Making memories.
It’s all a girl ever wants for herself. Faith Hilton had conquered Gunner Travis’ heart back in middle school; the track star falling for her beauty and kindness.
She had finally given her own heart to him in high school, and she has been happy ever since. Gunner was a passionate dreamer, a stubborn man, and a heartthrob. But it didn’t matter, because he was all hers.
Today, four years later, they are still together and now have a beautiful baby girl. She is proof of their love. A family was all Faith wanted, and now her dream has come true.
Palmer Wright, her best friend, was marrying Christopher Melbourne, the love of her life, and she’s her maid of honor. She remembered when he arrived in town, shy and introverted. Palmer had saved him from the school bullies, making it her mission to be in his life forever. Even though four years of being apart had been torture for them.
Making precious memories.
“What are you thinking?” Palmer asked, looking at herself in the body-length mirror inside her childhood bedroom, wearing an ivory V-neck asymmetrical lace dress with rhinestone champagne cowgirl boots.
The beautiful gown was custom made for her and it made her look stunning.
She noticed how quiet Faith was, and knew when something was bugging her.
“Nothing. Just how lucky we are to have men like ours. I’m happy, Palmer, and I’m sure Christopher will do the same for you,” Faith replied.
She smiled at her best friend while she got up from the bed, standing behind her as they looked at each other in the mirror; her turquoise high-low chiffon strapless bridesmaid dress, fixed with long, heavy curls in her hair.
“I’m very lucky indeed. Christopher is the one for me, Faith. I'm so glad to have come back to him, or else I would have regretted it.”
"You both deserve each other."
They both hugged each other and worked on their finishing touches to be ready for the wedding. As Faith worked on fixing Palmer’s dress, they heard a knock on the door.
James peeked in to check on Palmer. The sight had him almost in tears as he walked over and held her delicate hands in his.
“I can’t believe you’ll be getting married today. Where has my little girl gone?” He asked, letting those tears out, kissing her knuckles, his lips lingering on her soft skin.
“I’m still your little girl, Dad,” Palmer replied, hugging him tightly, trying to hold back her tears so she would not ruin her makeup.
“Let’s not delay this anymore. The groom is waiting.” Faith urged them with a soft smile to leave the room and join the rest of the guests in the ranch’s backyard. The décor was beautiful, with white roses and hanging lights; along with the chairs and the makeshift wooden dance floor for the evening reception.
Christopher couldn’t help but smile as tears of happiness rolled down his pale cheeks at the sight of the wonderful woman in front of him. He used to think he was never enough for her, but Palmer was never the one to make him feel that way. She loved him unconditionally.
As soon as she reached the altar, the pastor started the ceremony while they gazed at each other with love and admiration, holding their hands lovingly.
Faith’s eyes traveled to her fiancé’s, smiling at him while mouthing the words ‘I love you’ as he mouthed them back, looking at her like she was the most amazing thing in the world. She couldn’t help but blush at the way his eyes would admire her in that beautiful dress.
The ceremony went by in a blur. Christopher and Palmer had said their vows to each other, and after the pastor had declared them husband and wife, they sealed their love with a tender kiss before walking down the aisle and towards the reception area, where everyone was ready to have fun.
Faith had gone to the kitchen to help Daisy and Grace with the food, while Gunner had stayed with the guys outside, serving drinks and grilling steaks in the barbeque.
“So, when are you and Gunner taking the step and getting married?” Daisy asked, raising her eyebrows at Faith, grabbing a bowl of potato salad to take outside.
“We wanted to wait until Chris and Palmer came back. It's just a matter of deciding the date,” Faith shrugged her shoulder while smiling at Daisy before walking out.
She waited indeed, but the gossip in the small town had spread like wildfire. The couple had a baby without getting married first, but Faith didn't care. She loved Gunner, and when they decided to take the step, they would do it.
Their little girl had been a surprise for them.
Within two years of being in college, Gunner and Faith had conceived Cheyenne. Faith had to leave her degree on hold to care for her while Gunner stayed behind, finishing his career at her insistence.
The wedding was in full swing. The townsfolk danced, chatted, and drank the night away as the bride and groom prepared for their first dance as husband and wife.
“It was a beautiful ceremony. Maybe we could have something like it,” Gunner said as he approached her, with little Cheyenne in his arms.
“Yes, maybe. For now, let's celebrate their wedding. Palmer deserves it after all she fought for him.”
Putting the potato salad bowl on the buffet table, Faith walked away from the party’s chaos and headed towards the quiet fields behind the house.
All she could do was think of her days in college, how her career could have taken off and be a fashion designer, but she had to leave it all behind as soon as Cheyenne had come into their lives. A beautiful baby girl with the mix of her mother’s dark skin and her father’s lighter one. Her eyes were as blue as his, making her the talk of their small town.
With no other choice, she returned and stayed with her parents until Gunner graduated. Only receiving visits from him on the Holidays and the occasional weekend as the college was quite the distance from their home.
“What are you thinking, beautiful?” Gunner approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist while looking at the starry night sky in awe.
“Not much. Where’s Cheyenne?” she asked, concerned.
“She's with your mom. I figured you might need me, so I left our daughter with her to come to check on you.”
He turned her around, looking at her beautiful hazel eyes while stroking her cheeks to comfort her, knowing something was bothering his fiancée. All Faith could do was smile at him, making sure he believed it, so he didn’t ask any more questions.
“Why don’t we go back? My speech as the best man is about to start, and I have a great one for them.”
She nodded. “Let’s go.”
Holding her hand, he pulled her towards the reception area to join the rest of the guests. Palmer and Christopher were sitting at their bridal table, looking around for them before they could continue the celebration.
Faith sat next to her best friend, giving her a warm hug while Gunner headed towards the DJ to grab a microphone and a bottle of beer from the passing server before starting his speech.
“Well, everyone. Settle down as the best man is going to start his coolest speech ever.” Gunner started as a wave of laughs could be heard in the crowd. Turning to the bridal table, he took a deep breath, looking at his best friends who were happy as they could ever be.
“I just want to start by saying it has been such a great pleasure meeting you both. Palmer, your beauty and kindness have broken many hearts, except for mine, of course,” he said, making the crowd laugh again. “You are a lucky gal for having a man like Christopher. And Chris, you are lucky as well for stealing Palmer's heart and giving her a happy ending. I wish you all the best, and may you both have a lot of babies and grow old together.”
Raising his glass, everyone joined. “To, Palmer and Christopher.”
“To, Palmer and Christopher!” They all followed in unison as Gunner walked over and hugged them both, wishing them the best in their future.
Palmer was in tears, thankful that her makeup was waterproof, or else she would have to go back to her room and freshen up. “I'm so proud of you,” Faith said after she approached Gunner, kissing him tenderly before he passed her the microphone. She gave a brief speech, but her tears didn't let her continue, to which Palmer chuckled and stood from her chair to hug her. She thanked her for being there for her unconditionally. They all spent the rest of the party chatting and eating when Daisy came outside with a crying Cheyenne in her arms, the little one feeling cranky and having enough of the party; wanting to be in her parents’ arms. Cheyenne spotted them and stretched her little arms, her blue eyes full of tears. “I think the little one is tired, so I brought her to momma,” she said, handing her to Faith. Cheyenne screamed in happiness before rubbing her eyes, yawning, and putting her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I think we better get home. We’re also tired. We can come b
Faith stood on their porch, seeing his truck disappear in the distance before she walked back into the house and sat Cheyenne down in her high chair. “Ma-ma!” she said, excitedly tapping her hands on the table while she waited for her breakfast. “Yes, sweetheart. It will be ready soon,” Faith replied, grabbing some fruit from the fridge and instant oatmeal from the cupboard. While the oats cooked in the microwave, she cut the apples and pears on a wooden cutting board, turning towards her daughter soon after. “Here, princess.” She put the fruits in front of her, cooling down the oats before putting them on the table as well. Sitting down in front of Cheyenne, she opened the laptop that she kept on the dining chair and started browsing for fashion schools online where she could apply. Excitement ran through her, and she couldn't wait to be a part of one. After spending a good amount of time searching, she didn’t have as much luck as she hoped. Nothing appealed to her, and for s
As soon as he arrived, Palmer walked out of the stables to meet him and led him towards Goliath, who was barely standing. “What do we have here?” He asked, setting the bag down before he opened it to pull a pair of gloves out of it. “I'm not sure, Gunner. This is how he woke up, and I haven't seen any of our horses sick like this in years. I've been trying to reach Mom and Dad, but they're not answering,” Palmer replied, concerned. This was the horse that had gone wild on her years ago, but she still loved him. Gunner grabbed a small tube and took a sample of some yellowish fluid coming out of his nose. He observed it before putting it in the bag, along with the other test tubes. “I'm taking these to the lab and will check what he has, but judging by the way the fluid coming out of his nose looks, he might have Equine Influenza,” he replied, grabbing a towel to clean the horse. “I figured. Just wanted to make sure,” she mentioned, not looking at Gunner straight into his eyes as
The next morning, Gunner heard Cheyenne cry through the baby monitor as he fluttered his eyes open before realizing she had gotten quiet not long later. Gently moving Faith away from his lap, he laid her back down on the couch, making his way towards their daughter’s bedroom to check on her; only to find her unconscious. “Cheyenne?” he called, shaking her softly, thinking she was being a little prankster, but when she didn’t move, he grew anxious. “Cheyenne!” Swiftly picking her up from her crib, he ran towards the truck desperately, while shouting at Faith to wake up. She opened her eyes and saw him get out of the house, his back the last thing she saw as he pushed the screen door open. “What’s wrong, Gunner?” she asked, putting her shoes on as her heart beat erratically, knowing there was something wrong. As soon as she made it into the truck, Gunner handed her their daughter, running around the truck before getting in and driving off. He wasn’t sure how he was even able to g
Palmer and Christopher hurried to the hospital, worried about their friends and their daughter. He parked the car in the closest spot available before they both headed inside, asking the receptionist where Cheyenne’s room was. “I’m sorry, but visitors are not allowed at this time, unless they’re family,” she said, giving Palmer an apologetic smile. “It’s okay, she’s my sister,” Faith lied, but right now she wanted her best friend with her. She looked as if she hadn't slept in days, and there were bags under her eyes. She led them both to Cheyenne’s room and Palmer quickly approached the little girl’s bed, caressing her soft hair as she looked at her with a sweet smile on her face. “What can we do to help?” Christopher asked Gunner, who shrugged as both men stood by the end of the bed, looking at his daughter, who was pale and frail. “There’s not much to do unless there’s an organ donor. But it takes a lot of money to put her on the waiting list,” he replied. Palmer looked at hi
The days seemed like years for the couple as they waited for a sign that their daughter would be okay. Faith laid next to Cheyenne, stroking her pale chubby cheeks while feeling exhausted from crying and not sleeping enough. Singing her a lullaby song, she was desperate to see her run around as if nothing had happened. It had been torture, and she was ready to go crazy. She heard Gunner walk in with a tray of food from the cafeteria, setting it down on the table next to the bed before wheeling it towards Faith. “Faith, you need to eat something, darling,” he whispered to get her attention without waking Cheyenne up from her nap. She looked at him with tired eyes and a faint smile as she sat up, seeing the hot pastrami sandwich and a chicken salad. “I’m not hungry, Gunner,” she said, her eyes going back to their daughter. “All I want is for her to get better.” He pulled her up from the bed, enveloped her in his arms, and swayed side to side in an attempt to soothe her. The pain a
“Thank you, doctor. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Faith said, holding his hands and kissing his knuckles in gratitude. “No worries, Miss Hilton. You should thank Grace Fisher for convincing the board to put Cheyenne on the list,” he replied. Faith looked at Connor with a smile on her face and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much for being here, saving my daughter.” Connor smiled at her as she pulled back while he held her hands, looking straight into her beautiful eyes. He put a strand of hair behind her ear, making her feel slightly uncomfortable, especially since she was with Gunner and another man touching her intimately was not appropriate. As if sensing her tension, he pulled away, apologizing for touching her that way. “How about I invite you for coffee? We can catch up for old times sake,” he offered, and just as she was about to accept the invitation, Gunner walked in with a frown on his face whil
Palmer woke up with the morning sun sneaking through their silky curtains, stretching her limbs as she sighed contentedly. Rubbing her eyes open, she looked to her side, only to find Christopher sitting at the edge of the bed, groaning. “What’s wrong?” she asked, scooting over to him while covering her naked body with the sheets. They had made love all night, but there was something strange about their passionate moment. It was as if Christopher wasn’t there with her. “Nothing, baby. I guess you just exhausted me last night,” he replied, getting up from the bed, holding back a groan of pain on his penis before heading towards the bathroom to take a shower. Determined to find out what had Christopher acting that way, Palmer put on a bathrobe and followed him. As she opened the door, she saw him standing in the shower, his hand against the wall, and his head hung low. She sighed, took her bathrobe off, and joined him, embracing him from behind as she kissed his back, suddenly conce