The Ink Romance Series

by Bridget Taylor

  My makeup was flawless too, of course. My brows were filled in, lash extensions accompanied with a simple light peach smoky lid. My cheeks were contoured, my cheekbones highlighted to the heavens, and my lips were stained a mauve color. Not to toot my own horn, but toot-toot, because I looked amazing. It was my wedding day, and there was no room for looking anything less than perfect.

  “Damn, I did well." Molli praised me like a piece of artwork as she sipped her drink.

  “Yes, you did. Thank you for everything." Oh, no. I felt it. I felt the stinging sensation of tears. If I cried and messed up my makeup, she would kill me before I could walk down the aisle.

  “Don’t you dare cry. I worked too hard on you,” she sniffled.

  “Women, I tell you.” David’s voice slashed the moment like a pin to a balloon.

  “Thank both of you. Really.” I held their hands, gripping them to the point where I had to ease off, or my wedding party would be injured. “I couldn’t have gotten through the past few months without you.”

  “I’m sorry that happened to you,” David whispered, looking away. He didn’t know what else to say.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay, now. I’m okay.” David and Molli both hugged me making me feel thankful that I had two amazing friends. I had more than most people would ever have, and I wasn’t talking about money.

  “All right, let’s gets this show on the road! Let’s get you married!” Molli shouted.

  She handed me my bouquet, and I smiled while feeling the petals beneath my fingers. My bouquet, Molli’s bouquet, and David’s boutonniere were black roses. Kane had no idea. I’m sure people would think it was odd to have black flowers at a wedding, but the meaning behind them was so much more. They brought one of our first memories together to accompany the day where we made memories for the rest of our lives. It was beautiful, and I was hoping he would laugh when he saw them.

  His flowers were purple, so he was under the impression that I had purple as well. Since there were no buildings on the weeping willow farm, we had brought big canvas tents, and I was hiding in there for now. It was tricky having to carry the necessities here, but Kane made sure I didn't need for anything.

  Anberlin’s Inevitable blasted through the breeze, cueing me to start walking.

  “This is it. Are you ready? You only have a few more seconds to decide. If you want to bail, the car is right outside the tent,” David whispered.

  “Oh my gosh, stop it.” I hit his chest as he fell behind Molli.

  My dad held his arm out next to me. “May I?”

  My breath caught knowing my dad was about to give me away. “Absolutely.”

  Kai Benson looked handsome in his tux. His grey hair was stark against the deep black of the jacket. My mother was behind me, wearing a beautiful grey metallic dress that complimented her dark skin beautifully.

  I want to be your last first kiss that you’ll ever have. I want to be your last first kiss.

  Anberlin drifted through the wind, and the tent opened, revealing Kane waiting underneath the swaying arms of the weeping willow.

  I want to break every clock. The hands of time could never move again. We could stay in this moment for the rest of our lives.

  The words resonated with my soul as I walked to the person I'd spend the rest of my life with. The evening was chilly as the sun began to set. Stars started to filter through the impending night sky, and the lights that were on the branches of the tree twinkled to match. Chiffon from my dress blew in the breeze, and when I looked at Kane, my vision tunneled. Standing before me, was the most handsome man I had ever seen. The tux was tailored perfectly, his hair was down and wavy flickering with the wind. His eyes were the bluest I had ever seen, and it must be because of the tux making them stand out.

  Kane didn't bother hiding his tears. He let them flow when he saw me coming towards him. The photographer was snapping photos left and right, and I couldn't wait to have this moment in a frame. Everything was perfect.

  Almost everything.

  That voice in the back of my head whispered reminding me that there was a part of us missing.

  But I had overcome that voice. I didn't believe for one moment that the little one we lost wasn't with us forever. I felt our little star was up there in the night sky with the rest of them, shining down on us.

  The breeze blew, and our eyes met when something tickled our senses. It was like a hand caressing my cheek, but nothing was there. Kane must have felt it too because his hand rubbed his cheek, staring at me with a question I couldn't answer.

  When I finally got to his side, my dad put my hand in Kane's, and he tugged me until my chest was flush with his.

  “You look…beyond beautiful,” Kane whispered in awe. He laced our hands together, bringing them to his chest.

  David was the ordained minister because he insisted.

  “We are gathered here today to witness the love shared between Kane Bridgeshaw and Leslie Benson.”

  He whispered to me, “You realize both of your names start with the letter B, right? It’s love.”

  That didn’t even make sense.

  "They have decided to make this a quick ceremony by saying their vows, and then I'll wave my wand to seal the deal. Don't act like you aren't relieved by this, we all wanted to party underneath that big tent."

  Chuckles erupted at David’s casual stance, and I loved it.

  "Kane, please," David said. It was like he turned the light green, and now it was a race.

  “All right.” Kane cleared his throat, keeping my hands above his heart, and our chests pressed together. We were as close as we could be without kissing.

  “Come on, bro.” Evan stood beside Kane, nudging him to get on with it.

  “You can’t rush a good thing.” Kane pushed Evan behind him, rolling his eyes at his brother.

  "Crazy, I remember the first time I called you that. You were itching for a fight, and I was ready to give it to you. I loved your fire and your sass. Your passion for what you loved and protected was the first thing I was drawn to. Ever since then, everything else has been just as easy to love. You met me at the darkest part of my life, and I'll be sincere, I had no idea with all the light you were trying to give me. You kept invading me, and I kept evading you. I hurt you. I said things I didn't mean, but it was because I thought I was protecting you from a lifetime of heartache, and I thought I was protecting me from falling in love with you, only to be shattered because I feared you’d leave me, as everyone else had. But now…" He cupped my jaw, rubbing his thumb against my cheek. " I vow to you, I'll protect you from all the bad in life. I vow to rejoice in the good times and take care of you when you are at your worst. I vow never to leave you when things get hard. I vow always to love you. I vow to love you until I take my last breath. I vow to wait for you in the afterlife because anything beyond this life with you, I don't want unless you are at my side. I vow, Crazy. I vow everything I am, to give you everything I have. I love you."

  Tears were flowing down his face, matching the tears trailing down mine. “ You drove me nuts the first time I saw you.”

  “Me?” he whispered.

  I cried, "Yeah, you. You drove me crazy with your ripped jeans and tight shirts. You looked like you were chiseled by hand, and I wanted to curse at the artist who created you. I didn't know I could want something so much and despise it at the same time." I chuckled while wiping my tears away. "I vow to love you when you drive me nuts. I vow to love you when you find yourself back in the darkest parts of your mind. I vow to love you through it. I vow to love you when you find yourself lost in this world and to lead you back to me. I vow to take care of you through stomach aches and the man flu." Kane's laugh bellowed through the trees, making the birds fly from out of their nests.

  “I vow to love you always and beyond because I don’t want this life if I don’t have you. I vow to give you all that I am, for the rest of our lives.”

  Kane rested his forehead on mine before pulling back and placing
a rose gold wedding band next to my engagement ring.

  Turning around, Molli handed me the traditional silver band while I traded her my roses.

  Sliding the ring on his finger felt like home.

  Everything clicked into place, and the wind blew harder making the willow sweep its tendrils over us, wrapping us in its magic.

  “You.”

  “Yeah Crazy, me. You’re stuck with all this.”

  “You may kiss your husband, Leslie!” David shouted.

  I tossed my head back and laughed and threw my arms around his neck before diving into our first kiss as husband and wife.

  "You always taste good," Kane muttered before diving his tongue between my lips, dipping me like dancers did and kissing me senseless.

  “Ow, Ow!” someone cheered.

  My cheeks were flushed, and I was already aching to consummate this marriage.

  Chapter 12

  We had been back from our honeymoon for about a week before I started to get sick again. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. Tomorrow was the first day of the Pups&Tatts fundraiser, and all donations went to the local shelters in the area. Tattoos were all drawn by Kane and Riggs, ranging from paw prints, puppies, dogs, and all other designs they could have come up with that incorporated animals.

  “Leslie, what’s wrong?” Kane kneeled by my side while I hugged the toilet in our new bathroom.

  "Must have eaten something." I wiped my mouth, grossing myself out from the spit that landed on my skin.

  Suddenly, I was picked up. My head was cradled against his chest, and his arms were under my legs. When the sunlight hit my face, that was when I realized he was taking me to the truck.

  "Kane, what are you doing?" The passenger door swung open and Kane, with a gentleness I didn't know he possessed, place me in the seat. He pushed my hair behind my ears and cupped my face.

  “Do you have any cramps? Headaches? Dizziness?” He searched my face for answers before I said anything. He looked scared, but what hit home the most was the tears that threatened in his eyes.

  "Kane, it's okay. Everything’s fine. I feel fine. It wasn't like before." But my words fell on deaf ears. Kane was in his mindset now. He buckled me in, tugging on the grey straps making sure I was secured.

  He shook his head, “I don’t care. I’m taking you to the doctor now. Last time…” He choked, and a tear fell out of his eye landing on my hand. It didn’t even trickle down his cheek like they usually do. “Last time we ignored it, and my worst nightmare happened. I got a call saying you were bleeding to death and no one knew why. I’m not ignoring it this time. We aren’t chalking it up to food being bad. Hell no. If we get there in time, maybe they can fix it. They can fix it before something happens. I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you.”

  “Kane,” I breathed his name like it was my last dying breath.

  He didn't say anything as he spun out of the driveway. Gravel flew, hitting the undercarriage of the truck. The gears churned together making a terrible grinding noise as he put it in drive and floored it. My head hit the headrest as he fishtailed onto the dirt road leading to the highway.

  “Kane, slow down. Whatever is wrong is happening already. Time won’t matter,” I pleaded.

  “You don’t know that. The sooner we catch it, the sooner they can fix it.”

  I threw my hands in the air. “You’re impossible. Who are you trying to convince?”

  He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in an uneven pattern, not answering me. I knew the answer already. He was trying to convince himself. I didn’t need convincing because I knew it was the food. Now, we’d have to wait for hours in a hospital, surrounded by sick people, and I would probably get the flu or something now.

  I huffed, crossing my arms as we sped by the trees whipping past us.

  “You can pout all you want but please, do this for me. There are days where I can’t stop thinking about seeing you in that hospital bed, and your friends covered in your blood. It gives me nightmares. You know when you wake up and I’m staring at you? It’s because I just woke up from a dream that you died. I had lost you. It haunts me every second of every day. Please don’t fight me on this.”

  My resolve shattered into a million pieces. I grabbed his hand, bringing it to my mouth, I kissed it. His chest decompressed like he had been holding his breath for far too long.

  “Thank you, Crazy.”

  “I should be the one thanking you.”

  He shook his head as we flew over the curb that turned into the parking lot of the hospital. My hand flew to that dark plastic piece as I held on for dear life. It was déjà vu all over again.

  "Jeez, how about you get me there in one piece, uh?" My entire body jostled as the rest of the truck tumbled over the curb.

  “Okay, we made it.”

  "Whew, someone must we watching over us. You do not do well driving when you are panicked." I jumped out of the truck, sliding down the seat until my feet hit the smooth black pavement.

  “Crazy, what are you doing! You have to be careful. You could have knocked something out of place.” He ran to me, arms out, ready to pick me up in the wedding style hold that I’d come to despise.

  "Oh no." I threw my hand out to stop him, hitting him in the chest. "I'm walking. You are carrying me when I feel fine. I don't feel like complete and utter crap. Kane, baby, back off a little."

  He surrendered with his hands up. “Fine but the moment you feel any discomfort, you better let me know.”

  I bowed. “Yes, Master.”

  Kane rolled his eyes, pulling me to his side, and laid his hand on my hip. Our steps matched even though his strides were longer. He was slowing down the best he could to keep pace with me. Another thing to add to my growing list of reasons why I loved him.

  I didn't know that what happened a few months ago bothered him still. It bothered me, so why wouldn't it bother him? It only made sense that he was scared. That voice in the back of my mind crept forward, whispering that everything wasn't okay, whispered vile things, like maybe this time I'd die. Perhaps this time nothing could stop the blood. Maybe I'd be infertile if something was wrong with my other tube.

  No, I couldn’t think like that. It was food poisoning.

  The sliding of the double doors and A/C brought me out of my negative thoughts. Walking up to the desk felt like I was walking my final steps. I didn't know what it was about hospitals, and maybe it was because they reeked of death more than life.

  “Hi, this is an emergency.” Kane held my hand as he spoke to the older woman behind the cheap wooden desk.

  "It always is. Take a number. We will call you when it is your turn." Wicker, the name tag on grey-haired woman's scrub top, never even looked up from whatever she was writing down. My heart started to beat firmly against my chest. Everything slowed, people were coughing, the squeaks against the linoleum floor were like nails on a chalkboard making me flinch. Everything started to blur together as the memories came rushing forward and that voice in the back of my head was yelling at me at the top of its lungs.

  “You listen here, lady. My wife was here a few months ago and miscarried because of an ectopic pregnancy. You know what that is, right? Well, she started having the same symptoms, and before she fucking bleeds to death, I'd like a goddamn doctor to see her. Is that so much to fucking ask? Do you know who I am? I fucking own this hospital, and I swear to God if you don't let me and my wife through, I'll have your job. You might need to be replaced anyway since your customer service skills seemed to lack sincerity," he sneered, pointing his fingers at her face.

  “Oh goodness, you must be Mr. Bridgeshaw. Yes, sir. I’ll page Dr. Willey now. Please have a seat.” Her hands shook as she picked up the receiver, dialing for the doctor. I almost felt bad for her.

  Almost.

  Expensive sounding shoes pounded against the floor. The cheaper ones had a deeper tone, while the expensive ones had more of a ring.

  “Wicker, what is it?”

 
Before she could say anything, Kane was up sticking his hand out. “Dr. Willey.”

  “Mr. Bridgeshaw.” He shook his hand, peering over at me. “I see, please follow me.”

  Kane helped me up and glared at the older woman with his ice-cold gaze. If I were her, I’d be frozen solid. Jeez.

  “After you,” the doctor nodded, giving me a weak smile. Maybe Kane was right. Maybe this wasn’t good. "All right, you are here because I am assuming you are having similar symptoms as before, or Kane here wouldn't have threatened my secretary." He peeked over his glasses, raising his bushy black eyebrows that contrasted so much with his white hair.

  "She is rude. You need to do something about her. I didn't buy this place, revamp it with all the life-saving gadgets, to have rude people working here." Kane sat down next to me, and before he grabbed my hand, he put his inky black strands up in a messy bun with a few pieces framing his defined jawline.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” The doctor had a little twinkle in his eye that told he would not be thinking about longer than this passing moment.

  “Leslie, same symptoms?” Dr. Willey asked.

  I opened my mouth to answer him, but Kane took charge, making me narrow my eyes at him. “She is throwing up. Not as bad as before and there is no cramping. It could be food like she says, but I wanted to make sure. If you can catch it in time, then I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “Absolutely. Leslie, lie down on the table and could you please lift your shirt above your stomach?” He wheeled out a big machine and sat down on the stool next to me. “All right, this is going to be cold. I’m sorry about that.” He squirted the clear gel on my stomach, making me hiss. Kane grabbed my hand, looking at me with concerned eyes.

  “It’s just cold, I promise.” I squeezed his hand to show reassurance, but it wasn’t working. His leg was shaking a million miles an hour, which only caused me more anxiety.

  Dr. Willey maneuvered the wand over my stomach, cutting through the thick gel.