by Mimi Barbour
They sauntered along the cobblestone lane past rows of cottages barely visible behind abundant beech trees interspersed with birches.
Buddy, wearing a white bow Amy had attached to his collar, pranced in front of the two females, sensing how very handsome he looked in his finery.
“Mummy? Aren’t you excited to see what your presents are? I made you something, but it isn’t very big. I hope you like it. Do you want me to tell you what it is?”
Dani’s sad thoughts lifted for the first time that day. “No, darling. Please let me be surprised. I have no doubt that, whatever it is, it will be my favourite gift of the day.”
“No, it won’t. I know what your best gift will be, but I can’t say anything.” To make sure, Amy plastered her hand over her mouth and looked adorable as she shook her head in a negative way. Lifting two fingers, she added, “You could torture me, and I still won’t tell. I promised!”
“Then you mustn’t say another word.” Dani knew her daughter well, and her penchant for blurting out the very thing she tried to hide. She only hoped the girl retained this flaw as a teenager. It would make life as her mother a whole lot simpler.
Upon their arrival, Dani pasted a smile on her face, greeting each person with a hug, a kiss, and kind words. She played her part well as she wove through the room toward the kitchen and Mrs. Dorn’s welcoming arms.
“Lass, you’re a sight for me poor old eyes. It’s lovely you look, but then, I never expected less.” Chubby fingers wiped plump, wet cheeks and searched in the sleeve of her best dress for her perpetual hidden hanky. Her hair, dyed a deep unnatural brown, permed, and thinning to baldness in the front, was tightly curled in honour of the special occasion.
The door behind them opened and Uncle Robert’s beaming face peeked around in a teasing way before he snuck in to get his cuddles as well. She’d missed him when they arrived. He’d been away from the front door, probably visiting with some of the many wandering guests.
“There you are.” He lifted her two hands wide and looked his fill. “You’re enchanting, little girl.”
The first true smile in many hours lit her features. “How can you still call me that when today I’m twenty-seven years—”
“Years young.” He hugged her to him. “To me, you’ll always be my curly-haired, precious little niece, and more beautiful with every passing year.”
She replied charmingly, “Thank you, kind sir. Your eyes, ever so perceptive, have remained true even in your dotage.” A giggle escaped.
“And you, my dear, have remained a little horror.”
Laughing, she hugged him with all her might, and stifled the escaped sob with a cough.
He stepped back and beamed. It was the only word to describe the happiness he couldn’t hide. “It’s finally here. The day we’ve been waiting for. Ten years! Are you excited?”
Her face fell, and the previously veiled sadness became apparent. “I don’t know how to tell you—”
“Never mind. I’m so flustered, I’m not thinking straight. You mustn’t tarry any longer with us old meddlers. You need to go into the garden for your best present.” So saying, he led her towards the doorway and gave her a little push.
She stopped dead, turning towards him, wanting to explain, to save them from any embarrassment, but she was manhandled into the previous direction and gently nudged again. Still she froze in place and then again faced the two who meant the world to her. Before she could speak, the lovable housekeeper urged her on, prodding and waving with her hands.
“Go, lovie,” Mrs. Dorn’s arch look spoke volumes. “Don’t keep him waiting.”
They were only words, small silly words, so how could they produce such a change? But with those very few syllables Dani’s world righted itself, twisting towards a future she’d envisioned for ten long and lonely years. Her heartbeat rose from normal to insanely hard-to-breathe in just a few seconds.
She flew to her favourite place in the house, only to come to a dead stop under the overhanging greenery. Troy sat waiting, looking slightly uncomfortable on the bench, his hands well away from the roses trailing behind.
Chapter Forty-Two
“You came?” Her words brought him out of his reverie.
Her trembling lips and the tearful way she said the words brought him to her side in an instant. “Of course I came. I promised, didn’t I?”
His hands cradled her face as he looked his fill. He saw joy, overshadowing recent distress, and knew they both had a lot of explaining to do before moving forward.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He didn’t need to spell it out. They were still on the same wavelength, just as they were when merged.
She sighed and shook her head regretfully. “At first I didn’t understand it myself. Remember when we were first together, and we saw the woman in the vicarage garden? I felt her mixed emotions, but I didn’t know who she was. It scared me. Then my parents appeared, but much older. I recognized them. The child was a mystery.”
“Amy.”
“Yes. It took until we went to the house before I knew precisely who she was. Remember, I only thought I might be pregnant, but to a sixteen-year-old, there’s always wiggle room, and I didn’t know how old she was then. I still hadn’t accepted that I was actually going to be a mother.”
“Okay. I get that. When did you know about the time difference?”
“There was no exact moment. It just slowly seeped in. Once when you were reading the newspaper I saw the date, and all my suspicions were verified.”
“And you didn’t tell me what you’d discovered because…?”
“Because it wouldn’t have been at all fair to you. Don’t you see? Before I left you I knew there would be a ten-year wait for me, but only one week for you. If you knew I’d have to wait that long before we could be together, either you would have refused to even consider tying me to you for such a long time, or you’d have felt compelled to follow through. No matter what you thought once you met me today, you—”
He interrupted her, angry sparks lighting up his golden eyes. His hands tightened around her face and gave her a little shake. “You had no faith in my feelings for you.”
“No!” The truth rang in her voice and showed in her expression. “No, that wasn’t it at all. In fact, just the opposite! I didn’t have faith in my ability to attract you as the person I am today. I had ten years to let stupid doubts creep in and to lose my youthful self-confidence. I knew I’d changed from the girl you fell in love with, and I couldn’t be certain you’d care in the same way for the woman I’ve become.”
His gaze noted the swelling around her eyes, veiled by creams and only noticeable because he was so close. He couldn’t mistake the recent ravages of trauma written plainly over her features. This was not the same glowing woman he’d left in her office the day before.
Displeasure at his behaviour seeped in. Yesterday’s punishment seemed childish in the light of today’s honesty. Her words had driven a spike straight into his puffed-up indignation and labelled him exactly what he was: a stupid ass!
“Aw, sweetheart! What a mess! Okay, I understand why you didn’t tell me while we were bonded together. However, this last week after we’d met again is another story. Especially after I’d begun making love to you.” He shook his head. “I don’t get it.”
When understanding dawned, she stepped back from him and pushed at his hands as he tried again to gather her close.
“You knew it was me yesterday—that I was Dani. You knew! You jerk! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Me, tell you?! Listen, brat, it was your place to enlighten me. And I didn’t know until the middle of that night when we’d gone to your place following the restaurant. After I’d pulled myself away from you—and, I might mention, suffered the pangs of hell—I had a dream about you.” His face reddened and his eyelashes lowered for a few seconds, a good indication of the nature of the intriguing dream. “I woke up knowing what I should have always known, I suppose. Especially since
I couldn’t accept that I’d fallen for two different females in the space of one week. The first day I met you, I had such an overwhelming feeling to open my arms. It baffled me. Everything seemed skewed, out of whack.”
She nodded. “Pretty much how I felt from the minute I walked into the vicarage gardens and saw you sitting there. I knew our time had finally come, and I was terrified. I realized I had to wait for the right moment to tell you the truth, but my obsession with having you be attracted to me as Ellie took precedence over any rational thinking.”
The wary look in her eye told him she still didn’t believe in her power of appeal, her desirability. She turned away; as if afraid he would see what she thought hidden. The vulnerability of a girl camouflaged in a woman’s body.
Confidently slipping his fingers around her upper arm, he swung her around, the frothy fabric of her turquoise skirts swirling around both their legs. His hands lovingly encircled her tiny waist as he moved into her space.
“You love me that much that you’d be willing to wait ten long years and then still give me a choice?”
Looking up into his beloved face, she saw the amazement glinting from his beautiful soft eyes. “Of course! I love you. But I need for you to love me, Daniell Howard, and not because of a promise you made to a sixteen-year-old. And not because of your attraction to me as Ellie Ward, which was probably physical—my fault, because I worked at that.”
“You sure did. I’m still not over how gorgeous you looked in that little, and I do mean little, black number you tortured me with. You have no idea what it did to me.”
“Yes, well…” She cleared her throat, taking a few seconds to organize her thoughts. “You need to answer me one thing. I wondered about your attraction many times during those empty years. Mostly I questioned what a man like you saw in Dani.”
“I saw her more clearly than anyone I’d ever met before. And her beautiful spirit made it easy to love her—you. I guess when two meld as one the way we did nothing is hidden. All the flaws are exposed. My Dani—oh, you were a gem without any imperfections. In fact, you challenged me to be accountable, made me want to be good enough for you. And I love challenges.”
“I’m afraid you’ll find I’m not that same girl. Will you mind?” She lifted her face to his, trying to read his features. What she saw blazing from his eyes stilled her questioning heart.
“Sweetheart, as much as I loved you as sixteen-year-old Dani…” He kissed her gently. “…you, Ellie, my little hussy, were still able to capture my attention and melt me like butter on a hot frying pan. As much as I fought my attraction, nothing I did stopped me from wanting you. I despised myself for my disloyalty, until I realized who you were. Then for a short while, I thought I despised you. That lasted as long as it took to see you again.” He snapped his fingers. “It disappeared like that.”
“So, when we made love, you knew.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t let on.”
“I was still angry.”
“When did you stop being angry?”
“Much of it disappeared when I realized I was making love to a very untutored woman, and the rest faded after visiting with Amy in the garden. Your child has the same instinctive knowledge of human nature as you had at sixteen. She told me you’d had a crush on me for years. She set me straight by reminding me again of the difference in time, and of the ten years you stayed faithful.”
“So, the suitcases meant nothing?”
“They did when I went there. Until I saw you looking so sexy I couldn’t keep my hands off you. After I talked to Amy, I had to rush because the stores were closing, and I knew I needed to buy your birthday present. Didn’t Amy tell you?”
“Not a thing, the little monster. She kept your secret, and that’s a first for her.” The tension in Dani’s body slowly uncurled, lifting away, leaving her feeling lighter than she had for a week.
She stepped closer still and watched the play of emotions spill over his face. With eyelids lowered to half-mast, his smile, one-sided and sexier than hell, warned her of his intentions. Her heart tripled its beat. Warmth spread throughout her chest, down to her stomach, and pooled exactly where it was meant to go. The resulting wetness was erotic and welcome.
Angling his head to the right, his gesture questioned, just like she’d seen him do many times in the mirror when she’d teased him while he shaved. Her hands itched to touch, and there was nothing to stop her except her own timidity. She smiled invitingly, pleading.
Not being a fool, the man’s next move was exactly what she’d planned. Taking her hands in each of his, he wrapped them around her back, trapping her in close, forcing her breasts forward.
His lips showed no mercy. Hungry, her sexual appetite only teased by her one encounter with him, she was more than accommodating. His kiss took her on a journey she wanted never to end. When he pulled away, she moaned. “More!”
“Soon, love. More than you know.” He released her and stepped back.
She tried to follow, but he shook his head. By taking one of her arms in each hand, he carefully pushed her a few steps until she felt a barrier behind her legs. With gentle guidance he settled her next to him on the bench. Then, reaching into his leather jacket pocket, he retrieved a small, beautifully wrapped package and lifted it in front of her. His intense expression warned her that this moment ranked as special.
“Do you want me on my knees?” His tone conveyed playfulness, but an unspoken appeal flashed in his eyes.
She shifted closer to him on the bench. “I want us to always be on the same level.”
He closed his eyes for a few seconds as if in prayer. When he opened them a hint of moisture appeared, illuminating the embers of love. “God, Dani, I love you so much. I’m crazy about your daughter, and I need to be a part of your lives, your future. Please say you’ll marry me, come live with me, and make me happier than I probably have any right to expect.”
His hand trembled, while the look on his face took on a seriousness she’d never seen before. Earnestness battled with his teasing personality and won.
“Oh, Troy, I love you, too. Today started out as the worst day of my life, and now it’s the happiest.” She took the proffered parcel and carefully undid the bow and the silver paper while he watched, entranced.
Nestled inside a royal blue velvet box sat a ring so breathtaking that tears gathered and her breath caught.
She put a hand up to her mouth, her fingers firm against her quivering lips to stop the sobs. He lifted her other hand as he took the ring from its slot to slide it home, a perfect fit.
Rustling caught her attention. She whispered in his ear as they hugged. “How long have they been eavesdropping?”
“The first time they snooped a few seconds—this time longer.”
She turned in his arms and loved that they followed to enfold her, holding her close. They stood up together.
“Would you like to see my ring, Mrs. Dorn?”
“It isn’t me; it’s your Uncle Robert.” The voice was heard but the person not yet seen.
Another voice joined the first. “Oh, there you are, Mrs. Dorn, I’ve been looking for you.”
Shushing and pushing noises were heard, and then two sheepish eavesdroppers emerged.
“You have summat to show us? I’ve got baking in me oven, a birthday cake to bring out, and a little girl who’s given me no peace wanting to come and find you.”
The woman actually harrumphed as she stomped closer. Her handkerchief dabbed at the streams of tears visible as she got nearer.
Dani’s arms opened, reaching for her uncle, who got the first hug before she turned to engulf the weepy woman.
“Don’t be sad, Mrs. Dorn. This is the happiest day of my life. Troy and I are finally together. We’re engaged.” She proudly displayed the glittering diamonds on her left hand.
Mrs. Dorn sniffed loudly. “Well, and it’s about bloody time.”
Afterword
Thank you so much for re
ading Together Again the 4th book in The Vicarage Bench Series.
I loved writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it. If so, I would ask you for a favor. If you purchased this book at Amazon, please take a few minutes and leave an honest review. Authors enjoy hearing that readers like their stories, and hopefully, others will read your words and choose to buy the book because of your sentiments.
AMAZON PAGE
Also Author of
Vegas Series
Action–Packed Thrillers!
Partners – (Book 1)
Roll the Dice – (Book 2)
Vegas Shuffle – (Book 3)
High Stakes Gamble – (Book 4)
Spin the Wheel – (Book 5)
Let it Ride – (Book 6)
The Vicarage Bench Series
Spirit Travel at its Best!
Vicarage Bench Anthology – (Books 1-3)
She’s Me – (Book 1)
He’s Her – (Book 2)
We’re One – (Book 3)
Together Again – (Book 4)
Together for Christmas – (Book 5)
Angels with Attitude Series
Angels Playing Cupid!
The Angels with Attitudes Series – (Books 1-3)
My Cheeky Angel – (Book 1)
His Devious Angel – (Book 2)
Loveable Christmas Angel – (Book 3)
Other Titles
The Surrogate’s Secret
Christmas Runaway
Mimi’s Mix
She’s Not You (Coming November 2013)
A word about the author…
Mimi Barbour lives on the beautiful East coast of Vancouver Island and writes her paranormal romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye. Asked why she prefers paranormal, she answers, chuckling, “Because it’s fun! Imagination can be a lot more interesting than what happens in real life, to so-called normal people. I love my characters, and my goal is to make readers love them also. To worry about what happens to them while the story unfolds. If I can steal my booklover’s attention away from their everyday grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”