Save The Date

by K. S. Thomas

  I hadn’t expected that.

  “Did you just call me an asshole?”

  “Did you just act like one? You almost died, Emerson. You fell down a freaking mountain. I saved your life, by the way. Just ask Officer Grayson, he’ll tell you all about it. I’m like your own personal Wonder Woman now. So, you’re like, indebted to me. I have big plans to collect, my friend.”

  I chuckled and it sent a pain through my side. “Shit. Don’t make me laugh, Liss.”

  “Then don’t make me cry.” Her face had turned serious in the blink of an eye.

  “I never meant to make you cry. You have to know that.” Now I was about to lose it. Walking away from Lissy had been the hardest damn thing I’d ever done in my life. And I knew, I fucking knew, there was no way I’d be able to do it a second time.

  “I do know. That’s why I’m going to forgive you. This time. Thing is, Emerson, we don’t choose our soul mates. We don’t choose who they are or when they show up in our lives. We don’t choose the circumstances or the setting. It just happens. The only choice we have is whether we acknowledge it or not, and if it’s worth the fight.” She was looking down at her own hands. “Noonie Skeeter told me that a while back and I didn’t really understand it. Then, when it finally made sense to me, I thought maybe you didn’t understand it. But now, now I get it. I really get it. We both acknowledged it. And we both decided it was worth the fight. Only problem is, we have very different ways of fighting. You, selfless hero slash martyr that you are, would risk falling off of a mountain to set those you love free. While I, hopeless romantic as it turns out I am, will stand on the edge of that mountain and wait against all odds, even when there are no signs indicating that you will ever return.”

  She lifted her gaze, tears in her eyes, but a smile forging its way through all of the hurt. “In any event, your way will result in one of two ways. One, you stay down there, buried in the rubble on the side of that mountain. You die and we both lose. Or, two, which I find more favorable, you climb your way back up to the top where I’m still waiting. I win, but you still lose.” She was leaning in over me, getting closer to my face, her lips lingering near mine in a way that made it hard for me to think.

  “So, the way I figure, if you’re going to lose either way you might as well just let me win.” And she was kissing me. Softly at first, until I reached up and pressed her to me hard. Taking her with my mouth, wrapping those long strands of soft silky hair around my hands and easing the ache that had ripped at me ever since I’d held her last. How had I ever thought that I could live without this? That I could live without her? Liss was right. My way had me losing either way. It was time to let her win.

  Chapter 15

  Six months after the accident and my world was never the same. Starting with my mother, who hadn’t waited long to announce she and Jake Rimmel had finally eloped. By some strange turn of events, Poppy had been the first to congratulate them. Personally, I think Noonie Skeeter had made him do it, but either way, the path had been cleared for Emerson and me. Which made things that much easier for him to move forward in taking over Burke’s position, once he was able to come back to work. A promotion he was given in spite of Burke’s warning to the contrary.

  In the meantime, my mother and I had decided it was time for Luvalle Weddings to branch out. Jack found himself suddenly bumped up into a position of power which he gladly embraced as the new head of the Manhattan office, while Steph opted to come along on our new adventure and open the new Lexington Location with us. I told myself that it was because of all my awesomeness, but even I knew I was lying to myself. It didn’t have shit to do with me. It was all about the Blake.

  My plans for creating my own line were still moving full steam ahead and I was loving the theme. It had a whole country meets fairy tale vibe happening. I blamed Savannah for this. She was more than happy to take the credit, while Tori had accepted the move to Kentucky on the one condition that she would get first choice once the collection was finished.

  Even though our new shop was coming along splendidly and came fully equipped with a design study for me to work in, I was finding that all of my best creations were happening out at Ashcraft farms, usually sitting up on some stack of hay bales or an overturned wheel barrow where I could easily glance up and see Emerson working with the horses and doing what he did best.

  Today, I had set up shop on a barrel filled with alfalfa cubes. Jake had delivered a whole load of them just that morning and I had found a stray still out in the aisle waiting to be moved into the feed room. It had been perfectly located in the entrance of the barn, providing an excellent view, as well as a perfect combination of light for work and shade for staying cool. Naturally, I had climbed right up, crossed my legs Indian style and started sketching away on my notepad.

  I was so engulfed in the dress I was working on, I didn’t even see Emerson walking up.

  “Hey. Staring contest. Go.”

  I smiled, locking eyes with him. “You know, I’m much better at these now than I was back then.”

  “Oh yeah?” He took a step closer, maintaining his stare.

  “Definitely. You’re going down mister.” Without breaking my gaze, I reached up to grab a handful of his shirt and tugged him in toward me. Then, when he was close enough, I playfully flicked my tongue over his soft lips. He was a goner. His eyes closed as he sunk into my lips, kissing me deeply and wrapping both arms around me.

  When he broke away several long minutes later, he grinned sheepishly.

  “I win,” I teased still holding him close by his shirt.

  “I guess that means you get a prize.”

  I watched as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a card.

  “What’s this?” My fingers trembled as I touched the envelope. This scene had played out once before between us. Only the roles had been reversed. Surely that wasn’t by coincidence.

  Slowly, I slid my finger under the flap of the envelope and flipped it open. A single paged card was inside. The letters SAVE THE DATE boldly on display before I even took it out. I swallowed hard and carefully retrieved the card. It was the one I’d given him over seventeen years ago.

  “You kept it? All this time?”

  “I wasn’t supposed to forget.” He reached over and took my hand, the one holding the card. Then, he gently turned it over. My eyes went wide at the sight. There was ring taped to the back of it.

  Speechless, I watched as Emerson removed it.

  “Seems that knowing the Ashcraft family has been shaping my life in different ways for as long as I can remember, Liss. They saved me from being homeless as a child. They gave me a best friend who’s been like a brother to me. Then, when I grew up to be a man, they led me to my passion, the thing I’ll do for the rest of my life. For a long time I was certain nothing else could ever trump those gifts that they’d given me. Except, as it turns out, something else already had. Years ago, at the lake house.”

  He slid the ring onto my finger and held it tight in place. “Feels like I’ve damn near lost you about a hundred times already, Liss. What do you say, we put a stop to that pattern?”

  “Emerson Barrett, are you asking me to save the date…of our wedding?”

  “I am. Calista Luvalle, will you marry me?”

  Like there was ever any question.

  Epilogue

  Exactly nineteen years after I’d drawn up my first wedding dress, I was actually wearing one. The top was an ivory strapless sweetheart neckline made completely out of lace and paired with a full length, tiered a-line skirt. It had a delicate beaded belt at the waist and was completed with a chapel train. It was also entirely inspired by the crayon colored design I’d found stuffed away in my old scrapbook from that fateful summer at the lake house.

  “You know, I think that may be the most beautiful gown you’ve ever designed.” Steph was standing behind me, cinching up the corset. “You going to add it to the fall collection?”

  It’d be the second year sinc
e I started selling my own collection. In that short time, a handful of high-end boutiques had already picked up several of the designs and I had even shown at Bridal Fashion week in the previous spring. Something I mentioned to Poppy more than once, just in case he had any lingering doubts about my relationship with Emerson and whether it was holding me back in any way.

  I stepped out in front of the mirror to get another look at the dress. Not that I hadn’t paraded around in it plenty already. There had been several days when I had left it on from morning until night, just because I could and it was so freaking pretty.

  “It would go nicely with the rest of the dresses we have picked out for the line.” I held up the skirt in each hand and gently swayed back in forth letting the tulle make that swishing sound I liked so much. “Speaking of pretty dresses. When am I going to get to make one for you?”

  “When I have a need for one,” she said, slyly avoiding my gaze.

  “What, you two can’t set a date?”

  Steph looked up abruptly, then studied my face for a moment, probably trying to determine if I knew. And I did. She and Blake had gone away on a long weekend getaway to Cancun just last month. When she returned to work the following Tuesday I couldn’t help but notice she had a rather unusual tan line on one of her fingers. And since the ring was absent but Blake wasn’t, I concluded she was waiting until after my wedding to tell me about it. Afraid to steal my bridal thunder or something. Meanwhile, I hadn’t wanted to deny her the moment of making the grand announcement. Until now apparently, since the words had just sort of slipped right out.

  “How long have you known?”

  “When did you get back from Cancun?” I laughed. “Seriously Steph. People flash me their ring fingers on a daily basis. I’m like programmed now. Forget making eye contact with people. I’m looking at their hands. And you can’t go around rocking a ring tan line and think it will go unnoticed.”

  She grinned sheepishly. “So, you want to see it?”

  “Obviously!” I went and huddled beside her as she retrieved a sparkling ring from her purse and slid it onto her finger. “Ooh, it’s gorgeous.”

  “I know!” Steph giggled and it was almost the girly kind. Apparently being extra giddy could bring that out in all of us.

  “So, back to your dress.”

  She glanced over at the fluff of white shrouding my entire body. “We’ll talk after you get back from your honeymoon. That will give us plenty of time to get all the details worked out before winter.”

  “The lake house will look amazing all covered in snow.” I winked at her as I made my way back to the mirror for one last glance. If we kept it up, this place would be better known for its weddings than the family reunions.

  There was a knock on the door and my mother walked in with Tori in tow.

  “What is the hold up in here? I’ve got an antsy groom standing out on a dock thinking about jumping if you don’t show up to marry him soon.”

  Tori squeezed past her into the room. “No worries. I’ve got Spence and Blake blocking the water. In the meantime, look at you!”

  I twirled around bringing to life my inner six year old. “Not bad for someone you thought was never getting married, huh?”

  She dismissed it with a wave. “What did I know? Besides. If I had known there was an Emerson out here waiting for you, I never would have bothered with the Tylers, the Jasons or the Prestons of Manhattan. It’s clear to me now why none of them ever stuck.” She gasped. “You know Hallmark should totally make a movie about you two.”

  I reached out and hugged her close. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure they already did that. A few times.”

  With my mother rushing everyone along, we finally made our way downstairs and out back to the water where everyone else was already gathered.

  The wedding was small. Only Poppy and Noonie Skeeter were in attendance in addition to Jake, my mother’s date. My father had of course been invited, but seen to it to politely decline due to a conflict in his schedule. I had expected as much and had finally reached a place in my life where I was actually relieved to know that he wouldn’t be there. He’d been so removed from my life for so long, it would have taken away from the intimate experience to have a stranger in our midst. Sounds sad, but it was true, and more importantly, I felt content with it.

  With Tori and Steph leading the way, my mother took my hand, and together we made the long walk down to the end of the dock. The same place my relationship with Emerson had first been cemented a million years ago with nothing more than a bit of faith and a fishing pole.

  Standing there in his classic black tux, with his hands nervously swaying at his sides and a smile from ear to ear, I knew I was marrying the most handsome man I’d ever meet. And while part of me had worried that making this walk down the aisle would scare me, that the enormity of the gesture and the unyielding power of the promise I was meant to make to him would have me itching to escape, I had never felt more at ease. More confident.

  All the things I’d always thought I feared the most, were floating off into oblivion as I walked along the dock to the boy who had always held my hand and now would always hold my heart.

  Ten years later

  “Mama? Who is this?” Emmalyn was holding the picture frame in her sweet chubby little hands looking down at it with her tiny brows fixed in a confused scrunch.

  “You can’t tell?” I tapped the glass slightly with my fingertip. “That’s me and Daddy.”

  She gazed up at me. “It is?”

  I nodded. “Absolutely.” I took the frame from her and led her over to the kitchen table where I had a glass of milk and a plate of cookies already waiting for us. “Did I ever tell you that Mommy and Daddy met right here, at the lake house?”

  Her eyes grew wide. “No.”

  “We sure did.” I smiled.

  “Mama, how did you know that you wanted to marry Daddy?”

  I laughed, thinking about little Michael Hatcher and how much Emmalyn had followed him around last week when Blake and Steph had joined us here.

  “Well, thing is, baby, until I was six, I was fairly certain I would grow up to marry Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid. Then came the first summer that your Ne-ma Sophie brought me out here to the family lake house which was when I first met Daddy. After that, Prince Eric was history.”

  The end.

  Author K.S. Thomas

  Dog Lover who likes her pastries full of cream and sugar….oh…and I write some

  Aside from being an author, I am also a mom to a beautiful little girl. I tell everyone I named her after my great-grandmother (because that’s the mature answer), but really, I named her after my favorite princess – just so happens I got lucky and they had the same name…If I wasn’t a writer, I would work on a horse ranch – I’m an animal lover (in addition to dogs, horses are at the top of my list). I wear flip-flops pretty much everywhere I go. I would rather stay awake until 5 am than get up at 5 am (years of bar tending have left their mark), if I can, I’m going to the beach AND I will always be nice to people who bring me chocolate…or coffee…if you bring me both, I’ll probably love you forever.

  A gypsy at heart, I write the way I live, following the story wherever it may lead, always ready to start the next one. This is clearly reflected in my body of work which to date includes everything from Children’s Lit to Thrillers.

  I happily reside in sunny Florida (for now) and can be contacted via my blog, my website or the following social media sites ~

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/friedgatortail

  Twitter: @friedgatortail

  Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/friedgatortail

  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/friedgatortail/

  Sign Up for New Release Announcements - http://friedgatortail.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=77b458781cc84860356fc54bb&id=840655c520

  Books by K.S. Thomas include ~

  I Call Him Brady

  Salty

  Country Girls

  Blood Bound<
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  Drive

  This Christmas

  Lucky In Love

  Getting Lucky (A Lucky Novella)

  The Final Descendants And The Well Of Wishes Lost (Book One)

  Upcoming Releases For 2014

  Lost Avalon

  Fame, fortune and a future paved with rock and roll gold. Blaise Nolan has it all. With his brooding good looks, haunting voice and troubled lyrics of a soul gone lost, it's no wonder Finding Nolan has been climbing the music charts with back to back hits. Only Blaise didn't wind up brooding, haunted and lost by accident...

  Avalon Jennison has been the girl next door since she was five. The best friend since she was eight. The band manager since she was sixteen and the keeper of his secrets always. Ava's been there every step of the way, helping him live his dreams and keeping his nightmares at bay. But the years of putting Blaise's needs above her own are about to be over.

  Everyone is about to find out what she has always known: There's no Finding Nolan without Avalon.

  Unhurt

  Joss Kelley’s life has never been easy, but these days she’s quite confident when it comes to rolling with the punches. No matter who’s throwing them. So when her son’s father shows up out of the blue threatening to take him, Joss stops at nothing to sway the judge in her favor. Even if it means making impromptu marriage proposals to random strangers she finds sitting in her brother’s bar.

  After 9/11 Derek Tice knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. Until six months ago when he was honorably discharged after spending thirteen years as a Navy Seal. Now, with no more operations to plan or missions to complete, he’s feeling strangely lost and useless. Since going back is not an option, he has no choice but to find a new worthy cause he can dedicate his life to.