by Sable Hunter
“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 that 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 a car 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 and 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, joining them for training and races, but not immersing 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-mine.”
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 that 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 tow
el. 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 so tight, 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 Issac 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 that 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.
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Joseph lay in the hospital bed and wished that he were dead. There was no way that 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 that 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 that 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.
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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, 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.” It 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? 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.”
“Be safe,” Libby said softly. “I’ll leave the front porch light on.”
“I will be, and doll – keep the bed warm, I need you so badly. It just feels like that if I could get my arms around you, everything would be all right.”
“Hurry home, I’ll be waiting.”
Getting ready for bed, Libby made some decisions. Life was so uncertain, no one was guaranteed tomorrow. What happened to Joseph lent credence to that age-old truth. She decided that she was going to live as if God had sent her a memo and told her that she would break the century barrier. In a few days, she would keep her appointment with Doc Mulligan, but there would be no plans to leave Tebow until the day came when she felt that Aron was ready for her to go.
At the same time, she wanted to cover her bases and mend any fences that might have sagged over the years. Before she lay down, she wrote down the names of two friends that she wanted to reconnect with, and she found a Bible in the den that she intended to read through – it had always been a goal of hers. Finally, she thought about making a will. That was funny; she didn’t have anything to leave anybody – except for her one precious piece of Aron’s sculpture – Freedom. And the only person that she wanted to have
that was its creator, Aron. If things looked like they were digressing, she wanted to put it back into his hands and see his face when he realized that she had kept it safe for him all of these years.
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Aron gently closed the door behind him; it was good to be home. The helicopter carrying Joseph and Jacob had probably beat them back to the Hill Country. As soon as morning came, they would head to the hospital as a family. A Dr. Susan Grigsby was going sit in on the consult with Cassidy and they would evaluate Joseph’s test results and recommend what would come next. The only thing that worried Aron was the thought of Joseph having to exist in a sterile hospital setting. That was why he intended to build whatever facilities that were needed for Joseph to rehabilitate at home. While the contractors were at it, he was going to build a studio for Libby – a place where she could design and create her handbags. It was good to have contacts, he had placed a few phone calls to a man he knew in New York, and soon boxes and boxes of fabrics, decorations, leathers, and all manners of sewing supplies would be delivered to the front steps of Tebow. He had also told Gregory to send state of the art sewing machines and sergers so Libby would have the very best tools to work with. There was nothing too good for his baby, and he couldn’t wait to see her eyes light up when she saw his surprise. It would all come to pass quickly, because Aron wanted things to settle down and get back to some semblance of normal. Joseph was going to be all right; Aron was determined that he would be. Nothing else was acceptable.
“Now, that’s what I needed to see,,” he breathed as he took in the sight of Libby laying curled up on her side, her hand underneath her cheek and the covers thrown back to reveal the fact that she was waiting on him wrapped only in the beautiful skin that God had originally clothed her in. Stripping, he was eager to feel her warmth merge with his.