Gabriel's Promise (A Romantic Comedy)
Read Gabriel's Promise (A Romantic Comedy) Online
Authors: Jordan Silver
Gabriel’s Promise
By Jordan Silver
Copyright © 2013 Alison Jordan
All
Rights Reserved
Samantha
Holder is a handful. Anyone who knows her knows the hellcat would as soon spit
in your eye as shake your hand. She had the gumption of ten men and a mean
streak a mile wide. That was of course if you were stupid enough to get on her
bad side and pretty much everyone was the enemy except Charlie Holder. Chief
Holder tried to do his best by his only surviving child after losing his son
Phillip in the war when Sam as she preferred to be called was just twelve.
Now
Phillip was the only one who could curtail little Miss. Spitfire. According to
the doting big brother she just needed a guiding hand. What she needed was a
swift kick to the backside and that's that. No one had been able to control her
since her brother's demise.
Who am I you ask, oh nobody really, just Delilah Spelman, town librarian and
unofficial historian. I was born and raised in these parts and I know the
comings and goings of pretty much everyone around here. That's how I knew
trouble was brewing when I saw the fancy Hollywood type in his fancy sports car
pull up outside the Holder residence. I hope to God he wasn't a salesman or
something. The last one of them Samantha had sent packing with Charlie's old
shotgun.
That must've been a good three months ago and
we hadn't had any shenanigans since then so I guess we were due. I headed out
to my porch with my afternoon libation to watch the fireworks.
SAM
I saw the fancy man in his fancy car when he
pulled up outside, I was watching from my upstairs bedroom window. He looked
vaguely familiar but I couldn't quite place him. Probably seen him on the TV though
what a highfalutin television star would be doing in Lexington New York was
beyond me. No one came to Lexington unless they were lost.
Well anyway like I said, he looked vaguely familiar. I hope he wasn't selling
anything cause there wasn't anything I hated more than a snake oil salesman,
pretty or not if I didn't like what he had to say I would just run him off with
my dad's trustee shotgun. That always did the trick.
GABE
This trip was long overdue and I felt the
familiar pang of sorrow at the loss of my old friend once more when I took my
first look at his childhood home. The place could do with some repairs maybe
I'd look into that first, a little paint and maybe some new shutters. Looking
around it wasn’t in much different shape to its neighbors but still it’s
something my old buddy would’ve wanted. From what I could remember Phil's dad
had been the chief of police here in Lexington, population eight hundred, until
a freak accident had left him in a wheelchair when Phil was seventeen and his sister
Samantha eight.
Phil had already enlisted and couldn't get
out of it for some obscure reason or other, so when he had been called up four
years later he had left his then twelve year old sister at home with their dad.
If I remembered the stories Phil had liked to regale me with about his
precocious little sister, she had opted for homeschooling so she could be home
to help out with their dad, since their mother had died giving birth to her.
I
could still envision the toothy little urchin in pigtails. Phil had carried
that picture with him everywhere. I'd been unable to attend his funeral seeing
as how I was in a coma at the time. When I was finally released some three
months later after extensive therapy that had helped to get me back in tip top
shape after a bullet had shattered my femur he was long in the ground. I'd had
other wounds from the shrapnel that pierced my body, but that had been the
worst. The docs didn't hold out much hope of me walking again, but they didn't
know my will. The Sweeney strength of will was legendary.
Within six months not only was I walking, but
in another three the limp was gone. After I made a full recovery I was
officially discharged from the army at the ripe old age of twenty-two. That's
when my grandpa had his near fatal heart attack and it was left to me to take
over the reigns. Dad had no head for business so it skipped a generation and
fell to me. My older brother by two years Jonathan also had no interest in the
business arena, preferring to be a professional football player instead.
I put on my ray bans as I exited the car, hoping it wasn't too late to keep my
promise, late in coming as I was.
Chief
I sure hope this fool wasn't here to sell
anything; I was in no mood to save another backside from my infuriating daughter's
buckshot. I should just put up a sign, ‘Strangers beware of rabid teenager’,
that would sure save me a lot of aggravation. As the young man drew closer to
the front where I was hiding out behind the window I got a good look at his
face. Well now what have we here? It was about damn time, I was getting tired
of keeping my little hellion in line, looked like the Calvary had finally
arrived. It had only taken him six years but better later than never is what I
say.
GABE
It was pretty quiet for the middle of the
day, and I wondered as I walked up to the door if maybe I should've called
before I came. Well, it was too late for second guessing myself now, besides
the door opened as I reached the top step. " Hello Gabriel."
"Sir?" I was sure because of the
wheelchair that this had to be Charlie Holder, but how the hell did he know who
I was?
"I recognize you boy, from the pictures my son used to send home.” He had
a wistful look for just a moment at the mention of Phillip.
Of course, how could I forget, Phil and his damn snapshots, he had been
determined to make a scrapbook for his little Sammy. I'd completely forgotten
all about that.
Reaching out my hand I came back to the
present. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you sir." We shook hands
and I could've sworn he grumbled something like "It's about damn
time."
"Sorry?"
"Nothing son just clearing my
throat." He made the universal sound of throat clearing.
"Come on in son." He wheeled around and led me deeper into the living
room. The place was neat but threadbare and I felt a pang of guilt, how could I
have gone six years without keeping my promise? The least I could've done in
all that time was make a phone call, but I'd been so busy with my life I'd let
down a friend, I'd broken my word. Charlie wheeled himself to the bottom of the
stairs.
"Sam honey we have company." Did he
just roll his eyes, looked like chief Holder was a bit eccentric.
“
Samantha Eliza Holder
get
down these stairs." He didn't quite yell but it was close, I was about to
tell him it was okay, I could wait but then she answered.
"I'm coming pop, keep your shirt on." There was some stomping around
and grumbling coming from above and I didn't know whether to laugh or frown
when Charlie started grumbling again.
"And he better not be another one of those salesmen we don't need no
vacuum cleaners, we have no use for high speed Internet and let me see, what
else are they selling these days? Whatever, whatever it is we don't need it, so
if he's here for that you better get rid of him before I get down there, that's
all I'm saying."
"Sam
..
."
now he was shouting.
"I'm sorry about that son, I raised her better than that she's just having
an off day; I'm sure my son told you all about little Sam, she didn't have a
mom poor little thing, so it was just me and her brother and I'm afraid she's
kind of rougher around the edges than most girls."
"Pop I can hear you and why the blazes are you discussing me with a
complete and total stranger anyway?"
Wow, she sounded like a real shrew, I hope I was going to be able to fulfill my
promise, but I had no tolerance for shrewish behavior. The stomping finally
reached the head of the stairs before it sounded like a stampede was
descending.
This little ball of fire flew down the stairs, long legs, hair in a wild
abundance of curls down to her ass and what an ass it
was .
"I'm here now what?" She turned to me.
Oh my fucking word, I think my dick just took a bow. She was fucking
magnificent.
GABE
Have mercy, this couldn't be her could it?
That face, that body, no way, I think my mouth watered I can't be sure but I
know for damn sure every sense I ever had headed south.
"Hello Samantha." I kept my hands in my pockets, the girl's father
was in the room after all it wouldn't do to throw her on the floor and ravish
her the way I wanted to. What the hell happened to my self-control? She’s a kid
for crying out loud, and your dead friend's baby sister you perv. Yeah remember
him? Your good buddy, I don't think he had this in mind when he asked you to
make that promise. Hands off. I think I heard my dick whine.
She cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips and those big blue grey eyes
staring me down.
"Do I know you?"
"Sam!" Charlie sighed and shook his head.
"What dad? I'm just asking a question. So what the hell are you selling
anyway, whatever it is..."
"Yes I heard, you don't need it, are you always this rude to your guests
young lady?" She raised her head a notch.
"Since when are scum sucking salesmen guests?"
"Lord give us strength." Charlie closed his eyes as if in silent
prayer.
"Gabriel Sweeney meet Annie Oakley."
"Very funny dad, so who are you now?"
"He was your brother's buddy in the army.”
And just like that her whole persona changed,
her body deflated slightly and there was a slight tightening of her mouth, and
a glistening sheen formed in her eyes. She obviously still felt the loss of her
brother deeply. Good now maybe you can get back on track.
"Phil talked about you constantly." I gave her a reassuring smile.
"Phillip." It was a heartfelt whisper; why did I have the
uncontrollable urge to wrap her in my arms and shield her from all future
hurts? She seemed to collect herself rather quickly though, it was to be
admired.
"Okay well Phil's not here he's dead."
"For the love of... Samantha what is wrong with you?"
"
Uh pop
news flash, Phil's been gone for six
years, why would one of his buddies be showing up here now? If he was a buddy
then he would know he's dead, you're so gullible pop." With that she
headed towards what I assume was the kitchen in the back of the house.
"Don't even think about it, get back in here."
She returned with a shotgun pointed right at me.
"Okay slick you got ten seconds two are up, who are you and what the hell
do you want?"
Okay it was official she owned my dick. Did she have any idea how hot she was
right now? If she ran off all unwanted guests like this it was a wonder some
man hadn't snatched her up already. I felt anger and unfamiliar jealousy rise
inside me at the thought, no one better have laid a hand on her.
That totally came from a place of guardianship, not because I wanted to be the
only man to put hands on her. Yeah right, keep telling yourself that Sweeney.