Emerald Fire (Christian Romance) (The Jewel Series) (33 page)

Her eyes flew open, the green sparking as they came to life. She kept her voice very calm. “Let me tell you something. Never in all the years I’ve been alive have I pined for my father or wished I had an older brother. I’m not looking for either one of them now.”

He took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you?” She braced her hands on the table and pushed herself to a standing position, holding her hand up to ward him off as he started toward her. “I can do it. All by myself.” She stood next to the table, facing him. “That’s the first time that you’ve touched me for real since the day of the accident. You’ve been treating me like some porcelain doll, or your little sister or something, and, quite frankly, I’m sick of it.”

“What was I supposed to do, maul you in the hospital bed?”

“You could have at least let me know you wanted to.”

He stared at her, not seeing her standing there now, but seeing her as she had been that first day. “You were so hurt. You were so hurt and it was my fault.”

Maxine blinked, trying to comprehend what he’d just said. “What?”

“If I had fixed my Jeep. If I had taken care of the clutch. If I … ”

“Are you serious?” Using the table as a brace, she walked toward him. “You are serious. My heavens, Barry, you could go through dozens of scenarios of ‘what if’ and nothing would change. The first time I stalled out, I should have realized something was wrong. I’m of at least average intelligence myself, you know.”

“You nearly died.”

She finally reached him and put a hand on his chest. “But I didn’t.”

“And every time I come near you, it’s like you’re annoyed that I’m there.”

“I have been annoyed.” She let go of the table and put her other hand on his chest. She could feel his heart under her hand, felt it speed up. “I’ve been thoroughly annoyed with the fact that you don’t want me anymore.”

He tentatively cupped her cheek with his hand. “That’s not it.”

She turned her head and kissed his palm. “Prove it.”

He slowly lowered his head and paused a breath away from her lips. He stared into her eyes, watched the emerald pools flare and burn, and with a groan, closed the distance. She sighed and slipped her arms around his neck, opening her mouth under his. Six months of ignoring wants and desire flooded through him as he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

She gripped his hair with her hands and completely gave herself to the kiss. When he tried to gentle it, she nipped his lips with her teeth and forced him back. She wasn’t in the mood for gentle. She’d had months of gentle and tender. Now she needed to know her husband wanted her; that he needed her.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the kitchen, passing her temporary bedroom, and strolled through the living room to the staircase, kissing her all the while.

“I
 missed you.” Maxine’s voice was muffled against his chest. She lay on top of him, her legs trapped between his. She didn’t even know how long they had been lying there.

Barry didn’t speak, but he let go of the hair he’d been playing with and wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head. She could hear his heart speed up.

She lifted her head and kissed his chin. “I have to move. This position is really uncomfortable.”

He immediately rolled her over and propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head in his hand. She tried to read his expression, but his face remained solemn, his eyes guarded. He lifted a finger and traced the puckered scar that crossed her abdomen.

“That will fade,” she whispered.

“Will it?” He ran his finger back up it, then traced the line of her face before he brushed some hair off her forehead. “Does it matter to you that much?”

“I don’t have to look at it.”

For a second his guard went down and she could see the anger flash in his eyes. It told her what she wanted to know, and she didn’t even need to hear his next words. “Do you really think I’m that shallow?”

She shrugged. “People never know for sure what will bother them.”

He put the tip of his finger back on the edge of the scar. “A doctor cut from here,” he said, drawing his finger downwards, “to here. Then he repaired damaged organs and saved your life.” Her eyes welled with tears, and he used the same finger to brush one away. “Did you believe that the evidence left behind as proof that I nearly lost you, as a reminder of the day I realized how much I loved you, how thankful I was to God for bringing us together, would turn me off for some reason?”

Her breath hitched and she realized that she didn’t know what to say. “I … I …”

He cut her off as he cupped her cheek and closed his mouth over hers. The sweetness of it, the depth of the emotion that was conveyed through his lips made her throat tighten, made the tears in her eyes cascade down, soaking her hair and the pillow under her. He raised his head again and she was surprised to see the shine of tears in his eyes. His finger traced the scar on her forehead. “It’s true. I sat in that chair next to your bed, and I held your hand and begged you not to die because I hadn’t told you how much I love you. I told you over and over again, but you couldn’t hear me and my biggest fear was that you were going to die never knowing.”

Her heart started beating so fast it surprised her that it didn’t beat right out of her chest and fly away on hummingbird wings. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. “I didn’t think my feelings for you could ever get any stronger,” she said, using his neck as leverage to raise herself up and kiss him. “I like being wrong.”

He kept his weight off her, supporting himself on his elbows. “I am thankful for every breath you take. I want to spend the rest of my life never forgetting the blessings God has given us in our love. I want to serve Him with you. I want to make our lives – make His giving you back to me – I want all that for His glory.”

Maxine scrubbed at the tears on her cheeks as she sat up, taking one of Barry’s massive hands and sandwiching it between hers. She brought it to her lips and kissed the palm, then pressed it against her cheek.

Barry continued, “I want us to be man and wife, as God intended. I desperately want you to be the mother of my children,” he said. “Your patience when you first moved in, the love you showed me, the depth of love that you gave me – I want you to teach that to me. I want to love you and honor you and worship God with you.”

She was dizzy with joy and closed her eyes. “Thank you, God,” she whispered.

She felt the bed shift and opened her eyes to see Barry digging through the pocket of his pants. He let them fall back to the floor then turned back to her and opened his palm. In the center of his huge hand lay the platinum, diamond, and emerald ring he had first placed on her finger months before in a little chapel in front of an Elvis impersonator.

“My ring!” She said.

“I never could return it. I tried, but I didn’t want to.” Barry took her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “I should have known then that we were meant to be together.”

Maxine cupped his cheek with her palm. “Forever,” she said with a smile.

“And ever,” he said, kissing her again.

THE END

amico
– friend, buddy

cara
– beloved, darling

come tragica
– how tragic (it’s a tragedy)

mi amico
– my friend

mi fratello
– my brother

Seanmháthair
– Irish for grandmother

Sei benvenuto
– you’re welcome

SUGGESTED
luncheon menu for a group discussion about
Emerald Fire
.

Those who follow my
Hallee the Homemaker
website know that one thing I am passionate about in life is selecting, cooking, and savoring good whole real food. A special luncheon just goes hand in hand with hospitality and ministry.

In case you're planning a discussion group surrounding this book, I offer some humble suggestions to help your special luncheon talk come off as a success.

Quick as you like, you can whip up an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert that is sure to please and certain to enhance your discussion and time of friendship and fellowship.