Stone Silence (Sound of Silence Series, Book One)

by Taylor Dean

  Finally, he says, “Let’s take a walk.”

  “Okay.”

  We begin to stroll, hand in hand. The property will soon resemble a private park and I can now visualize just how magical it’s going to be. The night air is crisp, cool, and invigorating. The lights twinkle above us as if we have our own canopy of stars. The music fills me and transports me to another time and place—a place where only Stony and I exist.

  After a few moments of comfortable silence, Stony starts to speak. He acts casual, but I know he’s a determined man this evening. “This place is me and you, Spencer. From the moment you arrived, I couldn’t picture living here without you. Everywhere I look I’m reminded of you. This place is us, me and you, together.”

  “I love it here.”

  “I know you do. It means a lot to me.” He pauses as if he’s formulating his thoughts. My heart continues to race madly. “I know your future means a lot to you as well. I don’t want you to change your hopes and dreams for me and I would never ask that of you. The thing is, I can’t stand the thought of being apart. I know you have your heart set on nursing school, but I took the liberty of doing a little research.”

  I stop dead in my tracks and we face each other.

  “Research?” I say. Where is he going with this?

  “Yes. I found out that Texas Tech has a campus in Abilene for nursing school.” He holds my hands in his.

  “They do?”

  “Yep. I was wondering if you would consider switching to the Abilene campus. That way you can still fulfill your dreams and we can still be together.”

  My heart drops to my stomach. That’s not the question I thought he was going to ask. Still, a path forward has opened up in front of us and there’s not one obstacle in sight. “Oh. I guess . . . I could get an apartment in Abilene. We’d be close enough to see each other. It would be much closer than Lubbock and . . . yes, that would work. I’ll look in to it right away.” I don’t meet his eyes.

  “There’s just one problem.”

  “What?”

  “Even Abilene is too far away.”

  I like that answer. “All right. I suppose I could get an apartment in Sweetwater and commute.” Why am I sad? I wanted more time with him and now I can have it. Problem solved. I should be thrilled right now.

  “No, Sweetwater is too far away. I want you closer than that.”

  My eyes finally meet his and they glitter at me. “How close?” I whisper.

  “As close as we can possibly get.”

  Okay. “I’m confused. What do you want from me, Stony?”

  “Everything. Absolutely everything. I want to wake up with you in my arms every single morning, I don’t ever want to spend a single night apart, I want to fall asleep at night with your face as the last thing I see, and I want to fill this house with our children. And . . . I want to spend my life making love with you every moment that we are able,” he says with a fervent whisper.

  I let out my breath, unaware I was holding it. Oh my. He has no idea how huge it is that I want that too.

  So . . . he IS asking what I thought he was asking. My heart resumes its heavy thumping. “In the master suite with the windows open and the drapes billowing around us?”

  His eyes narrow and his breath is suddenly shaky. “Yes.”

  All at once he pulls me close and kisses me hard and fast, a kiss filled with so much pent up emotion, it takes my breath away. His passion surprises me. He’s been holding back.

  I realize I’m ready for him to unleash that passion. Not only that, I’m ready to reciprocate.

  He pulls away and slowly, he sinks down to one knee, looking up at me with sincerity in his eyes. My tears start to fall almost immediately.

  “Spencer Elliott, I love you. More than anything in this world, I would like to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

  He removes a ring from his pocket and holds it up for me to see. The diamonds catch the light and sparkle with promise. It’s clear he’s been planning this for a while. This was not a last minute decision. None of this could’ve happened without some careful preparation on his part.

  I nod as I start to sob.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes,” I tell him. “Absolutely, yes.”

  I wish he’d smile. Just once. I long for it, I ache for it. A simple smile would mean so much to me.

  Instead, he places the ring on my finger. Then he stands and takes me in his arms.

  “I love you, Spencer. I love you.”

  It’s enough for me and my heart is full.

  He holds me for quite a while as we become lost in the moment, wrapped in a sweet, sweet embrace as we gently sway to the music. This man is everything to me. Everything. Then he says, “I have something more for you.”

  More? I’m thrilled with what I just received. I don’t need more.

  “Consider it my wedding gift to you.”

  It’s hard to believe only a few hours ago I was wondering what would happen between us. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about.

  I feel stunned, yet curious as we walk back to the motorhome and it’s then I notice the large blanket covered mass leaning against the motorhome. Distracted as I was, I didn’t notice it earlier.

  “This is for you.”

  “What is it?”

  He pulls the blanket away to reveal a large wooden sign that reads: STONY AND SPENCER’S PLACE. Then underneath, in smaller letters, it says: For happily ever aftering.

  There absolutely could not be a more perfect gift in the entire world. I love it. I cover my face to prevent the ugly cry that wants to make an appearance any minute.

  “Gonna hang it on the fence outside. Everyone will see it when they drive up,” he says.

  My eyes move up to his and my emotion must be reflected in my expression, because he comes toward me and kisses me forcefully once again. We’re immediately lost in the kiss as he walks me backwards until my back hits the motorhome. The kiss turns a little fierce, a little wild, overwhelming both of us.

  He pauses, his lips above mine as we’re both breathing hard from our passionate embrace.

  “I think . . . you might have to move in with my mother until the wedding.”

  “I think . . . my future husband is a smart man.”

  EPILOGUE

  I EXIT THE house and link arms with my father.

  “So proud of you, Spence,” Dad says. He’s already wiping tears from his eyes.

  “Stop, Dad. You’re going to make me cry too.”

  We had a long talk last night. I asked my father point blank if he thought I was rushing into marriage too soon. He sat me down and said, “Spence, I always knew it would be this way for you. Once you found the man you were head over heels for, he would be the one for you and no one else would exist. That’s what I see. I see that my daughter has found the man for her. I see happiness in your face. I love the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. I see no reason for you to wait. If you’re sure, then I’m sure.”

  “I’m sure,” I told him.

  “Then stop doubting yourself.”

  “I have no doubts. I just wanted to hear you agree that I’m doing the right thing. I need your blessing.”

  “You have it, sweetheart.”

  It was the final piece that fell together at just the right time to make this moment perfection.

  We pause at the beginning of the aisle as the guests stand and turn to watch us.

  I see Cait, my maid of honor, standing next to the arch of fresh flowers. Ashlyn is our flower girl and she stands next to Cait in a frilly pink dress.

  Shay is one of my bridesmaids as well and she stands next to Cait. Caroline stands in the front row and is proudly holding Shay’s three month old baby girl, Brit, who is also dressed in a frilly pink dress.

  I see my mom, also standing in the front row. She’s bawling like a baby and is in desperate need of a tissue.

  Out of respect, we invited Irene and Blake. They opted to not come
, so I don’t see them in the sea of faces. Understandably, I doubt they wanted to attend. Truth be told, I’m relieved they aren’t here. I don’t want any contention on my wedding day. Irene hasn’t been feeling well lately and she graciously used that as her excuse. Caroline is worried about her though and we all hope she’s okay. Yes, even me.

  All I can think is my future looks bright. I’m still in the maybe/maybe not stage when it comes to nursing school. I’m not sure what I want to do now. Starting a family with Stony is stealing my heart and I’m really leaning in that direction. I can always go to nursing school later in life. Stony refuses to advise me on the matter. He says it’s my decision and if he interferes I might resent him one day. So it’s all up to me and he’ll support me either way. It’s just one more reason why I love him. Right now I’m just going to enjoy married life and see where it takes me. My outlook has completely changed.

  So here I am on my wedding day and there’s nothing to bring me down. Not one single thing.

  I love weddings for the simple reason that they bring families together. Even when you live far apart from one another, everyone comes together in one perfect moment in time.

  This is one of those moments. Over the coming years as life changes, I’ll always look out at our property and long to repeat this little slice of time. I’ll long for the moment when all my loved ones were here, all together in one space. Life changes so quickly and I wonder if this will ever happen again.

  I’m so thrilled that my big brother, Grayson, is here. I couldn’t have my wedding without him. He’s looking mighty handsome in his finest military dress. He can only be in the States for two days before he has to get back, but I’ll take what I can get. He’s promised to visit at the first opportunity. So far he and Stony get along famously. I knew they would.

  Stony.

  My eyes lock with his and everyone else vanishes. The man can wear a tux flawlessly and I have to admit, the sight of him gives me butterflies. I thought I was born without the little critters inhabiting my belly, but nope, they have finally come to life and they’re active little things. I hope they are there to stay. I don’t ever want to lose them. The Wall of Jericho officially falls this evening and I look forward to a new level of intimacy with Stony.

  It’s hard to believe we’ve only known each other for four months. That’s not very long in the scheme of things. But we’ve been living in close quarters and working together every day. You learn a lot about someone when you live five feet away from them. We find ourselves compatible in so many ways.

  Of course, I ended up living with Caroline for the last few weeks as we prepared for our hasty wedding. I still spent all day, every day with Stony. Really, I only slept at Caroline’s. It was for the best if Stony wanted to keep his promise to be a gentleman. Living together without benefits is no fun at all.

  So this is it. We’re tying the knot and I have not one single regret or doubt. I love that he wanted to have the wedding right here on his property, the place where we met. The house is basically finished. We plan to take our time with the final touches and really make the home our own. The yard has been freshly landscaped just in time for the wedding. It truly is an oasis in the middle of rather barren land. I’ve grown to love it though. Of course, I’d love any place as long as Stony is there. He is my home.

  When Finn abandoned me here, I thought it was the worst thing to ever happen to me. Instead, it was the best thing to ever happen to me. It brought Stony into my life.

  After the wedding we’re taking off to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. It’ll be the first time I leave the Roby-Sweetwater-Abilene area since I arrived. That one hour on my way to Snyder became a life-changing hour. Fate had other plans for me and though I felt tossed to and fro for a bit, all has ended well. I’m leaving with Stony. Huge bonus.

  It’s a perfectly sunny late September day with a light breeze keeping us cool. For all I care, it could be snowing and the day would still be perfect. I’m about to be Drew Randall’s wife. Nothing can mar the moment.

  The music begins to play and I pause, not recognizing the tune at first.

  Wait.

  Something’s wrong. Something is marring the moment. No. This isn’t the right song. I’m supposed to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

  How could they mess this up? I mean, as long as I’m married to Stony at the end of the day, everything will be fine, but seriously, every bride wants her wedding day to be perfect. It’s not too much to ask and I just . . .

  Hold up. My eyes rest on Stony once again and I can’t help but smile as I recognize the music. His lips are compressed together, as if he’s trying desperately to hold a smile back. I love that expression on his face and I’ll always remember how he looks right now; so happy he can hardly contain himself. I feel the same and can’t control my smile.

  I realize this was planned. It’s a wedding day surprise from him.

  I’m walking down the aisle to the loveliest, the most achingly slow violin-infused instrumental version of Camelot I’ve ever heard. It’s so perfect I wonder how I didn’t think of it first.

  It’s official. This is the place I will be happily-ever-aftering for the rest of my life.

  My insides are threatening to explode right now. I love and adore this man more than I ever thought possible.

  My father and I begin the slow walk toward Stony and the music fills me and consumes me, bringing utter peace to my soul. As I reach him, he holds out his hands and I join him. Our hands tightly clasp together. Our eyes are joined as well and even though the minister vies for our attention, he loses.

  “Happy,” Stony whispers, using our silly code word. Still, every time he says it my heart fills with joy. He doesn’t use it loosely.

  When the minister finally declares us man and wife, a miracle happens. I’ve been waiting for it, hoping for it, even praying for it. It’s my turn to experience it. I wanted one just for me. Call me selfish, but I needed one just for me. It couldn’t be forced, or asked for. It had to be genuine. It couldn’t be in response to something humorous, no, it needed to materialize naturally and represent his feelings, his emotions, and his happiness.

  And now it’s finally here.

  A huge, blinding smile has erupted on Stony’s face. It’s totally for me and my heart bursts with happiness. If there was ever a more perfect time to let his smile shine, it’s right now and it means the world to me. It says so much more than his words can ever express and totally seals the deal. His smile is mine because his heart is mine. Truly and completely. I smile back at him and it’s the first time we’ve ever exchanged a smile between us. It’s utterly exhilarating to communicate with him in this manner and makes me feel connected to him on a deeper level than before. His smile alters his entire persona. I can love him without a smile, but I adore him even more with one. In the next instant, he pulls me close and kisses me soundly—a kiss that’s normally meant for when we are alone.

  During that kiss I think about the many things on this green earth that are rarely seen, things I’ve only ever heard rumor of, but know they actually exist. The stunningly beautiful white peacock, the glittering geodes inside of a meteorite, the powerful leap of a flying fish, the glowing forest in Japan. It’s likely my eyes will never behold any of those things.

  But I’ve seen Stony’s smile. And I don’t need to see anything else.

  I hope to see many more smiles from him. It will be my life’s endeavor to put a smile on that man’s face every single day. And in so doing, I’ll put a smile on my own face as well.

  Huge surprise. I found my great big beautiful love. You know what surprises me the most?

  It actually exists.

  Thank you for reading Stone Silence. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Don’t miss the next two books in the Sound of Silence Series.

  Book Two, Mia’s Story: JAILBIRD

  Book Three, Shay’s Story: HOTHOUSE FLOWER

  Other
books by Taylor Dean

  I Have People

  Missing any memories?

  Holly Sinclair is happily married to the love of her life, Gabriel. Young and in love, Holly hopes to have their first child soon. Of course, Gabriel wants to wait till Holly’s health is restored, much to Holly’s dismay. She feels perfectly fine. So what if she just woke up from an eight-month coma? So what if some of her memories are missing? She remembers Gabe and that’s all that matters, right? That is, until HE enters her life again . . . she forgot about HIM.

  I’m With You

  Can three little words irrevocably change your life?

  When the doctors inform Chloe Brennan that her pregnancy is “incompatible with life,” her subsequent choices will change her path forever.

  She becomes one of the quiet, unsung heroes of this world, incredibly strong, yet somehow wrongly looked upon as damaged. Three people will pierce Chloe’s existence: her husband, a stranger, and a precious baby. One will say goodbye, one will say hello, and one will say both at the same time. I’m With You is a novel about selfless love and the sacredness of life.

  For Nick

  What would you do for love?

  Zachary Drake had love in his life—and tragically lost it. He knows it won’t come his way again. Andie Parker would do anything for the love of her life. Even marry a total stranger. In spite of the unorthodox manner in which Zach and Andie come together, there is no denying that things are unexpectedly good between them, taking them both by surprise. However, when secrets come between them—and trust does not—Andie soon finds herself vowing to never make the same mistake again. But, she’d do it again in a heartbeat and she knows it. She’d marry a hundred strangers if it helped Nick. She’d do anything for Nick . . . anything.