More Than I Wanted (20 page)

My
parents were there too, and I just hoped they didn’t clash with
his folks too much. I held my breath and just prayed everybody would
be on their best behavior for our special day. I hated that what was
supposed to be my special day had me stressed out on top of it all,
hoping our parents wouldn’t be an issue. We should have run
away and gotten married alone. I had visions of our parents brawling
in the sand. Sure, I know I exaggerated it in my head, but do you
blame me?

Heather
and Scott would stand for us, and of course Jake and his latest girl
would be there as well. That was all that we wanted - a small affair,
our closest friends, and our family. Of course my mother was
horrified I wouldn’t be inviting Aunt Sally, and swore my
grandmother would never forgive me, and what about second cousin
Ginny, and so on and so on. I let her ramble on, and gently reminded
her that this was my wedding to plan, not hers.

She
took it well enough, but added a layer of guilt that she was so
skilled at. I was sure my Grams would enjoy the pictures and
understand we were keeping it small. Though who knows, if my mom is
this good with guilt, she had to get it from somewhere.

When
the day arrived, standing before our friends and family, we said our
vows. Thankfully the weather held out, and when we exchanged rings
and finally said our do’s, Austin leaned forward and kissed me.
I was his wife, and he was my husband, a blessed union indeed.

I
was so touched that he’d written our vows. They were beautiful
and graceful. His words brought tears to my eyes, and he spoke so
eloquently – and most of all, as he promised his love to me, I
knew that we would become united as one.

After
kissing my husband, I turned around and smiled at our friends and
family. It was a magical moment to be standing there with Austin. We
were husband and wife.

I
refused to let his mother’s glares and loud, deep sighs ruin my
day. As far as I was concerned, she was lucky I let her show up. I
knew how much Austin adored her and did it for him, but I’ve
avoided her as much as possible until this point. I hated her all
ready, and I didn’t see that situation improving. She couldn’t
pocket her disapproval for one moment.

I’ll
be honest, it doesn’t give me especially warm feelings that
she’ll be a part of our lives, but Austin swears there are
redeeming qualities about her somewhere deep inside. I guess time
will tell, and who knows if she’ll ever accept me. I tell
myself I don’t care, but I’m lying, of course I care. I
plan on spending the rest of my life with Austin, and I don’t
feel like fighting it every step of the way, with his mother in my
face.

Austin
squeezed my hand, “I love you, Mrs. Sharpe.” I smiled and
forgot about his mom for the moment. Austin was my husband, wow, I
have a husband!

I
looked at everybody around us, but all I really saw was Austin. It
didn’t matter how many people surrounded us, he made me feel
like the only person in the world at times, special and secure in the
knowledge that he loved me, truly and deeply.

He
was happy; I saw it in his face. His eyes were smiling, and there was
love between us. I knew everything would be okay – we were
husband and wife, and were about to start our journey to happily ever
after. He was more than I ever wanted, and is all that I need.

THE END

If you enjoyed reading
“More Than I Wanted” by Ava Catori, be sure to keep your
eyes out for the follow up “All That I Need”. The story
continues as Kate and Austin build their lives together. With a child
on the way, and Austin struggling with post traumatic stress
disorders, their lives aren’t quite what they’d planned.
Can the couple find the strength to get past their emotional hurdles
and find their happily ever after? Take a sneak peek below:

All That I Need

“This
is more than I wanted. I didn’t bargain for this,” I
cried into the phone. “It’s not fair! I sent him away as
one person, and he came home another. He was fine for awhile, but it
just keeps getting worse. I thought time would help, but it’s
not improving.”

“He’s
talking to somebody finally, getting help, that’s something,
right?”

“I
guess,” I said rubbing my swollen belly. “The baby is
coming soon, and I’m worried. I’m not sure how we’re
going to get through this. I need him to be present, and he’s
despondent, detached a lot of the time, and the nightmares…”
I trailed off.

“Kate,
give him time. He went through a lot over there, but he’s home
now. He needs to heal. The fact that he agreed to get help says a
lot. He wants to get better.”

“He’s
going to be a father, and I just don’t know if he can handle
that right now.”

“Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder isn’t going to be fixed over night,”
she gently reminded. “Give him the time that he needs, it will
get better. He loves you so much, Katie.”

“I
know, Mom, I’m just scared. What if he doesn’t get
better?”

Coming
soon to your favorite e-book retailer, be sure to add it to your wish
list today. Follow Austin and Kate as they tackle the next phase of
their relationship. Add the second book in a two part series to your
reading list, and see how the story finally ends.

Looking for more
stories by Ava Catori? Want another taste of what’s to come?

Future
release “Compulsive Desires” tackles the question –
is it infatuation or love?

Sophie
Samuels was in love. Well, okay, maybe it was lust, but who wouldn't
be smitten? Bear Trevor, the Bear Trevor, famous adventurer and male
model had just fallen in her lap.

It
started with a conversation, and then a wicked one night stand, but
now Bear was asking for more. The only problem was that Sophie was
confused by what she was feeling. Were her growing feelings real, or
was she simply infatuated with the handsome star?

Sifting
through the details of their fling, Sophie is forced to admit her new
obsession may be just that – an obsession. Can Bear convince
Sophie that they could be much more together, if she’d just
give him a chance?