Chapter 11 Taylor #2
Austin pulled her into a comforting hug and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.
“I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, baby.
Just know that my family is yours—they always have been—and you will never be alone.
I made a quick visit to see him when I was home, and he recognized me long enough to tell me that he always thought I was a good boy and he was glad that you had me. ”
Those doggone tears came back again. Her dad loved Austin and thought of him as a son. She remembered him going to some of
Austin’s basketball games with the Bradleys, and he had cheered just as loudly as they had. Whenever Austin came over to study,
her dad and Austin would spend time laughing and talking about everything from sports to life goals.
Austin was right about his family. They’d always treated her as if she was one of them, especially Mama Yvonne, who’d confessed
years ago that she always wanted a daughter and hoped Taylor didn’t mind her being there if she needed anything. Taylor would
never forget how they had supported her over the years, especially when her mother died during her freshman year of high school.
Despite the fact that they’d only known each other for a couple of months, Austin had held her hand throughout the service
and as they lowered the woman who’d nurtured and loved her into the ground. In the following weeks, whenever the grief and
sadness overwhelmed her, Austin would be right there. He didn’t talk, but just sat holding her hand or giving her a hug, waiting
for her to share or not.
“I made sure he knew that I would always be there for you until my last breath. And I will.”
Any hesitation about marrying him tomorrow crumbled with his words. “I’ll be there for you too, until my last breath.” Taylor
leaned up and touched her lips to his. “I should go call Melanie since it’s almost eight.”
He nodded and handed her phone back to her.
She started from the room, then paused and turned back. “I love you, Austin.”
“I love you too.”
With a smile on her face, she continued to the bedroom, climbed on the bed, and called her friend.
“Um, why are you calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be in Oceanside with your boo?”
Laughing at Melanie’s greeting, she said, “I am with my boo, but I had to call you—”
“Taylor, you only have a few days with him. It couldn’t wait until you get back next week? And we’re going to lunch on Friday.
You’d better believe if it was me, I’d be making every second count.”
She shook her head, knowing Melanie would keep going on her tangent if she didn’t cut her off. Mel had always been Team Austin,
even more so now. “He asked me to marry him,” Taylor said. The line was silent so long, she peered at the screen to see if
the call had dropped. “Mel?”
“Are you serious?” Melanie screamed into the phone. “Yes, girl! Okay, okay, have you guys set a date? I hope it won’t be too long because he
could be deployed anywhere next time. We have to get a color scheme together, shop for a dress—”
“Mel.”
“Find a venue. We could probably find something if you don’t do it during the busy summer months,” she continued. “Are you
guys thinking this year or next?”
“Mel!”
“Huh? What?”
“I need you to relax, girl. You’re way out of control.” It made her glad they’d be doing it tomorrow without all the drama. She’d never been one for a lot of attention.
“Hey, I’m just excited that my bestie is finally marrying her Prince Charming. I told you all along that Austin was the one
for you. All right, I’m calm. So when are you thinking?”
“We’re getting married tomorrow at seven in the evening in San Juan Capistrano, and I hope you can drive down. I don’t want to get married without you here.”
Another long pause. “Excuse me, but I don’t think I heard you right. I know you didn’t say tomorrow.”
“Yep. I did.”
“I need wine.”
“So does that mean you’re coming?” she asked, chuckling.
“It means you’d better not start that wedding without me. Text me the address. I’ll be there no later than noon. We have a
lot to do.”
Taylor woke up Saturday morning to the tantalizing aroma of bacon. A smile lit her face. I’m getting married today! With an excitement reserved for a kid at Christmas, she flipped back the covers and nearly jumped out of bed. She’d gotten
used to sleeping next to Austin whenever they were together, though they’d been intimate only a couple times. However, last
night they had decided to sleep apart, wanting their wedding night to be special. She opened the door and startled. Austin
stood leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his broad chest.
“Good morning, beautiful. I thought you’d like to have breakfast in bed this morning.” He gave her the smile that always made
her heart beat a little faster.
“Good morning to you too, handsome. I’d love breakfast in bed, and I’d love it even more if you joined me.”
“Absolutely.”
“Give me five minutes to hit the bathroom, and I’ll help you get everything together.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Austin pushed off the door and strolled back toward the kitchen.
She went across the hall to the bathroom. By the time she returned to the bedroom, he was already there waiting. He’d sprinkled
rose petals over the bed, lit candles around the room, and turned on some soft R&B music. Taylor brought her hands to her
mouth. “This is . . . You are incredible.”
“Since I didn’t get a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day with you last week, I figured I’d make it a two-for-one.” He held
his hand out. “Come eat, sweetheart. We’ve got a busy day.”
Fighting back tears, she took his hand and let him lead her back to the bed, where he’d placed two trays with plates that
held scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes with onions and peppers, and biscuits. A glass of orange juice sat on each nightstand.
As they started on the meal, Taylor reflected on how blessed she was to have him in her life. None of the other guys she’d
dated had ever done anything close to the things Austin always did for her, even when they were just friends. Whenever she’d
been stressed in school, he would wait for her and give her a hug or a couple of her favorite chocolate chip cookies. He’d
make her snacks while they studied or invite her to stay for dinner with his family. After he joined the military, he’d sent
text messages wishing her a good day or just to check on her, and made a point of calling as often as he could to “hear her
voice,” as he’d said. Taylor always looked forward to talking and being with him.
“Are you worried about today? I can feel you thinking.”
She playfully bumped his shoulder and finished chewing the bite of bacon. “You can’t feel people think. And no, I’m not worried.
I was remembering all the little things you’ve done for me. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but I really appreciate you,
Austin.” She cupped his cheek. “Thank you for always, always being here for me.”
Austin kissed her palm. “I never wanted to be anywhere else.”
They shared a smile and continued eating. “Are you sure you want to do twenty years? I could get used to breakfast in bed
every morning.”
He laughed. “How about breakfast in bed whenever I’m home?”
She shrugged. “I can live with that. I’ll even make you breakfast in bed, or we can do it together.” She loved cooking with him.
“Together is good for me. So what’s on the agenda today?” he asked after a few moments.
“When Kam gets here, we’ll head out to find a dress and do a little pampering. Mel texted me this morning and said she’ll
probably get here around two or three.” When Taylor had asked about the change in time, her friend had only said she had a
couple of things to take care of but would arrive in plenty of time before the ceremony. “What are you and Tariq going to
be doing?”
Austin stroked his clean-shaven face. “Maybe we’ll go do a little pampering too.”
She gave him the side-eye.
“What? Guys need to look good too.”
“I can’t with you,” she said, shaking her head. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask whether you had to do something special in the
military before getting married.”
“I talked to my commanding officer last week, so I’m good.”
“Are you required to wear your uniform?”
“No, but I will if you want me to.”
Taylor gave him a big smile and nodded slowly.
“Mmm-hmm, I want you to because you look so good in your dress blues.” The first time she’d seen him in his uniform when he’d graduated from basic training, she thought he was the finest brother on the planet.
Apparently even her subconscious knew what he meant to her, even if it took years for her to realize and acknowledge it.
She popped the last piece of biscuit into her mouth, then wiped her hands on a napkin.
“I’m glad you think so.” Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood with his tray. “I’ll be back for yours.”
“No need.” She stood and followed him to the kitchen. “I’ll clean up since you cooked.”
Austin pressed a kiss to her lips. “We can do it together.”
Sharing a smile, they got to work. Just as they finished, the doorbell rang. Austin went to answer it and came back a moment
later with Tariq and Kamryn.
“Sister!” Kamryn said, hugging Taylor. “I told Tariq y’all would be next. I’m so happy for you two.”
“Thank you.” This woman was quickly becoming the older sister she’d always wanted. “Hey, Tariq.”
“Come here, girl.” He grabbed her up in a crushing hug. “I guess all those years of me calling you little sister were prophetic.”
“I guess so,” Taylor said laughingly.
Kamryn waved a hand and hooked her arm in Taylor’s. “Okay, we can get mushy later. It’s almost ten, and Taylor and I have
a lot to do. On the way down, I Googled some places.”
“So did I,” she said. “We can compare notes on the way.”
“Sounds like a plan. Now let’s go find something that’ll make Austin’s eyes pop out.”
Both men laughed, and Austin said, “Man, your wife is something else.”
Tariq nodded. “That she is, and I love her.” He slid an arm around Kamryn’s waist and pulled her against him.