Promise Me

by Hilary Wynne

  “I have to be honest, I can’t remember ever being so stressed out in my life as I’ve been to help plan my best friend’s wedding behind her back. When Julian first came to me and told me what he wanted to do I thought he was crazy. I mean, who does this, right? But, when I thought about it for a little longer, I realized it was a great idea. I’ve had front row seats to this relationship from the beginning and through all of the ups and downs I never for one second doubted Julian’s extraordinary love for Lexie. It was so obvious and I saw early on he always seemed to know what she needed, even if she didn’t. In the case of this surprise wedding, I think Julian knew Lexie would be okay with all of this no matter what food he ordered or what shoes she had on because these two just needed to be married and start what I’m sure will be an wonderful life together.” Marissa raises her champagne in a toast. “I couldn’t be more thrilled for my best friend and I wish you two all of the happiness you both deserve. I love you, Lexie. Congratulations.”

  Marissa walks over to me and gives me the biggest hug and I whisper, “Thank you. This all means more to me than I could ever tell you.” She hugs Julian and goes back to her seat. I brush away a tear and sit back down as Danny stands up. I look at Julian and see him already getting misty eyed. We both know this speech is going to be emotional too.

  “I think it’s kind of ironic that I’m fulfilling the role of the best man tonight because in my reality, my brother Julian is the best man I know. I mean that, hermano. I hope you know what you mean to me, and I hope you know how happy I am for you right now. Lexie, I can’t tell you how glad I am you came into his life. You two are meant to be together and I also wish you nothing but all the happiness you deserve.” Danny raises his glass. “Salud.” I once again have to hold back tears when I watch Julian and Danny embrace each other. There is just so much love being shared that it touches me in my soul. After Danny goes back to his seat, I ask Julian if he wants to say anything. He smiles at me, picks up his glass, and stands.

  “I hope all of you know how much it means to us to have you here. I look around and see all the faces of the people closest to us and I know this night wouldn’t have been the same without you all here. I know it was hard to keep it a secret and I thank you for that, and for making the trip here to celebrate with us. Salud.”

  Julian sits down and looks at me. His toast was short, sweet, and to the point. I can tell by the look on his face he’s giving me the chance to tell everyone about the baby. I take my glass of champagne, which I haven’t had a sip of, and stand.

  “I guess it’s my turn now … well, those of you who know me know I’m not a big fan of surprises, so pulling this off and getting me to be okay with it all was very risky.” I hear my sisters and friends laugh. I turn to Julian. “With that said, I’m once again stunned by how well this man, my new husband, knows me. I’m not sure I could’ve planned anything more perfect than tonight. We’re so happy to have all of you here with us, celebrating the beginning of our new future together. You all know it hasn’t been an easy road here and I want to personally thank each and every one of you for supporting us while we figured it out.” I feel my hand starting to tremble and I look down at Julian for support. All of a sudden I don’t want to say anything about the baby. What if they all think that’s why he did this? I feel overwhelmed and in true Lexie style, I want to shut down. He smiles at me warmly and nods his head. I whisper to him, “I can’t.” He stands up next to me and whispers in my ear. “Do you want me to tell them?”

  “I’m scared.”

  Julian places his fingers under my chin and tilts my face up. “It’s the most wonderful news in the world and everyone is going to be so happy for us. I promise you.”

  I lean into him and take a deep breath to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I wonder quickly if my family and friends are going to be mad at me for keeping this a secret for a month. I wonder if Julian’s parents are going to be hurt. But, I trust him, so I nod at him saying it’s okay.

  “This is a very emotional day, as I’m sure you can all imagine, and I think Lexie is feeling a little overwhelmed. I know there are a few more things she wants to say, but she’s having a hard time, so I’m stepping in.” He grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly and when I look at my parents and Julian’s parents and see them looking at us with big, happy smiles on their faces, I feel a little better. I just don’t want anyone to be mad at me today. I feel Julian’s hand trembling in mind and I know he’s more nervous than he’s letting on. I squeeze it back so he knows I’m here supporting him too.

  “I know most of you thought a surprise wedding was a crazy idea, and those of you who know Lexie thought she would freak out when I planned all of this without her help. Some of you had questioned how she was going to react because you knew she didn’t like surprises, and this was the biggest surprise you could give someone, right?”

  I hear some whispers of agreement floating in the air and Jill, being her usual blunt self, shouts, “Hell yes.” Julian and I both laugh when we hear her say this and she smiles even bigger when I shake my head at her.

  “Well, you would think that’s true, but it really isn’t. I got a bigger surprise when Lexie told me she was pregnant with our child about four weeks ago.”

  I hear multiple gasps and when I look at my parents, I see my mom with her hand over her mouth and my dad with a huge smile on his face. I scan the gathering quickly and the shock is evident on everyone’s face. Nobody looks upset though, which is awesome.

  “We made the decision to keep it to ourselves for a little while and hope you all respect that. You all know what we’ve had to deal with in the last few months and we needed to let the information sink in before we shared the fantastic news with all of you. But tonight seems like the perfect moment to let you know.”

  I look up at Julian and feel so good when I see how brightly he’s smiling. He truly is so happy about the baby, and I know he’s relieved it’s not a secret anymore. Within moments of our announcement everyone at the wedding is up off their chairs and coming to give us congratulatory hugs. I try and take all of the comments in so I can remember this moment forever. My parents are first in line. My dad has tears running down his face and my mom is beaming like Julian. “I can’t believe what a lucky guy I am. Two of my girls are giving me grandbabies this year!” My dad’s comment makes me look at Jill, who is next to my mom.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything, Lex.”

  I hug her and whisper, “I didn’t want to steal any of your spotlight. I’m so excited they will be so close in age though. Maybe they can grow up and be best friends!” Jill hugs me back and smiles. I know she knows what I’m saying. She and I have become so much closer over the last few months. We didn’t grow up that way and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure our kids are close. Tracy is next in line to hug me. I can tell she’s excited too and launches right into advice mode. She makes me promise to call her in the next few days so she can tell me everything I need to know about pregnancy and being a mom. I laugh inside; some thing’s never change.

  “You’re in so much trouble with us right now!” Shannon, Jenna, Lauren, and Marissa are standing in front of us. Marissa shakes her head at me. “I’d ask how hard it was to keep this a secret but it probably wasn’t for you. You’re good at that.” Her tone is a little biting. She’s hurt. I pull her in for a hug and say, “It was very hard. I’m sorry you’re hurt. I needed to believe it was all real before I could share it. Please try and understand.”

  She relaxes a little and thinks about who I am and why I might have chosen this. “Fair enough, but you’re going to have to tell me everything.” I look at all of them. “We’ll all go out next week. I promise I’ll share everything. I love you girls!”

  Julian and I keep feeling the love as his aunts, uncles, and cousins all congratulate us. They are such a tight family and seem so thrilled to be adding another member. Danny has an interesting look on his face when he walks up and I imagine he’s feeli
ng like Marissa does; a little betrayed. I jump right in. “He wanted to tell you. I asked him not to. It was very hard for him not to share this with you Danny.” Danny smiles at me. “I’m just so excited for you guys. It’s cool. I get it, I guess. But no more secrets, okay?” Julian and Danny embrace and I see how much they love each other, it reminds me this baby is going to be loved so much.

  Ellen walks up to me and pulls me in for a hug. She looks emotional, which is rare. “I can’t think of a better ending to what has been a magical day. I’m so incredibly happy for you both.” I look at her and feel very emotional as well. This woman was my lifeline during a time I thought I would drown. I’ve done and said some crazy stuff over the last year and a half, and she hasn’t always agreed with my methods. Her approval and validation right now mean a lot to me. Julian hugs her as well. “Thank you for all you’ve done for her Ellen. I’m not sure I’d be standing here right now without your support.”

  “Oh, I’d like to take some credit, Julian, but this is all you two. You did this. For each other. And it’s so beautiful to witness. Keep taking care of each other and everything will always be this good.”

  I turn and hug Julian again. I’m feeling so overwhelmed. I can look back to a not so distant day when I didn’t think anyone loved me, and I certainly didn’t love myself. Standing here today, next to this man, I can say without a doubt I’m really, truly loved, and by so many people. I bury my face in his chest, close my eyes, and exhale. Wow. I look up when I hear Marisol’s voice. I was wondering when they’d come over. I panic for a minute when I see her tear-stricken face. I look quickly at Antonio and see his emotional expression as well. They aren’t happy. I brace myself for the worst. I’m quickly proven wrong when Marisol takes my hands in hers.

  “You couldn’t possibly imagine how happy we are for you two. You’ve filled a hole in this family, Lexie, and we will always love you for that. Thank you for finding my son and for loving him like you do. I see it, and it’s everything a mother could want for a child. You’ll know this feeling one day.”

  “I’m just so happy we found each other. I’m proud to be part of this family and so excited to know our children are going to grow up with so much love surrounding them.” I turn toward Antonio, who is embracing Julian. I hug him as well and have no weird feelings at all. We don’t say anything, his look says enough.

  After we get done talking to our guests, I notice all the furniture has been moved around and the platform we’re on has been made into a dance floor. A DJ has set himself up in one corner and has started playing music. He calls Julian and me out to middle for our first dance. I have no idea what song Julian chose, but it doesn’t even matter. Our relationship grew through song lyrics because we couldn’t say what we needed and wanted to during some very hard times. Today, standing here with him, as his wife, I can’t imagine not being able to tell him anything and everything. As the melody to Edwina Hayes’s version of Feels Like Home to Me starts to play, I begin to cry. The lyrics say it all:

  If you knew how I wanted someone to come along

  And change my life the way you’ve done

  It feels like home to me

  It feels like home to me

  I look up at Julian and am filled with awe. I finally feel like I am home.

  The party continues with the cutting of the cake, the garter toss (Danny got it), and the bouquet toss (Lauren got it), and all the other traditional elements. It truly is a perfect night under the stars with all my favorite people. However, after a few hours of dancing and eating cake, I can barely stand up. The physical and emotional intensity of the day has taken a toll on my body and I’m exhausted. After saying goodnight to our guests and promising to meet them all for brunch before heading back home, Julian and I finally excuse ourselves for the night. I can’t wait to get back to the bungalow and be alone with my husband. I can’t help but smile when that word pops in my head … husband. I’m Mrs. Julian Bauer and this wonderful man walking next to me is mine forever. I let Julian guide us back toward the bungalow and as we get closer, he veers off the path and leads me to the water’s edge. The night is beautiful and I assume he isn’t ready to go inside just yet.

  He takes me in his arms. “This has been the best day of my life, Mrs. Bauer, and although I’m looking forward to getting you undressed and under me, I just wanted to take another minute to thank you for agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, Alexa.”

  I smile at him and relax into his embrace. I can’t believe how content I feel. As we stand on the edge of the sand staring at the moonlight and stars reflecting off the calm water, I can’t help but think back to the first day Julian and I went to the beach together and walked up to the shore. He pulled me in for a hug then too, and told me I needed to stay with him in the present. He had no idea what demons of my past I was fighting against, and I don’t think he’ll ever truly understand what his love, patience, and support did for me. He pulled me out of a horrible past and helped me believe I was strong enough to handle my present and also build a happy future with him. Here we are today looking out at the ocean again and all I can think about is my future with the love of my life and the baby we’ll be having. This has been the best day of my life. I get lost in the memories for a few moments until Julian brings me back to the present with a soft kiss on my lips. “What are you thinking about, mi amor?”

  “I’m just thinking about where we were and where we are now. You told me this was going to really happen, and in my wildest dreams I couldn’t have imagined this life I have with you. We’ve been through a lot of really high highs and really low lows, and honestly it has all been amazing to feel and experience. I feel so alive with you.”

  Julian chuckles a little and flashes me the Bauer smile I love so much. “I told you it was going to be amazing.”

  “And I told you it was going to be epic.”

  Julian places one of his hands over his heart in the gesture I’ve become so familiar with and places the other over my heart. He leans in so his mouth is right next to my ear and whispers softly, “I always believed it, Corazón. I always believed.”

  Further Information

  If you enjoyed Promise Me please consider leaving a review at the store at which you purchased it. This is the best way for you to show your support for the author and is the best way to help new readers discover Hilary’s books.

  Promise Me is the third book in the Alexa Reed Series, if you would like to be the first to know when any new books in the series are published then sign up to Hilary’s email alert at:

  http://www.hilarywynne.com

  Other books in the Alexa Reed Series:

  #1 Stay

  #2 Hold On

  #3 Promise Me

  About The Author

  Have you ever woken up one day and said, “Today’s the day I’m going to do (insert thing here)?” Well, I did, and the result was my first novel, Stay. I always thought of myself as a decent writer, and then a trip down memory lane through my ninth grade book of poetry confirmed it. I realize that I have always had a romantic side and a way with words. With support from my husband and kids (and an unspoken agreement to leave me alone for a few hours every night), I embarked on this incredible writing journey.

  I’m originally from sunny Southern California and spent my summers in South Florida. I attended college at FSU and received my Masters in New Mexico. I finally settled in the Washington, DC area. My happy place has always been anywhere near the water.

  When I’m not writing, I help run a business with my husband, watch an inordinate amount of sports (my kids play something 365 days a year), indulge my competitive spirit on the tennis court, and spend time with my awesome family and friends.

  I am an avid reader, but find my characters feel neglected when I hang out with other author’s characters for too long. When I do read, historical fiction is my favorite genre. I love traveling and experiencing different cultures, places, and
times.

  I feel so blessed that my love of books inspired me to finally do something that I forgot I had always dreamed about doing.

  My someday has arrived!

  Acknowledgements

  There are so many people who have joined me on this journey and I appreciate each and every one of them. A special thanks to a few this time around:

  To Stefanie – My big sister. Thanks for jumping in and helping me make this the best book it could be. Mostly thank you for being one of my best friends. I love you.

  To my kids – You all fill my heart with love and pride. Thank you for your continued support of mom’s journey.

  To my street team “The Wynners”: I look forward to our interactions everyday! Your support is worth more than you will ever know.

  To Brittany my P.A. – I can’t imagine doing this without your help. You are wise beyond your years!

  To Rita - A special friend I met along the way. Thanks for doing what you do for me. I am so glad we met.

  To all my friends and family who have stuck with me since the very beginning - Your support has never wavered. Thank you!

  To Alex and Bronwyn at Standoutbooks - I truly couldn’t have done this without you. The majority of my steps have been the right ones with you two by my side.

  To Wendy - Gracias Amiga!

  To my NO MATTER WHAT girls - Those words say it all. Friends forever!

  To all the people who have fallen in love with Julian and Lexie – Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m living a dream and you have made it happen!