Let's Start With Forever

By June Kramin

Vicki had always felt growing up on Maui was truly paradise in every way. Meeting Marshall her senior year made it that much more perfect. Flying to Oahu with him and losing her most valuable possession—her virginity—comes with a high price. Having just turned eighteen and now pregnant, she still doesn’t second guess her decision about breaking her rules and going through with it. She does however second guess his marriage proposal, feeling as if she’s trapping him in a course he’ll regret later. Marshall repeatedly convinces her marriage is what he wants, and she agrees to marry him. Life could not be more perfect, until she loses the baby late in the pregnancy. She finds herself once again questioning their marriage and flees back home with her parents. Marshall eventually convinces her to return to him, only to have her say goodbye days later to accomplish her original goal—college. They manage to make their marriage work through long semesters and separate islands. Once again, life is perfect... Until Vicki discovers a small detail Marshall left out about his past. She runs away yet again. He tracks her down and desperately fights for the only thing he has ever wanted in his life. Her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: June Kramin
• Release date: Aug 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370948222

June Kramin

Wife, Mother, Writer, Lunatic. Not necessarily in that order.June, who prefers to go by Bug, was born in Philadelphia but moved to Maui, Hawaii when she was four. She met her “Prince Charming” on Kauai and is currently living “Happily Ever After” on a hobby farm in a small town in Southern Minnesota.Her son and daughter are her greatest accomplishments. She takes pride in embarrassing them every chance she gets.Being hopelessly addicted to 80′s music is her super power.

Book preview

Let’s

Start With

Forever

June Kramin

Let’s Start With Forever

Copyright © 2017 by June Kramin

…

All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

…

This book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author’s imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

Published by Pau Hana Books August 2017

This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. No part of this book can be reproduced or sold by any person or business without the express permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1548991395

Published in the United States of America

Cover Art by Valerie Kramin

Stock images: Shutterstock

From the Author

The original title of this book was Vienna Waits for You. Vienna is my favorite Billy Joel song.

In the original version, Marshall sang a few lines to Vicky at certain points. So many of them fit perfectly for her. Unfortunately, those parts had to be edited out. I can pout all I want, but lyrics are owned by their writer, and rightfully so. My humble sale projections couldn’t justify any royalties to Mr. William Joel’s lawyers. I can only encourage you to listen to the song if you aren’t familiar with it. I know I drove my family crazy with it while I wrote this. LOL! It’s also in one of my favorite movies: 13 Going on 30.

I hope you enjoy the read. Like a few others, it’s a story that hits a little close to home for me.

Happy Reading!

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

About the Author

Prologue

"I don’t want you to hate him," Vicki said to her father.

It takes two to tango, baby girl. I could beat down these walls and it wouldn’t do a damn bit of good.

I didn’t mean for it to happen. Vicki was staring out the window as a small Toyota truck pulled up. He’s here.

You can go talk to him outside. I’m not ready to set eyes on your boyfriend yet.

She walked down the flight of stairs, out the front door, and over to Marshall’s truck. He was parked on the street. Vicki’s three older brothers were all home, their vehicles filled the driveway. He climbed out and they shared a tight hug.

Is your dad coming out to break my kneecaps?

No. Vicki choked on her words. He’s too pissed to even talk. I think I’d rather have him yell at me. She wiped tears from her eyes. What are we gonna do, Marsh?

I told you yesterday. You’re going to marry me.

I’m barely eighteen. How stupid is that? I want to get married when someone loves me so bad they want to die for me, not because they got me pregnant.

You know I love you. I would kill or die for you, babe. We’ve been together for six months. It’s not like I took advantage of you on prom night.

I know, but still.

Don’t you love me?

Of course I do, but—

"But nothing. Come on. We can do your dream princess wedding, or you could wear an Alice in Wonderland wedding dress. Whatever you want."

That’s being silly, she said with a pout.

You know I’m your knight in shining armor. He pulled her closer. I don’t care how we do it, but I really want to get married. This just pushes things up a little bit.

She lowered her head to her chest. I’m only a senior. This pushes it up a lot.

He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. Are you going to make me beg?

Vicki managed a smile. If that’s what you really want then I do, too. I just don’t want you to feel like I trapped you years down the line.

Never. A victory smile spread over his face, but hers was far from beaming. What’s the matter, babe?

I guess I’ve always dreamed of all of this different. You know…a ring, a proposal on a bended knee.

Oh. He grinned.

Silly, I know.

Not at all. Bending down on one knee, he reached into his back pocket. He opened a small box and held up a not-so-modest three quarter-carat princess cut diamond solitaire on a plain gold band. I love you, Victoria Rose. Marry me. Please?

With that, the tears she had tried all night to fight came streaming down her cheeks, and a not so soft whimpering that rarely accompanied her tears escaped her lips. She threw her arms around him and uttered a sloppy, wet Yes into his neck.

Chapter One

"He thinks you’re cute, you know."

He thinks I’m cute? Are we in the third grade?

Jennifer laughed. Okay. You got me there. But come on. He asked about you. What would it hurt to double date with us once and see if you like him?

What the hell do you have against me taking a break from dating? Vicki said, not meaning for it to sound as mean as it came out. I didn’t even get to go to my own junior prom, for crying out loud. I’m still a little sick of guys.

Darin didn’t do all that much harm to John, Jen said, laughing again.

Enough that no one else dared asked me.

You barely even noticed the mark on his face the next day unless you knew.

Everyone had heard Darin decked him for asking me before the first bell rang. Vicki crossed her arms.

It was your fault for breaking up with him before prom. You should have waited.

I didn’t want to go under those circumstances.

You know, it’s not a rule to ‘put out’ on prom night, Vick.

Just what do you think we broke up over, anyway? He was a dang horn-dog. I got sick of holding him at bay and telling him no. I’ll know when I’m ready, and now isn’t it, especially with the likes of him.

You don’t know what you’re missing. Jen waggled her eyebrows up and down.

Whatever. I do believe I’ll get another chance with someone I care for in this lifetime.

Friday night?

Oh, that’s really gonna sway me. Vicki shook her head. No. I don’t want to do this, Jen. This was a great guy-free summer. It was great not having to constantly tell someone ‘no.’ Let me be.

Come on. The night will be fun. No strings attached. We’ll pick you up.

"Fine! Vicki hollered, finally giving in. But if I’m going, I’m driving myself. If it goes sour, at least I can split."

All right. If that’s what it takes, but you’d better show up. Pizza Hut, six o’clock sharp. I mean it, Vick. Don’t you dare stand me up.

Vicki got in her car, gave the door a mild slam, and stuck her tongue out at Jennifer playfully. She loved her best friend, but really didn’t want to go on a double date.

They had just started their senior year of high school and it was a nice, easy year for both of them. Most of their tough classes, Trigonometry, Japanese III, and Chemistry were crammed into their junior year for this purpose. Now they were able to sneak away from school a full two classes early every day, due to free periods and a work/study program offered by a few stores at the mall. The girls earned a few credits toward business class, helping out in a small, locally owned clothing store.

Their school was in the town of Wailuku on the island of Maui. The girls had been close friends since an incident with a female class bully in the upper campus bathroom in the seventh grade. They had been inseparable ever since.

Those who didn’t know them often mistook them for sisters. Those who did know them always asked where the other one was on the off chance they weren’t together. They had the same shade of blue eyes and blonde hair. The hair was easy to explain; they shared the same bottle of hair color every few weeks and did each other’s roots.

When they were younger, they biked or roller-skated everywhere together and often met up at the park between their houses for tennis. As they got older, they traded in their bikes for driving around in Vicki’s Toyota Corolla. They’d buy Hana Bay Rum and drink it with coke flavored Icees. Boyfriends came and went but the two were inseparable.

Vicki pulled into the parking lot just as Jennifer, her boyfriend, Paul, and his friend were getting out of Paul’s truck. She sighed heavily, trying to find the courage to get through the night. Starting the whole dating thing all over again wasn’t high on her list of priorities. Driving herself was a good idea. If things turned sour, she’d make an excuse and run for the hills.

Jennifer strode over to Vicki’s car; the guys weren’t far behind. Vicki knew very little about Paul. He’d graduated from a different high school four years ago and they didn’t share any of the same friends. He and Jennifer had been dating for almost two months. She gave the lovebirds their space and hadn’t seen Jen too much over that time. When she saw him for a few minutes at school when he picked up Jen, they’d share small talk about his job or their latest date. Vicki feigned interest and let her lovesick friend carry on. The girls had stopped together once at his jobsite. That was where his friend had caught sight of her, but she hadn’t seen him. She faced the other way as the love-struck pair played tonsil hockey.

Sorry, Vick. I can’t stand working late and being away from Jennifer. Thanks for stopping by on your way to the movies, Paul had said to her that night.

No, problemo, Paul. Pleasure’s all mine, she replied, faking a smile.

You’re as full of shit as my baby says. He laughed and gave Jen another kiss goodbye. See you after the movie and after I get cleaned up, angel face.

Vicki put her finger in her mouth and faked like she was going to barf at his angel face comment, but he laughed it off. Best friends and new boyfriends rarely got along from the get-go. He was nice enough, handsome, and had a good job, but still…

Vicki pulled herself out of her memory, still unable to picture this Marshall Jennifer said had noticed her that day. She rolled her eyes when Jen got to her car. Hi. Well, I’m here. Do I get my brownie points? Hang on a sec, I gotta grab my purse. She reached onto the passenger side, grabbed her purse and straightened up. And froze at the most beautiful face she had ever set eyes on.

Vick, this is Paul’s friend, Marshall Matthews.

Nice to meet you, he said as he held his hand out.

Uh, hi. She would remember to kick herself later for being so articulate.

Paul smiled and said, Shall we? as he gestured toward the door. The two men entered the restaurant, Jen wrapped her arm around Vicki’s. Wipe your chin, hon. I should have told you he was quite the looker.

"Damn, girlfriend. How did I miss that at the jobsite?"

Feel better now?

I’ll let you know after dinner.

The guys were waiting for the girls to join them. Paul placed his hand on Jen’s lower back and led her into the restaurant. Marshall pointed in and said politely, After you.

Paul quickly slid in next to Jen, and winked at Vicki. She sat down across from them without a fuss. She guessed sitting next to Marshall was better than across from him. At least she wouldn’t be self-conscious about watching him all night or worrying he was watching her eat. Usually fond of pizza, she suddenly didn’t have much of an appetite and felt stupid for being nervous.

The waitress came around and greeted everyone, saying hello to Paul and Marshall by name. Paul ordered a pitcher of beer. The waitress said she’d be right back with it, never questioning their ages. The girls were often served alcohol without being carded but on the rare occasion they needed proof, they had fake IDs. This was 1983. The drinking age in Hawaii was eighteen and in no danger of changing anytime soon. They had only a few weeks to go until they could legally drink, anyway. Their birthdays were only a few days apart and they’d been planning a beach party to celebrate together.

So, you come here often? Marshall said in jest, trying to break the ice. It worked. He glanced at Vicki for approval and smiled. That’s when she noticed his dimples. It was pretty much all over for her from there.

Marshall had them in stitches most of the night. He wasn’t just gorgeous; he also had a wonderful personality. He seemed comfortable right from the beginning and was the perfect gentleman every minute. Paul didn’t seem to mind sharing the stage for once. He and Vicki usually fought for Jen’s attention, but now the tables seemed to be turned and the attention was on Vicki and Marshall. Vicki had let her guard down immediately and found him very easy to like.

They had great pizza and lingered over a second pitcher. Marshall filled the girls in on the basics about himself. Jen seemed over eager to get information out of him. He had also grown up on Maui, attended high school with Paul at Seabury Hall, and now they worked for the same construction company. Paul was the foreman and Marshall the crew supervisor. They had to be good for those positions at their age. Paul’s dad owned it; that explained a lot as well. Paul teased and called him Number Two and Marshall referred to him as Boss. School wasn’t an interesting subject so Vicki and Jen listened to the guys talk about the funny things that happened at work. Jennifer and Paul seemed to be pitching Vicki like a used car salesmen until they got the kick in the shin to lay off.

I’ve only known a few kids who went to Seabury. Isn’t that school kinda snooty? Vicki asked.

It wasn’t so bad, Marshall replied. I remember a boy from Beverly Hills who was a little full of himself and a chick from Saudi Arabia, but it was a pretty normal school.

Didn’t Carol Burnett’s daughters go there?

They’re regular people like everyone else.

The guys fought over the tab when it showed up; Paul being the winner this time, then they headed toward the exit.

Vicki stopped at the claw game at the back entrance of the restaurant and admired a stuffed toy sitting on the top of the pile. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Alice in Wonderland.

Do you want it? Marshall asked as he dug in his pocket for change.

That’s still one of my favorite movies. Nobody can win at these things, though.

Wanna bet? Marshall dropped fifty cents into the coin slot. He managed to land the claw on it but as it came up, it slipped off and the toy remained in the pile.

I told you. They’re rigged. You can’t win.

I don’t think so. Marshall dropped in more change.

Should I run for a roll of quarters, Marsh? Paul laughed. He ain’t gonna quit till he gets it if he has to end up buying the whole damn machine.

The second time the claw came up, the toy came with it.

You got it! Vicki squealed.

He removed it from the bin and handed it to her with a victory smile.

She was falling for his smile bad.

As they were walking out, Vicki was busy admiring the toy and tripped on the cement pad in front of the parking stalls. Marshall caught her by the arm.

Are you okay? Too many beers?

I’m fine. I’m really not as think as you drunk I am, she said with playful giggle. I just wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.

He laughed at her word play but then asked, Mind if I drive you, anyway? We were one for one in there and I outweigh you by probably a hundred pounds.

She turned to her friend. What’s the plan, Jen? Calling it a night or has the night just begun?

Paul answered for her. How does a few rounds of pool at my place sound?

Vicki faced Marshall. You game? Otherwise you can dump me at my house. Your call.

I’d like to have a chance at whipping your butt at pool.

Dream on, Seabury Hall. I have a pool table in my basement.

He grinned and turned to Paul. We’re in. We’ll follow you to your place.

I appreciate you driving. I guess I got a little carried away with the pitcher, Vicki said, once they were on their way.

My pleasure. Now I can spend some time alone with you without you having to kick your cheering squad under the table.

You caught that, did you? She laughed. I love Jen but she can be a little much sometimes. I know it’s out of love for me, so I really can’t get upset.

They are a cute couple, aren’t they?

I guess so. Sometimes they make me want to vomit, but Paul really is an okay guy. I’d have to say I approve of him for Jen.

We’ll that’s good ‘cause I’d have to say I approve of Jen for Paul.

Boy, we’re going to have to start an ‘I lost my best friend to a great person’ club.

Marshall laughed and faced her for a moment. Okay. I’m in. He put a hand in front of her once again to shake it. Friends?

Friends. She smiled as she shook his hand. The comfort level of the ride home just went up ten points. They had a great meal, great laughs, he was driving her slightly intoxicated ass to more fun, and he declared friends. That sure beat the hell out of: How about a kiss, baby? Or did it? He was sure cute. She had a hard time not staring at his dimples, and his green eyes melted her every time he glanced her way.

Vicki’s head barely came to the bottom of his shoulders; his damn fabulous shoulders. He had quite the build on him. It must be one of the perks of doing construction. She had never dated anyone so much older than her before. She’d always felt older than her years and much more mature than the boys her age, though. They weren’t even officially on a date and had just said friends. She had to stop acting silly and try to shake herself out of her thoughts of his gorgeousness and just enjoy the fun company.

Vicki turned on the radio; Billy Joel’s Vienna was playing. I love this song, she said, turning up the volume. I’d love to go there someday.

Vienna? Have you traveled much?

Not at all. I’ve been to a few of the other islands and Disneyland, but that’s the extent of it.

I’ve been to Disneyland a time or two. What’s your favorite ride?

She held up the stuffed toys and smiled as she gave it a little shake.

I should have guessed. No points for me. He quickly grabbed the toy and gently bopped her nose with it. After a brief smile, he returned his attention back to the road. I’ve done my share of traveling. My dad kind of dragged us all over the place. Maybe we’ll have to do a group tour someday and check it out.

You’d suffer through the romantic capital of Austria for me, huh?

I’ve had worse dates. He glanced her way again and winked. I like this song, too. He sang along and over exaggerated a few lines, being silly. Either that, or he really couldn’t sing and didn’t care. She liked it either way and joined in.

As they pulled up to Paul’s house twenty minutes later he said, Stay put, and ran around to her door. He opened it and offered her a hand getting out.

I’ve never had anyone do that for me before.

"Because you’ve only dated boys before."

Are we on a date?

He smirked. I lied in the car.

Lied? Lied about what?

He leaned her against the car, slowly moved his head down to meet her lips, and gave her a soft kiss. When they broke apart he said, I don’t wanna be friends. He took her by the hand and led her into Paul’s house.

She thought she would float away, but somehow managed to follow him. Although slightly disoriented, she was grinning wide.

When they entered the house, Vicki immediately noticed the odd pool table. What’s this? That’s not a regular pool table.

It’s a snooker table, Paul explained.

Snooker?

My buddy here can show you how to play. Something just came up. Paul grinned as he grabbed Jen by the hand and tugged her along. Help yourselves. The bar fridge is fully stocked.

How nice of them to ditch us. Vicki frowned.

Marshall shrugged. No big deal. At least I have you to keep me company this time. He removed a couple pool sticks off the rack on the wall and explained the basics of the game to her.

Sounds easy enough. Rack ‘em up.

They played a couple of games over a few more beers. Vicki beat him, but she wasn’t so sure he hadn’t let her win. They finally quit and relaxed on the couch and talked for a while. She loved how they never seemed to run out of conversation. Marshall moved in for another kiss, this one lasting a little longer, but then Vicki broke away and motioned to the clock. I really ought to get home.

Then I really should drive you.

How will you get home? I don’t think Paul will be out anytime soon and my parents will crap an eggroll if my car isn’t there in the morning.

Don’t worry about me. Where do you live?

Up the road from the Island Surf.

That’s easy enough. I’m not even a half mile down the road. I’ll walk back. I’d rather do that than have you drive. Is that okay?

If you say so. She offered him her hand and pulled him up from the couch. He hesitated for a moment as he stood in front of her, but he didn’t try to kiss her again. Vicki wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but didn’t want to send the wrong signals by trying to kiss him. She liked him and hoped they could take it slowly. Thinking about his age and how his best friend was sexually active with her best friend, sex would be an issue soon if they continued to date. But who wouldn’t it be an issue with at her age?

Chapter Two

Vicki waved from the water as Marshall drove his truck onto the beach and dropped the tailgate. Paul climbed in back and pushed a keg to the end of the truck bed. She and Jen ran out