by D. F. Jones
Jerry was the first person Anna saw when she walked into the Glenn’s house. He leaned against the stairwell with his arms crossed over his chest wearing a navy blue suit and black shirt. Jerry’s eyes locked with Anna’s. The molecules in the air charged with electricity, kicking up a furor of fire flooding Anna with the warmth of his love.
Jerry’s face lit with a smile, and it felt like seeing the sun for the first time in years. Her pulse raced, and her fingertips tingled with power. Anna swiftly looked around the room and didn’t see any sign of Rachel.
Anna made a beeline to Jerry. “I need to talk to you, alone. I have no idea how because Rachel pops up everywhere. Will you please talk to me in private?”
Jerry leaned close to her ear and whispered, “When and where?”
Anna sighed with relief. That was all she needed to hear. “Sandy intends to feed Rachel cocktails and suggest she go outside to smoke. We might have a few minutes then, okay?” Jerry’s eyes turned a shade darker. He undressed her with his eyes, and she trembled, leaving her knees feeling weak. She grabbed onto his hand and held it tight. “I feel the same way about you.”
Anna noticed Rachel walking out of the kitchen. She quickly turned to Brent, who was talking to George and Lizzie. Anna placed her arm around Brent’s waist.
Brent smiled down at Anna and circled his arm around her waist. He whispered, “Are we playing a game?” Anna nodded.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jerry tensed and his jaw muscles clenched. She looked down, and Jerry’s right hand balled up into a fist. Hot dog. Jerry’s jealous.
As the afternoon wore on, the neighbors and church folk began to leave until the only people left were the Glenn family and a few family friends, including Brent, Sandy, Jerry, Rachel, and Anna.
Sandy plied Rachel with cocktails all afternoon. Sandy winked and nodded to Anna when she led Rachel outside to the backyard. It was showtime. Anna whirled around the room and spotted Jerry near the front door watching her. Anna nodded, and he walked up the stairs. Anna glanced across the backyard once more and made a mad dash up the stairs. She made the top step and started down the hallway when Jerry opened Ruby’s old bedroom door and pulled her inside.
Anna threw her arms around his neck, and he circled her waist. Searching his eyes, she said, “I don’t need a man to complete me. I need love to complete me, and it’s the love I have for you that makes me whole. I’ve made a ton of mistakes, but there’s one thing I know for sure. You, Jerry Douglas McDaniel, are the love of my life.”
Jerry held her face with both hands. “All it took was one look into your eyes, and I knew I was still crazy for you, all of you, and I can’t go another minute without making you mine.”
Anna’s eyes widened with surprise. “What are you saying?”
Jerry brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand. “I didn’t sleep last night. All I could do was think about you, about us. I don’t have any proof, but I think Rachel may have deleted your messages and thrown away your letters. I didn’t think you loved me anymore, Anna. I can’t marry Rachel. God forgive me. I don’t mean to hurt Rachel, but I don’t love her. I love you. I always have.”
Jerry leaned in only inches from her face. The warmth of his sweet breath and the spicy scent of his cologne made it hard for her to breathe. His loving eyes searched hers, saying everything and nothing. Anna’s adrenaline kicked in high gear. The clarity she had at this moment was razor sharp.
An emotional force unleashed between them as Jerry’s warm lips made contact with hers, and they slammed against the wall. His lips were gentle and rough, alternating between kissing and sucking her top and bottom lips. His tongue licked the corners of her mouth, and he gently traced the outline of her lips before he plunged inside. His knee pushed between her thighs, and her heart skipped a beat.
Jerry scooped her up in his arms, carried her over to Ruby’s bed, and lay her down. He traced his fingers along her jawline, down her neck to the swell of her breasts. Jerry pulled back slightly, looking at her as if she were a lost treasure he had just found. He covered her with a blanket of kisses and gently ran his hand over her breast and squeezed, and she stopped him.
“Jerry, we can’t do this, not here in the Glenn’s house. As bad as I want to make love to you right now, I can’t. I love and respect them.”
Jerry brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Anna, I’m sorry. The long and short of it is, I damn well near died when you left. But now I feel like my heart is going to explode with happiness. I don’t want to let you go.” Anna choked back her tears and reached up to run her fingers through his thick hair.
Jerry kissed her again. “I’m sorry, Anna. I should’ve never agreed to marry Rachel. It wasn’t fair to her or you. Will you forgive me? I know you may think I’m nuts, but let’s run away. I want you to run away with me. I’ve always wanted to marry you. Always. Will you run away with me?”
Anna kissed him hard and hugged him with all of her strength. “In a Tennessee heartbeat, I will. I’m staying at Ruby’s. What time will you come for me?”
He rolled onto his side, propped on his elbow. “I’m not sure yet. It could be late. Will you wait for me? I promise I’ll be there. I have to tell Rachel, and it’s going to get real ugly.”
Anna couldn’t take her eyes off of his face. “Yes, I’ll wait for you. I’ll be ready. If you like, I could go with you to talk to Rachel.”
Jerry pulled her on top of him and ran his hand down the curve of her spine. “Bad idea. She’s jealous about everything, especially you. It’s my mess, and I’ll clean it up. I have to go. Rachel will be looking for me, and I don’t want to create a scene here. I love you, Annabelly.” They sat on the side of the bed. He hugged her again. “Is this real? Are you really here with me?”
She gently touched the side of his face. “I’m here.”
Jerry walked to the door. He cracked it open and paused before he strode back over, pulled her up into his arms, and kissed her one last time. “Damn, I missed you.” Then he left, leaving her standing next to the bed. Her heart hammered faster than a horse running the Kentucky Derby.
Anna pressed her fingers to her lips. She couldn’t believe it. Jerry was coming for her tonight. Anna stepped over to Ruby’s vanity, picked up a hairbrush, and began to brush her hair. She opened a tube of coral lipstick and applied it to her lips.
Anna went over to the door and peeked outside. She didn’t see anyone, so she quickly walked down the hall and into the bathroom.
Anna’s skin flushed pink. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what she had been doing. Anna began to breathe in and out slowly to settle her racing pulse. She looked around the drawers in the cabinets until she found Lee’s makeup case. Anna tried to make herself presentable before she went back downstairs.
Anna had waited for ten minutes before she descended the stairs. On the bottom step, Sandy grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. Anna followed Sandy around the back of the house. Sandy stopped and turned to face her.
Sandy threw her hands in the air in apparent frustration. “Have you lost your mind? I see you certainly did a lot of talking. I’d know that look a mile away. I have some whiskey in the glove box of my car if you need to take a shot. Jesus, Anna, you said talk to Jerry, not have sex with him. I’m pretty sure Rachel’s drunk and that may be the only thing that saves your hide this afternoon.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “Don’t have a cow. I didn’t have sex with Jerry. We just kind of made out.” With a wide grin, she said, “But we’re running away together tonight. He’s coming for me at Ruby’s.” Anna opened the door to Sandy’s car, reached inside the glove box, and twisted the top off of a small bottle of Crown Royal. She took a sip from the whiskey bottle and handed it to Sandy.
Sandy took a sip of whiskey. “What the hell does that mean?”
Anna squared her shoulders. “That means if Jerry doesn’t change his mind, and he comes for me tonight, w
e’re running away together. Dad-blame it, Sandy. I wasn’t kidding around. My heart has always belonged to him, and you know it. I’m marrying Jerry if he still wants me, too.”
Sandy leaned her back against the car. “Holy shit, I mean h-o-l-y shit.”
Anna started walking back toward the house, and Sandy followed a few steps behind. They entered the house by the back kitchen door. Anna glanced into the den where Rachel had her arm around Jerry’s waist. It was all Anna could do not to go over there and rip Rachel’s arm off him. Anna began to breathe hard and started toward the den when Sandy grabbed her hand.
Sandy whispered, “Do not go in there. Let it go, Anna.”
Ruby walked into the kitchen, leaned over to Anna, and whispered in her ear, “Looks like you’ve got your way, Annabelly.” She kissed Anna’s cheek and placed her right hand on her right hip. “Reed just told me y’all were running away tonight. I just knew Jerry still loved you. I’m so glad you came home. You’ve saved Rachel and Jerry from a lifetime of sadness. He would’ve never been happy, and Rachel would’ve been miserable.”
Anna said excitedly, “I still can’t believe it.” She was afraid to say much, in case things didn’t work out.
Chapter 16
Love Is a Battlefield
Jerry and Rachel drove back to his house in strained silence. He’d built the house with the help of some of his subcontractor friends. The three-bedroom brick house was the last house on the right in a subdivision located next to a large farm. Jerry had planted trees and landscaping in the front yard, but the backyard still had an old tractor lane with established trees from the family who’d previously owned the farm.
Jerry parked his truck beside Rachel’s red Mercedes. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. Rachel locked the door and draped the shoulder strap of her purse on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.
Jerry ran his fingers through his hair. “I need to talk to you.”
Rachel stretched and yawned. “Hon, I’m exhausted. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
Jerry turned and faced Rachel and pointed to the chair. She sat down and looked up at him. “Rachel, I’m not going to mince words here. I’m just going to tell you flat out.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at him and placed her left forearm on the kitchen table. “What are you saying, Jerry? Tell me flat out about what? That you banged Anna upstairs this afternoon? Do I look like an idiot? I could smell that bitch on you from a mile away. Now can I go to bed?” Rachel stood, but Jerry placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her from storming off.
Jerry looked into Rachel’s eyes and calmly said, “I can’t marry you. I don’t want to marry you.”
Rachel punched Jerry hard in the stomach, and then she gave him a roundhouse to his left eye. Jerry grabbed both her hands firmly to stop any further assault.
Rachel trembled, and her eyes bulged with anger. She shouted, “You cocksucker. Do you expect me to be a laughing stock among our family and friends? I thought you just needed to get her out of your system.”
Jerry narrowed his eyes at her. “If I let you go, are you going to hit me again?”
Rachel took some deep breaths in and out and shrugged out of his grip. “I’m not going to hit you.”
Jerry stepped away from Rachel and leaned against the kitchen cabinet. “Rachel, I will never have Anna out of my system, and I’ve told you how much I love her. You’ve always known, and I’ve never lied to you about my feelings for her.”
Rachel ran over to him and reared back to smack him again, but Jerry grabbed her wrist. “Jerry, you lied to me. You said you could be happy with me. You said we would have kids. You said you would marry me.” She stepped back to the table and placed her hands palms down to support herself, then stood there breathing hard.
Jerry closed his eyes briefly and said, “Yes, I did. I said all of those things. I’m sorry, Rachel, I am. I wanted to believe I could go through with it. And God knows you worried the shit out of me until I said yes. But I was honest and told you I was in love with Anna before we ever agreed to get married. You know I care for you, but you also know I’ve never loved you. You deserve more than I can give you, and so do I. I know you think you love me. But I’m just something your daddy couldn’t buy.” Jerry shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ll take full responsibility, and I’ll tell your parents.”
Rachel grabbed the glass flower vase off the table and threw it at Jerry. It smashed against the cabinets, missing Jerry’s head by inches and spraying fragments of glass across the room.
Jerry quickly ducked and shouted, “You crazy bitch. Have you lost your damn mind?
Rachel’s eyes were bloodshot and red. “Hell, yes, I’m the crazy bitch that is going to be your worse fucking nightmare. You will not call my family or my friends. I swear as I stand here, Jerry Mac, if you don’t marry me, you’ll come home from work one day and find your precious little Anna has met with some accident. Maybe a little battery acid to the face would do the trick.” She glared at him in a fit of fury.
Jerry strode across the room and slammed Rachel against the wall. His nostrils flared, and his tempered soared at the thought of Rachel hurting Anna. “I swear to all that is holy, if you touch one hair on Anna’s head, I’ll kill you.”
Rachel blinked and began to struggle to get out of his hands, and she kneed him in the groin. He stumbled backward. With hatred, he said, “I’ve never struck a woman in my life. But if you touch me again, I will. If you go near Anna, I swear, woman, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand me, Rachel? Do you hear what I’m saying?”
Rachel stepped over to him and spat in his face, and he wiped it off with the back of his hand. She shouted, “Do you think I care if you kill me? I don’t. If I can’t have you, then she can’t, either.”
Jerry grabbed his truck keys off the counter and started toward the door. Rachel ran and grabbed his arm. “Don’t do this, Jerry. Don’t leave me.” He jerked away and looked down at her with sadness. What had he seen in her? He’d never even known Rachel, not really.
Rachel let him go, straightened her shoulders, and jutted out her chin. “If you walk out the door, I’ll call my daddy. He knows some pretty unsavory people from back east. They’re really good at cutting off fingers and making people disappear. It’ll be kind of hard for Anna to practice medicine without fingers.”
Jerry looked at Rachel and saw nothing but pure evil. A quiet calm came over him, and he knew he was in the presence of his guardian. He said in a low and even tone, “I’m leaving. You have one week to get your things out of my house.” And he walked out the door, got into his truck, and drove straight to Nelson Doune Farms.
* * *
Rachel watched in dismay as Jerry pulled out of their driveway. Had it only been two days ago that Jerry had held her in his arms and made love to her? Then her life turned completely upside down with the passing of Joseph Campbell.
Rachel’s stomach muscles had clenched with panic yesterday when Anna had bumped into Jerry at Ruby’s house. The look the two had exchanged had Rachel all twisted up inside. She had tried to act like everything was normal. Jerry had been most attentive to her through the funeral—until this afternoon, that is.
Rachel and Jerry had gone to the wake at Everglade Farms after the burial. Rachel had pitched in and helped Lee and Ruby in the kitchen. The more the afternoon wore on, the more cocktails Rachel drank. She had wanted to smoke a cigarette and Sandy asked her to go outside for some air. Rachel hadn’t thought anything odd about Sandy’s request until she walked back into the house and found Jerry and Anna gone.
Rachel had shot Sandy a knowing look. Sandy had played her. That bitch was going to get hers, too. Rachel had stood in the Glenn’s den barely comprehending the conversations carrying on around her. That was when she’d noticed Jerry descend the stairs. He’d strolled over to the bar and poured a shot of whiskey. He tossed it back without blinking. Then he’d joined her. Jerry had talked a
nd laughed with Brent and Reed, but Rachel smelled the whore on him.
Rachel had shaken with anger on their ride home. Jerry had driven in silence. She’d followed him inside to the kitchen where a sense of foreboding engulfed her. Like she had a weight placed around her neck. Jerry had broken their engagement. Rachel had addressed and stamped their wedding invitations, and they were in the outgoing mailbox at Jerry’s office. The church had been booked, along with the country club for the reception.
Now that Jerry was gone for good, Rachel slowly made her way into the living area and picked up a photo of her and Jerry skiing in Colorado last winter. She placed the photo back on the mantel and turned around to look at her well-ordered and stylishly-decorated home. No, not her home. Jerry told her she had one week to move out. Damn it all to hell. After all the time they had shared, he gave her one week to move out. Rachel flew into a rage. She placed her hands on the mantel and swept their photos off with such force they smashed into the wall before crashing to the floor.
“Watch it, human. You nearly hit me.” Luc leaned against the wall with one foot over the other. He walked over to the mantel and reached down for one of the photos. “Fun times, huh?”
Rachel looked at the man standing by the fireplace. “You. You’re the one who did this? You’re the one who was on the porch?” She went to hit Luc, and he threw her against the wall with his mind. Rachel fell to the ground and blood trickled from her lip.
“Be careful, human. I gave you the boy. You couldn’t keep him. Now he’s gone back to Anna, and their team is solidified again. You worthless piece of shit.”
Rachel’s eyes went wide with terror. She didn’t move from the floor, but her body rose off the ground, and she was thrown again into the couch. Rachel screamed, “I think you just broke my arm, asshole.”
Luc laughed. “Really? And I wasn’t even trying. Now, why don’t you tell me what you’re going to do to prevent Jerry from marrying Anna? Because if you don’t, the demons inside you now will seem like silly schoolgirls on a picnic when I get inside you.”