“I dare you.”
Maxine snarled. “In three months you’ve never listened to me.”
Muriel smiled. “I don’t get paid to listen to you.”
“I’m not ready,” she whispered.
The doorbell rang, interrupting them. Muriel just raised her eyebrow when Maxine stared at her. “I don’t live here,” she said, making no move to get up.
Maxine grabbed her walker and glared at Muriel. “I swear I want to fire you,” she said, moving as quickly as she could, balking at her slowness and weakness.
“You aren’t the first and I doubt you’ll be the last.”
She slowly, frustratingly slowly, made her way to the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see her boss, Peter Mitchell, standing there with a large manila envelope in his hand.
“Peter,” she said, a little breathless. “Come in. What’s going on?”
“Hi Maxine,” he said, shifting his eyes from her face to the walker. “I didn’t expect you to answer the door. I was just going to leave this with you.”
“What is it?” He held out the envelope and she automatically reached for it.
“Just your paperwork for termination. Retirement accounts and such.”
“Termination?”
“We can’t just have you hanging on. Work continues. We still need product. Your office, your secretary, your clients are all just hanging.”
“We never discussed whether or not I would come back, and we never discussed the timing of anything,” Maxine said. Her arm muscles were quivering, but she didn’t want to show weakness so she kept standing.
“You said fifty days. It’s been fifty plus three months. I think that has been enough time for you to consider whether you’re willing to come back or not. From what I understand, you can’t even grip a pencil anymore, much less do what we do. I cannot hold your position indefinitely.”
Fear, failure, insecurity clawed at her throat. She wanted to walk away from Mitchell and Associates of her own accord, not because she got into a stupid wreck and couldn’t perform anymore.
She would not cry in front of him. Exhaustion, muscle fatigue, emotions, fear – sadness choked her throat but tears would not escape. “I’ll look over these papers and let you know.”
“The decision has all but been made.”
Maxine opened the envelope and pulled the papers out. A quick glance confirmed her suspicions. “These say I’m leaving of my own accord. These say I’m quitting. Unless you come up with the gumption to fire me right now, then I will look over these papers and let you know what I decide.”
Peter opened and closed his mouth, much like a fish trying to breathe the crisp air next to a mountain stream. He finally nodded and stepped outside. “I’ll give you to close of business tomorrow.”
Maxine sneered. “Fine.”
She slammed the door in his face, then, exhausted, lowered herself onto the little table in the foyer. When she looked up, Muriel was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest and grinning.
“Looks to me like you’re ready for about anything,” she said.
Maxine started crying, but it quickly turned to laughter that had tears falling out of her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. “You’re right. Bring me my pad and a pencil.”
BARRY rolled his head on his neck as he shut the door behind him. It was late, later than he’d anticipated. His meeting with the church board over zoning laws had gone much longer than he planned, which put him behind at the office and had him working too late. Of course, he had to admit to himself that a lot of the work he’d finished that night could have waited until morning, but it seemed easier coming home after Maxine went to bed.
He silently made his way through the house and, as he did every night for three months, stopped at Maxine’s door. Clouds obscured the moon tonight, making it impossible to see any distinguishable shapes, but as he stood there and stared, he was certain that there was no form in her bed. Reaching behind him, he flicked on the hall light, bathing her room in a faint glow, and realized he was right. Her bed hadn’t even been slept in. Her wheelchair sat in the corner, away from the bed.
He crossed the room, thinking maybe she had fallen and was on the other side of the bed, but found nothing.
Worried, closing in on panic, he pushed open the door to the kitchen. Could one of her sisters or one of his sisters taken her home with them? No. Someone would have called him. He stepped into the kitchen and spotted her.
She sat at the table with her back to him. Her left leg was kicked out to the side, covered with the brace that stopped at the hem of an oversized T-shirt. Her hair was piled on top of her head, tendrils escaping from the loose knot to tease the back of her neck. Whatever she was doing, she was engrossed in it, because she never looked up as he walked toward her.
He came around the table until he was facing her and realized what she was doing. “You’re drawing,” he said, frozen with surprise.
Her hand paused on the pencil and she glanced up at him through her bangs. There was no welcoming smile, no light in her eyes when she spotted him. “Yes. And walking.”
“Walking?”
She went back to drawing. “Yep.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but her pencil fell from her hand and she cried out, clutching her hand. He was at her side immediately. “What happened?”
“Cramp,” she panted. He was close enough to see the sweat that formed on her brow.
Taking her hand in his, he started rubbing the muscles, coaxing them out of the claw position they’d taken in the spasm. “Maybe you’re doing this too soon.”
Her hand slowly relaxed and he watched her color return. “I’m not doing anything too soon. I’ve just been at it on and off all evening. This used to happen even before it was held together with paper clips and sheet-metal screws.”
The muscles under his finger were completely relaxed now, but he didn’t stop in his ministrations. Instead, he rested his hips against the table as his hands slowly traveled up over her wrist, to her arm, lightly kneading the muscles, gently touching her smooth skin. She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning farther back in the chair.
This close he could see that all she wore was the T-shirt. The hem stopped somewhere at mid-thigh, and the entire length of her good leg was there to torment him. It made him wonder what was or wasn’t under the shirt.
Feeling the slight tremor go through his own hands at the thought, he slowly released hers and straightened. “You should go to bed. You’ve done a lot today.”
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 som
ething 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
TRANSLATION KEY
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
READER'S GUIDE MENU
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.
The Appetizer:
Heathy Protein Packed Hummus
Barry's focus with food is good ingredients, high protein, careful sugars. This hummus is just what the lawyer ordered. Serve it with triangles of toasted whole wheat pita bread or as a dip with a vegetable tray.
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbonzo beans)
-or-
2 cups cooked chickpeas
juice of 2 lemons
2/3 cup Tahini Paste
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 TBS fresh parsley
If using dried chickpeas: Soak the chickpeas overnight OR cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, place the cover on the pan, and let sit for one hour.
Drain soaked chickpeas and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 1½ hours or until very tender.
Juice the lemon.
Chop the parsley.
Put chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon jui
ce, garlic, and salt in food processor. Process until smooth. If it's too thick, you can add a little olive oil or water until it's the consistency you want. The result should be a smooth, slightly granular paste.
Put in serving dish. Mix the olive oil and the paprika. Drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
The Salad:
"Rabbit Food" Chopped Salad
What could be better than a one-bit appetizer that satisfies all of the tastebuds in your mouth. Here is a dish that is offered in Viscolli hotels worldwide.
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 TBS lemon juice
3 TBS water
3 TBS dill
3 small garlic cloves
3 Romaine Hearts
1 large cucumber
4 celery stalks
2 large carrots
1 large tomato
6 radishes
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans chick peas
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste (Kosher or sea salt is best)
Grate the garlic clove
Chop the romaine.
Slice the cucumber, celery, carrots, tomato, radishes.
Rinse the peas.
Drain and rinse the chick peas.
Place the cheese, oil, lemon juice, water, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend.
Mix all of the chopped vegetables. Toss with the dressing.
Serves 6.
The Entree:
Succulent Roast Beef
The first meal Maxine prepares Barry in their home is roast beef. This recipe doesn't use a lot of spices - it lets the meat and vegetables do all the talking.
Emerald Fire (Christian Romance) (The Jewel Series) Page 21