And Louisa had not been able to trust her instincts. She had been afraid to pursue this man whose wounds and needs were as deep as hers. She had fallen prey to dark superstitions and self-doubt, trusting more in voices from her past than in truth she'd learned from the depths of pain and sorrow.
Louisa now shuddered, realizing how from their separate positions of fear they had each built walls to defend themselves from injury, and how their desperate efforts had nearly damned them to loveless isolation from each other.
"Rachel could be your child just as you've suggested," she said quietly.
Aaron reached out for Louisa, urgently gripping her in his arms, his promising warm mouth close to hers. "I want to hear you say I am her father!" he whispered fiercely.
In spite of his intensity, Louisa looked at Aaron calmly, thinking that perhaps she saw for the first time. She thought back to the first occasion she had consciously made love to him―of how she had sensed that, for some unexplainable reason, he was reaching out to her with more than his body, and how odd she had felt it was, because, then, at that moment, in spite of his familiar face, he was a stranger. His need for her, his need for love spoke profoundly even then. He had communicated wordlessly, probably unknowingly―and she had heard―because she had often listened to her own silent voice begging out of the same need. Again she heard him, and this time she could answer.
"Aaron, for me, for the world, you are Rachel's father. And," she smiled, hugging him joyfully, "Rachel and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Aaron held Louisa in his arms, overwhelmed by her welcoming responsiveness. Whatever else they had to discuss would wait for another moment, while they filled their senses with the wonderful pleasures of touching each other. "I love you! I love you!" he said as he moved with her. "Hear me. Believe me. Never doubt me again." And when their bodies fused, their joining was intense and love-filled, their love for each other spoken, shared, and never again in doubt between them.
* * *
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Chapter Sixty-three
Chapter Sixty-four
Chapter Sixty-five
Chapter Sixty-six
Chapter Sixty-seven
Chapter Sixty-eight
Chapter Sixty-nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-one
Chapter Seventy-two
Chapter Seventy-three
Chapter Seventy-four
Chapter Seventy-five
Chapter Seventy-six
Chapter Seventy-seven
Chapter Seventy-eight
Chapter Seventy-nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-one
Chapter Eighty-two
Chapter Eighty-three
Chapter Eighty-four
Chapter Eighty-five
Chapter Eighty-six
Chapter Eighty-seven
Chapter Eighty-eight
Chapter Eighty-nine
Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety-one
Chapter Ninety-two
Chapter Ninety-three
Chapter Ninety-four
Chapter Ninety-five
Chapter Ninety-six
Chapter Ninety-seven
Chapter Ninety-eight
Chapter Ninety-nine
Chapter One Hundred
Chapter One Hundred-One
Chapter One Hundred-Two
Chapter One Hundred-Three
Chapter One Hundred-Four
Chapter One Hundred-Five
Chapter One Hundred-Six
Chapter One Hundred-Seven
Chapter One Hundred-Eight
Chapter One Hundred-Nine
Chapter One Hundred-Ten
Ford, Jessie Page 55