Bring on the Rain (50 page)

“
Mitch.” She blinked away
the tears. “You were my first, my only real love. Nothing touched
me before, and nothing after until you filled me again. I’m only
me, when you love me. I want to feel this, for the rest of my
life.”

Mitch lowered his head and kissed her
softly, moving his hips slowly, so measured.

Against her mouth, he murmured,
“Madeline, hold me. Don’t let go of me. Too many nights I woke up,
right in here in this bed, my dreams of you were so real, and I‘d
open my eyes, and be alone.”

She held him tight, her legs lifting
and secured. She felt his driving thrusts increase and get deeper.
She felt his sweat on her temple as he whispered huskily, “More
Madeline, God. I have missed you for so long. Give me everything,
take me in.”

Her heart filled, nearly bursting, she
took him deeply, absorbed his claiming, his possession. “I know.”
she sobbed. She did understand the almost desperate feel of his
movements, the wild hunger, and overwhelming need. For twenty years
they had mourned, craved, wanted each other, and had buried it deep
inside of them.

Only this, the strength and intensity
of that love, the letting it out, and letting go, made them feel
alive. They were soul mates. They’d brave anything, anytime
together, now. Nothing would part them again.

“
Madeline…” Mitch whispered
after a long shattering climax.

Madeline rolled to him as he lay to the
side, and tried to calm her own heart. She said something that was
very difficult for her. Something that she knew could give him the
power to hurt her emotionally. “I need you. I don’t ever want to go
back to not having anyone of my own…to not being held, and given
love. Don’t ever leave me, please.”

His eyes touched hers with such
tenderness. Mitch pulled her to him, pushed her bangs back, and
said roughly, “Madeline, I never have. I have watched over you,
heard your voice, dreamed of you, wanted you, and been with you,
the whole time. I cannot leave you. I tried to do it emotionally,
for the sake of my marriage. I found out I can’t. I promise you, I
swear on my life… There will be no storms, no rain, and no
darkness… Where I am not there, loving you through it. “

She held him close for a long time,
feeling the truth of his vow, knowing, at last, she was home, safe,
whole.

The bedside phone rang. Mitch muttered,
“I’m going to kill them!” He sat up, muttering, “Why’d I have to be
the oldest? Sometimes I... Hello. You sonofbitches!”

She slid up against the headboard,
wondering what kind of prank the Coburn's were pulling.

All she heard was Mitch laughing,
laughing so hard he lost his grip on the phone and fell
back.

She leaned over him, over the bed and
picked it up. “Hello?”

“
Oh, shit. Madeline, sorry
to interrupt the honeymoon, just wanted to tell you, that Ruby and
me got a license and a blood test. We’ll get married as soon as the
Judge will let us.”

“
Jude…what…?”

“
I got to' go. We’ll be back
in town in a few days. I couldn’t catch up with Coy. Tell him for
me. Gotta' run.”

She hung up, sat there waiting for
Mitch’s amusement to die down. Mitch finally rolled his head and
eyed her dryly. “She’s over him, huh?”

She exhaled noisily and shrugged. “I
wasn’t going to let her secret out. Besides, I didn’t know Jude had
a thing for her. I thought…”

“
Yeah, well…” He came up to
sit beside her. “Jude doesn’t think I know he was hooked on drugs
for years.”

He told her what he’d found out from
Dovie, before she had died. About the boy who had died in the car
race, and how she’d help cover Jude’s drugs, and smooth over the
circumstances of Tommy’s death. “She knew, it hurt more than helped
Jude. She also told me though; she knew that when he kicked the
drugs, he replaced it with booze. She told me too, about him asking
her to keep Ruby out of his life…”

“
But…none of that proves he
loves her, Mitch. I’m sorry, she’s my best friend, and I don’t want
him hurting her.”

“
Madeline. Jude loves her.
He needs someone like her in his life. He’s going to be a grandpa
and he is getting clean. Ruby is strong, intelligent, she knows him
as no one else does…They are like us; they have known each other
for years. I can tell you, that Jude and Ruby will be happy. They
will have an exciting life and she will make him laugh. And they’ll
have a dozen hippie-rebel kids.”

“
I love you.” She smiled at
him. Knowing he was absolutely right. It might seem strange, but
those two were meant to be together. She did not doubt that her
friend was strong enough for Jude. That she would complement his
life and he would end up worshipping her, loving her.

“
I love you too.” Mitch
rolled over and slid her down in the bed. His light eyes met hers.
“Let’s make love in the shower then fix a big pot of
spaghetti.”

“
I’m going to get fat,
married to you.”

“
Nah, we’ll burn the
calories off.” Mitch moved down her body, kissing and touching and
loving her. “I’m having my dessert first.”

“
I noticed,” she murmured on
a happy sigh.

The End