Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund
~ 32 ~
“COMEBACKTOME.” The soft words floated in Marian’s consciousness. “I have loved you, Marian, as I have loved no other.”
She tried to grasp them, but they fluttered beyond her reach. Instead, the whispers of angels at the brink of heaven called to her. In paradise, she would finally taste of the real Tree of Life, the one talked about in the book of Revelation, the tree that would enable her to live in heaven for eternity.
But she couldn’t keep herself from chasing after that wafting declaration. I have loved you, Marian, as I have loved no other. It blew ahead of her, taunting her, tugging her away from the cloudy vision of heaven and pointing her back to earth.
Marian inhaled a strangely contented breath only to catch a whiff of earth and woodsmoke—the combination that belonged in the Middle Ages. Her pulse tapped with unexpected anticipation. What had happened? Maybe she wasn’t dying after all.
Her eyes flew open to darkness. She couldn’t see anything—no blue lights from monitors or cell phones or alarm clocks. The night was too quiet to belong to the present with only the distant call of an owl and croaking of a toad. And the air was too warm to be the temperature-controlled rooms of twenty-first-century Chesterfield Park.
Her pulse tapped again, this time with excitement. She was back in the past. How had this happened? Was it possible her dad’s speculation about dying in both eras was wrong? Or did love have the power to give life, even more so than holy water or modern medicine?
“Will?” She sensed his presence nearby even before she heard the creak of the chair where he sat. His fingers tightened around hers, and she was suddenly conscious he was holding her hand.
His other hand moved to her forehead, then to her cheek.
“It is you.” Joy pulsed through her as sweet as honey.
“And who else would it be, wife?” His voice drew nearer and was thick with emotion.
Her eyesight began to adjust to the darkness of the room, the starlight providing the faintest glow, so that she could see the outline of his face near hers.
“I thought I died.”
“I think you did.”
“Then how am I here?” She lifted her hand to his forehead and the scar above his eyebrow, then drew her fingers down his cheek along his solid jaw to his chin and up to his lips, needing to make sure he was really there.
“Christina found an old ampulla at the priory like those from the vault. I thought I was too late. But within the hour of giving it to you, you began to breathe normally again.”
Marian attempted to comprehend the situation. She’d died in the present. There was no doubt about that. But Will had given her the holy water at just the right moment to prevent her from dying in 1381. Or perhaps the miracle cure had drawn her back from the dead. Was that even possible?
Now that she was here, would she need another dose of the holy water to stay alive? If she had to wager, she guessed she would need more water to secure her body’s place here in 1381. But how would they find more in time?
“At least I have you for a few more days.”
“You have me forever.” He lifted her hand then and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
She fought against the frustration that threatened to compete with the happiness of her reunion. Should she inform him about the uncertainty of her condition?
“What is it?” She could feel his muscles tensing.
She had to tell him. He deserved to know. “The dose of holy water you gave me woke me from my coma. But I suspect I’ll need another in order to live—”
“Then you shall have it.” His words came so quickly and decisively she wasn’t sure how to respond. Had Christina found two ampullae? Perhaps even now Will had it in the room.
As though sensing her questions, he squeezed her fingers gently. “I have discovered the ancient wellspring.”
She pushed up slightly. “At St. Sepulchre?”
“Thad and the stable boy helped me dig in the spot you showed to Christina under the ash tree. After I rode away with the ampulla, Thad and Johnny kept digging.”
Marian’s heartbeat did a crazy dive in her chest. So St. George’s Tower was the location.
She had no idea what Harrison planned to do with the information she’d disclosed to him before she’d departed. All she could do was trust he’d be cautious and wise with his investigation. Likewise, she and Will would need to be careful with the holy water so its power wasn’t abused.
“Thad brought a small container of the water home to me.” Will started to release her and stand. “I shall retrieve it for you this instant.”
“No.” She clung to his hand. “I don’t know if I’ll need it.”
“I shall give you a dose to be safe.”
She shook her head. “If I start to feel sick, then we’ll know.” The question was, did the wellspring still retain the curative properties that it once had? She suspected it did, but she could test a dose on herself to find out.
He hesitated above the bed, towering there, majestic and fierce, every bit as darkly handsome as she’d remembered. “I can’t lose you again.” The hoarseness in his voice told her of the agony he’d suffered the past few days.
“God willing, we shall be together forever.” Marian prayed it was so.
“God willing.” His statement was not only the benediction on the past but also the commencement of forever.
She slid her fingers through his and suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her. She longed for him to hold her, to rest her head against his chest, and hear his heartbeat all the rest of the night, telling her this was real, that this was no dream, and that she would get to be with him for the rest of her earthly life.
“I shall leave you to your slumber.” He made a move to leave, but she tightened her grip.
“Right now, there is one thing I need more than rest or holy water.” She was embarrassed by how sultry her voice sounded.
“What is that?”
“You.”
He didn’t move, but his breathing quickened.
She flipped aside the coverlet that had shielded her body. Then she scooted over, making room for him on the bed.
Still he hesitated.
She tugged his arm. “Please, Will.”
“I want you to recover.”
“Don’t you know you have the power to help me recover?”
“How exactly?”
“Hold me,” she whispered.
He released a soft moan. “Marian.”
“And kiss me.”
His muscles were taut and radiated need.
“The five days are over.” Once the bold words were out, she felt herself flush. She wanted him to know she was ready to be his wife, that she was committed to their marriage, and that she wouldn’t hold back anything from him anymore.
Her words drew him. Irresistibly, as she’d guessed they would. With a growl, he lowered himself to the mattress next to her, his weight making it sag and causing her to roll against him, right where she wanted to be.
He wrapped his arms around her, his palm on her lower back, pressing her intimately and igniting sparks in her belly. His mouth found hers, and for an infinite moment his lips plied hers, meshing their lives, their souls, and their time on earth.
When he broke away, her breath came in gasps. She wanted more.
He gathered her fully into his arms, tucked her face into the crook of his neck, and then rested his chin on her head. “Soon. Very soon. But not tonight.” His hammering heartbeat told her he wanted to ignite their passion as much as she did but that he would refrain because of her health.
She melded into him, sighing her contentment at being home in his arms.
“My love for you, it fills me and consumes me.” He stroked her hair. “It does not wane but grows stronger with each passing day.”
The declaration filled her with the same sweet joy as earlier. She understood it wasn’t easy for a man like Will to tell her his feelings. He was better at showing his devotion than speaking it.
“I love you too.” She pressed a kiss into the scruff on his neck.
“A feeling, Marian? Or a choice?”
She could sense her answer was important to him, that he wanted an honest reply from her as he always did. “It’s both. My love for you is deep and abiding so that when I’m not with you, I’m restless and needing you, and when we’re together, I cannot get enough of you. But whether here or there, near or far, I have committed my life and love to you and you alone.”
His lips lingered warm and soft against her forehead. “I, the same, Marian. I love you with my body, soul, and mind.”
She rested her head against his chest, both feeling and hearing the steady thump of his heartbeat. This man. This time. This place. This was her destiny. This was exactly where she was meant to be. Forever.