Rent-A-Bride (15 page)

“Not all of a sudden! I’ve been in love with you since you stepped off that airplane over a month ago.”

“Then why—”

“Couldn’t I say it before?” He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He walked back down the stairs until he was standing beside her. “But I’m saying it now.”

“That’s exactly my point!”

He sighed heavily. “Okay, then.”

The sudden surrender caught her completely off guard. “What?”

He shrugged. “Fine. I get it. It’s the timing.” Taking her hand he headed back up the stairs. “So, I’ll wait. And then ask again at a better time.”

As they entered the bedroom Amelia’s head was spinning. “Can we just go to bed and talk about this tomorrow?”

A few minutes later nestled together in his large four poster bed Amelia released a sign of pure contentment. How easy it would’ve been to just say yes to his impromptu proposal. To be able to end every night like this for the rest of her life. Or at least until he demanded a divorce. Either way it would be sweet for a while.

“I meant what I said, Amelia.”

“Hmm?”

“I will ask again and again until you finally say yes.”

“And I will just keep saying no until
you
realize you’re not really in love with me.”

“I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through these past few days without you.”

And that was the heart of the matter, Amelia thought. He was mistaking gratitude for love. He was going through one of the most painful experiences of his life and he was grateful for the love and support she offered. That was all it was and as much as it hurt to accept it would’ve been that much worse if she allowed herself to believe.

“Good night, Teddy Bear.” She whispered.

Smiling he placed a kiss on her forehead using his chin to tuck her head beneath his. “Good night, my love.”

E
d began his offensive attack early the next morning. He awoke almost an hour before her and made a large breakfast of eggs and bacon and as they sat in bed eating and watching the local news he reached over and ran a finger up her calf.

“That tickles, stop!” She playfully kicked his hand away.

“Does it now?” His eyes widened in mock amazement as he sat the food tray on the nightstand and pounced on her tickling her into delirium. Within seconds Amelia was laughing so hard she could hardly breath.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore he stretched out on top of her. “Marry me.”

Still laughing she pulled a pillow from beneath her head and slapped him with it. “That is so unfair!”

“All’s fair in love and war.”

“Which is this? Love or war?”

“What’s the difference?”

She smiled. “Not sure.”

He stretched her arms over her head and nudged his way into the valley of her body. “Is that a yes?”

She gasped feeling her body awake with arousal. “Oh, yes.” She whispered, her back arching off the bed.

He reared back slightly surprised. “Yes, you’ll marry me?”

She blinked and swallowed trying to regain her senses.

“Um, no to that. But…“ She lifted her head and gave him the most passionate kiss she could. “Yes to anything else you want.”

His surprised face turned seductive. “I guess that will have to be enough…for now.”

• • •

Then again two days later. Late fall was the end of the hunting season and Ed wanted to take Merlin out for one final flight before he was returned to his mews for the winter months. After their initial introduction woman and bird had developed a sort of unspoken truce. They avoided each other as much as possible and since Merlin spent most of his time in his mews it wasn’t that difficult.

Amelia was a bit chilly standing in the open field but both Ed and Merlin seemed to be totally comfortable. Of course, Ed was dressed in a very warm looking leather bomber and Merlin was covered in multiple layers of feathers.

Having lived in California for the past few years she didn’t own any winter coats and the uselessness of her blue wind breaker was reminding her that article of clothing needed to go to the top of her shopping list.

She stood nearby watching in fascination as Ed wearing a brown leather gauntlet lifted Merlin from his cage and onto his arm.

Once again Amelia was surprised by the size of the bird. Even in his resting state with his wings neatly tucked into his body he was as big as a small dog.

She unconsciously held her breath as Ed gently removed the hood from Merlin’s head and immediately the bird began shifting and fluttering as if he somehow knew why they were there and couldn’t wait to get to it.

“He’s beautiful.” She said softly.

“Hmm.” Was Ed’s only response as his complete attention was trained on the bird watching each and every movement he made.

He held out his arm and Merlin shifted his large body causing the little, gold bells on his legs to ring incessantly. Ed gently removed the leather straps that kept the bird tethered and slowly lifted his arm.

Ed glanced at her over his shoulder. A wide smile on his face. “Ready?”

Amelia didn’t see how her being ready made the slightest bit of different but still she nodded in agreement.

Ed made a sudden movement, so fast and so slight Amelia almost missed it and suddenly the bird was racing for the sky. His wings flapping madly. His brown and rust colored feathers shining beautifully in the sunlight.

Shielding her eyes Amelia watched him take to his element with such elegant grace it took her breath away. “Wow.”

“I know.” Ed came over to where she was standing and wrapping his arm around her waist stood watching Merlin glide across the tree tops searching for prey. “That’s how I felt the first time I saw him in flight.”

“What do you do—” Amelia stopped abruptly causing Ed to turn his head and look at her.

“What?”

“Never mind.” She shook her head.

“What were you gonna say?”

“Just one of those questions you realize you really don’t want the answer to.”

“Come on, tell me.”
“I was going to ask what do you do with the critters he kills?”

“Nothing.”

She looked up at him in wide eyed relief. “Really?”

“Yeah, they’re his kills. I wouldn’t dare try to steal his treats away.”

“You mean he…eats them?”

He chuckled. “No, Amelia, he pokes them with his beak and squawks
tag-you’re-it
. Of course, he eats them!”

“And you don’t mind having a pet that kills?”

“That’s where you’re wrong. He’s not a pet.”

“How did you get into this anyway?”

“Steve.” He pulled off the gauntlet and tossed it on top of the waist high cage they’d brought the bird in. He glanced at her and began pulling off his jacket. “You’re freezing. Here.”

“I couldn’t.” She bravely resisted the warm, fur lined coat that wonderfully smelled like his aftershave.

Still he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. “I insist.”

“I use to love this time of the year but after living in L.A. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Do you think you’ll ever go back?”

“To L.A.? Probably not. Becoming an actress was nothing like I thought it would be. And besides I have a new niece or nephew on the way. I want to be around for that.”

They both noticed when suddenly Merlin seemed to just stop in mid-flight and then like a shooting star he charged toward the earth.

“Come on!” Ed called taking her hand and racing across the field.

Amelia allowed herself to be dragged along while attempting to put the jacket on properly so as not to lose it. They picked their way through the underbrush. Ed leading them left then right then left.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Amelia finally asked.

“Sssh!” He suddenly squatted pulling Amelia down beside him. Their bodies were almost completely hidden behind the hollowed log of a dead tree. “Look.” He whispered and pointed to the left.

Amelia was both mortified and impressed to see Merlin perched on top of some dead thing that could’ve been anything from a field mouse to a chipmunk ripping the poor creature apart with his beak.

Ed turned to look at her with the smile of a proud father. “And that is why they are called predators.”

Amelia stared back at him. “You’re kinda twisted, huh?”

He leaned into her. His hot breath against her ear. “Don’t act like you don’t like it. Marry me and you can have my twisted mind all to yourself.”

“This again?” She sighed and smiled although some part of her was beginning to feel as stalked as Merlin’s dinner must’ve felt.

“This again and again until you say yes. So, what do you say?”

Wanting desperately to change the subject, she turned back to where Merlin was finishing up his meal. “I say never piss off a raptor.”

• • •

By the end of the second week Amelia knew they couldn’t go on like this. He’d gone from playful banter to a man obsessed. He brought up the topic of marriage constantly, multiple times a day. And it had gotten so bad Amelia had come to dread it.

One night as she watched him prepare Merlin’s feed he started up again and for some reason it seemed to be the breaking point. “Why won’t you let this go?!”

As he slammed the bowl down on the table and the grain spilled everywhere Amelia realized she wasn’t the only one frustrated. “Why is it so hard for you to believe I love you?!”

“Ed, you’ve only known me for a couple of months and those months have been some of the worse of your life. Isn’t it possible,
just possible
, that your wanting to get married is just an attempt to distract yourself from your mourning?”

“Oh! So you’re Dr. Phil now?!”

“How can we ever have a rational conversation about this when you refuse to consider all the possibilities?”

He shook his head. “I don’t get it. I just don’t get it! I don’t know what you want, Amelia.” He slumped against the kitchen island.

She crossed the room, wrapped her arms around his mid section and laid her head on his chest. “Not this.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Then what?”

She took a deep breath and stepped out of his arms. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh, no.” He groaned.

Choosing to ignore that she turned and took a few steps struggling to choose the right words.

He stared at her back for a moment and then stood straight again. “I already don’t like this.”

Amelia knew that what she was about to propose would either save their relationship or destroy it forever. But they had come to a stalemate and she could think of no other way forward. They needed time.

Folding her arms across her chest she turned to face him. “Okay. What if we took a year off?”

He frowned. “From what?”

“Each other. A year…apart. No contact.”

“What?!”

“Just hear me out.” She held up a restraining hand. “We can’t go on like this.”

“Like what?” He made a frustrated hand gesture. “Amelia, what we have…some people wait their whole lives to find it. Some never do. Why would you want to throw that away?”

“What if it’s not real? What if we get married and then a year from now you feel differently?”

“Is that what this is about? You think I’m going to regret marrying you someday?”

Unable to verbalize her worse fear she simply nodded.

“Baby, how can you think that?” He moved toward her and she quickly backed up not trusting her shaky resolve to resist the temptation of his touch.

“Up until two months ago you vowed to never marry. Two months ago! Now all of a sudden you’re mister family man?”

“I just needed to find the right woman.”

She sighed. “Or…this is your last, ditch effort to fulfill Stanley’s dying wish.”

“This has nothing to do with Stanley!”

She tilted her head to the side. “Doesn’t it?”

Slowly he turned and walked around the kitchen island. Amelia waited knowing that this was something he would have to work through on his own. Some part of her felt as if she were shooting herself in the foot. Here was this wonderful man saying he was in love with her and her answer was
get back to me in a year
.

Finally he stopped his slow and steady pace and turned back to face her. “Okay, so let me understand this. After this year apart, then what?”

“We see if we still feel the same and I guess…take it from there.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Are we allowed to see other people?”

She swallowed. “We’re completely free to do whatever we want.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” He leaned over the island separating them. “I swear Amelia, if you go
near
another man I will kill him!”

“Me? What about you?”

“I’m only considering this to humor you! I know what I want. I just have to make you understand this is not some grief stricken outcry.”

“You might feel differently in a year.”

“And round and round we go.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Ok, if I agreed to this then you have to say yes now.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. “Been carrying this around for awhile waiting for you to be ready.” He took her left hand and slide the ring onto her finger. “If we do this and in a year’s time we both feel the same way we do today we get married immediately. Agreed?”

Since this was something she could totally agree with she nodded eagerly.

“So, now what?”

She circled the island and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Now we say goodbye.”

He shook his head. “No. I won’t say goodbye. At the most…see you later.

She smiled and fought back the tears she could feel forming in her eyes. “Okay then. See you later.”

I
t had been the longest year of her life. Toying with the engagement ring she wore on a chain around her neck Amelia stood staring out at the pouring rain. Outside the high winds would occasionally catch up scoopfuls of water and slam them against the glass windowpane of the small apartment she’d called home for the past six months.

So much had changed since her arrival at metro airport fifteen months ago almost to the date. Despite her limited skill set she’d managed to find a job in insurance sales. The downside was that she worked on commission but thanks to her natural charm in just a few months she’d managed to work her way to a kind of financial stable she had never had before. She’d come a long way from the days of contemplating doing porn just to have food to eat that night.