Bells, Rings & Angels' Wings

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  “Libby?” Tyler squeezed her hand. “You look so pale—are you all right?”

  She squeezed back. “I hate to think of anyone sick.”

  “Food. You definitely need food.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

  Libby wasn’t certain she could eat a bite, but with Tyler hovering about, she wasn’t going to admit it.

  She should have known he’d surprise her. He stopped at a Chinese restaurant, ordered takeout and propelled her back to her car.

  “We are going to have our feast at your place,” he informed her as he drove off. “I’ll ply you with sweet-and-sour duck before I ravage you.”

  “If you think just sweet-and-sour duck will do the trick, you’ve got another think coming, buster. You’ll have to throw in all the almond cookies.”

  He considered her demand. “You drive a hard bargain, Teach. Okay, the cookies are yours.”

  After they carried the bags into Libby’s apartment, Tyler ordered her to sit down while he found plates and silverware. They sat on the floor by the coffee table, enjoying their feast by taking turns feeding each other. Tyler was even able to persuade Libby to drink more than one glass of wine.

  Afterward, they leaned back against the couch with Libby ensconced in Tyler’s arms. He smelled of male sweat from his work, and a hint of soap. She buried her face in his shoulder, relishing the familiarity of his embrace.

  What will happen to him when I’m gone, Matthias? she silently asked.

  Do you still want to go back?

  I have to go back to the Tyler I grew up with. I need to see my parents, my sister and brothers. Vicki doesn’t even exist here! My dad is in the hospital here and they act as if he’s going to die. I can’t handle it!

  You know what has to be done, Libby.

  She sensed his absence as soon as his words echoed in her mind.

  At the same time she felt Tyler’s hands slowly stroking her arms down to her wrists and back up to her shoulders. He cupped her chin with his palm and turned her face to his. His kisses were slow and drugging as she turned in his arms.

  Libby held on to Tyler as if she feared she’d lose him. She worked on the buttons of his flannel shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin beneath her palms. He chuckled softly.

  “I thought I was the one who was supposed to be doing the ravaging.”

  “You were taking too long.” She unzipped his jeans and slipped her hand inside.

  “Damn!” He started breathing harder. He pulled her sweater up over her head. He whistled softly when he found her wearing a delicate pink lace bra. He unhooked it and carefully folded it away from her breasts. “You are so beautiful.” He nuzzled her breasts as he slowly bent her backward onto the couch cushions.

  “Make love to me, Tyler,” she breathed, pushing his jeans and briefs down past his hips.

  He kicked them the rest of the way off as he unfastened her skirt and slid it down her legs. He found her wearing pink lace bikini panties that matched her bra. He placed his palm against the lace, feeling the warmth of her skin against his own.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured again, rubbing slow circles with his palm.

  “I need you, Tyler.” She linked her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers. Her kisses were hungry, almost frantic with their intensity.

  Tyler wanted to make slow and careful love to her. He wanted it to last forever. But he was powerless against her entreaties. He slid her panties down her legs, dropping kisses from her thighs down. He left her for a moment, then returned, thrusting deep within her.

  She wrapped her legs around his hips and arched up to his driving thrust. She held on tight as if she feared he would suddenly disappear. And she cried.

  Tyler felt her tears scald his skin and would have drawn back, but she wouldn’t allow him to. As he felt her tighten around him, he reached down to touch the ultrasensitive bud. Libby fairly exploded around him. They shot up to the heavens together and slowly fell back.

  Tyler lay with. Libby nestled close to him. He could still feel her hot tears burning his skin.

  “Libby?” he murmured.

  She shook her head. “It was so beautiful,” she whispered, turning her head and placing slow kisses on his chest. “You are my other half. You own my soul.”

  If any other woman had said that, Tyler would have been out the door in a flash. Except with Libby, he heard words he had been thinking. He had never felt so complete with a woman as he did with her.

  “And you have mine.” He moved over her and they began again what could never end between them.

  It was late when Libby drove Tyler to the preschool to pick up his truck.

  “I don’t like you being out so late,” he told her before he left her car.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him.

  He touched her cheek with his fingertips as he kissed her.

  “You complete me.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Libby was able to hold back her tears until after Tyler drove off. She had smiled at him, kissed him back and promised to see him the next evening.

  Instead of driving back to her apartment, she drove to the hospital.

  Libby had been a candy striper there during her. high school days and knew all the back entrances. She stealthily made her way upstairs to the cardiac-care floor. She was grateful the two nurses were busy with patients and didn’t see her slip into the room with Nathan Bennett’s name written on the door plate.

  She gulped at the sight of all the monitors and tubes.

  “Daddy?” she whispered, moving forward until she reached the end of the bed. “Oh, Daddy, you were supposed to stay away from salt and all those nasty fatty foods. You were supposed to take a nice brisk walk every day. Why didn’t you do it? Because I wasn’t there to nag you? Please, Daddy, you can’t die.”

  She hovered by the side of the bed, her fingertips lightly touching his arm near the IV site. “I’m going to go back, Daddy, and get you walking every day. I’ll keep you away from cheeseburgers and fries. I know now what you all tried to tell me. I wasn’t alone in losing Sara. We all did. I just didn’t want to give up my grief, or even share it. I can do it now, Daddy. I want to be with you all again.” Her voice trembled. She backed away from the bed and made her way silently to the back stairs.

  As she walked back to her car she stopped when she saw a shadow nearby. Her footsteps faltered until she realized the shadow was too small for an adult. The shadowy figure moved out into the light.

  Libby gasped. “Becca? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at Mrs. Robinson’s?”

  “Do you believe everything now?” Becca asked, not bothering to answer Libby’s questions. “Do you know you will be a good mommy?”

  Libby walked up to her and dropped down on one knee. She ignored the cold ground beneath her.

  “Who are you really?” She could barely voice the question.

  Becca smiled. “You know.” She leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. With a butterfly touch, she closed Libby’s eyes.

  When she opened them Becca was gone. Libby stood up and looked around.

  “Becca?” She called out the name, although she didn’t expect an answer.

  Libby didn’t waste any time after that. She jumped in her car, but instead of heading for her apartment, drove to the park where it had all begun. She got out of her car and walked over to the swings.

  “Matthias!” She spun around. “Matthias, come out now!”

  He appeared with a long-suffering expression on his face.

  “Do you realize what time it is?”

  She ignored his question. “I want to go on with my life. I want to apologize to Tyler for ignoring his pain all these months. For not allowing us to comfort each other. I want to make sure my dad stays on the right track for his health. I want to renew my relationship with my mother. I want it all the way it should be. And—” she choked “—and I want to be back there so Tyler and I can have another child. Sara would want that.” Tears
ran down her cheeks.

  Matthias’s normally stern features softened in a smile.

  “You’re willing to have love back in your life again?”

  She nodded.

  “It’s always been there, Libby. You just had to take hold of it again.”

  The moment his words were spoken, he disappeared. Libby blinked against the snowflakes swirling around her face until she couldn’t see.

  “Wait!” she cried out.

  Just as quickly, the snowflakes were gone.

  “Libby!”

  She spun around at the sound of the familiar voice.

  “Tyler?”

  He ran toward her and hugged her tightly. “What were you trying to do? Scare the hell out of me? I’m sorry we did what we did without talking to you first, but—”

  She quickly pressed her fingertips against his mouth to silence him. She noticed she now wore her ring and nearly wept at the comfortable pressure of it against her finger.

  “I wouldn’t have listened,” she told him. “I’ve been so wrong, Tyler. I walled myself off from everyone, when I needed you so badly. I love you so much.” She peppered his face with kisses. “I don’t want to lose you, Tyler.”

  He looked stunned by her announcement. “Sweetheart, you wouldn’t have lost me. I love you too much to ever leave you. You complete me.”

  The simple emotion in those words, words she’d heard once before, made her realize that she hadn’t left the other Tyler behind. He was here, and she was now able to appreciate how precious he was. How precious this second chance at mending their relationship was.

  She started crying. “I want us to start over. I want us to have another baby.”

  Tyler stiffened in her arms. “Are you sure?” He looked as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  Libby nodded. “Can we go home now?” she pleaded. “I need to be home.”

  Tyler kept his arms wrapped around her as they walked toward his truck.

  It didn’t take him long to realize her tears were of joy. He wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t sure what had brought about this change in Libby, but he was going to rejoice in it. His old Libby was back, and he would be thankful for it every day of his life.

  Christmas, one year later

  “I DON’T THINK there’re enough lights,” Libby said, looking at a house that appeared to be made of lights.

  “Honey, there’s no room for anymore lights.” Tyler pulled off his gloves, looking like a long-suffering husband. “Aren’t you freezing out here?”

  Libby wore only a white, long-sleeved blouse and a red-and-green-print ankle-length jumper. Tiny Christmas decorations and Santas and snowmen made up the print. Her hair was pulled back on one side with a red velvet bow that held a spring of mistletoe.

  “All right,” she decided, “but I still think we could have more lights.” She followed him back into the house.

  As they entered, a squeal from the living room caught their attention.

  “There they are, lovey,” Vicki cooed, holding up a baby in a red velvet dress with a red ribbon around her head.

  “My darling!” Libby took her out of Vicki’s arms. “Did your aunt Vicki show you the Christmas tree?”

  “Did your aunt Vicki explain she can never take you shopping?” Tyler inserted, dropping a kiss on the baby’s head. She looked up at the sound of her daddy’s voice and waved her arms.

  He looked past the baby to Libby’s shining face. He’d almost feared her words a year ago were temporary, but they hadn’t been. She had called the entire family together and apologized to them all for keeping back from them. She’d said she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she hoped they would all help her. Tears had flowed freely, and that had been the beginning. Libby seemed to enjoy making sure her father stayed on his special diet and she took walks with him every day. She contacted Miss Regina and for now was substitute teaching at the preschool. But the biggest change was her relationship with Tyler.

  She seduced him. She entranced him so that he couldn’t imagine ever spending time with another woman. Their latest joy was the child Libby held in her arms. Two months ago, he had cried with Libby as their baby came into the world. While the fear lingered in their minds that tragedy might strike twice, they didn’t allow it to interfere in their joy.

  “Hey, lady, you’re under the mistletoe,” he whispered, tilting Libby’s chin up with his fingers. His kiss was far from light and promised much more later.

  “Excuse me, but are you sure a child should be present during such debauchery?” Vicki teased, taking the baby from Libby. “Can’t you two keep your hands off each other?”

  “We don’t want to.” Libby smiled at her sister. She turned back to her husband. “But I guess we will have to behave while the rest of the family is here.”

  Tyler kissed her again. “All right, but I will demand all your attention after they leave.”

  “You got it.”

  Libby smiled as the faint sound of a bell tinkled overhead.

  Tyler frowned. “What was that?”

  She looked at the brightly lit tree with piles of gaily wrapped gifts underneath. Garlands and tiny lights were everywhere and the scent of pine filled the air.

  “That was the sound of an entity getting his wings,” she murmured, pulling her husband back to her.

  Vicki shook her head in amusement at her sister and brother-in-law’s obvious desire for each other. She headed for the kitchen, where the warm smells of baked goods abounded.

  “Come on, Becca. You’re way too young to see this.”

  Epilogue

  “I must say it was a job well done,” Matthias announced to the Council of Elders.

  “Yes, Matthias, we are very pleased with your success with Elizabeth Barnes,” Simon replied. “In fact, we are so pleased, we feel there is only one reward that would equal such a triumph.”

  Matthias wanted to shout with glee, but if he was to be a member of the Council of Elders, he knew he would have to be more circumspect. Instead, he stood there, a model of dignified reserve, waiting to hear them tell him he was now a member.

  Simon kept smiling. “What we bestow on you is only right, Matthias. And in time, I am sure you will agree with us. Your next assignment will be your most challenging yet.”

  Matthias’s eyes widened with shock as he realized their intent.

  “No!”

  eISBN 978-14592-6782-4

  BELLS, RINGS & ANGELS’ WINGS

  Copyright © 1997 by Words by Wisdom.

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter Invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks Indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  Printed in U.S.A.

 

 

 
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