by Cole, Audra
“Where is this all coming from? I never said you had to do any of that shit!”
“Your mom showed me the invitations options she was considering for her next dinner party. And you know what? I couldn’t even tell the difference between the two samples!”
She buried her face in her hands and I stared at her, utterly at a loss for words. I reached for her, hoping my hands could convey the message I couldn’t verbalize. But she pulled away, and pressed into the passenger door. Her eyes flicked from mine to the windshield. “Can we get out of here, please?”
“Karena, can we—”
“Please, Colton. I can’t do this right now.”
I shoved the truck into gear and pulled around as fast as possible, ready to leave the disastrous dinner and my parents in the rear view.
Chapter Twenty-One: Karena
In an attempt to drown out my screaming thoughts, I rolled the window down and let the wind flood the cab of Colton’s truck. I sucked in the crisp evening air in greedy gulps. Everything inside me had gone tight with panic. Colton’s parents’ words were still resounding in my mind, and I’d added my own commentary as I replayed the scene in their dining room. Even before we’d sat down for the meal, a creeping sense of doubt had crawled over my heart.
At the beginning, everyone had been nice and welcoming, and although there had been a few jokes, they revolved around Colton being shy and never sharing his lady friends in the past. His mother had shown me some invitations for a dinner party and as I stood there, grinning and nodding along as she prattled on about the differences between heather and slate, I got a crystal clear snapshot, and the realization hit me over the head like one of the priceless vases on display in the china cabinet in the expansive foyer of their home.
Colton’s mother was just like my clients back at Beckham’s.
In an effort to get as far away from those types of women as possible, I’d inadvertently put myself on a yellow brick road to becoming one of them.
The entire thing had me yearning for a pair of magic slippers that would take me home.
Fast.
All at once, I’d been sucked into missing Becca, my apartment, and damn it, I even found myself missing my job.
The safe. The familiar. The comfortable.
Life with Colton had been a protected bubble, and that bubble popped with a big, messy bang, over the first course.
As we drove, Colton kept his hands on the wheel, and his eyes on the road. I knew he was worried, confused, and even probably a little pissed off, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to him. I lost myself in the rush of the wind as it whizzed through the window and shut my eyes.
When we pulled into the driveway, he put the truck in park, but kept the engine running and the headlights on. He kept his eyes straight ahead, watching the glow of the headlights as they bounced off the garage door. “So, where does this leave us? Do I need to change your plane ticket?”
He was vocalizing thoughts I’d been having all the way home, but for whatever reason, hearing them from his lips hit me in the gut like a sucker punch.
“Colton, wait.” I reached over and set my hand on his arm as he reached for the keys in the ignition. He met my eyes and I swallowed hard. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
He released his grip on the key and twisted our fingers together, resting our interlocked hands on his leg. “I’m listening, Karena. Tell me anything. Tell me everything.”
I sighed, trying to slow my rapid pulse. I knew I owed it to him. I couldn’t leave Georgia without letting him know the reason why. He deserved the full truth. But it was like prying a safe open with a crowbar.
I twisted in my seat to face him. “I didn’t go to college…in fact, I never even finished high school.” My eyes scanned Colton’s face for a reaction. “It’s a really long story, but I dropped out my junior year. My parents went through a really, really nasty divorce that dragged on for way too long, and in order to escape from their constant fighting and arguing over money and custody, I ran away and found some new friends who showed me some ways to escape from it all. I drank a lot, and experimented with drugs. Nothing too hard core, but enough that I couldn’t function like a normal high school kid.”
I paused to catch my breath that was coming in ragged puffs as the dark memories of the past came rushing out. I normally kept them locked in a box that was shoved so far in the back of my mind, that most of the time, I even forgot it was there. “I went from a good student, all A’s and B’s, to a high school dropout within nine months. My teachers tried to help, the school counselor tried to get me into a program for troubled teens, but none of it worked. I didn’t care. My entire world was collapsing around me and the only way to get away from the chaos was to drink and party. And eventually, it was either go into my senior year, knowing I had way more credits to make up than could possibly be done in one school year, or drop out, and I chose the latter.”
Colton held my hand tightly and waited patiently for me to finish my story.
“It’s not something I like to talk about. Really, besides my parents and brother, Becca is the only other person who knows. Well, and now, you. When your dad asked me about college, it threw me off, but then I realized it makes sense. From their point of view. They’ve always imagined you marrying some accomplished, bright, ambitious woman. Not someone like me, who doesn’t have a diploma, and earns a living working long hours in a mall. Throw in the fact that I come from a broken home and no family support to speak of, and I go from being the first girl you’ve ever brought home, to a nightmare candidate for the job of being your wife. And that’s what this is, right? A job?” I stilled, staring at Colton, breathing in long and slow to keep the nausea from bubbling up. I couldn’t believe that after everything, this was where it ended. “I’m not qualified.”
Colton reached over and ran his free hand through my hair, before resting his palm against the side of my face. “It’s not a job, Karena. I know this whole thing has been a little unorthodox, but I never meant for you to feel that way. I don’t look at you and see some walking resume. I see a gorgeous woman with a huge heart, a warm soul, and a sense of humor that drives me wild. You’re not only qualified, but you’re the entire package.”
I opened my mouth, ready to object, but he stilled my lips with the touch of his fingertips.
“Thank you for trusting me enough to share that with me. If anything, it makes me feel more strongly for you, to know that you’ve gone through so much and come out the other side, this amazing, fierce woman with more strength than you can even see in yourself. Karena, I never want you to feel that you are anything less than amazing, and I won’t let anyone make you feel that way. I’m sorry my parents were so difficult, but just know that I don’t care what they think. I know who you are, and I’m falling in love with you.”
My heart flipped in my chest. “You are?”
Colton smiled. “More and more every day.”
He kissed me and the deep, rich sensations as our lips met warmed through and drove out the lingering fears and doubts that were clinging to my heart.
* * * *
I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face, reminiscing about the love Colton and I had made the night before, as I opened my eyes. It wasn’t the first time we’d been together, but it was the first time true emotions had been threaded through each act and had added a layer of depth that had only heightened and intensified each sensation and thrill of pleasure.
As the memories rushed back, I rolled over to find Colton, but my hand was met with cold sheets. I bolted upright, my heart springing halfway up my throat, as my eyes adjusted and I confirmed the worst. The bed was empty.
“Colton?” I called, pressing the sheet against my chest.
Footsteps sounded from down the hall and I relaxed slightly. Seconds later, Colton appeared in the doorway, fully dressed, with a satisfied smile on his face at the sight of me. “Good morning, gorgeous,” Colton’s honey drawl carried ov
er, warming me from the inside out.
“Where have you been? Please tell me it involves coffee…” I asked, smiling over at him.
He laughed and came to join me in bed, kicking out of his running shoes, as he lifted his legs up onto the bed. “I had an errand to run this morning. Sadly, it didn’t involve coffee, but we can fix that here in a minute.”
I smiled up at him, my eyebrow quirked with mild curiosity. Sometimes I forgot how incredibly handsome he was, and when his dark eyes sparkled with amusement, it made him irresistible. His eyes were framed with thick lashes that women would kill to have, and the way his easy smile spread slowly over his face, in a way that made me wonder what he was thinking about. He leaned over and kissed me and I knew where his mind was.
He left me breathless every time.
“Before we get coffee, there’s something I need to ask you about,” he said.
“What? Colton, where did you go?” I sat up a little taller, trying to figure out what was fueling the mischief in his eyes.
“I went to see my parents.”
I groaned. “Oh, God.”
“Hold on, give me a second,” he replied, holding up a hand. “I explained everything and it actually went well. All right, as well as could be expected.” I arched a skeptical brow at him but he just smiled. “We have time to sort out the details later. Right now, this isn’t about them, it’s about us. I know we got a little distracted last night, and didn’t circle back to finish our conversation, so…”
He pulled a small, black box from the interior pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to me, closing my fingers around it.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
He smiled as I popped the box open and gasped at the glittering vintage diamond ring inside. My hand flew to my mouth and I couldn’t take my eyes off the large diamond sparkling in the morning light. “Colton?”
“This was my grandmother’s ring. When she passed, she left it to me in her will, with strict instructions that it was to be worn by my wife.” He tipped my chin up and took the box from me. I watched as he took the ring out of the delicate velvet case and held it up for me. “Karena Anna Harper, I know we aren’t at the end of the two weeks, but I don’t need another four days to know what I want to happen next. Last night, I told you that I’m falling in love with you, and this morning, I realize I need to amend that statement just a bit. Karena, I am in love with you. This isn’t about a promotion or appearances. It may have started out that way, but that’s done. This is about you and me, and the life we could build together.”
He paused and reached for my hand. “Karena will you be my wife?”
I stared at the ring as Colton’s sweet declaration resounded in my ears, and before I could even merge my thoughts into an answer, I nodded, surprised when a rush of tears spilled over my lashes.
“Yes, Colton, I will!”
Chapter Twenty-Two: Karena
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, when the wedding plans went into hyper drive, just like every other aspect of our whirlwind relationship. With the clock on the countdown until Colton would be on a plane to the Middle East for his tour, we didn’t have time to draw up anything fancy or elaborate. Which suited me just fine. I’d never been the kind of girl to plan and obsess over my someday wedding, and I was finding that even the comparatively small amount of plans to be somewhat overwhelming.
A week after the proposal, Colton and I were a day away from saying our vows in front of a chaplain by the lake. Lucas and Miles had agreed to come along and be our witnesses, on the condition that they got to share the title of best man. Colton had asked me if I wanted to fly my parents in for the occasion, or even just my younger brother, but I assured him it would be more trouble than it was worth. I didn’t even know where my brother was, the last time we’d talked, he’d been couch surfing his way through New York, and probably engaging in a long list of things I didn’t need to know about. As for my parents, they’d never been able to be in the same room without someone calling the cops. And that was definitely something I wanted to avoid on my wedding day.
So, it was just me.
And I was all right with that. I’d called Becca to tell her the news, and although she was still skeptical, it didn’t take long for her to get swept up in the excitement of a wedding, and we’d spoken daily since. Unfortunately, she wasn’t going to be able to fly out on such short notice. With two jobs, she couldn’t take the time off with only a few days’ notice.
I found it almost funny that I didn’t really care that my family wasn’t going to be there, but the fact that Becca was going to miss my wedding, had me on the verge of tears. I’d done my best to stamp down the disappointment, and put on a happy face. After all, I was happy. Incredibly happy. Marching on had been a lot easier with the whirlwind of planning that had gone on. But now that things were quieting down, it had crept up on me again.
Colton had gone out to get lunch with Lucas and Miles, but I’d stayed back at the house to finish getting some organization done. In a few weeks’ time, Colton would leave for the deployment, and I was going to fly home and spend a week or two getting my apartment packed up and shipped down to Georgia. I needed to make room in Colton’s home for when all of my boxes arrived. I’d already given notice at Beckham’s and told my apartment manager I would be moving out at the end of the month. Everything was falling into place, at an accelerated pace, and while I knew I would see Becca again before my official move, the afternoon in the empty house reminded me of how much I was going to miss her near-daily presence in my life.
“Hey, babe, I have something out here for you,” Colton called, his voice carrying from the living room to where I was folding laundry in the bedroom. We’d decided to take a little mini-honeymoon with the promise of a proper vacation when Colton returned from his deployment. I set down the last shirt and headed out to see what he’d brought home for me. He was always surprising me with little things; flowers, afternoon coffee from our favorite shop, or take-out for dinner.
A smile formed on my lips as I walked out to the living room, wondering what it would be this time.
“Karena!”
I stopped short and sucked in the sob that instantly formed in my throat at the sight of Becca standing in the doorway. Colton was holding her hot pink suitcase and stepped inside after her. “Surprise!”
“Oh my God!” I rushed into Becca’s arms and we squeezed each other tight, like long lost sisters.
Which, I realized, we were.
Tears flooded down my cheeks as I held her and we laughed at ourselves as we dissolved into a watery mess.
“How did you—? I thought you couldn’t?” I asked, pulling away but keeping my hands on her shoulders.
Becca looked over her shoulder at Colton. “Ask your soon-to-be.”
I tore my gaze from my best friend to look at Colton, his image blurry in my tear filled eyes. “You did this?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise, so I told Becca I’d fly her down here in exchange that she kept it between us.”
I groaned. “Oh, I want to hate you for keeping it a secret! But I love you both too much!”
Colton laughed as he took Becca’s suitcase to the spare room, leaving us alone. As soon as we separated, Becca yanked my hand up to inspect my ring. “Oh, Karena!”
“I know.” More tears slipped down my cheeks.
“It’s stunning. And he’s…well…wow,” she whispered, leaning in towards me with a huge grin.
I laughed and tossed my head back. “I’m so happy you’re here, Becs!”
“Well, I couldn’t miss this!” She smiled over at me. “So, I’ve seen the fiancé, the ring, now I need to see the dress!”
“Naturally!” I led her to the bedroom and kicked Colton out, insisting that he not see the dress before the wedding. He kissed me on the cheek on the way out and told me he’d be at Duke’s with his buddies.
When he was gone, I pulled the cream colored dress fr
om the back of the closet where I’d stashed it in between two of Colton’s Army uniforms. It was a simple dress, a silky chiffon with an empire waist and two lace sleeves. Becca sucked in an audible breath before squealing. “It’s so you, Karena.”
“I found it in this vintage shop downtown that Tina, my soon-to-be sister-in-law told me about.”
Becca ran her fingers over the lace detailing as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Becs.” I laid the dress down and sat across from her. “Enough with all the girly talk. You know I can only take so much. So, talk to me, tell me how you’re doing.”
Becca kept her eyes on the dress, drinking in the details. “Keith and I broke up.”
“What?” I lunged for her hands. “When? How? Oh, Becs, I’m so sorry!”
She smiled weakly up at me. “It’s all right. It was time. Probably past time.…”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It just happened a couple of days ago. I’ve been staying with one of the girls I waitress with and figuring it all out. I didn’t want to rain on your wedding plans and make it all about me.”
I released her hands and put my own on the sides of her face. “Becca, you know me better than that. I’m always here. Anytime. Day or night.”
“I know,” she replied. “I just needed a minute to sit with it on my own.”
“Okay. And now?”
“I’m all right, really, Karena. I think somewhere I was already preparing for it. I’m not ready to dive into anything new, but I’m adjusting, and I can see that I was never going to get what I wanted with him. I guess, in some ways, seeing you fall so head over heels made it snap into perspective. You found this amazing guy—which, for the record, I always said you would—and it gives me hope that I can find that too.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You absolutely will, Becs. Nothing but the best for you, my beautiful, beautiful friend.”