Taking the Fall (41 page)

“Mom?” Jess called from where she stood next to the bench just past Hunter, indicating with her hand for Molly to come over. Sammy and Leah stood behind it, and when Molly reached her daughter’s side, Sammy and Leah smiled as they removed the blanket over the granite bench.

There in scrolled black, forever engraved in solid stone were words that Molly knew she would never forget.

Molly’s eyes filled once more, as she brushed her fingers along the beautiful sentiment.

Jess held on to her mother’s other arm, curling in next to her and laying her head on Molly’s shoulder, as Leah and Sammy hugged each other and focused on Molly.

Hunter entered the small circle from Molly’s other side, and said softly, “Beautiful?”

She reached out her free hand to take his hand, and said through her tears, “Hunter, it is beautiful.”

“Beauty for beauty,” he repeated causing her to cry that much more.

“Mom?” Jess said raising her head, and speaking through her own tears. “I never thought your way of fixing me would destroy you. That isn’t fair. That isn’t what family is about.”

“Oh Jessica, your happiness, as well as Sammy’s and Leah’s, too, are so very important to me.” She had caressed her daughter’s face before Jess spoke once more.

“I know now how happy he makes you, as well as how happy you make him. Together, just like these words, as a family, we will
all
be happy.”

Molly hugged Jessica tighter than she ever remembered before bringing Leah and Sammy into her embrace. She kissed each of their heads and used her fingers to dry their tears, too.

“Come on, Leah and Sammy, let’s give these two some space. We are all going to be a big family, and I for one want to spend as much time with my sisters as possible, so there is no time like the present.”

Jess placed an arm around Leah and the other around Sammy as she steered them toward the playground, leaving Molly and Hunter alone.

Molly watched as the perfect picture of the three of them walked off together.

“You know, you have a pretty amazing daughter. She is not only beautiful like her mother, but she is bright beyond her years.”

Molly’s smile shined with pride at his compliment.

Hunter sat down on the bench and reached out his hand for her. He squeezed his eyes shut when she placed her hand in his and took the seat next to him.

“Molly, I love you.”

Even when she didn’t think she had any tears left, fresh ones rolled down her face once more. “Hunter, I’m such a stupid fool.”

He held her hands tightly in his. “Hey, none of that kind of talk. You aren’t stupid; you are unyielding. You would set aside any happiness for yourself to make your daughters happy. That isn’t stupidity, that is undying love.”

Even after his too kind words, Molly still couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

“I’m so sorry for all that I said to you. I needed you to hate me as much as I hated myself. How did life become such a mess?”

But Hunter wasn’t having that. He gripped her chin between his finger and thumb and accepted nothing short of her eyes on his.

“The moment I didn’t fight for you and for us. If anyone needs to take the blame, I do. I listened with my pride rather than my heart. But I won’t make that mistake again. I’m not going anywhere unless you send me away.”

He had done so much, showed her so much and all she could do for him was this.

She reached for his face, caressed his smooth cheek, and rubbed that precious dimple before finally bringing his lips down to hers. She kissed him with everything she had, hoping to show him what choice of happiness she wanted to live her life by.

His hands moved to her back where they pulled her in closer to him and to the silent promises they were making to one another, here on this bench, that would span a lifetime.

He moved slightly and slowly broke away from their kiss, only to hand her a small black velvet box.

Her eyes shot to his as he used his fingers to open the small hinge.

Nestled in the cream satin was a pristine diamond in a classic solitaire setting, nothing showy or modern, just classic beauty.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Taking it out of its perch, he slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. “It is nothing compared to the person who I hope will wear it forever.”

“Are you asking me something?” she asked suddenly with dry eyes and a smile that reached her ears.

The smile that she knew would always make the butterflies in her stomach fly, even when she was old and gray, showed its beauty and he spoke, “I’m certainly trying to.”

She kissed him once more, just because.

“I’m asking you to complete me. I’m asking you to bear with me every day, through every up and down. I’m asking you to let me love you and your daughters the way you deserved to be loved and cherished. I’m asking you to love my daughter the way she so eagerly wants to be loved. I’m asking you to take my name and make the engraving on this bench and my wildest dream come true. But above all this, I’m asking you to always look forward with me and accept that my job from this day forward is to make you and our three girls happy. Every day, every minute, with everything in my being, as long as there is breath in my chest.”

She pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll say yes on one condition.”

Hunter’s face shined with the love he had for her and more importantly, she knew it. “Anything.”

“Let us love you in return, the way you deserve to be loved and the way I so desperately love you already.”

“So, that’s a yes?” It was now his turn to smile in elation.

“Yes.”

They kissed and embraced once more while the sparkle of the ring on her third finger shined in the summer sun in the place it would forever remain.

Soon they walked slowly hand in hand, along the path that bore a granite sign of their love and promise, toward their daughters. With each step, they got closer to beginning to make the memories that would fill their lives because their family of five would never be apart again.

“Are we there yet?” Molly asked, happily frustrated as she wore the soft silk tie of Hunter’s as a blindfold.

The sound of his chuckled had her body responding as it always did; excited and overjoyed that they were together and alone.

“Almost,” he answered holding onto her hand, squeezing his grasp just to deepen the simple connection.

After another series of turns, Molly finally felt the smoothness of the Jeep’s movement come to a stop.

Finally.

However, in the stillness of Hunter’s Jeep, she waited for him to say or do something, but instead she just sat waiting that much longer.

She sensed his closeness, and his wonderful scent surrounded her before she felt the warm strength of his mouth on hers.

Whether it was his unspoken words, the demanding need he could evoke simply by kissing her, or the fact the last several months of intense planning for their wedding which would take place in only two more days in Jamaica was finally lessening, it felt as if all of Molly’s excitement came down to this one moment.

But, just as Molly started to really take control of their kiss, Hunter pulled away and she couldn’t help but feel the loss immediately.

She began to pull at the tie, but his much larger one quickly stopped her hands. “Not yet, beautiful.”

And just like always, his endearment for her caused a smile that felt like it never could grow big enough.

Quickly, she felt him leave the Jeep, and after a few moments, she heard her door open. She felt him at her side, helping her out.

“Can I take it off, please?”

“Nope, we just have a little walk to take and then I promise you can take it off,” Hunter said close to her ear before he placed one hand at the small of her back while the other led her with their fingers entwined.

She had to admit, it was an odd feeling being led around blindfolded, but after he led her down a path and took familiar turns, she had no doubt she knew where they were.

Confusion, intrigue, and curiosity all mixed with her intense feeling of love for the man who never ceased to amaze her from the big things to little things like this.

“If you lead me any longer, we are going to miss our plane.” She feigned frustration, but her plea for the revelation went unanswered.

Finally, with a deep laugh, he stopped her, turned her so she faced East, and stood behind her very close, his front touching her back. Hunter placed his hands at her waist, placed his chin on her shoulder, and kissed the sensitive spot beneath her ear.

“Ready?”

“Yes,” came out more husky than Molly intended, but such was life with Hunter Dennison touching her.

With gentle fingers, and what seemed like exaggerated brushes of his finger against her scalp, the tie fell away.

She knew she had been right, that they were at the park, the place that meant so much to their relationship. The beautifully landscaped corner peacefully and exquisitely tucked away that housed the granite bench with its chiseled promise of the happiness she knew as her now daily life.

It was almost sunset; the natural red and orange of the setting sun was beautiful mixed with the trees and mountains of the panoramic view. The small touches of the numerous black lanterns that littered the still plush grass around the beautiful bench and further behind into the curtain of almost bare white birch trees and stubborn oaks that refused to lose all their leaves.

Molly’s eyes searched for understanding of what she was seeing, but nothing seemed to register except the strength of Hunter still wrapped around her from behind. Soon her eyes moved left then right to where, even in the cool November, regardless of the unusually warm weather stretch, the park was empty. Nobody was walking their dog, no kids refused to put their bicycles away for the season, and certainly no lovers walked hand and hand through the wonderful paths.

“It’s just us,” he whispered.

“But why?” Molly found herself asking.

Hunter turned her, keeping her still in his embrace, so that their chests touched and that is when Molly noticed the sheriff’s SUV parked at the park’s entrance over the hill. Barely able to see, but was sure the tall figure was undoubtedly her soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Hunter raised one hand so it cupped her cheek and as usual, Molly leaned her head into the warm physical reassurance that he was, in fact, real.

“I wanted to show you your wedding gift.”

Wedding gift?

“Hunt . . .” she began but the beautiful pressure of his mouth quickly quieted her. A kiss that she was sure she would never tire of.

“I know we promised each other no gifts after the wedding, but since you haven’t official said ‘I do’ yet, I figured I was successful in finding this loophole.”

Molly squinted tightly at him, because she already felt with the recent purchase of their four-bedroom home and the extravagant two-week island adventure that awaited them and all three of their daughters, she held firm to not purchasing him anything additional.

As usual, Hunter read her mind. “Beautiful, don’t be mad and I promise it isn’t anything big . . . yet.”