by K.N. Lee
“I need to ask you about something.” I really didn’t want to interrupt the moment, but if I didn’t ask now, I would forget again.
“OK,” he said, doing a poor job of hiding his frustration. He shifted his body and sat next to me. “I really don’t want to talk about the car accident.”
“Could you stay out of my head for just a minute, please?”
He rolled his eyes and nodded. “Go ahead.”
“When I had the car accident, were you there?”
“Yes.”
“Samuel,” I whined.
“What do you want to know, Eliza?” he groaned. “I was there. I saw the whole damned thing.”
“I don’t remember any of it.”
“You were at a stoplight…” He caught his breath as if he were reliving a tragedy in his mind. “I was in the lane next to you. Vivian’s goons waited for you to start crossing the intersection and they T-boned you at full speed. I tried but I couldn’t get to them quickly enough to knock them off their path. The front of my car only nicked their rear, but was enough to slow them down at least. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Eliza. I should have stopped it completely. It should have never happened.”
He laid his head in my lap, and his entire body shivered. He blamed himself and my heart ached for him. Running my fingers through his hair, I bent to kiss the back of his head.
“Oh Samuel.” I sniffled. “You have no reason to feel sorry for anything. You’ve kept me alive. That’s more than I could expect from anyone.”
“That’s not good enough. I couldn’t stand seeing you hurt.” He sat up and pulled my chin into his fingers. “I won’t let them hurt you again, Eliza. I promise you that.”
I wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “I know you won’t, Samuel.”
Then, as if we hadn’t just had this huge emotional breakthrough for him, he hopped to his feet and pulled me up with him, preparing to face the world.
“Come on, you have a lot of visitors waiting for you downstairs. I can’t keep you all to myself.”
“Sure you can.” I pouted, only half teasing.
He dragged me back down the stairs where the party had not waited for me to start. Everyone was laughing, dancing, mingling, and drinking. It made me happy that they were finally so much at peace, and I could only pray as their new mambo I could keep life so carefree for them. I still had a lot of work to do.
Samuel pulled me from my thoughts by gently squeezing my hand. “I have someone I want you to meet.”
He led me to a corner where I was greeted with a familiar bearded face chatting it up, dare I say flirting, with little Jenny.
“Mr. Mueller!” I sprung into his arms, thrilled to know he was alive and in good health.
He looked surprised and perhaps a little embarrassed by being caught cradle-robbing, but pleased just the same. “Eliza, it’s so good to see you.”
“I was so worried when you’d disappeared. Are you hurt? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “I had to get away from Vivian for a while, that’s all. When my son told me you put your life at risk to save us all, I had to come back to thank you in person.”
“Your son? Who is your son?”
He didn’t say anything. He only looked proudly at Samuel. For the first time, I noticed they had the same piercing green eyes. The same jawline, at least from what I could tell from under Mr. Mueller’s beard. And they definitely had the same tiny ears.
Samuel cleared his throat. “Eliza, I’d like to introduce you to my father, Elijah Mueller.”
Mr. Mueller lifted my hand to his lips and gently pecked my skin. I blushed. All of a sudden, this wasn’t just a sweet old man who’d gotten lost during a ritual. He was my boyfriend’s father. I instinctively straightened my posture and tried to look much more ladylike, someone he would approve of for his little boy. I thought I had kicked the whole self-conscious thing, but this awkward situation brought the feeling right back.
Mr. Mueller laughed a deep belly laugh. “You don’t have to concern yourself with impressing me, my dear. You’ve done your job well enough on that front.”
I giggled. My mind flashed back to the conversation I’d had with Vivian, and it pushed my insecurities aside. I jumped up to kiss the man’s cheek.
“My.” He turned crimson. “What on earth was that for?”
“That was for saving my life all those years ago.”
He was the one who’d pulled me from the fire when I was a baby, and his son kept the tradition ever since.
“Well, you can credit Samuel for that, not me,” he said humbly.
“You’ll be returning home then? It’s a beautiful house by the way. I’m sure Samuel told you we took refuge there.”
“With Vivian gone? Try and keep me away.” He winked.
“Excuse me, everyone,” Samuel shouted, clinking a spoon on a wine glass that somehow had just appeared in his hand.
It took a couple of repeats before the partially intoxicated crowd took notice of him, but eventually they quelled their conversations.
He continued when the room was silent. “Eliza, I think I speak for everyone here when I say we are all in debt to you. Because of your bravery, none of us have to be scared to practice in our own way, or to live up to our full potential.”
“No,” I said. It was important to me they know I was their friend, not their overlord. “None of you owe me anything. It was my responsibility.”
He shook his head with affection. “And you’re so humble. And beautiful. And brilliant.”
Aunt Vivian forcefully pushed her way through the crowd, making her way to my side. She squeezed my arm. “I know where this is going.”
Call it naivety, or as I preferred, inexperience, but I didn’t have a clue.
“Eliza Morgan,” he said, my name sounding so sweet coming from his lips. “Nicole Paris.” He dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me?”
I stopped breathing and stood frozen. Was he serious? I knew we were destined to be together, and not too long ago I was walking down the aisle ready and excited to be marrying him after having the same internal debate that was raging on now. But this time the reason behind my hesitation was very different. I didn’t want to marry him out of obligation, and I couldn’t stand it if that was the only reason he was asking.
“No,” he said sharply, hearing my fear. “This has nothing to do with them.” He gestured to the crowd. “I want to marry you because I love you.”
I inhaled sharply through barely parted lips. I’d wanted him say I love you from the moment I met him, and it had taken all my energy not to say it first.
“I know you’ve only just gotten to know me,” he continued, “but I’ve known you for ten years. You’ve selflessly help so many people. You’ve known so much heartache in your lifetime. Let me be the one good, constant thing.” Noticing Aunt Patrice glaring, he caught himself. “Besides your aunt and uncle of course.”
I took him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He had spent his life serving me, and seeing him on his knee made me feel guilty for it.
“Yes, Samuel Mueller,” I said softly. “I will marry you.”
~The End~
About the Author
Mary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in Punta Gorda with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child whom she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of The Roman Mongrel, Healing the Bayou, and The Villain's Love Series. She spends her days creating characters on the good side of twenty-five because she is in serious denial about the fact that she is now on the bad side of it.
Looking for a milder read? Mary also writes young adult paranormal under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.
Connect with Mary Bernsen:
www.mbernsen.blogspot.com
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Nectar of the Gods
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The Roman Mongrel
