by Misty Wright
"Now we can toast to the happy couple," said Jacob, followed by more cheers and clinking of glasses.
Mark got to his feet and pulled Evangeline to hers, wrapping his arm around her waist. "This is our engagement party," he explained. "I wanted to surprise you, so, surprise." He chuckled.
"Oh, lord." She sniffed again and Tess handed her a tissue. She mumbled her thanks.
"I know you hate surprises, but I think you'll forgive me for this one."
She nodded and looked up at him. "I can't believe you did all of this for me."
He bent his head and kissed her in front of everyone, causing the place to erupt in cheers again along with the clinking of utensils on glass. "I told you I was smitten," he said. Then he moved his mouth to her ear to whisper, "I heard what you said last night when you thought I was sleeping."
Her eyes went wide and he focused his back on hers. "I felt as though I could fly when those words came out of your mouth."
A fresh wave of tears came as people started to step forward and congratulate them.
*
Mark's flight had just landed from a game in Edmonton when his cell phone rang.
"Evangeline?" Janine asked with a glint in his eyes.
He shook his head when he heard the familiar male voice of his soon-to-be brother-in-law.
"What's wrong?" Janine asked, seeing Mark's face fall while listening to the person on the other end.
He covered the receiver, "Can you grab my case?"
"Sure," Janine said, seeing the worried expression. He went to the luggage carousel and waited for his and Mark's luggage with the rest of the team while Mark continued his conversation. He was sure that Evangeline was feeling nervous about the wedding that was in two months. Hell, he was nervous! Mark was getting married and he'd never thought he'd see the day.
He retrieved the two bags and went back to Mark.
"Is everything okay?" he asked as Mark hung up the phone.
"No. That was Glen. Evangeline's locked herself in the bathroom and won't let anyone in."
"Why?"
"She won't say." He rubbed his face with his hand. "Christ, I hope to hell she's not having second thoughts." He focused on Janine. "I love this girl more than life. It'd kill me to lose her."
"Now you know how I feel about Jennifer," Janine said seriously.
Mark nodded. "I've got to get there."
"Call me later."
"I will."
*
The drive to Evangeline's house was one he did many times, but it seemed like the longest ride ever. He reflected on their relationship a hundred times in that hour-long ride from the airport. She was young, naïve, and his lifestyle was frightening for her. Maybe she did have second thoughts. After all, when they got engaged, he was out of the country again two days later. It didn't give them any time to adjust to the engagement together. Maybe she realized that she was too young to get married. For the first time in his life, he felt his confidence falter.
He remembered Glen waiting for him at the arena when he and Janine had arrived for practice a month ago. When he had gotten out of the car, Glen had only asked him a simple question.
"What are your plans with Evangeline?"
It had been two weeks since he'd talked to her, because he was having problems concentrating. He had had to put her out of his mind to be at his peak performance. Also, he had needed her to finally admit that she cared about him. She had been doing a damn good job of denying what they had together. He had figured the absence would wake her up. He was right. There was no resistance when she had showed up at his condo that night. He knew then that she loved him, but to hear her actually say it when they were in Vegas made him feel as though he'd been granted a miracle.
Glen had patiently waited until Mark spoke.
"I'm going to propose to her in Vegas," Mark finally said.
Glen had looked visibly taken back. "What did you just say?"
"I said I'm going to marry her, Glen," he had repeated seriously.
"Wow," Glen had said softly. "I expected something, but not that."
"I'll be sending you plane tickets. The team is going to be there, and so is my family. I want it to be a surprise birthday present for her and an engagement party. My family doesn't even know yet."
"Is she pregnant?"
Mark had burst into laughter. "Only unless it's an immaculate conception."
Glen had smiled, showing his relief. Then he had held out his hand. "Mark, I was wrong about you."
Mark had shook his hand. "I'm glad."
Evangeline's house came into view and he renewed his worry. When he pulled up to the curb, Tito came out of the house to meet him.
"Did you say something to her?"
"Jesus, Tito, I haven't seen or spoke to her in three days."
"Well, she was fine this morning," he said.
Mark had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something harsh. They were worried about her, and why wouldn't they suspect that it was something that he had said?
"I'll find out what's wrong," he said, calming his own temper which was fueled by worry.
Glen was standing outside of the bathroom door when he saw Mark. "Evangeline, open up. Mark's here."
"Go away!" she shouted.
Mark furrowed his brow. It had sounded like she was crying. What the hell was wrong with her? "Why didn't you just bust in?"
"Have you met my sister?" Glen said, arching his brows. "She'd never forgive us."
He took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door. "Open up, Evangeline, or I'll break the damn door down." The brothers may have a problem with pissing her off, but he was marrying her and she better bloody well open up for him in more ways than one.
Tito started to say something, but Glen shook his head. "Let's leave them be. He can handle her."
After Glen and Tito left, there was a long pause before Mark heard the lock on the door click as Evangeline unlocked it.
He turned the knob and stepped it. His heart contracted in his chest seeing Evangeline sitting on the side of the tub with her arms folded across her abdomen. In one of her hands was what looked like a little white plastic stick. He shut the door behind him and crouched down in front of her. She wouldn't meet his eyes, but he had a feeling he knew what this was about.
Slowly, he reached over and removed the object from her fingers and looked at it. Hell, he didn't know how to read these things. He looked around, saw the wastebasket and the pregnancy test box. He pulled it out and read the instructions while looking at the stick.
"Jesus," he mumbled to himself, "this is why you're upset?" His eyes went to her as she slowly looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. He gave her a gentle smile and tossed both objects in the garbage before taking her hands. "This is nothing."
Relief flooded through him and he felt his confidence return. She wasn't having second thoughts at all. Yet, she still wasn't upfront with him and he felt like an outsider.
She sobbed.
"Oh hell." He moved forward and held her, forgetting about his previous angst. "You really wanted a baby?"
"I did," she confessed weakly.
He kissed her cheek. "There's no reason to take this so hard. We'll have plenty of time to make babies."
"I just wanted a piece of you."
"You have all of me now," he said softly, feeling a wave of emotion going through him at her confession. "And you're young. I'm sure we won't have a problem getting you pregnant. Preferably after we're married." He chuckled. "Or you might not fit your gown."
She smiled. She honestly didn't think she'd take it so hard, but it was as if she had lost something precious, even though she didn't have it in the first place. She told him exactly how she felt. This was something she couldn't possibly talk to her siblings about.
Mark listened closely. It was the first time since that moment she told him that she loved him that she had opened up, and she had thought he was sleeping at that time. Now, those final barriers of hers dro
pped and she told him how she felt about him. This is the Evangeline he fell in love with and she'd only given him glimpses into that until now. She finally trusted him with her feelings. There were no words to describe how much he loved this woman. From there flowed a great many things: her worries, her passions, and her vulnerability toward him if she let herself go completely.
"And you don't think I am?" he finally said, meeting her swollen eyes.
She shrugged. "You're famous, gorgeous, and I don't get this you and I."
"Evangeline," he said as he pulled her tightly against him, "I love you because you're nothing like what I'm used to. You are unspoiled and have no idea how you make me feel. You're passionate, exciting and honest. You need to trust me. This openness we just shared needs to continue." He moved her back so he could look into her eyes. "Starting now. I can't marry you if you don't."
Those words made her prickle with dread. Yet, she completely understood. He never gave her cause to not trust him. The thought of losing him was horrifying. It was then that she realized that it was worth giving in completely and trusting him with her heart. After a slight pause, she bit her lip and nodded.
"I will, Mark."
He bent his head and kissed her. It was full of emotion and she started crying again.
An hour later they emerged from the bathroom to four pairs of worried eyes. He made sure that they went over everyone of her concerns she had with him, the baby she wanted, and his career until she was completely satisfied.
He never realized that although her family loved her, they hadn't given her any room to express herself because they were so protective. It was a habit that she had just accepted. Not anymore, though. He was raised with parents who insisted that he express his feelings and he believed in an equal relationship.
"She's fine," Mark said, answering all of the unspoken questions.
Relief was visible in all of them. "Pre-wedding jitters," he said, not telling them why she was upset. It was no one's business but theirs.
"Well, Jesus," Tito said, angry but relieved, "marry her then, so we don't have to go through this again!" He waved an arm at her before he turned and marched out of the house.
Evangeline laughed for the first time in days.
Mark slid an arm around her waist. "Why don't you go get changed? I'll take you for dinner." She nodded and went to leave, but he still held her tight and bent down to whisper in her ear, "To my place."
She sucked in a breath and left quickly when he released her.
"She's really okay?" Glen asked.
"Yes."
"Christ, I thought she was dying or something."
"She's emotional, that's all," said Mark. "She's young and this is a big step."
Glen seemed to accept that.
*
Mark breathed huskily in her ear as he moved within her.
"No, oh lord, do that again," she said, and sank her nails into his shoulders.
Dinner sat on the stove, cold now from neglect. He'd started cooking, then end up planting her against the counter where they still were now.
His shirt was open in the front and his pants were halfway down his legs. All he could think was that thank god she wore a skirt, because he was so damn impatient he couldn't wait long enough to get inside her. He didn't even get her underwear off, just pushed it aside before he thrust into her. She was so damn gorgeous. Her long hair fell across the counter as he positioned her high on his hips. Never in his life had he taken a woman in his kitchen, or any kitchen, for that matter. He swore he saw stars when he had exploded in her coupled with a shout.
His eyes lowered to hers and he kissed her tenderly while slowly lowering her back down so her feet touched the floor.
"I love you, Mark," she whispered to him.
He smiled against her mouth. It was easy for her to say that to him now.
"If that didn't give you a baby, I sure as hell don't know what will," he responded softly. "And I love you too, Evangeline. So much that I fear I can't take a breath without you near me."
Her eyes watered. "Look at me. I cry all the time now."
"You're happy, aren't you?" That incident in the bathroom earlier that day had got him thinking. There was something he needed to ask her.
She nodded as he brushed her hair off her face.
"I don't want to take you home tonight. I want you here next to me in my bed."
She took a deep breath. Her family was big on tradition. She and Mark weren't married and it was expected that she stay in her house until then. What he said next shocked her.
"Let's elope. Tonight."
"I- I-"
"Evangeline," he said, and placed a finger against her lips, "I meant what I said. I love you and I want to give you a child. I want us to be parents, but I doubt I can wait a few months before I can call you Mrs. Hartley. Also, I don't think your family will think too highly of me if there's a child conceived before we're married, no matter how much you want it. For the first time in my life, I'm feeling guilty about making love to a woman because it seems immoral. I want you as my wife. I want you beside me legally, starting tonight. I have a game in three days and there's no way on god's green earth that I'm going to be able to play properly until I know you're mine completely."
Epilogue
He turned the knob and stepped inside. His heart contracted in his chest seeing Evangeline sitting on the side of the tub with her arms folded across her abdomen. In one of her hands was what looked like a little white plastic stick. He shut the door behind him and crouched down in front of her. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, but he had a feeling he knew what this was about.
Slowly, he reached over, took it from her fingers and looked at it. Hell, he didn’t know how to read these things. He looked around, and saw the wastebasket and the pregnancy test box. He pulled it out and read the instructions while looking at the stick.
It was the first time since the moment that she had told him that she loved him, that she had opened up and she had thought he was sleeping at that time. Now, those final barriers of hers had dropped, and she told him how she felt about him. This is the Evangeline he fell in love with, and she’d only given him glances into that until now. She finally trusted him with her feelings. There were no words to describe how much he loved this woman. From there flowed a great many things: her worries, her passions, and her vulnerability toward him if she let herself go completely.
She didn’t know what to say to that. It was a very profound confession from a man like him, and she knew he meant every word. Was it possible that she could love him more? Without a further thought, she felt herself nod. A wide grin spread across his face.
THE END
About The Author
Misty Wright aka Esther Lam is the author of Butterflies & Earthworms, The Fire Starter, The Great Gift , Assassin's Love, and many more. Esther is a secretary by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving interesting romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and three wonderful kids.
When she is not writing, she likes to spend time with the family. They frequent the nearby beaches and at the same time looking for inspirations and ideas for her next fiction and self-help books. This way, she is constantly delivering great and interesting contents for readers of all ages to enjoy.
In the meantime, she is planning a series of romance, paranormal, mystery novels. So stay tuned.
She is actively involved in community projects like volunteering to help out at old-aged homes, visiting orphanages, and organizing social activities for her neighborhood. In addition, she has adopted 2 under-privileged kids from Africa and Cambodia respectively via World Vision from her income from her books.
You can find her online at www.iVisionaryMedia.com
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