Unconditional Love (Journey of Love #1)(47)
Author: Kelly Elliott

Tristan laughed and said, “If you want to drink to Lark’s big news, Dad, we’re kind of gonna need alcohol in those bottles. I mean I’m shocked, too, by his admission, but empty bottles?”

Dad just looked at Tristan as he began talking again. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a few years. I had the same conversation with my old man and younger brother when I was about your age, Tristan. It was right after I met your mother. I brought her home to this very house and introduced her to your grandparents.”

He smiled and shook his head as if remembering a certain memory. “I was nervous as hell about bringing your mother home to my parents. I just knew she would see the life I wanted and run as fast as she could back to Austin.”

Tristan and I both looked at each other and smiled. Tristan was the one who wanted to take over the family ranch. I wanted to start a cattle ranch on the property I had bought over a year ago outside of Marble Falls. That was my dream.

I looked down and thought about Azurdee. I hadn’t even thought about if that was something she would want to do. She was opening her restaurant in Wimberley. I frowned as I thought about being apart from each other.

I looked back up at my father as he continued to talk. “Lucky for me, your mother fell in love with it here and well, the rest is history.”

I tilted my head and said, “Still doesn’t explain the empty bottles, Dad.”

My father let out a chuckle and nodded his head. “My father knew the moment he met your mother and saw the way I looked at her that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He waited a few days before he called me into this very office and had me sit down in the same seat you’re sitting in, Michael. He asked what my intentions were with your mother. I laughed at first but when I saw he was serious, I spilled out my heart and soul to him. It was in that very moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with your mom and I would do whatever it took to make it happen.”

He looked over at Tristan, who began moving around in his chair like he was very unsure of what to say or think. “Tristan, you better take a long hard look in the mirror, son, if you think for one minute that you don’t have stronger feelings for Kathryn. I see the way both of you look at each other. I seriously don’t think that girl is just hanging around you for a good time.”

Tristan opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. He finally looked away without saying a word.

“Michael, I’ve never seen you so in love.”

I slowly smiled and it felt like my heart was about to lift out of my chest. “I’ve never felt this way before, Dad, and to be honest, it scares the hell out of me.”

He chortled and said, “I’m sure it does. My advice to you both is to listen to your heart. I know you think your head will always lead you the right way, but that is wrong. It’s your heart that will lead you.”

He reached for a bottle and handed one to me and then set one down in front of Tristan. “With you and Azurdee heading to the beach, this is perfect timing.”

I looked at him confused as I held the bottle in my hand.

“When my father handed me my bottle I thought the same thing you’re both thinking. He had lost his damn mind.” He let out a laugh and said, “Then he explained the journey of love to me. We all go through the journey, some easier than others. Michael, your journey has taken you down roads that I wish it hadn’t. A parent wants nothing but happiness always for their child, but sometimes all you can do is sit back and watch where life takes them. Tristan, your journey has also begun, whether you want to admit it or not.”

Tristan looked down at the floor and slowly shook his head.

“When you start the journey with that one person who you know you want to spend the rest of your life with, you have so many emotions going on in your heart and head. You’re excited, scared, nervous, and even angry sometimes. My father passed along to me a tradition that I’m now going to pass along to you boys. The bottle.”

I looked at the bottle and then looked at my father. “Dad, are we supposed to know what…the bottle…is for?”

“No, Michael. When my father saw that my journey had already started with your mother, he explained the meaning behind the ‘journey of love’ bottle. My father told me when he gave me my bottle to take your mother to the beach. We were both to sit in opposite rooms and write each other a letter about where we wanted our journey of love to take us. What our hopes, fears, dreams, doubts, and goals were for our relationship, or as he called it…our journey. You see boys, love is nothing more than a journey. It’s a road we each venture down, not knowing how things are going to turn out. Sometimes it is filled with so much love and happiness we think this whole love thing is a piece of cake. Other times it’s filled with doubt, anger, jealousy—and you will question the journey. There are going to be rough seas, boys, no matter how much in love with each other you are.”

I sat there not really knowing what to say. I knew in my heart I was ready to start my journey with Azurdee. “Do you read the letters to each other?” I asked.

My father smiled. “No. After you write them, you place them together and then roll them up and put them in the bottle. Then you send your bottle out to sea.”

Tristan laughed. “Why? I mean, if you’re going to pour your damn heart out, why wouldn’t you want the person to know what you said?”

My father looked at Tristan and shook his head. “I guess once you’re ready, you’ll know the answer to that question, son.”

I had to admit I was a bit confused as to why you wouldn’t read the letters to each other either, but I just went with it. I looked back down at the black box. “What’s in the box, Dad?” I asked.

He leaned back and stared at the box. “It’s your grandmother’s engagement ring. She gave it to me right before she got sick. She wanted one of you boys to have it. Now, you don’t have to use it if you don’t want. I know things are different these days and young ladies like to pick out their own rings and such, but if you want…the ring is yours. To which ever one of y’all is wanting it.”

He opened the box and I smiled the moment I saw the ring. I remember being little and spinning my grandmother’s rings around on her finger. I closed my eyes and could almost smell her perfume. When I opened them again, my father was staring at me. I smiled and reached for the ring.

“I remember how much she loved this ring. She would take it off before she did anything.”