . today.”

  Molly brought the tube she was holding around to his front so she could unscrew the cover in the space between them. With his helpful hands, she removed the rolled white paper that was its entire content as Hunter took the tube and placed it on the ground.

  Molly looked at the beautiful drawing and knew her eyes may just never know dryness again.

  It was a perfectly hand-drawn colorful picture of the restaurant but instead of the empty sidewalk space and paved alleyway, there was now a small black gate with numerous basket-weaved black wrought iron tables and chairs. Large green and white umbrellas filled the higher air all with an embossed M. The beautiful drawing showed hand laid granite paving stones in different hues of gray tying the whole outside renovation together.

  She couldn’t seem to bring her eyes from the picture that was everything she’d dreamed of for an outdoor bistro.

  Hunter placed his hand under her chin, demanding her water filled green eyes look directly into his.

  “I knew when you reconstructed the restaurant after the fire and you kept it the same for your parents’ legacy, you weren’t exactly true to yourself. You love the outdoors, so why shouldn’t your restaurant have what you want.”

  She only had ever mentioned her secret intentions but once with him, but as always, only once was all that Hunter found necessary.

  “Nothing is set in stone, but I thought come spring, we could complete Molly’s to be everything you want it to be.”

  Molly looked back down at the perfect picture once more and knew he had truly had given her everything.

  When she was sure her corneas memorized the exact replica of what was in her mind all along, she rolled the drawing back up and leaned her forehead against his chest.

  “Beautiful?”

  With another confirmation of the beat of his heart, she looked into the blue eyes that forever will see directly through to her soul and said, “It is apparently set in stone.”

  Hunter raised his hands, cupping her face, and said, “No, beautiful, it was just a thought . . .”

  But she found great pleasure in his complete look of confusion when she smiled and giggled. “No, your promise and love for me is not only engraved right there in stone,” she indicated the benches but she also then pointed to her heart, “but they are also forever engraved right here.”

  With another kiss that was deep and full of promise, Hunter and Molly both held on to each other, as they sat for a moment before starting the trek back to the Jeep so they could head to the airport, to their wedding, and to the first day of the rest of their lives.

  And as Molly reached up on tiptoes one last time, leaving a kiss on Hunter’s lips before climbing into the Jeep to start their next great adv
enture, she realized through heartache and pain came an understanding of pure unadulterated love that she was sure could never have existed without the first.

  She knew that the love she felt for Hunter was worth the freefall that was the first half of her life. And even though she would never wish that part of her life didn’t exist, she knew the rest of her life wouldn’t be about getting what she was owed but rather about taking the fall with open eyes, a full heart, and unrelenting trust to know as long as she had him and their girls then she had everything.

  Hamden Series

  Three of Hearts

  Three of Spades

  Three of Diamonds

  Breaking Spades

  Dennison Series

  Afraid to Fall

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByWFerraro

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorWFerraro

  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wferraro/

  Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/W.-Ferraro/e/B00D0YJN6U/

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6566069.W_Ferraro

  Excerpt: Love Deeply by Valentina Belle – Coming Summer 2015

  Chapter 1

  ~ SHANE ~

  Of all the bars, she has to walk into mine. It is a slow day, which is typical, considering the vacation season doesn’t begin until next week. The only people you see around here now are the locals. She is the last person I ever expected to see when those doors opened. She left so abruptly four years ago, and I haven’t heard from her since. She never even reached out to ask why. I was sure I would never see her again; never mind coming back to Grace Beach. I did a fine job pretending to put her out of my mind since she left, but now that she is standing in front of me, more beautiful than I remember, I know I can’t let her walk out of my life again. She is petite but has legs that look as if they could go on for miles when she wears shorts or a skirt, like she is now. She is thin, but has curves in all the right places. Her dark brown hair is still long and flows softly down her back and frames her face, enhancing her caramel brown eyes. Her lips are lush and pink and ready to be kissed. She is laughing and smiling with her friend. Her smile was always illuminating, lighting up the darkest of places. “You see who walked in?” Erica asks. She is working behind the bar and hands me a shot of tequila. “Figured you might need this.” I nod, running my hand through my hair. “I see,” I say, never taking my eyes off of her. I take the shot of tequila, placing the empty glass on the bar. “Whatever she orders, it’s on me,” I instruct her and she nods her understanding. I watch as Isabelle and her friend, a blonde girl that I have never seen before, walk over to the bar. Not much has changed about her, she still lights up when she smiles. She looks happy and I wonder if that will all change when she sees me.