by A. C. Wilson
“If I could just see you
Everything would be all right
If I’d see you
This darkness would turn to light”
You’re it, baby. You’re my light. I love you.
Blake
Her heart plummeted into the soles of her feet and Bailey swayed with disbelief. He was gone? Blake was really gone? Her fingers wrinkled the handwritten letter left on her kitchen counter. The letters were tiny and she struggled to re-read it despite the tears blurring her vision. Disbelief warred with anger at sharing something amazing with him last night only to have him vanish in the morning light.
She understood his pain and the dislike of saying goodbye, but it wasn’t like it was goodbye forever. Surely he knew that she wasn’t going to let him go. He was hers and she was his. That’s the only way they made sense. It was the only way her life made sense. Running a hand through her snarled blonde hair, Bailey took a shaky breath. It was time for some clarity. She needed to clear her head and then she was going to call Blake and give him a piece of her mind. There was no way he was getting off easy.
Marching back into her bedroom, Bailey found her jeans and a plain blue tank top. Liberty had been neglected long enough and there was always clarity when they galloped across the fields. Shoving her legs ruthlessly into the jeans and hopping around on one leg, Bailey got them zipped and buttoned. Throwing on a supportive sports bra and her tank top, her scuffed brown riding boots came next. Stepping into the bathroom, she looked in the mirror and sighed. The morning’s happiness had been marred by tears once again. She had cried more in the last few weeks than she had in years. Scraping her long hair back into a messy bun, Bailey secured it. Quickly she splashed water on her red, blotchy face before calling it good.
Opening the front door, Bailey grabbed her keys from the peg and shoved them into her pocket. Swinging around to head down the stairs, Bailey stopped. The door hit her in the back, but it didn’t move her. Her lungs seized as her heart started to bang hard against her ribs. It was a feeling she was getting very good at attributing to Blake. Her eyes were instantly welded to the blue ones that stared back at her. He was there. He was really standing there against his truck and he seemed to be waiting for her. The letter he had left her came to mind and so did the anger that was momentarily pushed aside by surprise. Reaching behind her, Bailey grasped the door knob and closed it. The snap punctuated with a reverberation. With determination she walked down the stairs and toward him. Blake came around the front of the truck to meet her and if Bailey hadn’t been sure what she was going to do before she got there, she was sure now. The loud crack of her hand against his cheek shocked Blake. His blue eyes wide as he tried to make sense of the less than friendly greeting.
Immediately feeling all of those emotions come to the surface again, Bailey couldn’t stop the tears that came down her cheeks. She could see the red hand mark forming on his cheek.
“Don’t ever say goodbye like that again.” She hissed through the tears and then threw herself into his arms. Blake caught her and pulled her tightly against his body. He tucked his chin into her neck and hugged her so tightly she thought she would never breathe again. Nothing mattered but this! All the world was right when they were together and although she knew the distance would be hard, it wouldn’t be forever.
“I’m sorry.” His hot breath slid over her neck. “I wasn’t thinking, Bailey.” He gripped her and pressed his lips to the soft spot beneath her ear. Instantly shivers zipped through her body and the night spent in his arms was at the forefront of her thoughts. She didn’t think she would ever get enough of him.
“I thought you had left for good. Why did you come back?” Bailey asked as she pulled back just enough to see his face. Blake’s eyes were a sea of emotions. He swallowed hard.
“I was crossing Wyoming when I realized that if I wanted a chance at all with you that I’d better come back and say goodbye the right way. I thought it would be easier to let you make the choice than to see you walk away.” Blake traced the shell of her ear, his palm against her cheek. Her heart clenched at his words.
“How could you think that I would want this to end? I couldn’t forget you if I tried.” Bailey kissed him, her lips melding with his. It was sweet and deep, saying so much more than words could have.
“You’ll wait for me then?” Blake’s question would have seemed ludicrous to anyone else’s ears, but Bailey heard the hope and the anticipation of a future.
“I’ll wait.” Tipping her head to the side, she smiled at him. She wanted to fix his image in her memory for all time. From the sharpness of his jaw to the strength of his cheeks and the love that glowed in his blue eyes.
“I’m coming back here. There’s a family waiting and the love of my life is here too in the most beautiful place on earth.” She felt his pride and passion. The future would indeed be amazing and she couldn’t wait to get started on it.
“As much as I don’t want you to go, you probably better get moving. You can’t come back if you don’t leave first.” Bailey smiled bravely, her heart begging him not to go, but her mind knowing that he had to. Blake pulled her back into a firm embrace and wrapped himself around her. She absorbed all of him. If she were lucky she could hold onto a small piece of him in her heart until he returned.
“I love you, Bailey Campbell.” His declaration touched her deeply. The rush of love for this man was unlike anything she had ever experienced. They were the real deal.
“I love you, Blake Phails.” Her lips found his and they sealed the truth. A couple more minutes and Blake took a step back. Knowing he would stay if she asked, Bailey stepped out of his embrace and jerked her head toward the truck. It was time to go. Goodbyes were hard, but this one could be weathered.
“Talk to you soon.” Blake promised and then got into his truck. The engine roared to life and Bailey tried not to fall completely apart. With a wave her soldier drove out of the center’s drive and headed to Washington. Taking a deep breath and moving toward the stable, Bailey knew that her life was just beginning. Their lives had been forever changed. She walked into the dimness of the stable and smiled at Liberty. Secrets weren’t something to be ashamed of. One had brought a man home and one had set a man free. Smiling, Bailey saddled Liberty and set out to wait for Blake Phails.
COMING SUMMER 2015
BLACK HILLS FOREVER (BLACK HILLS SERIES, #5)
*Synopsis*
The sweetness of beginnings can bind two hearts together forever. The beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota is about to see another such beginning. A wedding of a couple whose love is as unrestrained as a winter snowstorm. Suspicions can be conquered and truths can be proven. Memories can be made and dreams can be broken. Forever doesn’t always mean ‘easy’.
In an ordinary moment, a life can be altered irrevocably. The Johnson family is set adrift in a sea of turmoil as the unthinkable happens and their father, Travis Johnson is injured. A pillar of their family is fighting for his life and suddenly, the everyday, petty things don’t seem to matter anymore. Lacey Johnson is now the guide that must pull everyone else back on track. It is her wisdom that guides two hearts to the point of no return.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A.C. Wilson lives in Abilene, Kansas with her husband, two sons, and their chocolate lab. She loves to be outdoors, playing with her boys and absolutely loves to write.
The Black Hills Series came from her mother’s idea to use Hot Springs, South Dakota as a home town for the Johnson family. Everything about the Black Hills is enchantingly rugged and of course, there are cowboys!
Check out her young adult contemporary romantic series. Black Hills Angel (Book 1), Black Hills Blessing (Book 2), Black Hills Rebel (Book 3), Black Hills Secrets (Book 4) and Black Hills Forever (Book 5 coming Summer 2015).
Four novellas will also accompany this series as Black Hills Seasons presents the stories of the supporting characters that readers have requested. Watch for them in late 2015 or early 2016.
Please feel free to connect with her on social media.
www.facebook.com/acwilson2013
www.facebook.com/blackhillsseries
www.twitter.com/acwilson_author
http://awilsoncornell.wix.com/acwilson