What would you do if the love of your life had no memory of you?
BLURB:
Braxton
Nineteen. There’s something about that number; it not only brought us together, bonding us forever, it also played a hand in tearing us apart.
The nineteenth of January 1996. I’ll never forget it. It was the day we met. I was seven and she was six. It was the day she moved in next door, and the day I developed my first crush on a girl.
Exactly nineteen years later, all my dreams came true when she became my wife. She was the love of my life. My soul mate. My everything. The reason I looked forward to waking up every morning.
Then tragedy struck. Nineteen days after we married, she was in an accident that would change our lives forever. When she woke from her coma, she had no memory of me, of us, of the love we shared.
I was crushed. She was my air, and without her I couldn’t breathe.
The sparkle that once glistened her eyes when she looked at me was gone. To her, now, I was a stranger. I had not only lost my wife, I had lost my best friend.
But I refused to let this tragedy be the end of us. That’s when I started to write her letters, stories of our life. Of when we met. About the happier times, and everything we had experienced together.
What we had was far too beautiful to be forgotten.
Nineteen. There’s something about that number; it not only brought us together, bonding us forever, it also played a hand in tearing us apart.
The nineteenth of January 1996. I’ll never forget it. It was the day we met. I was seven and she was six. It was the day she moved in next door, and the day I developed my first crush on a girl.
Exactly nineteen years later, all my dreams came true when she became my wife. She was the love of my life. My soul mate. My everything. The reason I looked forward to waking up every morning.
Then tragedy struck. Nineteen days after we married, she was in an accident that would change our lives forever. When she woke from her coma, she had no memory of me, of us, of the love we shared.
I was crushed. She was my air, and without her I couldn’t breathe.
The sparkle that once glistened her eyes when she looked at me was gone. To her, now, I was a stranger. I had not only lost my wife, I had lost my best friend.
But I refused to let this tragedy be the end of us. That’s when I started to write her letters, stories of our life. Of when we met. About the happier times, and everything we had experienced together.
What we had was far too beautiful to be forgotten.
CHAPTER ONE
Jemma
It’s a wet and dreary morning is
the first thing I hear when the radio booms to life, alerting me to the fact
it’s time to get up.
Dreary doesn’t even come close.
The thought of no longer being able to spend every waking minute with my
gorgeous husband has already put a dampener on my day. I can’t believe our time
off together has come to an end. I hate that I have to go back to work this
morning, and leave the little bubble Braxton and I have been living in for the
past four weeks.
Right up until the wedding,
things were so busy with our careers, building our dream house and organising
our special day. Everything combined seemed to take away from us being
together. This one-on-one time we’ve had since tying the knot was just what we
both needed.
‘Morning, Mrs Spencer.’
He rolls onto his side, pulling
me further into his warm, luscious body. It has been exactly nineteen days
since we exchanged wedding vows, and I’m still floating.
‘Morning, Mr Spencer.’ I lean my
forehead against his. ‘I’m not ready to go back to work. I can’t stand the
thought of spending the entire day without you.’
He chuckles as his teeth nip at
my pouting lip. ‘I feel exactly the same way, babe. Our time off has gone way
too quick. We should have taken two months off, instead of one.’
Despite him being a constant
figure in my daily life, for the past nineteen years, I still get a rush when I
think about what our future together holds.
I met Braxton when my parents and
I moved in next door. We were just kids, but we’ve been inseparable ever since.
He’s my one and only. He always has been, and always will be. He’s not only the
love of my life; he’s my best friend, my soul mate, my forever boy.
He’s incredibly dreamy, with his
movie-star looks. I run my fingers through his sandy blond hair as my eyes roam
over his perfectly sculpted face; his big blue eyes pop against his tanned
skin. He has a smile that makes my knees weak. His front tooth turns in ever so
slightly, but it takes nothing away from his Colgate-worthy smile.
When he realises I’m checking him
out, the sexy grin that I adore appears on his face. It highlights the cute
dimple in his left cheek. To this day, he still manages to turn my insides to
mush, but it’s his inner beauty that affects me the most.
‘I could always call in sick,’ I
say, perking up for a moment, but in reality I know it’s not possible. I have a
big client coming in first thing Monday morning, and I need to prepare.
‘If I didn’t have this damn
meeting later this morning, I’d say do it,’ he replies, smiling.
‘I’m going to miss you.’
‘I’m going to miss you too, Jem.
The past four weeks have been my kind of heaven.’
I sigh. ‘I’d give anything to be
back in Kauai right now.’
My fingers move from his hair and
skim down the side of his face as I speak. The beach has always been our
favourite place. That’s why we built our dream home overlooking the ocean. The
soothing sound of the waves crashing against the shore as I drift off to sleep
every night, and the sweet smell of sea air first thing in the morning . . .
it’s cathartic. It’s also one of the reasons we chose Hawaii—a beautiful villa
on the majestic shores of Tunnels Beach—as the place to spend the first two
weeks of our married life.
‘Me too.’ He gives me a wistful
look. ‘I’ll take you back there over the Christmas break, I promise.’
‘I’d like that.’ My fingertips
dance over his collarbone, before moving across his shoulder. When I run a path
down his strong back, he groans.
I sigh again when I think that Christmas
is ten months away, but I guess we have the rest of our lives together to
create the kind of memories we did in Hawaii.
Untangling my legs from his, I
pause briefly. I don’t want to leave him. I exhale a drawn-out breath. ‘I
suppose I better jump in the shower.’
‘Would you like some company?’
Reaching for me, he rolls onto
his back, taking me with him. I laugh when he wiggles his eyebrows. I straddle
his waist before covering his mouth with mine. My shower can wait. Making love
to my man is much more important.
Sliding forward, I line myself
up. His strong hands grip my hips, and we moan in unison as I sink down onto
him. My eyes lock with his as I slowly rock my body against him. ‘I love you,
Brax.’
‘I love you too, Jem. So much.’
He reaches for my hands, lacing
his fingers through mine. We’ve always had such a strong bond, but when we’re
connected like this, we become one. I’ll never tire of these feelings he evokes
in me.
There are times I feel guilty
because together, we’re perfect. None of our friends have the kind of
relationship Braxton and I do. What we have is unbreakable. Sometimes my
feelings for him overwhelm me. I’m not sure how either of us would survive
without the other.
---
As I rush around putting the
finishing touches on my make-up, I catch a glimpse of Braxton in the mirror.
He’s leaning up against the doorframe watching me get ready. He’s shirtless and
wearing a pair of grey sweats that hang low on his hips. My pulse quickens as
my eyes rake over his bare chest, and each delicious muscle that defines his
torso, from the perfect V just above the waistband, right up to his washboard
abs. One of my favourite things to do is watch him work out on the small home
gym he set up in the garage. I don’t think he even realises how sexy he is.
Growing up, he didn’t notice the way all the girls swooned over him. But I did.
My eyes move back to his, and the
adoring look on his face sends my heart into a flutter. The sheer love I feel
for this man consumes every fibre of my being. It’s euphoric.
‘How long have you been standing
there?’ I ask as my mouth curves into a smile.
‘I’m just admiring my beautiful
wife.’ I love hearing him call me his wife.
He pushes off the doorframe and
stalks towards me. When his arms encircle my waist, he pulls me back into him.
A soft moan falls from my mouth as his lips trail a path up my neck. I tilt my
head to the side, allowing him better access.
‘I’m already running late,’ I
breathe.
‘I wish you didn’t have to go.’
His warm breath on my skin leaves goosebumps in its wake.
‘Me either.’
‘The next eight hours are going
to feel like an eternity.’
I sigh in agreement. ‘I know.’
His tongue glides over the
sensitive spot behind my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He did that on
purpose. ‘Don’t make any plans for tonight, because I’m taking you out to
dinner.’
‘You’re taking me out? Where?’
‘The Sea Shanty.’ He groans as he
sucks my earlobe into his mouth.
‘What’s the special occasion?’
‘Our anniversary.’
My eyes fly open to meet his in
the mirror. ‘Our what?’ My mind starts to race. What anniversary?
He turns me in his arms so I’m
facing him, and pulls a small black box from his pocket. ‘I was going to give
this to you tonight, but I want you to have it now. Happy nineteenth
anniversary, sweetheart.’
My hands tremble slightly as I
take hold of the box. That’s when I remember that today we have been married
for nineteen days, and a huge smile breaks out on my face. The number nineteen
has always held special significance for us.
Tears of happiness pool in my
eyes as I open the lid. Inside I find a white-gold necklace that’s holding a
diamond-encrusted number-nineteen pendant.
‘Oh Braxton, it’s beautiful. I
love it . . . I love you.’
He smiles as he tucks a lock of
hair behind my ear. ‘I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Jem.’
‘Same.’
A lump forms in my throat and I
feel like I’m choking back tears. I use my hand to fan my eyes; I don’t have
time to redo my make-up.
Taking the box out of my hand, he
removes the necklace. ‘Turn around, and hold up your hair.’ I do as he asks,
gathering my long brown hair on top of my head so he can fasten the necklace.
‘Perfect,’ he says, planting a soft kiss on my skin at the base of my neck.
My fingertips glide over the
pendant as I admire it in the mirror. ‘Thank you . . . I’ll treasure it.’
Sliding his arms around my waist
again, he rests his chin on my shoulder, and his eyes meet mine in the mirror.
‘You know, I’ve been thinking . . .’
‘That could be dangerous.’
I laugh when he pokes my side.
‘I want you to stop taking the
pill.’
I feel my heartbeat accelerate as
I swing around to face him. ‘You do?’
‘Yes. It’s time we gave it
another try, Jem. I want to see our baby growing inside you.’
I swipe my finger under my eye to
catch the stray tear that has fallen. ‘I want that too, but what about my job?
We just took out a second mortgage to build this house . . . we need the
money.’
He exhales before continuing. ‘I
know how much your career means to you, but you’re giving so much of yourself
to that bastard, Andrew. We both know he doesn’t appreciate you. Why don’t you
think about setting up your own interior design business from home? That way
you’d be here to look after our son, and still be able to do what you love.’
‘Or our daughter,’ I say with a
smile.
‘As long as our baby is healthy,
I don’t care what sex it is.’ I bow my head as memories of that day flood my
mind. I want this so badly, but I’m scared.
‘Can we talk more about it
tonight over dinner? Andrew’s going to chew me out if I don’t get to the office
soon.’
‘He better not!’
I run my finger over his forehead,
trying to flatten out the crinkles of his frown. I love how protective he is.
He hates the way my boss treats me, but he’d never interfere because he knows
how much I love what I do.
The rain has eased by the time
I’m ready to leave, but Braxton still insists on walking me out so I don’t get
wet. ‘Bye,’ I say reluctantly, when we come to a stop beside my car.
‘Don’t let Andrew keep you any
later than needed.’
‘I won’t,’ I say, placing my lips
against his. ‘Good luck with your meeting. They’re going to love the new
design.’
‘I hope so.’ He opens the
driver’s-side door, and moves the umbrella closer to shield me from the rain.
‘Be careful on the roads, they’ll be slippery.’
‘I will. Stop worrying.’
‘I’ll always worry where you’re
concerned, Jem. It’s my job to look after you.’
I smile up at him once I’m
seated. ‘I love how much you love me.’
‘That’ll never change,’ he says,
winking, as he closes my car door.
My heart feels heavy as I blow
him a kiss and reverse out of the driveway . . . I miss him already.
---
I’m driving cautiously but still
faster than usual on my way to work. I know I shouldn’t, considering the roads
are slippery from all the rain, but the backlog of work I’m going to face from
being on holidays for a month is making my stomach knot. Just the thought of
facing Andrew in one of his moods this morning is quickly undoing all the calm
I’ve felt while being away from him. Braxton’s idea of starting my own business
is sounding better by the second.
I smile to myself as I replay his
words in my head. My fingertips lightly skim over my stomach. I’d like nothing
more than to have his baby growing inside me again.
‘Shit,’ I mumble to myself when
the heavens open up. I turn the wiper speed up to full, but visibility is still
poor. I can barely see the car in front of me now. I jump when my phone starts
to ring. I grip the wheel tightly with my right hand as I reach across the
passenger seat, my hand blindly fumbling in my bag as I try to find it.
I just know that it’s Andrew
wondering where I am; I should have been there fifteen minutes ago. My chest
tightens just thinking about it.
My eyes leave the road for a
split second as I glance down at the screen. I was right, it’s him. As I
attempt to accept the call, I hear the loud sound of an angry horn, and the
screech of tyres. My head snaps to the left as my body is thrown violently
sidewards. The sickening crunching sound of metal is almost deafening.
Images of Braxton and our life
together flash through my mind as a crushing sensation consumes the right side
of my body. My head connects with the driver’s-side window, and the sound of
shattering glass fills my ears.
Oh god. I don’t want to die.
‘Braxton . . . Braaaax,’ I cry
out as the world around me stills, and I succumb to the darkness.
5 plus stars
WOW!!!!!
Stunned speechless at how heartwarming but also
heartbreaking the story about Jemma and Braxton was. This story epitomises that
life is short. Life is all about family, love, experiences and when things
happen to disturb things going smoothly forward then well…read it for yourself.
You will most definitely understand.
My heart.......
My soul, touched by beautiful letters
My entire emotions went through the wringer, I just FELT!!!
I wanted to give Braxton a big hug. That beautiful, caring, devoted man…just made
me sigh and swoon. I felt so incredibly sorry for Jemma and what she had to go
through. I cried in certain parts and laughed in others.
This is a love story like no other. It will hook you, It
will make you treasure the moments you do have with your loved ones.
The characters made the story so real. That this could
happen in the every day. Could happen to anyone of us. You NEVER know what will
happen tomorrow or the day after that and so on. I could go on but this book is
a definite HIGHLIGHT of this year, 2017.
Brilliant author that writes such beautiful words and my
heart cannot express anymore about how much of an absolute must read it is.
This book blew me away, I was captivated by a very different
style of writing from Jodi Perry.
Are my words good enough to describe this beautifully
written love story, I some how doubt that so I'm going to start with "this
is a must read".
What happens when the love of your life can't remember why
they loved you and why they married you, well Braxton is determined to make
Jemma remember and he decides that writing her letters and sending her charms
of their life and special moments together will get through her memory loss.
This is a love story that touched me on so many different
levels, I cried sad tears and I cried happy tears because if any couple
deserved a HEA Braxton and Jemma did. Braxton took a piece of my heart with him
as I read his beautiful love letters that took me on their journey from
childhood through to the present time. I'm really not sure what else I can say
that hasn't already been said about Nineteen Letters, read the reviews and
please one click this story it will blow you away.
Jodi Perry has shown us what a amazing author she is and
just how diverse she can be with her writing. Nineteen Letters is up there
amongst the best reads of 2017, it's a book I will read again because I'm sure
with every read i will get a bit more out of the love Braxton & Jemma have
for each other.
Jodi Perry
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1P9vuNc
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1maWcei
GoodReads:
JODI PERRY Approved Q&A
‘Nineteen Letters’
Before I was an
author I was . . . a full-time mother. I’ve always been a passionate reader
and writing my own stories was something I aspired to do. When my son started
school, I had a lot of spare time so I thought I’d give it a try.
The best part of
writing Nineteen Letters was . . .
I loved every part of this journey. It was not only the easiest book I’ve
written but in my opinion it’s the best.
Nineteen
Letters was inspired by . . . a story I saw on the television one morning. It was about a woman
who had a car accident a week after her wedding. She hit her head on the
steering wheel and had no memory of her wedding, so her husband recreated their
special day. I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth a few minutes later when
the idea for Nineteen Letters came
to me. I wrote the blurb in less than two minutes.
When I’m not writing
I . . . spend time
with my family and friends or travel the world for book signings and to meet my
readers. I love the opportunities my writing career has given me.
The book that
changed my life was . . .
It wasn’t a book that I
read, but rather a book I wrote. It rocketed straight to number one on release
day – and it is what landed me my publishing contract with Hachette Australia. That
story was translated into other languages and will always hold a special place
in my heart.
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