Only Heaven Knows (Hell Yeah!)

by Sable Hunter

  Bryn beamed. “I think that sounds wonderful.”

  They drove up to the clinic and Denver helped her take the plant in for a woman who was recovering from surgery. “Here you go, your own little piece of the tropics,” Bryn announced as they wheeled the palm in and set it in place.

  The woman was thrilled. “You know, I work with all men at the refinery and when they asked me what kind of flowers I liked, I told them big ones.”

  She laughed, and Bryn laughed. “Well, I think you got what you asked for.”

  As they left the clinic hand in hand, Denver raised her palm to his lips for a kiss. “Do you know what I want?”

  Bryn thought about being coy or cute. Saying she didn’t know or suggesting they go out to dinner or something. “I think you want the same thing I want.” She gazed at his face with all the love her heart could hold. “You want to make love to me.”

  Denver swept her up into his arms and carried her to the van. “I knew you were a mind reader. My place or yours?”

  “I don’t care,” she said as he settled her into her seat and fastened her seat belt to make sure she was safe. “As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.”

  * * *

  They ended up at her place.

  “We can start making plans for our future, can’t we?” she asked as they slowly undressed one another.

  “Sure can.” He buried his face in her neck and pressed her body to his. Denver breathed deeply and held her tight, probably too tight. He felt possessive and desperate, holding her close to combat the panic that threatened to rise each time he realized how close he’d come to losing her forever. “I never want to lose you,” he whispered.

  “Shhh, you won’t.”

  She ran gentle fingers through his hair and clutched at his cheeks, pulling his face from her neck so she could kiss his mouth. Denver felt warmth running through his veins, he was cold no more. Running his hands down her back and over her naked bottom, he tugged her even closer, fitting her leg between his, ensuring she went nowhere. “I couldn’t stand it, I’ve lost enough in my life, I wouldn’t survive losing…”

  Her lips cut him off as she kissed him hard. Denver moaned as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, pushing against her just as hard as she was holding herself to him. Desperate. As they kissed, the realization that this was real seemed to settle into their minds and their desperation melted into intense relief.

  They kissed until they couldn’t, but their lips never parted, they just touched, as if holding their place. Finally, Denver guided her into the bed. “Lay with me, I need to hold you a second or two first.”

  She gladly went with him, allowing his hands to arrange her just the way he wanted her – tucked her under his arm, her head resting on his chest. “I don’t know how to say this, I don’t want to sound bossy.”

  Bryn giggled. “Boss me, I might like it. There’s a section in my Joy book about domination and BDSM sex.”

  Denver groaned, “I have got to read that book.” He pushed her hair from her eyes. “No, I’m talking about what you do. Your miracles. I don’t want you to do it anymore or as much.” Before she could say anything, he laid a finger over her mouth. “Not because I think it’s bad or you’re bad or anything like that.” His voice dropped in register, became hoarse. “I need to protect you. I don’t want anyone to know. I’m afraid. I don’t even like that Mother Superior knows.” He scoffed, slamming his head back against the pillow. “I guess I’ve watched too many science-fiction shows, but it scares me what other people might do to you or expect from you.”

  Bryn kissed him on the chest. “I know what you’re talking about and I agree. Inside the convent, I was protected to a degree, but out here…in the world, I’m vulnerable. I still can’t explain how or why I can do what I do, I don’t guess I’ll ever know for sure, but I’ll do what you ask. In fact, I’d already decided to stop.” She traced a lacy pattern on his abs. “Except…maybe…in cases of emergency.”

  “Yea.” He nodded. “I know. We can’t ever say never. Who knows what life might hold.”

  The room was lit by a warm glow as the moon shone through the window. Denver thought she looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. “You take my breath away, Miss Bryn.” Denver rolled to his side and gathered her close. He couldn’t seem to give her any space, he wanted her as close to him as possible. Constantly.

  Bryn could feel his erection between them. Large. Thick. Throbbing. Knowing he needed her, she slipped a hand between them and let her fingers close around his cock. His eyes opened wide as her grip tightened. She watched his face, gauging how good this made him feel. “You like this?” she asked as she began to stroke.

  “What do you think?” he fell back to the bed, so she could have her way with him.

  Bryn propped up on one elbow and enjoyed the sight of her hand gripping and pulling at his cock. His back arched and Denver grunted as her fingers tightened and pulled, moving up and down his shaft as his heels dug into the mattress. “This is called jacking you off, is it not?”

  “Holy shhh…you can call it anything you want to, just as long as you don’t stop!”

  Bryn loved it, she was so turned on she couldn’t be still. She began to kiss his chest, her hips rocking, her leg thrown over his, so her pussy could grind against his thigh. And all the time she pumped him.

  Denver was so near to coming, his eyes were crossed. “Need you. Want to be in you.”

  Bryn laughed with joy. “I can always tell when you’re near, you start the cave man talk.”

  “Cave man talk, huh? I never noticed.” He rolled toward her, lifting one of her legs to rest on his hip. “Now come closer.” He reached under her and tugged her body to align with his. “You are so pretty, so perfect,” he whispered as he ran his fingers over her delicate sex. “Always warm, always wet for me.”

  “Always.” Bryn took his cock in hand and fit him to her. When Denver rolled his hips, he pushed in and groaned as he felt her sweet warmth give way to make room for him inside her body. “Oh, Denver,” she whimpered, her eyes shutting in sheer bliss.

  Tight. So tight. Denver threw his head back and growled as her muscles constricted and her hips pushed forward to meet the downward drive of his cock. “You want me, don’t you?”

  “More than anything.” He ran a finger down to where they were joined, just rejoicing in the way they came together. “See? You were right. You were made for me. We just fit.”

  “Yes, we fit. Perfectly. Now, take me.” She looked up into his eyes as she ran her hand over his back, moving up to clutch his shoulder. “Make me forever yours.” Her hips lifted as he began to move, driving his cock deep and then retracting. As he thrust in and out of her body – over and over – she gasped in quiet, sweet sounds. “Don’t hold back,” she encouraged him and as the need rose within him, he didn’t hold back.

  Losing himself within her, Denver drove home again and again. Impaling her. Taking her balls deep. Again and again. Loving how she reached around to clutch his ass, her nails digging in as she pulled him against her. Push. Pull. Snapping his hips. Faster. Deeper. Harder. Holding on to the head board.

  “Denver!” she keened, her nails scoring his skin as she came.

  “Again,” he told her. “Again. Let’s celebrate.”

  Brynn giggled as she panted, weak from ecstasy. “I love celebrating with you.”

  “Good.” Still joined to her sated body, he pulled her higher on his thighs as he sat up, bringing her with him so they sat face to face, her astraddle his body. “Now, I can reach you better,” he whispered as he palmed her breasts, then bent to suck her nipple into his mouth. Laving, soothing and licking, humming and moaning, making her wiggle to get closer. “Like that?”

  “Oh, yea. More.”

  Denver gave her more, worshiping her breasts until he could feel himself nearing the precipice. “I love you,” he whispered as he continued to fuck her fast and hard, slamming into her, then freezing as his muscles w
ent rigid.

  Bryn framed his cheeks and came with him, pulling his mouth to hers. “I love you, too. So much.” She held his face close as he emptied himself into her, pushing once more, forcing himself as deep inside of her as he could go.

  For a brief eternity they held one another, just luxuriating in the reality that they were together. No more secrets. No more doubts. They were just about to doze off to sleep when Denver’s phone buzzed. “Nope, not answering,” he muttered, too content to move.

  The phone stopped, then started again.

  “You’d better answer.” Bryn pushed at his shoulder. “It might be important.” When he didn’t move, she pushed again. “At least see who it is.”

  With a groan, he rolled over and hung over the bed, tugging the phone out of the pocket of his pants. The name he saw on the caller ID made his heart stop. “It’s my mother.”

  The phone quit ringing.

  “Your mother?” Bryn understood what this meant.

  The phone began to ring anew. “I can’t answer it. I know what she wants to say, and I can’t hear it. Not again.”

  Bryn hurt so much for Denver. “What do you mean?”

  “The day I had the wreck, I’d just got a birthday card from her.”

  Alarmed, Bryn sat straight up. “I missed your birthday!”

  “No. No.” He sighed. “It was Louis’s birthday. She sent me a card just to remind me of what I’ve done. Of what they lost.”

  Bryn put her arm around him. “Oh, Denver, I’m so sorry.”

  “I went to the liquor store and bought everything I could find. I was swigging on a bottle of Jack Daniels when our song came on the radio.”

  “Our song?”

  He scoffed. “Broken Halos. Yea, I know. Not our song. But it made me think of you.”

  Bryn wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest. “What did you do?”

  “I wheeled into a roadside park and dumped it in the garbage can, but when I started to leave, I went to turn off the radio and…I didn’t look.”

  “Oh, no.” Bryn felt the fear and pain of finding him dying all over again.

  “The car crashed into me and…” He looked up at her. “It was bad.”

  She nodded. “It was bad.”

  Denver fell back. For the first time, he realized how close he’d come to dying. “And then, you came.”

  “Yes.” Thank God. “I came.”

  The phone rang again. Denver picked up his cell and looked at it. “Why would I answer it? I know what she’s going to say.”

  “No, you don’t.” She pushed on his arm. “Do it.”

  Denver surrendered, pressed the button and answered, “Hello?”

  Bryn couldn’t hear well, but she could just make out a woman’s voice.

  “Oh, Denver.” She could hear crying. “I’m so sorry. I never should’ve sent that card. I didn’t mean it. I know I was wrong. Come home. I need to see you.”

  “Mom?” Denver held Bryn’s gaze. “Do you mean it? Can you forgive me?”

  “Yes, I can. Your father and I have wasted too many years blaming you. You made it easier for him to hurt himself, but the ultimate decision was Louis’s. This was his mistake, not yours. Come home. We lost one son, we don’t want to lose two.”

  Denver wiped his eyes. “I’ll come soon. I just got a new job. I’m a foreman of a ranch now.” He smiled. “And I just got engaged, Mom. You’ll love her. She’s the most beautiful woman in the whole world.”

  “We can’t wait to meet her. Call us and let us know when you can come. We’ll be waiting.”

  When the phone call ended, Denver eyed Bryn. “Did you do that?” He waggled the phone at her.

  “No, I did not. I’m innocent.” She smiled.

  “That’s debatable.” He was about to pull her into his arms, when the phone rang again.

  “My goodness.” Denver checked the caller ID and saw it was Tricia. “It’s your boss.”

  “Answer it,” Bryn urged. “She’s calling on your phone, probably to check on you.”

  “Hello? This is Denver.”

  “Denver, I’m so glad I caught you. I started not to tell you, but I did something…” She paused. “Lance and I were worried about you. After you confided in him about your parents, we got to thinking how great it would be if you could reconcile. When you wrecked, we felt like they’d want to know. So, Lance found them, and I called. You’ll probably be hearing from them soon. Please, don’t be mad.” She rushed the last four words.

  “She’s already called,” Denver said evenly. “And I’m not mad at you. I’m grateful.”

  “Oh, good.” Tricia sounded like she’d collapsed with relief. “Sorry to butt in on your life, but a person can’t have too many guardian angels, can they?”

  “No, they can’t.” Denver locked gazes with Bryn. “No man should ever be without his guardian angel.”

  * * *

  Three months later

  As the clock alarm chimed, Bryn stretched and laughed. This was the first morning ever that she welcomed the wake-up call. Her favorite radio program was playing, and she lay still and listened, thinking how glad she was to be alive.

  “Hold on to your hats, listeners. Our favorite couple is back on the radio. Denver Bolden has outdone himself, ladies and gentlemen.”

  Hearing her fiancé’s name, she rolled over and stared at the radio, her eyes wide with anticipation. “The note I have in my hand reads… Good morning, angel. Today’s our wedding day. Doesn’t that tug at your heart strings? So, here goes. Charley Pride’s Kiss An Angel Good Morning goes out to Denver Bolden’s sweetheart and bride-to-be, Miss Bryn Harmon!”

  “Yay!” she yelled to everyone and no one. “I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

  As the day progressed, she didn’t change her mind, despite a few setbacks. The rehearsal had gone without a hitch the night before, but the wedding seemed to be fraught with mishaps. Everything from a mix-up with the tuxedos to the preacher coming down with the stomach flu. They managed to find a new tuxedo and a different preacher, but when they got to the church, they found a wiring problem had left them with no electricity.

  “No problem, just use more candles.” Bryn was nonplussed, today was her day and she intended to enjoy it.

  In the dressing room, she sat in front of the mirror while Kristen did her make-up and Tricia fussed with her hair. “You are one beautiful bride,” Tricia told her. “Denver is a very lucky man.”

  “I hope so. I want him to be as happy as I am.”

  “Believe me, he already is. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s practically walking on air every time I see him,” Kristen added as she applied an extra coat of lip gloss.

  Bang! Bang!

  “Oh, no, what now?” Tricia asked. “I can’t handle another crisis.”

  “What is it?” Bryn called, still as cool as a cucumber.

  “It’s me, Avery! I can’t find the punch! Where did you guys put it?” She poked her head in to see what their answer would be.

  Bryn looked at herself in the mirror. “Where is the punch? I know we made it.”

  “Oh, no!” Kristen put her hand over her mouth. “I think I left it in the van and the van is…”

  “On its way to Mr. Schumacher’s funeral,” Tricia finished for her. “I’m so sorry, Bryn.”

  Tap! Tap!

  Avery didn’t ask who it was, she just opened the door.

  “Denver! You can’t come in here!”

  “Sorry.” Denver put his hand over his eyes. “I need to speak to Bryn.”

  Bryn rose, concerned. “Denver Bolden, if you’re thinking about backing out now, forget it!”

  “Oh, no, not a chance, doll. We just have a little problem.”

  “Another one?” Tricia moaned. “We can’t handle another problem.”

  “Everything will be fine, just let me talk to my groom.” Bryn held up the hem of her wedding gown and went to meet Denver. “What’s wrong?”

  Denver pulled her
into the hall. “We’ve had an accident with the rings.”

  “Oh, no. What happened?”

  “Lance and Jacob were helping little B. T. tie them to the pillow and Aron sneezed.”

  “Oh, no.” Bryn shook her head. Aron was known for his notoriously huge sneezes.

  “B. T. jumped and dropped the pillow and the rings rolled off and fell down a heating vent. We’ve tried to get them out, but we can’t, not without calling a plumber.”

  “And there’s not enough time.” Bryn sympathized.

  “We have a church full of people. We can’t keep them waiting. Do you want to get married without rings?”

  “And without punch. Our refreshments are on their way to a funeral,” Bryn frowned.

  Denver began to laugh. “If I were a superstitious man, I’d say we were cursed.”

  “Not cursed.” She kissed him on his lips, loving how he kept his eyes carefully hidden. “Challenged.”

  Denver sighed. “I think you’re going to have to do…something.”

  “Something?” Bryn asked. “What do you mean?”

  Denver shrugged. “I don’t like it, but I think you’re going to have to…you know.” Suddenly, he realized he sounded just like I Dream of Jeannie’s Tony Nelson, when he had to give in and ask Jeannie to fix some catastrophe on the old television show.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Denver nodded. “I want your wedding to be perfect.”

  Bryn kissed him on the cheek. “My wedding is already perfect.” She went to tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “Because I’m marrying you.”

  “God, I love you.”

  “I know.” She gave him a push. “Now, go lift the ring bearer’s pillow, the rings are underneath. Then, go to the kitchen and fill up the punch bowls with water. They’ll be filled with punch before you set them on the counter.”

  Denver chuckled. “Water into wine, I should’ve known.”

  …As the music swelled, Denver stood at the altar and watched as his angel came floating down the aisle on the arm of Isaac McCoy. When he took her hand, he felt complete, and when he pledged his heart, he meant every word. The day was perfect, despite the little things that had gone wrong. He glanced out into the crowd and saw his neighbors and his friends. Even more miraculous, his mother and father sat on the second row.