Ties That Bind

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, certain characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Ties that Bind (Rebekka Book 2)

  Smashwords Edition

  Published by White Star Press

  P.O. Box 353

  American Fork, Utah 84003

  Copyright © 2011 by Rachel Ann Nunes

  Cover and ebook design by ePubMasters

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Thank you for supporting the author’s rights.

  ISBN: 978-1-939203-21-2

  Printed in the United States of America

  First electronic release 2011

  Last updated July 2012

  TIES THAT BIND

  Rebekka Book 2

  a novel

  by

  RACHEL ANN NUNES

  Rebekka and Mark Face Their Biggest Challenge Yet (Rebekka Series Book 2)

  Rebekka Massoni and Marc Perrault have waded through thousands of miles of separation and years of uncertainty about their true feelings for one another. But now they are happily, blissfully together, anxiously awaiting the day when they will be married for all eternity.

  When Marc’s ongoing health problems become serious, he pushes Rebekka away, convinced that his time is short and that she should be free to find a life with someone else. Even worse, when Rebekka asks his brother, André, to speak with Marc, André agrees that she should move on. Yet, as Rebekka rejects their pleas and rallies around her fiance, she begins to wonder if Marc is right. Can Rebekka risk marrying and then losing him? Or can she indeed move on to try to find happiness with another?

  As this thought provoking-novel by Rachel Ann Nunes guides the reader through the meaning and perspective of eternity, one thing is clear: you will not soon forget Ties that Bind.

  Please note: This book is a spin-off from the Ariana series. However, it is NOT about Ariana or from her point of view (so not in the Ariana series, but book 2 in the Rebekka series). Rebekka’s story first begins in the book This Time Forever (Rebekka #1, Mickelle #1).

  For TJ, my husband and best friend. I know it’s not easy living with an eccentric author who sometimes has rather crazy ideas, but you have been my constant supporter from the very beginning. I LOVE YOU! And thanks!

  Chapter One

  The tune wouldn’t leave Rebekka Massoni’s head. Even over the loud bustle at the airport in Paris, she heard it clearly—just as she had during Louis-Géralde Perrault’s farewell talk the day before. Over and over, the melody repeated itself in her mind.

  She tightened her grasp on the worn set of scriptures in her hands, the ones with the pronounced teeth marks. The music in her head grew ever louder, as though she were playing it on the concert grand Steinway back in the States where she had been working until the past week. But instead of bringing comfort, the as-yet-unnamed tune she had composed for her fiancé, Marc Perrault, chilled her.

  Marc smiled at her encouragingly, his brown eyes glinting in the reflection of the overhead lights. He stood a few inches taller than Rebekka, with broad shoulders that tapered to a trim waist. He put his strong arm around her shoulders and she stepped toward him, reveling in his closeness.

  She still couldn’t believe he loved her, that he had followed her to Utah to beg her to marry him. Of course, she’d said yes. She’d loved him for almost twenty years, since she was five and a half and he was fifteen. Finally, he had come to love her as well—as a woman, not only as a friend.

  “He’s about to leave,” Marc said. As always, his dark eyes seemed to beckon her to lose herself in their depths. He smiled, so ruggedly handsome and dear that she longed to hold him. His fingers brushed the scriptures in her hands. “You don’t have to give them up, you know.”

  Rebekka took a deep breath. “I want to.” She had never expected to willingly give up the scriptures the Perraults had given her to use during her time as a missionary, but this same set had accompanied all the Perrault siblings who had served missions. Even Josette, Marc’s twin sister, had used them in her personal missionary studies while in Portugal. It was only right that the youngest Perrault brother took them to Ukraine as well.

  Rebekka wasn’t exactly unhappy to relinquish the scriptures to Louis-Géralde. After all, she had only loved them because they had been Marc’s and had saved him from a vicious dog attack during his time as a church missionary. Now she had Marc himself and didn’t need them anymore. Besides, the scriptures belonged with a missionary. Their well-loved pages fell open to the right scriptures at all the right times, and they warded off danger, including Bible bashers and vagrant animals. Yes, with these infamous scriptures, Louis-Géralde would do great work in Ukraine.

  Of course, the fact that he had studied both Ukrainian and Russian for three years before his stint in the army would also go a long way toward making him successful in Ukraine, where both languages were still used prevalently. Louis-Géralde had believed he would go to Ukraine for as long as Rebekka could remember, and though she had doubted his inspiration at times, here he was on his way.

  Marc’s parents embraced Louis-Géralde with tears in their eyes as other family members crowded around for support. Louis-Géralde had already been away from his family for a year as he served in the French army, and it was hard for them to let him go again, but the Perrault family would always make sacrifices for their faith—only one of many reasons Rebekka admired them. Could it really be true that she was marrying into such a wonderful family?

  Rebekka stepped up to Louis-Géralde. “We want you to take these.”

  Louis-Géralde grinned, his green-brown eyes opening wide. “Wow! You still have those things? They must be ancient. Thank you so much! I promise I’ll take good care of them.” He fingered the bite marks reverently before tucking them into the new scripture case Rebekka had purchased before leaving the States.

  “Now we can sleep at night knowing you have those,” quipped Marc.

  Louis-Géralde hugged Rebekka. “I’m sorry I won’t get to see you two hitched.”

  He had wanted to, and both Rebekka and Marc would have loved to have driven immediately to a temple to make their commitment official, but Rebekka’s parents were planning an elaborate celebration for their only daughter’s wedding. Plans continued to escalate, especially since her brother—their only son—had eloped weeks before with a woman Rebekka’s father detested. Not that he was too happy with Rebekka’s choice either, since he couldn’t enter the temple to see them wed, but at least he respected Marc as a person. By having a large dinner reception at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Paris, her father would still get to show Rebekka off to all his important friends.

  “Maybe you’ll get back in time to see our first son blessed,” Marc said as he took his turn embracing his brother. He glanced at Rebekka and winked. “Or maybe our second. You’ll be gone two years, and we’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

  Rebekka smiled but felt embarrassed at the comment. True, she’d been waiting a long time for Marc, but she had only recently turned twenty-five and he was just ten years older—or almost ten years. For the average French person, he was the perfect age to marry, and she was perhaps a little on the young side. They would have many years left together to raise a family. No need to ru
sh.

  Louis-Géralde gave another hug to his parents and headed for the international gate. The family watched him go—sadly, proudly, happily.

  Marc turned to her. “I guess that’s that.” He stared into her eyes as if drinking in her presence. He did that a lot, and though it pleased her, she still had difficulty accepting that he really loved her. She returned his stare, loving him more than she could express. The sweetness of being with him was incredible.

  The music in her head was softer now, but she still heard the notes. What did it mean?

  It’s probably because I’ve been practicing it so much, she told herself. It’s nothing. She had composed the tune for Marc long ago and had kept it a secret from him all these years with the intent of playing it for him on their wedding day. Then, that day had been a far-away dream. Now it was reality.

  “Hello, Rebekka, Marc! Is anyone there?” asked Josette, Marc’s twin sister.

  Rebekka started, and dragged her eyes from Marc’s.

  “We gotta get these guys married fast,” said Zack Fields, Josette’s husband. In his arms he held the youngest of their four boys.

  Josette, six months pregnant with another boy, threw back her long, dark hair and made a smacking noise with her lips. “That’s right. They look like a couple of big-eyed cows mooning over each other, if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t ask you,” Marc answered good-naturedly. He took Rebekka’s hand, caressing it. “Besides, I remember you and Zack doing an awful lot of mooning over each other a few years ago.”

  “A few?” Josette rolled her eyes. “Our oldest is almost eleven. We’ve been married for twelve years. And that means you’re way behind at this family-raising business, dearest twin brother of mine.”

  “I wasn’t ready to get married twelve years ago,” Rebekka defended Marc. “I’m certainly glad he waited.” The others laughed.

  “Well, you’ve been grown up for quite a while.” This came from André, Marc’s other younger brother who was married and had two daughters of his own. Like Marc, he had laughing brown eyes and dark hair. He was only a centimeter or two shorter than his brother, but he weighed a good ten kilos more. Strong but definitely not silent, as Rebekka well knew. He opened his mouth to continue. “Marc was just too dense to see—”

  “So are we going out for that brunch or not?” interrupted Marc’s mother, Ariana, forever the peacemaker among her noisy brood.

  Rebekka had grown accustomed to the teasing in the week since she and Marc had announced their engagement, and even enjoyed some of it, but she was relieved when Ariana spoke.

  “Actually, we have to get back to Claire,” André said, placing a hand on the shoulders of his young daughters. “She’s not feeling well, and since I’m taking the day off, I kind of want to be with her.”

  His mother’s brow drew in concern. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know. Hey, why don’t you let us take the girls? We’ll bring them back when we’re done.” The girls and their cousins cheered.

  “Thanks, Mom.” André gave his daughters a kiss and warned them to obey. Then he winked at Rebekka sympathetically. “Good luck with all those plans.” He lowered his voice. “Better you than me. Personally, I think you should’ve eloped.”

  Rebekka grinned, sorry to see him go. André was her favorite of all the Perraults, except Marc, of course. Through the years, André had never treated her like a child, as the others had. They hadn’t meant to be offensive when they talked down to her, but in her precociousness, Rebekka had been annoyed all the same. Even after earning two bachelor’s degrees, one in English and the other in French, and winning many awards for her piano playing and compositions, she’d still felt her age separated her from most of the Perrault siblings.

  “Then let’s get going.” Marc pulled Rebekka toward the exit.

  The family met at a nearby restaurant, where all the children reminded Rebekka of Utah—there always seemed to be more children than adults in Utah. Marc’s twin, Josette, had four sons, his brother André had two daughters, and Marie-Thérèse, their adopted sister, had one of each. Eight children, Rebekka mused. Of course in Utah all eight might have come from one family.

  The talk didn’t revolve for long around Louis-Géralde. No one to tease anymore since he’s gone, Rebekka thought. The next topic at hand was, of course, The Wedding. Rebekka and Marc had set the date for the end of October—only one month away, much to her mother’s dismay at the short planning period. To Rebekka, a month seemed like an eternity.

  “Imagine all those years of you two knowing each other and then suddenly falling in love,” Josette said, taking a drink of her milk. She had her youngest son cradled somewhat awkwardly in her lap, making Rebekka wonder if being pregnant was as uncomfortable as it looked. “I mean,” Josette continued, “I know you had a crush on him when you were little, but I thought you’d grown out of that a long time ago.” The statement was more of a question, one Rebekka wasn’t going to answer.

  “A lot of people in this family fell in love in Utah,” replied Zack, giving his wife a loving wink. His blond hair and bright blue eyes contrasted with Josette’s darker features. All of their four boys resembled Josette, though with slightly lighter hair. “We did. And so did Mathieu and Marie-Thérèse.”

  Marie-Thérèse’s smile brought life to her narrow face. “Yes,” she said dreamily, tucking her light brown hair behind her ears before taking her husband’s hand. “It seems like only yesterday.”

  Her daughter Larissa giggled, echoed by the other children. As the oldest of the cousins at twelve and a half, Larissa was nearly worshiped by the others, but lately she had developed an attitude her parents—and all the other adults—found difficult to understand.

  Rebekka and Marc shared a glance. They hadn’t “fallen in love” so much as he had finally recognized his true feelings and come after her. In fact, their relationship had nothing to do with Utah, but she didn’t like explaining it all, especially the part where she had given up on Marc and nearly married another man. Of all the Perrault clan, only Marc’s parents and his brother André had any idea of the real situation between the couple.

  At least it was finally happening! Rebekka had waited a very long time for Marc to come around, and she was so excited she found it difficult to focus on the conversation.

  “The flowers are all set,” Rebekka’s mother, Danielle, was saying in response to a question. “They should cover the entire reception center. But I tell you, we had to practically pay double to get them to promise to have them done by then. Four weeks is not a lot of time.” Her voice was velvet soft. She had gray eyes, high cheekbones and perfectly sculptured eyebrows. Her long, dark auburn hair showed only a few streaks of gray. People often said Rebekka resembled her mother except for the strong chin which so obviously came from her father, but Rebekka discredited their comments. Danielle was more than beautiful; she was stunning. I could never look like that, Rebekka mused.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Marc reached out and tickled her arm lightly with his fingertips. His touch burned into her flesh, and she felt warm all over. Her depressing thoughts vanished immediately. Marc thought she was beautiful and that was enough.

  “Don’t you think next spring would be soon enough to get married, Rebekka?” her mother asked. “It’s not too late to change the wedding date.”

  “Hey, I’m not getting any younger,” Marc protested.

  “Well, thirty-four is a good age for men to marry,” Danielle replied. “Although, I admit it is rather late for most church members. But since you’ve already waited this long, what’s a few more months?”

  Marc’s mother laughed aloud, obviously recalling private memories. “What is it, Ariana?” Danielle asked her.

  Ariana’s smile grew wider. “Even four weeks was a long time when I wanted to marry Jean-Marc.” As she spoke, her husband cast her a gaze so full of love that it was almost tangible, and Rebekka felt goose bumps on her arms. Though he was shorter than Marc, Jean-Marc looked a
lot like his son, and Rebekka could imagine what Marc would be like in twenty or thirty years. He would be as lean as Jean-Marc, with gray peppering the black hair and deep laugh lines on his face. Rebekka hoped she herself would have aged with at least some of her mother’s gracefulness. The nearly ten years between them would be evident, of course, but there was nothing to be done about that. What would it matter if she spent a few years alone at the end of her life? They had eternity, didn’t they?

  Marc squeezed her hand and Rebekka smiled at him. He looked more tired than usual, and she wondered if he could still be suffering from jet lag. She, on the other hand felt vitally alive, if a little preoccupied with the idea of marrying him.

  “I love you,” he mouthed, lifting his glass of water for a sip. Under cover of the glass, he added, “Let’s get out of here.”

  She threw him a kiss with a teasing smile, causing him to nearly choke on his drink. In an elaborate gesture, he glanced at his watch. “Look at the time! I have to meet with some clients this afternoon.”

  “What?” Josette looked suspiciously at him. “I don’t remember André saying anything about—”

  “He’s with Claire, remember?” said Marc. “And since our illustrious third partner, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Raoul, is still out of town on his honeymoon, I’d better be there.” He smiled at Rebekka. “And don’t you need to check in at the American Embassy to talk to somebody about your old job? I can drop you off.”

  “That’s right,” Rebekka said, arising.

  “But you haven’t finished your food,” her mother protested.

  Marc’s father gave them an indulgent smile. “I think I lost five kilos in the month before Ariana and I got married.” Ariana gave a low chuckle and put her hand in his.

  “Whatever you decide for the wedding is fine with us,” Marc added. “Rebekka and I don’t really care as long as we get married.” He glanced at her to confirm, and she nodded quickly. How many times in the past week had she wished they had married in the States before flying home?