Forever and a Day (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 5)

by Belle Calhoune

  Although she tried her best to not wallow in those awful memories, she couldn’t stop herself from reflecting on the nightmarish events of three years ago. And to make matters worse she had been receiving these horrible notes in the mail, ones that horrified her and resurrected haunting memories of her stalker. Ellis had reached out to her from behind the prison walls and showed her that his obsession was still very real.

  She stopped in her tracks. There was a man walking in her direction. His frame and stride was as familiar to her as her own. Daniel! She couldn’t imagine this was a coincidence, but perhaps he was simply walking the beach for exercise. He walked straight toward her, his handsome features inscrutable as he stopped a few feet away from her.

  “Lorelei.” Just hearing him say her name caused her eyes to moisten with emotion. She missed hearing his voice and the sweet sound of it. In truth, she missed everything about this man.

  “Daniel. I’m surprised to see you here.”

  “I took a chance. I thought I might find you here.”

  Lorelei’s heart was fluttering like crazy. Being so up close and personal to Daniel was incredible, especially since they hadn’t seen each other in days. For Lorelei it felt like months. It was killing her not to be with him. He was the best person she’d ever known.

  “Y-you were looking for me?”

  “Yes. Call me crazy, but I think we have some unfinished business.”

  “We do?” she asked, her heart skittering at the firmness in his voice. What was he talking about? Even though it broke her heart to remember it, she thought she’d made herself clear the other day. They were over.

  “I know why you ended things.”

  Daniel met her gaze head-on without flinching a muscle. Lorelei’s heart sank. What did Daniel think he knew?

  “I know about the parole hearing,” he said. “I know you’re scared. And I think, if I know you like I believe I do, that you’re trying to protect me in the event that the parole hearing doesn’t go your way.” Daniel’s voice sounded like home to Lorelei—comforting and reassuring and filled with love. She took a step backward away from him. He had no idea what James Ellis was capable of, and the fact that he’d managed to send a veiled threat to her from inside prison was indicative of his ability to manipulate and deceive and stalk from behind the walls of a prison. And he had already shown her what he was capable of doing. She couldn’t have Daniel swept up in this madness.

  She held her hand up to ward him off as he came closer to her. “Daniel. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I—”

  Daniel bridged the distance between them. He reached out and gently grasped her by her hands. “Lorelei. I love you. I think I’ve loved you practically from the very first moment we met. Loving you means I can’t walk away from this, not without it destroying me. Because I think you love me too, even though you haven’t said those words to me. I see it, Lorelei. In your eyes. In the way you look at me. In that gorgeous smile of yours. And every time we kiss it’s as if we were meant to be.” Tears pooled in his eyes and Lorelei felt as if her heart was shattering right there on the spot.

  “I can’t believe I’m wrong about this. Because if I am, then maybe I really am destined to be by myself.”

  “No!” she cried out, throwing herself into Daniel’s arms. “You’re not wrong.” She looked up at him, buoyed by the love she saw emanating from his beautiful gray-blue eyes. “I do love you, Daniel. I love you so very much.”

  His arms were encircling her, holding her close. She could feel his heart thumping through his shirt and she wondered if Daniel could hear hers beating as well.

  “Ever since I was informed about the parole hearing I’ve been afraid. And then I met you, Daniel, and you changed my life. I fell head over heels in love with you and your warm, open heart. But at the same time that fear never went away because I knew that my best chance to keep him behind bars was to do the one thing that scares the living breath out of me.” She shivered in his arms. “I want to be brave. I want to go to the parole hearing but I can’t bear to do it. I just don’t have that type of courage. And if he gets out on parole, he’s going to find me again. I just know it. And if he finds out about us he’ll make your life a living hell. I don’t put anything past him.”

  “You never have to protect me, Lorelei. Not ever,” Daniel said in a low voice full of tenderness. “I want to be the one to keep you safe. And I give you my solemn vow to do so. It’s okay to be scared. It happens to all of us from time to time. I know the horror he put you through. But please know that I’m with you every step of this journey. That’s what it means to love someone, Lorelei.”

  Tears ran down Lorelei’s face. “I’ve been so scared. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve been getting letters in the mail and I know they were sent from him. He’s diabolically clever. He probably got someone on the outside to send the letters for him. In one of the letters he made some veiled statement about seeing me soon.” She let out a sob. “I know he’s trying to intimidate me from appearing at the hearing, but he’s also showing me he’s still a threat. Oh, Daniel. I’ve been reliving the torment he put me through. I’ve been having nightmares where I wake up with a knife against my throat. It brings it all back.”

  “Shh. I’ve got you,” Daniel said, cradling her in his arms. “There’s no way I’m going to let Ellis get within ten feet of you. I just found you, Lorelei. You’re more precious to me than rubies. It’s taken me my whole life to find you.” He let go of her and gazed deeply into her eyes. “We’re in this together. I promise I have your back.”

  “Thank you, Daniel. You have no idea how much better I feel with this off my chest. It’s felt as if I’ve had a thousand-pound weight sitting on me. I didn’t want to lie to you, but I honestly felt as if I didn’t have another choice. I’ve never been in love before, but I can tell you Daniel Donahue that I wanted to keep you safe from harm. That was my only objective.”

  He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. The kiss was full of hope and tenderness and the promise of something wonderful to come. Lorelei kissed him back with equal measure, filled with unimaginable joy that Daniel had come to find her and claim her as his woman. She loved this man with every fiber of her being, and she knew that the love they shared would help her fight back against the evil of James Ellis.

  As the kiss ended, Daniel said, “I have an idea about the parole hearing. I know you were told that you had to face Ellis at the hearing. But I’ve been doing some research on the subject. I think there’s a way of making a request to deliver your testimony without him present.”

  “Daniel, I appreciate your looking into it, but from what they told us, it can’t be done. They said a videotaped statement wouldn’t carry the same weight as my being there in person and that his attorney would fight tooth and nail against my making a statement in private.”

  “Actually I think it’s very possible to request to make a statement without him being present. Because your case involved stalking, as well as kidnapping and assault, I think you can make a reasonable case that you shouldn’t have to face the person who victimized you. It would only feed his obsession to see you again. As a victim you have rights.”

  Lorelei let out a deeply held breath. “I-I would definitely attend the hearing if I didn’t have to face him. Can it really be handled that way?”

  “I don’t know for certain, but my attorneys are looking into it as we speak.”

  “You’re incredible,” she gushed. “I feel so blessed to have you in my life.”

  “We’re both blessed, Lorelei. I’m so thankful God pointed us in each other’s direction, knowing both of us were ready to love and be loved.”

  “It means so much to know I have you in my corner.”

  “No matter what happens, we’ll deal with it together. We’re not going to be defeated by treachery and evil. Love triumphs every time.”

  She lifted her face up to him and whispered, “I never knew it until I met you, Daniel. I never imagined a
love like this. Not even in my wildest dreams.”

  Daniel sighed. “I did. But I never thought it would be for the likes of me. Until you, Lorelei. Until you.”

  **

  On the day of the parole hearing, Lorelei walked in to the building with her head held high. Daniel was at her side, along with Olga and Bethany. The parole board had agreed to take her testimony without James Ellis being present, despite objections from his attorney. It made sense, according to Daniel, for his attorney to object to it, since it was all about intimidation of a witness. It was much easier to control things if you could sit there and stare a witness down.

  Lorelei was able to have Daniel present in the room and, although she had written a statement, she decided to speak from the heart. She didn’t need a script to convey to the parole board all of the reasons why her attacker needed to stay in prison for as long as he could be held there. As she ended her speech, Lorelei said, “Nobody deserves to be victimized and held at knifepoint. Nobody deserves that terror and to be under the belief that your life is going to be taken away from you due to someone else’s hate and obsession. He had a choice. I didn’t. My nightmare isn’t over. I still live with it every single day of my life. And through the grace of God and the people who love me, I’m learning to live each day to the fullest. I implore you not to grant parole to James Ellis because I truly believe he would harm someone else.”

  Throughout it all, Daniel was there—holding her hand, praying with her and drying her tears. There was power in stepping out on a limb of faith and doing whatever necessary to make sure her voice was heard. And truly, that’s what it was all about. She was a victim of a crime, and although she couldn’t decide Ellis’s fate, she could certainly weigh in and give her victim impact statement and implore the parole board to do what was right. And she prayed they would.

  Bethany, Olga and Daniel had showered her with praise after the hearing was over. Even though she had been shaking like a leaf the entire time, Lorelei felt triumphant. To celebrate, Daniel and Lorelei had taken Bethany and Olga to the Silver Spoon. Jude and Penelope had been there to share in their triumph. Lorelei felt supported and loved.

  A few days later Lorelei heard from the parole board. There would be no parole granted for James Ellis. Good had triumphed over evil. Lorelei’s happiness was complete. She had faced her fears head-on thanks to Daniel’s wisdom. She had found the love of her life the day she’d met Daniel. Nothing else mattered to Lorelei but loving him and supporting him in all facets of his life. She knew without a shadow of a doubt Daniel would return her love purely and without a shred of selfishness in his heart.

  Lorelei felt incredibly blessed! Suddenly, all the shadows were gone. The future looked as radiant as a summer day in Pelican Bay.

  EPILOGUE:

  Micah and Faith’s wedding day dawned with a rain shower, followed by blue skies and a brilliant sun shining down upon Pelican Bay. Lorelei arrived at the church by herself. Since Daniel was one of the groomsmen, he had been scheduled to arrive early along with his brothers and the honorary groomswoman, Shayla. Lorelei smiled at the thought of what Shayla would wear walking down the aisle. She wouldn’t be surprised if she sported a female tuxedo. Either way she would look gorgeous.

  Lorelei walked up the church steps and let out a sigh as she walked inside. All of the pews were beautifully decorated with white bows with pink flowers. It was simple yet beautiful and it reminded her so much of the bride. Faith was a humble and sweet-natured woman who would make Micah a wonderful wife. And he in turn would be a devoted, loving husband. Lorelei felt so overjoyed to be a part of this magnificent day and to be Daniel’s date, as well as a part of the Donahue family. They had welcomed her with open arms and told her that based on Daniel’s love for her, she was now an official part of their family.

  Because of her own family’s deficits, hearing those words had made Lorelei the happiest woman on earth. In the past weeks she had grown closer to the Donahue brood. They had gone to church together, prayed together, cooked out as a family and supported Parker in his recovery. And they had easily forgiven her for breaking up with Daniel once she’d explained her reasons for doing so. She couldn’t imagine her life without all of them. It would be like going back to a vanilla world when at the moment she had thirty flavors of wonderful.

  Daniel was standing at the front of the church with Micah and the rest of the groomsmen, along with Shayla, who was wearing a beautiful sleeveless black tuxedo dress. The moment Daniel spotted her he came walking down the aisle with a brilliant smile etched on his face. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a blue cummerbund. He looked absolutely divine. Dashing!

  “You look amazing,” Daniel said. “You know blue is my favorite color.”

  “I do know that,” she said with a smile. “It could be why I’m wearing it.”

  He nodded his head as he gave her an approving look. “I really want to kiss you, but I don’t want to upstage the bride and groom.”

  She chuckled. “I don’t think that’s possible. Micah and Faith are going to shine today. I’m so thrilled to be a part of their special day.”

  He held out his arm to her and said, “May I escort you to your seat?”

  “Absolutely.” She looped her arm through his, knowing she was the luckiest girl in all the world to be on Daniel’s arm. And the way he was looking at her lifted her up to the stratosphere. His love for her was palpable. She could see it radiating from him like a beacon.

  “There’s no bride side or groom side. Faith and Micah didn’t want any distinctions made. It’s not his side or her side, it’s their side. They said that all of their guests are going to be witnesses to their marriage and there can’t be any sides.”

  “I think that’s perfect,” Lorelei said, overwhelmed by what Faith and Micah shared. It had inspired her to love with all her heart and soul. Knowing Faith’s back story made their love even more meaningful. Micah belonged to the modeling world and Lorelei knew more than anyone that their profession could be shallow. Faith’s burn scars had held her back in many ways until Micah’s love and her own convictions set her free from those chains.

  In truth, Daniel’s entire family had shown her love in the most beautiful way imaginable. Addie and Caleb loved each other so much and they were stalwart and faithful in their hopes for their cherished baby. Parker and Cadence had been put through the ringer throughout their relationship, and with Parker’s recent accident, they had shown that their love was through sickness and in health, till death do us part. Bella and Heath were so over the moon in love and cherishing their baby girl, Chelsea. She knew Jason, Nash and Shayla would also find their happily ever afters. She had a feeling Shayla was already in love with Micah’s best friend, Rafferty. There was just something about the way Shayla looked at him as if he’d hung the moon. Lorelei hadn’t said a word about her suspicions to Daniel. There were just certain things that fell under the girl code. And she wasn’t going to rat Shayla out to Daniel or any of his brothers. She had the feeling Rafferty had no clue about Shayla’s feelings. Sadly, he seemed to regard her like a sister. And from what Faith had told her, he was still broken up about the end of his engagement to Faith’s cousin, Pamela.

  Lorelei felt incredibly inspired by Penelope and Jude. They still loved one another and were doing the hard work to repair their marriage and reconcile. Parker’s accident had brought them back together and they were trying to get back on track. Above all else, Lorelei had found the love of her life in Daniel, the sweetest, smartest, most loyal man in the world. Lorelei had no doubt their future was together. Frankly, nothing else made sense to her.

  Lorelei couldn’t help but notice the abundance of children at the ceremony. She thought it was sweet that Faith had invited her entire classroom to be guests at the church.

  When the ceremony began, Lorelei watched with tears in her eyes as Faith, escorted by Jude, walked down the aisle toward the man of her dreams. Faith walked toward Micah with such conviction it made Lorelei t
ear up. And the emotion etched on Micah’s face as he awaited his bride was heartwarming.

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the church.

  When the ceremony ended, Daniel walked out of the church with her, his hand entwined with hers. He had such a steady, loving presence. For the first time in her life, Lorelei felt surrounded by love. Everyone waved and cheered as Micah and Faith drove away in a vintage white Rolls Royce. They were heading to an estate overlooking the beautiful waters of Pelican Bay where the reception would take place.

  As Lorelei and Daniel set off in his convertible, Daniel suggested they take a short detour along the scenic route.

  “Shouldn’t we head straight to the reception?” Lorelei asked, worrying about being late.

  “Daniel and Lorelei are going to be taking pictures for at least a half an hour of just the two of them. I think we’re good.”

  “Okay. Sounds great. You know I love driving along the scenic route with the wind blowing in my hair.” It was nice, she thought, to be riding with her guy along this beautiful stretch of road.

  Daniel turned toward her and flashed her a brilliant smile. The look on his face seemed a bit mysterious, as if he had a secret no one else knew.

  A few minutes later Daniel slowed the car down. There was a sign at the side of the road. For all the years I dreamed of being loved.

  He kept driving down the road until another sign popped up. I now know you were the answer to all of my prayers.

  Goosebumps popped up on Lorelei’s arms. “Daniel. Do you think these signs are for Micah and Faith?”

  He shrugged and kept smiling.

  Two seconds later, another sign. You are more precious than rubies.

  Lorelei sighed. It was her favorite verse from Proverbs. She sensed a man had set up these signs. Whoever he was in love with was a very special and fortunate woman.

  A half mile down the road there was another sign. Come away with me and be my bride.