Summer Storm

by Letitia Healy

  Simon moaned, "Oh, my God, Jane. That woman is truly wicked. I hate to say that about anyone, but when I think how close I came to losing you…" His voice faltered. "I never really loved her… oh, I was infatuated, of course, Mona could be charming when she wanted to be. I don't think she was ever faithful to me—I hate saying these things, but you must understand what made me act the way I did. During the first year of our marriage, she took great delight in flaunting her affairs in my face and I went through hell. I blamed myself. I kept telling myself that if I could have made her happy, she wouldn't have bothered with other men. I know now it's a kind of sickness with her, but I began to doubt my ability to make any woman happy. I fell in love with you almost the moment I saw you, but I was afraid that I would fail with you as I had failed with Mona. Later, when I saw you with John Baxter and David Webber, I almost went mad with jealousy."

  "Is that why, when I came back after being at Baxter Farms after my accident, you were so friendly with Mona?" Jane asked softly.

  "Of course," Simon said with a groan. "I had some crazy idea that if I made you jealous, you might appreciate me more."

  Jane laughed softly. "Appreciate you? I was head-over-heels in love with you."

  "Oh, darling. I've been so stupid. Can you ever forgive me?"

  "I'm willing to spend a lifetime trying," Jane said simply.

  Simon reached up and pulled her head down and kissed her tenderly. "Speaking of spending a lifetime together, what are you going to tell John?"

  "I don't think it will be difficult," Jane answered thoughtfully. "He already knows that I love you, but he was willing to marry me anyway. He is such a good man that I know he'll be happy for us."

  "Well, I guess I don't qualify as a good man," Simon laughed. "If you were to marry someone else, I honestly believe that I could kill him. Anyway, the car will be back from the garage on Monday and we will set out immediately for Toronto and get a marriage license."

  "The car!" Jane gasped. "That was the other question I wanted to ask you. Where was the car when I arrived? If it had been here, I would never have stayed."

  "You mean if the car hadn't been in for a tune-up and you had seen it, you would have known I was in the house and just driven away again?" Simon asked.

  "Of course," Jane answered.

  "Oh, Jane," Simon said as he reached for her. "I don't want to think about how close I came to losing you forever."

  She felt the familiar shock of his lips on hers, transforming her whole body into a kind of burning frenzy, a hunger she knew would now be appeased.