Amber's Summer of Love

Author's comment:

This is the long-delayed third chapter in the story of Amber and Sam. Forgive the delay; life happens. And if you haven't already read the first two installments, go back and visit them before tackling this. Thank you for the comments and support.

*

Amber caught her breath, lifting her face from Sam's now-damp shirt. She looked into his eyes, trying to find some sign of his feelings. But all she saw was abject sadness, which she interpreted as a precursor to his ending their short relationship. Sam stared down at her, his muscles tensed to avoid pulling her to him and kissing her tear-stained cheeks. He couldn't find words that would express how he felt, how empty his heart was over losing her. He wanted to beg, plead, fall to his knees ... anything that would convince Amber he was sorry about last night and would never let it happen again.

While Sam was waging an internal struggle for the right words, Amber broke the silence. "Sam, I love you. I don't understand it, I didn't try to make it happen and no matter what you say it won't change that. I do love you. I am sorry if I have been too clingy, too needy, too much of a hanger-on. I don't know how to be a girlfriend, if that's what I am to you. I've never had any kind of a relationship with a boy, certainly not one as deep and challenging as this one. So I guess I've made mistakes. And you seem to be struggling with how to tell me we can't see one another anymore, so I guess those mistakes were pretty big ones."

Sam opened his mouth to speak but Amber pushed on. "Please, don't say anything yet. Let me finish. Losing you will hurt more than anything that has ever happened to me. Losing my father hurt because I thought it was my fault, that I had ruined my mother's life and love. I've been hurt by people saying mean things to me in school. But I've never hurt like I'll hurt without you. And it won't go away. But I will always treasure our time together. Most people never meet the perfect mate. I've met mine. Apparently, I've screwed up the chance and lost him, but at least I've met him. I love you, Sam, and I always will. I am not angry that you want to move on and I don't hate you for it. I hope someday I'll understand it, and I hope in time that we'll find a way to be friends." Amber finished her speech and dropped her head. Her shoulders sank and she stood like a ragdoll, limp and lifeless on the boardwalk.

Sam took a tentative step toward his girlfriend and then paused. Clearly she wasn't angry about last night but she thinks he's ready to dump her because she's too needy. What can he say to reassure her that he'll never leave, never be upset at her, never feel that she's being unreasonable? Finally, the words come to him as he steps into an embrace. Taking Amber into his arms, he pulls her to him gently, reaching down and lightly gripping her chin to turn her tear-stained face up to his. "I love you, Amber. Deeply, completely and without reservation. I never want to lose you, never want to be away from you. Nothing could make me say anything to separate us."

He kissed her gently, then pulled her hand as he strode down the boardwalk. "Where are we going?" Amber asked, still overwhelmed that her misperception almost cost her the love of her life.

"Just come with me," Sam said. "I know how I can reassure you that I'm not going anywhere."

The pair walked briskly down the boardwalk in the lengthening evening shadows, arriving at the door of a shop Amber didn't recognize just as the owner was backing out to close for the night. "Are you closed?" Sam said. "We really wanted to make a special purchase."

The owner turned and smiled at the attractive young couple. "Well if that's the case then I'm not closed," he said, turning the key and pushing the door open again. "We'll just close the door behind us so we won't be disturbed."

Amber was so caught up in the exchange that she was in the shop before she looked around. She realized with a start that it was a jewelry store specializing in custom-designed necklaces, rings and bracelets. Still holding Sam's hand, she felt herself being propelled toward the back counter of the U-shaped shop. In a case before her were several beautiful wedding sets. Amber's heart lept in her chest and she turned sharply to look at Sam. He was staring steadily at her. "Amber Jacobsen, will you marry me? We'll have the longest engagement in history but if you say 'yes' we can pick out a ring and you'll never again wonder if I want to leave you."

Amber's faucets opened again, this time in unbridled joy. "Yes! Yes! Yes! I love you, Sam, and I want to be your wife. And I don't care if we're engaged for 20 years as long as we'll be together forever. You don't have to buy me a ring to prove your love. Just bringing me here, saying those words has proven it beyond any symbol." They kissed, oblivious to the shopkeeper who stood quietly by and watched perhaps the most-beautiful exchange of vows he'd ever witnessed.

After long moments, Amber and Sam became aware they weren't alone and unclenched, blushing with embarrassment. "We're so sorry," Amber said. "That was totally uncalled-for. And you've been so kind to stay open for Sam. I don't know if we're really ready to buy a ring yet, though."

Sam put his arm around his now-fiance. "We're ready," he said. "You aren't going off to school with a bunch of desperate jocks, nerds and ne'er-do-wells without something that lets them know you're taken. So forget your protests and tell this nice man which of these rings you like best. And no asking prices -- this isn't about budgeting or anything else. I'm only buying one ring in my lifetime so it has to be priceless. The girl who's getting it certainly is."

Amber was overwhelmed. "Sam, I just don't know. I've never even thought about a ring. I guess I never imagined I'd meet anyone as special as you, someone who actually wanted to spend their life with me. And I'm not a big jewelry person as you may have noticed. I'm just an ordinary girl." She turned toward the display cases with a frown, wanting to please Sam but clearly unnerved by the whole process.

The shopkeeper broke his silence and addressed Amber. "If I may, could I show you a few pieces that I think you might like? I am a designer -- these are all my original work -- and I try to imagine the buyer when I'm working. I think I can find something that suits you, something that I saw you in when I was designing it." He walked down the left side of the shop and bent to retrieve a tray of rings from a locked case. "These aren't displayed," he said. "They're pieces I created for special people and I only take them out when one of those people comes into the shop."

He set the blue velvet tray down and extracted two rings. Both are simple in design, one in platinum and one in gold. Both, rather than solitaire, have emerald-cut diamonds in a row around the top third of the band. The stones are so carefully matched, so expertly mounted that they look like one oblong faceted stone, glittering in the showroom light. As she looked at the rings, Amber's breath caught in her chest. She had never seen anything so beautiful. They were simple but exquisite, plain but captivating. They really did look like they had been crafted just for her! Reaching for her hand, the jeweler slipped the platinum band on her finger. It was a perfect fit and Amber couldn't take her eyes off it. "That would be my choice," he said. "I think it suits you best, though I like the 24 carat ring equally well."

Amber was still staring at the ring when Sam spoke over her shoulder. "I think you've picked the perfect ring for a perfect girl. And it apparently doesn't even need sizing. So let me give you my credit information and we'll let you get home for supper. Thank you so much for staying for us and for selecting the most beautiful engagement ring I could have imagined. We'll be back in a few years for the wedding bands so please keep us posted if you move the shop."

He handed his credit card to the owner and turned Amber to face him. He reached down and pulled the ring off her finger, dropping to his knees as he did so. "Amber, I love you more than life itself. I want to spend my life with you, build a family and grow old together. Please accept this ring as a token of my love and fidelity. Will you be my wife?" He slipped the ring onto her finger as she pulled him to her in a warm embrace.

"Yes, my love, I will be your wife. And the mother of your children, the grandmother of your grandchildren and the great-grandmother of your great-grandchildren. And I will never love you less than I do at this moment. Thank you for being you. And thank you for this beautiful symbol of your eternal love."

The shopkeeper returned with Sam's receipt and a small box. "The ring is part of a set. The wedding band is in the box but it's bad luck if she sees it before the ceremony. I can craft a mate to it when you're ready. Thank you for coming in, and for reminding me why I do what I do. It's not about the metal or the stones or the price ... it's about the love two people discover that unite them on a lifelong journey. Please enjoy and come back to see me from time to time. I want to make sure the ring continues to shine as brightly as your love. God bless!"

Amber's head was swimming as she walked out of the shop in Sam's grasp. She turned instinctively toward her cottage but Sam propelled her in the opposite direction. "Not so quick, lady," he teased. "We have a stop to make before I take you home. And I promise it won't be long because I don't want your mom angry at us on our engagement day."

Turning down a side street, Sam held Amber more tightly. Suddenly she realized where they were, and where they were headed. "Are we going to your house?" she asked. "Why are you taking me there?"

Sam chuckled. "Yes, smarty, we're going to my house. And we're going there so my parents can toast their new daughter-in-law-to-be. If we went to your house first we'd never get away from your mom again and I wanted my parents to know right away."

"Do you think they'll be upset that we're moving too fast," Amber said, her sensible side kicking in finally after a night of not-sensible-at-all events.

"They already know," Sam said. "I talked to them this morning over breakfast about how I felt and told them that if you would have me, I was going to ask you to marry me. I told you that you were the greatest thing that ever happened to me and I'm not one to let opportunities pass."

They arrived at Sam's house and walked around to the patio. His parents were sitting on the deck enjoying a nightcap and they turned as the young couple came into the light. "Amber! Sam! What a pleasant surprise!" Sam's mother said, rising to greet the pair. "It's so nice to see you again Amber. You have really captured our Sam's heart, you know." She hugged the young girl affectionately as Sam gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Sam's father, Mike, came to join the trio, putting his arm around Amber's shoulders as he patted his son on the back. "Good to see you two. We haven't had much of a chance since you met. Seems you've been spending most of your time together. Thanks for squeezing us into your busy schedules." The comment could have seemed sharp coming from someone else, but Mike's warm smile took the edge off.

"Mom, dad, I brought Amber by so you could meet your daughter-in-law. Tonight, I asked Amber to marry me and she's accepted. The wedding won't happen until we're out of school but I didn't want to lose her and she apparently didn't want to let me go."

Sam's mother squealed with delight. Hugging Amber fiercely, she gushed "I'm so overjoyed! When Sam first brought you to dinner I felt that you two had something special, something way beyond a summer romance. And Melanie has dropped little hints that the two of you were more than just a beach-town connection. I couldn't be happier!"

She released Amber just as Mike spun her around and pulled her tightly to him. "Congratulations! I thought the big oaf would spend the rest of his life dating Hooters girls and never find someone of quality. Keep him in line, Amber. He doesn't deserve someone as great as you and you need to remind him of that regularly!" His booming laugh was joined by that of Amber, Sam and Doris.

Amber beamed with an inner warmth as she was surrounded by these special people. "Thank you for your special thoughts," she said. "I was worried you might think Sam and I were moving too fast but we really have connected in a special way. We have lots to do before we can even think about marriage but Sam insisted that he didn't want me to wander so he corralled me before school started. And he gave me this amazing ring!" She extended her hand to display the beautiful ring to Sam's parents.

"That's beautiful!" Doris exclaimed. "It's so perfectly Amber! How did you have it made in so short a time, Samuel?"

Mike, too, was impressed. "It really is a perfect setting for you, Amber. It captures your simple beauty and grace without detracting from it."

Amber's eyes glistened with tears of joy. This perfect family had found a way to make her perfect night even more so. Unable to say anything that would adequately capture the moment, she pulled her future in-laws to her in a big group hug. "Thank you! I'm so happy I'm going to be part of this family!"

Sam stepped in to rein in the enthusiasm. "We'd love to stay all evening but I promised Amber's mom I'd have her back early. And I think when she finds out what we've done we may keep her up a bit late anyway. So we'll come back later in the week to spend an evening with you both. Thanks for being the world's greatest folks and for loving my Amber as much as I love her."

He steered Amber toward the corner of the house, pulling her away from his mother's warm embrace and his father's beaming attempt to get yet another hug. "Leave my bride-to-be alone, you old man!" Sam joked as the young couple laughingly dashed off the patio toward the gate.

They rounded the corner and ran squarely into Melanie who collapsed in a heap on the ground, bundles scattering around her. Amber gasped and reached to pull her friend off the grass, pulling her into an embrace as she did. "Are you all right?" she asked, her hands drifting up and down Melanie's slender back.

"I'm OK," Melanie said. "But I'll be better if you keep doing that for another hour or two! Where are you two headed in such a hurry? Got a motel reservation?"

Sam playfully punched his sister and then became serious. "I don't appreciate you using your gutter humor on my future wife," he said, waiting for Melanie's reaction. At first, he thought she might not have heard him. Then Mel erupted like a volcano.

"Wife! Future wife! You mean ... you ... she ... did you have to drug her to say yes?" She grabbed both of them and hugged them fiercely. "I love you both so much!" she said. "I've been trying to stay out of it but I just knew you two had to be together! You're perfect for each other! She's pure, you're simple ... it's a pure and simple match! I'm so happy! Congratulations!" She grabbed Amber's hand, looking for a ring. "You didn't let the lout get away without giving you a ring, did you?" she asked as she pulled the hand toward the light. "Ohmygawd! How ever did you find such a perfect ring, Sam! This had to be custom-made just for Amber! It's the greatest thing I've ever seen!"

Amber's chest swelled at her future sister-in-law's reaction to the beautiful gift she had received. "Melanie, I doubt anything could make me happier tonight than having the man I love ask me to be his wife. But your happiness for us, and the fact that you and I will be sisters instead of just friends makes the whole thing perfect. It couldn't have been better planned." She kissed Melanie's cheek, then turned Mel's face to hers. Their lips met in a warm, not-sisterly kiss. "I do love you," Amber said. "You've become nearly as important to me as Sam."

They hugged and Sam tugged at Amber's hand once again. "Come on, love. We have to get you home or you'll be grounded until the wedding day."

The couple walked hand-in-hand back to the boardwalk and turned toward Amber's cottage. Sam pulled her up short and turned her shoulders to face him. "Before we get back to your house and your mom, may I have the first real, private kiss from my future wife?" He bent to Amber's warm lips as his lover pulled his head down and let her tongue drift into his open mouth.

Their tongues wrapped tantalizingly around the other, hands drifting up and down hot bodies. Amber wrestled herself away from Sam and pushed back. "As much as I love doing that," she panted. "If we don't stop now we'll be nude in public and consummating our marriage years before the ceremony. Let's go tell my mom the good news."

Sam and Amber clambered happily up the cottage steps as Jan reacted to the noise and stepped out onto the porch. "Hi, kids," she said. "Thanks for coming back so early. And, Sam, I promise I won't monopolize her time too often." She gave her daughter a hug before pausing, curious about the pair's goofy grins and glazed expressions. "What have you two been up to tonight?" she asked. "You both look like the cat that ate the canary."

"Well, mom, remember how I told you Sam and I were in love? And I promised you we wouldn't do anything hasty? I really meant it but tonight things got a little out of hand and Sam and I did something you can only do once in a lifetime." Jan's face couldn't hide her shock and disappointment as her daughter stood beaming before her.

"We got engaged!"

Jan thought she was going to pass out from the shock. Amber was waving her left hand in Jan's face, trying to show her the ring she'd been given. And Sam was standing behind his fiancé, his smile fading as he tried to read his future mother-in-law's reaction. Amber suddenly stiffened, realizing that her mother wasn't reacting as joyously as she'd expected. "Mom, are you mad at us?" she asked, her smile replaced by a frown. "We aren't going to run off and get married right away. Sam said he loves me and wants only me, and he didn't want me going off to college without a sign that I was spoken for. We're going to wait until after we've graduated ... this is going to be a very long engagement."

As Amber spoke, Jan began to recover from the news. And her shock was replaced first by love for her caring daughter and then by joy at her child's announcement. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry. It's just that, when you started to tell me, my thoughts went to our earlier conversation and I thought maybe ... oh, I'm so sorry. I should have known it was something wonderful, not something worrisome. I couldn't be happier for you, both of you," she said, turning to include Sam and reaching to pull him close. "I couldn't ask for a more wonderful son-in-law. Amber hasn't dated much and she's always been so critical of the boys she knew that I was worried she'd never meet a boy who could measure up to her standard. And then you came along and in just a few days she went from a no-nonsense daughter to a giddy, giggly girly-girl. That's when I knew you two were serious. And now you've taken a step to let the world know how you feel about one another, a step that also tells me and your parents how you value this relationship. To make this pledge to one another, and to make it public with a beautiful ring, means more to me than I can express. Thank you for caring so deeply for my daughter and thank you for this symbol of your care and concern for her." She hugged Sam to her, suddenly jolted by the clearly sexual reaction she had to the hard-muscled young man who hugged her back. She pushed away flushed, then put her arm around Amber again.

"Darling, you know how much I love you. And how thrilled I am that you have found that perfect someone, the one man you want to share your life with. But now our earlier talk takes on even deeper significance. So I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow and make that appointment."