Remember Hope Page 9

  “What makes you happy?”

  “Seeing you.”

  “Stop,” she said thickly, fanning her eyes and blinking rapidly. “I never wear mascara and I put it on today. Please don’t make me cry.”

  “Baby, I’d kiss those tears away,” he promised earnestly, taking her hand in his and slipping the small flower onto her wrist with the band. “Now, we need to head in so we don’t miss the wedding.”

  It was a beautiful spring day there at the park. The pink dogwoods were blooming and the heavy scent of magnolias hung in the air. It was sunny without it being too hot and the arbor was covered with honeysuckle. Well over a hundred people were in attendance and sitting in white chairs on a lawn near the arbor. Pink tufts of tulle were swathed along the rows and peony bouquets were everywhere.

  “Hold my shoulder,” he encouraged, knowing how wobbly he’d felt the other day trying on the prosthetic leg. He’d decided to try walking with the forearm crutches instead of the large ones that rested under his arms. It was quite different, feeling a bit freer to move around, and he’d taken to it right away. He couldn’t imagine how she would feel walking on the uneven ground.

  The last thing he wanted for Daisy was for her to feel anything but happiness today. They made their way slowly to the seats. Daisy had said that she’d grown up with Lily but didn’t know the man she was marrying. Taking two seats towards the back, they sat on the edge of a row on the bride’s side.

  It wasn’t long before the groom and several men walked up to take their place at the arbor. They were each dressed in the black dress uniform of a police officer. Curious, Ethan saw that the groom had a camouflage ribbon tied around his upper arm. Staring at the man’s stony expression, Ethan felt his heart pound with emotion.

  The man looked just like his chief who’d saved his life in Afghanistan!

  “What’s wrong?” Daisy whispered, grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers with his. Ethan saw a large German Shepherd coming running up to the arbor, before sitting down. He recognized that dog too! Radar sat directly next to his former CPO John Griffin. The dog he once remembered was wearing a bow around her neck and a flower pinned to her K-9 uniform vest around her torso.

  “I know him,” Ethan breathed in complete shock.

  “Who?”

  “The groom.”

  “You do?”

  “He saved my life,” Ethan whispered and heard several people around him shush him as music started to play. He stared at CPO Griffin and could barely breathe. All those memories were rushing back at him right now and he could see tinges of black at the edge of his vision. He was light-headed and afraid he was going to pass out from shock. How was he here? He’d written him, why hadn’t he responded? Ethan had looked up to his CPO as a mentor there in the field but it was his folly that had him lose his leg. He’d written Wilkes… Wilkes!

  Was he here too?

  “Daisy- do you see a blond man here? Colin might be here too! He’d probably be in a uniform of some sort? A really tall guy?” he rambled on, leaning forward and scanning the crowd around them. He wanted to see his best friend again and the simple ray of hope was overwhelming.

  “There’s a lot of blond men here. Ethan talk to me.”

  “Shhhhh!” a woman nearby said and Daisy whirled around angrily.

  “If you tell him to shush one more time, I’m going to lose my temper and you won’t have to worry about making a scene,” Daisy snarled protectively, putting her arm in front of Ethan. “We’ll be on the news tonight lady!”

  “Daisy don’t!” Ethan said, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to calm her down. He’d never seen Daisy so upset and it was a little flattering, as well as scary to see her lose her cool. She was always smiling and pleasant, a safe harbor for him.

  Immediately, she moved to kiss his cheek and whisper to him in his ear as she held his hand. He rested his forehead against her chin, his mind a mass of swirling emotions. He was thankful that she seemed to sense it.

  “You’re here and alive. He’s here. This is a chance for you to reconnect and nothing is going to harm you. This is a safe and warm place. I’m here for you,” she breathed. That was what he needed to hear. He could hear the music escalate upwards, indicating that the bride was coming down the aisle. Several people got to their feet as Lily proceeded up the grassy pathway towards her groom.

  “You are missing this,” he whispered apologetically, taking several deep breaths.

  “They’ll all sit down in a moment and I’m right where I need to be.”

  Ethan almost told her that he loved her in that very moment. He bit back the words knowing deep in his heart that it was too soon for them. He was still healing obviously and this was a tremendous emotional upheaval he hadn’t expected. There was no reason to create a second one just yet. Everyone took their seats around them and he stared at the bride and groom fascinated.

  The bride was pretty, but no one was as beautiful as Daisy was to him. It was like looking at the sun when Daisy smiled at him – full of warmth and life. The bride’s gown was fitted at the waist and flared outwards. It was simple with little décor. She wore blue earrings and a matching necklace. That must be her something blue, Ethan mused.

  The couple each had chosen one person to stand up with them. Surprised, Ethan saw John Griffin, his gruff and bossy CPO from Afghanistan, as he wiped his eyes as the bride walked towards him. The only time Griffin had smiled was when he got a letter or package… ahhhh, Ethan thought, putting it all together now.

  Was Lily the person John had been writing to?

  Griffin was very protective of the letters he received and usually got really upset when the guys teased him about it. Ethan remembered that he rarely ever smiled and usually barked out orders to everyone. Here, this man was smiling at the woman taking her place beside him.

  Daisy held Ethan’s hand tightly as the couple began to exchange their vows. Seeing them up there made him realize that he wanted to have that moment someday. He wanted that deep of a bond with someone. Glancing at Daisy, he wondered if what he felt now would deepen over time and if she would be the one for him in the years to come. Sometimes he felt like he’d come so far in his healing but other times, he felt like everything was just raw on the inside.

  “Lily, when I met you for the first time and laid eyes upon you – I knew then that I had been lost. You are everything good in this world. Happiness, tenderness and laughter. I was gifted your letter by the grace of God and found myself again through your love. I cannot tell you how very precious you are to me because words don’t seem like enough. You are the reason I get up in the morning, the reason I am who I am and the reason I stand here today, humbled and in awe of your sweet soul. I love you more than the air I breathe, more than Twinkies…”

  Did he just say Twinkies? Ethan wondered and heard Daisy giggle, confirming his suspicions. Her laugh was thick with emotion. Glancing at her, Ethan saw she was smiling brilliantly at the bridal couple but tears were streaming down her cheeks unchecked. She was going to be so upset that her mascara was running but he’d never seen her look more breathtaking.

  Ethan felt himself get choked up at the thought of what she would look like if they were ever blessed to meet at the altar. Would she cry tears of happiness? Would she smile at him with love in her eyes? Listening, he heard his gruff CPO continue on emotionally and suddenly understood what the man was saying in so many words.

  “…I love you more than circus peanuts, Lily - and that’s saying a lot. I would give everything for your smile, your heart and your hand in mine for all time. I swear before God to love, honor and cherish you before all.”

  Ethan watched as his friend and mentor struggled to put the ring on the bride’s finger. Lily smiled and laughed tearfully as John finally slid the ring into place and let out his breath in a whoosh. Nodding, the bride began to speak her vows to John in front of the pastor.

  “John, when you wrote me the first several times I have to admit I was fascinat
ed with your words. I could hear you in my mind, in my heart. I knew that you were special to me, I just had no idea how much so until I saw your smile. I love that about you. Your honor, your code, your tenderness and above all: how you show that you love me to the world. I’ve never had someone treasure me or be so very proud of me for just being who I am. You admire my strengths, my weaknesses, and I thrive in the love that is blooming between us. I am humbled by your heart and by your dedication. I promise, here before God, that I will always love you.”

  The bride, Lily, was crying unabashedly as she stared at her groom. Even Radar, the dog that had alerted him to the bomb when it was already too late, was whining and pawing at John’s shoe.

  “Everyone, including Radar, that knows you – knows what a beautiful gentle soul you are and I am so very proud to call you my husband. I vow to love, honor and cherish this feeling between us for all my days and even after- as I believe that I was blessed and gifted with my soulmate. I cannot believe that our love will not transcend into the heavens forever and I cannot imagine there ever being an end to you and me, my love. I am yours, for eternity – and you are mine.”

  Watching the vows, Ethan saw that his former chief was done waiting and had decided to kiss his bride without prompting. Griffin pulled her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. A massive cheer went up and Ethan could hear Radar barking as the two were pronounced man and wife. They were still hugging each other and whispering to each other at the altar, smiling, before John took Lily’s hand and led his new wife back down the aisle. As they passed the rows of seats, Ethan held his breath when they passed – seeing Lily wave at Daisy, who was still crying.

  Let him look at me, let Griffin see me here, Ethan thought, yearning to thank the man who’d saved his life. Instead, he was shaking hands on the other side of the aisle as they walked towards the building. The minister took this moment to instruct everyone on what to do next.

  “If all the guests would make their way to the reception hall, please. Bridal party- please meet us here at the arbor for photographs.”

  “Shall we head inside?” Daisy asked happily. “I always like sweets after a good soulful cry. That was simply breathtaking and I’m so happy that she is in love.”

  “Anything for you,” Ethan said, handing her his handkerchief he’d tucked into his pocket. He saw her cheeks flush with embarrassment and grabbed her hands as she tried to hide her face.

  “You’re fine.”

  “I look terrible. I probably look like a racoon with rabies.”

  “You aren’t foaming at the mouth, if that is what you’re worried about. You’re breathtaking and so very beautiful to me,” he admitted, taking the cloth from her and wiping her cheeks slowly as he stared at her. People were scooting around them, making their way to the reception hall, yet he was in no hurry. Right now, the only thing important to him was this moment.

  “I mean it,” he murmured, his thumb caressing the soft skin just under her eyelashes. “I want you to know how much I care and how incredible I think you are. Thank you for bringing me here and being with me when I needed you. I hope I am strong enough to handle meeting my old chief again face to face so I can thank him for saving my life.”

  “You won’t be alone. I’ll be here for you.”

  “I haven’t been alone since the moment I walked into your house that very first time,” Ethan confessed, realizing the truth of his words.

  Chapter 13

  Daisy felt like she was on cloud nine.

  Ethan was so sweet and tender towards her as they walked into the reception hall. Right now, she felt more a part of his life than she’d ever had and it was exhilarating. As they walked in, there were throngs of people milling around as they all waited to celebrate with the new bride and groom. She’d been surprised to see Ethan on the smaller crutches. He looked to be moving about better and she almost wanted to comment on it but didn’t want him to feel anything less of a man.

  Instead, they walked to a table nearby to take a seat. The reception hall was filled with balloons, streamers, and flowers everywhere. The centerpiece on the table was a peony floating on a small flat bowl with little tea light candles. Each table had little chiffon party favors filled with pale pastel Jordan almonds and tiny plastic bottles of bubbles for people. Some of the children were already blowing bubbles in the room.

  Sitting down, an attendant came over and brought out glasses of tea for them. A large table was at the end of the room with several place settings nearby for the bridal party. The wedding cake was stunning. A large three-tiered cake was covered in a cascade of spun-sugar flowers and petals that glistened in the lights overhead. The groom’s cake was a series of yellow macaroon cookies. Everywhere you looked, things were a pale cream color with swatches of bright pink to highlight the vibrant peonies in the room.

  Glancing over, Daisy saw that Ethan was nervously looking around and she figured it was just his way of keeping an eye out for his former chief. Leaning forward, she took a deep breath and smelled his cologne along with the vanilla scent that wafted from the tealight candles.

  “Relax. If you don’t get a chance to talk today, you can at least exchange phone numbers and meet up sometime after they return from their honeymoon.”

  “It’s not that,” Ethan said quickly. “Well, it is – and it isn’t.”

  “What’s wrong? You are nervous like a cat that’s run into a room full of rocking chairs. All these people are here to have a good time – we are here to celebrate too. Are you afraid of something triggering you?”

  “No, wait. Do you think…?”

  “No. I don’t,” Daisy smiled confidently. “I don’t think there is anything that will make you get upset here. A ton of cake, some fruity punch, cookies galore, and lots of dancing.” She saw his hesitant smile fall and realized that was it. He’d just found another thing that he couldn’t do: he couldn’t dance without his leg. Ethan leaned forward and his warm breath against her ear gave her goosebumps.

  “I do want to say thank you to Griffin, but more than anything I’d like to dance with you this afternoon. I’m not sure that I can,” he admitted in a whisper.

  Turning her head ever so slightly, Daisy saw the flare of desire in his eyes as they were infinitely close to her own. His lips were inches from hers and she fought the urge to lean into him. She caught her breath as she felt the keen sense of awareness between them, knowing her attraction to him. She didn’t care that he was on crutches and she knew deep in her soul that he couldn’t care less about her own legs.

  “I’m glad you want to dance,” she whispered, watching him. “I love dancing and always wanted to have someone whirl me around the dancefloor. I’ve thought of nothing else the last day or two. We are going to dance together today.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “I know you can- and you will.”

  “Daisy…”

  “Trust me,” she mouthed silently just seconds before she leaned forward to kiss him gently, no longer able to stand the wait. Their kiss was broken seconds later by a round of applause indicating that the bridal party had arrived. Both turned to see them enter the room, with eyes for only each other. As the music started up, Daisy watched as Lily was swept into the arms of her groom for the first dance.

  “I had no idea Griffin knew how to dance,” Ethan whispered in shock. “They certainly don’t teach you that in Afghanistan.”

  “If I know Lily, she’s had them taking classes the last few months in preparation for this moment. She plans out everything and rarely throws chance to the wind. That would be my other friend, Eva – she’s a wild child.”

  “Did I hear my name?” a female voice announced. Daisy looked up to see Eva grinning as she stood near the table. “Is this seat taken?” A surge of possessiveness burst forth as Eva rested her hand on the chair next to Ethan. She knew her friend wouldn’t ever cross that line but sitting there- and seeing Eva nearby- Daisy couldn’t help but feel jealous.

  Eva wa
s perfect. Beautiful, whole… and she could have children.

  Daisy could not.

  “Let’s dance,” Daisy announced, getting to her feet. “Eva, hold the table for us please?”

  “Sure thing.”

  Ethan got to his feet and his skeptical look made Daisy even more certain that they were going to share a dance. As the bride and groom danced slowly on the floor, other couples were joining them. Daisy walked to the edge of the floor away from the crowd that was now gathering. She could see the hesitation on his face and smiled brightly.

  “We’ve got this,” she coached confidently.

  Standing there, she felt Ethan rest his hand on her hip carefully. She saw the brief glimpse of fear and knew he was afraid of losing his balance. “There. Just hold me.” Daisy stepped into his arm and wrapped hers around his torso, laying her head on his chest. He couldn’t hold her like the other men, but she didn’t care in the slightest. They were standing together, swaying softly to the music… dancing.

  “You’ve given me back something I was afraid I could never do.”

  “Enjoy the moment,” she breathed quietly, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

  “Oh, I am,” he whispered, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

  They stood there through the next few songs until a pop song came on. As they headed back to the table, Daisy turned at the sound of laughter. Ethan met her eyes and his eyebrows shot up in shock as he glanced over her shoulder. Bursting out laughing, Daisy saw what was so funny. The straight-laced officer who’d saved Ethan’s life was dancing on the floor, doing several different hip-hop moves. He looked like he was jogging in place, doing a dance move called the running man and winking at Lily. She was laughing hysterically at her new husband’s so-called smooth dance moves.

  The feeling in the room was light, airy, and full of laughter. The joy was uncontainable and love was everywhere. There were couples smiling at each other, the bride and groom had eyes for only each other – and Ethan was watching her closely as they reclaimed their seats. Even Daisy relaxed, seeing Eva chatting with another woman nearby.