The Power of Love

by Serena Akeroyd

  Some of the weight he’d lost on his face had padded out; that chilling gauntness had disappeared. That he was slowly getting back on the right track relieved her greatly. She hated the need to disappear, to hide away from the world, but if it meant helping Luke, then it was worth it.

  Lexi took another bite of her cereal, the loud crunch she made dragging Gia’s attention away from a slowly-filling out Luke and onto her. “How long are you going to be away for? We have lessons, Mommy. I can’t miss them.”

  Gia looked to Josh to answer that particular question. “It depends on how tired she is, Lexi. When she gets there, they’ll tell her, and they’ll make her rest and nap, and eat well, and they’ll pamper her too.”

  “What’s pamper?”

  “They’ll spoil her. Like when we let you eat burgers and fries and ice cream though Mommy would go crazy if she knew.”

  Lexi looked horrified a second, then whispered, “What did you say that for, Daddy? She isn’t supposed to know.”

  Josh smiled, but Gia butted in, “Moms know everything. I always know when you’ve had that horrible stuff. And who’s ‘she’? The cat’s mother?”

  “It’s not horrible, Mommy, it tastes good.”

  She sniffed. “Well, we can agree to disagree on that.”

  Lexi’s head tilted, and Gia knew that particular phrase had been lodged into her memory banks to be repeated at will over the coming weeks.

  Not that she’d be there to hear her little girl’s newest catchphrase.

  Ignoring the shard of pain that came with that thought, she murmured, “Daddy and Papa will be here, and so will Grandma Lou and Nanna and Pop Pop. In fact, Grandma Lou is going to help with your classes.” Gia forced herself to beam a smile Lexi’s way. “Isn’t that nice of her?”

  Lexi looked doubtful. “She isn’t as good as you.”

  Stunned because she’d never considered herself that strong at teaching, Gia felt her cheeks grow pink at her daughter’s compliment. “I’m glad you like our classes together.”

  “It’s the truth, Mommy, but”—she heaved a long-suffering sigh—“if you need to be pampered, then I guess you have to go. I don’t want you to be tired.”

  Gia leaned over the breakfast bar and pressed a kiss to Lexi’s forehead. “Thank you, honey. Now, eat up. We have history in ten minutes.”

  When Lexi’s eyes lit up at the news of her favorite class, Gia knew the topic had been pushed to the back of her mind. She stepped away from Josh and Lexi and headed over to the sink to wash the dishes that had collected there since Luke had overtaken the kitchen.

  As water gushed out and filled the sink, she stared at the bubbles that appeared when the heat hit the detergent. A different kind of heat hit her when she felt someone come up behind her. Arms slipped around her waist, and a chin settled on top of her shoulder. It took her less than five seconds to realize it was Luke.

  Now before Libya, she would have wiggled her butt and snuggled into him as she started to do the dishes. As it was, she stayed utterly still, not wanting to frighten him off.

  He pressed his nose into her hair, nuzzling a little as he held her tighter against him. She carried on with what she was doing but enjoyed the closeness, the proximity of having the man she loved so near.

  She’d missed this. More than words could say.

  Tension flooded from her at his presence, tension she hadn’t realized was making her stiffen up.

  “I love you, Gia. I’m sorry about this.”

  “It’s not your fault, Luke.” She blew at the strand of hair that had fallen out of her topknot. “I know that, and I also know it’s not Josh’s fault. You guys enlisted to make a difference. What else are you doing but that by bringing Harrison’s crimes to light?”

  “It shouldn’t affect you.”

  His resolute stance had her sighing. “We always knew there would be difficulties when we decided to become a partnership. I guess we didn’t realize they’d all hit in the same year.”

  “It’s too much.”

  “Maybe it is, but it’s not for long. And whatever the pitfalls, what we have is worth fighting for.”

  He nodded, the movement rubbing his scratchy chin against her cheek. She was used to it so it didn’t itch. If anything, it was a sensation that triggered heaps of memories. Enough so, despite the somberness of their conversation, it made her smile. “It is,” he murmured, breaking her train of thought. “It is worth fighting for…I forgot that for a little while.”

  “Yeah? You started to remember?”

  Another scratchy nod. “I remembered when I realized I was going to have to go through the appeal process without you at my side.”

  “Don’t make me cry,” she whispered, her voice thick.

  “I don’t mean to, but it’s the truth. We’re a team, Gia. You’re not an add-on. You’re intrinsic to us. We’re a team, us three. You, me, and that SOB over there against the world. I shouldn’t have needed the reminder, but I did, and I won’t forget again.”

  She hesitated a second, but urged herself to say, “You won’t stop seeing the psychiatrist at the VA, will you?”

  He blew out a breath. “Not that I’ve been seeing him all that long, but if you want me to carry on, then I will.”

  “I do. I think it’s for the best. I looked into the VA benefits program. I know that with your kind of dismissal, they don’t leap to help. That they have to decide on a case-by-case basis… I have to assume, if they’re helping, then you need to keep up with the visits.”

  He’d stiffened up a little at her comment, but he shook his head. “I have lots of friends at the VA, Gia. You misread the situation, and that’s my fault because I should have explained it to you.

  “I won’t lie, I got them to pull some strings. My mother told me I was pulling away when I should be holding you all to me, and I spoke to some people I served with. I got some character references, talked to the right people, my father spoke up for me too…they got me the help I need.”

  “It’s not what you know but who.”

  “Exactly. Not fair, but after a service length like mine, and also, the different deployments, the contacts I have are…well, I’ve been blessed. I know I was cheating the system, but the system’s broken anyway if it can do this to me. I figured it could at least get me back on track.”

  She pulled her hands from the sudsy water and reached for a towel. After drying them, she wriggled in his hold until he loosened his arms a little, enabling her to turn around and face him.

  “If there’s anything to be thankful for, it’s that. You on track is all I want.”

  Luke bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “What did we do to deserve you?”

  “I’m sure you were saints in a past life.”

  Josh snorted, then butted in, “I’m a saint in this one.”

  “Daddy, what’s a saint?”

  Luke chuckled. “See what you started?” He twisted around to say, “That should keep you occupied for a good while, Josh.”

  “Daddy! What’s a saint?” Lexi repeated, a little more forcefully this time. Knowledge was the only way they spoiled their daughter. And when she wanted to know something, hell, she wanted to know it immediately.

  Gia felt sure she’d have to start swotting up on random facts to keep up with their mini-genius. Either that, or swallow an encyclopedia. Whole.

  “Come with me to the backyard?” Luke asked her, interrupting her dire prediction, and knowing Lexi would be occupied until she truly understood what a saint was, Gia nodded.

  He led her away, letting her trail behind him a little as he moved into the garden. It was an unseasonably warm day. In the north of the state, there had been tornado warnings and the rain had hit with a fierce punch. But here, with the warmer flurries sweeping in from the Gulf of Mexico, the cold had been kept at bay. Well, not enough to warrant light clothes, but enough that she could tilt her head to the sun and enjoy the warmth of the morning.

  “What’s up?” she
asked when he led her to the small seating area at the foot of the yard. She’d decorated two sides of it with trellis and creeping roses that would blossom in the late spring. It would merely add to the sheltered air that the three of them had taken advantage of many a time.

  Hell, Lexi could have been conceived out here for all she knew.

  Luke perched his butt on the table, then crossed both arms and feet as he stared down at her. “I want the spa trip to be a reality.”

  She frowned. “It isn’t necessary.”

  “Yes. It is.”

  “I don’t need R&R.”

  “Maybe not, but I need you to at least take advantage of the time away and to make the best use of it. You moping around in a hotel room isn’t going to do any of us any good. It will bite at my patience to know you’re sitting there, watching paint dry.”

  “It’s an unnecessary expense.”

  “What? And we can’t afford it now? Josh is hardly a pauper, not on his salary, after the appeal, I’ll be due some compensation, and your books…well, you never say, but surely you can split off some of your royalties for this treat?” He pursed his lips. “Whichever way you look at it, and reason it, I want you to enjoy this time away.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” he immediately retorted.

  “The last time I had this conversation with Josh, I learned he wanted me to hide away…is there a catch, Luke? One you’re not telling me?”

  He thumped a clenched fist against his heart. “On my honor, I’m not trying to be devious,” he told her, his honesty ringing true where Josh’s hadn’t. “I think…”

  When he hesitated, she cocked a brow at him. “What? What do you think?”

  “Neither Josh or I are getting younger. I’d like our family to grow before we’re too old.”

  She frowned, wondering if Josh’s mom had said something to Luke and this was his way of broaching the topic. “You want to disregard the stumbling blocks we’ve had with Lexi?”

  “I think, whatever kind of relationship a kid’s parents have, there are heaps of stumbling blocks.”

  “We’re going to have to hire her a private tutor to homeschool her eventually, Luke. She’s too bright. We’re going to have to tighten our belts to afford that. Especially if you’re not working.”

  He waved a nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about that.”

  She blinked at him. “You mean our family finances? You want me not to worry? Well, too late.”

  “I wasn’t going to re-up when my contract was over, Gia. Yes, this has fast-forwarded matters, but I was always going to head into retirement soon. Did you think I was going to slob around the house all day?”

  She shook her head. “I never thought about it, to be honest.”

  “Well, I have. I’ve thought of nothing but.”

  “You have?” Gia asked, surprised by that tidbit of information.

  He nodded. “Army life has long since lost its luster. The minute you came into our world, I regretted re-upping that final stint.”

  “Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. The army is no longer my whole world, Gia. That’s nothing to apologize about, it’s something I’m grateful for.”

  She flushed a little. “Well, as long as you’re certain.”

  “Deadly.” He lifted a hand and cupped the back of his neck. His sheepishness puzzled her, but she waited him out and was rewarded with: “Well, I guess you want to know my plans. I’m going to throw in with Mom and Dad and work the farm, but I’ll be there to work on a new tea rose hybrid.”

  It didn’t exactly come as a surprise to realize he was going to work on the farm, but tea rose cultivator? Now that came out of the blue.

  “Tea roses?” she asked faintly.

  He bowed his head. “They’ve always fascinated me.”

  She blinked at him. “But you’ve never shown any interest in gardening or yard work.” Hell, she was the one who had to mow the lawn and deadhead the flowers—even though she was a botanical serial killer.

  “I’ve never had the time or the energy. It’s not exactly easy to make hybrids, but I’ve kept up with my reading material. I minored in botany at college.”

  She gawked at that. “How did I never know this about you?”

  “Mostly because it hasn’t been a part of my life for a long time.” He shrugged. “Now this has happened, I have the excuse I want. When they realize how FUBAR the situation was over there, the top brass are going to compensate me big-time for discharging me the way they did. It’s inevitable. I’m hoping the money will pay my way in the household, but also give me some left over to spend on this.”

  Her mouth worked and words took an age to form. “I never expected this, Luke.”

  “No.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’m more than an Action Man doll.”

  “Of course you are. I never thought that anyway!” She tugged at the faint gape of her pants around her knee. “I guess if that’s what you want to do, it’s what you want to do. It’s…random. That’s all.”

  “Well, hardly. Have you been inside my mother’s greenhouse?”

  “No. I haven’t.”

  “Well, ask to go inside. If you do, you’ll see why it’s something I always wanted to do.”

  She frowned. “You mean you didn’t want to be a soldier?”

  “I did. Well, a part of me did.” Luke sighed.

  “Let me guess, the part that wanted to please your dad.”

  “Nailed it, babe.” He shrugged. “Plus, I did want to make a difference. You can’t do that by creating new types of tea rose. This way, I’ve done my part, probably helped make a shitty situation ten times worse, but I tried. No one can take that away from me, nor the fact I did it with the best of intentions.”

  She reached for his hand and the instant their fingers were entwined, squeezed down. “I love you, Luke. I always have and I always will.”

  He smiled. “You know I feel exactly the same way, and while he might not show it, that lummox in there…he adores you too.”

  “I know. With all this going on, I still know that. It’s the only reason I can deal with it.”

  “Have you spoken to him about this?”

  “In general?” she mocked, then bit back a smile when he rolled his eyes at her antics.

  “Nope, you know what I mean.”

  It was her turn to sigh. “No, we haven’t. Not really. He talks, tells me he’s sorry, and I listen. I guess I’ve been avoiding the topic.”

  “Well then, you need to rectify that. I don’t know if you’ve realized it yet, Gia, but Josh has White Knight Syndrome. He likes to come charging in to the rescue. Even if it means it’s to the detriment of every other aspect of his life.” He shook his head. “Had I been okay, up here”—he tapped his forehead with his pointer finger—“I guess if I’d have seen how much time he was spending away from home, I’d have known what he was up to. As it is, I haven’t been much use.”

  “You’ve had more important concerns, love.”

  “That’s the problem. Nothing should come before you and Lexi, and yet, both of us have neglected you. And now, we’re shipping you out of here like a fallen woman.” His jaw worked a second before he shifted his eyes from contact with hers to stare down at his feet. “We’ll make it up to you, Gia. I swear it.”

  “I know you will.”

  “Good. Please, go and talk to him. I’ll keep the munchkin occupied. It’s not good to…well, I don’t want you parting with anger between you. Whether it’s for a short while or a long one.”

  Knowing what he meant because she was due to leave tomorrow, she got to her feet, then took a step closer to him until her front was pressed along his. Gia reached for his hands, bridged them with hers, and then rested her forehead against his chest.

  “Stop procrastinating.”

  She reared back a little to pout up at him. “Can’t a woman show her man a little love?”

  “Anytime, darlin’, but
not when it’s to put off the inevitable.”

  “Spoilsport,” she remarked, then slowly sighed. “Why do I have to make the first move?”

  “Because in all the years I’ve known Josh, he’s never ever been the one to do that.”

  “Maybe it’s time he learned.”

  “I don’t think that’s him being arrogant. I don’t think he knows how to relent.”

  “What an excuse,” she retorted. Leaning up on tiptoe to give him a peck on the lips, she continued, “I’ll be a good girl and do as I’m told.”

  “You’re always a good girl,” he teased.

  “Now I know you’re trying to get into my good books.” She winked at him. “I’m under no illusions. My halo is more than rusty.”

  “Better than my horns.”

  Gia chuckled and grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  “You’ll feel better when you leave tomorrow, and all of this is water under the bridge.”

  “If you say so.”

  They returned to the house where Luke went off to do his own thing, only after squeezing Gia’s hand reassuringly, leaving her to find their daughter and their lover. Lexi was perched on Josh’s knee in the breakfast room, looking at something on his phone, when she looked over the swing door. The instant she did, Josh looked up, their gazes clashing, and he murmured, “Lexi, why don’t you go get started on your history lesson?”

  “The book is on the table, sweetheart,” Gia concurred as she stepped into the room. “We’re still talking about the Native Americans and Thanksgiving.”

  Lexi’s glance darted between the pair of them, but never one to give up an opportunity to start reading, she bussed Josh’s cheek and rushed off to get started on her favorite lesson. The aftereffects of the fight between Jason, his brother-in-law, and Josh were slowly fading.

  When Gia had rushed into the lounge to find Jason pinned to the floor, half choking because Josh’s palm was squeezing the life out of him, only she’d been able to get him to stop. His other brothers-in-law had been darting around with the effectiveness of fruit flies around jam. Luke had been struggling to get out of Laurie’s easy chair—not easy with a busted knee—and Elin had been clawing at her brother’s back, trying to get him to relent as her lover Sarah had been crying, watching on as chaos ensued.