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unmistakable sound of a squeaking bed frame and a soft moan. He cringed
as understanding dawned on him even as the bewilderment deepened in her
228 Heather Rainier
eyes. She looked mystified as he shook his head and held up a finger, pulled
out his phone, and dialed a number.
She looked on in bemusement as, through the wall, a cell phone rang.
The squeaking persisted for a moment before finally ceasing while Eli
waited for an answer. He put his palm to his forehead as the easily
identifiable voice answered the phone.
 Yeah, man.
Eli suppressed a chuckle, thinking Mike sounded a little pissed.
 Hey, Mike. It s Eli. I m just checking in.
Rachel put her hands to her red-hot face, and he watched as realization
dawned on her who it was she d heard having hot sex next door. He could
not imagine how it must have felt to think it was him she was listening to.
 I m going to be home in a few minutes and wanted to make sure the coast
was clear.
Mike s voice was gravelly with frustration.  Oh, yeah. Um& we just got
here a few minutes ago. How long do you think?
 Maybe thirty or forty-five minutes.
 Oh, that would be great.
 Hey, Rachel s coming home with me.
 Oh, yeah? That s good news. We ll stop over there and bring you the
key. We would have been long gone, man, but Rosa got called in to work
this morning.
 That s fine, Mike. Don t worry about it, man. I m sorry you were
delayed. See you, man. Eli finished the call and slid the phone back into his
pocket and held his arms out to her.
Holding her abdomen, she slipped from her perch on the bed, and he
pulled her gently into his lap. As the squeaking of the bed next door
resumed, he lifted her and carried her into the living room, pulling the
bedroom door closed softly, and then sat down with her on the loveseat.
 I thought&  She laid her head weakly on his chest.
 I know, he replied softly.
 I m sorry I didn t trust you.
 Don t be sorry. I should have explained before now. You know how
tiny Mike and Rosa s house is, right? They ve got five kids and her mother
living with them, complaining about every little thing. Mike was starting to
Her Gentle Giant, Part 1: No Regrets 229
look a little desperate, so I offered my place to them to& take the edge off,
you know? They had no idea you were over here.
She nodded and closed her eyes. Then she sat up and turned to him and
said,  Oh, crap! Kelly heard us when we made love while she was here,
didn t she? Oh, no! She hid her red-hot face as Eli chuckled.
 Yep, but she handled it with her usual good humor. She teased me
quite a bit when you weren t within earshot, so don t feel too bad for her.
Let me get you something to drink. You re hoarse.
 Thank you, she whispered as she climbed from his lap and curled up,
still looking tense. He brought her a glass of water, which she drained and
set on the coffee table.
 Come here, angel. She resumed her perch in his lap, and he caressed
her shoulders.  You re wound too tight. Lie back against me and let me hold
you. Relax, I ve got you, he said as she laid her head against his chest. He
pressed his lips to her hair and breathed in her clean womanly scent and the
fragrance of her shampoo.
 I felt so weak earlier when they first got started. I couldn t even stand
up to walk away from the bedroom so I wouldn t hear it anymore. Then, you
came in looking so worried and concerned I thought I was losing my mind.
She shuddered against him, and he gently wrapped his arms around her and
held her snugly.  I m not going to be able to look Mike or Rosa in the eye
for a while.
Eli chuckled while he rubbed his palm up and down her back
soothingly.  Angel, now is not the most romantic time to tell you this
because I can still hear them on the other side, but let me tell you anyway.
This love I have for you is it for me. There could never be anyone else that
holds a candle to you. I felt so powerless when I thought of you hurt on the
side of the road, maybe even dying, and I couldn t get to you. I saw you
when they unloaded you from the ambulance, baby, and I thought for sure
I d lost you. You were bathed in blood. I had to be held back.
 Grace told me about that. She quivered in his embrace.
 I thought I d lost my one chance at a happy life. Being back in a
hospital setting brought back painful memories and I felt like I was reliving
them all over again as an adult.
 Something like this happened to you before? Rachel asked softly, her
voice full of sympathy.
230 Heather Rainier
 I told you my mom died. But I never told you how. I also never told
you about my own experience in the hospital as a four-year-old not
understanding what had happened. My family was involved in a very
serious car accident right before Thanksgiving. My mom was holding a
cookie sheet with my toy magnets on it in her lap. I d just made a picture
with them for her, and she was going to make one for me, but I fell asleep.
She was holding it on her lap when the accident happened.
 I never knew you were in a car accident. Is that how your mom died,
internal injuries?
Eli nodded.  The official term is  unsecured objects within vehicle, but
the collision forced the cookie sheet into her abdomen, doing catastrophic
internal damage.
Rachel looked straight into his eyes.  Eli, you know what happened
wasn t your fault? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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