The Winter Wedding

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The Winter Wedding Page 23

by A. C. Arthur


  “You could have woke me up. I would have helped you.”

  “I’m not an invalid.” She told him in a sassy and playful time.

  “You were stabbed.”

  “Yeah, and that hurt like hell. But I’m on pain meds so I can get up to go to the bathroom on my own. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do much more by way of personal needs, but we’ll see how that goes.”

  He got off the bed and helped her back in, pulling the blankets up to her chin once again. She could definitely get used to him tucking her in on a daily basis.

  “Do you want something to drink, or eat?“ he asked.

  “No. I think I just want to talk. About last night.”

  Logan ran a hand down his face. “You sure?”

  “Yes. I think it’s important to get this off my chest before we go any further.”

  Logan looked a little distressed by the words, but he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her expectantly.

  “Sam said Sinclair would be charged with three counts of murder—Liam, Boyd and Volker. Fiona would be charged as an accessory. That’s all the news I’ve got after reading Sam’s latest text message.” Logan looked tired.

  His beard was scruffy from sleep and so was his hair. His chest was bare and the hunter green boxer briefs he wore hung low on his hips.

  “What about the other woman he killed? He told me about another woman, the first one he wanted to need him.” As she said the words Ram had spoken to her, Cheyna shivered. She had no idea how long it would take her to forget being held at knife-point and eventually stabbed.

  “I don’t know, but you don’t have to think about that right now. Sam’s not going to let this go until we have all the answers.”

  Cheyna took a deep breath and released it slowly.

  “You wanna know what the really bad part about all of this is?” she asked but didn’t wait for his response. “I can relate to almost everything he said to me.”

  Logan was shaking his head before Cheyna could say another word. “That’s ridiculous. You are nothing like him Cheyna. He was freakin’ nuts!”

  She disagreed. “No. Not nuts. Hurt. Lonely. Disappointed and at the same time disgusted with himself because the only way he knew to stop all of that pain was to inflict it on someone else.”

  “Don’t you make excuses for him. He killed people. He was going to kill you!” Logan yelled.

  “And he still couldn’t find any peace within himself. That’s an awful feeling, Logan. I know because I’ve felt it. No matter how hard I worked, how good my grades were in school, how much I succeeded at Volker’s company and then at my own. None of it mattered because when I went home at night I still felt like I wasn’t good enough. That from the moment I was born I wasn’t good enough even for the people who had created me.”

  “Ram Sinclair had been told he was nothing all his life. Even when he made something of himself somebody always came along to tell him that he was nothing and that he’d never have anything. He fell in love and expected his wife or girlfriend to be different and when, in his mind, she wasn’t, he snapped. I don’t agree with anything he did, especially not hurting people. But I can relate to a small part of where this all started for him.”

  “That’s bullshit! I came from the same place Sinclair did and I didn’t get mad and go around killing people because I couldn’t have my way.”

  “Because you had your mother and your brothers. You said so yourself, that when they knew they weren’t enough for you and what you needed they made sure someone else was there for you. Jack, your mentor, he was there Logan. You had a lifeline. Ram didn’t. I didn’t.”

  “But you survived, Cheyna. You kept a good grasp of right and wrong. Don’t sit there and tell me you’re like him. Not when I just watched him attacking you and carried you bleeding to an ambulance. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

  “I don’t,” she said and shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “But don’t you dare tell me how I should feel either. I almost died because somebody needed me so much that it drove him insane. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel when all I’ve ever wanted was for someone to need me, Logan? For someone to love me and want me.”

  The last words came on a broken sob and Cheyna looked away from him. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of one hand and felt her entire body tremble with all the emotion she’d held inside for so very long.

  Logan’s arms were strong and warm as they wrapped around her gently. He rested his forehead against hers when she finally turned her face to him. Cheyna closed her eyes and let the tears flow.

  “You were born to be a queen,” Logan whispered. “Royal blood runs through your veins. Do not be deterred by the garbage on your streets or the names you might be called. You are a product of peace, integrity and righteousness.”

  He said it again and again, the last time followed by, “I love you, Cheyna. I need you and I want you. I’ll tell you that every day for the rest of our lives so that you’ll believe it and you’ll believe in us.”

  With each word more tears flowed. Cheyna felt as if she were falling completely apart. Helplessness engulfed her. Shame blanketed her. And love, the feeling that had begun to fill her even before Logan had said the words, lifted her up again. It seemed like hours later as they still sat on her bed, that she finally looked at him again. She knew she must look a mess. Her eyes were probably swollen, face blotchy from all the crying, hair a fright, but she didn’t care.

  “I love you, Logan. I love everything about you. Your loyalty and dedication to your family. Your confidence in everything that you do. But most of all, Logan, I love that you are the man who chose to love me.”

  Christmas Day

  Cheyna sat on the couch in Joanna’s living room. There was a pillow propped on the arm of the chair so that she could rest her injured arm. A while ago the tray that they’d put in front of her so that she could have her dinner while sitting comfortably, had been taken away. Now, it was Evan and Sarah’s turn to be beaten by Steph in Uno. They laughed and cheered and grunted from the dining room table.

  “Thank you.” Cheyna knew she’d thanked Joanna hours ago when she’d arrived, but she still felt so overwhelmed by the woman’s kindness and generosity.

  “Stop thanking me,” Joanna told her. “I didn’t do anything special.”

  “But you did. You not only invited me to dinner, you also included my friends. I’m very grateful to you for that.”

  Joanna was moving around the living room picking up pieces of wrapping paper that had been left after the presents were ripped open.

  “Christmas is my favorite time of year. It’s a time for family and giving. But since we’re in the thanking mood, let me thank you, Cheyna.”

  “Me?” Cheyna asked. “For what?”

  “For making my son so happy. For showing him that he was good enough to be loved.”

  Cheyna was shaking her head before Joanna finished. “Logan always believed in himself. When I met him I thought he was the most confident and self-assured person I’d ever met.”

  “That he was, but he never thought he was worthy,” Joanna told her. “He knows now that he is. Because of you, who had your own doubts about being able to love, could open up your heart and your life to him, then he must be something.”

  “He’s more than something.” Cheyna looked up to see Logan walking toward her. He sat on the couch and lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss.

  “Maxie told me to come in here and sit down that you had something to ask Cheyna,” Logan said to his mother.

  “Oh yes.” Joanna clapped her hands together and disappeared into the dining room.

  “What’s that all about?” Cheyna asked.

  Logan shrugged. “I have no idea. I do know that I’m sick of looking at holiday movies. First thing tomorrow we’re watching a superhero movie.”

  Cheyna laughed. They’d spent the last couple of days in her apartment, where Logan did not have acces
s to his wide selection of superhero and action movies. It was safe to say he was going through withdrawal. But Cheyna had enjoyed being in bed with him watching all the holiday movies they could find on cable. Clearly, Logan did not agree.

  He was still grumbling about the movies and switching channels on his mother’s television when Joanna, Logan’s siblings, Jai, Evan and Sarah came into the room.

  “Turn that off,” Joanna told Logan while waving her hand at the television screen.

  He frowned, but did as his mother requested. “What’s going on?” Logan asked when they were all lined up across the room, the huge Christmas tree with the angel topper that was leaning over because the tree was actually too tall for the space, a gorgeous and festive backdrop.

  “Hush!” Maxie told him.

  Cassie stepped forward holding a gift wrapped in green and red paper and tied with a huge red bow.

  “Cheyna, I was born into this family last so I lost by default. But it’s okay. This particular task is my pleasure.” Cassie walked over to Cheyna and set the box on her lap. She kissed Cheyna on the cheek and then went back to her place in the line.

  “Cheyna Corinne Dansfield, we…” Joanna waved her arm down the line of everyone else in the room. “Would like to ask you a very important question.”

  “Okay,” Cheyna replied feeling more than a little nervous.

  She looked over at Logan, silently questioning what was going on. His reply was to shrug. “I don’t have a clue what they’re doing.”

  Perry stepped forward next.

  “In this house we are one family. We love, laugh, fight, cry, console. But most of all we stick together.” He’d spoken the words like a ten year old reciting something in a school play. The only thing that made it better was the wink he gave Cheyna when he stepped back into the line.

  Maxie stepped up. “As sisters, Cassie and I share everything. Goals, dreams, clothes.” When she was once again in line, Cassie elbowed her. Both women chuckled.

  Sarah and Evan were next. “We’re new,” Sarah said with a huge grin. “But we’re part of the invitation as well.”

  Evan sighed and rolled his eyes. “You weren’t supposed to say invitation. You were just supposed to say something nice about her.”

  “Oh.” Sarah slapped a hand over her mouth. Steph and Jai laughed out loud.

  “I’ll make the formal invite,” Joanna spoke. She stepped forward and looked directly at Cheyna.

  “I believe that everything happens for a reason. We don’t always understand the reasons, or even like them, but there comes a time when we have no choice but to deal with them. You’ve had a hard time of it, Cheyna. But that’s all over now. As the head of this family I’m standing her today proposing to you.”

  Cheyna was definitely confused. She shook her head and was about to say something but Joanna continued.

  “Logan open the box for her,” she told her son.

  Logan opened the box and whistled as he pulled out a pretty light blue camisole.

  When Steph said, “Hold it up so I can see it!”

  Logan dropped it back into the box and slammed the top on it.

  Joanna only smiled.

  “Cheyna Dansfield I’m officially asking you to be a member of our family.”

  “And the gift is for the day you make our union legal by walking down the aisle to marry Logan,” Maxie announced.

  Sarah raised her hand and excitedly stepped forward. “It’s your something blue!”

  Evan wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders and pulled her back into the line.

  “I don’t understand,” Cheyna told them.

  “Yeah, you can’t propose to my woman,” Logan told them with a frown. “I’ve gotta pick out a ring and set up a grand proposal. I have plans to make. You can’t just go usurping my role.”

  “Hush, Logan. You can still ask her to marry you. But we’re asking her to be in our family. We want to be the ones you can lean on in good times and bad. We want you to be one of us,” Joanna told her.

  “But you would still be you, but just one of us too,” Steph added. “Understand?”

  Cheyna laughed at Steph’s silly grin and comment. Tears had filled her eyes and she wasn’t even embarrassed by them. Logan had taken her hand again, holding it tightly as he too, waited for her answer.

  He leaned over to whisper in her ear. “They got you a gift so it may be rude if you turn them down.”

  “I won’t turn them down,” Cheyna said shaking her head. “I mean, yes. Yes! I want to be part of your family. I want to have a family. Finally, a family of my own.”

  The Donovan Family Tree

  Download the Donovan Family Tree:

  http://www.acarthur.net/download/3056/

  1st Generation

  Elias (d) & Gertrude Donovan (d) – Children: Rowan (m. Adeline) and

  Charleston (m. Cora)

  Rowan (d) & Adeline Donovan (d) – Children: Isaiah (m. Dorethea), Aaron [d] (m. Sondra), Abraham (never married) and Bridgette a.k.a. Birdie (never married)

  Charleston (d) & Cora Donovan (d) – Children: Cephus (m. MingLee), Joanna (m. Johnathan Bowers), Katherine (d) (m. Myles Denton), Della (m. Robert Sats)

  2nd Generation

  Isaiah “Ike” (d) & Dorethea “Dot” Donovan (d) – Children: Albert (m. Darla[d]), Henry (m. Beverly), Bernard (m. Jocelyn), Everette (m. Alma), Reginald (m. Carolyn) and Bruce (m. Janean)

  Aaron [d] & Sondra – Child: Gabriel (m. Maxine)

  Abraham “Abe” Donovan – Child: Margo (m. Klevon Whitfield)

  Bridgette “Birdie” Donovan – No Children

  * * *

  Cephus & Ming Lee – Children: Charles (m. Brenda), Wen (m. Hugo Norton)

  Joanna & Johnathan Bowers – Children: (twins) Loretta (m. Billy Ringgold), Lorraine (m. Jerry Seavers)

  Katherine “Kay” (d) & Myles Denton (d) – Children: Myles, Jr. (m. Alice)

  Della & Robert – No Children

  3rd Generation

  Albert & Darla – Children: Brock (m. Noelle), Brandon (m. Amber) and Bailey

  Henry & Beverly – Children: Lincoln (m. Jade), Trenton (m. Tia) and Adam (m. Camille)

  Bernard & Mary Lee (x) – Child: Keysa (m. Ian)

  Bernard & Jocelyn – Child: Brynne

  Everette & Alma – Children: Maxwell (m. Deena) and Benjamin (m. Victoria)

  Reginald & Carolyn – Children: Savian (m. Jenise), Parker (x Jaydon (d)) (Adriana), and Regan (Gavin)

  Bruce & Janean – Children: Dion (m. Lyra) and Sean (m. Tate)

  Gabriel & Maxine – Children: Roark, Ridgely and Suri

  Margo & Klevon – Children: (triplets) Alexis, Adonna and Amelia

  Charles & Brenda – Children: Cadence “Cade”, Dakota

  Wen & Hugo – Child: Xia

  Loretta & Billy – Children: Maria, Morganna & Hannah

  Lorraine & Jerry – Children: Kendra & Cecile “CeeCee”

  Myles Jr. & Alice – Child: Myles, III

  4th Generation

  Brock & Noelle

  Brandon & Amber – Child: Serene

  Bailey & Devlin

  Lincoln & Jade – Children: Torian & Tamala

  Trenton & Tia – Child: Trevor

  Adam & Camille – Children: Josiah, Jordan

  Dane & Zera

  Keysa & Ian – Child: Madison Lee

  Brynne & Wade

  Maxwell & Deena – Child: Sophia

  Benjamin & Victoria – Child: Aria

  Savian & Jenise

  Parker & Adriana

  Regan & Gavin – Child: Raleigh

  Dion & Lyra – Child: Ilyssa

  Sean & Tate – Child: Briana

  * * *

  ******Key: m = married; [d] = deceased; x = divorced

  The Donovan Series

  The Seniors are listed in order by birth and their children are listed below them (also in order by birth)

  * * *

  Senior – Albert Donovan

  Brock & Noel
le — Book 4: FULL HOUSE SEDUCTION

  Brandon & Amber — Book 13: IN THE ARMS OF A DONOVAN

  Bailey & Devlin — Book 14: FALLING FOR A DONOVAN

  * * *

  Senior - Henry & Beverly Donovan

  Lincoln & Jade (Children: Twin daughters, Torian & Tamala) — Book 1: LOVE ME LIKE NO OTHER

  Trenton & Tia (Child: Son, Trevor) — Book 3: DEFYING DESIRE

  Adam & Camille (Children: Sons, Josiah and Jordan) — Book 2: A CINDERELLA AFFAIR

  * * *

  Senior – Bernard & Jocelyn Donovan

  Keysa & Ian — Book 6: HOLIDAY HEARTS

  Brynne & Wade — Book 15: DESTINY OF A DONOVAN

  Dane & Zera — Donovan Dynasty Book 1: DANE

  * * *

  Senior – Everette & Alma Donovan

  Maxwell & Deena (Child: Daughter, Sophia) — Book 5: TOUCH OF FATE

  Benjamin & Victoria (Child: Daughter, Aria) — Book 9: PLEASURED BY A DONOVAN

  * * *

  Senior – Reginald & Carolyn Donovan

  Parker & Adriana — Book 11: EMBRACED BY A DONOVAN

  Savian & Jenise — Book 12: WRAPPED IN A DONOVAN

  Regan & Gavin (Child: Son, Raleigh) — Book 10: HEART OF A DONOVAN

  * * *

  Senior - Bruce & Janean Donovan

  Dion & Lyra (Child: Daughter, Ilyssa) — Book 7: DESIRE A DONOVAN

  Sean & Tate (Child: Daughter, Briana) — Book 8: SURRENDER TO A DONOVAN

  The Donovan Friends

  The Desdunes

  Lucien & Marie Desdune

  Lynette & Brice (Child: Son, Jeremy) — A CHRISTMAS WISH, part of the Under The Mistletoe Anthology

 

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