Dreaming of Tomorrow Read online

  Pete was in a wheelchair most of the time but he found the strength to walk Emily up to where the pastors and David were waiting. No one could tell that Emily was supporting her father on that walk.

  The ceremony itself was short and simple, touching and beautiful. One of the pastors said that Emily and David were proof of God’s love and that miracles still happen.

  David told Emily that while some people may think she was lucky to find him, he was the lucky one because Emily was simply everything to him, friend and lover and soul mate. Emily told David that he was the answer to questions she never thought to ask, and that she believed God had sent him to her.

  After the ceremony they had a buffet with all the food prepared by the ladies from both Churches. Almost everything a person could want to eat was there. Emily herself had little appetite but she appreciated how so many of her friends had contributed to the feast. It was more than joy in her day, it was a tribute to what they all thought of Pete. David and Emily cut the wedding cake, and the door to the patio was opened for people to have more room.

  David and Emily had a strange wedding night. They saw how weak Pete got during the ceremony, so they decided to stay at Emily’s house with her parents. Kate and her husband volunteered to go fetch the dogs and stay at David’s house to take care of them and the horses. The fact that they had three kids, with one on the way, and he had horses and a pool had almost nothing to do with it. Of course, Kate brought her own dogs, the Boston’s were the parents of David’s Boston.

  David and Emily were both too worried to make love that first night, they just slept together and held each other for comfort. For the next few days, David stayed close to Emily, working from her house as much as possible. He was so caring, always supporting and comforting her. He dealt with Mae gently, and with limitless patience. Watching them together, Emily fell even more in love with him. He left for work when he couldn’t reschedule, but he came back as soon as possible. His paralegals and secretary were in and out of Emily’s house frequently, and they were also considerate and helpful.

  Laura and Jack and Kate and Bob came over, bringing food and comfort. They helped with housework and sat and talked with Emily and her parents. Laura was amazed that Emily had gone off to the horse show for a weekend with David.

  “I may win best matchmaker of the year for this one!” she quipped.

  “It’s true I fell in love after the horse show. I can’t resist that copper-penny hair and those brown eyes,” Emily raved, a gleam in her eyes.

  “What?” Laura sat up straighter.

  “Oh! You mean David.” Emily managed a grin. “And here I was talking about Raider.”

  “But how about David?” Laura asked.

  “Well, I love him, too,” Emily said, “but he’s not a horse.”

  “I’ll bet he’s a stud though.” Laura laughed.

  “The only thing is, you don’t get the credit for this match.” Emily grinned.

  “What! Even if you give credit to Kate, she’s my unofficial partner,” Laura shot back. “I’d still get credit.”

  “Nope.” Emily’s grin grew wider. “This was a match made in Heaven and the credit goes to Him.”

  “Good Lord.”

  “Exactly.” Emily was smug.

  “But back to my . . .Oh oh,” she said as her cell phone rang. Laura answered the call then she got up. “I’m sorry, I have to leave, my sitter wants me to get home.”

  Finally, a few days after the wedding, David knew it was the right time for them to make love. He made up a tray with crackers, cheese, and strawberries, then put a bottle of champagne on ice. He wanted to make sure they came together with all the tenderness and passion Emily had ever dreamed of.

  Emily was an emotional mess, happy and depressed at the same time. Romance was the last thing on her mind. She was sure she had never felt less romantic in her life, and yet. . . She was impatient to be with David.

  Dave sensed her mood, her pain and her nerves. He wanted everything to be perfect for her, and he wanted her. But still, he was a gentle man, “If you’d rather. . .”

  “No, I want to.” She smiled sadly. “I want to be with you.”

  David stood by the bed with a lazy grin on his face for a moment then slowly removed his watch. Holding her gaze, he pulled off his t-shirt and unsnapped his jeans. Her eyes went wide as he reached for the zipper but she was silent, watching him with love and trust in her eyes as he pulled his jeans off over his bare feet. His eyes locked with hers as he removed his briefs.

  He gently undressed her, and they sat on the bed facing each other while feeding one another bites of cheese, crackers, and veggies from a tray he’d prepared. They also sipped champagne and savored some plump strawberries.

  They kissed and sipped and nibbled and sipped and kissed some more. She nibbled on his neck and trailed her tongue along his collarbone. Her hands moved gently over his body, moved beyond words he let her have her gentle way with him. He was so close to exploding that it didn’t last long. Champagne and food were forgotten, and loving exploration and tasting began.

  He lowered his mouth to capture one breast, using his tongue and teeth to tease the nipple before turning his attention to the other breast. His hands roamed her body, gently exploring. Soon one hand slowly made its way lower and lower, his long fingers gently parting the folds of her moist feminine parts.

  “David, please. Make love to me now,” Emily pleaded.

  He kissed her gently on her soft abdomen before raising his head and looking at her for a timeless moment. He slid his hands down her back and playfully squeezed her bottom. One finger slid along the valley between her cheeks exploring her gently, before he teased her by gently sliding his finger in and out and then teasing her bud. She reached between them and, for the first time slid her hand along his erection. It was very firm and large, more than ready for her.

  In spite of her virginity the entrance was easy and relatively painless. She totally forgot her inhibitions and inner shyness. David held himself in check for a long moment.

  “I love you Emily,” he whispered against her hair as he began to thrust slowly and gently in a rhythm as old as time. Gradually the intensity built, both in the force of his thrusts and in their speed. Emily matched his rhythm perfectly, thrust for thrust. Unconsciously her heels locked around him at the base of his spine.

  She practically burst into flames. As if he wasn’t excited and aroused enough already Dave reacted to her exploding passion with his own. He was frenzied by the realization that he was the first man to awaken her. The rush of love he felt rocked him like he’d never felt before.

  She began to make small sounds in the back of her throat as she felt herself nearing the brink. Soon, together they went over the precipice, whirling off into a place that, no matter how many couples had been there since time began, was theirs alone. Breathless, they held each other and drifted back to earth, savoring the sensation they shared in a silent communication. Emily smiled, content, and David kissed her gently. Together they lay there together, sated and temporarily drained.

  “Are you all right?” he asked with tender concern.

  “I’m perfect,” she told him. “You’re perfect.”

  “Won’t you be too sore tomorrow?” he asked with concern.

  “Who cares?” Emily smiled, reaching for him.

  Chapter Eighteen

  In the days that followed, all of Emily’s friends came over to offer their support and prayers. In spite of that, and a new husband, Emily was filled with a deep sorrow, almost as if she was already grieving. Both of the preachers who’d officiated at her wedding offered spiritual comfort, prayers, and Bible readings, and some just plain hand holding. The preachers’ families and members of both congregations came for quick visits. Some of the women helped with meals and household chores.

  “I know how hard this is for you, Emily,” her preacher said gently, “but it’s a part of life. Don’t let it defeat you. You must hold onto your fait
h. You have had a fantastic father, and now you have a wonderful husband and soon, God willing, you will have beautiful children.”

  “I know, Reverend Steinz, and I know God is good.” She forced a smile. “He gave me David at just the right time, and I have some wonderful friends, more than I realized.”

  She looked at him and asked shyly, “Does it make me a horrible person to almost wish it was over?”

  “No my dear. It makes you very human. For you, the hardest part is seeing your father in such pain. To watch him struggle when you know he’s going to a better place. You’ll miss him and grieve for him but you will also know he’s in Heaven and not in pain any more.”

  Kate and Laura brought their husbands and kids. The men flirted with Emily’s mother, which cheered her up. Even in her declining mental state, she knew something was terribly wrong. She was by turns confused, sad, and agitated. Still, she always perked up when she had handsome men flirting with her.

  Nicole came over a few times, sometimes she came with David’s law partner, and once she even brought Hans. They talked to Pete when he was awake, and to Mae when he wasn’t. They also kept Emily company. Julia used her skills as a nurse to give Pete his medications and keep him as comfortable as possible, and gave Emily time to share quiet conversations with her father without having to act as his nurse.

  “I really feel better knowing that you have David now. He’s a very good man, Emily,” Pete told his daughter on Friday afternoon.

  “I know he’s a good man, Daddy. I’m glad you like him.” Emily kissed her father’s hand firmly grasped in her own.

  “Do you love him?” he asked.

  “Very much, Daddy,” she told him, her eyes shining.

  “That’s all I ask.” Pete drifted off to sleep.

  Later that afternoon Pete’s breathing became even more strained, and he seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. Julia checked on him every few minutes, but for the most part she left him in Emily’s hands. David came over to stand by Emily. They moved Pete from his position on the living room sofa into his bedroom.

  Emily and David stayed by his side. Her pastor came over to pray with her, but left soon after that because he got a call from another parishioner who’s son was terribly wounded in a traffic accident.

  “I can stay here if you need me,” he told Emily. “I can send an associate to the hospital.”

  “No thanks, Reverend,” Emily told him with quiet dignity. “We know what’s going to happen here and we’ve had time to get used to the idea, but Mrs. Walters must be frantic. She needs you more than I do. Tell her she has my prayers.”

  “God bless you Emily,” He hugged her briefly, whispering a prayer. “I will tell her.”

  Shortly after midnight, Pete died.

  Emily called Pete’s doctor and told him. She knew what she had to do and what Pete’s wishes were so she had things to keep her busy all day. In a strange way, making the funeral arrangements was a comfort to Emily because it gave her one last thing she could do for her father. Sitting at home would have been unbearable. Although David offered to help, and even volunteered the use of his secretary, she took care of things herself. She needed his warm hugs, his prayers, and his love, but she wanted to do as much as she could herself.

  For Emily the hardest part was calling Pete’s friends and the rest of the family. Emily called her relatives and the friends she knew fairly well. Some of them were cautious when it was her on the phone, knowing that it was probably bad news. The worst for Emily were the calls to people who were excited and happy to hear from her, until she told them why she was calling, and their happiness turned to grief. All of them felt the loss of a good man. Some of Pete’s friends offered to help make the calls, but Emily wanted to do it herself. She leaned back into David’s arms and kept dialing, going through Pete’s address book.

  She asked everyone not to come over until the next day, but soon friends of Mae and Pete came over, most bearing casseroles or baked goods and flowers. They offered tearful hugs and comfort food, but most importantly, they offered her love and let her know how much Pete meant to them. A local florist delivered several plants and floral arrangements. Mae stayed close to Emily all day. She seemed a little confused, slightly dazed, and very sad.

  The day of the funeral was so beautiful, so bright and clear that Emily wished she could share it with her father. With a sigh, she dressed sedately, but not in black. She wore a soft powder blue dress with white trim and a wide white collar. It was a dress that highlighted her recent weight loss and fit her beautifully. It was also one of the dresses Pete told her she looked wonderful in. She clung to David for emotional support and still managed to look after her mother with a deceptively effortless calm.

  Her serene outward demeanor was behind the only unexpected disturbance of the day. Although she was grieving, she had come to terms with the loss of her father. It had been harder to see him deteriorate than to actually lose him. Somehow she knew he was still with her. She could feel him there, but healthy and whole. She prayed his pain was gone forever and clung to her faith that he was in a better place. The simple graveside service was an ending, a farewell, but she never believed it was the last time she would feel her father’s presence or his love. She never realized that her placid expression and dry eyes offended some of her relatives.

  “She sure doesn’t seem to be grieving, not at all,” Emily overheard her aunt say to her cousin shortly after they arrived back at Emily’s house. “All she seems to want to do is get this over with and mess around with that fancy new husband of hers.”

  “She didn’t even wear black,” her cousin replied, with a nasty tone, “and she looks better than I’ve ever seen her, with her hair and make-up done. It doesn’t seem right to me.”

  “I’m glad you think Emily looks great,” Nicole interrupted the two women. “I’ve been working with her on her hair and make-up. I’ve even got her some modeling work. Maybe you’ve heard of me, I’m Nikki Silver? And by the way, Pete loved her in that dress and he really loved to see her looking so good. He was really proud of her.” Nicole moved away gracefully but she was furious at the two women.

  As they intended, Emily heard the two women and she walked over to join them.

  “Are you implying that there’s something improper about having my husband at my father’s funeral?” Emily jumped to her own defense, still speaking with that quiet dignity. “David and my father became very close in very short order. He couldn’t have done anything more for my father or for me during a very hard time. In fact, he was by my side when I lost my father. On the other hand, how long has it been since you came to visit? Don’t get me wrong, I love you and I love having you here. I respect your grief. I just would have preferred for you to come visit my father when was alive and he could still enjoy it, and I want you to respect my feelings too.”

  Behind her, David turned to Nicki and spoke quietly. “I’ve never understood why some people would make such judgmental, catty remarks at funerals. It seems like they think Emily is the only one who should show any respect for Pete.”

  He knew he’d been overheard when he heard gasps from the two women, so he walked over and took Emily’s arm and led her away.

  “Thanks.” Emily smiled softly at him.

  “I didn’t have to tell them off, you had already said everything that needed saying. I did it because I wanted to,” he told her softly.

  “No. I meant thanks for being my husband,” Emily whispered.

  “Don’t thank me, thank our matchmaker, and this time I won’t give the credit to Kate and Laura. This time I think our matchmaker was a Higher Authority,” David told her. “Is that such an outrageous idea?”

  “No,” Emily whispered back. “It seems the right answer and I thank Him for you every day.”

  Leaning over his shoulder to see who was watching, he kissed her gently on the cheek. “I love you, sweet Emily.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The first few weeks after
her father’s death were very difficult for Emily. She was an emotional stew. She had to deal with the grief and deep sense of loss from losing her father. She also had the joy that came from being newly married to a man she truly loved, a man who gave her unconditional support and who was a steady comfort to her. Her friends were also a source of comfort. Even with all that comfort and support it was still a constant struggle trying to cope with her emotions while also trying to handle her mother’s deteriorating mental condition.

  Her mother must have missed her husband on some level because she sank deeper into her senile dementia without Pete around. Some days she would be relaxed and calm, almost cheerful, even if she was not quite on the same wavelength as the rest of the world. Those days she was almost a joy to be around, looking at the world through childlike, innocent eyes.

  Other days, she could also seem childlike but these days she resembled a spoiled child. She would be demanding and petulant, wearing Emily down. She wanted this, demanded that. The food wasn’t to her liking. Her favorite show wasn’t on TV. It was either too cold or too hot. Emily tried to fix Mae’s favorite meals, to explain that the TV show she wanted to see had been cancelled ten years ago, tried to explain that she couldn’t control the weather.

  It was a strain on Emily at one of the hardest times in her life. Sometimes her patience would wear thin and she’d snap at Mae. Once she even lost her control completely and really yelled at her. Emily felt so bad about it that she had Julia watch Mae for a while, then went into her room and cried. Julia comforted her, telling her that even though she loved her mother, dealing with her dementia could try the patience of a saint, and reminding her that Mae would forget all about Emily yelling at her. She told Emily she should take a day off and go somewhere to relax, shop or see a movie, even grab a nice meal. Emily never crossed the line into physical abuse, and after that incident she never yelled at Mae again, but still, she felt guilty.