by Thianna D
“Go on. She’s a lot sturdier than she looks. Just grasp the hanging string. I want you to place her on the tree.”
“Me? Why?” Elly asked, blinking up at him in wonder. These were the Douglas’s traditions, and as welcoming as Jerry’s family had been, she was still an outsider.
“Because I want to start a new tradition — tonight. Please?”
Elly carefully pinched the slender golden cord between her thumb and index finger and set the sparkling three-inch figurine on her palm before she glanced at Jerry in surprise. “Did you make this?”
Smiling, he shook his head while his mother, father, two brothers and single sister all took seats on the couches positioned near the tree. Elly held the last ornament to be placed.
“He did have it specially made, however,” his mother announced with a grin.
“Mother...” Jerry warned.
Elly examined the fragile angel more closely. “You did?”
“Yes, I did. Look at her eyes.”
They were two tiny green stones that matched the color of Elly’s irises. She smiled at him, when a sudden sparkle from the angel’s halo caught her eye. A garland of diamond-like crystals crowned the celestial being’s long crystal locks.
“She’s got a halo of shiny stars set in a silver circle,” Elly said in wonder, staring at the delicate winged figure.
“The eyes are emeralds, the circle is platinum, the bar set stones are real diamonds, but you’re right about the halo, because you are my very own angel.” Grasping her free hand in his, Jerry dropped down to one knee. “Eleanor Ann Franklin Benson, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The room grew snowfall silent as Elly’s tear-filled eyes gazed down at the man she adored.
“You’re asking me to marry you?” Her words emerged as a mere squeak of a sound.
“I told you I would do things right when I proposed. Yes, my heart, I want to spend the rest of my life with you at my side and under my wing. I want to love, hold, cherish and protect you for as long as we both shall live. Will you say yes? Please?”
Elly’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Then she gazed at his smiling family gathered to witness their baby lay his heart out on a line. The man, whom she loved most in the world, knelt before her and his closest relatives to claim he wanted her. Her. Overcome with emotion, Elly could only nod her head.
His smile broad, Jerry rose to his feet, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her beneath the sprig of mistletoe his eldest brother held above their heads.
“Well done, sport,” Johnny murmured, clapping Jerry on the back before he retook his seat.
“You had me worried there for a second, brat,” Jerry whispered as he pulled her close for a hug. Keeping his lips hovering near her cheek, he added, “I think I might have to paddle that delectable rear end of yours later for causing me so much anxiety.”
Elly drew back to gaze at him in alarm. Was he angry with her?
Giving his head a slight shake, he detached the ring from its lofty position on the angel’s head and slipped it on her finger. A perfect fit. Elly gazed at the sparkling band in wonder as he set the ornament in its place of honor on the tree.
Then Jerry’s family converged on them with hugs, kisses and congratulations.
Later, while Elly stared at the brilliant, twinkling diamonds under the tree lights, she asked Jerry softly, “How did you know I didn’t want a solitaire?”
Holding her hand, he smiled. “I wanted to get you something different from your first engagement ring, and I liked this one’s style — a lot. Unusual, yet traditionally elegant at the same time. I hoped you would like it too, but I made sure the jeweler would let me exchange it for something more to your taste if you didn’t.
She leaned in closer to him and whispered, “I love it, but it has to be awfully expensive. Maybe we should get something smaller?”
He bent his head and kissed her. “Not your concern. Brent has a friend who’s a jeweler, so don’t worry about the cost. Do you really like it?”
Nodding, she murmured, “It’s perfect.”
And it had been a perfect proposal, made by a perfect man, on a perfect day, to a very flawed woman.
That night, after she and Jerry made slow, passionate love, Elly asked, “Are you sure?”
He idly stroked his fingers up and down her spine. “About what, sweetheart?”
“That you want to marry me?”
He drew back to gaze at her. “Yes, I’m positive. Why? Do you have doubts?”
Her shoulders rose in a casual shrug. “Only a couple thousand of them.”
“That you love me?”
She cupped his face. “No. No. No. I love you wholly, completely and entirely, but I don’t understand how you could love me. I’m damaged goods.”
Frowning, he gave her nose a tap. “We’ve discussed this, Elly. Many times. You were not at fault for your divorce or for the things your ex-husband did.”
“I know, but —”
“No, Elly. There are no buts in this. I hate what Arthur did to you. I wish I’d picked up the gun and shot him after knocking him flat, but my disgust for your husband bears no reflection on you. I love you. I have loved you since the first day I watched you playing in the dog park with your tiny ball of yipping fluff, but I never thought we could be together because you were married. The fact I suspected you were unhappy only made things worse. However, you, my fragile angel, are the closest thing to perfection I will ever know, and I intend to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”
Elly said nothing more on the subject that night, or since, even though she continued to fret about what she’d committed herself to from that day forward. Her rational mind accepted Jerry would never become the monster Arthur changed into after they married. And yet... In six days, less than a week, on Valentine’s Day, she was supposed to promise to love honor and obey another man. Yes, she obeyed Jerry now, so it shouldn’t be any different. But it was. The sanctity of her wedding vows were binding. Immutable. Forever.
The room slowly closed in on her, making it difficult to breathe. Afraid she was about to slip into panic mode, Elly swept the swatches and fabric books on the floor in effort to snap herself out of the downward spiral that threatened to drag her into its spinning vortex. Muffin came running into the living room from her bed in Jerry’s office and promptly went on duty by barking at whatever disturbed her mistress. Unfortunately, the little dog’s yapping only exacerbated the painful pounding in Elly’s head.
“No, Muffin. Settle. No one is at the door. Mommy just dropped some things. It’s okay. Now go lie down.”
The poodle gave a small, distressed whimper as though she didn’t understand, but knew something was amiss. “Go on, sweetie. Mommy’s got a bit of a headache, but she’ll be fine.” Though the tiny dog obeyed, she kept looking back as she made her return walk into Jerry’s office, to ensure Elly understood she wasn’t at all pleased about being exiled.
Once Muffin settled and the house was quiet again, Elly picked up her cell and called Charmagne Kendle, Brent Carmichael’s sexy, live-in girlfriend, who still resisted walking down the aisle with the founder of Corbin’s Bend.
“Hi.” Char’s voice held a slight laugh to it. Char and Elly had been close friends for months now, so she undoubtedly suspected Elly had been stewing and second-guessing herself for the past hour before she called. However, Char also thought Elly’s fears about her upcoming wedding were groundless.
“I can’t do it. This isn’t going to work,” Elly announced, her eyes brimming as she began to pant.
“Yes, it will.” The laughter instantly vanished from Char’s voice. “You’re worrying yourself dizzy over nothing. What were you doing before you called me?”
Elly glanced down at the jumbled mess. “Going through color swatches.”
“Elly, why? You did a beautiful job picking everything out. I love the flowers you chose. The church will shimmer like a piece of heaven all in
white; and your reception in the community center is going to bloom like a flower garden in February. Your dress is breathtaking, yet practical. Everything is going to be perfect.”
“How can it be when the bride’s such a mess?”
“Take a deep breath, Elly.” Elly sucked in a lungful of air. “Good. Now another. Okay. Are you getting another headache?” Char asked, her worry evident.
“No. I don’t know. I’m fine,” Elly insisted. “Just scared, I guess.”
“Call Jerry now. If not caught early, those migraines can put you out of commission for days. I know you. You’ll insist nothing is wrong as you continue to work yourself into a state that’s so bad, Marcus will need to sedate you. Trust me, if you let it get that far, your head won’t be the only thing that hurts when you get better, and you know it.”
“Okay,” Elly agreed on a sigh. Jerry couldn’t help her with this, she needed to do it herself, but he wouldn’t understand that. “I’ll call or walk over there, although I think his receptionist is tired of seeing me.”
“Sally? She adores you. Everyone who works with Jerry loves you, because you’ve made their boss so happy. So, call him, or see him. Your choice. But if you don’t do it, I’ll tell Brent, and you understand what that means.”
Elly immediately straightened. “Hey, you can’t do that. We have a pact. You swore you wouldn’t tell if I confided in you.”
Char chuckled. “Okay, I won’t, but if Brent drags it out of me, and you know he’s awfully good at that, it won’t be my fault.”
“Fine. Okay. I’ll go. However, I want to state for the record that I’m doing this under severe protest.”
“Just as long as you do it, you can protest all you want. Call me later. ‘Kay?”
“‘Kay.” Elly clicked off, then stared at the phone in her hand. The numbers started to blur. With a sigh over the futility of her actions, she rose and strode over to the door that led to Jerry’s clinic. He was a wonderful vet, she loved him to pieces, and he was a perfect match for her, unlike Arthur. Marrying Arthur Benson had been the worst mistake of her life. She should never have wed him, but if she hadn’t, then she wouldn’t have met Jerry. So, even her worst mistake produced a positive result. But that did little to ease her misgivings.
The connection between their house and Jerry’s clinic took her into the area near the kennels. Kelly, one of Jerry’s technicians, glanced up from the pug she was bathing. Elly didn’t recognize the cute little dog, but suspected the frantic tail-wagger was most likely a boarder Jerry agreed to keep while her parents went on a winter vacation.
“Hi, Elly. You here to see Jerry? He’s with a client right now.”
Elly stopped in her tracks. “Oh. I don’t want to bother him if he’s busy. Just tell him I dropped by. Okay?”
“Sure. Want me to give him a message?”
Even knowing she should tell Kelly about her migraine, Elly couldn’t do it. She understood that by not admitting her problem she’d at least be facing the corner when Jerry found out and much more likely spending time over his knee for her omission. He had only a few strict rules, and delaying to report any illness or injury was breaking one of them. However, attempting to cover or hide being sick was ten times worse, which he’d demonstrated on her backside more than once. Except he couldn’t help her through this. No one could. Plastering a smile on her face, she shook her head. “No. Nothing urgent. Thanks.”
Elly returned to the house, shut the door, leaned against it and closed her eyes. Sleep seemed to ease the pain, but with the wedding looming like a specter before her, she doubted the sandman would visit. Pulling away with a sigh, she’d almost made it back to the sofa, when Jerry stepped through the connecting door. Elly’s pulse quickened and heart fluttered, as they always did when Jerry was near.
He looked tired, and she was sure her recent headaches were to blame. The familiar telltale brush of his fingers through his golden, brown hair suggested planning their wedding had kept him from scheduling a haircut. Even so, she liked the look, and overlong bangs couldn’t hide those indecently long eyelashes and the normally devilish twinkle in his hazel eyes, which seemed somewhat dimmed of late. Despite balancing a hectic schedule, he still managed to spend a few hours each week in the center’s gym, which served to relieve his stress as well as keep his chest firm and waist trim. Though Elly felt the strength in Jerry’s arms when he held her, he wasn’t as tall or as muscular as Arthur, but then gazing at Arthur never caused desire to pool in Elly’s groin the way a simple smile from Jerry could. He’d been the white knight rescuing an abused damsel when he charged into her life, and she loved him so much it hurt.
A large black lab and tiny white poodle rushed over to greet him as they did every night when he came home. He knelt down to give them equal attention. “Yes, I’m happy to see you both, too. All right, settle down. Have they been out recently?” he asked Elly.
“About a half-hour ago.”
“Okay, guys. I’m here for only a quick visit. We’ll go for a walk later. Go back to your beds.” As though satisfied they got their message across, the two dogs returned to their downstairs cushions in Jerry’s office-slash-bedroom. The sight of their mismatched sizes always brought a smile to Elly’s lips.
“What’s wrong?” Jerry asked with a glance at the strewn books before he rose to his feet and centered his gaze directly on her.
Elly groaned. The man was far too perceptive sometimes. “Nothing. I just thought I would drop by and check how you were doing.”
“Uh huh. Care to try that again, sweetheart?”
Her shoulders dropping, Elly confessed, “I think I’m getting another migraine.”
He crossed over and placed the back of his hand against her forehead. “Take anything for it?”
“No. Not yet. It only just started.” Okay, that was a lie, which would get her in even deeper trouble if he found out. She held still beneath his hand, but knew she was flushed, so she suspected he would be escorting her into the bathroom next.
He gave a brisk nod, then grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”
“Jerry,” she protested, but cut off her words with a grimace under his angry glare. Though he didn’t make taking her temperature a punishment, exactly. He did make it an exercise in obedience.
She stood in the bathroom while he retrieved the glass tube, shook it, and then liberally coated it with lubricating jelly. “Pants and panties down, now,” he ordered without looking at her.
With an inner groan, she obeyed and positioned herself over his knees when he sat on the toilet. They’d done this often enough after she’d been released from the hospital last October, so she should be used to it by now, but she never got over the way her former husband had punished her anally. Jerry questioned her almost every time they did this, but she was afraid he would decide an anal plug or a fig of ginger was an excellent way to get his point across, and she didn’t think she could willingly accept either of those punishments again.
She grimaced at the feel of thermometer sliding into her, but remained obedient and compliant. Jerry wasn’t trying to hurt or embarrass her. Not really. He was of the opinion that rectal temperatures were more accurate, so that’s what he used, and while they waited, he stroked her back and bottom to help her relax. Despite her uneasiness, his caresses calmed and centered her until she let out a soft sigh.
“Good girl,” he praised. “You always start out so tense when we do this, and yet you know I won’t hurt you, so I suspect it’s something Arthur did. We’re getting married in less than a week, Elly. Don’t you think it’s time you trusted me enough to tell me the truth?”
“I don’t like talking about it,” she admitted. “I’m still having nightmares about some of his punishments.”
“Have you at least told Traci your bad dreams are reoccurring?”
Traci Jackson was the therapist Jerry insisted Elly visit. She’d told Traci about the source of her fears, but not how the past was bollixing up her plans for their futu
re. “Yes, sir.”
“All right. As long as you’re talking to someone. Easy.” When the thin, glass tube was withdrawn, Elly breathed another sigh, this one of relief.
He chuckled softly at the sound. “Your temperature is a little elevated. Any other symptoms besides the headache?”
Shaking her head, she started to rise, but he placed a hand at the small of her back to hold her in position, then cleaned off her butt and the thermometer while she remained bent over his knees, reviewing everything she’d said and done.
“What’s our rule about honesty?” he asked in a tone that sounded casual and nonchalant, though Elly understood he was anything but.
“That I am not to lie to you for any reason.”
“Correct. And what did you do when I asked you what was wrong?”
“I deflected.”
He paused for a second. “Which is merely another way of saying you were trying to hide the truth, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“You guess so?” The question emerged with an edge of sharpness, which immediately put Elly on the defensive.
“You’re busy enough without having me run whining to you over every little thing that goes wrong.”
She should have expected the swat that fell on her unprotected hindquarters, but the smack still robbed her of breath. “Ow.”
“I thought we discussed this through a few days ago. I thought you understood that I do not regard any of your problems as whining, and that I expect you to come to me whenever something is bothering you, especially if you suspect you’re not well.”
That had been one of their longer ‘discussions,’ during which Jerry made his point painfully clear. And, yet...
His hand returned to stroking. “I’m clearly not getting through to you, sweetheart. And though you’ve earned one, I’m not convinced a spanking is the answer, either.”
“I did come to see you,” she pointed out in her defense.
“Yes, you did, and that was good. However, you should have also told Kelly what was wrong, which you didn’t, and when I asked, you attempted to cover up the problem, which is unacceptable. I instituted that restriction for a reason, Elly, and you agreed to abide by the rules we established, so you can’t just ignore one when it pleases you. At least not without earning a consequence.”