by D. F. Jones
Rachel straightened her spine and smoothed out the covers on her bed. “Dr. Adams is good, and I like her. She’s arranging for me to see someone in Tennessee.”
Jack looked into her eyes with such compassion and kindness, and her heart squeezed tight. He wasn’t just drop-dead gorgeous; Jack was a really good guy. He said, “Hey, your parents are here. They’re right outside. Ready to see them?”
Rachel’s eyes brightened, and her face lit up with a smile. “Please, I’d love to see my parents.”
Jack smiled, and faint lines creased around his eyes. “Okay, I’ll send them in. Oh, I have to leave the hospital, but I’ll check on you later tonight. The staff can get in touch with me at any time. I’ve given them instructions to alert me if you need anything. Rachel, you’re going to be all right.”
Rachel began to cry. “Jack, thank you so much for your kindness. You’ve been very good to me.”
Jack touched her shoulder for a brief moment. His eyes held hers, and for the first time, she had a real honest connection with someone. He said, “You’re welcome and ah, well, maybe when I’m no longer your doctor we could go to dinner or something.”
Rachel’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “Dr. Forrester, I would love to go to dinner with you.”
Jack pulled on the lapels of his white coat. “Well, then, that’s the best news I’ve had lately. I’ll get your parents.” He walked over and opened the door. Nelson and Betty Doune stepped into the room and rushed to their daughter’s bedside. Jack looked over his shoulder for a second, smiled, and shut the door behind him.
* * *
Three days later
Jerry looked out at the white sand beach as the crystal clear waves crashed onto shore. A warm ocean breeze caressed his skin like a lover’s kiss, and he smiled, thinking of Anna. The sun sat low on the horizon against a backdrop of deep blue skies, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. A couple of seagulls squawked in the distance. Jerry glanced down at his watch and was getting a little anxious. He stood with Jack at his side. The judge had his back to the ocean, and Maria stood on the other side of the judge. They were waiting for his beautiful bride-to-be.
Jerry looked around Cary’s estate. The place could be a set of a romantic movie. Maria’s brother’s band played a soft Spanish melody. He wore a pair of crisp white linen trousers and a long-sleeved white silk shirt. And Jack, the damn S.O.B., looked like he could star in a romance flick. Jerry decided to forget about the fact that Jack crushed on his girl.
The music switched melodies, and the band began to play the “Wedding Song (There is love).” Jerry glanced up, and Anna stood at the top of the steps with her hand in the crook of Cary’s arm. Anna was his, all right, and she only had eyes for him. Jerry looked into her shining, bright eyes, and they reflected back to him the same kind of love he felt for her.
The ocean breeze caught the soft strands of her hair, and one blew across her face. Anna tucked it behind her ear and laughed. She wore a creamy white halter top evening gown with the pearl necklace he bought her their last Christmas together before she left for medical school. Jerry glanced down and chuckled. Anna was also barefoot. God, he loved her. He wanted to memorize every detail of the moment.
The soft strings of the acoustic guitars played in the background. The ceiling fans on the veranda rotated slowly, and he inhaled the salty smell of the ocean mixed with the sweet smell of old garden roses. The stress of the last few days became a distant memory as he took in another lungful of fresh air. He was looking into paradise, and her name was Anna Kelly.
* * *
Anna smiled down at Jerry and had the sudden urge to run down the steps to him, but Cary placed her hand in the crook of his arm. He leaned in and said, “You ready, Anna?”
Anna was giddy as a schoolgirl and nodded. “Cary, I’m ready. Let’s go.” Cary chuckled as they descended the steps. She kept her eyes on Jerry and his beautiful dimples. She was ready to kiss those dimples.
Ralph materialized on her other side. “You’re exceptionally beautiful, daughter of my heart. I know you can’t say anything, but I’m happy for you and very proud.”
Anna stopped once her feet landed on the grass. She turned to face Ralph and squeezed his hand. Anna said aloud, “I love you, Ralph.” He smiled.
Cary looked at Anna and said, “Honey, who are you talking to?”
Anna turned back to Cary and gave him a grin. “Why, my guardian angel, of course.” Cary chuckled and shook his head.
Anna looked back at Jerry, and standing behind him was the beautiful Luwenia. Anna chuckled and noticed Luwenia only had eyes for Ralph. Anna whispered to Ralph, “You might get lucky today. I see an angel over there who has your number.”
Ralph tensed and said, “Jehoshaphat, she’s the most beautiful creature in the universe.” Luwenia nodded and gave him a smile. She had heard every word, and Ralph straightened his shoulders and walked with renewed purpose.
Anna thought about everything that had brought her to this moment in her life and knew she had received many blessings. She closed the gap between her and Jerry by speeding up her steps. He tossed his head back and laughed.
Anna reached over and kissed Cary on the cheek. Jerry held out his hand to her, and she slipped her hand into his. Anna didn’t pay attention to what the judge was saying because her mind was on kissing Jerry, among other things that she wanted to do to him. The energy of love rose and fell around her. A faint glow of light surrounded the couple as Anna repeated her vows. A tear of joy trickled down her cheek, and Jerry stopped it with his kiss.
Jerry repeated his vows, and before he slipped the ring on her finger, he said, “I give this ring to you as my wedding gift. Think of me when you wear it and always remember that I love you with all of my heart.”
Anna slipped the wedding ring on his finger as she stared into his dreamy blues. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. I will never stop loving you. My love for you will never end because it will last through eternity.”
Before the judge could get the words out, Jerry scooped Anna up and kissed her as she circled her arms around his neck. The judge coughed and said, “May I present Mr. and Mrs. Jerry McDaniel.” Everyone clapped and laughter scattered among the guests.
Maria’s brother’s band began to play their guitars and sing “Novia Mia.” Jack kissed her on the cheek and shook Jerry’s hand, but Jerry grabbed Jack and hugged him. Then Jerry kissed Maria, who blushed several shades of red. Cary gave Jerry a hug and Anna a kiss on the forehead before hugging her tightly.
The wedding party began to stroll toward the veranda where the food and cocktails were waiting for them. Jerry caught Anna’s hand and pulled her back behind one of the old moss oak trees. His hands cupped her face, and he kissed her again, slow and passionate. Time seemed to stand still, and in the distance, the roll-and-crash rhythm of the ocean waves sang in the air.
True love was a gift. Some people never recognized true love, while others allow true love to slip through their fingers. Then there are the fortunate few who do realize true love, lose it, and by the grace of The Creator are given a second chance. Anna and Jerry were the fortunate few who received a second chance at love. She would never take Jerry’s love for granted again, ever. Anna would always cherish his love unto her dying breath. And when the time came, true love would take them—together—when they crossed over to the other side.
Epilogue
Heaven
December 1985
Jerry surprised Anna a month after she moved back to Tennessee by buying the old white plantation house next to Ditch Lane. Anna and Jerry spent the next six months renovating and restoring the property. The old place had been in such disarray, but with Jerry’s enthusiasm over the place, Anna saw all kinds of possibilities. The house had a wide wraparound porch with an old-fashioned charm. They replaced the old windows and added a screened-in back porch with a breezeway giving them a back entrance from the barn.
The old house needed a c
omplete renovation. Jerry hired local subcontractors to repair the old foundation, replace old wiring and plumbing, and even knock out a couple of walls to give them a more open-space atmosphere. Anna picked out wide-planked hickory floors throughout the house and worked with a local contractor to create a huge kitchen. Jerry had also added a fireplace she could see from their great room on one side and kitchen on the other. The end of the project had resulted in a home of their dreams.
Tonight, Anna and Jerry, along with Sandy, were throwing Ruby and Reed a baby party with all of their old friends and family. It was going to be the first time she and Jerry entertained as a married couple.
Anna pulled a tray of homemade sugar cookies out of her double oven and placed them on the cooling rack, then slipped a tray of fried chicken wings back inside the oven and set the thermostat to warm. Anna’s mother, Christine, had helped her cook for the party all day. Her father, David was spending the day with Jerry.
The sweet smell of sugar and vanilla made her stomach growl, so she grabbed a cookie and took a bite. God, she loved homemade Christmas cookies. Her mom had just left to get ready for the party.
After placing the cookies in a container, Anna took off her apron and headed toward the back stairs when the phone rang. Anna glanced down at her watch. She only had an hour before guests would start arriving and needed to get dressed. “Hello.”
Sandy said, “Hey, jellybean. I’m leaving the station and just need to run to my apartment and change clothes. Do you need me to pick up anything from the store before I head out?”
Anna thought for a minute and said, “Grab a couple of bags of ice. I have two, but you never know if people are going to drink beer or cocktails. I’d rather be safe than sorry. Hey, be careful driving. It’s spitting snow out here.”
Sandy laughed and said, “Uh… I work at a news station. We’re supposed to get several inches of snow by morning, so I’m spending the night, okay?”
Anna started up the stairs with the phone when Jerry walked in the back door and smiled. She said, “We would love for you to stay. Jerry just picked up the rocking chair, and he’s holding a huge teddy bear. It’s adorable.”
Sandy sighed. “Aw, I can’t wait to babysit.”
Anna giggled when Jerry started kissing her ear. “We’ll have to draw straws. See you soon. Gotta go.”
Sandy replied, “Gotta plow.”
The rocking chair had a huge red bow around it. Jerry placed the rocker next to the Christmas tree in the great room and sat the teddy bear in the seat. Anna came up behind him and circled her arms around his waist, and he grabbed her hands. She leaned her face against his back. “That’s the cutest teddy bear, and I love the rocking chair. Come on, let’s hurry upstairs and get ready.”
Jerry turned around to face her and dropped his hands to her waist. “Woman, you just want to take advantage of me before the party gets started.” He grinned and kissed her.
“You’re damn straight. The last one in the shower is a rotten egg.” Anna ran toward the stairs before he could catch her.
Jerry yelled as he ran behind her, “First one has to eat it.”
* * *
Sandy parked in front of her apartment building in a tow-away zone and placed her press pass in the window so her car wouldn’t get towed. She grabbed her purse, threw it over her shoulder, and sprinted through the double doors of her apartment building to the elevators. When the doors opened, she pressed the button to the third floor. Right as the doors were about to shut, a man wearing black trousers and a black turtleneck slid inside. He looked at Sandy and nodded, but she didn’t make eye contact.
As the elevator cables jerked and pulled in ascent, the man leaned over and pressed the stop button. Sandy said, “What the hell are you doing?”
The man swung around, slammed Sandy against the elevator wall, and pressed his forearm to her throat, cutting off her air. Sandy jabbed the heel of her pump into his foot, and he yelled but kept pressing harder until she was on the verge of passing out. A thunderbolt of panic shot through her when a sudden flash of white light filled the confined space. The man who had her pinned against the wall of the elevator was pulled away. Sandy held her throat, coughed several times, and tried to catch her breath.
Sandy’s hand went to her mouth in complete shock at the beautiful being who was beating the ever-loving shit out of her attacker. In horror, Sandy watched a demon depart from her attacker’s soul.
The demon hissed and yelled, “You’re breaking the rules, Baldric.”
Baldric yelled back, “Tough shit.” And he ran the demon through with his blinding blade of light. The demon turned to ash and disappeared.
Baldric spun around and reached out to touch Sandy’s face but stopped himself before he made contact. He said, “Are you okay?”
Sandy catapulted herself into his massive arms and cried, “Thank you, oh, thank you.”
Sandy leaned her face against his golden-armored chest in relief, and Baldric stroked her hair and then her cheek. “It’s okay, little girl. Everything is going to be all right, but we need to get you to your room before this asshole wakes up.”
Sandy glanced down at her attacker. “He’s not dead?”
Baldric chuckled. “Nah, but he may wish he was when he wakes up with not only a massive headache but no memory of the last ten years.” He leaned over and pressed the third-floor button, and Sandy clung onto Baldric’s bicep.
Inside her apartment, Sandy couldn’t take her eyes off Baldric. He stood, at least six foot six and had to weigh two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle, or what she thought was muscle. He was solid regardless. Baldric had long wavy blond hair that fell over his shoulders, and she stared into the depths of his sea-green eyes. Sandy smiled because she remembered him. The last time Sandy had seen Baldric, she’d been nine years old. “Why did you wait so long to come to me? Why? I needed you.”
Baldric’s expression softened, and when he locked eyes with hers, she completely forgot to breathe. He said, “I should’ve, but I’ve always been with you since you were born. It was just safer to watch over you.”
Sandy narrowed her eyes, and she shouted, “Bullshit. You’re afraid of me, and you desire me—you desire me right now. I see it in your eyes, and you smell like chocolate pie. You want me, Baldric?” She went over to him and ran her hands across the top of his shoulders and down his bulging biceps. Sandy reached down, brought his hand to her mouth and pressed a kiss.
Baldric was breathing hard. His nostrils flared, and his fingers twitched as he pushed her away. “Stop it, Sandy. I’m not just a piece of ass. I’ve loved you your entire life. I know all of your weaknesses and your strengths, and I know why you sleep with all of those men. I’ve always known. I read your thoughts just like you read others.”
Sandy stumbled backward and dropped down on her loveseat. “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I feel.”
Baldric walked over and leaned against the brick wall next to the eight-foot window that overlooked Broadway and Second Avenue in downtown Nashville. “That’s where you would be wrong. You have walled off everyone except your best friends from Everglade. You can’t fulfill the loneliness in your heart with casual sex.” Baldric crossed his arms over his chest and revealed the most arousing set of forearms and biceps Sandy had ever seen.
Sandy stood up, walked straight up to him, and cupped his chin with her hand. “Wanna find out?”
Baldric grabbed her wrists. “Saints preserve us, woman. You haven’t listened to a thing I’ve said. You need to get dressed. You have a party to go to, remember?”
Sandy smiled at him wickedly and reached up behind her neck and unhooked the clasp to her dress. She slowly unzipped it and followed his eyes as her dress hit the floor. He may be her warrior angel, but he liked her the way a man likes a woman.
She said, “You know, I run around in here naked all the time.” Baldric’s eyes went atomic bomb, and she could smell cocoa and vanilla. Yep, he desired her. Baldric always
gave off this completely decadent scent when he was aroused. Sandy chuckled. “Ah, but you already knew that, didn’t you?” She turned and sashayed her hips back and forth. Right before she went into her bedroom, she turned back to him and blew him a kiss, then slammed the door.
* * *
Baldric wondered if his superiors were merely testing his resolve or punishing him for his previous lapses in judgment over the last two millennia. Sandy was one incredible human female, and he wanted her. He was shaking so badly that the wall he leaned against shook, too. Dust fell from the rafters.
Baldric materialized into the hall corridor so he couldn’t smell her sweet scent like ripe peaches ready for the plucking. Then he slapped himself on the forehead. That demon in the elevator had meant business this afternoon, and Baldric couldn’t allow his sexual weakness to interfere with the safety and protection of his ward, the lovely Sandra Daireann Cothran.
Sandy’s apartment door opened, and she stepped out in the hallway wearing a little black dress. Baldric went stiff as a freaking board. Ah, Michael must be laughing his ass off right about now.
Sandy glanced over and said, “You might as well show yourself because you smell like hot chocolate, and I could smell you even if I were standing on Capitol Hill. Come on, you can ride up front with me on the way to Everglade.” Sandy walked to the elevator, and Baldric appeared behind her. Without looking at him, she said, “You have to tell me everything you know about the man’s brain you just peeled. I know Cole Steele sent him. I could see him when the attacker choked me.” That was when she turned, and the air backed up in his lungs. Sandy pinned him with a stare from her beautiful eyes—hazel with tiny specks of golds and browns that surrounded her pupils.
She said, “You have to prepare me for battle, Baldric. I can’t continue being a pantser.” He chuckled as he read her thoughts. She was tired of flying by the seat of her pants. Baldric followed her into the elevator and readied his sword to strike at a moment’s notice.