Broken Kisses — a Wildflower Kisses Short Story by Kathryn Kaleigh

Author:Kathryn Kaleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KST Publishing

Chapter 5

One month later

Gabriella stood at the top of the stairs in her father’s home.

Today was her wedding day.

Today she would become Mrs. Marcus Davenport.

The wife of a prominent Memphis business man.

Tomorrow she would leave her family and travel to Memphis.

When Joshua left, he’d taken her spirit with him.

She hadn’t had the strength to fight her father any longer.

When he’d arranged her marriage with Marcus, she’d merely been swept along in the tide.

It was odd, though, to think that she’d soon be married to a man she’d never even had a conversation with.

She stood at the top of the stairs. Listened to the happy music drifting up from downstairs.

She wore a lovely gown that had been specially made for today’s occasion.

It was a silvery gray gown—in honor of the Confederacy—with full skirts and lots of silky layers.

It was beautiful, but Gabriella had very little interest in it.

It almost made her sick to even look at herself in the mirror.

Her sister didn’t understand. Didn’t even try to understand, truth be told.

Becca was upset and would barely even speak to Gabriella. Her sister couldn’t get past Gabriella’s leaving her.

It just made things worse.

Gabriella might have been much better off if she’d had her sister to talk to about everything that was going on.

But instead, she was alienated.

As she walked down and stepped onto the landing, she looked out the window. The gazebo was below.

The gazebo where she’d last been with Joshua.

The memory brought a flush to her cheeks.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

But he’d made his choice.

He’d made his choice and he’d left her here.

She lifted her chin and continued down the stairs. She hid her face beneath a gauzy veil. A veil that hid the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

Her father was there, waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

There were red roses all around the room, filling the room with a fresh scent that was nearly overwhelming in the summer heat.

She couldn’t even look at her father.

Neither one of them spoke. They didn’t have to.

Along with her teary eyes, the veil hid her trembling chin.

They walked into the parlor where Marcus waited.

He was, surprisingly, a tall, lean man wearing a gray officer’s uniform.

Her father led her past her sister, her brothers, and her mother. Her mother smiled proudly, but her sister kept her gaze down. Becca wouldn’t even look at her.

It broke Gabriella’s heart.

Then she saw Marcus standing near the fireplace, his hands behind his back.

He was more handsome than she was prepared for. She’d met him once, but it had been over a year ago and when she’d been introduced, she hadn’t paid him any mind.

She’d merely seen him as one of her father’s friends.

Not a man of any concern of hers.

Now she was standing next to him about to become his wife.

And all she could think about was Joshua.

She shouldn’t have let him leave without her.

The sense of panic was almost overwhelming. So overwhelming that it was all she could do not to turn and run out of the room.

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