A Bravo Homecoming (15 page)

She moved on to Travis’s section of the book, saw his baby pictures, a blue sock, and a bib that was yellow, like hers. His brothers and sisters were in some of the pictures. She turned the pages and watched her love grow into manhood, saw him in his graduation cap and gown, in a tux, holding out an orchid corsage, and in a hard hat and coveralls on the rig at her dad’s ranch.

“Aleta sent me everything for Travis’s section,” said her mom. “She really is one of the kindest, most generous women I’ve ever met….”

Sam looked in her mother’s eyes. “We can all learn a lot from her.” She said the words and then tensed, sure her mom would take it wrong.

But her mom only nodded. “Yes, Samantha. Yes, we can.”

They sat there, for a few more minutes, just the two of them. Sam started at the beginning of the scrapbook again, looked at every memento, every snapshot, one more time. Then, with loving care, she put it back in the blue box and folded the tissue paper smoothly around it.

“I want to show Travis,” she said.

“Of course. You can send it back to me later, along with the pictures and any keepsakes from the wedding and after.”

The wedding and after…

After,
when she and Travis would be married. Together. Bonded for life before the whole world.

Was that what scared her, what made the panic rise?

She knew then, with certainty, that it was not.

Her mom told her again that she was a beautiful bride. “I wish you all the happiness your two hearts can hold,” she said. “I wish you more patience than I ever had, more wisdom. And I’m so glad that you and Travis are longtime friends and well-suited. Sadly, your father and I weren’t suited at all. But you will do better, I know it in my heart.”

So strange and wonderful that her own mom, who’d never in her whole life seemed to understand her, should suddenly be saying just the right things.

Sam said it again, “Thanks, Mom.”

And then Jennifer was rising. “I love you,” she said. “I wasn’t always there when I should have been. And I didn’t always love you as you needed loving. I know that. But I did love you. I
do
love you, Samantha. And I always will.”

“I love you, too, Mom.”

Jennifer went on tiptoe and Sam bent down so that her mom could kiss her cheek. It seemed to Sam a kiss of blessing, a kiss of acknowledgment and acceptance. At last.

Her mother slipped out the way she had come.

Sam stood there, by the bed, unmoving, until there was another tap at the door.

It was Mercy. She looked terrific in midnight blue. “Oh, you look beautiful.”

Sam mustered a smile. “Thanks.”

“Want some help with your veil?”

Sam went to the vanity set, took the short layers of organza banded with rhinestones and pearls off the edge of the mirror and handed it to Luke’s wife. She pulled out the padded stool and sat.

Mercy pinned the veil in place and Sam took the hem and guided it over her forehead, smoothing the ends so it just covered her face. “Perfect,” Mercy said.

Sam sat for a moment, gazing at her own reflection in the mirror, thinking about her mom and her dad, about Keisha and Walt. About the Terrible Twins and all the Bravos, every one.

And about Travis, most of all.

Then she pushed back the stool and rose again. She took her bouquet of orchids and white roses from the stand on the tall dresser.

“Ready?” Mercy asked in a hushed, excited tone. At Sam’s slow nod, she added, “Your dad’s waiting at the top of the stairs.” And then she was gone.

Sam’s heart started racing and her hands, around the base of the bouquet, felt suddenly clammy. Her feet in her gorgeous rhinestone-accented wedding shoes seemed nailed to the floor.

But somehow, she did it, she lifted one foot and then the other and within ten steps, she was at the door. She pulled it open.

And even with her heart going spooked-rabbit fast, pounding a furious drum roll in her ears, she could still hear the wedding march, floating up from the living room downstairs. And there was her dad in his best black wool suit, standing at the top of the staircase.

He saw her and offered his arm.

Her pulse rat-tat-tatting in her ears, she went to him and hooked her arm in his.

He said, “There’s my beautiful, big, strong baby girl.”

And she loved him so much right then. He smelled of cigarettes and the moth balls he stored that old rarely worn suit in and she realized he was one of the dearest, truest men in the world.

Almost as dear and true as Travis.

He turned, taking her with him, starting down the stairs.

It was like a dream, only not a dream. A real-life sort of dream. She floated down the stairs on the arm of her father. The carved double doors to the living room stood wide.

They went through, and began the walk up the blue velvet aisle between the rows of white rented folding chairs. Her family and Travis’s family rose and turned to watch her progress.

Travis waited at the other end.

In his eyes, she saw so much love.

And worry, too.

For her. For the doubts she saw he knew that she had.

He knew because he knew
her.
He accepted her completely.

As she was now. As she had been. As she would be in the future as the years fled by—so fast. Too fast.

Oh, she could see it all. And it was good. It was right.

She was the Sam she had always been. Strong and tall and able to stand toe-to-toe with any man. She hadn’t lost herself after all.

She was exactly who she’d always been.

And yet, because of Travis, because of what they were together, she was also so much more.

It wasn’t anything to be afraid of, these changes that seemed to deny who she was. Because they didn’t deny her, not really. They only made her
more.

She reached his side. The nice minister Aleta had found started to speak.

But Travis put up his hand. The minister fell silent. Sam gave her dad her bouquet to hold for her and her dad stepped away.

Travis took her fingers, guided her to face him. He took her veil and lifted it, smoothing it back over the crown of her head and down. Now nothing stood between them, not even that transparent film of bridal white.

He took her hand again—and then the other hand, too. And his eyes were on her, holding her gaze. He whispered, “Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure? Because I know I pushed you to get married too fast. And if it’s just too soon for you, we can call it off right now. It’s all right. I’ll understand. I can wait, Sam. I see that now. Until you’re sure, no matter how long it takes, I’ll wait.”

An hour before, she might have nodded. She might have told him she couldn’t do it, she needed more time.

But something had happened—in those precious moments with her mother, and at the sight of her father. And also, well, just because there is a time in a woman’s life when she has to push her deepest fears aside.

She has to say, yes. Absolutely. I will. I love you. I will join my life with yours. And we will make something better and stronger together than either of us could ever be on our own.

This was that time. And Travis was the man. The right man for her.

She told him, “Yes, Travis. I’m sure. I love you. I want to marry you. I want to marry you right now.”

He let out a slow breath. “You mean it. You really mean it.”

“I mean it.” And she kissed him, even though they weren’t even married yet, even though the minister hadn’t been allowed to say a single word.

No one in the white chairs so much as moved or made a sound—not that Sam cared much what the family did. For her, it was all about Travis. All about the kiss.

When the kiss ended, he said slowly and clearly, “I love you, Sam Jaworski.”

“And I love you, Travis Bravo.”

They turned together to the waiting, slightly baffled-looking minister. “Go for it,” Travis told him.

A wave of laughter rose from the family behind them. More than one of them applauded.

And then the minister began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together…”

Sam said her vows out loud and proud and sure.

Travis’s voice was lower, softer, but no less certain. He had the ring ready. He slid it onto her finger, snug against the engagement diamond he’d given her before they knew it would all end up being for real.

And when the minister said, “You may kiss the bride,” Travis pulled her close and settled his mouth on hers so tenderly, in a kiss that promised everything—his strong hands and his good heart. All the years of their lives.

And his love, most of all.

It wasn’t until they turned back to face the family that she noticed her dad had disappeared. Mercy stood in his place holding out her bouquet.

Sam reached to take it.

And out the arched front windows, the fireworks began with a bottle rocket shooting toward the wide Texas sky.

Sam growled low in her throat. “He’d better not burn anything down, or I swear I will kill him.”

Travis only laughed and pulled her close for another tender kiss.

ISBN: 978-1-4592-1563-4

A BRAVO HOMECOMING

Copyright © 2011 by Christine Rimmer

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