Heal Me

by Grady, D. R.

  “Jenna, will you marry me?”

  Jenna paused for a moment to savor the moment and then she dove into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she grinned, a happy, goofy grin. “Oh, yes, absolutely, yes!”

  He placed his grin on hers and they sealed their bargain.

  Chapter 23

  “You’re getting married?” McCully exclaimed, looking up from her plate for probably the first time that evening.

  Tonight was a repeat of a few weeks ago. Fred, McCully, Mark and Colleen, Damon and Emmy all sat around the table with him and Jenna. At the moment they all stared in shock and pleasure. So far, only his partner had managed to utter a word. That figured.

  He held Jenna’s hand as she showed them her left one. It didn’t take long for the ladies to ooh and aah over the ring he made short work of placing on her finger. He guessed it was a nice one, based on the ladies comments.

  Fred raised an eyebrow at him. “That put you in the hock?”

  He smiled. “No.”

  McCully snorted. “What else was he going to do with all that moldy money?” she said and swiped something off Fred’s plate. He rolled his eyes and returned the favor.

  “Yeah, like you’ve got room to talk,” Owen said, staring her down.

  She bit into Fred’s breadstick and ignored him.

  “So, when’s the big day?” Emmy asked.

  When they answered, “In September,” McCully choked. He taped her on the back and she gulped down some water.

  “That’s less than three months away,” she exclaimed when she finally sorted everything into the right pipes.

  “Just a little over two, yes, we know,” Jenna said, and smiled at her.

  “How on earth are we supposed to organize a wedding in two months?”

  “That’s where you come in, being a professional wedding planner,” he replied, grinning at her. Jenna nudged him with her elbow and raised a brow. He leaned forward and kissed her. Her cheeks went pink, but her eyes went hot. He didn’t exactly squirm.

  “We’re planning to help, too,” Emmy said and she darted a quick look at her husband, who also bent forward and kissed her.

  “Since everyone else is kissing,” Mark muttered and leaned over to kiss Colleen.

  “Don’t even think about it,” McCully warned Fred in a dangerous tone. Owen saw she brandished her fork like a weapon. Fred wrinkled his nose.

  “Like I want cooties,” he answered. Owen would have laughed, but he wanted to kiss Jenna more.

  A knock at the kitchen door interrupted them. Looking up, he saw a woman who looked remarkably like Jenna open the door and enter the room. Behind her stood the huge man who’d taken Simon Malcolm off their hands at the McNeal residence. What was his name? Saltaire, that’s right. Another woman, his sister, followed him with a man easily as large as Saltaire. Jared and Annie McNeal entered after them. The huge cat he and Landover had encountered in McNeal’s cave ended the parade.

  “Julia!” Jenna and Emmy both shrieked and left the table in a flurry. A paper napkin floated gently to the floor.

  The women did a group hug, as Annie got caught in the midst. Then they did individual hugs. Fred stood to shake Saltaire’s hand and clapped him on the back before sweeping the woman into his arms.

  He shook his head, and his mouth drooped. “I can’t believe you married Bannette when you could have had me,” he said sadly as he squeezed her.

  She gurgled in laughter and Owen nearly dropped his fork at the sexiness of her French accent. “But Fred, I did not know I could ‘ave you.”

  “I gave you plenty of signs,” he protested.

  “Like she’s interested in geeks,” the other large man, who Owen assumed was her husband, said. He held out his hand to Fred, who clasped it with affection. They also did the friend clap on the back, obviously happy to see each other.

  Owen rose and shook Saltaire’s hand. Damon stepped forward to do the same. When Jenna turned from Julia, she stepped right into Saltaire’s arms and squeezed him tight. Owen decided not to get upset, since on Saltaire’s left hand gleamed a wide platinum wedding band. And if he figured correctly, Julia’s wedding band matched his.

  When he looked at McCully, she looked amazed at this welcome from half the room’s occupants. Or more. Only Mark and Coulihan and she didn’t know the new arrivals. She surprised him by shaking Julia’s hand.

  “So, you folks took care of that George Chalmers the third problem?” she asked. Owen blinked, not certain what exactly she spoke of.

  “You’re the cop who took him in,” Julia responded and tugged her into a hug.

  “Yes, I am,” McCully said, who not only took the gesture well, but returned it. Maybe his partner was mellowing.

  “Sebastian took care of him,” Julia said, and nodded her head toward the large panther.

  “Took care of him?” McCully repeated.

  “Chalmers is dead,” Saltaire said quietly. “Our pet took exception to his manners.”

  McCully’s eyes sparked with an emotion he couldn’t read. She strolled to Sebastian and patted his head. Owen detected no trace of fear in her demeanor. “You’re a good cat, then, Mr. Sebastian, because Chalmers was bad news.”

  Sebastian appeared to revel in her attention.

  “You’ve got a friend for life, now, you know,” Saltaire told her.

  “That’s okay. I like cats,” she replied. “Especially cats who get rid of men who abuse the women they’re supposed to love.” There was a fierce note in her voice.

  “So, what are you folks doing here?” Jenna asked.

  Saltaire laughed and looked at his wife. “We got a call from Fred...”

  Julia said, “And then I got a call from you, about being engaged...”

  “And we just spoke with Annie, who told us there was a serial rapist here on the loose,” Stephan, Saltaire’s sister’s husband, said.

  “And we ‘eard there could be a connection be’ween t’is man and the Organization, so ‘ere we are,” Giselle finished.

  “Besides, Jenna’s going to need some help planning her wedding,” Julia added.

  “Thank goodness,” McCully exclaimed. “They’re doing this in two months.”

  “Two months,” Julia said, turning to stare at Jenna. “That long?” When Jenna smiled at her and nodded, she grinned. “Well, this should be easy then.”

  “Easy?” McCully demanded, her eyes wide.

  “Giselle and Julia planned their weddings in a much shorter time frame,” Fred explained.

  “How short?”

  Giselle laughed, “I ‘ad one month.”

  “I had five days,” Julia said, and turned happy eyes on her husband. Who grinned down at her with the same look Owen thought he must wear around Jenna.

  “Five days,” McCully said weakly and she fluttered a hand to her chest.

  Chapter 24

  Eventually Jenna managed some alone time with Owen, much later that evening. She had offered her home to the newcomers, but they declined saying they were already settled at Annie and Jared’s house. Damon, Emmy, McCully and Fred had left a few minutes ago. Mark and Colleen had a previous engagement, so they left soon after the others arrived.

  Her house was quiet again. She looked around it happily, because she really wanted to be alone with Owen.

  He turned to her and pulled her into his arms.

  “Happy?” he asked, and she heard a complacent note in his voice.

  It made her laugh. “Yes, I am.”

  “Good. Think we can plan our wedding in five days?” he questioned innocently.

  “No. You’re not the king, which worked for Mallen and Julia. We won’t be able to obtain a license that fast.”

  “Too bad,” he said.

  “Besides, we’ve given TJ enough to worry about. Five days would send her into apoplexy.”

  “That might be funny to watch.” He ran his hand musingly over his chin.

  “Troublemaker,” she said, and kissed him.


  “We have to wait that long for the honeymoon.”

  “Yes, I know,” she answered with a long-suffering sigh. “But the days will go quickly. We have a lot to do.”

  “I suppose. Let’s hope it does go fast. Because I really want you to be my wife.”

  Something melted inside and Jenna gazed at him, knowing her love shone in her eyes.

  “I can’t wait to be your wife. Do you think you’ll be able to put in less hours? Truly? I couldn’t bear never seeing you,” she admitted.

  “Jenna,” he said, and gazed at her, love in his eyes. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think I’ve put my priorities straight. I know you’re more important than my job. I still like what I do, and will continue to do so, but I think I was also working myself into a burnout. Now that I’ve got you, you’ll help balance me.”

  “I’m glad. I think I was heading toward burnout, too. I told the hospital to take me off the list. I want to spend my evenings with you.” She settled against him and then popped back up. “Providing you’re home. I understand there’ll be some times when you can’t be home, because of a case, and we’ll just work around that.”

  “We’ll have to compromise sometimes,” he said, stroking her hair. “Your rape advocacy is important.”

  “I’m not giving that up. But I am the other stuff. That’s what a relationship is all about. Compromise and commitment.”

  “Right. Want to commit to me?” he asked drolly and Jenna laughed, even as she gave him a mock punch.

  “Definitely.”

  About the Author

  D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She loves gadgets, books, plants, shoes and writing stories that resonate with others. You can generally find her in her “office”, a chair in the living room, hopefully writing, but sometimes playing Angry Birds or reading.

  Visit her website for more information.

  http://www.drgradybooks.com

  -Coming Soon-

  Shadows and Spice

  Book 5 – The Morrison Family Series

  Greg Gilmore fought hard against returning to Hershey, PA. He has trouble breathing in a town with so many Morrisons running around. Janine Morris, a woman as deeply entrenched in secrets and special military skills as him, only adds to his discomfort. Keeping his family safe is his number one goal. So why does Janine’s haunted amber eyes keep enticing him to throw away all his cares and concerns to join forces with a woman who could bring all his enemies right down on the Morrison Family?

  Shadows and Spice

  By D.R. Grady

  Chapter 1

  “I don’t repeat gossip, so listen close the first time.”

  Greg Gilmore peered around the store shelf and gazed at the cluster of women circling a small silver haired lady. A woman he thought might be married to Rich O’Riley. His current ....former ....something boss.

  Another woman, tall, elegant, cool, her dark skin glowing in the sunlight from a nearby window stood within the circle. She was his former doctor. Thanks to her skill, many of the scars mapping his body were mere shadows now. Most of his wounds had been so skillfully stitched he couldn’t remember where they had been.

  She toiled hours in the OR, working tirelessly over him. His prognosis, he later learned from O’Riley, had been grim. But Dr. Janine Morris kept stitching. She refused to give up on him and he was alive today because of her stubbornness.

  Dr. Morris was a top notch doctor with two tours in Kuwait to her name. She also spent time in Johannesburg. A woman with a brain that could have led her anywhere. She could have been a rocket scientist.

  She shouldn’t even know who he was, and he shouldn’t know her, except that he lucked out and ended up on her operating table. The tattoo on his inner thigh had identified him, and she only recognized it because she also bore one. Most team members never met – except in extreme circumstances. He guessed him nearly dying could be considered an extreme circumstance.

  Now she bent over a little boy here in Hershey, P.A. His son. Greg’s heart clenched as he studied the boy. Ryan belonged to his sister now, not him. He gave up all rights to Ryan long ago, and even though that initial choice was still the right one, he could hardly bear to see the little boy. Inside, his heart wept for what he’d lost.

  Janine straightened and Greg’s attention moved to the blonde woman beside her. His sister, who held a small girl in her arms. KC Gilmore Morrison, just like Janine Morris, was a part of the circle of women eagerly listening to the scoop from the small silver haired lady. They leaned into each other’s personal space, every one of them comfortable with herself and the women surrounding her.

  A brunette with a little girl running around her legs bobbed a toddler in her arms. Greg thought one of the others had called her Lainy. There was a beautiful strawberry blonde who pushed a double stroller filled with two babies who had to be fathered by Ben Morrison. The babies were a blend of their parents.

  Another woman, another strawberry blonde reminded him of O’Riley, but looked an awful lot like the older woman who held the group enthralled with the current news. A small girl with big eyes clung to her hand.

  These women were family, a tight group who obviously cared about each other. KC blended with the group as easily as a chameleon to a branch. Greg couldn’t fathom all those people in his personal space. The sensation of not sucking in enough air closed on his windpipe and he forced himself to breathe. The walls eventually stopped closing in on him.

  “So what’s the scoop, General?” the dark haired woman asked.

  General. A rumble of what could be laughter, but he wasn’t certain tempted him, but Greg shoved it away with long experience. The woman had answered his question though. General Emma, yes the small silver haired lady was Admiral O’Riley’s wife. Definitely.

  “On my way to work this morning I noticed a man driving through town. He looked a lot like our own KC.” His heart dropped. Oh no.

  His sister’s eyes went wide. “You saw Greg?” A small catch in her voice made his heart spasm.

  “Is that your brother’s name?”

  KC’s nod was jerky. Her eyes sought Janine’s. The two women held an entire, silent conversation in that moment. Greg itched to know what they concluded. Were they glad he was here, or did this information come as an unpleasant surprise? He’d like to hear their answer, since it might go a long way to answering that same question for him.

  “I think I saw him, too,” another woman, the one who looked a lot like Emma, said. He thought she was Shelby, O’Riley’s daughter. Had he heard the woman had married Sam Welby? Greg wondered why he felt so old.

  The women all nodded and moved closer.

  “Yes, I heard Mom say something like that,” the brunette said.

  These women were so tight they knew intimate details about each other’s lives. How had General Emma recognized him? None of these women had ever met him, but they all seemed to know who he was. Somehow. How was that for remaining undetected?

  Greg forced himself to breathe again when he noticed the walls trying to smash him. His exercise didn’t seem to be working. His lungs threatened to seizure.

  “Where was he headed?”

  “I assumed he was going to your place, KC.”

  Another negative jerk of her head caused his chest to tighten. More breathing exercises helped remain him upright. “I haven’t heard from or seen him.” Her shoulders didn’t exactly shrink in on themselves, but they definitely drooped. His own tensed. Why would she want to see him? He had always shown her an irresponsible artist who couldn’t settle for the wind. Greg didn’t think about the pain that coursed through him, but shoved it away from long experience. He had carefully cultivated his reputation with his family. It was rather too late to regret his decisions now, so why was he?

  “Where else could he have been going out there?” O’Riley’s daughter asked.

  “Harrisburg,” Janine supplied dryly.

  General Emma’s eyes sought and located Jan
ine’s. Greg knew she would read nothing in the amber depths, and wondered if Emma found Janine’s inability to show emotion frustrating. Sometimes he did, and he barely knew the woman.

  “There are a few cottages on the outskirts of town, and they’re beyond Max and KC’s house and yours, Janine.”

  Janine nodded. “I thought about those.”

  “There’s one less than a mile from our house.” KC sounded a little breathless. He understood – that’s always how he felt in crowds.

  A new thought caused a cold sweat to pool at his spine. Now that a Morrison had recognized him, would they feel free to show up at his door? Anytime?

  He shuddered. How did you handle so much family? Even individually they were hard to take, but en masse?

  He must have been insane to come here.

  Why had he come home again?

  Ryan darted from around his mother and scampered by. That little boy was the reason. Greg’s heart tightened so much he feared a heart attack right there in the store. Ryan had meant more to him than he could have ever expressed, and apparently that feeling hadn’t altered, six years later. He still loved the boy with the part of his being that remained pure. Staring after his son, Greg realized there didn’t seem to be much of his soul left that was uncontaminated.

  Janine reached over and plucked the little girl, he thought he heard them call her Macy, from KC. His niece settled back into Janine’s embrace with familiarity and Greg had to swallow down an emotion he didn’t recognize. So this precious child who shared his blood already loved and cherished Janine Morris. So Macy didn’t know him from squat, just like Ryan. That shouldn’t bother him.

  But it did.

  Here these women were discussing him like today’s news, and he was worried about his non-existent relationship with his niece and...son... Ryan.

  But he had already given up so much – his eyes drifted to Ryan. A little boy he’d loved since before his birth. And a child he was forced to sever all ties with to keep safe. But every minute that passed he longed to know Ryan and his little sister, Macy.