Author: Olivia Cunning

She drew away, staring into his eyes while she made love to him. He couldn’t look away. Even as he increased their tempo by speeding up the bass drum beat and his release approached, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the love shining from her baby blue eyes.

How had he lived a single day without her? What would he do if he ever lost her? Overcome by emotions, he squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on the pleasure building inside.

“Oh,” she gasped and arched backward as her body shuddered with release.

He held onto her for dear life, partly because he didn’t want to fall off the stool, and partly because he let himself follow her in bliss. As his fluids pumped into her, he rubbed his open mouth against her collarbone, lost in ecstasy. She went limp against him, and he stiffened his leg just in time to stop them from tumbling to the floor. A cymbal crashed as the drum kit slid forward and hit a boom.

“Wow,” she breathed. “That was hot.”

He made some incoherent sound of agreement.

“One fantasy down. Five million to go.”

He chuckled. “Only five million?”

“For now.” She kissed his jaw. “Ready to work on the car?”

“Can’t I take a nap first?” he whispered drowsily.

“If you need to. I can work on it myself for a while.”

He shook his head. “I want to help. Just give me an hour or two to catch my breath, woman.”

She tried to climb off his lap, but he held her in place. She relented and snuggled against him again. It was much easier to maintain his balance when she held still, and he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

“Eric?” she said after a long moment.

“Yeah.”

“I have to get an MRI the first week of December to… see if I’m still healthy. Will you come with me? Isaa—um, that other guy used to go with me. I don’t like to go by myself. Waiting for the results is really…” she sniffed, “…hard.”

Eric held his breath and nodded. He bit his bottom lip to stop its trembling, his heart clogging his throat. His hand moved to the back of her head to press her closer, so she wouldn’t see the tears blurring his vision. He wanted to be there for her, but all he could think when confronted by her mortality was no. No! Rebekah didn’t really need an MRI. Her body wouldn’t betray her again. It couldn’t. He wouldn’t let it. Wouldn’t even accept the possibility that she could get sick again. She could not leave him. He would not lose her before she turned a hundred and twenty-three. Or ever. He needed her. Needed her. Not just now. Always. She couldn’t go. She just couldn’t.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m not strong enough to face this alone.”

And he wasn’t strong enough to face it at all. “Let’s go work on the car.”

Chapter 22

Rebekah squeezed Eric’s hand and opened the front door of her parents’ house. The guy looked like he was about to ralph all over his shoes, and Rebekah couldn’t really blame him. Her father was laid-back and easygoing, but her mother? She wouldn’t wish that woman on anyone. Rebekah smiled at Eric reassuringly and squeezed his hand again.

“Anybody home?” she called into the foyer.

Her mouth fell open when Dave wheeled himself through the dining room door. “Hey, little sis!”

“Dave!” she released Eric’s hand and squeezed Dave’s neck excitedly as she hugged him. “You look great!” She planted a big wet kiss on his temple. “How’s your recovery going?”

“I’ve got about seventy-five percent usage in my left arm. Ninety percent in the right.” He wriggled his fingers and made a fist. “They still say I’m not going to walk again.”

“I say they’re full of shit,” Eric said with a grin.

Dave grinned back. “Sticks? When Rebekah said she was bringing a guy home, I was sure it would be Mills.”

“I managed to snag the best one,” Rebekah said. She sauntered over to Eric and grabbed him around the neck to draw him to her waiting lips.

Someone cleared her throat in the dining room. “Not only do you bring riffraff into my home,” Mom said, “but you engage in inappropriate behavior with it right before my eyes.”

Rebekah rolled her eyes for Eric’s benefit and then turned to face her mother. “And he gave me a little tongue too,” she said.

She glanced at Eric, expecting him to participate in her teasing, but he looked entirely shell-shocked.

“Mom, this is Eric Sticks, the drummer of Sinners,” Dave said.

“Sinners. The band who practically kidnapped my daughter and exposed her to only God knows what? The band who paralyzed my only son?”

“The man who saved Dave’s life with CPR,” Rebekah said.

Mom snorted. “I guess he can stay since he’s already here.” She turned her back and returned to the kitchen.

“She’s a little prickly tonight,” Dave whispered.

“A little?” Rebekah squeezed Eric’s elbow. “Don’t let her get to you.”

Eric shook his head slightly.

“So how are things going with the tour, Reb?” Dave asked nonchalantly.

“As good as can be expected, considering you’re not there,” Rebekah said.

“She’s being modest,” Eric said. “She’s absolutely amazing.”

Dave grinned with pride.

“Not as good as Dave is though,” Rebekah said, ruffling her brother’s hair and bending to smother him with another hug.

“It’s okay that you’re great, Reb,” Dave said. “You don’t have to feel guilty. I’m proud of you.”

She didn’t know why her eyes were suddenly leaky. Maybe because she did feel guilty. She was off having the time of her life, making a career for herself, finding love, while Dave was stuck here in a wheelchair with their oppressive mother.

“Is that my little girl I hear?” her dad called from the living room.

She released Dave and grabbed Eric’s hand. “Come on,” she said. “I want you to meet my dad.”

“The minister?” Eric said.

“No, the poodle trainer.” She shook her head. “Yes, the minister. I only have one dad, you know.”

Eric followed her with heavy feet.

“I thought I heard your voice,” her dad said, a huge smile on his jovial face. His smile faltered when he caught sight of Eric.

Eric’s palm grew damp against Rebekah’s hand, but she held it tightly.

“Who’s this?”

“This is Eric,” she said. “My new boyfriend.”

Her father pressed his recliner’s footrest down and climbed to his feet. He craned his neck to appraise Eric carefully. “Don’t you think he’s a bit… tall for you, sweetheart?”

“Nope. He’s perfect for me.” She hugged Eric’s arm and smiled happily.

Her dad’s eyes roamed her face, and then he smiled. “I trust he takes good care of you and treats you well?”

“Like a princess.”

Dad extended his hand toward Eric, who for once was speechless. He took Dad’s hand and shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you, Father Blake.”

“Likewise, Eric. Have a seat.” He waved at the empty recliner situated next to his. “Tell me about yourself.”

Eric glanced at Rebekah uncertainly. Her heart melted into a puddle. She released his hand and patted him on the back reassuringly. “You can talk to my dad about anything. He doesn’t judge.”

“I leave the judging to God,” her dad said and returned to his recliner.

Eric looked like he was about to bolt.

“Sit,” Rebekah insisted. She knew her dad would love Eric once they got to talking. Her father would appreciate Eric’s open honesty and quirky sense of humor.

Dave wheeled himself into the room and arranged his wheelchair next to the unoccupied recliner. “Rebekah, Mom’s got a surprise for you in the kitchen.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“Go see. Dad and I will keep Eric company.”

Rebekah nodded. She’d never once in her life liked any surprise her mother had for her. She was fairly certain she wasn’t going to like this one either. She gave Eric’s hand a squeeze of encouragement and then turned to head for the kitchen. Before she was even back in the foyer, Eric already had Dave and her father laughing.

She smiled as she walked to the kitchen. She knew it would take awhile for her mother to get used to the idea of her dating Eric. Her mother had been completely enamored with the idea of Isaac becoming her son-in-law. Rebekah doubted her mother would give any man an easy time, but one in a rock band who had tattoos, his nipple pierced, and a strange haircut? Rebekah didn’t have her heart set on her mom ever accepting Eric. She didn’t care though. She loved Eric with all her heart. If her mother couldn’t see what a wonderful man he was, that was her loss, not Rebekah’s. Not Eric’s.

Rebekah bumped open the swinging door to the kitchen with her hip. “Mom, Dave said you had a surprise for me.”

Isaac turned from the counter where he was helping her mother prepare dinner. Rebekah’s heart skipped several beats and began to race. “You’re back?” she gasped.

Isaac dashed across the kitchen and wrapped both arms around her. He planted a tender kiss on her temple and squeezed her until she was breathless. “Oh Rebekah,” he murmured. “I missed you so much.”

She caught her mother’s expression of glee just before she went into the pantry.

“Isaac,” Rebekah said. She tugged away from him to look into his gentle gray eyes. “What are you doing here?”

He was still the handsomest man she’d ever encountered. Wide eyes, straight nose, perfectly sculpted lips, even features, and thick, brown wavy hair framed his face. And his recently acquired tan contrasted nicely with his white dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal strong forearms. As attractive as he was, he didn’t make her heart race when she looked at him. She didn’t experience even a twinge of lust.

“Your mother invited me. You know I can’t turn down her homemade biscuits.” Isaac searched Rebekah’s face and then cupped it with both hands. “You look fantastic, angel.”

“I feel great.”

“Have you been getting all your medical screenings?” he asked, looking at her with concern.

Touched, she brushed a wavy lock of hair from his forehead. “I have. So far, no signs of it. I have another appointment in December.”

She didn’t have to say what it was. They’d lived through it together and come out stronger people on the other side. That bond between them would always exist.

He hugged her again. “I missed you. Did I tell you that yet?”

“Yeah. I missed you too.” It wasn’t a lie. She had missed him. But as he held her, she realized she’d never really loved him. At least not romantically. Her feelings were the same as they’d always been. That of a really close friend. A friend she could count on to be there for her no matter what. Isaac was her best friend, but they weren’t meant to be lovers. She knew that now. Now that she had Eric, she could tell the difference.

Rebekah pulled away from Isaac’s embrace and smiled, knowing everything was as it should be. They weren’t meant to be together as a couple, but they meant too much to each other to be kept apart. She was really glad to see him, and that was okay. It wasn’t a betrayal of her feelings for Eric, because they weren’t the same feelings she had for Isaac. Realizing that was such a huge relief, she couldn’t help but beam at Isaac. “Tell me all about Africa,” she said and took a seat at the counter to listen to him talk about his adventures while he chopped vegetables for their salad. Her admiration grew as he told her about all the people he’d helped while living under abysmal conditions in the bush.