Cael snorted. “We were just telling Rafe that if he keeps working out the way he does, he could end up in a fitness magazine.”
Rafe flexed his biceps, and she lifted her eyebrows. “Impressive, for sure. But then, Cael, you and Zander are just as muscular.”
Zander rolled his eyes. “I don’t think being in a magazine will ever be for me.”
Cael gave a playful kick to Rafe while he sat on the floor and said, “Some of us plan on real work!”
“Hey, working on my body is real work!” Looking up at Miss Ethel, he added, “Speaking of real work, I was going to get some more straw mulch to put over the winter beds of roses. I can do that this weekend if that’s okay.”
“Oh, that would be lovely. Are you sure that instead of being a model you wouldn’t rather be a gardener?”
Rafe shook his head. “I know that’s what my dad did, but I don’t think there’s much money in it.”
“There’s more to life than money,” Zander retorted.
“Yeah, but I discovered at the party tonight that the pretty girls drift toward either the guys who have money or the guys who have muscles. If I have both, I could have any pretty girl I want.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having good looks or money,” Miss Ethel agreed. “But I think you’ll find that looks are truly only skin deep. One day, you’ll look beneath that.” Glancing toward Cael, she asked, “Speaking of good looks, I thought you were very handsome at your sister’s wedding.”
He blushed and shook his head. “I don’t think I ever want to get married, Miss Ethel.”
Blinking in surprise, she tilted her head to the side, waiting for him to explain.
“It just seemed like a lot of trouble,” he said, shrugging.
“It doesn’t have to be. My George and I had a very simple wedding. He’d just gotten back from the Army, we had very little money and wanted to save it for getting a house. We had a little ceremony at the church and then my parents had a reception afterwards in their home.”
Nodding, Zander said, “That makes sense. That’s what I’ll do. Well, if I ever get married.”
“Oh, I think each of you will find your own princesses.” She smiled at them, imagining the type of women that each of them would fall for.
Rafe stood and bent to kiss her cheek. “I don’t need a princess, Miss Ethel, but I sure wouldn’t mind somebody who cooked chicken the way you do.”
Laughing, she patted his back as she hugged him and said good night.
Cael was next and he agreed. “Personally, I’d go for a woman that can make your cookies!”
The two boys stopped at the door, and Rafe looked over his shoulder. “It’s not going to be the same without you, man.” He glanced up at Cael and then back to Zander. “It was just the three of us for a while. The original brotherhood.”
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Ethel stayed quiet, allowing the moment of camaraderie and emotion to flow between her oldest boys as they stood on the precipice of manhood.
“Always brothers,” Zander vowed. Cael and Rafe offered chin lifts and walked back to their room, leaving her and Zander alone.
Uncertain her voice would not shake, she remained quiet, noting he did the same. He swallowed deeply several times, and she had no doubt he worked to compose himself.
Finally, he said, “You gave me this.”
She continued to wait quietly.
“You thought you were just giving me a safe place to stay. But you gave me you. You gave me brothers. You gave me a family. You gave me life.”
He shifted closer, and she wrapped her arms around him. It did not escape her notice that his grip was much stronger, and he was giving as much as he was taking. “For a while, it was just you and me, Zander. I want you to know that you were everything I could’ve ever wanted in a son.” They pulled back, and she continued, “The next months will pass quickly. But always remember that this is your home. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you can always come home. And I’ll be waiting.”
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, wishing him a good night as she always did. Walking down the stairs, she began to turn off the lights. Moving into the living room, her hand was on the switch to flip off the Christmas tree lights when she saw George standing near the tree.
Tonight, she had no words, but the emotion flowed between them. He simply looked at her, smiled, and whispered into the dark, “You did good. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
8
Fifteen Years Later
Her house on Christmas Eve was filled to the brim with family. So much so that it was difficult to move between the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Laughter abounded. Kindhearted joking ensued. The patter of little feet as children raced around, calling out to each other, often made it difficult to hear what others were saying. But Ethel didn’t mind. The house was far too quiet most of the time, so when family came to visit, especially all of the family at the same time, she would occasionally close her eyes and revel in the sounds of love.
Zander had found his sleeping beauty in Rosalie, a young woman that he had rescued, and who in turn had rescued him. Rafe had discovered true beauty in his wife, Eleanor, and the gardens he tended. Cael’s match came in the form of a woman with long red hair who knew the meaning of sacrifice. Jaxon’s mermaid, Morgan, had taught him the power of second chances. Jayden’s petite wife, Ruby, gave true meaning to the words ‘quiet perseverance’. Asher had been reunited with the girl he thought he’d lost in childhood, Penelope, his own beautiful swan. Zeke’s wife, Cynthia, showed him that his strength combined with love was an unstoppable force. And Cas had been reunited with the little girl from across the street, now the beautiful woman, Bianca.
In between them all, twenty-one children of various ages filled the house. In warmer weather, they would spill out into the backyard where food-laden tables would hold their fare and picnic tables were placed under the shade of the large trees. But for the Christmas Eve meal, the women lined the counters with platters of food and the adults would squeeze around the table that Cas had enlarged over the years with new leaves. The children would sit amongst the adults or in their laps. No one seemed to mind the close quarters.
Ethel ate little, preferring to focus on the stories being told, the lives being shared, admiring the men that her boys had become, the women they had chosen as mates, and the children they were raising.
After the meal, she had little to do as the others made sure the dishes were washed and put away and the leftovers wrapped and placed into the refrigerator. They made their way into the living room where she sat in her favorite chair as the others filled every space. Gifts were shared based on the names they had drawn at Thanksgiving, and soon wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons lay in piles as everyone exclaimed over their presents.
“Nanny Ethel,” the children cried. “Tell us a story!”
She thrilled them with stories of their dads as little boys. Continuing to create her tales, she wove in fairytales as she described how they met their princesses.
When it was time to say goodbye, the family made sure that the house was as clean as when they’d arrived. Fussing, she asked, “What will I do when you’re gone?”
“You should rest, Miss Ethel,” Zander said.
She waved off his words but knew that was exactly what she’d do. One by one, the families came over with hugs and kisses as they said goodbye. They all lived close, so she would see them in a few days, but she still held vigil on the porch and waved them goodbye as one by one they piled into their cars and drove off. A chilly wind swept past, sending her inside.
Standing in her foyer, the quiet closed in. Her gaze drifted up the stairway, the upstairs of the house only used when the grandchildren came to stay overnight.
As though pulled by a magnetic force, she held onto the banister and walked upstairs, standing in the hall, allowing the memories to flow. Her mind drifted to the many years that her boys slept safe and sound under her roof
, their nightmares and loneliness chased away. For the first time in a long time, she cast her mind even further back to when one of the large bedrooms had been hers and George’s. They had planned for the sound of children in the home, just not the way it happened.
But then, if she and George had had children of their own, she would’ve never had her boys.
Life is funny like that. You sometimes have to lose to gain. You sometimes have to suffer to celebrate. You sometimes have to give up to be given.
Once again holding closely to the banister, she descended the staircase and moved into the kitchen. Fixing a cup of tea, she walked back down the hall. Passing the dining room, she glanced inside at the now quiet room. She remembered all the meals that she and George had shared sitting at one corner of the table, hoping that one day the table would be filled with family. And even though he was not with her, she had no doubt he would have been thrilled with the sight of everyone around, enjoying company and food. Sharing their lives. Sharing their love.
She made her way back into the living room and placed her teacup on the table before sitting in her favorite chair. She picked up her knitting and thought back over the day. But tonight, the clicking of the needles did not bring the same comfort that it always did, and she felt restless. Her eyes continually searched the room, waiting.
Finally, a touch on her shoulder startled her, and the air left her lungs in a rush as she looked up. “I was afraid you weren’t coming,” she confessed.
George squeezed her shoulder before walking over to the Christmas tree. “My dear, Ethel, when have I ever missed Christmas?”
They spent a few minutes in silence as he moved to the tree as he did each year, seeming to note the new ornaments placed by the children as well as the ones they had bought when first married.
“Did you see the boys earlier?” she asked.
He smiled. “You should be so proud of them, sweetheart. They’re all grown, healthy, happy. They’ve all found love. They are good men, good husbands, and wonderful fathers.”
She smiled, his reply moving through her, warming her deep inside. “I am proud, but I didn’t do it alone. You were their father as much as I was their mother. I could not have done this… I could not have taken this journey if you had not been right beside me.”
He walked over and knelt at her feet so his face was close to hers. She could swear she caught a scent of his aftershave and his eyes were just as deep. She lifted her hand to cup his face but halted, her fingers twitching, torn between wanting to touch him and knowing her hand would not encounter anything. “I love you, George.”
She dropped her hand into her lap, allowing him to lean forward and brush a kiss against her lips instead. “I love you, too, my sweet Ethel.”
He stood and started to move away, turning at the last moment, holding her gaze. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
As he slowly disappeared from view, she leaned back in her chair. The lights on the tree twinkled. The sound of carols floated throughout the room from her old radio. And the peace of the season settled over her. She lifted her eyes to the pictures on the bookshelves, illustrating a life well-lived. She particularly loved two with her and all the boys in a frame next to the one of her and George’s wedding. Smiling, she whispered into the dark, “Merry Christmas.”
For all of Miss Ethel’s boys:
Heroes at Heart (Military Romance)
Zander
Rafe
Cael
Jaxon
Jayden
Asher
Zeke
Cas
Please note that if you are a new-to-me reader, this companion novella is sweet, and my other books are written with scenes and language found in R-rated movies.
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Maryann Jordan’s Alpha Fan Group
Also by Maryann Jordan
Don’t miss other Maryann Jordan books!
Lots more Baytown stories to enjoy and more to come!
Baytown Boys (small town, military romantic suspense)
Coming Home
Just One More Chance
Clues of the Heart
Finding Peace
Picking Up the Pieces
Sunset Flames
Waiting for Sunrise
Hear My Heart
Guarding Your Heart
Sweet Rose
Our Time
Count On Me
Shielding You
To Love Someone
For all of Miss Ethel’s boys:
Heroes at Heart (Military Romance)
Zander
Rafe
Cael
Jaxon
Jayden
Asher
Zeke
Cas
Lighthouse Security Investigations
Mace
Rank
Walker
Drew
Blake
Tate
Hope City (romantic suspense series co-developed
with Kris Michaels
Brock book 1
Sean book 2
Carter book 3
Brody book 4
Kyle book 5
Ryker book 6
Rory book 7
Killian book 8
Saints Protection & Investigations
(an elite group, assigned to the cases no one else wants…or can solve)
Serial Love
Healing Love
Revealing Love
Seeing Love
Honor Love
Sacrifice Love
Protecting Love
Remember Love
Discover Love
Surviving Love
Celebrating Love
Follow the exciting spin-off series:
Alvarez Security (military romantic suspense)
Gabe
Tony
Vinny
Jobe
SEALs
Thin Ice (Sleeper SEAL)
SEAL Together (Silver SEAL)
Letters From Home (military romance)
Class of Love
Freedom of Love
Bond of Love
The Love’s Series (detectives)
Love’s Taming
Love’s Tempting
Love’s Trusting
The Fairfield Series (small town detectives)
Emma’s Home
Laurie’s Time
Carol’s Image
Fireworks Over Fairfield
Please take the time to leave a review of this book. Feel free to contact me, especially if you enjoyed my book. I love to hear from readers!
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Website
About the Author
I am an avid reader of romance novels, often joking that I cut my teeth on the historical romances. I have been reading and reviewing for years. In 2013, I finally gave into the characters in my head, screaming for their story to be told. From these musings, my first novel, Emma’s Home, The Fairfield Series was born.
I was a high school counselor having worked in education for thirty years. I live in Virginia, having also lived in four states and two foreign countries. I have been married to a wonderfully patient man for thirty-five years. When writing, my dog or one of my four cats can generally be found in the same room if not on my lap.
Please take the time to leave a review of this book. Feel free to contact me, especially if you enjoyed my book. I love to hear from readers!
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Email
Website
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Holiday for a Hero (Heroes at Heart Book 9) Page 7
