Savannah's Journey
Chapter Nine "Honeymoon"
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my made up characters!
Saturday, October 2nd (Same Day-Wedding Day)
I laughed as I shoved cake into Pepper's face. His surprised look was hilarious before he shoved cake at me. "No!" I wiped at the icing that was on my nose. We were cutting the cake that Grace had made for our reception and it couldn't have been more perfect. Grace's baking was amazing. It was half-chocolate, half-yellow, with chocolate and vanilla icing.
Pepper kissed me full on with cake all over and I wrapped my hand that wasn't full of cake around his neck. Grace gently separated us with a smile and cut us cake to eat before starting to hand out cake to everyone else. We sat down at one of the borrowed tables with Sam, Jake, Jen, and Ryan.
"So how do you feel? Any different?" Sam leaned over to ask. Jake rolled his eyes. "What? It's a legitimate question."
"Sam, they've been married for like an hour. I'm sure there's no difference." Jake said to her. Sam huffed.
"Well how do you know Jake?"
"Are you two sure you're not the married couple?" Pepper asked with a grin. I laughed along with Jen and Ryan as Sam and Jake crossed their arms.
"It's only a matter of time." I stage-whispered to Pepper.
"Yeah right!" They both said in unison.
"I've got college to get through and so does Brat." Jake poked her with his elbow.
"Well Savannah's going to college, right?" Jen asked eating a forkful of cake. I paused as everyone turned to look at me and a blush heated my face.
"Well, I," I stammered. "I don't know." I finished. There was no way I could afford college and I didn't even know what living situation Pepper and I were going to be in with our new marriage. I just assumed we'd stay in the bunkhouse together or something like that. After graduation, I figured I'd just get a job to give us some more income.
"Savannah, I want you to do whatever you want to do… don't think our marriage will stop any of your dreams." Pepper kissed my hand. "Well of course unless it was marrying Channing Tatum or something."
"Ugh, I don't want to marry him. He's too overrated." I groaned.
"Whatever you say." Pepper said with a chuckle then he became serious again. "I want you to follow whatever dreams you have."
"I don't have dreams Pepper; I stopped dreaming a long time ago." I sighed and looked away. "I'll just get a job after I graduate."
Pepper squeezed my hand. "Whatever you want."
It was quiet at the table until Ryan grabbed my hand. "Pepper, if you don't mind, I'd like to have Savannah for a dance?"
Pepper smiled at him. "Go ahead, just don't get attached." I rolled my eyes as Ryan laughed and pulled me up to dance.
….
"I can't believe Jen and your parents did this!" I said as I bounced on the king sized bed in our hotel room. Roger, Missy, and Jen had booked us a room in Southern California for four days and Wyatt had been gracious enough to give Pepper the days off. I somehow was allowed to skip school for those few days.
"It was really nice of them to do this." Pepper sighed as he laid back on the bed. "I'm exhausted. How about you?"
I smiled and snuggled up to him. "Well how exhausted are you? Too exhausted for anything?"
Pepper looked at me. "What do you mean?"
"Well it is our honeymoon…I thought maybe…" I shrugged with a blush. "I don't know."
Pepper's hand reached out to pull me close. "Savannah, are you suggesting that we sleep together?"
My face got redder, if that was even possible, and I looked down. "I just, well, I mean, we are married and it's what a husband and wife do when they love each other. If I was going to give someone all of myself, why wouldn't it be you?"
"I love you." Pepper said before he kissed me.
…
Sunday, October 3rd
"Wake up sleepyhead." Pepper's voice tickled my ear as he whispered. I looked up slowly, my eyes trying to adjust to all the lights in the room. A blush overtook my face as I felt Pepper's skin against mine. Last night had actually happened. Pepper and I had, well, slept together.
"Good morning." I whispered into his shoulder. Pepper's hands gently rubbed my back.
"How are you feeling?" Pepper's hand gently lifted my face to look at him and his eyes searched mine. For regret? Sadness?
"I'm fine, a bit tired still." I yawned as I stretched. "How are you?"
"Amazing as I'm looking at the most beautiful girl in the world." I rolled my eyes at Pepper.
"You are such a suck-up." I laughed. "But you're sweet."
Pepper chuckled. "Let's take a shower and we can head to the beach if you'd like."
My hands ran gently over his chest as I bit my lip. "Pepper, before we get in the shower, I think I'd like a repeat of last night."
"Say no more Mrs. Samson." Pepper murmured as he took my lips.
…
I laughed as I looked at Pepper and me on the beach. Pepper was only tan on his arms and face/neck. That was from working outside all the time but being dressed down from the neck down. I had a tan everywhere but my stomach since I often would wear shorts in the summer and tank tops.
"I'm like so white and you're tan, how is that?" Pepper asked as he laid two towels out for us and tossed our "beach" bag on the towels.
"I wear shorts and tank tops; you just wear t-shirts and jeans." I answered him as I applied suntan lotion. "Will you get my back? I don't want to burn."
"No problem Mrs. Samson." Pepper leaned into kiss me quickly. He rubbed the lotion just a tad too longer and I stepped away. "What? I was just making sure it was rubbed in."
"Uh-huh." I raised my eyebrows. "You better turn around here so I can get your back. Make sure you apply the lotion heavily or else you'll be a lobster by the time we leave."
After we were done, we headed towards the ocean. I had really never been to the beach so all of this was an adventure for me. The water hit my toes and I froze. "Ah! It's so cold!"
Pepper picked me up. "You'll get used to it."
"Pepper don't! Pepper don't you dare throw me in!" I tried not to shriek as he carried me in farther. I saw a big wave coming and knew it would hit us both. "Pepper!"
I got out before I felt the wave hit us and I went under. I was tossed and turned before coming to the surface and spitting out saltwater. Pepper was doing the same while laughing. I gave him a playful shove. "You're such a jerk."
I climbed onto his and wrapped my legs around his waist. "Yeah, but you love this jerk." He winked at me.
"I do." I kissed him as a small wave moved us a bit. "So much."
"I love you too." Pepper squeezed me in a hug. His eyes looked into mine and I saw what he was saying. "So I hope you'll forgive me for this!"
I couldn't even get a word out as he tossed me into an incoming wave. I was so going to get him back for that!
A while later, we collapsed on our beach towels out of breath from trying not to be hit by crashing waves. I smiled over at him. "That was fun. I really love the beach."
"Me too." Pepper's hand grabbed mine. "I've never been."
"Me either." I confessed.
"So we get to do another 'first' together." Pepper smiled and I nodded.
"I like that."
Pepper kissed my hand. "Are you hungry? There's a place that does burger and fries right up on the boardwalk."
"Yes, I'm starving." I said as my stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Pepper pulled me up as gathered everything up and headed to get some lunch.
I had fun watching Pepper throw fries to seagulls, even more fun when one pooped on Pepper and I couldn't stop laughing. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Pepper grumbled as he grabbed some napkins. "I hope one poops on you."
….
On our last night, we walked the boardwalk hand-in-hand as the sun set. We were both a tad sunburnt and tired after another day at the beach but we've enjoyed our honeymoon greatly. We had gotten everyone back at the ranch, Pepper's parents, and Jen a small souvenir from some of the boardwalk shops and yesterday we had went to the pier amusement park.
"So are you ready to head back to Nevada or have you fallen for Southern California?" Pepper asked as we walked. I smiled.
"I'm ready for Nevada. I miss Drizzle, Sam…, Jen…, Grace…, and Brynna. You got get the point." I laughed and he squeezed my hand gently.
"Yeah, I get it. I miss everyone too. But it's going to suck having to go back to work and you going back to school." He sighed and I bumped him gently.
"That's true but we get to spend every night together." Then I laughed, adding, "If Dallas lets us."
Pepper groaned. "You think he'd have to let us now since we're married right?"
"I'm sure he will."
Pepper stopped and I got jerked back as his weight pulled my back. "What?" I asked as I stepped back to see what he was staring at. It was a little wooden sign that said 'And they lived happily ever after…"
Pepper pulled me into the store that had the sign and ten minutes later, he was carrying it out. "I can't believe you bought that."
"What?" Pepper asked as we walked back towards the hotel. "I thought you'd like it."
"I do." I admitted. "I just don't want you to spend all of your money…I promise when we get back I'll look for a job."
Pepper frowned. "Savannah, just enjoy your senior year. We're going to be okay. Even if we moved off the ranch to get a house or an apartment, we'd be fine on money. You don't have to get a job."
"But I want to feel like I'm contributing something." I fretted. Pepper took my hand.
"Savannah you do contribute something. You support me, you love me, hell you even cook at the bunkhouse. You keep all of us happy by being there. Dallas and Ross love you too. You make life fun for all of us. Don't think you're not contributing something." Pepper kissed me. "Because you are."
My eyes teared slightly. "Okay."
"Let's get back to our room my darling wife and then we can go swimming in the pool. It's open 'til midnight." Pepper grinned. I smiled and let him pull me along.
…
Thursday, October 7th
I walked behind Sam and Jen listening as they chattered on about riding this afternoon. I was exhausted from our drive home yesterday and from sleeping in those few days. I had woken up when Pepper left with everyone else this morning and hadn't been able to go back to sleep. I drank plenty of coffee but it wasn't helping.
"Savannah, are you sure you're going to be alright?" Sam asked as we reached our lockers. I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just—" I broke off as I yawned again. "Tired. But I'll make it through." I gave her a tired smile before heading off with Jen to History. Mrs. Ely gave me a bright smile as I walked in.
"Savanah, if you'll see me after class, I have your pictures ready." I grinned happily at her.
"Thanks Mrs. Ely."
I paid attention in history as we were learning about truly fascinating stuff—Native American history—and wrote as many notes as I could. I caught a few people staring at my left hand and realized they were staring at my engagement ring and wedding band. I guess people didn't get married in high school very often.
I ignored the stares and focused on Mrs. Ely until the end of class. "Stay and look at them—I'll give you a pass for Biology." Mrs. Ely told me. I pulled the pictures out and gasped at how beautiful they were. She managed to capture everything. There were tons of Pepper and I of course, but I loved the ones she got of our guests. Like Sam and Jake dancing, Cody handing me a flower, Bryan and Adam playing their guitars, Jen and her parents laughing together.
"I love them." I told her then I hugged her tightly. "Thank you again, so much! They couldn't be more beautiful!"
"I'm glad you love them. I enjoyed being there for you and Pepper. Your ceremony was so sweet." She smiled at me. "How was Southern California?"
"Good, we had fun at the beach and walking the boardwalk. First time for us both, being at the beach. We're both a little burnt though." I laughed a little. "I had to rub down Pepper last night with the aloe sunburn gel."
"The sun at the beach will get you." Mrs. Ely nodded as she handed me my pass. "Have a good day honey."
"You too Mrs. Ely." I held the folder of pictures to my chest. I placed it gently into my locker and exchanged my books. The pictures had given me a little excitement for the day and suddenly, I wasn't so tired. I couldn't wait to show Pepper.
…..
AN: Hey readers! Sorry it's been taking me so long to update stories lately! I haven't been feeling as creative lately—damn writer's block!—but now I'm pretty much back to updates daily (sometimes two updates in a day) so I should be updating more quickly and frequently. For those who didn't see, from the 4th of July 'til the 11th I was down at the beach on vacation so there was no updates that week. But I'm back and ready to write!
Oh and tomorrow, I will be posting a link to my Photobucket account for those who would like to see pictures of what I imagine my characters to look like. I'm not completely finished with the albums and pictures but you can see what I have so far!
To my reviewers:
Horselovr2000: I hope you've liked the last two chapters and the updates! Thank you for your review! I'm glad you love the story!
Jessica: Thank you! I wanted their wedding to be very sweet so I'm glad you liked it! They will experience many bumps along the way, they say the first year of marriage is the hardest!
Thank you for reading! –Quinnandseth'sgirl15. My next update will be: Jillian's Miracle. Expect it tomorrow (7/15/15) in the evening/later night probably.
