A Promise of Forever

by M. E. Brady

  Katelyn watched her child thoroughly enjoying herself and didn’t want anything to disturb her daughter’s enthusiasm. She, on the other hand, couldn’t think about anything else. Her life was about to take some drastic detours and she was afraid of what the future held in store for them. The first obstacle she had to deal with would be telling Kevin the truth about Gianfranco.

  “Mom, I don’t think anyone else is getting on this plane.” Jenny said, looking around the plane and then looking out the window. She didn’t see anyone else boarding and turned to her mom. “Is Uncle Kevin’s friend, Mr. Broccoli, that rich?” she asked struggling with his last name. Katelyn realized that in a few short weeks it would be their name as well. Somehow she had to prepare Jenny for that reality.

  Katelyn took another look around the plane and it wasn’t at all what she had expected. In the first compartment, there were buckled seats but they were captain’s chairs that swiveled as well as reclined. It looked a whole lot more comfortable than any first class section that she had seen before. As they walked down the aisle, the next compartment they came to was a sort of den or library-type room. She didn’t dare go any further than that without permission but she couldn’t contain her curiosity. Jake had told her that he often slept in one of the bedroom areas during long flights so she assumed there was a lot more to see.

  I’m afraid, we’re not in Kansas anymore, silently to herself, mocking the children’s story. Is this, what we can look forward to in the future? Katelyn still held Jenny’s hand, looked down at her little girl and smiled nervously. “It is nice, isn’t it?”

  Jenny turned her attention to the unexplored area and jumped, as the stewardess came up from behind. She hadn’t meant to frighten them and apologized for sneaking up on them. The stewardess had come to offer her services. “Mr. Broccolini has left strict instructions that you are to be made as comfortable as possible.”

  “I’ll take you both on a tour of the plane once we are airborne; there is little that you could possibly need that we can’t offer. The aircraft has every comfort of home and then some. Believe me ladies, you’re in for a treat if this section of the plane is impressive to you,” she stated with a grin. The takeoff was smooth and without incident; before long the seat belt sign was off and they were free to move about.

  The stewardess walked over to them and requested they follow her toward the tail end of the plane to begin their tour. “There are sleeping quarters, a dining area, as well as a personal board room and an office. Mr. Broccolini left explicit instructions that the areas normally off limits to his guests are to be made available to you and little Miss Jenny here,” she said smiling at Katelyn’s little girl.

  “Thank you for all this but I’m not sure Mr. Broccolini wants us to have access to his private quarters,” Katelyn stated as a matter of fact.

  She couldn’t get over the luxury in which Gianfranco traveled. Anyone could see that he was a man of impeccable taste, and, if this aircraft was anything to go by, he was used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it. Jenny was grinning from ear to ear as she followed the stewardess; then she caught sight of the clouds as she looked out the window. Jenny couldn’t get over how high they were flying, looking out at the clouds in the sky.

  She stared at her daughter incredulously. It must be great to be a child. They were offered food and beverages fairly early in the trip which Jenny accepted rather quickly since they were her favorites. It seemed as though Gianfranco made sure that anything his daughter would ask for was aboard the plane. She couldn’t believe the extremes he had gone to making sure that Jenny’s trip, was a memorable one. He had left instructions that they have available all the food and drinks and games a seven-year old would want. After finishing a second portion of dessert, Jenny was tired and fell asleep.

  The stewardess offered to show Katelyn their temporary bedroom. Katelyn picked her sleeping child up and followed the woman to the rear of the plane. As they proceeded to the back of the plane, she was mesmerized by each of the compartments they passed. It was a shame that there were people who lived in the street while others lived like this. As they reached the master suite, the stewardess had to assure Katelyn that it would be alright to put Jenny on the large bed that dominated the room.

  “I’ll leave you here to rest with your daughter; if you need me push that button over there. You can speak to me from there, without my having to disturb you.” She went over to the intercom system and showed Katelyn how to work it and then left, but not before wishing them a pleasurable rest.

  With Jenny fast asleep, she could explore the bedroom that her future husband spent time in on his long journeys. With the exception of a delicately carved silver picture frame on a nightstand opposite Jenny, the rest of the room was tastefully masculine. Katelyn stepped closer to get a better look at the picture but, before she could, the stewardess reappeared. She told her not to feel uncomfortable about using anything in the room; it was what Mr. Broccolini wanted. She thanked her again and, as much as she could, she tried to put him out of her mind but she felt his presence everywhere she looked.

  “I don’t mean to pry but are you, by any chance, going to visit his friend, Kevin Donavan? I know that he and Mr. Broccolini are friends and when we were ordered to fly there, I assumed as much. The Donavan ranch is often his destination,” the stewardess stated clearly but friendly.

  “As a matter of fact, I’m Kevin’s sister and that little minx is his niece,” she said smiling. “Do you go there often? I mean, does Gianfranco go there often?”

  Katelyn asked the stewardess to join her at the table in the corner of the room. It would be nice to have company while Jenny slept. “By the way, my name is Katelyn Donavan.” She said offering a handshake as introduction.

  “Mary Alice Duggan, I’ve been flying with Gianfranco for years. We spent most of our time in Europe but we always knew that he had every intention of moving his holdings here to the States and eventually we’d be coming home. I’ve met your brother on numerous occasions, as well as Jake Lonetree. They’re some team, the three of them. Once in awhile, Brody Calder would join them. Do you know Brody?” she asked with peaked interest.

  Katelyn knew Brody well. He was Kevin’s law partner these days and good friend. He and Brody began their own firm when Kevin left the larger firm that had first recruited him to Montana. Mary Alice seemed overly interested in Brody and rather shy when she spoke about him. It had been a long time since she had seen Brody. She had very fond memories of him and the times they shared together on the ranch. He had once offered to marry her to give Jenny the father everyone thought she needed. He was convinced that a marriage between them would have been beneficial to them both. Katelyn had declined the offer, even though, at the time, it was a tempting one. “I know Brody well. He and Kevin are law partners as well as neighboring ranchers. He’s a great guy.”

  As they sat and chatted about Brody and Mary Alice’s secret desire to meet him, Katelyn felt, for the first time since yesterday, that she could forget the problems that were lying ahead for her. Mary Alice was proving to be a genuinely caring person and a nice diversion from her own problems. Katelyn felt compelled to help her out, if she could. She decided that she would do just that when she reached Montana. If Brody was interested, she would set them up on a date.

  She was also a bit curious about something Mary Alice had said in passing. She had mentioned that Gianfranco seemed out of reach to all the women that passed through his life since she had known him. She said he had many women who showed more than casual interest but he was never interested in more than a passing fling with any of them.

  “I’ve always believed that there was someone from his past who had hurt him, but, until now, I never knew who it was. He never spoke of you but I know it was you,” she said.

  Before Katelyn could question her any further, it was time to land; she had to get Jenny back to their seats to buckle up. She buckled Jenny in first and then herself and once again contemplated wh
at their future held for them. The plane landed without incident; Katelyn thanked everyone for their wonderful hospitality and readied Jenny to disembark.

  As they descended the aircraft stairs, she spotted Kevin standing about fifty feet away. She couldn’t wait to hug him. The terror attack of 9/11 had made everyone more aware of how important it was to keep family close and let them know how much you loved them, as often as possible. Jenny ran to her uncle’s waiting arms and, without a care in the world, jumped into them. She wasn’t satisfied until she wrapped her legs around his stomach and her arms tightly around his neck. Katelyn could see Kevin was enjoying every second of it. He smiled to Katelyn, kissed her cheek and asked if she was doing alright.

  “It’s been too long, Irish. I’ve missed you guys,” he whispered in the dark, as he reached over with one finger and wiped the tears he knew would be there.

  “I’m glad, I came too. It’s been rough, not having you around,” she stated as she guided Jenny’s hair gently away from her face. They reached the car, buckled Jenny in and, within minutes, she was fast asleep again.

  Kevin listened intently as Katelyn filled him in on her life since they had spoken last. Of course, Katelyn left out the bit about Gianfranco, for now. Every once in a while she would turn around to check on Jenny, who was fighting sleep so that Kevin could talk to her too. Of course, Jenny would remember to tell her uncle all about Gianfranco’s visit and his plane. It would be out of the mouths of babes that Katelyn would suffer her embarrassing moment.

  “Did you know, Uncle Kevin, that Mr. Broccoli owns his own plane?” she asked her uncle. Kevin didn’t miss a beat. He laughed at her pronunciation of Gianfranco’s last name.

  “You must be tired my little munchkin,” he said as he pulled his truck out of the airport.

  “You should have seen the plane, Uncle Kevin. It has couches and a bed and a shower too. You could live up there in the sky. There was a kitchen, too.” Jenny rambled on and on until all the excitement finally wore her out. It would take a little longer to reach the ranch but Katelyn loved having Kevin to herself, even if it was for a short time.

  “Don’t read anything into that, Kevin. Gianfranco checked in on us, for you. He and I are friends.” Katelyn lowered her eyelids and knew, without a doubt, that Kevin could tell she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. “I can’t wait to see Sylvia. I’m so happy for the both of you. It will be nice having another child around.”

  “Wait until you see how much work we’ve done to the nursery; we still have months to go before this baby arrives. My wife is so excited that I didn’t have the heart to stop her.”

  Katelyn was aware Kevin had allowed the change of subject and she appreciated it. She knew he worried about her and, no matter how old she was, that didn’t seem to change. Without looking in his direction, she could feel his eyes glance her way every once in the while. It was as though he were waiting for her to fall apart from all the stress but knew better than to expect it. They arrived at the ranch to a welcoming committee. Sylvia was there as well as some of the familiar ranch hands. Mrs. Footy, the cook, had also come to welcome them. It was then that she spotted Brody, standing next to a tree in the front yard. Brody was Kevin’s law partner and over the years had become one of Kevin’s closest friends.

  “He came especially to see you,” Kevin said looking at Brody. “He wanted to welcome you, without getting in the way. I invited him to dinner tomorrow night but now I’m not so sure that was a good idea.”

  “Don’t be silly, Kevin. Brody and I are friends and it’s always good to see him. We are civilized toward each other; it’s not as if any hearts were broken between us.” Kevin smiled at his sister’s insistence to avoid talking about Gianfranco. She knew that he hadn’t been talking about Brody at all but she was doing everything to avoid talking about Gianfranco.

  It was good to be back; she hugged and kissed everyone before going inside to join Kevin, who had already begun taking in the luggage. Mrs. Footy prepared a light snack for them to eat before putting Jenny up to bed for the night.

  Sylvia couldn’t wait to talk to Katelyn about the baby and all the work she had done to the nursery. “I couldn’t wait for you to arrive. I’m so excited about having this baby and giving Jenny a cousin. It’s all I think about. I drive Kevin crazy. Tomorrow I’ll give you a tour of the nursery. How was your trip?” she asked.

  “Not bad, I never traveled that way before and believe me, I could get used to it. Jenny, on the other hand, doesn’t want to travel any other way now,” she said laughing. “I’m going to get even with Gianfranco for creating this monster in my daughter.”

  Jenny was thrilled to be getting a cousin finally and, before kissing everybody good night, told Sylvia that. She also touched Sylvia’s stomach and told her aunt that the baby was safe and sound.

  With all the commotion of the evening and Jenny finally being put soundly to bed, Kevin and Sylvia bid Katelyn good night as well. Everyone else had already left and now it was just her and Brody. They were happy to see each other again and he gently pulled her into his arms and hugged her. It was the intimacy that they shared as friends although some people had hoped differently. Katelyn drew herself out of his embrace, even though it felt good and safe for a change. She hadn’t had that feeling since Gianfranco had stormed into her life days before. She learned all too quickly from that experience that he didn’t feel the same way about her anymore and that their future was a big question mark.

  “What do you say you and I take a ride? I bet you haven’t been on a horse since the last time you were here?” He chuckled when he realized how right he was. “I want to show you my new foal. I think Jenny might enjoy her.”

  Brody pointed toward his horse that stood tall near the oak tree. Sure, why not? Brody placed Katelyn up on the horse and jumped up behind her with ease. Without saying a word, he pulled on the reins and they galloped away. Having him close like this didn’t feel right anymore. It was a bit inhibiting, to say the least. The whole situation felt wrong because she was with the wrong man.

  They rode for a long time before reaching Brody’s barn. It was dark as he led her into the stall that held the foal. Katelyn was awestruck by the beauty of the new foal. “She’s beautiful, Brody. You should be proud of her.” The foal was midnight black without another hint of-color anywhere on her body. “You should call her Ebony,” she added quite freely.

  “If that’s what you think Jenny would want to call her, then that’s what she’ll be called.” Brody took off his cowboy hat and brushed it against his leg. The barn had suddenly become a very enclosed place. She didn’t want Brody to get the wrong idea about them and there was no way that she would allow Jenny to accept a horse as a gift.

  “I can’t allow that; you know that more than anyone. I love you Brody but that would be too much. I haven’t told anyone this yet, not even Kevin, but I’m getting married soon. I’d appreciate you not telling Kevin though. I haven’t figured out when to tell him, yet.” She didn’t want to hurt Brody but he deserved to know now that there would be no future together for them.

  “Who’s the lucky guy?” he asked, breaking the short moment of silence. “I hope it’s not that Taylor fellow?” Brody watched her as she struggled to tell him. He didn’t mind that she was marrying someone else; he had never loved Katelyn in that way but he did respect her.

  “I’m marrying Jenny’s father,” she said hesitantly. Brody leaned closer so their foreheads were touching and told her he was happy for her.

  “I’m happy for you. I know how much you loved him. For the record, we would’ve made a great team, you and me. Not that we would have had the whole passion thing going on,” he said waving his hands in front of him. “But we are good friends and it would have worked, don’t you agree?” he muttered softly.

  “You know it. Of course, I still have to decline the horse. You know that, don’t you? What would I do with a horse in New York City, anyway?” she asked slapping him teasingly on the arm
.

  “Tell me about him, this fiancé of yours. I always wondered about the man you lost your heart to,” he added solemnly.

  “For one thing, he’s Jenny’s father and he loves her and that’s important. We’ll finally be able to give Jenny the family she deserves to have.” She avoided saying the one thing he knew, from experience, that she was hiding. She loved this guy more than anything and didn’t believe he felt the same. Perhaps they were not so different after all; they both loved, without having that love reciprocated.

  “Well, that answers a lot of my questions and the doubts I’ve had about myself. I don’t think that you would have settled for anyone but him. I can see it in your eyes. Did anyone ever tell you that your eyes are the windows to your soul? No matter what you say, I just look into your eyes and I know what you know.” She had been told that before many times. It hurt her to let him down but she was sure there was someone out there for Brody.

  They had spent a lot of time together on the ranch and the last time she was here Brody delved deep into her soul and touched on the secrets she had kept hidden there for so long. He knew that she loved Jenny’s father, although he never knew who he was. When she turned down his proposal for the first time, Brody knew it was because she hoped that she and Jenny’s father would find their way back to each other.

  “He’s a lucky guy. I wonder if he appreciates what you’re offering him. I want you to know one thing and I promise not to mention it again. We both know that our marriage would have been one of companionship rather than anything else. Neither of us will be pining for the other after today but I want you to know, if it doesn’t work out with Jenny’s father, my offer still stands.” She kissed his cheek and thanked him.