Shattered Edge(82)
“Oh don’t worry Mom, I would never do that. I love you.”
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Living next to Caroline was the greatest thing in the world. Even when we were in Charleston, we weren’t this close. I loved my new girl too. Not that I didn’t love the old one. But this one was confident in a way I couldn’t come close to describing. She carried herself differently. Her outlook on life was different. My other girl was excited about the future. This one wanted to sink her teeth into it and get every last bite out of it she could. Nothing escaped her...the gentle breeze, the birds chirping or the taste of the salt on her tongue, courtesy of the Pacific Ocean.
My happiness was endless. My work at the University was awesome. I was with an amazing team of physicians teaching other newly trained orthopedists how to fit the puzzles of a splintered bone back together. I would think of Caroline’s leg every day and pass that magic on to them in the hopes that they could help other patients like her walk again.
On a misty Saturday afternoon, about six months after we’d been in Seattle, we were laying in bed. Her sexy, naked body was stretched out on top of mine after a luscious heated session of lovemaking. Her head was tucked into my neck and my nose was nestled into her hair, exactly where I liked it, so I could feel its silkiness and smell her lavender shampoo that she still used after all this time.
“I think it’s time,” I whispered.
She lifted her head with a puzzled expression on her face and asked, “Time for what?”
“For this. Caroline Cole, will you marry me? You put the beat into my heart and the spirit into my soul. I want you as my wife, my partner. I don’t want to be your neighbor anymore sweetheart. I want to be your husband. I want to marry you. Say yes. Run away and marry me. Please say you’ll be mine forever.”
“Oh Justin, I’ve always been yours. Of course I’ll marry you. What took you so long?”
Then she kissed me and we laughed.
“Were you serious about eloping?”
“Hell yes!” I shouted.
“When?”
“When do you want to get married?”
She gave me a cheeky grin and said, “Yesterday. But, since that’s passed, as soon as possible.”
I looked at her for a second. “Can I be in charge of the venue?”
“Yeah! You always did have a flair for that.”
“I do have a request though.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“I want you to wear a wedding dress. I know how important it is to a woman to do that. And...I want to be able to show our children one day how beautiful their mother looked on the day she married their dad.”
That must’ve been the right thing to say because, well, she just got all soft on me and then my heart just did that little number in my chest. We held each other silently for a few moments until I heard her take a deep breath.
“I just realized something.”
“What would that be?” I asked her.
“I love you now more than ever.”
Her blue eyes (she never wore her contacts when we were alone) cut right into my soul.
“Babe, I know exactly what you mean. My dad told me once that when he fell in love with my mom, he thought that was it, but he found out he was wrong. His love only grew deeper as the days passed. I guess that’s how it must be with us.”
“You know something else?”
“What?”
“Justin, your family is going to kill you for eloping.”
“Naw. I don’t think so. I think they’re going to say, ‘Good for him, he found someone else.’”
“You think?”
“Yeah. But if they only knew.”
We laughed about that.
“Justin, do you think they’ll ever recognize me when they meet me?”
I was worried about that. “Honey, the only one I’m worried about is Lexi. She was so close to you. And here’s the thing. When I first saw you, it wasn’t your looks. It was your mannerisms that tipped me off. That’s what you’ll have to be careful about. She knows you so well.”
She nodded. “That’s what Preston said too.”
“Babe, let’s just worry about that when the time comes. Okay?”
“Yeah.” Then her eyes brightened. “So, what did you have in mind for our wedding?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“A hint?”
“Nope. Your job is to get a dress. As soon as you do that, I’ll get the place.”
I was rewarded with another one of her mind blowing kisses. She was good like that.
EPILOGUE
Six Weeks Later...
The couple stood at the top of the clearing that overlooked the Pacific Ocean at the Post Ranch Inn. The groom had outdone himself on the accommodations and site for their ceremony. This place made Amanyara, Bora Bora, and Kauai all look like a slight step down. The backdrop was Big Sur with its magnificent cliffs, crashing surf and the beginnings of a western sunset that was unrivaled by anything the bride had ever seen. The day had been bright and sunny with a perfectly clear blue sky that Californians often boast of. The bride wore a simple yet elegant gown made of the lightest silk that whispered like the breeze every time she moved. The groom looked sexy in his black Armani tux. Even though they were the only two present at such a lovely affair, they didn’t seem to mind a bit. In fact, their behavior indicated quite the opposite.