A Love Like This

Special Smashwords
Edition

by

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places and incidents are either the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is
entirely coincidental.

A Love Like This: The Remembrance
Trilogy—Book 3

Special Smashwords
Edition

This eBook is licensed for your personal
enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to
other people. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it,
or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return
it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard
work of the author.

Copyright © 2013 Kahlen
Aymes
. All rights reserved, including the
right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No
part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded,
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The publisher does not have any control over
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websites or their content.

Edited by Elizabeth Desmond, Sally Hopkinson
and Kathryn Voskuil.

Cover Designed by Telemachus Press, LLC

Cover Art:

Copyright © Dreamstime/27423905n64s/Igor
Borodin

Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/
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Sarah Neal Photography

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Visit the author blog site:

http://www.kahlen-amyes.blogspot.com

ISBN: 978-1-939927-18-7 (eBook)

ISBN: 978-1-939927-19-4 (paperback)

Version 2013.06.07

Acknowledgments

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~Epilogue~

Acknowledgments

For my readers… I appreciate and adore you
and thank you for every moment you spend with my words. You are my
inspiration.

Deepest appreciation to “Team Ryan.” You know
who you are and all that you do for me. I’m forever grateful for
your dedication. XOXO

The book blogs are too many to mention, but I
thank you for every post, tweet, share, and word of encouragement.
I couldn’t do it without your incredible support.

To my daughter, Olivia, for being
understanding when I am chained to my keyboard. Thank you and I
love you.

When love beckons to you, follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you, yield to
him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions
may wound you.

And when he speaks to you, believe in
him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams

as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he
crucify you.

Even as he is for your growth so is he for
your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height

and caresses your tenderest branches that
quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake
them in their clinging to the earth.

~From The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

~1~

I waited outside the ER for my husband, Ryan,
to come out at the end of his shift. Ryan was halfway through his
first year of residency at St. Vincent’s in Lower Manhattan. Later
in the evening we’d be flying up to Boston where his brother,
Aaron, and one of our best friends, Jenna, were getting married. I
was very happy for Jenna. She waited almost nine years for Aaron to
marry her, but the responsibilities of college and then medical
school had been his priority. She supported his efforts without
complaining and, after gentle nudging, Aaron finally bought a
ring.

Ryan and Aaron fulfilled their childhood
dream of attending Harvard Med together, but afterward, Ryan had
chosen to do his residency in New York City so that he and I could
be together. We’d gotten married on a spur of the moment decision
at the same time that he and Aaron were graduating last June. Every
minute since then had been heaven. At least, the moments we
actually spent together.

I tapped nervously on the steering wheel of
my Mazda and, as I looked around the parking lot, a mixture of
impatience and uneasiness settled over me. The ER was generally
busy with all kinds of cases, and Ryan regaled me with details on
several occasions. Most were just what you’d expect, but, as in any
major city, there were gangs in New York and Ryan was constantly
dealing with shootings, beatings and stabbings. I shuddered as fear
I tried to push back, resurfaced. It wasn’t as if the many hours he
spent away from me weren’t bad enough without worrying about these
types of people hanging out at the hospital while their ‘homies’
were treated for the latest fight or drive-by.

Take tonight. There were several rough young
men hovering outside of the entrance, smoking, spouting trash-talk
and generally harassing anyone who tried to go into or out of the
hospital. No distinctive racial group, they were a mixture of
white, black, Asian and Hispanic descent, but collectively, they
were a scary bunch. Two or three of them looked particularly
agitated during the conversation. I couldn’t make out their words,
but I could tell from their expressions and body language that they
were arguing. One tough-looking thug, who was clearly the leader,
shoved another of them with enough force to send him sprawling head
first onto the pavement.

“Do that again and I’ll kill you, man! I’ll
fucking kill you!”

I flushed and shrank down in the seat a
little further, hoping they wouldn’t take much notice of me while I
waited for Ryan. My heart constricted in worry that he would have
to walk through them on his way to where the car was parked across
the lot.

An old man entering the hospital glanced in
the group’s direction and was rewarded with a bitter threat, which
was loud enough so I could hear clearly.

“What are you looking at, motherfucker? Stay
out of our business or I’ll cut you!” he shouted. I jumped when he
pulled out a switchblade and waved it at the old man.

I swallowed and made sure the doors to the
car were locked. The gentleman put up both hands in a silent plea
to be left alone as he hurried inside the double doors. It was no
wonder Ryan didn’t like me waiting here alone, though, I hardly
found myself in this sort of situation. My job at Vogue was on the
Upper East Side and our new apartment was in Midtown Manhattan and
rarely did Ryan allow me to visit him at work.

I glanced at my watch. Ryan would be out any
minute and we’d go straight to the airport. It was ten minutes past
four and I was grateful for the daylight that remained. It was cold
and I needed to keep the car running, and the defroster kept the
windows from fogging over.

As I waited, I let my mind drift. Jenna
planned a big affair and was holding her reception at the same
hotel where Ryan and I were married. Our wedding was smaller and
more intimate than the one Jenna had planned, but it was a perfect
reflection of our relationship. Very close and tight, so, very
intimate.

Guh!
My heart still thudded within my
chest at the memory of the vows and the incredible night of
lovemaking that followed. It didn’t matter how much time passed, I
was more and more in love with my beautiful husband every day. Ryan
was my entire world and I looked forward to the time alone with him
in Boston. His work schedule was so frantic that our time together
was precious, and there were days when we wouldn’t see each other
at all beyond a kiss as we passed each other coming and going. I
missed him like I hadn’t seen him in years.

I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat
and reached in to retrieve my ringing phone.

“Yes, Jen!” I smiled as I answered. She was
so anxious to have us back in Boston, that I’d expected her
call.

“When will you be here?”

“Soon. We will be! Relax.”

“I’m relaxed. Aaron, on the other hand, is a
basket case. You’d think he was being led to the gallows,” she
mocked with a chuckle. “I think he’s more excited to see you and
Ryan than he is to marry me!”

“Nah. He’s probably just yanking your chain.
You know Aaron.”

“I’m so happy, Julia! The dresses came
today. Ellie’s outdone herself again.”

I looked cautiously at the group of men, now
beginning to take notice of me sitting in my car, and I bristled in
my seat. I was frightened but I didn’t want it to come through in
my voice. “I can’t wait to see them. Jenna, were you able to get
the suite for us?”

“Yes! It’s a good thing the Four Seasons has
more than one honeymoon suite or you would have been out of
luck!”

Excitement raced through me as I anticipated
Ryan’s reaction to spending the weekend in the same suite we’d
spent our wedding night in. I smiled a secret smile in
retrospection, but then one of the unruly young men was making his
way toward me, leaning down to glare into the front window of the
car. I turned my back and faced the opposite direction, hoping he
would leave me alone.
That’s if we make it out of this stupid
parking lot!