Impulses (88 page)
“Finally––” Hayden murmurs overstatedly over the applause. And with his hand at the small of my back, and his other on the side of my face, he seals his lips over mine and bestows me our first kiss as husband and wife.
After we pull away, Matt and Jessie hands us both a small box; one tied with a white ribbon, and the other with a red ribbon.
As the applause dies down, everyone stands.
“We wanted to mark today, not only as a uniting, but as an honoring for our daughter, to who would have been entering this world today. We ask of you to join us in her memory,” Hayden proclaims. I smile up at him as we both hold our boxes in our hands.
We simultaneously unravel the satin ribbons.
“We release these for hope,” I declare clearly.
“For joy,” Hayden adds.
I peer up at his gorgeous face, and into his rich and eloquent eyes. We mirror each other as our lips curl into a heartened smile.
“And rebirth, for our daughter––our, Rose.”
Slowly and carefully removing the lids off each other’s boxes, a mass of butterflies in an array of colors free themselves from their containment, their wings beating rapidly and elegantly as they circle around us, looking like wispy petals soaring peacefully along the cool summer breeze before flying overhead to the Bay behind us.
As the butterflies soar, the applause begins again. Canon in D echoes around us. I slip my hand in Hayden’s.
“Shall we, Mrs Wentworth?” He gestures to the aisle in front of us.
“Of, course, Mr. Wentworth.”
Standing in front of our wedding cake, I am enraptured by the simplicity of the three-tier masterpiece. With two shades of pink roses and lacy-white butterflies that are situated upon them, it truly is remarkable.
I release a wistful sigh,
Happy Birthday, Rose.
“Hey, sweetie,” Jessie interrupts my musings. She stands with her arm snaked around Matt’s back.
“Hey,” I whisper.
Letting her arm slip away from her boyfriend’s body, she folds me in one of her famously, lung-crippling embraces.
“It was beautiful, Sammy.” She pulls away and holds me steadily at arm’s length, her green eyes sparkling. “You did it. You got married.”
The glinting emitted from my wedding band secures my attention. “It still hasn’t begun to sink in yet, it kind of feels like a dream,” I wince and deflect my focus onto the flooring. “I’m expecting to wake up soon.”
“Well, when you wake-up, your husband will be right beside you,” she smirks, arching her brow in an, I-know-what-you-will-be-doing-all-night look.
“Thank you, Jess…for your continuous pep-talks, for your kicks up the backside, for pushing Hayden and I together…and for your understanding over the years.”
She points her finger and tightens her eyes at me. “And I will continue with the pep-talks if I feel, or if your husband feels that you need one.” I giggle with unconcealed mirth at her stern expression. “You may be married now, Mrs Wentworth, but don’t think you got rid of me that easily.” And her words inundate me with an invigorating sense of relief. “Come on, let’s go and find your husband.”
After the speeches and the sit-down banquet in the dining room, we are led into the ballroom. The band looks relaxed and contented upon the podium along the back wall, the dance floor ahead of them.
The female lead grasps the microphone stand. “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs Wentworth.”
Catcalls, whistles, and applause ricochet around the room as Hayden wraps his arm around me and presses me to his side. Tilting my head back, I look up at him, and meld our lips together.
“There they are”––she gestures towards us with a wave of her hand––“and we welcome them in their first dance together as husband and wife.”
Escorting me to the floor, my skin tingles as he splays his left hand on the small of my back, and clutches my left hand in his. The cords of the acoustic guitar reverberates, and in each other’s embrace, the cocoon that we always find ourselves in begins to build around us as we sway melodically.
I rest my cheek against my husband’s chest.
“Are you, okay, Mrs Wentworth?” he questions on a sigh, and the combination of his hands and his body against mine, his intoxicating, masculine scent and the hum of his deep, husky voice sends me spiraling and clenching in all the desired places.
“I was just thinking––”
“Of?” he probes.
Inhaling, I remove my head from his chest and gaze longingly into his entrancing eyes, as we continue to sway. I debate whether to tell him of Addison’s unwelcomed appearance, but I think better of it. She knows where she stands. I made myself perfectly clear. Today is about our future, I am not going to taint it with the past…not again.
“Of how far we’ve come, how much you’ve had to tolerate where I’m concerned.” I smile. “Thank you for your patience, Hayden.”
He bows his head, and presses his brow on mine. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away,” he softly mouths the lyrics of our song, and I feel his conviction behind the words.
“What’s next?” I whisper, my voice cracking.
He guides my hand to his mouth, and kisses the wedding band adorning my finger before holding it against his chest.
“Next…? Oh, Mrs Wentworth,” his eyes shine with an accumulation of unfathomable emotions, his lips quirk and his luscious chocolate curl falls in that sexy way onto his brow as he holds me with his hypnotic, penetrating gaze. “We have the rest of our lives to decide on the answer to that question.”
Shifting minutely, our lips unite, and it’s a kiss that is brimming with sentient that makes my heart beat with painful rapidity. My stomach rolls, the butterflies spread their wings, and my body trembles as my husband fluidly works his lips against mine.
Grudgingly withdrawing, I snuggle against his chest once more. I feel him resting his chin on the top of my head, and I feel his heart beating against my cheek. I smile blissfully as I consider the hesitancy I felt at the beginning of our journey, unearthing deeply-rooted feelings towards him and falling for him hard and heavy. The misunderstandings, the trials and tribulations we faced as obstacles were placed along our path, the fears, the heartaches…and where we are now, stronger and more in love than I ever deemed possible. My fairytale ending.
We fought to have what we have. We fought to be what we wanted to be. We fought to save each other. To move on and live for the future, and in loving one another, we were gifted with strength and courage.
As the song comes to a close, I gaze back up at my husband, the world and everyone in it dissipating like they always have done when I am in Hayden’s arms.
It’s just Hayden, me, our love, desire, loyalty and respect for each other. And in this moment, I hold one certainty…regardless of any hindrance that is placed in our way, regardless of whatever life throws at us, as long as we have each other, we will prevail...and it will take our strength as a couple to another level.
Together, we have no past. No secrets. No demons.
Just the way it should be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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2012 was by far a good year for me. I was in a terrible place in my life, and was struggling to cope with everything which seemed to be going from bad to worse. The only thing that helped me cope at that point in time was being engrossed in the realms of fiction, escaping into the worlds that the amazingly talented authors of today have offered us.
Some would say that in doing that, I made myself worse, but if anything, it drove me to challenge myself, and attempt something that I had been terrified of doing for so long. I began to write. And at times when I felt myself slipping again, I was advised to throw myself back in, and continue. So I did.
Writing Impulses was most probably, one of the best things I ever did. It’s a story which, to me, holds a big place in my heart. I grew as a person; I was able to rehash recollections that I didn’t necessarily want to. I was able to see things from different perspectives, and in doing that, I was gifted with an understanding which I often disregarded. Bridges were built, my shoulders were lighter, and I had freed up a lot of space in my mind to remember what life is truly all about.
I hope you enjoyed Samantha and Hayden’s story, but in case you didn’t, and if there were things which I had overseen before publishing this first edition, I apologize. It’s a terrifying experience to release something which has been solely yours for such a long time, and for me, Impulses, had been mine for over a year. But, it’s also refreshing, knowing that I can share their love with the world, share a world that I created, and hope that it brings you the ability to escape your own life, even if only for a few hours.
From the day I had decided to publish, I had said that, even if Samantha and Hayden’s journey, their love, and their strength for one another, and the obstacles they confronted, touched one person, then the time in which it took me to complete, would be well worth it.
This is a learning curve for me. And although I acknowledge that Impulses isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and that there may well be some negativity, I assure you that with each sentence, each paragraph and plot which I write, I am learning the art of generating another world which I hope you will enjoy.
You can find me on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/author.V.L.Brock?ref=hl
On Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7520973.V_L_Brock
On Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/v_lou_brock
Or please feel free to drop me a line at:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
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Firstly, I would like to thank my husband and my son for tolerating my moments of distraction while in the world of Samantha and Hayden. Having the both of you understanding and bearing with my ‘dialogue mumbling’ moments while cooking, and not looking at me as though I’ve completely lost it, really helped.
And for my husband––thank you for reminding me that all I have to do is breathe, and it will come.
Thank you to Samantha Ulysses who has been there since the beginning. Your words and enthusiasm toward Impulses has spurred me and warmed my heart. You have been my rock while writing parts which are so very close to my heart, and I am forever thankful for your ever growing interest in not only the world of, ‘Samden’, but my other projects also. I sincerely hope that you achieve your future goals, and like you have done with me and Impulses, I will be there to spur you.
Thank you to Gill at MIND Well-being center for giving me a better insight and understanding toward the APET Model. It has helped me in more than just one way.
For my mother. I know things haven’t been perfect, but with bridges built, and a new perspective, I now hold a clear understanding of what you must have felt, and why things had to be like they were. I hope that re-establishing a relationship, and with clarity on both sides, we can take those steppingstones together.
Thank you to Charlie, Angie, Antoinette, Kellie, Christin and Jamie for taking an interest, proof-reading and offering your own views, (and the amazing teaser edits which the talented Charlie effortlessly produced for my author page. You’re a star).
Finally, for my cousin. I love you so much. You are like the sister I never had. I thank you profusely for motivating me by divulging to a person who meant so much too so many people, of my plans to write and get my work out there. I have done what he so often told us all to do when we were growing up, “Life isn’t forever, make your mark on the world.”
He will forever be in my heart.
COMING SOON ~ DARK EVOKE #1
I woke up to some little shit mining into my skull and blending my brain with a fucking whisk.
“Ouch…” I groaned, lifted my right arm to my face, and rubbed my eyes as carefully as I could. As my other senses began to stir, I realized I could smell Walker, Walker and bacon.
Fluttering my lids, I was met with my living room, and a familiar black and red plaid shirt covering my near naked body.
Oh, fuck…what have I done?
Last night was a blur, but unlike the three missing years of my life, I was at least able to filter one event from another. Storming out to get a few bottles after ringing my parents…the guy with the knife…Walker coming to my aid…bringing him home…his arms around me, guiding me over the range as we cooked, his heat, the actual heat that burned my flesh from cooking…
And then my brain decided to be uncooperative.
Twisting my body, my feet finally met the thick beige carpet that felt like dry sand as your feet sunk into it. I slipped myself into Walker’s shirt, considering my clothes had gone AWOL, and tread into the kitchen, while fisting my hands through my blond, matted mane.
I was greeted by a sexy-as-fuck Irishman in just his jeans and white vest. His muscular arms were emphasized by a tribal sleeve on his left arm. He fisted his hand through his hair, while singing to himself.
I never saw anyone jump so high when I said, “Good morning.” The singing ceased, as he twisted to face me, clutching his chest, a spatula in his right hand.
“Kady, you scared the living day lights out of me.”
“I can tell. I hope you’re going to fix the hole you just left in my ceiling.” Making my way to the island, I giggled when he actually lifted his head to check for damage. “I was kidding, Walker.”
“’Aye, well, you never jump out at someone while their cooking.”
“And singing,” I offered a shrewd grin, and slipped myself onto a barstool opposite.
He frowned and I heard the whistle between his teeth as he gasped. “Sorry, didn’t mean for you to hear me.”
“Don’t be sorry, you got a good voice. And if I can say that with a mighty hangover, then you know I’m not lying.” I helped myself to the plate of bacon as he went back to flipping pancakes. “Which reminds me, what the Hell happened to my clothes?”
Slipping the pancakes onto two plates, he stepped toward the island and set a plate before me. “You um…you decided it was time for me to meet Raven.”