Page 73 of The Cannon
Next to him is my dad’s cat Scarlett. Evil kitty, fat and lazy, with bloodied claws, a dead pale mouse and a bored stare.
“Lucinda hit it out of the park with these,” Sawyer says inspecting each portrait.
“I like the pets best,” Jude adds. He gets within a foot of The Colonel’s picture and runs his fingers lightly over the paint.
It’s crowded in here with dancing, drinking revelers. The three of us weave our way through to the closest bar.
“Jude, there’s Richard and Robert. Why don’t you go say hello?” As he runs off I catch Sawyer staring. “What?”
“I don’t think I told you how beautiful you are tonight.”
I take his hands and wrap them around my waist. Our bodies come together. “Is it my bloody tongue or the fangs?”
“It’s everything about you. I want you to promise me something, Bristol.”
For some reason the pit of my stomach just flipped.
“What?” I say gazing in his soulful eyes.
“I want your promise that when we get married you won’t stop looking at me like you are now.”
There’s a feeling of …what? Euphoria? Shock? Spiked blood pressure? Utter and complete surprise? All of the above. And I’m speechless. I try to form the words into a coherent response, but it’s impossible.
“Just nod your head,” he says.
Who is this woman nodding? And who’s the man who knew without a doubt she would?
Mercifully, Grandma Birdie arrives on the scene and stops any further discussion.
Her Ann Margaret costume is awesome. Circa Viva Las Vegas. The big red long-haired wig, the miniskirt over tights, the sweater that has the actresses iconic name sewed on, the stuffed bra mimicking the movie star’s assets.
“Birdie! This is the best costume I’ve seen. You’re a vision!” Sawyer laughs.
But before speaking she reads the room. Another of her impressive talents. One look from my eyes to Sawyer’s and she’s sized up the mood.
“Am I interrupting something here?”
“No! Absolutely not! We were just chatting,” I say protesting a bit too firmly.
Grandma looks at Sawyer for confirmation. But instead he points to me, touches his nose and pretends it’s stretching with a lie.
“I thought so, honey,” she giggles. “I’m going to go find Elvis. Carry on, lovebirds.”
Nothing else was said by him or me concerning the mention of the future. We carried on as if the word marriage had never been said. As if my nod didn’t confirm the possibility. We partied and danced like every other guest. But the conversation never left my mind. And deep inside my soul there’s a recognition. My destiny has arrived.
Chapter 19
Sawyer
The first rays of sun creep into the bedroom. While she still sleeps, I’m replaying the night in my mind.
The heart of my hidden euphoria is she didn’t object. I need to keep that front and center. It’s a relief bringing up the subject of marriage didn’t make her laugh, hit me across the face or ask me not to ever say the word again.
There was a nanosecond there that I wasn’t sure which way it would go.
Don’t know what came over me exactly, except when I looked into her eyes I saw the future. The children. The long beautiful stretch of years spent side by side. I just had to invite her inside the vision.
It would have been a mistake to push my luck though. Bristol needs time to absorb change of any kind. I’ve learned that in just these six months.
