Anything For Love

by Janelle Taylor

  Quentin showed Rachel to the room she would use for three nights, as they naturally would not share one in his parents’ home. “I’ll be next door if you need anything, besides me,” he added with a sexy grin and wink. “Mom and Daddy’s room is across the hall and the bath is there,” he said as he pointed toward it. “Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning. They have early chores, so you don’t have to get up when you hear stirrings around at the crack of dawn. I’ll be up about seven, and there’s a clock in the guest room. I love you, Rachel, and I’m glad you’re here with us. I promise we’re going to be happy.”

  “I’m certain of it. I really like your family. I don’t have to tell you how different they are from the Gaineses. I’m going to enjoy being a part of the Rawls clan.”

  “I’d better steal my good-night kiss fast so we won’t get hot and bothered while sleeping alone.”

  They shared a stirring and tender kiss, gazed into each other’s eyes for a minute, smiled, and went to their rooms to retire.

  As she lay in bed, Rachel thanked God for giving her such a bright future with Quentin. She could hardly wait for her daughters to meet Quentin’s family so everybody could get acquainted. She would suggest one for June of next year after Karen and David’s return to Georgia; Evelyn and her family would be back in Ohio in April. Thanks to the hefty insurance settlement for his accident and her recent sales of holdings and the estate left to her by Daniel, the couple would have no money problems.

  Frank drove over for a few hours late Wednesday morning, arriving shortly after their return from touring the farm. The rapport and affection between the brothers was evident to Rachel. It was as if Frank had to inspect Quentin to make sure he really was all right. Quentin was delighted to see how well Frank looked and sounded, and to hear his brother was doing great in Dothan.

  Rachel listened as Frank spoke to her in a heavy blend of country and southern accents. The younger man lacked Quentin’s fantastic looks and many charms, but she liked Frank and found him funny and friendly. He even playfully warned her to be careful of the intrusive media, but she realized he was serious beneath his smile and genial mood, as he had been tormented by several tabloids over the years. She hoped the media would leave all of them alone, or be kind with their stories. Frank, and well as the other Rawlses, was coming to Augusta next month for the wedding and reception. She was touched when Frank told Quentin how proud of him he was, and how glad he was that Quentin had not been hurt—or worse—in the accident. She watched them embrace, then gave them privacy for a while as she helped Inez prepare lunch for noon as was their custom.

  After lunch and Frank’s departure, she and Quentin rode into town to pick up some things for his mother at the grocery store and for his father at the seed-and-feed and the hardware stores. Everybody they encountered was elated to see Quentin, to be given the chance to congratulate him and to praise his brave deed. They took time to visit the local newspaper so Quentin could give them a short interview and have his picture taken to accompany the article. A second one was taken of them to go along with an engagement notice. It was obvious to her that the townfolk loved, admired, and respected their local hero; just as it was apparent that Quentin had come from a fine southern community which had helped mold him into the splendid man he was today.

  The remainder of Wednesday and Thursday passed swiftly and in great pleasure. When time came to leave Friday morning, hugs and kisses were exchanged and plans were made.

  “You get us reservations at a hotel, Son; we won’t hear of intruding on newlyweds Sunday night,” his father insisted after Rachel invited Quentin’s parents and his sister and her family to stay at her house Saturday and Sunday nights. “We appreciate your offer of hospitality, Rachel, but that will be a busy and private time for you. We’ll be just fine in a hotel, so don’t worry about us.”

  Inez concurred with her husband and also thanked Rachel. She gave the couple tasty treats to take home with them. “Good-bye, Quent, Rachel, we’ll see you next Saturday.”

  More hugs and kisses were shared, and the couple departed.

  After reaching Augusta, Rachel assisted Quentin into the house and to the sofa, then unloaded the car. She freshened up before preparing their plates with food from Wife-Saver which she had picked up while en route home to save time and energy in the kitchen following the long drive.

  As she was cleaning up after their meal, Quentin was watching TV in the casual area of the living room. After he switched to a local channel, he called out, “Rachel, honey, come quick and listen!”

  Rachel grabbed a dish towel and dried her wet hands as she rushed to join him. She was astonished to hear a report that Todd Hardy had been arrested the previous night for breaking into a politician’s office to steal information about an alleged crime for an exposé he planned to write. The announcer said that an investigation was in progress, with Hardy sitting in jail awaiting his day in court. “Can you imagine that?” Rachel murmured, looking at Quentin wide-eyed.

  “Yep, after what he did to us and to others. I doubt he’ll be able to worm his way out of this sleazy trap, and it serves him right for trying to hurt so many people. Even if what he claims is true, he can’t break the law to get a scoop; he should have handed any clues he had over to the authorities. I hope they keep him in jail.”

  “At least other people won’t get hurt while he’s in jail, unless that magazine allows him to write in his cell and prints his articles. But at least he’s out of our hair, my love.”

  “Thank goodness, and I hope he stays out. Do you need anything before I finish in the kitchen?”

  He stroked her cheek as his gaze roamed her lovely features. “The only thing I need and want is you, woman, all the time.”

  Rachel nestled against him and stroked his chest. “You have me.”

  “And you have me. Lordy, we’re in for a happy life together.”

  “Yes, my darling, we are,” she said before sealing their mouths.

  One meshing of their lips led to numerous kisses and embraces until they were feverish with desire and making love on the sofa.

  * * *

  On Saturday afternoon, Quentin went to the celebrity auction with Rachel. He received a standing ovation when his jersey and autographed football were put up for bids. The two items brought in big money for the library extension fund. The intense reaction brought shiny moisture to Quentin’s eyes. Following the event, he posed for pictures with the two buyers and thanked them. Then he gave Pete Starns a short interview for a local television station.

  After they freshened up at her house, Rachel and Quentin went out to dinner at the country club with the Coopers and Brimsfords, where a delightful meal and good time were had by all.

  Sunday at four o’clock, Quentin and Rachel relaxed on the sofa and cuddled while they watched the Dallas Cowboys play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season’s first game. Several times, the sportscasters talked about Quentin and his past career, the accident which provoked his retirement, and his impending marriage to Rachel Gaines of Augusta, Georgia. The announcers praised his talents, courage, and contributions to the sport. They mentioned that Quentin was to be present and honored on September nineteenth in Dallas during the Cowboys game with the Detroit Lions and that his jersey number was being retired on that team as a tribute to him.

  “If you’re watching, Quentin, congratulations and best wishes on your marriage and good luck in your new career, ranching we’re told,” one sportscaster said at the end of half-time. “You’ll be sorely missed. Thanks for the many pleasures you’ve given to us and to your fans. You are and will remain one of football’s greatest legends, a man who stands and walks tall, a man with a true golden arm that was extended on more than the playing field.”

  Quentin looked at Rachel and asked, “Whew, what can I say after being painted like that?”

  “That you’re going out in style and glory. I’m so proud of you, Quentin, and I love you so much.”

 
After several kisses, he drew a deep breath and said, “If we keep this up, we’ll miss the second half. ‘Course, it’ll be worth that sacrifice.”

  “Why don’t we whet our appetites while we watch the rest of the game and feed them afterward for hours?”

  “A woman after my own heart.”

  They cooked out on the grill on Labor Day, then spent part of the afternoon making passionate love. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other following their long separation, a near permanent one.

  On Tuesday morning, they got their blood tests and marriage license before Rachel put Quentin on a plane to return to Dallas for his doctor’s appointment and preliminary treatments before he began therapy. Though people were watching, they kissed and hugged goodbye. Rachel waited until the plane took off before she left the airport, missing him already, as he missed her and watched clouds hide the ground.

  Later, she finished typing letters of resignation to her clubs, boards, and organizations. She called the friends who had agreed to take over her unfinished projects and told them she would deliver those files tomorrow and thanked them again for their kindness. She learned from Becky that Janet Hollis had not returned to town. She hoped, if the woman had not had a change of heart and behavior, that Janet would not come back before her departure and try to cause trouble. It was calming to know that Janet and Todd Hardy were occupied elsewhere and fate was dealing with them.

  The remainder of the week was filled with hours of shopping and appointments concerning the wedding and reception. She spoke with her daughters again and told them about her visit with the Rawlses, the special occasion on Sunday which they would miss, and the joint party for her and Quentin and Karen and David next June—which amazingly was being given by Dorothy and Richard Gaines who phoned on Wednesday to make peace and to insist on hosting the celebration of the two marriages. Rachel hoped they were being sincere; it had seemed that way to her during the talk. After so many years of difficulty, a truce would be marvelous and welcomed.

  She also told the girls about the financial arrangements she had made with her accountant and banker. Karen and David were thrilled to get the house and a nice amount of money from Rachel’s recent business dealings. Evelyn was to receive a sum equivalent to the value of the house and any furnishings that Rachel did not take to Texas. Martha had agreed to come over every week to clean and check the house until Karen’s return, and Henry would continue to tend the yard and pool. Neighbors and friends agreed to keep an eye on the property during the period between Rachel’s departure and Karen’s arrival.

  On Wednesday, with Martha’s help and using boxes Henry had brought over in his truck, Rachel went through the house, garage, and attic and packed things she would need at the ranch. On Thursday, her two best friends assisted with that lengthy task, the three laughing, joking, and reminiscing as they did so. Yet, there were many possessions only she could sort through. She would decide if she needed other items after viewing her new home, as space and styles must be considered; then, Martha, Becky, and Jen would have them packaged and transported to her. Some things she wanted to give to Evelyn or leave for Karen, and made a list of them. Items none of them could use would be sold, but only after the girls were given first choice.

  In one box, she placed the many magazines and newspapers that had featured recent stories—most with pictures—about Quentin, some including her. She added the pictures from their cruise and the celebrity auction to be placed in their scrapbook and family album.

  A man came to disconnect and pack her computer system. She would get back to work on her novel as soon as she was settled. With Quentin at her side and giving her confidence and encouragement, she believed she would succeed as an author.

  As she rested at each day’s end, she looked through pictures, papers, and keepsakes and reflected on her life.

  Rachel lay in bed on Friday night after talking with Quentin and thought about how busy and glorious the next few days would be with her lover’s return tomorrow, a bridal shower that night, their wedding on Sunday, and their departure for their new home on Monday. Life and love were blessings, and she would never take them for granted. Her future was sunny and she almost was too excited to sleep. She was close to having her dreams come true. Nothing and no one, she reasoned, could interfere with them now that past troublemakers were off her back.

  Seventeen

  On September eleventh at four o’clock, as soon as the soloist finished singing “Whither Thou Goest,” the organist played the traditional wedding march and Rachel began her walk down the red-carpeted aisle on Scott Cooper’s arm as he led her toward the man she loved. She was grateful to the church’s wedding committee for accommodating them today between the two Sunday services.

  As a gift to Rachel, a close friend in the florist business whose services she had used during many projects had decorated the church in romantic splendor. Ivy was draped like a thick lacy cloak over the white waist-high partition between the choir loft and altar platform. Flames flickered on multi-branched candelabrums on the raised dais; they also were wrapped in ivy and accented with white bows. A large floral arrangement sat on a pedestal behind where they would stand for the ceremony, which would create a lovely backdrop. On the ends of the first four pews, he had attached hurricane globes with candles, greenery, and white bows. The chandelier bulbs and numerous recessed lights were dimmed, except for the ones under which they would stand so the minister could see to read Biblical passages. Many family members and friends were turned sideways to watch Rachel approach. Quentin—handsome in a black tuxedo and fancy white shirt—awaited her at the front with the First Baptist pastor and Matthew Rawls, his best man. Becky, attired in a robin’segg-blue tea-length dress, had preceded her down the aisle as her matron of honor.

  The bouquet of sweetheart roses in Rachel’s grasp quivered from excitement and happiness, not great tension or anxiety, though she was a little nervous, which was natural for brides. A photographer snapped pictures to place in the album that Becky and Jen had given her yesterday at the bridal shower. She knew two video cameras, as the Sunday morning service was sent out over a local television channel, were recording the blissful event, as she had asked for a tape to be made.

  Rachel smiled and nodded at friends as her jubilant mind sang, A real wedding, a beautiful wedding, with all of the trimmings this time. How lucky and blessed you are, Rachel Gaines.

  Yet, she wished her daughters, son-inlaws, and grandchildren could be there; the girls had sent telegrams yesterday to give their enthusiastic approval and to say how glad they were that the occasion had not been delayed for months. Gifts and cards had poured in this week from distant friends of Quentin and Rachel; even a silver-engraved serving tray had arrived from the Gaineses. The media was huddled outside, waiting to take pictures later and perhaps get a few quotes from the famous groom who was major news following the traffic accident, his courageous deed, and his retirement from football.

  I’m almost there, my love, her mind told him.

  Before Rachel began her graceful walk toward him, Quentin had glanced at his teary-eyed mother whose expression was one of sheer joy, one which said she agreed with his choice this time and believed this marriage was forever. His sister’s gaze also was misty and her smile sunny. Mary was leaning close to her husband, both in a romantic mood. Bobby and Kelly were behaving to perfection, their gazes wide and shiny. His brother was grinning in delight, his disguise removed, a precaution Frank took to avoid problems with any nasty reporters. Quentin smiled at each member of his family as his gaze traveled down the pew where they sat together. He looked at his father who was standing beside him, and they exchanged smiles. A glow of pride and love was evident in Matthew’s expression. But when the wedding march sounded, he could not take his adoring gaze from his future wife. She looked radiant and stunning in an ivory lace dress with long sleeves, fitted waistline, Victorian neckline, and V-shaped bodice. Her brown hair was positioned like leafy curls atop her head,
with tiny pearls entwined, a gift from her longtime beautician and friend. Her soft mauve lips were smiling at him. Her arresting green eyes captivated him. Soon, they would be joined as one forever. Blazes, she was breathtaking, and he loved her! She was the most wonderful thing that had happened to him and he vowed to do everything he could to make her happy.

  Rachel’s heart swelled with pride and anticipation, as she reached Quentin’s side and took his hand. While Scott was seating himself with Jen and Adam and two surprise guests were sneaking to their places, she and Quentin mounted the dais to stand before the pastor. Matthew assisted his son up the steps, as Quentin’s knee brace was restrictive. Becky joined them, awaiting the moment she could hold Rachel’s bouquet.

  The minister smiled and said, “Family and friends, we are gathered today in the sight of God and these witnesses to join this man and woman in the bond of holy matrimony. Rachel is a longtime member of our church and a fine lady, and Quentin has visited with us on several occasions, a man whose good character and deeds are well known to those present. It is an honor and pleasure to perform this marriage ceremony.”

  After the pastor read Scriptures from Ephesians and the Book of Ruth and spoke about them to the attentive couple, he asked, “Do you, Quentin James Rawls, take this woman to be your lawful and wedded wife?”

  In a voice heavy with joyful emotion, the groom replied, “I do.”

  “Do you, Quentin, promise to love, honor, protect, support, guide, and cherish her in sickness and in health, in rich and in poor, in good times and in bad, and forsaking all others until death do you part?”