“I’m about to show you how I feel about you Libby-love.” Aron whispered right in her face. “I’m about to worship you with my body.” He nudged his nose up the side of her face, then back down. He ran his lips over her eyes and then he kissed the tip end of her nose. “A woman needs to know that she can’t always dictate to a man about what he should do or what he should say.”
“Really?” Where in the world was he going with this?
“That’s right. I’m a man, Libby.”
Duh! “Yes, you are.” There was no denying that or the monster cock that lay up on her belly. Her private areas were already readying themselves for his manhood; they sensed his presence and were preparing a place for him.
“I am your man.”
She had no response to that, the knowledge was just too wonderful for words.
“And as your man, I have certain rights.”
“Unalienable rights?”
“I don’t know what those are.” He thought for a moment. “Probably.”
“I don’t know what it means, either. Go ahead. Sorry, I interrupted you.”
“Thank you.” He paused. “Damn it, Libby. You made me forget where I was in my speech.”
“You were saying that as my man, (God, what a concept) you have certain rights. Unalienable rights.”
He was resting almost on top of her, but he wasn’t crushing her. To tell the truth, his proximity made her feel absolutely safe and protected. And the words he was saying were music to her ears. She had thought she didn’t want to hear them, but she was wrong.
“Right. Unalienable rights. And one of those rights is to be able to share my heart with you, and my thoughts, and my feelings.” He was so sweetly serious.
“Okay, I guess.” Was he expecting her to disagree?
Good enough. Shifting her in the hammock, they lay side by side, facing one another. He skated his lips over her forehead, down her cheek and kissed her in the corner of her mouth. “I love you, baby.” His tone was so tender, it made her heart melt. This giant of a man was openly declaring his love for her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. “Did you hear me, Elizabeth? I love you. I love you. I love you.” As he said the words, he wrote them on the smooth skin of her back.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
“Yes, I hear you and I feel you.” She leaned into him.
“So, what do you have to say?”
“I love you more than I love life.” Loaded comment. “I’m honored above all women to be the recipient of your love.” Then she grinned at him wickedly – “and my name’s not Elizabeth.”
“Not Elizabeth? Well, Libby-bell, what is your name? I think as the declared love of your life, that I am entitled to that important piece of information.”
“Can’t you guess?” she teased. “You almost said it just a minute ago.”
“What did I say?” He scrunched up his forehead, trying to recall.
“I know it’s hard for you to remember, you talk all the time.”
“Are you saying I rattle like a two-bit radio?”
“No, I didn‘t say that.” He pulled at her braid. “Now, what is the last name I called you. You’re going to have to help me Libalicious, I’m getting old.”
“Libalicious? I see a whole new phase of this game coming on.”
He glared at her.
“Okay, you called me Libby-bell.” For a moment, he looked confused and then his eyes widened. He still didn’t say anything, so she sighed. “I feel like my name should be Rumpelstilskin.”
At his horrified expression, Libby convulsed in laughter. “I didn’t say my name was Rumpelstilskin. Think, McCoy! Think!”
Holding her steady, so she wouldn’t shake them out of the hammock, he finally said. “I got nothing.”
“My name is Liberty. Liberty Bell Fontaine.”
Aron roared. He got the giggles and he couldn’t stop. He rolled out of the hammock and just had to walk away, laughing all the while. Libby almost got offended. “Hey, it’s not that funny.”
“Oh, yes it is. Suddenly it all makes sense.”
“What makes sense?”
“How I’ve been acting.”
“Run that by me again.”
“You’ve had me chasing you around in circles. And I’m going to catch you and keep you, damn it, I’m entitled. It’s my unalienable right.”
“What right?” she was growing flustered.
He rejoined her in the hammock, cradling her close. “I am a man, Libby. And I am an American.” Oh, boy - here we go again. Was he about to sing, ‘God Bless America’? “And as an American man, I am entitled to life, Liberty, (that’s you) and the pursuit of happiness.”
The hammock rocked back and forth as Aron pumped hard within the loins of the woman he loved. She had her legs wrapped around him and her hips were working in tandem with his. The delicious friction of his penis sliding in and out of her body was dragging back and forth across her G-spot, causing her to quiver and quake with delight. Since Aron had told her he loved her, he had developed a voracious sexual appetite. His whole demeanor had changed, he was more commanding, more demanding of her complete response and her utter surrender. It was as if he had conveyed to her that things had changed, she was now his possession, his responsibility. Libby moved her hands over his chest; she combed her fingers through his chest hair, feeling the small swelling of his nipples. She found this more than exciting. If it were possible she would have rose up into his body, crawled right up into him and made herself at home. Watching the play of emotions on his face, she longed to give back to him the same measure of pleasure that he was giving to her. Impulsively, she sat up and mimicked one of his moves. Taking one of his nipples into her mouth, she began to suck on it, tonguing it, scraping it with her teeth. He let out a low, lusty growl, increased the speed of his thrusts and pushed his chest toward her, encouraging Libby in her sensual pursuits. “That’s right, baby. Love me; love me with all you’ve got.”
And so, she did.
Their mutual climaxes rushed upon them like a run-a-way mine train. Neither one of them had realized what a difference love made. But, it did. Love released energy and fed hungers. Love built bridges and tore down walls. Love settled doubts and answered questions. Love conquers all.
Chapter Seven
“Let’s go in, sweetheart. That big old bed in there is going to feel really good.” She held up her arms like a small child and he picked her up, heading to the cabin. They had dozed off, cuddled up. But the chill of the night air on his skin had awakened him. It was early morning, but they could still enjoy a few hours of sleep wrapped in the soft, warm covers. He had pulled on his jeans, but he hadn’t bothered to dress her – they weren‘t going anywhere, but straight to bed. Before he made it to the foot of the steps, he heard an engine.
Pulling up in the yard was Jacob.
As he got out of the pick-up, Aron turned to the side, shielding Libby from his brother’s eyes.
He knew something was wrong. It had to be or Jacob wouldn’t be here.
“You don’t have the satellite phone on.” Jacob quietly complained.
“Sorry. What’s wrong?”
“Ya’ll need to come home.”
“What is it, Jacob?” Aron was getting scared.
“It’s Joseph.”
Libby threw their stuff together. The horse was to be left in the corral and one of them would come back for it later that day. She flew out of the bedroom and joined them as they hurried out the door and into Jacob’s truck.
Aron had finally got out of Jacob that Joseph had been hurt. How badly they didn’t know. He had flipped his dirt bike in a freak accident during a race in Marble Falls. The family hadn’t been notified immediately; rather he had been airlifted to Dallas an
d was undergoing procedures to see what the actual damage really was.
“He takes too many damn risks.” Aron suffered with the knowledge that his little brother’s life might never be the same. “Is he paralyzed?” This was Aron’s greatest fear. Since their parent’s death, Joseph had become a dare-devil. Nothing was off-limits or too dangerous. Skydiving had been just one of the wild thrill-seeking interests that had drawn his attention. It wasn’t that he had fallen in with a bad crowd; he existed on the periphery of these groups. He joined them for training and races, but did not immerse himself in their lifestyle.
Libby was sitting in between Jacob and Aron. She could feel the worry and tension emanating off their bodies. Any time one of the McCoy brothers was threatened or in trouble, they all rallied to defeat any adversary that might jeopardize their safety. Aron felt for Libby’s hand, pulling her against him. “I’m so scared, Libby.”
She turned, enclosing him in her arms, offering him all the comfort that she could convey with her warmth and her embrace. “He’ll be all right, he has to be.”
When they pulled into the circular driveway in front of the main house, Jacob whipped his truck in and barreled out. Noah and Isaac stood on the front porch waiting for them. Nathan was nowhere to be seen. Aron helped Libby out and got her onto the porch. “Go in and check on Nathan. If you could put on a strong pot of coffee, I’d appreciate it. We’ve got to get things in line here and then some of us have got to get to Dallas.
“Anything, I’ll do anything.” She rose on tip-toe and molded her body to his. “Your family is more than important to me.”
“Baby, you help just by being here.” Giving her a hard kiss, he strode over to the others to see what the latest word was on Joseph.
Libby was devastated. All she could see in her mind was Joseph’s beautiful face. He was so alive. Although like an addict, he constantly had to feed his need for the adrenaline rush he got from the high-risk adventures that he lived for. All Libby could think about was how nice he had been to her and how much his brothers loved him.
As she started making preparations for their next meal, Libby began to feel ill. She stopped, afraid to move a muscle. ‘No, God, no,’ she prayed. From out of nowhere, waves of nausea caused her to break out in a cold sweat. She struggled to get to a chair. Holding her stomach, the panic hit her harder than the nausea. This felt so familiar. She knew what this was. Hello, old enemy. No, no, no. She wanted to run and just keep running – maybe she could outdistance herself from it. Hanging her head, she mourned what could have been. Libby had just found happiness; she didn’t want to lose it so soon. Fleeing to the bathroom, she made it to the toilet just in time.
“Libby! Libby-baby? Where are you?” Aron called. Hastily, Libby washed her face with cold water and dried it with a towel. Turning, she ran slap dab into Aron’s hard chest. He enfolded himself around her like a drowning man would cling to a life-line.
“Tell me everything,” she encouraged, breathing in his scent as if it were the finest wine.
“He’s awake, that’s one good thing.” His hold on her tightened, and he picked her up squeezing her to him, Libby would have groaned had she not known he was hurting worse than she was. “He’s paralyzed, Libby. Oh, God, he’s paralyzed.” Tears dampened her neck. His tears.
“Oh, no.” Libby cried. “How bad is it?”
“They are still running tests. I think he can move his hands and arms, but nothing below the waist.” Aron rubbed his face back and forth over her shoulder as if trying to eradicate his painful reality.
“It could be a temporary thing,” she sought to reassure him in any way that she could.
“No one knows at this point.” He let her slide down. “I’m going to go with Jacob and Isaac up to the hospital. Noah will stay here with you and Nathan and keep things going.”
She took his face in her hands and rubbed away the trace of tears on his cheeks. “What can I do?”
“Pray, Libby.” Aron begged. “I don’t know how anymore.”
“I will,” she promised. “Anything else?”
“Take care of Nathan.” Clutching her to him, he held her tight. “Oh, baby – just knowing you’re here and that I have you to come home to, makes all the difference in the world.” Their lips met in a tender kiss. “I’ll call you every few hours.”
“Please, do. I want to know,” she assured him.
“I won’t be calling you just to inform you about Joseph, I’ll be calling to get my Libby-fix. Sweetheart, I’m so sorry this happened just when we brought our love out into the light of day . . .”
“Don’t worry, Aron. My love for you isn’t going anywhere.”
“And I don’t want you to go anywhere, either. Whatever you have going on in your life that’s creating a barrier between you and me – just know that I plan on beating the shit out of it. You will be mine, Liberty Bell. Do you hear me? And someday, I want to hear exactly how you got that name.” He tried to smile, but worry wouldn’t let his face muscles relax enough to pull it off.
Libby’s mind went back to the bout of nausea that had overtaken her only a little while ago. “Everything will work out. We just have to have a little faith.”
“My faith is in you, Libby.” He kissed her one more time, before heading for the door – and Dallas.
* * *
Joseph lay in the hospital bed and wished he were dead. There was no way he could live like this. The doctors had tried to tell him that the paralysis could be temporary, due to swelling around the spinal cord. But they were only spouting off guesses. Hell, he couldn’t even piss by himself. Every time a nurse came in and wanted to mess with the catheter that was stuck up his dick, he just wanted to throw a fuckin’ bedpan at ‘em.
Rolling his head from side to side, he tortured himself with a mental list of things he might never do again.
Ride a horse.
Climb a mountain.
Take a shit in anything besides a damn bag.
Walk.
Feel a warm, soft woman beneath him.
Get an erection.
Hell! Damn! Fuck! Joseph heard familiar footsteps coming down the hall - three sets of them. The steel-toed boots and the long determined strides of the McCoy brothers were unmistakable. In anguish, Joseph realized that he might never walk beside them again.
As the hospital room door creaked open, he reset the muscles of his face into a devil-may-care expression. He couldn’t let them know he was scared shitless. They didn’t deserve to have to put up with a brother in his condition. He would have to see what he could do about that.
* * *
Libby had lain on the bathroom floor for about twenty minutes. She had kept the bathroom door locked, now was no time to cause concern or generate questions – whether with Nathan or Noah. Concern over Joseph must come first. She had not let the time go to waste, however. She used it to reactivate her prayer life. She prayed for Joseph, that he would get well and go back to being the happy-go-lucky man they loved. Libby prayed for the family, that they would hold it together and be strong for Joseph. She especially prayed for Aron, she asked God to encase him in a cocoon of warmth and peace. Lastly, she prayed for herself. Libby didn’t want to die and leave Aron. Libby wanted to live.
When she was able to resume her work, she returned to the kitchen and put on a big pot of chili. The spicy stew would be perfect, because she could keep it hot and the guys could come in and eat it when they had time – and felt hungry. Right now, it was her job to keep the house going and things as normal for Nathan as she could make them.
The phone rang a little after six; Noah grabbed it, anxious to hear news. He spoke quietly for a few minutes, and then handed the phone to Libby. She took the phone and Noah got up, giving her some privacy. “Hey, baby.” Aron’s voice sounded tired.
“I love you, Aron.” I
t was the most comforting thing she could think to say. “How’s Joseph?”
“I love you, too – more than you’ll ever know. I wish you were here; I keep reaching for your hand. Jacob’s slapped me twice; he thinks I’m getting fresh with him.” Libby laughed at the mental picture. Aron’s voice grew serious. “The tests are coming back, and the doctors say that Joseph has a spinal cord injury. They still can’t tell us the full extent, but they know there is damage around the T10-L2 level.”
“What does that mean?”
“I may be saying it all wrong, but right now Joseph seems to be fine above the waist, but he has very limited sensation below. That’s not to say that he won’t regain some or all of it, but, right now, we just don’t know. I can tell he is scared to death.” Aron’s voice revealed to Libby that he was worried and weary.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“We’re bringing him back to Austin in the morning. I want Dr. Cassidy to see him, he’s the absolute best. Oh, yeah – and I’ve called a contractor to come out and put in some ramps and do some work on the back wing to make a place for Joseph to have all the room that he’ll need – for – whatever.”
Libby understood. Joseph’s ordeal was going to be a long drawn out battle, at best.
“Tell him I love him.” Libby whispered.
“I’ll do it; you get some rest Libby-pearl. I’ll kiss you awake when I get there.”
“So, you’re coming back tonight?”
“Yes, Jacob is going to stay and come back with Joseph when they transport him. Isaac and I are going to come home and then we‘ll all meet him at Brackenridge, tomorrow. They have a woman there that is doing wonders with patients like Joseph.”
Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook Page 13