My Guardian Knight
Page 17
Amanda gazed at him. “Are you finished now?”
He nodded, his eyes full of self-doubt and uncertainty. Amanda smiled slowly, allowing him to read her every emotion, before launching herself from the stagecoach into his arms. He smelled of leather, sweat, and horses. He smelled wonderful! She laughed happily as his arms tightened about her, holding her to him as if he would never let her go. She gazed up at him in wonder. “You want me, Sebastian? Do you really want me?”
He hugged her against his strong body. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life, sweetheart. I need you more than food or water; you mean more to me than the
very air I breathe. I love you.”
“Oh, Sebastian,” she sighed, tears in her eyes. “I hoped so fervently that you would say those words to me, but I never thought I would hear them. How could you ever doubt that I love you? Haven’t I done everything I can to show you how I feel?”
He grinned sheepishly. “After you left that thought did occur to me, but I was afraid to hope. I let myself drown in misery for a while before I came to my senses and determined I’d rather die than lose what we have together. What do you say? Will you and Matthew climb on Ranger with me and come home? Or, if Alton doesn’t agree with you, we can go anywhere you like. You were heading somewhere warmer? I don’t care. Wherever you want to go, as long as we can go with you.”
At his words, uttered with such heartfelt sincerity, the tears that had threatened overflowed, and she took the handkerchief he offered with a watery smile. “You would
come with me, no matter where I wanted to go?”
He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks, and kissed her softly. “I love you so much, Amanda,” he said, his voice deep with emotion, “that I would travel to the ends of the earth if that’s where you were. I would live in a grass hut, a glass house, or a building made entirely from ice! I don’t care. I want to be with you.”
She buried her cheek in his shoulder, elated to be back in his embrace and, this time, with no doubts about why he held her and no worries about when she would have to leave. She touched her lips to his sweetly. “Sebastian, I have been many places in my life. This is home to me, being in your arms. And I love your house, and our neighbors, and everything about this little town that has made me feel so welcome. I have never belonged anywhere like I do here.
Let’s go home.”
They turned to look at their son, who was peering doubtfully out at them. “Come on, Squirt, we’re going home.” Matthew ejected himself from the coach so forcefully that Sebastian stumbled as he caught him, laughing. Carrying him to the horse and putting an arm around Amanda, he said, “I think we’ve had enough excitement to last us a long while.
It’s time to go home.”
EPILOGUE
Sebastian, carrying Matthew on his shoulders, smiled at Amanda while the children gazed down the street in awe. The Halloween Parade was just about to begin, and all four of them were standing on the side of Second Street, anxiously awaiting the ghosts and goblins that they would surely encounter. They huddled together, for the whether had finally turned colder, and there was the smell of snow in the air. Amanda clutched Marissa’s hand tightly, afraid the child would get lost in the crowd, but she needn’t have worried because Marissa was rooted to the ground in anticipation. When the first witches, ghosts, and demons began walking by, the little girl wrapped her hands in Amanda’s skirts, but gave no other sign of fear. She laughed gaily when a large man, who she knew to be Justin, dressed as a pumpkin, picked her up and swung her around.
Matthew was talking at the top of his voice, describing everything to Sebastian as if he didn’t have eyes to see it for himself. Sebastian smiled down at Amanda and took her hand, laughing at Matthew’s antics.
Amanda was overwhelmed with happiness. She glanced down at her new wedding ring, remembering the very real wedding that had taken place in a small church in Alton with all their friends and relatives present. How sweet, the townspeople all said, that the Knights had decided to renew their wedding vows so that their friends could participate. How wonderful, the Knights said, that they didn’t have to pretend anymore. They were a real family now, and nothing or no one could take that away from them. And now the children, especially Matthew, could feel safe in the knowledge that never again would they ever have to worry about either of their parents leaving. Matthew happily gave up the care of his mother into his new father’s capable hands when he walked her down the aisle and gave her away at the wedding, now having the time to pursue what five-year-old boys are supposed to-fun and mischief.
Sebastian tugged on Amanda’s hand, bringing her closer to him in the guise of trying to keep the cold wind at bay. She smiled up at him, and the heat blazing in his bright blue eyes when he looked at her caused a matching fire to burn in her own. He bent down, his lips on her ear, and whispered,
“I love you, Mrs. Knight.”
Author’s Note
Although My Guardian Knight is an entirely fictional work, Alton, Illinois is a real town. Alton is situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, to the east of St. Louis. The town has been in existence since the 1830’s, and many of the things I’ve mentioned in my book—The Alton Telegraph, the Confederate prison and cemetery—are still around today. The Alton Telegraph still publishes a daily newspaper that serves many communities in the area. One wall of the Confederate prison still stands today and may be visited by anyone so inclined. This, to me, is really an intense experience.
Along with what I have written about, Alton sports many more historical and tourist attractions, such as the Piasa Bird, Pie Town, historical home tours, and the River Road, which is wedged between the Mississippi River and the beautiful, towering bluffs.
The Halloween parade had not yet begun in 1870, but it is one of the oldest parades in the country, held every Halloween night, and no matter what the weather, it has never been cancelled.
Downtown you will find many antique shops, gift shops, and restaurants. My personal favorite is The Meridian House coffee shop, which has the best coffee and latte I’ve ever encountered! If you like Chinese food, there is no better place on this earth than Oriental Garden.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my story and the small synopsis of Alton.
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EPILOGUE
Author’s Note