Painted Memories (38 page)

Sara gazed at me in shock, as if it surprised her that I came out with it. In an instant, her face became neutral, neither smiling nor frowning. “It's been a quick turnaround, Jonathan. You've changed drastically in the last year. When we're together, it's different than it used to be. It's like we're teenagers again, both trying to figure out the other’s thoughts. We're different people now. Our likes, our differences... they've changed. And no matter what I feel, there is still some part of me that is waiting for it all to fall apart again. You know, we had a lot of good times.”

“We did,” I agreed.

“But there were some really shitty times too, and I can't just let those go. I know you've changed; I believe wholeheartedly this is how you want to continue to live your life. It's just going to take me a while before I actually believe that this new person you have become is here to stay.”

“I can understand that.”

“I think everyone deserves a second chance. And I’m sure we can both agree that you've had more than a fair shot of second chances, am I right?”

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. Here was the part I didn't want to hear, and I couldn't blame her for it. She didn’t want to take that chance again. I screwed up one too many times. “Yes,” I frowned. “It wouldn't be fair of me to ask so much of you, especially after everything I've put you though.”

Sara stepped closer, her warm hand gliding over my cheek. “Like I said, you're different now. A new man with new hopes and dreams, and that's the man I love. That's the man who deserves this chance.”

We stared at each other, and I couldn't believe what she said. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and pulled her against me to kiss her. Sara's hand covered my mouth and I pulled back slightly. “What?”

“Jonathan, if you screw this up, there won’t be another chance. I will not put myself through this again... not ever, not with anyone.”

I kissed her like my life depended on it. It did. There was no need to answer her question because I would never put my family through the pain I did in the past again. I needed them in my life, now more than ever. I heard a knock on the door, but I ignored it, too wrapped up in holding Sara against me and getting worked up, despite it being the most inappropriate of times.

“Oh my God!
You're kissing,” Lilly shrieked.

Sara and I pulled away from each other like two teenagers getting caught under the bleachers at school. I looked at Lilly and she stepped into the room, holding the train of her dress in her hand. A bright smile spread across her face and I took a closer look. She was stunning and as gorgeous as her mother. Drew would fall to pieces when he laid his eyes on her. My own eyes pricked with tears seeing her in her wedding gown. How much prouder could a father be than
to see his daughter grown up into a woman, seemingly overnight? She found a good, honest, young man who, I knew, loved her deeply. He proved as much when he asked me for permission to marry her. There weren't many honorable men like him left in the world and I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law than Drew.

I cleared my throat and forced back my tears. “How about we overlook what you just saw here? You've got a nervous fellow down there.” I said, trying to take the attention off Sara and me.

Lilly smiled, “Drew is never nervous about anything. He's so much better at keeping it together than I am.”

“No, my dear, not this time.
You will take his breath away. When you walk down the aisle and take his hand, he'll know that he'd do anything in his power to protect you. He won't believe he could love you anymore than he already does today, but he will. Someday, when you have a son or daughter, the joy he will feel... both of you will feel, will be inconceivable.”

Lilly sniffed and dabbed the corner of her eyes. “Dad, you're not supposed say stuff like that to a bride who is getting ready to walk down the aisle in five minutes. I put a lot of effort into not ruining my makeup!”

I pulled her in my arms and remembered the little girl she used to be. My lip twitched as I tried my best to hold my emotions in check, but it was no use. I felt a tear slipping down my cheek. “You may be the bride, but you are my daughter, Lilly. I'm so proud of you and Drew. Your mother and I are gaining a son, whom we're more than happy to welcome into our family.”

“I love you, Dad,” Lilly said as she wrapped her arms around my waist. “You ready for this?”

I pulled away and held my arm out to her. “I'll never be ready to let you go, baby. You are a beautiful young woman, and I promise you I'll never walk away from you again. I hope you know that now.”

“I know you won't, Dad,” she sniffed.

“Let's do this.”

We stood at the side of a vine-covered arbor outside. The garden held at least a hundred family members and friends, sitting patiently in the wooden white chairs, waiting. I knew half of them.

Sara came forward and kissed Lilly on the cheek, hugging her, as she whispered something softly in her ear. I couldn't hear their words, but when they pulled away, both of them were trying not to cry. Sara kissed me softly on the cheek before walking down the aisle to take her seat. Next, a woman with long, curly, reddish hair approached Lilly She handed her a bouquet of red roses and hugged her tightly. They embraced for a moment while she whispered something in her ear. Finally, they pulled away and Lilly laughed with tears in her eyes.

“That's it, Andrea, I'm taking away your matron of honor card. You were given strict orders not to make me cry. Damn you!”

Andrea kissed her on the check. “Honey, it's a little late for that. See you on the other side.” She turned around and gave me a wink before walking down the aisle.

Lilly slid her arm through mine and squeezed my arm with her hand. “I think we're next.”

“Yep, we're up. Are you ready, honey?” I asked as we moved into the center of the archway.

The Wedding March started to play and the guests rose to their feet. Lilly took a deep breath and her lips trembled when she started to speak. “Dad...”

I squeezed her hand on top of my arm, trying to convey reassurance and calm her nerves. “Look at him, baby. This is who you're here for. Drew is standing right there. He's wondering how he became the luckiest man in the world. He’s never, in his life, seen another woman as beautiful as you. He loves you, baby, more than you'll ever know and he's waiting to share his life with you. Take in this day and never forget how much he loves you.
Never
forget how much we all love you.”

Lilly nodded once and looked at Drew. A flood of tears glistened down her cheeks and I knew she'd be all right. She found the love of her life and was truly happy. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Together, we looked towards the future.

Turn the page to get a sneak peek of Chapter 1

with
Loni Flower’s Debut novel:

Clair

Nostalgia seeped through Marie Clair Davidson’s mind as she stood on the street corner, trying to decide whether she should stay in Springhill or run to the next city. In the past six months, no other city in Virginia had given her the sense of dread that this town did. Her parents used to bring her downtown every year to window shop and play at the nearby amusement park before traveling east to the coast for a week at the family’s beach condo. She still remembered what it felt like to comb her fingers through the cool morning sand after she woke her parents at sunrise, begging to look for seashells. Her fondest memories of her family came from those summer vacations. But they stopped being a family nine years ago. After Clair’s father left her mother and her, there were no more family vacations.

If the town were as busy as she remembered, she might get lucky finding work. Smaller than its neighbor, Richmond, Springhill was nevertheless always buzzing with tourists who flocked to the area for the history. Large shopping outlets and several amusement parks created a major tourist district for those families who wanted to stay close to everything. Her parents chose to stay in Springhill mainly out of convenience. Navigating Richmond traffic wasn’t worth the trouble and, if they ever wanted to do something special, they hopped on a bus for a day trip.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t take her long to get a quick job, make a few bucks and head to the next town. Clair knew one thing: wherever she went; it wouldn’t be back to Charleston, West Virginia. She had been fending for herself since her dad left, at the age of thirteen, and staying out on the streets wasn’t much different from trying to live with her divorced mother. Instead, Clair would do what she knew best; travel like a vagabond from city to city until the day finally came when she could find something worth staying for.

As she meandered down the sidewalk in search of some place to grab a bite to eat, she noticed how deserted the downtown area looked. There weren’t any shops open; most were boarded up with plywood over their windows. Some of the buildings looked weathered and shabby, making it difficult to even read their names anymore. The streets were empty. Clair could only guess that many of the old shops had abandoned this small town and opted for the more popular Richmond.

After she walked several blocks, she looked up at the sound of a bell and saw a man walking out of what looked like a small diner. As he crossed the street, a flashy, red
Open
sign caught her attention. Clair walked toward it, hoping it would lead her to a place she could eat. She intended on using the cash given to her by a family she hitched a ride with from North Carolina.

As Clair entered the diner, she noticed a group of guys sitting in the back booth, talking loudly. They looked up at her. Two of them nodded toward Clair, trying to get the attention of the other guys who had their backs to her. When they turned around, they whistled at her, giving her a wink. She rolled her eyes, turning up her lip in disgust. She contemplated looking for another place to eat, but the aroma of
grilled food filled her nose, making her stomach rumble and her mouth water. Other than the creeps in the back corner, it looked like a good spot to grab a decent meal, rest her legs from walking and clean up in the bathroom.

She picked up a menu from the counter and looked over it. There were so many foods she hadn’t tasted in a long time, hamburgers and hot dogs, soups and salads, ice cream and pie. It all looked delicious. It didn’t seem to matter how many meals she skipped or how many times she told herself that she’d get used to not eating, eventually, she could not deny her hunger. After no meals for the past two days, Clair’s stomach ached at the thought of eating again.

“Good evening, hon, what can I get you tonight?” the waitress asked cheerfully.

Clair ordered a burger, large fries and a Coke. As a treat to herself, she also ordered a slice of apple pie. Usually, she didn’t splurge on that kind of food, but she was going all out with this meal.

The waitress tilted her head and looked Clair over. “Are you going to be eating here or would you like it to go?”

Clair smiled sheepishly and looked down at herself. She had the feeling that this lady was assessing her appearance, like people usually did. But Clair looked back at her, her head held high and grinned. “I’ll be eating here.”

“Okay, hon. Just grab a seat and I’ll bring it out shortly.”

After cleaning up in the bathroom, Clair hoped the idiots that occupied the back booth would be gone. To her disappointment, they remained. She picked a booth as far away from their voices as she could get. After a few minutes of sitting alone, Clair heard the squeak of the kitchen door open and the waitress approached her carrying
several plates in one hand, while holding a drink in the other. How the woman managed to hold everything, she had no idea. All of it would end up on the floor if she had to do it. She wasn’t very coordinated when it came to stuff like that.

“Here you go,
hon,” the waitress said, placing the plates in front of her. “You sure someone your size can eat all that?”

Clair‘s mouth watered as she looked at the food, “I’m not sure I can eat it all, but I’m definitely going to give it a try.”

After the waitress left, Clair dove into her dinner. She watched the obnoxious guys through her hair as she bent forward over her plate. She couldn’t wait for them to leave, hoping it would be before she was ready to go. She didn’t have to look at them to know they were watching her. It felt like they were boring holes into her with their eyes. Goose bumps chilled her skin, making her sick with apprehension. Clair laughed at the thought of their faces if she gave them the finger, but she knew she didn’t have the nerve to do it. She decided if they hadn’t left by the time she finished her pie, she wasn’t sticking around.