Shattered Edge (23 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Justin

My family hosted a farewell dinner for me. They did their best to persuade me to stay...I had to hand it to them. Pearce and Andrew pulled me aside during the cocktail hour and we had a little brotherly chat.

“Man, I have to say, you look the happiest I’ve seen since...well, you know.”

I smiled and said, “Yeah, I know.” I wanted to really smile and shout out from the roof tops, but I couldn’t. So I acted reserved and held my elation in check. “I think it’s the idea of starting a new life away from here. Getting rid of the painful memories and making some new ones. I always liked Seattle, although I’m not looking forward to the gray skies, but who knows. They have a great ortho program there and I feel honored to have been invited back as an attending.”

Pearce clapped me on my back and Andrew did the same.

“Well, Big Brother, I’m gonna miss your mug around here,” Andrew said.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I guess you’re just gonna have to step in and fill my shoes then, huh?”

Avery, my grandmother made her entrance and we all went to hug her. In front of everyone, she announced, “I’m glad you’re getting out of this town Justin. You’re the first Middleton that’s had the balls to do something like this. The rest of us have all been too damned chicken.”

The whole family started laughing...well, everyone except my mom. I hugged my grandmother and whispered in her ear, “Just what I needed. But you know my new home won’t be complete unless you come out to visit.”

“Oh you can count on it. At least I won’t have to bring a damned bikini!” She gave me a big wink.

Lexi hugged me and told me how much she would miss me. Of everyone here, she understood the most. Of course she would. She had been in that terrible accident with her boyfriend and he had died as a result if it. She blamed herself for years and tried her best to destroy herself over it. She had to leave her home in Virginia because of it, so she was totally on board with me moving and starting a new life. I wished so badly I could tell her that her best friend was still alive, but since I wanted to keep Caroline that way, there was no way I was ever going to speak those words to anyone.

After dinner was over, everyone wished me the best and left me with Mom and Dad.

Mom was crying and Dad was trying to calm her down.

“Mom, it’s not like you can’t hop on the Middleton jet and come and visit once a month,” I chided her.

“I know that, but I feel like you won’t ever be coming back here.”

I looked at her and knew I couldn’t be anything less than honest. “Mom, you’re right. I won’t be. Charleston isn’t home any more. It’s filled with too much unpleasantness that I need to free myself from. Leaving here and the idea of beginning a new life has brought me hope that I haven’t had in a long time.”

“I can see it, it’s just that I’m sad that you won’t be here.”

“I’m not the first son to ever leave home Mom.”

“I know, but your
my
first son...and all the way across the country.”

“You dealt with it before and you did just fine. Charleston isn’t my home anymore. My heart isn’t here.”

“I know Justin. I’m just being selfish. Go. Be safe. And have a wonderful life out there. And Justin, meet a nice girl that will love you like Terri did. Don’t settle for anything less.”

“Oh don’t worry Mom, I would never do that. I love you.”

********

Living next to Caroline was the greatest thing in the world. Even when we were in Charleston, we weren’t this close. I loved my new girl too. Not that I didn’t love the old one. But this one was confident in a way I couldn’t come close to describing. She carried herself differently. Her outlook on life was different. My other girl was excited about the future. This one wanted to sink her teeth into it and get every last bite out of it she could. Nothing escaped her...the gentle breeze, the birds chirping or the taste of the salt on her tongue, courtesy of the Pacific Ocean.

My happiness was endless. My work at the University was awesome. I was with an amazing team of physicians teaching other newly trained orthopedists how to fit the puzzles of a splintered bone back together. I would think of Caroline’s leg every day and pass that magic on to them in the hopes that they could help other patients like her walk again.

On a misty Saturday afternoon, about six months after we’d been in Seattle, we were laying in bed. Her sexy, naked body was stretched out on top of mine after a luscious heated session of lovemaking. Her head was tucked into my neck and my nose was nestled into her hair, exactly where I liked it, so I could feel its silkiness and smell her lavender shampoo that she still used after all this time.

“I think it’s time,” I whispered.

She lifted her head with a puzzled expression on her face and asked, “Time for what?”

“For this. Caroline Cole, will you marry me? You put the beat into my heart and the spirit into my soul. I want you as my wife, my partner. I don’t want to be your neighbor anymore sweetheart. I want to be your husband. I want to marry you. Say yes. Run away and marry me. Please say you’ll be mine forever.”

“Oh Justin, I’ve always been yours. Of course I’ll marry you. What took you so long?”

Then she kissed me and we laughed.

“Were you serious about eloping?”

“Hell yes!” I shouted.

“When?”

“When do you want to get married?”

She gave me a cheeky grin and said, “Yesterday. But, since that’s passed, as soon as possible.”

I looked at her for a second. “Can I be in charge of the venue?”

“Yeah! You always did have a flair for that.”

“I do have a request though.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“I want you to wear a wedding dress. I know how important it is to a woman to do that. And...I want to be able to show our children one day how beautiful their mother looked on the day she married their dad.”

That must’ve been the right thing to say because, well, she just got all soft on me and then my heart just did that little number in my chest. We held each other silently for a few moments until I heard her take a deep breath.

“I just realized something.”

“What would that be?” I asked her.

“I love you now more than ever.”

Her blue eyes (she never wore her contacts when we were alone) cut right into my soul.

“Babe, I know exactly what you mean. My dad told me once that when he fell in love with my mom, he thought that was it, but he found out he was wrong. His love only grew deeper as the days passed. I guess that’s how it must be with us.”

“You know something else?”

“What?”

“Justin, your family is going to kill you for eloping.”

“Naw. I don’t think so. I think they’re going to say, ‘Good for him, he found someone else.’”

“You think?”

“Yeah. But if they only knew.”

We laughed about that.

“Justin, do you think they’ll ever recognize me when they meet me?”

I
was
worried about that. “Honey, the only one I’m worried about is Lexi. She was so close to you. And here’s the thing. When I first saw you, it wasn’t your looks. It was your mannerisms that tipped me off. That’s what you’ll have to be careful about. She knows you so well.”

She nodded. “That’s what Preston said too.”

“Babe, let’s just worry about that when the time comes. Okay?”

“Yeah.” Then her eyes brightened. “So, what did you have in mind for our wedding?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“A hint?”

“Nope. Your job is to get a dress. As soon as you do that, I’ll get the place.”

I was rewarded with another one of her mind blowing kisses. She was good like that.

EPILOGUE

Six Weeks Later...

The couple stood at the top of the clearing that overlooked the Pacific Ocean at the Post Ranch Inn. The groom had outdone himself on the accommodations and site for their ceremony. This place made Amanyara, Bora Bora, and Kauai all look like a slight step down. The backdrop was Big Sur with its magnificent cliffs, crashing surf and the beginnings of a western sunset that was unrivaled by anything the bride had ever seen. The day had been bright and sunny with a perfectly clear blue sky that Californians often boast of. The bride wore a simple yet elegant gown made of the lightest silk that whispered like the breeze every time she moved. The groom looked sexy in his black Armani tux. Even though they were the only two present at such a lovely affair, they didn’t seem to mind a bit. In fact, their behavior indicated quite the opposite.

The bride’s blonde hair moved with the gentle wind floating up from the ocean and her smile was radiant as she looked up at the groom. The minister spoke the words while the couple secretly looked at each other, and then they repeated after him. When the groom slipped on her ring, which caught the rays of the sun, tears also glistened on her pink cheeks. 

The minister pronounced them as husband and wife and it was quite sexy watching them kiss. Every female witnessing their display of affection wished it had been like that on her wedding day. For those that were still single, well they now had something to dream about.

As the couple turned, arm in arm and walked away, a photographer caught them in a multitude of casual poses.  When the photographer was finished, the couple smiled and slipped off into the sunset, eager to begin their new life together as Dr. and Mrs. Justin Middleton.

Preston

They had no idea I was there. I’d registered as David Stockton. There wasn’t a chance I would let them go through with this alone, without some kind of protection. He was a Middleton after all so his name would soon be plastered everywhere, announcing their marriage.  Pete Kowalski was also here. He didn’t tell me what name he was using.

I dressed in a pair of jeans, long sleeved shirt, hiking boots and I pulled a baseball hat down low over my eyes, which were covered in sunglasses. I walked with a slight limp and I had shaved my head. On the back of my neck was a large tattoo of a winged bird, completing my disguise. This would wash away after a few days.

Late in the afternoon, as the sun was sinking low, I found the perfect spot behind a copse of trees to watch Caroline and Justin exchange vows. I was too far away to hear anything, but I was able to see everything from this vantage point. Pete would be on the opposite side, checking things out on his end. All was clear and nothing was amiss. The only thing that bothered me was that damn photographer snapping all those photos. I was going to have to “borrow” her camera afterward, to remove her smart chip. I would get the pictures to Caroline, so she would end up knowing I’d been here after all. I just didn’t want to take a chance of having those pictures ending up online anywhere. Way too risky.

I had to hand it to them, they both looked great. This place was something else now. Big Sur made the perfect backdrop for a wedding. Caroline looked beautiful and Justin looked a high roller with that fancy tux he was wearing. I’m sure it must’ve cost him a pretty penny. And this place...I booked the cheapest room they had and almost choked on that. Close to a thousand a night. No telling how much their suite was costing them. They were probably staying in that fancy Cliff House. I certainly hoped so because they both deserved every damn bit of happiness that came their way for the shit they had been through because of me.

After they were officially married, they kissed and wandered off. I “accidentally bumped into” the photographer, causing her to drop all of her equipment. In the melee, I was able to extract her little card. She never knew what hit her. I hoped she wouldn’t look at that camera until tomorrow.

I went to the restaurant where I noticed Pete and gave him a slight nod. I grabbed a bite to eat, silently toasted the newlyweds and headed back to my room for a good night’s sleep. My last thought before I drifted off was that I was glad Dr. and Mrs. Justin Middleton had finally tied the knot.

THE END...maybe

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.M. Hargrove lives in South Carolina with her husband and family. After spending years in the corporate world, she now enjoys writing fiction while she is fully caffeinated.  She also thinks coffee and chocolate should be added to the USDA food groups. Oh, and ice cream too!

Other books by A.M Hargrove include The
GUARDIANS OF VESTURON
Series (
Survival
,
Resurrection, Determinant, Beginnings
and soon to be released
reEMERGENT
),
Dark Waltz
(A Praestani Novel) and
Edge of Disaster
(An Edge Novel)

You can stalk A.M. Hargrove at

Her blog at
www.amhargrove.blogspot.com

Her website at
www.amhargrove.com

Twitter at
www.twitter.com/amhargrove1

Facebook at
www.facebook.com/guardiansofvesturon

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