A Promise Broken

by Anissa Garcia

  The conviction in her voice made me smile as I cupped her cheek. “God, what am I gonna do with you, kid?”

  “Love me forever?” She batted her eyelashes and smiled at me. “You’d better, because I can’t imagine the shitsized loan you took out for this rock.”

  “I had some money saved.” I hugged her to me as the sun sank over the horizon.

  “I’m gonna be Mrs. Zachary Connor Collins,” she sighed. “I almost can’t believe it.”

  My nose burrowed into her hair as I kissed her temple and breathed a prayer of gratitude. “I can.” I paused, my cheek pressed to her head. “I knew I was going to marry you since the day you arrived from Europe.”

  She grinned. “I knew I was going to marry you since the day you gave me my first kiss.”

  I jerked my head back to look at her. “The night at the bar last year?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K. I said I was afraid of dying before being kissed. You kissed me on the cheek.”

  My memory of that birthday came back. “Shit, I remember that!” I took a second. “But…that was a kiss on the cheek. It didn’t count.”

  “It counted to me.” She smiled. How had I never realized her crush on me? “I told you I waited for you for a long time. You’re finally mine.”

  “I’m yours,” I said with a satisfied heart. “And you’re mine.”

  · hilary ·

  Six Months Later

  ZACH OPENED THE car door for me, and I stepped out, gazing over the secluded home we’d pulled up to.

  “What is this place?” I asked, twirling the wedding band around my finger.

  Zach grabbed my hand in his and kissed it. “Come on, Mrs. Collins. Let’s find out.”

  I smiled at the name. I couldn’t get used to the fact that I was a married woman. The wedding happened quickly. We wanted something small, intimate for our close family members. We didn’t need gossips and people who didn’t matter at an event that was personal. Our ceremony and reception were simple, although Zach offered extravagance. It didn’t matter to me. I cared more about the honeymoon. We flew to New Zealand, and it was amazing. Zach was a huge Lord of the Rings nerd, so it was fun to see him geek out.

  We’d decided to stay in the same townhome in Austin until Zach figured out what to work toward next. Despite only being open half a year, Roots was a huge success, and it was growing in popularity. He was looking at expanding Roots to another location in North Austin.

  Word got out about my photography skills, and I was happy to travel to locations when needed for photoshoots. It all began when I sold some of my actor portraits to magazines. Ben Taylor’s photos were in high demand after his announcement that he was taking a role as a larger-than-life superhero. He was the new A-lister in high demand. Renee moved with him to Los Angeles. He asked, and she was happy to do it, but she still kept her home in Austin. Her blog was still a hit. Meanwhile, I hired contributors for my blog as photography became my primary focus.

  Although the honeymoon phase was technically over, I still felt on cloud nine. I wasn’t sure that feeling would ever go away. I watched my handsome husband open a Romanesque-inspired door that led into a gorgeous courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard were large oak trees, and off to the side, a trickling water fountain. The area was quiet, and the magic hour was beginning, with the sun starting to sink into the horizon.

  “Zach, whose house is this?”

  He didn’t answer, but led me around the back to a huge wooden deck that overlooked the lake. A wood-burning, stone fire pit was lit, and benches sat near it. Right behind the house, with large glass windows, was a huge pool and spa. A private boat dock was on the other side.

  “Let’s sit,” Zach said, pulling me onto his lap as he sank onto a bench. The fire was warm. Winters in Texas weren’t nearly as cold as Boston winters, but I still felt chilly. Zach wrapped his arms around me. “What do you think?”

  “Of what?”

  He gazed up at me with those beautiful green eyes. “This house.”

  I looked around. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Enough to live in?” He smiled at me with a boyish grin.

  I laughed. “You’re so damn cute, Collins.” I kissed his pliant lips. “Let me guess, this is Evan’s new home?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Our new home.”

  I gasped. “What did you do?” He laughed as I stood. “Zachary, what is this?”

  “Surprise gift?” I said nothing. His smile faded, and he looked as worried as I felt. “You don’t like it.”

  “How the hell can we afford this, Zach? Did Evan give you another loan? A house like this is worth…a couple million, at least.”

  “Remember that little trust fund?” My eyebrows rose up in shock, and he nodded. “I decided to dip into it.”

  “Little?”

  He shrugged and pulled out some keys from his pocket. “Okay, not so little. It’s actually really big. Like…really, really big.”

  My mouth hung open. “Not only is my husband hot but he’s rich, too? What did I do to deserve you?”

  He laughed. “Just wait, you’ll get sick of me and then say that very differently.”

  “Doubtful.” I shook my head and glanced around in awe. The house was stunning. “A mansion on Lake Austin. Nice move, bud.”

  “Josh convinced me I’d earned it.” He grabbed my hand and led me up the cobblestone steps toward the house. “He was right. It was time to stop allowing my past hurts to have power over my future.” I agreed as he wrapped his arms around me. “Let’s look inside.”

  I leaned into him as we walked toward the house. He was so excited to show me everything. He had planned it all out before we’d left on our trip. I loved the way he explained things to me in detail. He was so animated and full of passion, and I loved seeing him like that. He was creative, bright, warm, funny, loving, but he was also inspiring. He was the best man I knew.

  We strolled into the living area, and I took in the space around me. On the brick wall above the fireplace was a huge photograph of a sunset. Different from the small photo he had framed in his room.

  I drew in for a closer look and smiled. “I took this one in Spain. On the Mediterranean.”

  Zach stood beside me and hummed. “Yeah, this one was hanging in my bedroom back home.”

  I gazed up at him, grateful for his appreciation of my work. “Thank you. For this house…for loving me for me.”

  “It’s pretty easy to do, sweetheart.” He winked at me.

  After looking around the new house and making love in the kitchen, we went back outside with picnic food. “Today is your birthday, and you bought me a house,” I said as we sat and awaited the fireworks. “Shouldn’t I be the one getting you a gift?”

  He shifted behind me, and I sat between his legs, leaning my back on his chest. “You are my gift.”

  He kissed my temple, and I smiled, twisting my hands in his. “Who knew you were such a romantic?”

  “Shit, I didn’t even know.”

  Soft music played from the speaker system installed. Midnight was right around the corner. Bright pops of fireworks zoomed in the air.

  “Happy New Year, kid.” He leaned over to kiss me.

  When we parted, I turned my whole body to face his. “Happy Birthday, Daddy.”

  His upturned lips straightened, his puppy dog eyes widened, and he stayed frozen while fireworks shot off in the background. “What?”

  I took his hand and kissed it. “You’re going to be a dad, Zach.”

  His large eyes filled with tears, and he choked over his words. “I— You’re…”

  He looked down, avoiding my gaze. I scooted closer to him, braced his neck with my palm, and pulled up his chin. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  He puffed air from his lungs and shook his head. When he finally looked at me, it was with a large smile on his face and tears rolling down his cheeks. His shaky voice broke through. “That’s the second best gift I
’ve ever been given.”

  We both laughed through our tears, and wiped them gently off each other’s cheeks. He leaned in and hugged me. “I promise I’m going to be the best father to that little girl.”

  I leaned back and tilted my head. “Girl?”

  “Yeah, it’s a girl. She’ll have blond hair like you, green eyes like me.”

  I nodded, a grin plastered on my face. “Did she tell you her name, too? I mean, since you already seem to know all of this?”

  He pressed his lips together in thought. “Hilary 2?” I laughed and leaned against him again as he wrapped blankets around me. “Becca,” he stated. “I wanna name her Rebecca. After Mom.”

  “That’s a great idea,” I whispered.

  People broke so many promises—to themselves and to others. They never took their words to heart. My husband knew the importance of making and keeping his word. Zach took care of me, honored me, and respected me. He truly loved me, healed my heart, put me back together. He’d broken a promise—but in breaking it he created a newer, stronger bond. It was a promise that made us more than family. It made us forever.

  THE END

  Sneek Peek

  Why was I sweating? I knew this day was approaching. I’d planned on it for some time. Grace Lynn Clark was my woman. I couldn’t imagine life without her. I was ready. I had been ready since the moment I met her. But what if she wasn’t ready yet? Every time the subject was brought up, she freaked out. I needed to make sure she was in the right headspace. I needed to show her that marriage wasn’t a bad thing. This all had to be perfect. And it started here.

  I stared at my phone and hovered my finger over her name. I’d been meaning to call, but every time I went for it something stopped me. Today, the only thing holding me back was myself. I took a deep breath, pressed her name, and listened to the ringtone. My leg bobbed up and down, my hands were clammy. Come on, pick up. Please, pick up.

  “Hello?” The voice was filled with curiosity.

  “Hey, Marla.”

  “Hi.”

  She lingered quietly on the other end, waiting for me to say something. Nobody knew my Gracie better than her best friends. I was counting on them.

  “I need your help…”

  She chuckled. “It’s about damn time, Matthews.”

  A PROMISE FOREVER

  A Novella

  Coming Soon

  Acknowledgements

  I’ve learned so much with each book I’ve written, and I’m looking forward to applying the knowledge I’ve gained with each book to come. I can only do that with the help of awesome people around me. To my amazing family and friends (The Bizzys), thank you for all your love and support. Marla Bazan, thank you for staying on the phone with me for hours and helping me work through my plots and crazy ideas. Melissa Rheinlander, Danielle Sanchez, and Julie Kenner, you brilliantly talented and smart women make me want to be better at what I do. Thank you to Dani and Kari at Barclay PR for all you’ve done for me. Thanks again to my awesome betas, Stephanie Sanders and Natasha Lewis. Chelle Olsen, thank you for taking me on, and making me sound so good. Regina Wamba, thank you again for a fantastic cover. Erin Bradley, thank you for an amazing website! My Garcia sister—Alyssa, thank you so much for formatting my book! To the authors and publicists out there who are so supportive—you all are what makes this industry a pleasure to be a part of. To the amazing readers and bloggers—I’m nowhere without that support. A special thank you to Anissa’s Aces for hanging with me and posting hotties to ogle for inspiration. Thank you for the love!

  Last, but not least, to the makers of Halo Protein Ice Cream for helping me through many stressful nights without the guilt of packing on the pounds.

  About the Author

  Anissa Garcia earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communications and English. She held an array of jobs including Public Relations Manager for Barnes and Noble. Wanting a change of pace, she attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and trained full-time in theatre for two years. After working in Hollywood as an actress and casting assistant, she relocated to Austin, Texas and began writing freelance for Cosmopolitan and other publications. When not writing stories, watching movies, or drinking a latte, she loves to daydream about romantic fictional men.

  A Promise Kept, A Promise Made and A Promise Ignited are available now.

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