Those who supported or remained neutral were the younger generation, all around Hale and Zoe’s age. The detractors, gossipers, and outright rude comments had come from Andy’s generation. To his surprise, his dad had weathered the storm in their congregation and had even defended their relationship to some of the rudest people, including the deacon and his wife, who were noticeably absent from the ceremony.
The ultimate seal of his approval had come when he had accepted Zoe’s request to walk her down the aisle. As they reached Hale now, his father gave him a look full of love and warmth. As he tucked his bride’s hand onto his arm, Hale glanced over at his dad, who had taken up the spot as his best man, having a dual role in the wedding.
“Welcome, all,” said the minister, who had been supportive from the moment they approached him about officiating the wedding. “We are here to witness the joining of Hale Sanders and Zoe Halston in holy matrimony. Who gives away the bride?”
“We do,” said Andy and Monica, in unison, as she stepped forward for her role in the ceremony.
The minister nodded. “And who gives away the groom?”
“We do,” said Monica and Andy again.
Hale saw Zoe’s lips twitch and was glad they had chosen to add that step to the ceremony. Soon, the minister’s words filled the air, wafting through his mind and lulling him into an intimate haze. His eyes never wavered from hers as they spoke their vows with fervent intensity.
Finally, the minister said, “You may kiss the bride.”
Hale was surprised to find his hands shaking as he lifted the voluminous veil to fold over the back of her head. The tears in her eyes somehow blurred his own gaze, and he blinked to clear them. A trickle of moisture trailed down his cheek as he bent his head slightly to kiss his wife.
As always, her mouth was heavenly ambrosia that he wanted to savor. Somehow, Hale forced himself to keep the touch light and brief, knowing there would be plenty of time to explore each other later that night and on their honeymoon. After that, they would have years together. Now that they were married, no one could tear them apart.
He was relieved to have his dad and Monica’s support. After three years of isolation, it had been a balm to have family again, but as he took Zoe’s hand, and they turned to face the congregation for presentation as a married couple, he knew he wouldn’t hesitate to give up all that for Zoe.
He brought her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over her fingers. Fortunately, he could have his wife and his family. “I love you, Zoe.”
Her lips softened. “I love you too, Hale.”
Breaking tradition, they kissed right then and there again. This time, Hale didn’t worry about keeping it brief for appearance’s sake. Instead, he tasted his wife the way he’d longed to, and she responded just as enthusiastically. When they finally parted, he made a point of not looking at the people in attendance. If there was disgust on any face, he didn’t want to see it. He refused to defend or justify their love to anyone else, and he wasn’t going to let some sour attitudes ruin the happiest day of his life.
###The End###
More Books By Stephanie Brother…
The Quarterback’s Secret Baby
It began with lust and ended with sin.
It started with innocence and ended with punishment. Carl and Michelle were brought up in a small town. Michelle was the priest's daughter, and Carl was the star quarterback. The more they were told that lechery was a sin, the more they were tempted to commit it.
The next generation made the same mistakes; another quarterback and his soulmate. Sacrifices were made, and they both lived to regret them. It ended with a revelation.
Two generations forced to face the secrets of the past.
Secrets that threaten the present.
Author's Note: The Quarterback's Baby and Love Child has been rewritten with extended chapters and has been renamed as The Quarterback's Secret Baby. It is over 70,000 words for your pleasure. If you like a book with a lot of drama, sex and turmoils then this is the book for you. This is the first five chapters of the full length book. It is free at all leading e-book stores.
Chapter One
Carl
I ended up in the place that I would go to whenever I needed to confess. Whenever things were not going my way: Wednesday afternoon’s confession box at St. Teresa’s church. No one at school knew that I did it. I knew I would never live it down if they found out that the star quarterback had to go to church to confess his sins, just because he’d lost a game.
My teammates would laugh.
Mock me.
My mom had brought me up to be a good Christian boy. I was seen as putting our small community on the map. I bent over backwards to make sure that I got a football scholarship to a good college. But, underneath it all, when I was on the field I was far from a Christian boy. To be honest, it was the complete opposite. I felt as if demons possessed my body as I made every touchdown. Going to church and confessing my sins was the only way to deal with this turmoil that I lived with.
“Forgive me father, for I have sinned,” I blurted out, as the weight of it was heavy on my mind. It was normally one of two priests. I hoped that it was Father Patrick, the younger priest who had joined our church. I didn’t want it to be Father Roger, the one whose daughter I thought about every night. She was the other reason that I was in the confession box.
“Confess your sins, son.”
I hated the fact that there was a curtain that stopped us from revealing our identities. It was a lie, a fake, to act as if neither of us knew who was on the other side. I had spoken to Father Roger enough times for him to recognize my voice. Stowe Peak was a small town, which meant that it was small enough for us to know each other in the parish.
“I have been having thoughts about a certain girl and…”
I waited as he cleared his throat. I wondered if he knew that the girl in question was his daughter. Mom had asked me if there was a reason for my bad performance on the field last week, and I’d lied and said no.
I knew the reason for my bad performance was because of Michelle, she had been watching our game. That was the first time that she had been in the stadium and I was distracted, I just couldn’t get my head in the game. Having her so near, but yet so far, made me think about the same way that I had every night when I jacked off. We had started to talk, I had started to pay her attention. I could tell that she liked it, her eyes automatically lit up whenever we spoke.
Whenever she entered the classroom I just couldn’t stop thinking of her as being the untouched fruit, the cherry that every boy wanted to pick. Sometimes, I wondered if it was her baby blue eyes, or the fact that over the summer she had gone from being a stick insect to a blooming flower. I’d never noticed her breasts before, but one of the guys said that was because she never had any. I hadn’t noticed how much Michelle had changed until now, and now I just couldn’t get her of my mind.
“Yes, son, continue.”
I didn’t want to continue. I started to think of ways to get out of the confession box. This was too damn close for comfort.
I wanted to say, ?
??Father Roger I want to stick it to your daughter so badly that she will be crying for mercy!’
I started to get hard at the idea of her waiting for me outside in her bra and panties. Then I would strip her down butt naked and we would fuck right there on the altar.
I had it bad, so damn bad, that I blurted out, “Sexual thoughts!”
I said it so loudly that I surprised myself. Once again, Father Roger cleared his throat. I had watched him do it during his services a few times and I knew he was as uncomfortable as I was about the topic. He did it the time Sandra Holt had accused her husband of cheating on her and had begged Father Roger to cleanse him in the middle of the service. He’d done the same thing that I assumed he was doing now. He’d cleared his throat and stroke his beard a few times. I wondered if that was him talking to God, if he was somehow transmitting a message through his beard. I shook my head at the idea of it all.
“Say ten Hail Mary’s every night before you sleep to prevent these thoughts and every morning when you wake.”
I sighed, the punishment was more or less the same every time.
“And Carl, maybe next time you have a game, make sure the person who is causing you to have such thoughts is not present.”
I kneeled with my mouth wide open.
He knew.
How did he know?
Mom?
I’d never tell her.
Michelle?
I hated the fact that he knew. It meant that he would either punish me or, even worse her.
“Yes, Father it won’t happen again,” I said as I left the box. I had a feeling that he wanted to talk to me as soon as I was outside, but I needed to cool down. The whole idea of not talking to Michelle again weighed heavily on my mind. The idea of not speaking to her was awful, when we had only just started to be friends.
Then again, if we were only friends, I needed to stop having dirty thoughts about her. But, I just couldn’t help myself. She was hot and a girl, it was only natural I kept telling myself.