Barbed Wire Bandages, page 15
Down girl...
“I couldn't just call, Bridget. You're better than that. You deserve more than that. So I had to get a little creative.” The bed shifted as he sat next to her. “If you could just... tell me what I'm supposed to do here, that would be great. You want me to get down on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness? Fine. Done. You want me to streak through Till Park until the cops tackle me to the ground? Whatever. I'll do it. I'll do anything except get in my car, drive away, and forget about you. That's the one thing I'm incapable of doing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” She shot up, removing her hands. “That was the plan all along, Garrison. We both knew that. It's what you wanted. I was the one stupid enough to beg you to stay. I know you don't-”
“I don't want to leave Till Park.”
Shocked, Bridget's mouth fell open. Looking into his eyes, hearing his voice, realizing that he'd come back for her; she wanted to let her anger slip away into the night and take with it every trace of negativity she'd ever felt toward Garrison. But when the last sliver of her anger tried to tip-toe out the door, she couldn't let it go. Not yet.
In her silence, Garrison grabbed her hands and scooted closer.
“I don't want to leave you. So please, please don't push me away because of one enormous fuck up I had absolutely nothing to do with.”
Bridget looked away, cursing the blush that would forever taint her face at that particular memory.
“I was humiliated, Garrison,” she whispered softy.
He dropped to his knees in front of her, clinging to her hands as if they were the very things keeping him tethered to earth.
“I know. And I'm so fucking sorry, but I did not plan that. I swear to God I didn't. I would never do something like that to you.”
Bridget pulled her hands from his grip, cringing at the way his eyes watered as contact was lost. Her own eyes misted as well.
“I know you wouldn't. Nat told me what happened.”
Garrison visibly bristle at the sound of Nat's name, but then somehow forced it from his mind.
“Yet, you're still furious.”
“No.” She shook her head, surprised that the last of her anger had said 'Sayonara' and parachuted away without her authorization. “Not furious. Just hurt. Even if you had done it, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to get back at me. I was a horrible person, Garrison. God knows I deserved it. But every hateful thing I did, every stupid decision I made... it all stemmed from my own insecurities. And I had a lot of them. Hell, I still do.”
Tiny droplets fell off Garrison's hair as he nodded. She felt each one splatter on her jeans and sink into the skin beneath.
“You have nothing to be insecure about.”
The way he looked at her -like she was the most magnificent person on the planet- made her want to believe him, but that was a blemish on her life that couldn't be fixed or concealed easily. It would take time and a lot of hard work on her part to get to where she was happy and strong enough to let go of the past.
“So, you're here... Does that mean you don't hate me?” The war-torn look on Garrison's face killed her, and she realized that no, she didn't hate him. She never had.
“No. I don't hate you.”
Hope filled his eyes and she wanted to wrangle some of it for her own deflated heart. Then she reminded herself that she didn't have to. As long as Garrison was around, he'd make sure she had hope in abundant supply.
“But if we're going to make this work, you have to refrain from posting pictures of your ass around town. You're gonna give some poor unsuspecting geezer a heart attack.”
“Noted,” he chuckled. “No more porn for Till Park.”
He reached for her hand again, and this time she met his touch with fervor. They moved together, embracing what had once been lost. When his touch skimmed across the small of her back, she wound her arms around his neck and clung to him, pressing her lips against every heated stretch of skin she could reach.
“I missed you.” Her voice shook and she clenched her teeth to fight off tears.
“Missed you too,” he whispered as his hands wove through her hair. “So fucking much it hurt.”
They lost track of time as their bodies molded together, safely cocooned in each other's warmth. Bridget thanked God that she hadn't trashed what could possibly be the best thing that ever happened to her, and Garrison got busy whispering promise after promise across her skin as he held her tight.
Then, Bridget's cheeks flamed as a thought crossed her mind.
“Oh God,” she groaned. “Everyone's seen us naked!”
Garrison exploded in laughter, pulling away so he could look her in the eyes.
“What?” She asked. “What is so damn funny?”
“It's an honor,” he said, still laughing. “To contribute to their spank banks.”
She smacked the side of his head. “That's disgusting! What's wrong with you?”
“I'm joking,” he assured her as he wrapped his arms around her waist again. “If I knew anyone was picturing you while jerking it, I'd have to castrate them.”
“Uh huh.” She nuzzled her smile against his neck and sighed, overjoyed by the prospect of a future with the greatest man to ever stomp the streets of Till Park.
He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and kissed the shell of her ear. “I'm the only one allowed to picture you naked.”
His warm hands made their way inside the back of her shirt and she shivered at his touch. Even though they hadn't worked through everything, hadn't made it past certain obstacles, she was still elated by the fact that he wanted to stay.
For her.
In spite of everything, he wanted to be with her, to build a life with her.
“You know, that image is a little rusty,” he teased. “I think I may need a glimpse to refresh my memory.”
She kissed the sensitive spot right below his jaw and fought the urge to claim him by sinking her teeth into his neck.
“You think so, huh?”
“Yup.”
“I think we could arrange that,” she purred.
With a hard jerk, he pulled her even closer and she gasped as his hands wandered south, sending tingles shooting through her veins as he stopped right inside the waistband of her jeans.
“So all's forgiven?” He whispered against her lips.
As her breathing spiked, she grabbed two handfuls of his dark hair and pushed his head lower.
“Yes, you're forgiven. Now show me just how much you missed me.”
Garrison's booming laughter echoed off the walls. He held Bridget's heated gaze as he slid down the length of her body, nipping her belly button as he neared his destination.
“With pleasure.”
EPILOGUE
Three Months Later
New Years
At a quarter to midnight, Garrison took Bridget's hand in his and waded through the throng of people who had invaded their home to ring in the new year. They all stopped the couple, intent on thanking them for the invite, or to ask about one of the many animals lurking through the room, searching for their new forever home.
Many animals had come and gone in the months since Garrison moved in. Except Charlie. Once Bridget realized just how much Garrison cared for the pooch, she took him off the roster and helped fill out the adoption paperwork. The tag dangling off his new collar read 'Charlie Beckett'.
Charlie followed quietly behind the happy couple as they excused themselves from the party, donned their coats, and stepped out into a light dusting of snow. They walked in silence, swinging their interlaced hands between their bodies as they made fresh tracks down the driveway.
“What are we doing, Garrison?” Bridget asked, her teeth chattering. “It's freezing out here.”
He glanced at her beautiful face out of the corner of his eye and tried not to smile.
“You'll see.”
“If you're going to show me the ruts you made with the tractor last week, don't bother. I filled them in on Wednesday.”
“Did you now?”
His tone gave nothing away and Bridget wondered what he had up his sleeve. They walked, Garrison in stony silence, Bridget in rapt suspense, until they reached a certain stretch of fence. Charlie, sensing something important and private was about to happen, sat at a distance and watched.
Bridget's breath puffed out as her frozen fingers trailed along the barbed wire Garrison had driven through.
“Feeling nostalgic, are we?”
She smiled and looked up to meet his eyes. They were bright, brighter than normal, as his head bobbed side to side, considering.
“A little nostalgic, a little nervous.”
Garrison was never nervous. The thought of him being unsure of himself set Bridget on edge. If something was wrong, it didn't need to be. They'd figure it out. Together.
“Nervous? Why?”
Garrison pulled her closer to the fence- close enough her covered shoulder brushed the wire. She looked around in the semi-darkness, her own nerves ricocheting around her in chest as she tried to read Garrison's eager expression.
Just when she was about to demand answers, moonlight stretched across the fence and drew her eyes to something shimmering on the top wire.
Her breath stalled in her chest.
No way...
Danging on the steel wire that was just starting to rust, was a ring.
Not just any ring.
A simple diamond solitaire.
Bridget covered her mouth, too overwhelmed to form words as Garrison lowered himself onto one knee. He clutched her hand in his and held the back of her knee with the other.
“Bridget Warner... I'm a stupid, arrogant man,” he said, smiling. “When I came back to Till Park, I expected to see you, hate you, brush you out of my mind, and go on living my life. But something else happened instead...”
His hand left her knee to rest on the post beside them.
“I crashed through this damn fence, and an angel came to my aid.” He laughed, the memory flashing in vivid color behind his eyes. “An angel riding a 4-wheeler and carrying a Ruger.”
Tears trailed through Bridget's makeup and dropped to the frozen ground below. She already had her answer, and it was poised at the tip of her tongue, ready to swan dive out into the frigid air.
“And as many bombs that were thrown our way, meant to keep us apart, somehow, we made it. We're still here. And you make me fall a little harder every time I wake up next to you. You keep turning my world upside down, and I want you to continue turning it upside down everyday for the rest of our lives. I want to wake up to those blue eyes every morning, and I want to fall asleep to them every night. I want to have babies with you, and build a home with you, and grow old and annoying with you. So, I guess there's only one last thing to say.” He paused, and she hiccuped out a happy laugh. “Bridget Warner... Will you marry me?”
She wanted to shout her answer, to yell it so loud the trees shook off the layer of snow clinging to their branches, but words evaded her. She couldn't speak through the tears, let alone the mass of emotions pummeling her heart.
So, she nodded instead.
Before she even realized he'd moved, Garrison was kissing her, stealing her breath, but ensuring her heart continued to beat. They stood there, leaning against the fence post he'd first collided with, and then later adorned with a simple note. A note that brought him back to her. She smiled against his lips, remembering what all that damn post had lived through.
When they finally came up for air, Garrison turned to the fence and she noticed the short length of barbed wire was held there by a hidden eye and hook drilled into the side of the post. Carefully, Garrison unlatched the hook, retrieved the ring, and replaced the wire.
Her hands shook as he slid the ring on her finger and brought her hands to his mouth, blowing hot air across her skin as he kissed each and every finger.
“I love you, Bridget.”
When he looked up into her eyes, they were surprisingly dry. Tears no longer wet her lashes. Instead, a fierceness burned just behind those sapphire irises, telling him everything he needed to know without the need for words. But she gave them to him anyway.
“Love you forever, Garrison.”
Giddy with the prospect of their new life together, the elated couple walked back to the house hand in hand as Charlie trotted happily behind them. There were so many things Bridget wanted to tell Garrison, and so many things Garrison hoped Bridget already knew, but instead of exchanging words, they only exchanged smiles and heated glances. With each look, they promised something to each other.
A life of happiness.
A life of honesty.
A life of profound loyalty and affection they'd never find from another human being for as long as they lived.
A life filled with more love than they'd ever be able to manage.
But those looks were meant for only each other. The second Garrison opened the front door, his expression changed to one of elation as he lifted both their hands above his head and shouted loud enough for the entire house to hear.
“SHE SAID YES!!!”
Their friends instantly surrounded them, offering hugs, well wishes, and as soon as the couple had drinks in their hands, many heartfelt toasts.
When the clock struck midnight, Bridget didn't hesitate to jump into Garrison's arms and kiss him passionately while the room erupted in hoots and hollers. Before their lips parted, cameras began to flash and they looked around, surprised.
“Hope you don't care that our pictures will be circulating around Till Park again,” Garrison said with an impish laugh.
Taking his face in her hands and directing his gaze back to her, Bridget kissed him once more.
“Honestly? I couldn't care less.”
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Black
Wife. Mother. Writer.
Cynical Optimist.
Catherine resides in a small town in the midwest where she enjoys writing, spending time with her family, and fueling her addiction to pinterest, ipsy, and youtube.
For more information on Catherine, you can find her blog at:
http://www.authorcatblack.wordpress.com
Or find her on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/authorcatblack
She also enjoys corresponding with readers via email.
authorcatherineblack@gmail.com
Tin Foil Twenties
Coming Spring 2016
When Owen Ramsey moves into town and starts frequenting the diner where Trish Mackey works, she tries her hardest to keep her eyes to herself. But Owen isn't your average algebra teacher. He's also a retired Marine and one of the sweetest men Trish has ever had the pleasure of meeting. So when Owen starts leaving her big tips, and even bigger complements, she swoons.
There's only one problem.
Trish is two months pregnant.
With a child that isn't her own.
The surrogate program she entered into seemed like a win-win at the time, but when emotions run high and times get tight, Trish is sure the tiny life growing inside her is about to upturn her entire world.
When Owen really begins vying for her attention, she doesn't know if letting him in is the right thing to do. Unable to agree to a simple date, she wonders what else is at stake because of her misplaced charity.
Luckily, Owen is stubborn and refuses to be cast aside, which could be both a blessing and a curse.
After all, what man would want to start a relationship with such a complicated woman dragging around so much baggage?
Surely not the man leaving double-digit tips on Trish's table before riding off on his Harley.
Excerpt from Tin Foil Twenties
Book 2 in the Lovers of Till Park Series
Owen Ramsey cursed the uneven, washed out gravel as he tried to ease his borrowed Harley Davidson down a mile-long stretch of country road. At the end of that hellish road waited his best friend, his new fiance, and the home they shared together.
Owen planned on a short trip. He just needed to drop off the Harley, catch up with Beckett and his new lady, grab a rental, and head back down to Georgia in search of work.
Leaving the Marines had been hard. Damn hard. But like Beckett – or Garrison, to everyone outside the Corps - Owen knew there were other things in life worth living for. Garrison had managed to find his, but that was no surprise. Garrison was a kind, down-to-earth, manly man. The kind women always threw themselves at. While Owen, well, he was more than used to being thrown into the friend zone and forgotten about. And for a blond, five foot ten, stacked Marine... that was a feat all in itself.
Owen shifted for the millionth time, wondering if his ass was in danger of falling off from being asleep so long. But just as he was praying and clenching against another cramp, a simple one-story farmhouse came into view. The light oak of the house clashed with the deep russet of the wraparound porch, but it was still stunning. He instantly knew why Garrison loved the place so much. Out there, with all the solitude, rolling hills, and cow manure, he would fit right in.
When he finally reached the house, he sighed in pleasure as he stood from the bike and stretched out his legs. He wasn't used to riding for hundreds of miles, and his back felt like all his vertebra had compressed together, but the trip was fun nonetheless. As he hobbled up to the front door, it swung open on its own and a thin brunette rushed him.
“Owen! You made it!”
The woman threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as he laughed. He instantly knew he was going to like Bridget. Which was a damn good thing, since she was marrying his best friend.
“Nice to meet you too,” Owen said, leaning away from her.
