The Nurse's Newborn Gift
Page 17
“Poor baby.” Krissy went up on her tiptoes as she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. “I missed you today.” Nine years of marriage and despite their crazy hectic lives, she loved him now more than ever. “I was hoping to show you how much.”
He nuzzled next to her ear. “I’m never too tired for that.”
A fact he’d proven time and time again.
“Can I open them now?” J.J. asked.
Krissy, Spencer, Patti and Bart all looked over to where he stood, holding the letter in one hand and the box in the other. The mood in the room instantly changed. J.J.’s excitement was almost palpable. But for Krissy, and she’d guess everyone else, this moment brought back Jarrod’s loss once again. His son finally reading the letter he’d left for him would be bittersweet.
“What?” J.J. asked, with a look of frustration that so closely resembled a look Krissy had seen on Jarrod’s face way too many times. “I took off my shoes and washed my hands and gave Grandpa Bart time to go to the bathroom.”
Grandpa Bart laughed. “That he did.”
Krissy smiled. The mood in the room seemed to lighten.
“Which one should I open first?” J.J. asked, eyeing the box then the envelope, trying to decide.
Bart stepped forward and pointed to the velvet box. “I think this one.”
Without question, J.J. set down the letter and lifted the top of the box. As he studied the contents he looked confused, maybe a little disappointed even, until Bart explained, “This is your daddy’s Congressional Medal of Honor. It was awarded by the President of the United States. It’s the highest and most prestigious honor given by the U.S. Military, for extreme acts of bravery and courage.”
“Wow,” J.J. said with awe and a good amount of reverence. He’d been told the story of how his father had died during a hostage rescue mission when he’d remained behind to lay down cover fire, saving his team, a downed pilot, and ten civilians. But this was the first time he’d been told about the medal.
Spencer stepped forward. “We waited to give it to you to make sure you were old enough to understand and appreciate how important it is, and responsible enough to value it and keep it safe.”
“I am.” J.J. looked up at Spencer. “And I will.” Then he turned to Krissy. “Can I bring it into school for show and tell?”
With tears gathering in her eyes and emotion clogging her throat, all Krissy could do was nod.
Leave it to Spencer to clarify, “On a day either me, your mom, grandma or grandpa is available to bring it into school for you.”
J.J. nodded.
Slowly he set down the box and picked up the letter, staring at Jarrod’s handwriting, like Krissy had done before opening and reading her own letter, like he’d done so many times since learning of the letter’s existence.
He looked at Krissy for permission.
She nodded again.
A tear leaked down her cheek. If only Jarrod were here to see what a wonderful young man his son had turned out to be.
Spencer put a big, strong arm around her shoulders and held her close. Krissy looked over to see Bart doing the same to Patti, all eyes on J.J.
With the utmost care, J.J. used a letter opener to slowly and precisely slice open the top of the envelope, the ripping of paper the only sound in the room.
The envelope opened, J.J. reached in and removed the letter taking a quick look inside of the envelope before setting it down beside the box.
Then he climbed up on a stool in front of the counter, unfolded the letter and started to read. J.J. was at the top of his class in reading. Even so, Krissy couldn’t help wondering if he’d be able to decipher Jarrod’s handwriting, if he’d understand all of the words. He sat there reading, so quietly, not moving except when he finished one page and moved on to the next. Krissy could barely breathe, not knowing what Jarrod had written or how her son would react. The seconds ticked by like hours.
At one point J.J. smiled down at the letter, then he laughed, a snort-laugh, just like his father.
Then his face grew serious.
He sniffled.
Krissy wanted to run to him and comfort him. But when she made a move toward him, Spencer held her in place, shaking his head slightly. “He can handle it,” Spencer whispered. So confident in the boy he’d raised as his own.
J.J. wiped his eyes then he smiled again and looked at Krissy. “Dad says hi. And that he loves you and wishes he could be here.”
That’s all it took. The tears she’d been trying to keep under control started to flow down her cheeks. She sucked in a hiccupping breath. Spencer rubbed her arms and kissed the top of her head.
“Oh.” J.J. smiled. “He also said not to cry.”
Krissy smiled through the tears.
“What else did he say,” Patti asked, sounding hopeful.
J.J. jumped off of his stool and ran to Patti and Bart to give each one of them a hug. “That I have the best, most special grandparents in the whole world, which I already knew. And I should give each one of you a hug and kiss for him.” Bart bent down for a kiss. Patti did the same. “He says he loves you.”
That got Patti crying. Bart looked close to shedding a few tears, too.
J.J. walked over to Spencer, glanced at the letter and said, “Dad said you better be taking good care of me and teaching me to be a good man.”
“Doing my best, buddy,” Spencer said, messing up J.J.’s too long dark hair.
J.J. gave him a hug and Spencer bent down to squeeze him tight. The two of them shared such a close bond.
After releasing Spencer, J.J. walked back to the counter and dumped out the envelope. “Look,” he said, holding up a baseball card. “My dad’s favorite baseball card.”
Bart said, “I was wondering what had happened to that. When he was young, like you, your dad used to sleep with it under his pillow hoping it’d make him a better baseball player.”
J.J. seemed to like the sound of that. “I’m going to try that too.”
Spencer whispered to Krissy, “It didn’t work.”
Krissy gave him a hip check.
“And look at this.” J.J. held up a picture. “Dad in his uniform. A little one I can put in my wallet, someday, when I get a wallet. Like Dad has pictures of us in his wallet.” J.J. held up the picture then read the back. “‘To my special son. Love you always,’” he read. “‘Dad.’”
Then J.J. held up a hundred dollar bill. “Dad says I can use this money to buy whatever I want, from him.”
“You figure out what that is,” Spencer said. “And I’ll take you shopping.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Sometimes it got confusing when J.J. talked about his dad, since he referred to both Jarrod and Spencer as Dad. Each held a special place in his heart, and each one was equally special to him, Krissy made sure of that.
J.J. started to fold up the letter.
“Wait,” Krissy said. “That was a three-page letter. What else did he say?”
J.J. laughed. “Dad said you’d ask me that.”
He knew her so well.
J.J. continued folding the letter and carefully slid it back into the envelope. “Private stuff. Just between me and him.” He looked her straight in the eyes and made a threatening face. “Dad said to mind your own business and no snooping.”
“What? I don’t snoop!”
Spencer started to laugh. “Oh, yes, you do.”
Yes. She did.
“You’d better hide it good, J.J.,” Spencer teased.
“Oh, I will.” Their son ran up the stairs heading toward his room.
“Traitor,” Krissy said under her breath.
An hour later Krissy stood in her crowded, noisy living room watching J.J. tear into the rest of his presents, his eight-year-
old brother and five-year-old sister helping like they had every right to be up front with him. They were such great children, all three of them. She’d been well and truly blessed.
Patti sat holding Kira’s youngest, seven-year-old, Isabelle in her lap. Bart sat with his arm around Kira’s oldest, nine-year-old, Kate. As far as Patti and Bart were concerned, they had five grandchildren, each one more special than the next. It seemed like Patti was always baking for some party or celebration and Bart took off the whole week leading up to Halloween to make sure everyone’s costumes were just right, and attend all of the school parties, of course.
Spencer came to stand beside Krissy. “Penny for your thoughts?”
“Just thinking about how lucky I am and all Jarrod has given me.” Patti and Bart, J.J. and Spencer and the two beautiful children she’d had with him.
Her handsome husband crossed his arms over his chest and said, “I’d like to think I had a little something to do with all this, too.”
“You had a lot to do with it,” she said. “But by asking me to have his baby if he didn’t make it back from the war, and by making you the godfather of his baby, Jarrod brought you back into my life.” Krissy wrapped her arms around his waist. “And Patti and Bart.” And more love and happiness than Krissy had ever thought possible.
Spencer wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Hard to believe how much my life has changed since you showed up at my door a little over ten years ago.”
Krissy looked up at him. “I hope for the better.”
Spencer leaned down to kiss her. “Definitely for the better.” He hesitated. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Jarrod wasn’t killed? If he’d come back a war hero? Would you have...?”
Krissy put her finger to Spencer’s lips to stop him from talking. “I loved Jarrod. I still do. And I wish he could be here with us. But I never loved him, or any other man, for that matter, the way I love you. You’re the only man for me,” she told him, squeezing him tightly. “You poor thing.” Sometimes her laid-back attitude drove him absolutely nuts.
“I love you, too,” Spencer said. “And don’t worry about me. I can handle you.”
He could, better than anyone.
He leaned in close to whisper, “Tonight I plan to handle you...for hours.”
Krissy smiled, so happy, and absolutely loving her life. “I can’t wait.”
* * * * *
If you missed the first story in the NURSES TO BRIDES duet look out for THE DOCTOR SHE ALWAYS DREAMED OF
And if you enjoyed this story, check out these other great reads from Wendy S. Marcus:
NYC ANGELS: TEMPTING NURSE SCARLET
CRAVING HER SOLDIER’S TOUCH
SECRETS OF A SHY SOCIALITE
THE NURSE’S NOT-SO-SECRET SCANDAL
All available now!
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ISBN-13: 9781488009815
The Nurse’s Newborn Gift
Copyright © 2016 by Wendy S. Marcus
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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