This had to be the closest thing to heaven. I had everything I had ever wanted. A beautiful wife, gorgeous daughter, handsome son, and Walker Ranch was thrivin’ again.
I’d accomplished what I’d always dreamed of…I’d succeeded in fulfillin’ my destiny. I guess I had shown myself that I was destined to succeed.
The End
Note from the Author:
Spousal abuse is a very real, very scary issue. Abuse like that suffered by my character Suzanna happens every day. It’s probably happening to someone right now.
If you or someone you know find yourself in a situation like Suzanna was in, please know that there are people who want to help you.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE
Destined to Forgive
~Prologue~
Eric~
My life was pretty much set in stone from birth. I grew up in a tiny town in Missouri. Kipton had a population of three hundred and seventeen and I often wondered why the sign didn’t ever seem to change. I couldn’t figure out how people moved in and out and people had babies, and still the sign never changed. My hometown had a diner, a gas station, and a post office. That was it, but really what more did we need?
I had everything I would ever need, sitting right here beside me on the park bench in front of our high school. Emma Lawrence. That girl was the love of my life. She was the prettiest girl I’d ever had the privilege of sitting next to and hopefully soon, doing a lot more than that.
Her dark black hair was cut really short. She called it a pixie cut. She was so tiny, barely four and half feet tall. Her skin was like porcelain. So creamy and white. We were quite the pair. I was always pretty tall and lanky. My hair is almost white. My dad always called me “cotton -top”, but even still, my skin is kinda dark. I get that from my dad, I guess. My dad had some Cherokee Indian in him. He had black hair and dark skin. My mom, on the other hand, was fair skinned with white hair like me. So I’m a tan, white-haired, brown eyed boy, in love with my very own Snow White.
I’ll never forget the first time I laid eyes on my beauty. I was eight years old and my best friend, Declan Sharp and I had been out fishing all morning. We always fished at Harper Farms because they had a huge pond on one of the many, many acres of land they owned. Even though Declan and me were best friends, there was another best friend I had to contend with, Loralei Harper. Dec and Lor were inseparable. I always kinda felt like I was invading their territory when I hung out with them. They said I wasn’t, but I still felt that way sometimes. I couldn’t compete with Lor. She and Declan were meant to be. Everyone knew it but them. I think I even understood it when I was only eight years old.
As Declan and I were walking back toward my house, I saw her. She was walking down the lane with Loralei. They were kicking stones and talking non-stop. I’d never seen anybody talk that fast. Her lips wouldn’t stop moving and I couldn’t stop watching them. She was fascinating to me.
“Who’s that with Lor?” Declan asked.
“I was gonna ask you that,” I replied.
“Well, we better go say hi,” Declan said, as he grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the girls.
When we got over to them, it was like the cat got my tongue. My mouth got real dry and my palms were a little sweaty. This was weird. I did not like girls. Girls had cooties. I couldn’t be liking this girl, right?
I looked up at her and she smiled a real big smile. Her front teeth were out and she had the cutest smile I’d ever seen.
“Hi, I’m Emma Lawrence. I’m eight years old and I just moved to town and Loralei is so sweet. Don’t ya’ll think she’s so sweet? She’s gonna be my new best friend.” That girl talked so fast.
“She’s my best friend,” Declan said, as he walked over and stood beside Loralei.
“I can have two best friends,” Loralei said with a smile.
Declan and Loralei started to walk down the lane toward his house and Emma just stood there, staring at me. That was when I realized I hadn’t told her who I was. Great! She was gonna think I was stupid.
“My name is Eric Marshall. Glad to meet you, Emma Lawrence.” I smiled.
“Glad to meet you too, Eric Marshall.” She put her arm in mine and started to run to catch up with our friends. And that was when it happened. I fell head over heels for the girl with no front teeth, short black hair, and the biggest, prettiest eyes I’d ever looked into. Yep, I loved that girl.
Before long, the four of us were inseparable. We spent our time at school together. After school we would usually go to Loralei’s house and play. Emma and I never had that moment - that moment where we said we were a couple. We just always were. We started holding hands when were ten. Our first kiss when we were twelve and it was perfect. We had sex for the first time when we were fifteen - almost sixteen. We were too young and we realized that pretty quick. Our first time, now that’s a memory I’ll never forget, for many reasons.
“Declan, get your ass out here. We gotta go get the girls. I hate to be late. Come on, man,” I hollered from Declan’s front porch. We were taking the girls to our first dance tonight. Declan and Loralei had finally become a couple this summer. It freaking took them long enough!
I did not want to be late. I wanted to see my girl.
My mom had driven me into town to get Emma a corsage. Purple was her favorite color, so it had purple and pink roses in it. Mom said it was perfect. Declan and I insisted on wearing jeans to the dance. We both got new black Wranglers. I wore a dark purple button-down shirt and Declan’s was dark blue. We had on our Stetsons and our boots. We were a couple of hot cowboys - at least we thought we were hot shit.
“Man, you are turnin’ into Emma. You talk all the damn time,” Declan muttered, as he walked out the door. He turned and glared at me, “Well? What the hell are you waitin’ on? Let’s go get our women.”
“Asshole.”
“I know, but you love me anyways.” Declan was right. I did love that guy. We were so much more than friends and teammates. He was the brother I always wanted. Instead of getting a brother, I had a little pain in the ass sister. Emery was only four, so I didn’t have to deal with her a lot. Thank goodness.
Declan and I were kinda the stars of the Kipton High School basketball team. I lie. Declan was the star. I was the back-up star, but I was fine with that. Declan rocked. He had won so many damn games, it was ridiculous. If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t have had a basketball team.
Emma and Loralei were getting ready together at Loralei’s house. Declan’s dad was driving us tonight, but we’d made arrangements to get home. We didn’t want him to know something was going on when Emma and I didn’t get dropped off at different houses. When we pulled up in the driveway, my palms were sweating and I gotta admit I was kinda nervous. I’ve always been pretty sure of myself, but Emma and I had talked about what was gonna happen after the dance tonight and I was nervous. As the guy, I was supposed to be the one who knew what he was doing, but I had no idea. Declan and I had done some research - meaning we watched some porn. It was weird and didn’t really look like stuff Emma would want me to do to her. I bought condoms and my parents were out of town for the night, so we had the house to ourselves. Why was I so nervous? It was just Emma. Emma - the girl that I loved so much it hurt. The thought of not being with Emma made me sick. She was mine and always would be.
“Are ya gonna come and get me or do I have to walk out there all by myself,” Emma yelled from Loralei’s front porch. I looked up and saw Declan and Loralei kissing on the steps, while Emma stared at me with her hands on her hips. She looked a little pissy. Gorgeous, but pissy. She had on a short, like super short, dark, shiny purple dress. It had all kinds of sparkly stuff on the front all along her boobs. I couldn’t look away. It was strapless and all I could think about was what kinda bra she had on under it.
“I’m on my way, gorgeous.” I slammed the truck door and walked over to the porch. “Are you gonna be mad at me all night?”
“I’m not mad, just jealous.” She pointed to Loralei and Declan who were now making out in the porch swing.
“I can fix that.” She was on the top step, so I stepped onto the first step and reached up and put my hands on her hips. With our difference in height we were now eye to eye. “I love you, Emma Lawrence.” I said, as I smashed my lips to hers. I slid my arm around her waist and dipped her like we were dancing. When our tongues met, she moaned and deepened the kiss. I pulled my lips from hers and opened my eyes. There was that smile I was looking for.
“I love you too, Eric Marshall. Damn it,” she laughed. Emma stood up and straightened her dress out. “You ‘bout made me fall outta my dress, mister.”
“That was the point, missus.” We’d had these nicknames for each other for awhile. Loralei always teased us that we were already like an old married couple. So, she started calling us mister and missus. Emma and me liked them so much, the names stuck.
“Are ya’ll ready to go? God, we’ve been waitin’ forever,” Declan said with a grin.
“Yeah, asshole. We were the ones holding up the festivities.” I motioned to him and Loralei. She blushed.
As we walked into the dance all eyes turned to us. We were used to it by now. Declan was the king of the school and Loralei his queen. Emma and I were the back-ups. The buddies. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Wanna drink?” Declan asked.
“Sure. What have you got?” I laughed.
“The team’s doin’ shots in the locker room. I think it’d be rude if we didn’t join em.”
“We wouldn’t wanna be rude.” I said as we left the girls to chat with some other girls in our class.
The team was doing shots alright. But I am not sure what the hell it was. The first one burned like a son of a bitch, and the second one didn’t go down much easier. I couldn’t do anymore. Declan did a couple more and we headed back to the girls. Emma pulled me in for a kiss.
“You taste nasty. What is that?”
“I’m not sure. Damn, it was gross.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have been drinkin’ it then, mister.” She scolded me.
“I know, missus. You know I don’t even like the stuff. I just drank it…”
“Peer pressure. I know. Didn’t you watch the video Mrs. Edgeller played in Health Ed?” She laughed at me.
She dragged me out to the dance floor and we danced and danced. She was having so much fun. I loved to see that happy look on her face. She was just a happy person. My missus always had a smile on her face and a laugh was sure to follow.
When the music changed from country to some hard rock, we decided to sit down and rest a little. Declan and Loralei were snuggled up in the corner making out, again. That’s all they did. Emma and I weren’t much better, but that was beside the point. I was happy that my best friends finally realized they were madly in love with each other. Emma was too. We both smiled at them and then found a seat at one of the tables by the door.
“Are you nervous?” Emma asked as she reached out and took my hand in hers. She was rubbing her thumb back and forth over my hand. I didn’t want her to see how nervous I was.
“Are you?” I tried to shift the question back to her.
“Yeah, yeah I’m really nervous.”
My missus was nervous too?
I let out a deep breath, “Thank God.”
“So, it’s not just me? You’re scared too?” She sounded so relieved.
“This is a big deal, Emma. We only get to do this, the first time, once, ya know? I don’t wanna screw it up.”
“You couldn’t, mister. I love you too much. It’s gonna be perfect. I’m just really glad I’m not the only one who’s scared to death.” She placed a light kiss on my cheek.
“Are you ready to get started?” I asked with a grin.
“Ready when you are,” she replied. We tore Declan and Loralei away from each other long enough to tell them we were leaving. I’d talked to Declan about tonight and I was pretty sure Emma had mentioned it to Loralei, because they both wished us luck. Was that weird that our best friends were wishing us good luck on our night of sex? Yes, I think it was.
I wasn’t old enough to drive yet, so I’d made a deal with one of the guys on the team. He would drive Emma and me to my house and I would help him get a date for the dance. I fulfilled my half of the bargain, and now it was his turn. He didn’t let me down. I tapped him on the shoulder, nodded to the door, and he informed his date he’d be right back. He dropped us off at my house and the nerves that had been there before hit the roof when Emma took my hand and started to lead me to the porch.
I unlocked the door and we walked through together. The house was so dark. I fumbled around to find the light. When I finally got the light on, I found Emma standing in the hallway that led to my bedroom. She was biting her lip and she looked like she might puke. Her eyes were as big around as saucers.
I took my hat off and hung it on the rack by the door. I started walking toward Emma. “We don’t have to do this tonight, Emma. We don’t have to do anything. We can just spend the night together. It’ll be like a big slumber party.” I smiled, hoping it would be contagious. It wasn’t.
“I want to do it, Eric. I really, really do. We’re almost sixteen years old. We’ll always be together, right?”