Read Promise Me Forever Online
Authors: Cyndi Raye
Tags: #Romance, #series, #saga, #contemporary, #women's fiction, #literary, #new adult, #short story, #dating, #relationships, #marraige, #love, #doctor, #hospital, #falling in love, #independant female lead, #singlehood
Promise Me Forever
PROMISE
ME
FOREVER
Book#3
BY
CYNDI RAYE
Copyright © 2014
www.CyndiRaye.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
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To DNL
Whose passion to explore the world in front of him at a moments notice inspires others to follow their own dreams. Family, love and finding your passion is what life is all about, and you are doing it.
Chapter 1
“I don’t know where to start or what to say. All I know is I went to Memphis with a dream and a hope to make children happy and I came back with a broken heart. It’s torn in two and so deep in my soul I don’t know if I can ever volunteer again in public. But there’s one thing I know, Ma, I came home with a stronger than ever purpose.”
“Oh sweetheart, I am so sorry you have a broken heart.”
Abby stared at her mother and shook her head. “No, don’t be sorry. I have a new purpose in life. I want children, my own and others, and I also want to take away the pain of homelessness to orphans who need a family like mine. It’s my new mission in life. Perhaps Grandpa knew his money would be used for the greater good someday.”
“Abby, are you certain? Maybe it’s too early to be thinking this way yet.”
“Look around Mama! Look at this property. It’s big enough to house a dozen or more children and I plan to do so. Jon feels the same way. If we found out anything on our journey, it’s that we know for certain what we want out of life.” Abby closed her eyes. She placed the glass of wine to her lips and took a sip as she thought about their journey home after the devastating tornado and loss of Kevin, the little boy who stole their heart at the Children’s hospital in Memphis.
Abby’s mom poured another glass. “Tell me about Kevin.”
She smiled. “Kevin had the sassiest blue eyes ever. When he looked at me it was as if I were his whole world. He even called me Mommy.”
“You would make a wonderful mother.” She leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Abby sighed. At one time she was so angry at her mother and her dad for choosing to become spies over raising their own daughter. But she learned to forgive and appreciate they loved her enough to want her to have a normal life.
Abby nodded. “I know that now. I will be a great Mom. Kevin’s mother gave him up because she loved drugs more. And men. She left Kevin on his own whenever she whored for money to buy drugs. He went out on the balcony one day and fell from a loose rail two stories below. She didn’t even know it until the ambulance showed up and banged on her door to come out. They said she was so high she stumbled around at the hospital until she signed over custody of him.”
“That’s horrible.” Her mother cried, tears dripping down her face. Even though Christina faked her own death to go undercover a few years back, she made sure Abby’s grandfather gave her a good life. Abby thought it was cruel what her own mother did to a teenager, but what Kevin’s mother did to him was inexcusable. At least her own parents had a noble excuse, not like this one who cared about herself and her drugs and threw that little boy to the curb.
“Kevin was five years old and yet terrified because his own mother put him in a dumpster out back to threaten him. He begged us not to put him back in the dumpster.” Abby’s tears ran free as the memory of the fear on his face set in her mind so clear it was as if it happened yesterday. She curled in to her mother’s open arms and her body racked with sobs as they wept in each others arms.
“Let it out, Abigail. I got you. I’m here for you.”
After a good cry, she leaned back in her chair and stared out at the mesmerizing dark sky lit up by the natural light of the moon and stars. They were on the private beach by the water, the moon shining down, its reflection like a mirror for miles until it disappeared in to the horizon. “Kevin will like it here.”
“Did you bring his ashes?”
Abby nodded. “Yes. Sallie pulled some strings and let us bring him home. I used to hate that woman.”
Her mother wrapped her arms around Abby. “Whoever she is, it sounds like she did you a big favor.”
“She did. At first I thought she wanted Jon and I’m sure she did. But then after she realized our love was too strong for her to tear him away from me, she gave up and helped us get Kevin. I will forever be grateful.”
Penny groaned from her place beside Abby. She giggled because the dog acted as if she could understand who Abby talked about. “Penny wasn’t too crazy about the woman either.” The screen door slammed shut.
“Sounds like your man is home.” Her mother got up and gave her a kiss. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Mom, I wish you and Dad would stay with us in the house. Don’t you tire of living on a sail boat?”
“No baby, we don’t. Did you ever tire of living in the RV?”
Abby shook her head and laughed as her mother began her trek towards the boat tied to the docks. “You got me there, Ma.”
“Hey.” Two strong arms came around her from behind and she could feel the warmth of his embrace. Jon placed a gentle kiss on her neck before he sat beside her. His knuckles brushed against her cheek. “How are you?”
Abby shrugged and looked in to his dark eyes. “I’m good. No Jon. I’m great. It’s a great day to be alive.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t want to move from this spot.” He took her hand and brought it to his mouth and held it there while they looked out in to the night, mesmerized by the ocean’s lure.
“Kevin would love this,” Jon said, his voice cautious.
“I said those same words a few minutes ago. Everything seems clearer now with a good cry in my mother’s arms.”
“I feel so lost, so broken.” The strain in Jon’s voice was clear. The blow to his heart was so real she wanted to make it better. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the Keys but there’s something missing from my life now. I can’t seem to shake this.”
Abby reached out and took his other hand. “My love, I know what you feel like inside. In time we’ll get over our heartbreak. Perhaps after we have a baby.”
“Abby.”
She hesitated before she answered because she wasn’t ready to hear what he was about to tell her. In her heart she knew what he would say, but she wanted to throw her hands over her ears and block his voice out. She let go of his hand and in slow motion turned her head towards him, the man of her dreams, her love. “What Jon?” she whispered.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for another child yet.”
“But you said you were. In Memphis, I thought you agreed we would try.”
A strong, muscular hand raked his hair. “I know, you’re right, I said it but there was so much time to think from Memphis to Big Pine. Let’s wait, I need more time baby. Please.”
“I understand how sad you are about Kevin, but we need to turn this situation around. We need to heal and the way I know how to do so is to move on, to fill this house with children so we can give our love to someone else who needs us.”
He looked at her as if he wasn’t buying a word she spoke and a hint of fear took hold, like a hand squeezing her throat so she couldn’t breathe.
“In time Abby, not yet. I can’t. Please understand.”
She closed her eyes and tears fell. Jon sat back in his chair, his hands to himself now, staring out at the water. How could he ruin her heart’s desire with one sentence? She looked over to him because she wanted to see his face, she wanted the truth. “Do you want to cancel the wedding too?”
Jon closed his eyes. She watched the struggle on his face. “No.”
She heard him and yet she wasn’t so sure now he even wanted to get married. “You don’t sound too sure.”
He picked up her hand. “I love you Abby and I want to marry you but my head is so full of Kevin right now. We’re all different in how we deal with heart breaks. I need some time.”
She stood up, her heart filled with anger and sadness. “It’s been a long day. I love you too but this conversation has to stop. Good night Jon.” She bent down and kissed his mouth but as she pulled back his hand cupped her face.
“I love you baby and want us to be happy but I need some time, it’s all I ask. I don’t want to be a wreck of a man when I walk you down the isle.”
She nodded. “I understand. One week.”
His brow creased, and he looked deeper in to her eyes. “What do you mean, one week?”
She caressed his cheek. “You’ve got one week to come back to the living. I hate to watch you walk around as if you have nothing to live for. When you come home from work all I see is a man who stares in to space. We haven’t made love since we got home. You’re dead wrong. I’m here, alive and well and there’s countless children out there who need us. So if you want to feel sorry for yourself, go to it, but after one week, I demand to have the love of my life back. There’s a wedding to plan.”
She stared at him. He didn’t say a word and her lungs got tight and chills ran up her spine. Was she being too forceful when he needed to be treated with care right now? She shook her head because he needed to get a grip. She wouldn’t accept anything less. His eyes bore in to hers and then he spoke. She bit her bottom lip because she was almost afraid of what he would say.
He nodded. “Okay Abby, one week.”
She brushed her fingers over his face and kissed him. “We can get through this together, love. I need you. I need you to need me too. Don’t go to that dark place where you’ve been any more. I can’t stand to see you that way,” she whispered.
Jon pulled her to his lap. His head dipped down and he kissed her, deep kisses to stir her body to life. Abby took him by his hands and pulled him out of the chair and began to backwards, her blue eyes filled with need. She needed him tonight. He followed her inside the house, Penny tagging behind them.
Jon’s kisses became more demanding. He was pure raw emotion. His hands moved over her as he tore her clothes off one piece after the other. Her naked body slid up to his clothed one. She pulled at his shirt but he grabbed her hands and held them behind her back as he trailed kisses down her neck and across her breasts. Abby arched her back and pushed her hips in to his. He groaned, and she pushed again because she wanted to hear how much he wanted her.
She needed to have her hands free so she could feel him too. Abby tried to pull them from his strong grip but he held them. It upset her and turned her on. She became desperate and struggled in his arms. “Not this time. Stay still,” he demanded.
She did. His emotions were unstable, maybe he needed to feel in control. Abby liked it and hated it because she wanted to touch his body and feel him in her hands. He picked her up and placed her on the bed. He raised her hands above her head and held them with one hand. Jon took his leg and pushed her legs apart and with one hand he pulled at his pants to set himself free as he pushed them from his hips. “Let me help you,” she begged, but he shook his head and stilled her words with a lingering, deep kiss that made her want him even more.
When he set himself free, he plunged in to her and took her fast and hard. He was relentless. He trailed kisses across her jaw and buried his face in her neck. She threw her head back to give him more, and he bit her neck and suckled on her skin as his heavy breathing became faster and louder.
He pushed himself so deep inside of her Abby screamed his name over and over again. She wanted to touch him but he wouldn’t let her hands go. His own hand dug in to her wrist but there was no pain. “Please, let me touch you,” Abby begged. “I need to, please.”
Jon let go. She took a hold of his shoulders and ran her hands across his rippled muscles. The feel of him, so intense, stirred her passion even more, and she went wild, bucking and rocking and meeting him thrust for thrust. Jon cried out her name and sank in to her again and again until she didn’t think she could breathe any longer. Abby pulled his hair to lift his face to hers. Dark eyes watched as she let loose with his name on her lips. She forced her own eyes open so she could see him explode and shuddered deep inside when he did.