The large box beckoned for his attention. The Ross Oscar Knight Photography logo adorned the return address label. Travis’s excitement increased substantially as he pulled out a pocket knife and flipped open the blade to slice the taped seam.
Reaching inside, he peeled back layers of protective tissue paper to expose the leather-bound wedding album. The commemorative book had been embossed with his and Tierra’s names and the date of their wedding ceremony. A full grin spread like fire across Travis’s face as he pulled it from the packing material, easing it onto his lap. He’d been anxiously awaiting this package since he and his good buddy Ross Knight had shaken hands goodbye, Ross boarding a jet to Italy to shoot another wedding. Travis hadn’t been able to express what it had meant to him to have his friend share in such a special time in his life.
Lifting the cover, Travis beamed at the first picture of him and Tierra together. She’d been extraordinarily beautiful in that incredible dress that had meant so much to her. He’d been quite dashing himself in his dress blues, the military uniform honoring everything he believed in. They made a pretty couple, if he said so himself.
Turning each page one by one, Travis was even more enamored by the wealth of beauty before him. It was a thing of sheer joy manifested upon the pages, and Ross had managed to capture in images emotion that could barely be captured with words.
The visuals were overwhelmingly breathtaking, capturing the embodiment of colors and textures that had meant so much to Tierra. Ross had made the most simple aspects of their wedding ceremony look so darn pretty. Travis could only imagine how Tierra had reacted when her own photo album had arrived. What had translated to film couldn’t be denied. It was truly a wonderful piece of photo-telling.
Glancing down to his wristwatch, Travis tucked his album beneath the pillow on his bed. Grabbing his equipment, he headed for the communications room and the computer and Web cam that enabled him to see Tierra once each month.
The time each soldier had was limited, and Travis imagined that it would take an act of God to keep him from his scheduled appointment. He knew that Tierra was already logged into her computer waiting for his connection, and he was determined not to disappoint her for their date night.
Sitting at the desk in her spare bedroom, Tierra turned on the laptop that rested there. As the unit powered on, Tierra moved to the room’s large mirror to check her face and makeup. She wanted Travis to see her at her best.
She smiled, her reflection shimmering with the happiness that spilled from her eyes. All she wanted was for Travis to see her happy. Since his departure, she’d worried nonstop. She’d probably cried just as much. She hadn’t thought it possible to miss a man as much as she found herself missing her man. Every morning she counted down the days to his return, anxious for the moment when he would set foot back on Dallas ground and back into her arms.
Their last days together had been the best days of Tierra’s life. The quick excursion to Mexico had allowed them to relax in each other, the honeymoon before the honey. Hours after landing back in Dallas, Travis had stood before a congregation of their family and friends and had claimed her, just like he’d promised to do. They had pledged their love and loyalty to one another, the minister proclaiming them husband and wife. The moment had been witnessed by the people who loved them best, and Tierra couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding.
She took a big inhale of breath as she moved back to her seat, logging onto her computer. Next to the laptop a framed photo of Travis smiled at her. It had been her favorite photo from the wedding, Travis’s friend Ross capturing the one moment that had meant the world to her.
After meeting the man, Tierra had understood why having Ross capture their special day had meant so much to Travis. Ross had listened to their story, had felt the joy in their experience and had promised to deliver a portfolio that would leave them speechless. Ross had shared stories of his and Travis’s friendship with her, and it had taken no time at all for Tierra to consider the man her friend, as well.
When Ross had asked her what she wanted most from their wedding photos, she knew that there was one single moment he could capture that would mean more to her than any other. Tierra had asked him to capture Travis’s expression the first time he saw her in her gown, heading down the aisle in his direction.
Reaching for the framed photo, Tierra delighted in the sheer beauty of it. Each time she studied the image, she was in awe of the emotion that seeped out of Travis’s eyes. Ross had captured every ounce of love the man had for her, and when she looked at the photograph what she saw in Travis’s eyes had been manifested a hundred times over.
That moment encompassed what she felt most when Travis looked at her. The wealth of his gaze made her feel beautiful and exceptionally special, his stare warming her spirit like nothing else.
The computer beeping pulled at her attention, and her excitement rushed forward as Travis suddenly appeared on the screen.
“Hey, baby!” he said anxiously. “How are you?”
Tierra reached with one hand to adjust her own Web cam as she beamed back at him. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”
Travis nodded. “I’m good. I miss you, though. I miss you so much, Tierra!”
“I miss you, too!”
For twenty-five minutes, the couple chatted eagerly about everything and nothing. When Travis was tapped on the shoulder and advised that his time was up, it took every ounce of effort for Tierra not to burst into tears. Before their connection was disconnected, Travis called her name.
“I told you I had a surprise for you, right?”
“Yes…”
“Darling, I got my papers today. My transfer came through. I’ll be leaving Afghanistan next week. They’re sending me stateside, baby! I’ll be in Texas, at Fort Hood, for the rest of my tour.”
“Really?” Tierra exclaimed, her excitement at the prospect overwhelming.
“Two weeks, my darling, and I’ll be able to hold you in my arms again.”
The tears spilled down over Tierra’s cheeks. “I love you,” she said, wishing him well until the next time they spoke.
“Promise?” Travis asked, teasingly.
Tierra smiled, blowing him a kiss across the Internet lines. “For the rest of your natural-born days,” she answered.
Winking, Travis blew her a kiss back. “I love you, too, Mrs. Stallion. I love you, too.”
As the computer screen blinked, the connection lost, Tierra clutched her photo to her chest, her eyes closed as she fought back tears. Travis was coming home, and in that moment she couldn’t imagine anything sweeter. He was coming home to her.
She kissed his photo, making plans for when she next saw her man. She’d given him her heart and had promised him forever. She’d made promises to a Stallion, and she intended to keep each and every one.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6464-3
PROMISES TO A STALLION
Copyright © 2010 by Deborah Fletcher Mello
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) Page 17