Starting Over

Chapter 9- Bridget's Sisters

“Luke!” I screamed as he rounded the corner behind Jason.

I ran up to him and leapt into his arms. I feel like Luke caught me in mid-air. I grabbed around his neck and wouldn’t let go as his arms wrapped lovingly around my waist. My feet literally weren’t touching the ground. They dangled about five inches from the floor. I don’t think I could have been any happier that I am at this moment.

“I’m fine,” Luke said to me, but whispered, “I still love you,” just loud enough for me to hear, even though I’m almost positive that Jason heard.

“Oh, Luke, I love you,” I said with my arms still wrapped tightly around his neck.

Luke sat me down on the floor gently and looked me in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but I knew it was only seconds.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

I loved him. I loved Thomas Luther Bryan and dammit I wasn’t afraid to say it anymore! I wanted to announce it to the world and he is asking me if I’m serious? Oh my God! Does he really think I would lie to him about that?

“God dammit, Luke, I love you!” I exclaimed as I pulled him down to me and kissed him right there for God and everyone to see.

And I didn’t care. I didn’t care that his family was there. I loved this man with everything I am. I was probably happier at that minute than I had been at any time in my life; well, except when Kenzie was born. My happy minute was interrupted when my cell phone started ringing. I looked down and it was my sister, Kasey.

“Shit! Luke, go change! We have to go to the airport to pick up Kasey, Jen, and Megan. With you going all MIA on us I forgot I was supposed to pick them up,” I told Luke as I answered the phone, “Kase, we are on our way. I’m so sorry. It’s been a crazy day. I’ll explain later.”

“What the hell, Bridge? You promised you would be here,” Kasey said to me.

“And I’m on my way. Luke and I are walking out the door now,” I told her as Luke came back downstairs with decent clothes on. He smelled as if he dumped the entire bottle of cologne on him. I already knew he had been drinking. I don’t know who he was trying to hid it from.

“Why are you bringing him?” Kasey asked in disappointment.

“You’ll understand when we get there. We are getting in the truck now. Love you. Bye,” I told her before hanging up the phone not giving her the chance to even say bye.

Luke opened the door to his truck for me like a perfect gentleman. I slid over to the passenger side and buckled my seatbelt. He jumped in and in just a matter of seconds we were going down the driveway. We sat in silence for a while, but his cologne was giving me a headache. I tried rolling the window down, he had them locked. I should have known. This is the truck he uses to take the kids to school in the mornings.

“Luke, unlock the windows. Your cologne is giving me a headache,” I said to him breaking the silence.

“Only if you slide over here next to me,” Luke told me.

“Ha! I see how it is!” I exclaimed as I slid over to the middle and laid my head on his shoulder.

Luke raised his arm and wrapped it around me, only after he rolled the passenger window down about halfway. We rode the rest of the way to the airport in silence. I was in Heaven. With the window down his cologne wasn’t unbearable it was actually perfect. The next thing I knew Luke had reached around and was lightly patting my arm.

“Bridge, darlin’ we are here. We’ve got to go get your sisters,” Luke said to me in a quiet, gentle tone.

I stirred around a little. I must have fallen asleep. I opened my eyes and we were parked in the garage at the airport. I was so tired, but I knew the girls wouldn’t be happy if I sent Luke in after them. They didn’t really care for him. They all liked his music, but after the past year, well, let’s just say I’m close to my sisters and they really didn’t care for the way he had acted since Caroline’s death.