Before I Let You Go (16 page)

Sunlight was peeking through the blinds in a clear indication that the rain had stopped, and the roads would be navigable again. The thought of their time together ending and Diamere going back home caused her to feel sick. Deep down she didn’t want their time ever to end.

Curious where Diamere had wandered off to, Kelly
sat up in the bed and listened, but heard nothing. Slipping from the sheets, she went to the oak dresser and found a pink T-shirt and cutoff blue jeans shorts to put on. She dressed, then stepped into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth. Noticing her hair in the mirror, she reached for a soft-bristle brush and smoothed it back neatly, then slid on a headband.

The bedroom door opened and she turned as Diamere stepped into the room, carrying two cups of coffee.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smile as he lowered the mugs onto the dresser. He then moved to where she was standing, and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Kelly took a deep breath, loving his clean masculine scent. “Diamere, we need to talk.”

He nodded. “Yes, we do.” He drew a deep breath in turn. “I shouldn’t have said those things last night.”

“You’re right.”
Oh, goodness. Here it comes
.

He gave her a considering glance. “That was not the time to tell someone you love them.”

It took everything she had to hold her tears back. She had already understood he had said it in the heat of the moment. Didn’t he know he was about to break her heart by reminding her?

“Please come and have a seat while I talk.” Diamere took her hand and led her over to the bed. She lowered herself onto it, cupped her shaky hands in her lap and waited.

There was a serious glint in his eyes as he looked at her. “The last few weeks I’ve had some time to think. I realized I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but there were things that happened that were out of my control. Unfortunately, I can’t give up living and quit being who
I am because of it, and that was exactly what I was doing, putting a defensive wall up in order to keep my heart intact. I told you I wasn’t interested in a serious relationship.”

She quickly jumped in. “Yes, you did, and I’m okay—”

He put a finger to her lips, cutting her off. “Kelly, let me finish.”

She wanted so desperately to tell him that it was okay, she knew he was just caught up in the moment. “Diamere, really, no apology is needed.”

He combed a frustrated hand through his hair. “Woman! Can you please let your man finish, please?” She noticed the way his voice softened at the end. She also realized he had said “your man.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you.” Reaching out, Diamere took her hand and stared down at her, looking more serious than she had ever seen him. “Kelly, my life is incomplete without you.”

Her head sprang up. Had she heard him right? “What?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you listening?”

“Of course I’m listening. Sorry, go ahead.”

He smiled, then reached out and cupped her chin. “What I’m trying to say, Kelly, is that I love you. I want to be with you and only you, and see where that love leads us.”

She stared at him with her mouth wide open. Diamere really did love her. Her heart was pounding.

“Kelly, do you hear me talking to you?”

She nodded her head as uncontrollable tears fell. “I hear you.”

“Do you think you could ever consider giving us a chance? I should warn you that I refuse to take no for an answer. I plan to be at your school every day to take you to lunch, and at your doorstep, doing everything I can to prove to you I am a good man and we—”

This time Kelly pressed a finger to his lips. “Diamere, hush,” she warned, then smiled. “Yes, I’m interested. I love you.”

She noticed the way his eyes widened and his smile deepened. “Say that again.”

“I said I love you, too, Diamere.”

He kissed her gently, tenderly, his lips brushing the tears from her cheeks. Happiness and peace filled her.

“Oh, Diamere. I love you so much.”

He kissed her lips with soft reverence, his eyes lit with love. “And I you.” He drew her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. When he pulled back he met her warm smile. “Come on. I’ve got breakfast ready. Let’s go eat and then afterward how about another game of Scrabble?”

“Don’t you want to check the roads?”

He shook his head. “Nope. As far as I’m concerned, we’re stranded here until it’s time to head back on Saturday. And I can think of a couple of things we can do to help pass the time,” he said with a devilish smile, before he leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you, Kelly.”

Another tear slid down her cheek. She had never been so happy in her life. Together they walked toward the kitchen, and the rising sun she saw through the window seemed to symbolize the bright future that awaited them.

K
ellis glanced around the Sheraton Beach Hotel grand ballroom at the crowd that had come to celebrate her marriage to Diamere Redmond. She turned around just as Essence came running over to her.

“You did it!” her friend yelled as she gathered Kelly in a hug. When she stepped back there were tears in her eyes.

“There’ll be no crying today,” Kelly scolded, her cheeks slicked with her own tears.

Laughing, Essence wiped her eyes. “I can’t help it. I am so happy for the two of you.” She dried her hands on her soft pink maid of honor gown.

“Essence, thank you. Thank you for everything. I owe you and my brother big-time.”

“Uh-huh, you just remember that when we need a babysitter,” Essence replied, and they shared a laugh.

“You know you can count on me anytime.” Kelly
hugged her again and Essence moved over to join her mother and the grandchildren.

As Kelly looked around at the crowd of family and friends, she couldn’t remember when she had ever been this happy. Sheyna and Danica were sitting at a small table helping the children eat cake, while Brenna was at the other end, nursing her newborn son, Jabarie Junior.

With her husband on her mind, Kelly looked over to her right, where he stood with the three J’s and Mark near the bar. He looked so handsome in his gray tuxedo, she thought. He was laughing at something one cousin had said, but spotted Kelly looking his way. He lowered his drink to the bar, excused himself and closed the distance that separated them.

Kelly’s heart pounded as he moved closer. Tears again filled her eyes. She was so thankful to have such a wonderful man in her life. For their wedding they had prepared their own vows, and Diamere’s words of love and honor had drawn tears around the room.

As soon as he reached Kelly, Diamere gathered her in his arms and seared her lips with a long, passionate kiss. He slowly pulled back, then gazed down into her eyes lovingly.

“How are you, Mrs. Redmond?”

She loved the way that sounded. “I’m just wonderful, Mr. Redmond.”

“Then how about we start saying good-night to our guests then retire?” His words caused a tingling in her chest. Tonight she would be making love to her husband.

“Sounds good to me.” They had a suite upstairs for the night, then tomorrow morning they were leaving for
a long cruise to Alaska. When she’d planned the trip she didn’t care where they went as long as they were together. They figured they would spend much of the eleven-day voyage in bed.

They cut the cake, then danced to a few more songs before saying their goodbyes. Kelly kissed her mother, who was crying, and started crying again herself.

“You take care of my little girl,” her mother told Diamere.

“With all my heart,” he replied, then kissed her cheek before taking his wife’s hand and leading her out of the ballroom and up to the penthouse. The wedding and room had been a gift from the Beaumont family. Diamere and Kelly rode up in the elevator and stopped at the sixteenth floor, which opened right into their luxurious suite.

“Wait a second,” Diamere said before Kelly moved another step forward. He scooped his bride into his arms and carried her across the threshold into the elegant cream-and-peach room.

Kelly stared adoringly up at her husband with her arms draped around his neck. “Don’t hurt your back.”

“Don’t worry. Nothing is stopping me from making love to my wife.” He pressed his lips to hers, then gently lowered her onto the bed and lay down beside her, pushing her gown to the side. Kelly hadn’t thought she could ever feel this much happiness, could ever be this much in love. Diamere completed her.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said as he slid from the bed and moved over to his suitcase, delivered by one of the bellhops earlier. Kelly sat up in bed and waited, her mind burning with curiosity. Diamere came back bearing a small gold box.

“Here, for you,” he said as he took a seat beside her. She glanced down at the box and then up at him again. “It’s a wedding present.”

She opened it to find an exquisite tennis bracelet with diamonds and sapphires. Kelly gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

“Something beautiful for the most important person in my life.”

She held out her arm while he put it around her wrist and secured the clasp. Diamere then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I can’t wait until we leave tomorrow. I get to have you all to myself for the next eleven days.”

Kelly gave her husband a sheepish grin as she said, “I guess we better enjoy it while we can, because in seven months there’ll be a new addition to the family.”

Diamere grasped her chin and tilted her face so that she was looking up at him. “What did you say?”

Kelly could tell he was holding his breath, hoping he had heard what he thought he had. She knew Diamere wanted children, the more the merrier. He was going to make a wonderful father and she couldn’t wait to be a mother. “You heard me. We’re going to have a baby.”

Diamere jumped from the bed and shouted in happiness. Then, suddenly remembering his beautiful bride, he sank down beside her and cradled her in his arms. “Sweetheart, are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Kelly stared up at her husband with a look of adoration as she shook her head. “Everything I need is right here in front of me.” As long as she had him she would never want for anything.

“I love you, Mrs. Redmond,” he said as he kissed her again.

A single tear slid from the corner of her eye. “And I love you.”