Where There's Faith

by L. A. Remenicky

  The parking lot was packed. Everyone must have decided to have Italian that night. His phone buzzed with an incoming call as he put the car in park. “It’s Brent. Do you mind if I take this while you get the pizza? He met with the bankers today about the closing date on our loan.”

  “Sure,” she said as she kissed his cheek before climbing out of the car. “Back in a jiffy.” Riding the high of Robbie’s kisses, Faith entered the restaurant oblivious to everything except the smell of garlic. At the buzz of her cell phone, she answered the call without noticing the identity of the caller.

  “Did you think you got rid of me by leaving and changing your number?”

  The raspy voice of the caller sent a shiver up her spine. She hadn’t heard that voice since she requested a new cell phone number right before she left California.

  “What do you want with me? I’ve told you I don’t remember. Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

  “I’m just making sure you haven’t forgotten what I told you. If you ever tell anyone what you saw, I will kill them and you.”

  Her hand shook as she put the gadget in her purse.

  Robbie pushed end on his phone, his head whirling with the knowledge that the storefront was theirs and the bank had approved the loan for the needed renovations. He was so anxious to tell Faith about the loan, he was unable to wait for her to return to the car with their meal. Ideas for the renovations shoved all other thoughts out of his mind as he opened the car door.

  Faith walked toward him, the pizza box in her hands. He jumped out of the car when he noticed the pallor of her face. “Faith, you okay? Is it one of your headaches?”

  “Yeah, I took a pill. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

  He drove home one-handed, his other hand holding hers.

  Chapter 18

  Robbie stopped just outside the open bathroom door and listened to the water fill the tub, his imagination soaking in the details. She would be covered in bubbles with only her head and neck exposed; the old clawfoot tub was deep enough to keep all parts of her covered.

  He peeked around the jamb, the open door allowing him to watch her from behind without her knowledge.

  Steam rose from the water, her hair curling from the humidity.

  The paleness of her skin the day before as they returned from the pizza parlor had worried him, but she looked normal this morning.

  The sound of the running faucet almost drowned out the sob that escaped from her throat. “Faith? Baby, what’s wrong?” He dropped to his knees next to the tub and reached out to brush a stray curl from her forehead, afraid that she was still experiencing the previous day’s headache.

  Water sloshed when she sat up abruptly and hugged him to her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

  He wiped at the tears on her cheeks, the fear and worry in her eyes made him want to surround her in bubble wrap and protect her from the world with all its dangers.

  Pulling out of her embrace, he stood and dropped his sweatpants to the floor.

  “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like? I’m joining you. Scoot up.”

  He stepped into the tub and lowered himself into the water. “Come here.”

  She leaned back, settling in between his legs. Her hair brushing against his chest had him hard and aching in seconds. “Sorry, your bare skin against mine… Well, you can feel how that is affecting me.”

  Shifting so she was leaning on her side, she locked her lips over his and kissed him, running her hand over his wet flesh, dipping lower until she was rubbing along the evidence of his desire.

  Groaning, he palmed her breast, licking and sucking the skin of her neck and shoulders as she wrapped her hand around him.

  Oblivious to the water sloshing out of the tub, he pulled her on top of him.

  Frustrated at the lack of room in the tub, he wrapped her in his arms and stood, bringing them both out of the water before stepping out onto the floor.

  She squealed when he picked her up and carried her to the bed, his lips never losing contact with hers.

  Looking down at her, the love and desire in her eyes made his breath hitch in his chest. How did he get lucky a second time?

  “You sure?” he asked as he stared into her eyes.

  “Yes,” she sighed as she pulled him down on top of her. Her lips found his, and she kissed him, her love for him in every sound she made.

  His heartbeat increased as he used his fingertips to explore every inch of her skin while his tongue swirled around one of her breasts, laving the hardened bud before he drew it into his mouth and suckled.

  Her hips jerked, and she moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair. “God, how can this feel so right?”

  He grinned as he moved to her other breast, giving it the same attention. His hand brushed along her ribcage before he reached between them and found her swollen bundle of nerves.

  “Yes,” she whimpered. Her hips moved, seeking release from the exquisite pressure. “More, please.”

  Kissing his way down her stomach, he put her legs over his shoulders and focused on her core, glistening with her arousal.

  He brought his mouth to her and sucked, her cries of release spurring him on as he tasted her, his fingers finding her core and slowly moving in and out as she peaked.

  He watched as her eyes darkened, the pupils expanding with her desire as her hands grabbed at the blankets. “Oh, God, that feels so much better than when I do it myself.”

  He laughed and put his head on her leg.

  “Oh shit, did I say that out loud?”

  He moved up the bed, peppering her body with kisses. “Yeah,” he said with a snort. “I love that you finally feel comfortable enough with me to say what you feel, but that was seriously funny.”

  Grinning like a fool, he captured her mouth with his and finished what he started.

  Chapter 19

  The soft breeze wafted through the open window, bringing the scent of blooming flowers to Robbie’s nose as he diced onion for the potato salad. Thoughts of spending the day with everyone here at the lake on this warm spring day brought a smile to his face. Glancing at the clock, he frowned at the time; Faith should have been back ten minutes ago. She insisted that the signed paperback she had given away through a contest had to be mailed today no matter what he said.

  After wiping his hands on the towel next to the sink, he selected her number and set his phone to speaker. When her voice mail engaged, he began to worry, then stared at it as if it could explain why she hadn’t answered.

  Picking up the knife, he finished dicing the onion and stirred it into the potatoes and mayonnaise already in the bowl. Turning to the refrigerator, he pulled out the container of hard-boiled eggs. Relief flooded through him when his phone rang. Without looking at the screen, he picked up the phone and answered, “Hello? Faith?”

  Yoyo looked up from her place on the rug as if sensing Robbie’s worry.

  “No, it’s Logan.” After a slight pause he said, “Robbie, there’s been an accident.”

  This can’t be happening again…

  Robbie dropped the bowl of eggs, and it shattered on the floor. He slapped his hand on the counter to keep from falling down. Spots swam before his eyes, and he couldn’t catch his breath.

  Logan’s voice cut through the waves of grief flowing through his body. “Robbie, are you there? Dammit, Robbie, speak to me.”

  Sliding down onto the floor, he had not noticed that he was sitting on broken glass and cracked eggs. He stared at his phone, willing it to be a dream. Yoyo licked his face and whined.

  Robbie wrapped his arm around her neck and hugged her as he struggled to breathe.

  “Robbie, Faith’s okay. Damn, I should have told you that first. I didn’t think. I’m sorry.”

  “She’s okay?” He took a breath, his heart beating hard against his ribs as Logan’s words made sense in his scrambled brain.

  “Yeah, she is. She has a broken wrist and possibly a concus
sion. Doc is in with her now.”

  Brushing the glass and egg off of his pants, he hurried to the door. “I’m on my way.”

  “Faith.”

  She blinked. Her eyes didn’t seem to want to focus. As the hospital room became clearer, she felt someone squeeze her hand.

  “Faith, can you hear me, baby?”

  “Robbie,” she whispered. His red-rimmed eyes locked onto hers, scaring her. “What happened?”

  “You were in an accident.”

  “Is everyone okay? Was it my fault?”

  “No, a car ran a red light and hit you while you waited to cross the street. You’ve got a broken wrist and a concussion.”

  “Why have you been crying? There’s something else wrong with me, isn’t there?”

  “No, Faith, you’re just fine. When Logan called and said there had been an accident, I panicked. I thought I had lost you, too.” He sniffed as the terror he had felt in the kitchen threatened to overtake him again. He put his hands on the arms of the chair to push himself up.

  Her uninjured hand covered his. “Hey, I’m okay. Come here and lay down next to me.”

  “What? If the nurse comes in and gives me hell, I’m telling her it was your idea.”

  Faith smiled and then yawned. “Get over here. I’m tired, and I need to know you’re still here. I don’t think I could handle it if I woke up alone.”

  Robbie brushed the hair off of her face as she slept, sending up a silent prayer of thanks that she was all right. After he was sure she was asleep, he brought her hand up and kissed the back of it before carefully slipping off the bed and leaving the room. The soft click of the latch released his pent-up emotions, and he skimmed down the wall and sat on the floor with his head in his hands.

  “Robbie, you okay?”

  He looked up to find Ragan squatting next to him. “Yeah. I hid my fear from her, and it all came rushing back as soon as I walked out of her room.”

  “Come on, Robbie, I’m taking you home so you can get some sleep.”

  “I can’t leave her here to wake up alone. She tried to hide it, but I think the idea of that scared her. Who can blame her after what she’s been through.”

  “Are you sure? I can stay so you can get some real sleep.”

  “No, I’m not leaving her,” he said as he patted his pockets looking for his keys. “Damn, I hope my car didn’t get towed. I was so frantic when I got here, I think I left it in the fire lane with the engine running, and I need to have someone go out and check on Yoyo.”

  Ragan dangled his keys from her finger. “Adam moved it for you. I’ll head out to the lake and pick up Yoyo, so you don’t need to worry about her.”

  “Thanks, sis.” He pulled her into a hug. “I appreciate the offer of a bed for the night, but I’m staying right here until she wakes up. I’ll pick up some clothes for her in the morning.” Embracing his sister again, Robbie whispered in her ear, “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  Ragan hugged her brother tighter. “I’m so happy for you.”

  With a bounce in his step, Robbie sauntered down the hall.

  The alarm on his phone went off, but he was already up and stepping out of the shower. The doctor was releasing Faith later that afternoon. She had finally threatened to get out of the bed and take him home herself if he didn’t get a couple hours of sleep.

  The ring box in his hand felt heavy as he opened it and pulled out the engagement ring. It was small but perfect for her. Anything bigger, and he knew she would feel self-conscious wearing it. Slipping the ring into his front jeans pocket, he grabbed his keys and headed next door to pack some clothes for her to change into.

  Looking around her bedroom, he smiled at the picture of the two of them on the dock that Ragan had snapped a couple of weeks before. Faith was looking out over the lake, but he was watching her, smiling at the happiness in her eyes. Taking jeans and a t-shirt out of the dresser, he laid them out and remembered he hadn’t gotten her bag out of the closet.

  Unzipping it, he swept the clothes inside, not noticing the small, heart-shaped box dropping into the bag. Packing up the rest of the things she would need, he took one last look around the room, hoping that Faith would agree to move in with him instead of coming back here. He knew how happiness could be fleeting, and he didn’t want to waste a second of it.

  The drive to the hospital gave him time to plan how he would ask her to marry him. Should he get down on one knee? She would love the romantic gesture of a traditional proposal. The sight of the hospital had his palms sweating and his heart thumping. He was sure of his feelings for Faith, and he hoped she wouldn’t be overwhelmed with the thought of marriage. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he walked across the parking lot towards his future.

  He was oblivious to his shoes squeaking on the freshly waxed floor or the nurses smiling at the look of happiness on his face as he walked down the hall toward Faith’s room. The door opened soundlessly and there she was, talking on her cell phone.

  “I’m okay, Kendra, really. I should have the rough draft ready for you next week.” She looked up at the plop of the bag hitting the chair. “No, you don’t need to come to Indiana. I promise I’m in excellent hands.”

  Robbie bent down near the cell phone and said, “I’ll be taking care of her, Kendra. You have nothing to worry about.”

  Faith giggled at her agent’s response. “Here, she wants to talk to you.”

  He kissed her quickly before putting the phone up to his ear. “Hey, Kendra.” He turned and walked over to the window as he listened. “Yes, she’s really okay. Just a broken wrist and a slight concussion, nothing to worry about. The doctor is releasing her today.”

  Faith finished the glass of milk on her tray and then picked up the fork to finish eating the last bite of her lunch. Robbie laid her phone on the table and kissed her, the love shining in his eyes making her blush.

  The door opened, and Doc breezed in, clipboard in his hand. “Good afternoon, Faith. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m stiff and sore but not too bad. Can I get out of here soon?”

  He looked over the papers on the clipboard. “Everything looks good. I’m signing your discharge paperwork, and you’ll be good to go home. I’ll send the nurse in with home care instructions. You make sure she takes it easy for a few days, Robbie.”

  “Will do, Doc.”

  The doctor walked out as the nurse walked in. “I’ve got your home care instructions. Please read them over, and let me know if you have any questions.”

  Robbie plucked them out of her hand. “I’ll take those. She will be following these to the letter.”

  “Okay then. Do you need any help getting dressed?”

  Robbie shooed her out of the room. “I think I can handle it, Marla.”

  “Pushy, pushy. I should tell your mom, Robbie Newlin,” she said with a pointing finger before leaving the room.

  “Finally, I’ve got you alone. I need to talk to you, and I don’t want any interruptions.” He dug around in his pocket, starting to panic when he didn’t feel the ring. “Wrong pocket,” he said and laughed nervously. “There you are,” he mumbled as his hand closed around the ring.

  “What is this about, Robbie?”

  He pulled at the collar of his shirt, feeling like it was choking him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gripped her right hand and looked into her eyes. “I was just a shell when I opened the door that day to find you standing there. You tried to be nice and introduce yourself, and I was so lost I almost slammed the door in your face.”

  He wiped his hand on his jeans, nervousness making his hands clammy. “I’m so glad you moved in next door. You brought me back to life.” He swallowed, his mouth going dry as he thought about his next words. “Faith, I love you. You helped me believe that I could be happy again.”

  “Is there a point to this?”

  “Yeah, geez, I’m rambling.” Moving off the bed, he dropped to one knee and looked up at her. Taking a deep breath, he spoke the wo
rds he’d been trying to say. “Will you marry me?” He held out the ring he had been holding in his left hand.

  Faith’s eyes filled with tears. “I…”

  Robbie’s heart seemed to stop, waiting for her answer.

  “I, um, yes,” she said with a smile as tears dripped down her cheeks. “You really love me? Even without knowing who I am?”

  “I know who you are. You’re Faith McMillan, author and hopefully fiancée. Your past doesn’t matter. I love who you are now.” He stared into her eyes as he tried to slip the ring on her finger. The appendages on her left hand were still swollen from her broken wrist, and the ring wouldn’t go over her knuckle. “I didn’t think this through. I guess I’ll have to hold onto this until the swelling goes down.”

  “Oh no you don’t,” she exclaimed as she grabbed the ring. “This is mine now, and you can’t take it back.” Slipping it onto her right hand, she was glowing. “We will put this on my other hand in a few days.”

  He pulled her into a hug, slowly and carefully, mindful of her injuries. “Yes, we will,” he whispered against her lips before pressing in for more contact. He moaned when her mouth opened in invitation, his tongue sweeping in and dueling with hers. His arms tightened around her, only loosening when she gasped in pain.

  Pulling back, he looked into her eyes and smiled at the love he saw there. “Let’s get you changed so we can get out of here.”

  They both looked towards the door when they heard a knock. Ragan and Adam walked in with flowers and a get well balloon. Ragan looked at Robbie. “You asked her. What did she say?”

  Faith grinned. “I said yes!” She lifted her right hand to show off the ring.

  Ragan beamed. “You need some help getting changed, Faith?”

  “Sure. Honey, can you hand me my clothes, please?”

  As Robbie pulled the clothes out of the bag, he felt a chain catch on his finger. The necklace dangled from his hand, the pendant spinning slower and slower. “What’s this?” Inspecting it further, he held the charm and turned it over to look at the back. He paled when he saw the numbers engraved in the metal. “Where did you get this? Who put you up to this?”